Marian Anderson


  1. Marian Anderson

The person I would like to do my project on is Marian Anderson because she can be a good role model and inspiration for many people. She displayed vocal talent as a child and so do I. She did European tours and I would love to do that some day. I also think she is interesting because she has one some Grammy’s and that would be a great award to win. This is why I would I would want to study Marian Anderson.

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Listen to an interview with Marian Anderson

Marian Anderson

 

Marian Anderson was a very successful African American singer. In 1955 she became the first black soloist to sing with the Metropolitan opera of New York City. Her favorite thing to do was sing.

Marian Anderson was born on February 27, 1897 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania .John and Anna where the parents of Marian, Ethel, and Alyce. Marian was the oldest. One day when Marian was at her church (Union Baptist) at the age of six Mr.Robsion, the head of the church choir asked her to be in the choir because of her beautiful voice. Marian’s dream was to be a singer. She would sit on a bench and tap out rhymes with her feet.

Marian’s father died when she was 12 years old. After her father died her family was very poor, and Marian really wanted to go to singing schools, but they just didn’t have the money. So the Marian would clean her neighbor’s steps for a penny or two. The neighbors loved hearing her sing well she would clean their steps.

One day she walked in her house and saw a dark skinned lady playing the piano so beautifully and Marian got filled with happiness because she knew even though she was black if she wanted to play the piano or do anything she wanted if she put her mind to it. After high school she started studying music and her first teacher was Mary Saunders. For every performance she did she earned five dollars she gave two of them to her mom and one to each of her sisters and kept the last one for herself.   

She graduated for South Philadelphia high school for girls. A couple of things Marian did in her life was attended a six week program of operatic study at the Chicago Conservatory of music, did a concert honoring the National Association of Negro Musicianse, and got a honorary diploma from Howard University. Without the help and support from many people Marian Anderson would not have been able to be in the position she was, one of these people is, Ronald Haes.

          Singing teacher Mary Saunders told her I will only need two years with you then you can go anywhere or see anybody. The two years had passed and Mary wanted to find Marian a more advanced singing teacher. She went to audition for Giuseppe Boghetti. Unfortunately her audition did not go well, Giuseppe said he was only watching Marian sing as a favor and he did not have enough room for her. Her audition started and she sang Deep River and when she sang Giuseppe came into tears and said we can make room for Marian Anderson. He welcomed Marian but once again finances where a problem so her church stepped up with a benefit concert. From there Giuseppe Boghetti became Marian Anderson’s new singing teacher.  

          On December 23rd Marian did a concert and 3,000 guests had come. Sometimes people would not let her sing at places because she was an African American. A very interesting fact is in 1923 she became the 1st African American to record a song (Deep River and I’m So Glad).

One day when Marian was done with one of her concerts there was a reception after words and that is where she met Orpheus Fisher (also known as King). They fell in love and started dating. King suggested they run off and get married but Marian said she no she wanted to focus on her career, even though she would also say “One gets swept on in a career, one has time for a little else”. King had tried several times asking her to marry him, but the answer was no. Finally in the summer of 1943 Marian agreed to marry King. They lived in Danbury, Connecticut and that’s where they got married at a private ceremony at Bethel Methodist Church on July 17th.

          On January 20, 1961 she sang the National Anthem at John F. Kennedy’s presidential inauguration. Also in 1993 Eleanor Roosevelt presented the Spingarn Medal to Marian given by NAACP a group that works for African American rights. is that

          As you can see Marian Anderson was a very successful person. Showing African Americans that they can be successful to by her wonderful singing. Marian Anderson passed away in April 1978. She was a wonderful role model for all people. 

                

Bibliography

“Picture of Marian Anderson.”

http://www.metoperafamily.org/_post/education/marian-anderson/html/picture.htm.

 

Jones, Victoria Garret.  Marian Anderson:  A Voice Uplifted.  New York, NY:    Sterling, 2008.

 

Mckissak, Patrica and Fredrick.  Marian Anderson. Berkeley Heights, NJ:   Enslow Publishers Inc., 1991.

 

Sutcliffe, Jane.  Marian Anderson.  New York:  Lerner Publishing Group, 2008.

 

Bauman, Thomas A.  “Anderson, Marian”.  World Book Online.  2010.  Encyclopedia Online.  15/14/2010.  < http://infotrack.galegroup.com.>.