Zelia N. Breaux facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Zelia N. Breaux
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| Born |
Zelia N. Page
6 February 1880 |
| Died | 31 October 1956 (aged 76) |
| Occupation | Music teacher |
| Years active | 1898–1948 |
| Known for | establishing music in African American Schools in Oklahoma |
Zelia N. Breaux (born February 6, 1880 – died October 31, 1956) was an amazing American music teacher and musician. She could play the trumpet, violin, and piano! Zelia Breaux helped create the very first music department at Langston University in Oklahoma. She also started the school's first orchestra.
Later, she became the music supervisor for African American schools in Oklahoma City. In this role, she created many bands, choirs, and orchestras. She made sure every school in the area had a music teacher. Zelia Breaux greatly influenced many famous musicians, like Charlie Christian and Jimmy Rushing. She also inspired the writer Ralph Ellison. She was the first woman to lead the Oklahoma Association of Negro Teachers. After she passed away, she was honored in several Halls of Fame, including the Oklahoma YWCA Hall of Fame and the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame.
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Meet Zelia N. Breaux
Zelia N. Page was born on February 6, 1880, in Jefferson City, Missouri. Her parents were Inman Edward and Zelia Ball Page. She earned a special degree in music from the Lincoln Institute. Her father was the principal there at the time.
In 1898, her father became the president of the Colored Agricultural and Normal University. This school is now known as Langston University. He offered Zelia a job as a music teacher. She moved to Oklahoma and started the school's music department. She taught students how to play the piano and other instruments.
In 1902, she started Langston's first orchestra with seven musicians. Just two years later, it had grown to 23 students! She also created a choral society, a glee club, and the school band. Zelia Breaux believed students should learn classical music.
Her Family Life
On December 6, 1905, Zelia Page married Armogen Breaux. They had one son, Inman A. Breaux. He later became a professor and dean at Langston University.
Making Music in Oklahoma City
In 1918, Zelia Breaux left Langston University. She took a new job as the Supervisor of Music for African American schools in Oklahoma City. These schools were separate from white schools at that time. She made sure every elementary school had a music teacher. She also started the Oklahoma City Community Band. She led the music department at Douglass High School.
At Douglass High, she formed a 24-voice chorus and an 18-piece symphony orchestra. She also created several glee clubs. It was very rare for Black schools to offer so much music training back then. Zelia Breaux believed that learning classical music helped students become disciplined and successful in life.
Zelia Breaux was a very independent woman. She lived in Oklahoma City and taught music. She also managed the Aldridge theater and some rental properties. Her husband lived in Langston, so she traveled between the two towns. She even hired a cook to prepare her meals.
She was a very talented musician herself. She played the trumpet, violin, and piano. Even though she taught her students classical music, she owned the Aldridge Theater. She often hired blues and jazz musicians to perform there. Famous artists like Count Basie, Ida Cox, and Bessie Smith played at her theater.
The Douglass High School band was very famous across the United States. Zelia Breaux started this band in 1923 with 25 students. These young musicians became minor celebrities. Their performances across the country influenced many artists. These included Eubie Blake, Charlie Christian, and Duke Ellington. The famous novelist and musician Ralph Ellison even called Zelia Breaux his "second mother."
In 1932, Zelia Breaux organized the May Day celebrations, where the Douglass band performed. In 1933, the band led the Century of Progress Parade at the Chicago World's Fair. They even performed on a national radio broadcast while they were there! The Douglass band also played at the Texas Centennial Celebration in Dallas in 1936. In 1937, they joined seven other bands in the Black State Band Festival, which Zelia Breaux created.
In 1939, Zelia Breaux earned a master's degree in music education. She got it from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Her special project was about how instrumental music grew in Black schools and colleges. Zelia Breaux was also the first woman to become president of the Oklahoma Association of Negro Teachers. She retired from Douglass High School in 1948.
Zelia Breaux passed away in Guthrie, Oklahoma on October 31, 1956.
Awards and Recognition
Zelia Breaux received many honors after her death.
- In 1977, she was added to the YWCA Hall of Fame.
- In 1983, she was inducted into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame.
- On July 25, 1991, she joined the Oklahoma Bandmasters Association Hall of Fame.
- In 2017, the Oklahoma City/County Historical Society gave her their Pathmaker Award.
Famous Students
Zelia N. Breaux taught many talented students, including:
- Charlie Christian
- Buddy Anderson
See also
In Spanish: Zelia N. Breaux para niños
