Ayanna Witter-Johnson
Listen to the BBC interview here (it was part of a longer programme) or listen below:
This week I’m summarising an interview with the singer-songwriter and cellist, Ayanna Witter-Johnson on BBC Radio 4. She is a classically trained cellist and ‘is a rare exception to the rule that classical music and eclectic soul cannot successfully coexist’. She graduated with a first class degree in classical composition, completed a masters at the Manhattan school of music, won awards and has featured on albums with other very well-known musicians. She’s also just taken part in the WOW UK Festival.
It all started when she was 3 years old. Her mum took her to see a band and she sang along to all the songs. The couple in front of them were so impressed that they turned around and told her mum that she undoubtedly had some musical talent. She then had piano lessons and a very perceptive teacher said that she should start a second instrument. Her mum said that she didn’t want woodwind, brass or drums, obviously not wanting to endure months of high-piched screeching, honking horns or deafening beats, so through a process of elimination she chose the cello.
She tells us that she had a beat-up cupboard cello to start with but the school governor, out of a real act of kindness, lent her his personal one. She named it Reuben and her grandmother eventually ended up buying it off the governor for her. She is 'beautiful to watch' as she is 'at one with' Reuben. Ayanna says that she doesn’t just use him as a traditional cello but plucks him like a guitar, drums him, plays him percussively and says that there’s a synergy between them.
She wrote and performed a song called Rise Up that has become a revolutionary anthem for young Black people. She says that she wrote it to ‘remind myself of who I am as a young British Caribbean person’. She wanted to rally her community, use her voice to create change and give hope. She decided to rerelease it into the world last summer after the death of George Floyd and at a time when so many people were feeling isolated. It’s an incredible song and as Anita says it is very refreshing to hear the cello being played in a different style.
Summary with vocab
This week I’m summarising an interview with the singer-songwriter andcellist, Ayanna Witter-Johnson on BBC Radio 4. She is a classically trained cellist and ‘is arareexceptionto the rule that classical music andeclecticsoulcannot successfullycoexist’. Shegraduatedwith a first classdegreein classical composition, completed a mastersat the Manhattan school of music, won awards and has featured on albums with other very well-known musicians. She’s also just taken part in the WOW UK Festival.
It all started when she was 3 years old. Her mum took her to see a band and shesang alongto all the songs. The couple in front of them were so impressed that they turned around and told her mum that sheundoubtedlyhad some musical talent. She then had piano lessons and a veryperceptiveteacher said that she should start a second instrument. Her mum said that she didn’t wantwoodwind,brassor drums, obviously not wanting to enduremonths ofhigh-pichedscreeching,honking horns ordeafeningbeats, so through aprocess of eliminationshe chose the cello.
She tells us that she had abeat-upcupboard cello to start with but theschool governor,out of a real act of kindness, lent her his personal one. She named it Reuben and her grandmother eventually ended upbuying it offthe governor for her. She is 'beautiful to watch' as she is'at one with'Reuben. Ayanna says that she doesn’t just use him as a traditional cello butpluckshim like a guitar, drums him, plays himpercussivelyand says that there’s asynergybetween them.
She wrote and performed a song called Rise Up that has become a revolutionaryanthemfor young Black people. She says that she wrote it to ‘remind myself of who I am as a young British Caribbean person’. She wanted torallyher community, use her voice to create change and give hope. She decided torereleaseit into the world last summer after the death of George Floyd and at a time when so many people were feelingisolatedIt’s an incredible song and as Anita says it is veryrefreshingto hear the cello being played in a different style.
Glossary
singer-songwriter
A musician that writes songs and sings them
cellist
Someone who plays the cello
rare
Uncommon
exception
Someone or something that is different in some way from other people.
eclectic
An eclectic group is interesting or unusual because it consists of many different types.
soul
Soul music combines R&B with pop, rock n roll and gospel styles
coexist
To exist together
graduated
To finish a university degree course
A degree
A university course that is usually 3-4 years
classical composition
Creating new pieces of classical music
A masters
A university course that someone does after their degree. It is usually 1-2 years
sang along
To sing the words to a song
undoubtedly
Certainly, without a doubt
perceptive
Someone who notices something easily and quickly
woodwind
Wooden instruments that you play by blowing into them e.g the clarinet
Brass
Brass instruments e.g the trumpet
Endure
To suffer something unpleasant in a patient way over a long period
high-piched
A sound that is high
screeching
A sound that is loud, high and unpleasant
honking
A loud noise (usually from a car’s horn)
deafening
A noise that is so loud you can’t hear anything else
a process of elimination
a way of finding an answer or solution by first deciding which answers or solutions are not possible
a beat-up
Old and in bad condition
the school governor
a member of a school’s governing body (=a group elected to make management decisions)
ended up
buying it off
To buy something from someone else
at one with
To be part of something
plucks
To pull the strings of an instrument with your fingers
percussively
Connected with sounds made by hitting a percussion instrument
a synergy
The extra energy or power that is created by two people or things working together, instead of on their own
anthem
A song that is important to a particular group
to rally
To bring people together to support something
rerelease
make something available for a second time
isolated
To feel alone
refreshing
Something that makes you feel good because it’s different or exciting
Questions
Do you like Ayanna Witten-Johnson’s music? Why? Why not?
Are you musical? Do you play a musical instrument?
What kind of music do you like listening to? Do you have any favourite singers or bands?
Can you tell me about a memorable time when you went to see some live music? Who was playing? What made it so special?