A. Kori Hill
Guthrie Ramsey is a musicologist, producer, pianist, composer, and all-around cool guy. He’s one of those people that when you find out he’s at the same conference you are; you do your best to try to run into him. But you gotta be quick! He’s good at dipping out when you least expect it – he’s so busy!
Dr. Ramsey grew up surrounded by music in Chicago’s South Side. He took that love with him to college, where he got his Bachelor of Arts in music education at Northeastern Illinois University. Both his Master of Arts and PhD are in music history and musicology from the University of Michigan. For more than 10 years, he taught at the University of Pennsylvania, where he is now a distinguished emeritus professor (aka, retired!).
In his research, Dr. Ramsey focuses on Black music making of the twentieth century, exploring not just the music itself, but its cultural and ideological significance. He wrote a biography on the bebop musician Bud Powell. He wrote a book called Race Music that looks at how musicmaking in Chicago cultivated different ideas about identity and community. And he also completed his late friend Rae Linda Brown’s book – The Heart of a Woman: The Life and Music of Florence B. Price, the first book-length bio on Price!
Dr. Ramsey is one of those folks that weaves his various – scholarship, performing, and composing – in fascinating ways. He wrote the score for his documentary Amazing: The Tests and Triumph of Bud Powell (2015). Just last year, he released the album Race Music 21: Etudes/Grooves/Interludes, which celebrated the anniversary of his book. He has also collaborated with his daughter, vocalist Bridget Ramsey, on this Ramsey-produced number “Save Your Love for Me.” (2018). As CEO of Musiqology Media Group, Dr. Ramsey not only weaves his interests together a whole lot; he’s able to do it on his own terms because he’s in charge!
Dr. Guthrie P. Ramsey Jr. has done a lot for research on Black music and the state of musicology that has benefited our understanding of and contributions to the study of music for years to come. He’s also modeled how you can live a robust intellectual and creative life. Think about the music you like and the topics you like to read about. Is there a way to bring them together? Can you write a composition that expresses an area of video games, history, science, or fashion that you love? Try it out, play it for someone, and see what happens!
