When you hear the word, “community”, what comes to mind? For me, I immediately think about things like community centers or even the art of community engagement, but it’s important to remember community music schools: institutions that have played a huge role in the development of countless musicians across the United States. My name’s Loki Karuna, and on this edition of Noteworthy I’d like to honor one composer, in particular, whose journey began at one of these community institutions – the one and only Billy Childs.
It was around 1973 when a then 16 year old Billy Childs first attended the Community School of the Performing Arts in southern California. Just a few years later, Billy found himself traveling the world as a notable jazz pianist, but his skills as a composer would eventually take center stage, with commissions from the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Detroit Symphony, to name two. Among his smaller compositions is this one: his very fluttery sonata for flute and piano.
Billy Childs has continued his work in both classical and jazz, earning for himself a whopping 18 Grammy nominations and a total of 6 Grammy wins as for 2024. He’s a shining example of not only the importance of community-based music education, but what it means to be among America’s most Noteworthy.
Noteworthy is a production of WDAV classical public radio.