“Dr. Jacqueline Wilson is an assistant professor of music at Southeast Missouri State University. She is also a professional bassoonist and organizer of Molto Native Music, an organization dedicated to showcasing Native musicians in classical music,” writes Amy Morris in Friday’s (7/29) Indian Country Today (Verona, N.Y.). “ ‘An Indian in classical music, isn’t that a little weird?’ Dr. Jacqueline Wilson gets asked this quite a bit. Her answer on her website Molto Native Music, is ‘Not really.’ Though her response is light-hearted, she also says that introducing classical music to Native people is not without struggles…. ‘Whenever I play, I am honoring the legacy of ancestors that endured that cultural trauma [of Native culture being replaced by Western culture in schools]. … This project is so personal, it’s more about the potential to do for other people, young Native artists, and the hope to inspire them.’ Acquiring musical instruments and supplies can be very expensive and a hardship for many young aspiring musicians. Dr. Wilson hopes that through Molto Native Music she can create scholarships and opportunities to get these instruments and supplies to those in need. Her site [includes] a database for people seeking to hire or collaborate with a Native musician.”
Posted August 3, 2016
