ARSC, National Parks and More (Conference and Greenwood)–May 17-18

The ARSC Conference

Although I was rather tired when I finally reached my hotel room, I had already missed ARSC sessions on Thursday and that Friday morning. So, instead of answering the call of the hotel bed, I showered and changed clothes then attended the afternoon sessions. ARSC, or the Association for Recorded Sound Collections, is an interesting mix of professionals and amateurs covering the fields of sound production, preservation, research, etc. I have maintained my membership beyond my retirement because my research interests have a direct correlation with the organization, and there are colleagues whose interests tie directly with mine. I got a very pleasant surprise when, looking through the printed program to decide what to attend, I saw that the publisher of my second book had taken out an ad featuring the book. Thanks!!

This year, my proposed presentation, “Porgy and Bess at 90,” had been selected for the ARSC annual conference in Tulsa. My usual topics are related to concert spirituals–my primary research area, but with the 90th anniversary of the Gershwin folk opera’s premiere approaching, I wanted to talk about the original cast and share recordings they made from the opera. When my proposal was accepted, I asked to be scheduled to present on Saturday since my budget at that time was only going to stretch enough to allow me to attend one day (fortunately, an award I received for Recorded Solo Concert Spirituals by the Music Library Association allowed me to fully fund the trip). The organizers gave me the final presentation on Saturday, curiously with another, seemingly unrelated, subject.

As tired as I was, I skipped the evening events and went to bed early. Sleep, however, was hard to find despite my exhaustion. My presentation was on my mind. One would think that after years of lecturing and performing, I would be able to relax. No such luck.

I finally gave up around 5 a.m. and watched the sunrise from my hotel window. It was beautiful, but I would have much rather have been studying the inside of my eyelids at that hour of the morning. I try to keep things simple when I am going to present, so I ordered breakfast–eggs, bacon, and a rather stale croissant–in my room. After dressing, I spent the morning getting a feel of the room, as it were. Although I wasn’t singing, I didn’t chance putting much else in my stomach beforehand. The setup was fast and straightforward (they are recording professionals, remember?), and we got underway pretty much on time.

I enjoyed talking about the music and musicians from the original cast who I could cover in a 20-minute presentation. And there’s something about listening to the voices of Todd Duncan, Anne Brown, Ruby Elzy, Abbie Mitchell, and Edward Matthews as recorded on the original formats of the era–78 RPM, 45 RPM, and 33 1/3 LPs–as well as the voice of composer George Gershwin introducing performers during the recording of the 1935 Porgy and Bess rehearsal. It’s so enjoyable, too, talking with folks who are so knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the subject. Plus, while the other presenter’s topic was very different from mine, questioners actually found ways to connect hers and mine.

The conference ended with the awards dinner. I was not up for any awards this year, but I do recall last year’s excitement of knowing that my second book was to be so honored as I watched my colleagues in the room that evening.

Bramble and Black Wall Street

While I didn’t have one specific event scheduled for Sunday morning, I had three possibilities: breakfast at a local restaurant followed by either visiting Tulsa’s infamous Greenwood section, where Black Wall Street had thrived until it was destroyed in 1921, or driving up to the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library in Kansas. First breakfast.

I searched online for local restaurants with high ratings for great food and service. The votes suggested a place called Bramble Breakfast & Bar that was a short drive from the hotel. It was crowded despite the lateness of the morning, but I only had about a 25-minute wait for a seat. And the food was spectacular!! The strawberry-covered brioche could have been eaten without syrup, but the very warm maple syrup was a wonderful complement. The eggs were cooked exactly as I like them, and the bacon (really, hog jowls) was an unexpected pleasure that was cooked so perfectly, I was able to eat the skin–which is usually too chewy or tough to eat. Thank goodness there is no Bramble in the DMV!!

Once breakfast was over, I decided to go to the Greenwood Rising Black Wall St. History Center. I couldn’t chance being this close to the museum and missing the opportunity to go. My knowledge about Black Wall Street wasn’t as extensive as it should be, but I knew enough to be prepared for an intense experience.

Greenwood Rising begins with images from ca. 1921 compared with contemporary photos taken of the same sites. The roots of Greenwood describe how originally developed through the efforts for formerly enslaved who opened businesses, schools, social structure and created for themselves a lifestyle that was an envy to their white neighbors. The exhibit continues with detailed description of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, which resulted in the destruction of Black Wall Street and the deaths of 37 Blacks and Whites (official numbers, but estimates indicate up to 300 deaths). There was a series of tall panels where a visual recount of the massacre was displayed while accompanied by narrated eyewitness reports.

The exhibit continued with efforts to rebuild over the century since the massacre and plans for the future. Some of the photos taken of the exhibit are below:

I took a lot of pictures, especially of the recounting of the massacre. Be warned that these pictures are quite intense.

https://singin1.pics/piwigo/index.php?/category/Tulsa-Greenwood-Rising-051825

I finally left the museum in a mood as cloudy and rainy as the afternoon had become. However, I am a firm believer that the rain does finally end, and the sun returns with its warmth and light.

As always, I thank the Lord for granting me the stamina to make the trip, the damn good reflexes to steer the Silver Bullet (SB) as she needed to be guided, and the ability to enjoy His handiwork as it whizzes by my windshield.

The driving distance from Tulsa to the Eisenhower Presidential Library was too great for me to reasonably hope I would arrive before its closing time, and it would be closed on Monday. While I had moved my boat trip to Isle Royale NP from Monday to Friday, I had too many miles to travel and things to do to hang around until Tuesday. Therefore, I headed west.

Next stop: Colorado.