The Cosmopolitan School of Music was the first Black owned and operated music school in the United States. Established in 1921, musicians Artie Matthews and his wife Anna Howard Matthews provided experience, training and education for hundreds of Black musicians seeking a career in music. The most notable musician to train at the Cosmopolitan School of Music was Frank Foster (1928-2011). Frank composed several pieces for orchestras and jazz ensembles all over the world and won 2 Grammy Awards for his musical arrangements.
Once located at 823 W Ninth Street in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, the Cosmopolitan School of Music provided a wide range of classes to help Black students develop their musical talent. The classes offered were Language, Expression, Public School Music, Theory, Violin, Voice, Piano, Organ, Band/Orchestra and Ensemble and Natural Dancing.
A quote from W.P. Dabney’s book “Cincinnati’s Colored Citizens” quotes the Cosmopolitan School of Music as “One of its most highly prized privileges is the opportunity to share in the perpetuation and advancement of Black music and art.”
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BL:My purpose in life is to know and love GOD. My mission is to help others do the same. Many often believe that means a boring and restricted life. When actually, It means a life with no limitations! By getting to know God, my creator, I’m learning who I am. He opened my eyes at a young age to know “what I want be when I grow up.” And He has lead me on a beautiful path to bring me closer to Him and shaping me to be more creative, authentic, bold, loving and full of His unwavering strength. What better way to fulfill your purpose in life but through Christ. My mission, to help others do the same. Many people roam this earth not knowing what their calling is in life or even not knowing what they’re gifted at doing. Not every gift or talent is obvious. Often times we get lost In searching for where we belong, not realizing that God is the perfect guide with such unimaginable love to offer. Through my gifts that I now see and through others God will reveal in the future, I want to help others see their purpose and mission. Hopeful that our goals are all the same. LOVE! #GODISLOVE
2) GB:What does being Giftedly Black mean to you?
BL:Giftedly black, to me sounds like a declaration. I Am Giftedly Black! Being proud of who you are and dare to share it with the world. Loving on something most look down on, but spreading light, for the world has its own darkness.
BL: Goal: To be an independent artist; starting my label to represent me and any form of entertainment. To begin outreach; helping and providing for the less fortunate.To get in the works my magazine that will hopefully be in front of you by 2019.
5)GB: What sets you apart and makes you unique as an artist?
BL:What makes me unique is my authenticity. I’m going to tell the truth no matter how much it hurts me or anyone else. That’s how you be great! I’m owning true R&B and allowing real issues and true power to reign in my lyrics. Let me be great!
6)GB:Any desires?
BL:What I desire most is to truly help change lives. I want people to learn to love each other more and support each other and I want to help people to let God use them and to see the authority in that.
GB:This International Women’s Month we celebrate and salute women like Brenda. She is a force to be reckoned with and a woman of action. Independently beautiful through her artistry and internal spirit she is a piece of art. Continue to move mountains and inspire us all Brenda we are rooting for you Queen!
FM:I believe we are all created with a destined purpose and many hidden skills to complete that purpose. I believe my purpose is to influence and inspire creative liberty and artistic expression. My skills are within entertainment such as music and performance art, I believe it is my duty to use these skills as a testament of one’s creative ability and power of creativity. Our creator is THE creator and we were given a privileged gift to create. To manifest an idea into our reality.
2. GB:What does being Giftedly Black mean to you?
FM:Being Giftedly Black is very important. I try not to look at race when it comes to creativity but to do so is naive when the ugliness of the world constantly shows us a beautiful truth, only to separate us as a human race. I’m proud and spiritually privileged to be born black.
3.GB:Social media handles for connects or reference?
FM: In this physical world, there are many obstacles. Unnatural roadblocks. Deliberate walls and unfortunate circumstances. My dream is entrepreneurship in music and artistic liberty. To be in a position where I can LIVE, not survive. A life where I can solely produce my own creations.
5)GB: What sets you apart and makes you unique as an artist?
FM: What I feel sets me apart from another is my faith in the ultimate creator. Creator of the mind, body, soul, conscious, breath, overall existence. Some call it “God”, or “Allah”, or whatever. I feel, it’s one energy source we are all from and apart of. I don’t know the true name but I feel it and I’m moved by it. I’m fueled by my desires and converted to belief by my personal knowledge of self power and accomplishments . Being faithful has worked for me and I will continue to remain humbly appreciative. I say that to say, the connection to that energy source which we are made of and is the fuel of our power is within us. We just have to look inside of ourselves to get in touch.
GB: I’ve personally known Frankie for 15 years now . He constantly grows more powerful as an individual and musical artist everyday. Frankie is a living testament of unshakable faith and natural aptitude to conquer any and every thing that comes his way. He is a man of his word, a man of influence, and most importantly my friend, the talented musical genius who I cherish deeply.
I saw a photo of Breonna Taylor with her homegirls on her birthday, and it gutted me. I won’t forget her. I wrote this tribute song for her, her friends that wondered where she was before the news came out, and everyone that loved her. She would have 27 on June 5th. There’s a link to the @trillmulticultural Breonna Taylor #Activistbootcamp and the #VanessaGuillen activist bootcamp along with ways to help them both at this link.
Written, recorded, edited, styled, and directed by me
Sharon Lafaye Jones (1956 – 2016) was an American soul and funk singer. She was the lead singer of Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, a soul and funk band based in Brooklyn, New York. Jones experienced breakthrough success relatively late in life, releasing her first record when she was 40 years old. wikipedia
