Eileen Southern

New York City

September l2, 1974

 The tape of this interview was acquired from the Hatch Billops Collection

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Early childhood in Minneapolis and Chicago--father's career in college teaching at Morris Brown College and Johnson Smith--mother's education--studied piano--concert at Lyon and Healy Hall--studied piano at Augustana College--­Early exposure to "Black" music--high school career and Lincoln Center Settlement House in Chicago--gives up hope for career as concert pianist-- B.A. and M.A. degrees in music at University of Chicago--taught at Prairie View--married Joseph Southern--eight years moving around the South--Johnson C. Smith College, Southern University, Alcorn, Mississippi--birth of April Southern--Ph.D. at NYU with Gustave Reese as dissertation adviser--Sigmund Avery's invitation to teach at Brooklyn College--last piano recital in 1954 at Harlem Y on New Year's Day--Raoul Abdul--Schomburg Library Concerts-- County Pelham concerts—Andrew Frierson--fight for promotion--Coleridge--Taylor Perkinson’s dismissal from Brooklyn College--Teachers graduate courses--Jan LaRue--Southern publishes articles--York College--Hilda Fortune at York--interest in researching Black music--Barry Brook and Forum '69 at Indiana University--Book on Black music--David Hamilton at Norton--Readings--petitions for Black American music--Perspectives in Black Music—University of Ghana Symposium-­University of Chicago Achievement Award--ASCAP award--plans for the future.