The Music That Helped Stop Slavery: Dr. J LanYe' '68 MM, DMA to Present on Juneteenth at Lakeside Chautauqua
Dr. J LanYe’ '68 MM, DMA, explores the powerful role of music in mapping escape routes to freedom from chattel slavery. She will return to Lakeside Chautauqua this Juneteenth to share groundbreaking research on the African American spiritual. She will introduce newly uncovered decoding methods that reveal how these songs functioned as sophisticated strategic tools in the resistance to and dismantling of chattel slavery. This presentation goes beyond traditional musical history, offering a rare look at the intelligence and strategy embedded within the genre—insights that remain largely unknown to the general public.
Dr. LanYe’ is a leading voice in the study and performance of spirituals, and has rebranded them as "Cultural Concert Songs of Liberation and Destiny." Over the past 76 years, she has given approximately 3,000 varying music performances across the United States, Canada, and Austria as an accomplished trained lyric mezzo-soprano, self-accompanying concert pianist, violinist, organist, orchestral conductor, choir director, composer, and lecture-recitalist. This grande dame of music has led music departments and served as a full-time university and college music faculty member at several institutions across the country.
She holds two doctorates reflecting her extensive research on subjects pertaining to Black high level music. She received her Master of Music in Vocal Performance from NEC in 1968.
We applaud the amazing work you do, Dr. LanYe'!
