Years before bassoonist Andrew Brady was born in Johnson City, Tennessee, his grandmother, an amateur poet, wrote a piece about acceptance.
She had noticed over the years that her Southern Baptist church relied on its musicians to provide uplifting sounds during sermons, but those same sermons occasionally vilified the lifestyles of certain male members of the congregation. “My Young Friend” served as an open-letter, of sorts — a recognition of religious struggles and a resolution of unconditional love.
Those themes resonated with Brady, principal bassoonist with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra from 2016-2022. The musician, who has since moved to a new position with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, commissioned his first solo bassoon piece based on his grandmother’s words.
“That’s something I struggled with a lot growing up in church,” he said. “It felt like she was speaking directly to me, even though I wasn’t conceived of then.”
Composed by Stefan L. Smith, “My Young Friend” is the centerpiece of Brady’s “Trials to Triumph” recital at the First Presbyterian Church on Jan. 16. Brady chose Smith to write the music due to their similar upbringings.
“His experience is the same – growing up in a Southern black church, leading worship and also being gay himself,” Brady said. “The piece is a journey, in that regard, and you can definitely hear elements of Black southern church.”
The remainder of the program also highlights composers of color. The works include “Elegy for Innocence” by Jeffrey Scott, along with jazz drummer and composer Mark Lomax’s “Trouble Don’t Last,” which Brady described as very turbulent with “battling gestures going on between bassoon and piano.” The program ends with Leslie Adams’ “Poem of Love;” Brady sees it as an affirmation focused on “reaching a place of valuing yourself.”
First Presbyterian Church is presenting the recital — it’s just Brady with piano accompaniment — under the banner of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Brady actually conceived of the program last spring, when he premiered the recital Los Angeles under the Amplify Series at Colburn Conservatory, where Brady is an alumnus. He has since recorded the compositions in preparation for his first album.
For Brady, the full meaning of the program goes much deeper than presenting Black composers.
“It’s not just a celebration of Black music and Black people but also a very personal celebration and journey and reflection on my life experiences,” he said.
After graduating from Colburn, Brady started his journey as a professional musician with the Louisiana Philharmonic before becoming a mainstay in the Atlanta woodwind section. Brady said he’s been enjoying his first year in Minnesota with a conductor-less ensemble that interested Brady because of the egalitarianism of the group.
The bassoonist grew up in a musical family, with early lessons in the music business provided from his mom’s sisters, who both performed on Broadway. Instruction in the notes and the politics of classical music came courtesy of bassoonist Anthony Parnther, who now lives and works in Los Angeles but taught Brady for years and gave him his first gigs sitting in with the Johnson City Symphony Orchestra.
“He would put me in all these different situations and show me how to navigate them,” Brady said.
Continuing that mission, Brady is using his platform to do his part to change the makeup of classical music. When bringing in substitutes to play second bassoon parts in Minnesota, he’s seeking out students of color.
“My goal right now is to keep increasing representation and give opportunities to those who don’t have it handed to them very often,” he said.
Even with a move toward more inclusive music making by ensembles around the country, Brady is still typically the only Black musician on stage.
“Because that has been the norm most of where I go, I’m kind of desensitized to it,” he said. “Part of my goal is to be less desensitized.”
In that vein, Brady is already thinking about the next new work for bassoon, focusing on another underrepresented portion of classical music.
“I would love to have a Black woman composer featured,” he said. “That’ll be my next commission goal.”
CONCERT PREVIEW
Andrew Brady
3 p.m. Jan. 16. Free. First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta, 1328 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta. concertsatfirst.org.
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