“For decades, it was almost impossible to hear a piece of music written by Florence Price,” writes Anastasia Tsioulcas in Thursday’s (12/2) National Public Radio. “Price was a Black, female composer who died in 1953. But a group of New York City middle school students had the opportunity to quite literally write Florence Price’s history. Their book, titled Who Is Florence Price?, is now available … The kids attend Special Music School, a K-12 public school in Manhattan that teaches high-level music instruction alongside academics.… Recently … there’s been a blossoming of interest in Price’s work…. The students … researching Price … realized that although there were a few materials written about her life for grown-ups, there was nothing aimed at kids. That gave [English teacher Shannon] Potts had an idea: She would have her students write and illustrate their own book about Florence Price, and about how her music was rediscovered…. Kaufman Music Center … executive director … Kate Sheeran … was so impressed that she ordered a small, self-published print run of their work. She sent it … to … Robert Thompson, the president of G. Schirmer…. Thompson agreed to publish the book; all royalties will go to Kaufman Music Center.”
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