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Pioneering percussionist Elayne Jones’ has passed away at 94.
Elayne Jones’s mother wanted to be a concert pianist but could only find work as a maid. Her daughter won a Duke Ellington Scholarship in 1945 and went to Juilliard to study with the New York Philharmonic percussionist, Saul Goodman. Fritz Reiner conducted her in Brahms’s first symphony.
In 1972 she won the position of principal timpanist in the San Francisco Symphony. Three years later, she was refused tenure. She sued for racial discrimination and lost. For the next 20 years, she played principal timpani in the San Francisco Opera Orchestra.
Elayne Jones died this past weekend at her home in Walnut Creek, California. She was 94
Elayne’s Bio: HERE
Stacy Jones of BlackEnterprise.com has written the following article on Elayne.
Elayne Jones, the first Black percussionist to hold a principal position in a major symphony orchestra, died at age 94 on December 17, after a long career as an acclaimed drummer.
According to Local 802, in which Jones was a member of for 66 years, the timpanist integrated the High School of Music & Art in NYC in the 1940s, choosing the violin as her instrument before the strings teacher told her she was too skinny and should consider the drums.
“I recommend you study the drums,” the teacher said. “We all know Negroes have rhythm.”
Jones grew a passion for percussion, which led to her winning the Duke Ellington Scholarship in 1945. The scholarship allowed her to study with principal percussionist of the New York Philharmonic, Saul Goodman, as she attended Julliard.
Goodman was intrigued by the “little Black girl” on stage with the big percussionists, and chose her to play timpani for the Juilliard Orchestra’s final concert, Brahms’ First Symphony.
Although Jones’ talent raised concerns for orchestra managers who felt she was offending the sensitivities of their white subscribers, she was granted positions in the New York City Opera and New York City Ballet orchestra following her graduation from Julliard in 1949.
Jones auditioned for the timpanist position in the San Francisco Symphony, becoming the first Black musician to hold such a position in a major orchestra, after joining in the 1970s.
Although she was constantly hidden by the orchestra’s manager, she received great feedback from critics. The orchestral committee denied Jones’ application for tenure on May 15, 1975, leading her to file a discrimination lawsuit, which she lost.
She continued to play for the orchestra until her retirement in 1998, where three white male orchestra members accompanied her to her pension meeting. Jones secured a second-place amount, instead of the normal fifth-place timpanist pension.
“It has been quite difficult,” Jones said in a television interview in 1977, according to sources. “Not only playing but trying to live through all this, and living with myself too, which is kind of hard because you begin to question, well, am I really a good performer, am I worthy person?”
“I listen to other people, and I have more confidence in myself,” the late Jones added.
Jones discussed her journey in her autobiography Little Lady With a Big Drum, published last year.
PAS Writes:
With heavy heart we learned this week of percussionist great Elayne Jones’ passing at home at the age of 94. Elayne was inducted into the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame in 2019, after a half-century career of unmatched musicianship and activism. Trained at Juilliard (on a scholarship awarded by Duke Ellington no less) and beginning her career as the timpanist with the New York Opera in 1949, Elayne faced extensive racism and sexism throughout her performance years, and fought back over and over again, repeatedly opening the doors to the classical music world for people of color and women performers for decades to come.
She told PAS, back when we spoke to her for the Hall of Fame induction, that she would like to be remembered, “As a musical percussionist,” she said with a giggle, “because some people don’t think of us as musicians! But I loved every minute of it. I was lucky; music came easy for me, and I would like everybody to feel and love the music the same way that I feel and love it.”
Enjoy this video of Elayne Jones from her PAS Hall of Fame recognition as we all remember her musicality and her contributions this week — and for years to come. Thank you, Elayne, for all that you’ve done for all of us in the percussion community.
PAS Bio: HERE
Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame 2019 – Elayne Jones from Percussive Arts Society on Vimeo.
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