Sally Johnston Reid facts for kids

Sally Johnston Reid (born January 30, 1948 – died December 21, 2019) was an American composer and oboist. An oboist is someone who plays the oboe, a musical instrument. She wrote many different kinds of music. This included music for small groups of instruments, piano, and singers. She also created music using electronic sounds. One of her important works was a short opera called Healing.

A big part of her life was helping women in music. She led an organization called the International Alliance for Women in Music. Because of her, more people joined this group. It also became much more well-known. Sally Reid was also a pioneer in using computers to make music. This is called digital synthesis.

About Sally Reid

Sally Johnston was born in East Liverpool, Ohio. This was on January 30, 1948. She later earned a special degree called a Ph.D. from the University of Texas in Austin.

She started teaching music at Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas in 1969. In 1979, she became the head of the Music Department there. Later, in 2008, she became the head of the department at Lipscomb University.

Sally Reid won several awards for her music. She received a prize from Mu Phi Epsilon. She also won many awards from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). In 1998, she won first prize at a big music festival. This was the Fifth International Festival of Women Composers. It took place at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Helping Women in Music

From 1991 to 1995, Sally Reid was an editor for a music journal. This journal was for the International League of Women Composers (ILWC). She helped bring this group together with the International Alliance for Women in Music in 1995.

Sally Reid used her computer skills to create a website. This website was for the International Alliance for Women in Music. She also got others to help build an online resource center. This center had links to museums and groups about women. It also shared information about women composers.

In 1996, she went to a music festival in Italy. She was the only American composer asked to write music for it. She wrote her Fiuggi Fanfare for this event. At the festival, she talked about "Women in Music on the World Wide Web." She promoted the website she had made. She also managed the email list for the International Alliance for Women in Music.

From 1995 to 1996, she helped edit a newsletter. This was for the Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States. She worked with Sylvia Pengilly and Mara Helmuth. Later, she became the president of the International Alliance for Women in Music. This was from 1999 to 2000.

In the year 2000, her music was played in Rome. Her piece, Jesus, Redeemer, Messiah, was performed. It was part of a big celebration for the Roman Catholic Church. Sally Reid also appeared in a film in 2005. The film was called The Devil and Daniel Johnston.

Sally Reid's Music

Sally Reid's music has been performed in many places. People have heard her compositions all over the United States and Europe. She wrote music for different groups. This included music for large bands, small groups of instruments, and electronic sounds. She also wrote music for singers and piano. Some of her pieces mixed regular instruments with electronic sounds.

Selected Compositions

Here are some of her well-known works:

• Healing 1986, a short opera. An opera is a play where the words are sung.
• A Carousel Fantasy 1993, for brass instruments and a special electronic organ.
• Note the Silence 1975, for a singer and a small group of instruments.
• Fiuggi Fanfare 1998, for five saxophones.
• On a Day of White Trees 1998, for a mezzo-soprano (a type of singer) and a clarinet.