L. Viola Kinney facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
L. Viola Kinney
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Portrait on the cover of Mother's Sacrifice, 1909
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Lady Viola Kinney
c.1890 |
| Died | 1945 Sedalia, Missouri
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L. Viola Kinney (around 1890 – 1945) was an American composer, pianist, and teacher. She was active during the first half of the 1900s. Her piano piece called Mother's Sacrifice was published in 1909. It was even recorded by Albany Records in 2005.
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About L. Viola Kinney's Life
L. Viola Kinney was born Lady Viola Kinney in Sedalia, Missouri. She was one of five children. Her father was a cook, and her mother worked for the railroad.
Her Education and Career
Viola studied music at Western University. This was a historically black college in Quindaro, Kansas. She took harmony classes and joined the choir there. Her music teacher was Robert G. Jackson.
After college, she moved back to Sedalia. In 1911, she started teaching at Lincoln High School. This school was segregated at the time. She taught music and English for 35 years. She became the head of the school's music department. She also performed piano concerts in Sedalia and nearby towns.
Later Years and Other Music
Viola Kinney passed away in 1945. She was buried in Crown Hill cemetery in Sedalia. Her piano piece, Mother's Sacrifice, is the only one that has been found. However, she also registered copyrights for other songs. These included Show Me (1941) and Time Out for Love (1943).
Mother's Sacrifice Piano Piece
Kinney's Mother's Sacrifice is a piano piece for one player. She won second prize for it in a music contest in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1908. One year later, it was published by the Twentieth Century Commercial Society.
Why Buy This Music?
When asked why people should buy music by Western University students, Viola Kinney wrote some interesting reasons:
- Students should buy it because it was made by their fellow students.
- White people should buy it to see what young Black people were creating.
- Black people should buy it to support composers from their own race.
- The music had won prizes in many contests.
- It showed how Black music was changing from rag-time to more serious styles.
Recordings and Performances
Mother's Sacrifice was recorded in 2005. It is part of a CD called Soulscapes. This CD features piano music by African-American women. In 2009, the piece was performed at the University of West Georgia. This was 100 years after it was first published.
