Stories

NoteWorthy is a series of audio stories created to broaden our view of classical music by shining a light on the lives and music of artists of color, women, and others from historically underrepresented groups. Each episode provides an introduction to an artist, performing ensemble, musicians, or composer from all eras and genres of classical music. In a couple of minutes, you can learn about the contributions these artists have made and are making to the art form while discovering some great music along the way.

Louis Chauvin

When something's a little ragged, you don't typically consider that a good thing, right? For example, ragged clothing may not be so great, but ragged rhythms have not only been celebrated, but revered as one of America's most prized contributions to the world of music. On this edition of NoteWorthy, Garrett McQueen revisits the ragged rhythms of a genre known as ragtime.

Joan Tower

In 1942, composer Aaron Copland gave the world a work called The Fanfare for the Common Man. This work would go on to inspire not only common men, but a few uncommon women. On this edition of NoteWorthy, Garrett McQueen introduces you to an uncommon woman named Joan Tower.

Samuel Coleridge Taylor

Over the course of history there have been countless individuals whose lives intersected with activism and social justice. Most have engaged that work with a very local approach, while others have done it with a more global perspective, with one of them, being a Black composer from England. On this edition of NoteWorthy, Garrett McQueen shines a light on a social justice minded composer named Samuel Coleridge Taylor.

Terence Blanchard

Some composers stick to the world of film music, while others prefer writing things like opera. And then there are some who have managed to do both. Hi there - my name is Garrett McQueen, and on this edition of Noteworthy, I'd like to re-introduce you to a composer named Terence Blanchard.

Jessie Montgomery

When you hear the word, composer, you might automatically think of someone who lived hundreds of years ago in a place across the Atlantic. But truth is, composer is a title that many people today carry with them. On this edition of NoteWorthy, host Garrett McQueen features one of the most celebrated composers of today: a woman named Jessie Montgomery.

Garrett McQueen, Host

Credit: Devon Fails

Garrett McQueen is a bassoonist who has performed with orchestras across the country, including the Detroit Symphony, Knoxville Symphony, Louisville Orchestra, and Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. He’s been heard as both a performer and guest host on APM’s “Performance Today”, and has continued his work as a producer and broadcaster with his nationally-syndicated programs including The Sound of 13, Gateways Radio, and The Sounds of Kwanzaa.

Away from the airwaves and performance stages, Garrett specializes in music and racial equity presentations, with collaborators including the Gateways Music Festival, the Sphinx Organization, the Kennedy Center, the Apollo Theater, the San Francisco Symphony, and countless schools, colleges, and universities. In the press, Garrett has been noted as not only a “classical agitator”, but also “a Black talent in public media that you may not know, but should”. In 2021, the New York Times noted his weekly podcast, TRILLOQUY, as a standout and one that is “required listening for industry leaders and listeners alike.”

Garrett McQueen holds music degrees from the University of Memphis and the University of Southern California. In addition to working as a musician and media producer, Garrett is the Director of Artist Equity for the American Composers Orchestra and maintains leadership positions with the American Composers Forum, the Beethoven Festival Orchestra, the Black Opera Alliance, the Gateways Music Festival, the Cedar Cultural Center of Minneapolis, the Lakes Area Music Festival, and Soka Gakkai International.

NoteWorthy is sponsored by: