History took center stage as a coloratura soprano performed beautiful renditions of Black artists’ works at the Biedenharn Recital Hall. Last Tuesday, VAPA presented a masterclass, lecture and performance done by Artist-in-Residence Bianca Jackson, DMA.  

As a vocalist and performer, Jackson took several students under her wing to guide them in fine-tuning their vocal skills. This was done through performing a piece in front of an audience. She gently coached them to take advantage of their talents and show what they were fully capable of vocally. Senior vocal performance major Preston Anderson enjoyed getting to be vulnerable and learning from her guidance. 

“What I enjoyed most about her masterclass was her calming spirit,” Anderson said. “I learned from her class to be okay with letting loose and letting the song take me wherever it goes.” 

Later that evening, Jackson took to the stage to explore Black American composers in her lecture open to the community. She highlighted the accomplishments and historical importance of several Black singers that have influenced music and culture. Jackson then performed her own take on the songs she mentioned in her speech. Her smooth and melodious voice showed the spirit of their works in real life.  

“The music I performed was something I felt a connection to, not just to the music but the stories,” Jackson said. “The odds that they overcame to compose this music and the beautiful melodies just resonated with me.” 

It was nothing short of amazing to see the stories she told about these composers be brought to life. She focused on pieces that were less widely known than many of the other songs by those artists. Jackson wanted to highlight lesser-known works to give a spotlight to the music people don’t always hear. The audience cheered after each song and many students were left in awe. Sophomore vocal music education major Addison Mitchell was astonished to see the emotion Jackson gave to her performances. 

“She has this amazing talent to connect with the audience, and even when you don’t know the song, you know what it means to her,” Mitchell said. “She is such an interesting person, and I’m so glad I got to witness her in action.”