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Noting his contributions to contemporary music, the City of Los Angeles paid tribute to Mount Saint Mary鈥檚 faculty member and instrumental ensembles director Derrick Skye at a performance by the  (AACMSO). The concert, at the First Congregational Church of Los Angeles, featured two of his pieces, 鈥淎s I Heard When I Was Young鈥� and 鈥淧risms, Cycles, Leaps: Part I.鈥�

Janise White, AACMSO鈥檚 founder and director, presented Skye with a certificate of recognition signed by Mayor Eric Garcetti and members of the City Council. The document refers to Skye as 鈥渁 phenomenally gifted, young and emerging African American composer [who] has been enhancing the symphony orchestras in the City of Los Angeles and nationwide with his culturally innovative music.鈥� 

 

 

鈥淚 was just floored,鈥� says Skye of the honor. He notes that the gesture is especially moving because it shows that his work reaches people not only in the classical music world, but also in the wider community. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e saying, 鈥榃e see what you鈥檙e doing and we love it.鈥� It was a very good motivation for me to keep writing!鈥�

Conductor Vincent Womack, who led that night鈥檚 performance, first met Skye about 10 years ago. As part of the Los Angeles Philharmonic鈥檚  program, Skye mentored young musicians at the Foshay Learning Center where Womack teaches.

AACMSO had been looking for young composers to help re-invigorate its programs. 鈥淎nd, of course, I thought of Derrick Skye,鈥� Womack says. 鈥淗is work is so provocative and deep.鈥� 

Skye鈥檚 philosophy as a composer, with its emphasis on melding diverse musical traditions, also made him a fine choice for the city鈥檚 recognition, which was awarded on AACMSO鈥檚 recommendation, Womack says.

Besides bridging cultures, Skye鈥檚 work also bridges genres, often incorporating theater, dance or electronics, says Therese Fassnacht, associate professor and chair of the Department of Music at Mount Saint Mary鈥檚. 鈥淗e鈥檚 gaining a lot of well-deserved accolades here in the city of Los Angeles and around the world.鈥�

And he鈥檚 made a strong mark on the Mount. 鈥淗e is extremely generous with his time,鈥� Fassnacht adds, 鈥渁nd is approachable to music students who are studying performance and composition, and learning about the music industry. He has expanded their experience of music making beyond the Western European canon. It鈥檚 exciting that West African drumming is a fundamental component to the Bridge Orchestra. Students also have the chance to collaborate with musicians from his ensemble, Bridge to Everywhere.鈥�

Skye says that Mount students are constantly participating in workshops and developing cross-cultural classical music. Through that work, students learn to combine elements from multiple musical traditions to make something new, a sort of mosaic. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 a very effective approach for helping young people understand that there鈥檚 always going to be more to learn about and explore.鈥�

Because the Mount鈥檚 music department is small, it鈥檚 nimble enough to move quickly, Skye says. 鈥淲e can adapt curriculum to fit where the music industry is and where things are going. That is a super power of the music department at Mount Saint Mary鈥檚.鈥�