Kemper Harreld facts for kids
William Kemper Harreld (born January 31, 1885, in Muncie, Indiana) was a very talented American musician. He played the violin, piano, and organ. He became famous for teaching music and leading singing groups at colleges. He passed away in 1971.
Contents
A Life Dedicated to Music Education
Early Life and Musical Training
Kemper Harreld was born in 1885. He loved music from a young age. He studied at the Chicago Musical College, a well-known music school. After finishing his studies, he performed as a concert violinist. This means he played the violin in front of audiences.
Teaching at Morehouse College
In 1911, Mr. Harreld started teaching music at Atlanta Baptist College. This school is now called Morehouse College. He only planned to teach there for one school term. However, he ended up staying for 42 years! He was a professor and the head of the music department for a very long time.
Founding Famous Glee Clubs
Mr. Harreld officially started the Morehouse College Glee Club in 1911. A glee club is a group of people who sing together. He was the first director of this famous singing group. Later, in 1925, he also founded the Spelman College Glee Club. He was the first director for that group too. For a while, he led the music departments at both Morehouse and Spelman colleges at the same time.
Some of his students became famous musicians themselves. These included Edmund Jenkins and Wendell P. Whalum. When Mr. Harreld retired in 1953, Mr. Whalum took over as the director of the Morehouse College Glee Club. Joyce Johnson became the organist at Spelman College.
His Musical Legacy
Kemper Harreld's music was recorded and shared by a record company called Black Swan Records. This company helped share the music of many talented Black artists.
Mr. Harreld passed away in early 1971. The famous glee club he started, which became known all over the world, performed at his funeral. His work helped many young musicians and left a lasting mark on music education.
