Joyce Mekeel facts for kids

Joyce Haviland Mekeel (born July 6, 1931, in New Haven, Connecticut, and died December 29, 1997, in Watertown, Massachusetts) was a very talented person. She was a composer (someone who writes music), a harpsichordist (she played the harpsichord, an old musical instrument), a teacher, an anthropologist (someone who studies human societies and cultures), and even a sculptor.

Joyce Mekeel's Education

Joyce Mekeel loved to learn. She studied music at several famous schools. These included the Longy School of Music and the Paris Conservatory. She also attended Yale University, where she earned two degrees.

In Paris, one of her teachers was Nadia Boulanger, a very famous music teacher. At Yale, she learned to play the harpsichord from Gustav Leonhardt. She also studied music theory.

Later, Joyce Mekeel became interested in anthropology. This led her to travel to West Africa twice. While there, she created many sculptures. She also studied at Princeton University and earned two doctoral degrees, one in anthropology.

Joyce Mekeel's Career

Teaching Music

Joyce Mekeel was a dedicated teacher. She taught at the New England Conservatory from 1964 to 1970. After that, she taught at Boston University starting in 1970.

At Boston University, she was in charge of the electronic music studio. She also gave private lessons in music composition. She taught advanced classes like Counterpoint and Fugue to graduate students. She also taught classes on how to teach music theory and ear training.

It's noted that Mekeel was especially strict with her female students. She held them to a very high standard. This was important to help them gain recognition in the music world.

Her Musical Compositions

Joyce Mekeel wrote many different kinds of music. A lot of her pieces were for theater or dance. She often used voices or traditional instruments in unusual ways.

Her compositions included music for solo instruments and chamber music. She also wrote orchestral and vocal music. Some pieces were dramatic, made for dancers and actors with musicians.

Her music was known for being elegant and finely tuned. It had clear, layered melodies. Her works were not overly emotional, but they were beautiful and made people think.

Toward The Source

One of Joyce Mekeel's pieces was called Toward the Source. It was written for an orchestra and a chorus (a group of singers). The Concord Bicentennial Committee asked her to write it.

It was first performed in 1975 for the Patriots' Day celebration. Mekeel did a lot of research for this piece. She wanted to show the history of Concord, its rivers, and its values.

The music tells the town's story from 1635 up to the time of the transcendentalists. The chorus recites Native American place names and quotes from the Bible. They also say the names of colonial fighters from the Battle of North Bridge. The piece ends with a quote from a hymn that inspired another famous composer, Charles Ives.

Serena

Another important work by Joyce Mekeel was Serena. This piece was first performed in 1975 at the Tanglewood Music Festival. It featured a mezzo-soprano (a female singer), a speaker, and a pianist.

The mezzo-soprano sings a text made from many languages and different writings. Meanwhile, the speaker recites a poem about night, peace, and sweet death. The piano was prepared in a special way, with cymbals and other objects on its strings. This gave it a unique and sometimes wild sound.

Personal Life and Legacy

Her Marriage

Joyce Mekeel was married to Frank Hubbard. He was a famous builder of harpsichords in Boston.

Her Legacy

Joyce Mekeel passed away at the age of 66. She did not want a memorial service. Before she died, an archivist from Harvard University visited her home. They saw several sculptures she had made, but these sculptures cannot be found today.

In 2019, Harvard Library held an exhibition of her sculptures. It was called "Toward the Source." Her works were shown at the Richard F. French Gallery. It is often said that Joyce Mekeel did not receive as much attention as her male colleagues. Even today, her music is not performed as often as that of many male composers.

Awards and Recognition

Fellowships

• Yaddo (1974)
• Ingram-Merrill grant (1964)

Notable Commissions

• Boston Musica Viva
• Fromm Music Foundation
• Louisville Orchestra