Sigma Alpha Iota

sAI-NATIONAL.ORg FALL 2014 PAN PIPES 7 the years. It was a blessing that the concepts of extended family and the importance of the 'village' for child-rearing were seminal ideas that undergirded the families and communities I knew. Let's fast forward to Young Adulthood. At that time, what was clear to me was that I had to make some serious choices. I thought of the words from Robert Frost's famous poem, "two roads diverged … I could not travel both." Having had a strong, prodigious talent and considerable experience performing in a variety of venues and media (sacred and secular), a decision had to be made as to the direction I would travel – the course I would set for my life. Would I follow the popular African American jazz pianist, Mary Lou Williams with her ragtime bass and her eight-to-the-bar boogie- woogie? She was the most outstanding female instrumentalist of her day and one who not only performed, but wrote arrangements for Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, and many others; her compositions were performed by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Or … would I choose to follow the tragic saga of the celebrated classical pianist and composer, Philippa Duke Schuyler? A child prodigy, she had been celebrated for her performances and compositions by important music critics; however, she encountered vicious racism in the field of employment. Because of my passion for classical music, I elected the path of classical music study which, at that time, was a "path less traveled" by African Americans, not because of their incapability, but because of limited opportunities for fulfillment. I will hasten to say that choosing that less-traveled path has made all the difference, providing for me a life time of joy and service. Fast forward to NOW— a half-century later. As I reflect oen, and share with you, there have been many who have contributed to the person I am today, and many for whom I am very grateful — my parents (now deceased), my community, the many churches I served, my husband of 55 years, and Spelman College, the premier women's college where I have served for six decades (and I should acknowledge that this institution, through my professoriate years, has been key to my growth as a musician, a professional, and, as a human being addressing the holistic needs of hundreds of wonderful young women students). During my long-spanning career as a college professor of music, an enormous influence on my growth and my work has been that of my beloved music fraternity, Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity. A charter member of the chapter established at Spelman in 1979, an Advisor who joyfully served the chapter for many years, and a member of the local alumnae chapter, I can say that, in myriad ways, I personally and our institution have been beneficiaries of many rewards from SAI. Because you represent fraternities of varied disciplines, you may not know intimately the values and rewards of this music fraternity SAI. ose values that have undergirded my growth and served well thousands of women across the country are the following: SAI respects and supports all aspects of (1) music education (performance, pedagogy, scholarship/research, and creativity). SAI fosters a commitment to the joy of (2) music-making in a variety of media, as well as the sharing of music with our communities, enlarging, enriching the lives of others. SAI encourages a variety of philanthropic (3) enterprises domestically and globally. SAI provides various types and levels of (4) scholarships and professional development awards, and a variety of ways to honor excellence. SAI celebrates collegiate and alumnae (5) achievements through its organization's publications. SAI provides leadership training for its (6) members. SAI builds Sisterhood — "daughters of a (7) singing nation." What has been most impressive and inspiring for me is the stellar quality of leadership that has been ethical, committed, and transformative, and, has sustained SAI from1903 to the present day. Kudos to the National Headquarters and Ruth Sieber Johnson, Executive Director, who has nobly held this position for many years. In summation, what I have tried to say relative to my life, and hopefully of some meaning to students, are the following: Where one comes from does NOT define where one will go. Although it may be an accretion of choice and chance, choices MUST be made. Aer a choice is made, a path chosen, your passion must be followed with disciplined, hard work, with purity of intent. LOVE WHAT YOU DO!! Let self-esteem and self -respect keep you grounded in challenging times. Become the person YOU decide to be. Serve others with integrity — share your gis. Appreciate the gis of love and support from our beloved music fraternity. Maya Angelou in one of her poems challenges us to "rise into a daybreak that is wondrously clear, bringing the gis our ancestors gave." We, by our SAI Founders and the many strong, dedicated women who came aer them, have been given ever-blooming, ever-rewarding, ever-sustaining gis. Cherish them, use them, and share with generations to come. ank you again for this prestigious award and this distinct honor to share a few thoughts about my journey. pFa OutstanDIng COmmunIty servICe aWarD Lincoln Alumnae Chapter of sAI Recognizes a PFA member group chapter that has dedicated personal and financial support for the betterment of that chapter's community. Lindsay Bartlett, chapter treasurer, attended the PFA Conference to accept the award on behalf of the Lincoln Alumnae Chapter. T he following is the nomination letter text from SAI National President Leslie Odom Miller. I am pleased to nominate the Lincoln Alumnae Chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota for the Professional Fraternity Association's Outstanding Community Service Award. e Lincoln Alumnae Chapter hosts a "Music at the Museum" service project with two distinct components. First, the chapter organizes an instrument petting "zoo" where children are able to "test drive" a wide variety of musical instruments. is hands-on experience allows children to not only touch these instruments, but to actually make sounds on them. Second, local student musicians are featured in a showcase performance during the "Live in the Lobby" portion. Both components are sponsored with the Lincoln Children's Museum and the Lincoln Public Schools. In this third year, 549 visitors participated in this event. is activity fully supports both the Mission of Sigma Alpha Iota — to encourage, nurture and support the art of music – as well as fulfilling one of our seven National Objectives — promote music education through ongoing volunteerism, performance attendance, and support of local programs. I highly recommend the Lincoln Alumnae Chapter for this award. saI MeMbers Honored

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