Annotated Bibliography
Beybey, Kidi. “My Kingdom for a Guitar.” Translated by Karen Lindo. Bloomington, Indiana : Indiana University Press. 2021.
https://research-ebsco-com.ezproxy.okcu.edu/c/637xk6/search/details/l2l5xrxkoj?db=e000xna
This book, authored by Francis Beybey’s daughter, tells the life story of this Cameroonian-born writer, researcher, and musician. I plan to use it to learn more about Beybey’s life and hopefully gain insight on where to begin to find more classical guitar composers from Africa. In conversations with Taiwo Adegoke, he mentioned that him and Beybey were the only composers he knew of. He expressed interest in wanting to continue his own research and find more music on the continent.
Casseus, Frantz. Compiled and edited by Marc Ribot and Alberto Mesirca. “Frantz Casseus Guitar Works.”
Casseus, Frantz. Edited by Marc Ribot. “The Complete Works of Frantz Casseus.” Tuscany Publications 2003
This is an anthology of music by Frantz Casseus. The author included a biography of the composer along with 15 of his compositions and an editor's note on the stylistic choices and compositional tendencies associated with Casseus’ music. I will use this to learn more about Frantz Casseus and his music in my essay. For the performance aspect, I intend to play Romance (1978) by Frantz Casseus, the score to which can be found in this book.
CCGS Composers-in-Residence Program. Cleveland Classical Guitar Society. Accessed March 3, 2015.
https://cleguitar.org/composers-in-residence-program/
Classical Guitar Library. Accessed August 24, 2025.
This webpage is what it suggests, a library of Classical guitar music. While some standard rep can be found therein, I also found some scores for Baden Powell.
Coldwell, Robert. “The Works of Justin Holland and Justin Minor Holland.” Digital Guitar Archive. October 4, 2022
https://www.digitalguitararchive.com/2022/10/the-works-of-justin-holland-and-justin-minor-holland/
In 1987 William A. Banks did his dissertation on Justin Holland. This would be titled “Justin Holland: The guitar’s black pioneer.” A catalog of music by J. Holland and his son can be found in the appendix of Banks’ dissertation, but corrections needed to be made. Robert Coldwell would work to make some of these corrections when an updated catalog to the Digital Guitar Archive on October 4, 2022. I intend to use this to learn more about Justin Holland, Justin Minor Holland, and their music.
Dawe, Kevin. “The New Guitarscape in Critical Theory. Cultural Practice and Musical Performance.” Routledge. September 9, 2016.
(Description from publisher’s website):
“In The New Guitarscape, Kevin Dawe argues for a re-assessment of guitar studies in the light of more recent musical, social, cultural and technological developments that have taken place around the instrument. The author considers that a detailed study of the guitar in both contemporary and cross-cultural perspectives is now absolutely essential and that such a study must also include discussion of a wide range of theoretical issues, literature, musical cultures and technologies as they come to bear upon the instrument. Dawe presents a synthesis of previous work on the guitar, but also expands the terms by which the guitar might be studied. Moreover, in order to understand the properties and potential of the guitar as an agent of music, culture and society, the author draws from studies in science and technology, design theory, material culture, cognition, sensual culture, gender and sexuality, power and agency, ethnography (real and virtual) and globalization. Dawe presents the guitar as an instrument of scientific investigation and part of the technology of globalization, created and disseminated through corporate culture and cottage industry, held close to the body but taken away from the body in cyberspace, and involved in an enormous variety of cultural interactions and political exchanges in many different contexts around the world. In an effort to understand the significance and meaning of the guitar in the lives of those who may be seen to be closest to it, as well as providing a critically-informed discussion of various approaches to guitar performance, technologies and techniques, the book includes discussion of the work of a wide range of guitarists, including Robert Fripp, Kamala Shankar, Newton Faulkner, Lionel Loueke, Sharon Isbin, Steve Vai, Bob Brozman, Kaki King, Fred Frith, John 5, Jennifer Batten, Guthrie Govan, Dominic Frasca, I Wayan Balawan, Vicki Genfan and Hasan Cihat Örter.”
Ex-Aequo: Changing the Canon. Accessed March 3, 2025.
https://www.exaequoartists.com/changingthecanon
The webpage starts by stating that “The classical guitar repertoire is a uniquely diverse canon of music, however a voice that is under-represented in our music is that of Black composers from the United States. [Ex-Aequo’s] goal is to provide new concert level repertoire for solo classical guitar written by Black American composers.” This is one of the organizations I mentioned in my research proposal that have begun to do the work I’ve been looking to start doing with my own research. They include recordings of the pieces and of the composers introducing themselves, along with a book of scores.
Eyre, Banning. Guitar Atlas: Your passport to a new world of music.”Alfred
(Description from Publisher’s website.):
“Banning Eyre, a recognized expert in African guitar music, guides you through a variety of important styles, including congolese, mbira, Malian blues, and juju. Learn about the history of this music, the pioneering musicians that developed each style, and the dominant characteristics and techniques necessary to play this remarkable music. All material is presented in standard notation and TAB. A recording demonstrating examples and compositions in the book makes learning easy and trouble-free for all players.”
Eyre, Banning. “In Griot Time: An American Guitarist in Mali.” Temple University Press. 2000.
https://www.google.com/books/edition/In_Griot_Time/bfr9B1gzF48C?hl=en&gbpv=0
This is a memoir of Banning Eyre’s time studying guitar in Mali.
Flippin, Thomas. (African-American Melody). ‘XII. Don’t Be Weary Traveler’ and ‘XIII. Wake Up, Jacob’ from “14 Etudes on the Music of Black Americans.” Cleveland, Oh: Cleveland Classical Guitar Society. 2021.
These excerpts are from a set of pieces that were commissioned by the Cleveland Classical Guitar Society in 2021. All 14 etudes are based on spirituals and lullabye from African American history. Two of the pieces I plan to examine in my lecture come from this score.
Igeleke, Aiuta. Afroclassical. Musique Classique Afrodescendante. Accessed March 3, 2025.
https://www.aituamusic.com/en/afroclassical-en/
According to the website, “AfroClassical is a classical music show created by Aitua Igeleke with the aim to pay homage to Black classical composers in history by giving them the place and notoriety they deserve, recognized at the time for their art and often forgotten.” The goal for my research is quite similar to this. I will use this as I prepare for my lecture.
Holland, Justin. “Holland’s Comprehensive Method for the Guitar.” Oliver Ditson Company. 1888
This is Justin Holland’s 1888 method book for the classical guitar. According to the front page, this includes “a choice collection of music suitable for practice and the acquisition of a high order of execution. Composed and compiled from the best European Works(J. Holland Comprehensive Guitar Method).” When looking at that first page, I began to question why Holland focused on the music he chose for this method book and why he felt a need to mention that these were “European Works”. I plan to explore this idea more in my research and my paper. I’d also like to compare Holland’s method book to “Pumping Nylon” by Scott Tennent, which is a popular method book among classical guitarists.
Holland, Justin. “Holland’s Modern Method for the Guitar.” The S. Brainard’s Sons Co. 1876
This is Justin Holland’s 1876 modern guitar method book. According to the first page, the method is “an improvement on all other methods for this instrument in progressive arrangement, adaptation and simplicity.” I love how Holland described this particular work, and I’d like to see how this compares to his 1888 method book and to Scott Tennant’s “Pumping Nylon.”
Jackson, Ernie. “The Music of Justin Holland for Solo Guitar.” Cherry Lane Music Company. 1995.
Compiled and edited by Ernie Jackson, this book includes a biography of Justin Holland’s life and performance notes for 10 of his classical guitar compositions and arrangements. There is also a reference CD, which Ernie Jackson plays on, highlighting musical characteristics and stylistic choices associated with Holland’s music. Besides getting information on Holland’s life and music, I could use this method to continue updating my online research database.
Jenkins, Christopher. “Assimilation V. Integration in Music Education: Leading Towards Greater Equity.” Routledge Focus. 2024.
The goal of my research is to promote Black culture in the world of the classical guitar. It is to help make the path easier for those who come after. It is so others can see themselves in this field. It is to help diversify the classical guitar tradition, which must be done correctly. I plan to use this book as a guide on how to do this.
Jenkins, Christopher. “Exploring the Aesthetics of African-American Classical Music: An Annotated Bibliography.” American Society for Aesthetics. 2020.
An argument can be made on the connectedness of various genres of black music. In this annotated bibliography, Chris Jenkins brings classical music by black composers into the conversation. According to page three of the document, Dean Jenkins aims to “list important resources related to African American classical music”, and “provide a broader understanding of and context for the study of black aesthetics[in the works of African-American classical composers.” I’m looking to use this to explore the idea of Black musical aesthetics in AfroClassical guitar music. Along with the information I get from this reading, I will also work to connect Dean Jenkins' work to “Africanisms in African American Music” by Portia K. Maultsby.
Jenkins, Christopher. “Signifyin(g) within African American Classical Music: Linking Gates, Hip‐Hop, and Perkinson.” The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, Volume 77, Issue 4, Pages 391–400. October 2019.
https://doi.org/10.1111/jaac.12670
“Joao Luiz: Department of Music Artist-in-Residence.” Stony Brook University: College of Arts and Sciences. Accessed February 20, 2024.
https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/cas/faculty_and_staff/faculty_affairs/_profiles/luiz
Joao Luiz is another composer that I plan to discuss in my paper. I wasn’t able to find a artist website for Luiz but I was able to find a brief biographical write up of the composer on Stony Brook University College of Arts and Sciences’s website. I will use this to discuss the composer and his musical background.
Julliard. “An Introductory Resource to Music by Black Composers.” Accessed February 20, 2024
https://www.juilliard.edu/music/black-composers#Sharon-Isbin
Juilliard's music department’s faculty members recently put together a collaborative playlist of “Music by Black Composers.” In the introduction to this list, which can be found on the institution’s website, it is said that “repertoire and pedagogical choices can often grow out of habit and a narrowness of knowledge, shaped by a history of exclusion and diminished voices.” This statement highlights my reasoning for wanting to pursue this project. I will use this source when compiling the list of Black Classical Composers for classical guitar.
Kaye, Andrew L. Edited by Ruth M. Stone. “The Garland Handbook of African Music: Guitar in Africa” (pgs. 88-109) 2008. Accessed February 26, 2024.
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/oberlin/reader.action?docID=432835
This essay, a part of The Garland Handbook of Music, discusses the guitar's roots whilst highlighting its story within the African diaspora. In my research, I intend to focus on the aesthetics of classical music by Black Composers. In the process of musically connecting the instrument to the African Diaspora, it is important to explore its history on the continent. I plan to use this as my introduction to this history and expand the narrative in my own writing.
Margins Guitar Collective. “Music for Guitar by Black Composers.” Youtube. Accessed February 20, 2024.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdRI592ug_8ngNwrgu73b3nJFE6qY2qOH
This is a YouTube playlist, compiled by the Margins Guitar Collective, on “Music by Black Composers.” This is connected to Ciyadh Wells and Neil Beckmann’s website, which can be found under the same name. I intend to use this when updating my online database.
Maultsby, Portia K. Edited by Joseph E. Holloway. “Africanisms in American Culture” (pgs. 326-355): “Africanisms in African American Music.” Bloomington: Indiana University Press. 2005.
Portia K. Maultsby’s paper on Africanisms in African American Music connects Black Americans' music to African Diasporic music. In writing this, Maultsby highlights cultural retention amongst African slaves through the context of their music. As a part of this article, Dr. Maultsby also provides a timeline of the “Evolution of African American Music.” I plan to use this timeline and the rest of this article to bring classical guitar music by Black Composers into the conversation. I plan to point out the characteristics of Black music, which Maultsby talks about, shows up in AfroClassical guitar music whilst also comparing Maultsby’s work to Dean Jenkins’ article on the “Aesthetics of African American Classical Music.”
McCullough, Kareem. “Kareem McCullough: Performer, Educator, Performer.” Accessed February 20, 2024.
https://www.mcculloughguitar.com/
This is Kareem McCullough’s artist website. As he is one of the composers I will be adding to my website, I hope to use his website to get more information about him and his music.
Miguel, Robson. “Robson Miguel - The Guitar Master.” Accessed February 26, 2024.
In my research, I encountered a guitarist and composer named Robson Miguel. According to his website, Robson’s musical journey has led him through various styles of guitar playing. “[Robson’s] styles range from the great classics and works by famous composers such as Bach, Chopin, Beethoven, Tárrega, Augustin Barrios, Leopoldo Weiss, to the contemporaries of Villa Lobos, Tom Jobim, Beatles, Yes, Leed Zepelin, Aron Maiden, Joe Pass, passing through also by MPB and Jazz.” Unlike Segovia, Robson embraced the guitar in its varying context. I plan to discuss Robson Miguel in context with Michael O-Toole’s book “John: Williams: Changing the Culture of Classical Guitar.
O’Toole, Michael. “John Williams: Changing The Culture of Classical Guitar.” Routledge Research in Music. 2019.
In this book, Michael O’Toole compares the field of classical guitar through the lens of Andres Segovia vs. John Williams. An explanation of the negative aspects of Segovia's legacy is given. As the “Father of the Classical Guitar,” Segovia holds much importance in the field. Still, his disregard for non-classical music and other styles of guitar playing has negatively affected what music “serious guitarists”( aka “real musicians”) play. John Williams and other guitarists like him have made a point to highlight and explore the classical guitar as it relates to various cultures. Because of this, I plan to use this work in my own paper and continue to discuss the arguments made by the author.
Rice, Timothy. “Ethnomusicology: A Very Short Introduction.” Oxford Academic. December 19, 2013.
https://doi.org/10.1093/actrade/9780199794379.001.0001
This book, as suggested by its title, provides an introduction to the field of Ethnomusicology. As this is one of the fields in which I'm placing my work, it would be beneficial to get some background information on the field. I will use this to guide the rest of my research along with Talmadge Anderson’s book: “Black Studies: Theory, Method, and Cultural Perspectives.”
Roumain, Daniel Bernard. “Ghetto Strings” Verona, NJ: Subito Music Corporation. 2019.
https://www.jwpepper.com/Ghetto-Strings/11194049.item
Some, Malidoma Patrice. “The Healing Wisdom of Africa: Finding Life Purpose Through Nature, Ritual, and Community.” TarcherPerigee an imprint of Penguin Random House. September 13, 1999.
With my research, I’m also hoping to make suggestions on how to improve the experiences surrounding being a classical guitarist both in the practice room, the classroom, and the concert hall. One way to do this is to approach life as a musician through a non-eurocentric lens. I believe the concept of the ritual in afrocentric cultures could be of benefit to this conversation. Therefore, I’ll use this book to examine these practices and contemplate how one may be able to translate them to the life of a musician.
Tennant, Scott. Edited by Nathaniel Gunod. “Pumping Nylon(Second Edition)” Alfred Music. January 1, 2016.
This is the second edition of Scott Tennant’s handbook for Classical Guitarists. Most classical guitarists have at least heard of this book, if not read and played through. I intend to compare this more widely accepted method book to method books by Justin Holland and other black classical composers’ approaches to the instrument.
Wade, Graham. “Traditions of the Classical Guitar.” John Calder (Publishers) Ltd. 1980.
I’ve made a lot of claims during my research regarding the current state of the classical guitar, with a particular focus on which culture(s) are promoted and the reasons for their visibility or invisibility within the field. This will act as a starting point to my inquiry into the current prominent classical guitar tradition, which will in turn allow me to make educated suggestions for the implication of my research.
Wells, Ciyadh, and Neil Beckmann. “Guitar Music by Black Composers.” Accessed February 20, 2024.
Ciyadh Wells and Neil Beckmann compiled a list of “Guitar Music by Black Composers.” I plan to use the compilation above in my paper to expand the list and offer more information on each composer. It’s important to note that this spreadsheet includes music for electric and classical guitar. With that being said, I currently want to focus on classical guitar music for this project, but I will keep the other composers and their music in mind.
Wells, Ciyadh. “Music for Guitar by Black Composers.” Spotify. Accessed February 20, 2024.
This is a spotify playlist, compiled by Ciyadh Wells, of “Music by Black Composers and is connected to the website/google doc under the same name. I’m planning to use this playlist as I update my online database.
Wilson, August. Seven Guitars. Plume. August 1, 1997.
With my research, I think it's important to understand the guitar’s relationship with Black cultures. In the U.S. it's perhaps most recognizable for its use in the blues. That being said, I want to get some more background on this. Wilson’s symbolic use of the instrument in his play will guide along the path of beginning to understand the importance of the guitar in afrocentric cultures.
Winans, Robert B. “Banjo Roots and Branches.” Urbana: University of Illinois Press. 2018.
This book explores the roots of the banjo in Africa and cultures within the western hemisphere. Seeing as how the banjo is an ancestor of the guitar I’m hoping that an understanding of its african roots will lead me to an understanding of the guitar’s african roots. I also plan to use this in connection to Andrew Kaye’s article: “Guitar in Africa'.'
Yates, Stanley. “John Williams Interview.” June 1, 2004.
This is a summary of an interview, which took place on June 1, 2004, and was originally published in Fingerstyle Magazine. Here, John Williams is getting interviewed on his interest with South American Music. In the interview, Williams makes a direct connection between Venezuelan music and its roots in the African Diaspora. Williams is starting a conversation, which I intend to expand upon, of the African Diaspora’s musical contributions to the world of classical guitar. I’m hoping to use this interview to further the aforementioned conversation whilst also commenting on the views of John Williams Vs. Andres Segovia.
