Classically Black is taking place this Saturday 10th at Kings Place in King’s Cross, the first Black and global majority classical music festival in this country; only in its third year, it is already a crucial part of London’s music scene with its performances and talks advancing the conversation and providing inspiration in showing classical can be for everybody.
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classical → take → everybody
Of course, such welcome progressions needs ground-breaking figures, and one such is Michael Howell.
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one → need → figures
This breakout star of Channel 4’s The Piano – a performance which despite its virality still sends a shiver down you when you watch it afresh - is not only breaking new ground for Black artist but also neuro-divergent ones.
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you → send → artist
“After playing last year, Classically Black have invited me back to speak, on a panel,” he tells us, “The subject is called Under the Skin, One People, which talks about, the intersectional identities, and the challenges that myself as a neuro-divergent musician face and also being a black man in classical music as well.”
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myself → play → music
27 year old Howell, who comes from Brentford, is very clear on the challenges he faces in the industry.
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he → come → industry
I've worked in the music industry before with somebody and at first they were very excited to work with me, but I have some productivity issues relating to ADHD - immediately they dismissed me as being lazy, and not being serious.
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they → work → me
Saying, ‘you need to get your act together if you really want this, you would have done the work by now.’
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you → say → work
I understood the perspective of where the person was coming from, but at the same time it was very disingenuous and did not consider my challenges and issues.”
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it → understand → challenges
He continues, “The next aspect is being stereotyped as a Black man.
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aspect → continue → man
I'm often judged as being a rapper or an R&B singer.
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I → judge → ?
I was on the train once and somebody was just making friendly conversation, and they said, what is it I do?
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I → make → conversation
And I said, I'm a musician.
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I → say → ?
And then I said to him that I, I'm an operatic singer and composer and pianist, and he was shocked.
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he → say → him
He said, ‘I thought you were going to say you were a rapper or an R&B singer.’
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you → say → ?
Howell’s journey into the forefront of these conversations is itself a remarkable story of barrier-smashing and singular intent, where notions of the ‘correct way of doing things’ are irrelevant.
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notions → smash → things
He is entirely self-taught on the piano, which began at 11 when he used a phone app to learn how to play – not only did it allow him to get to grips with the instrument, it opened up the world of classical to him, and he became obsessed.
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he → teach → him
As a younger child he already had an instinctive affinity for music, saying “I would mimic sounds on British Airways adverts and Songs of Praise.”
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I → have → Praise
And remarkably, he held onto this impulse even as he began to make his own compositions, famously singing in his own language, was displayed so powerfully on The Piano in the song Great is the Grief.
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Great → hold → song
“The phenomenon you’re referring to is called Echolalian,” he says, “It there from the beginning.
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he → refer → beginning
I listened to a lot of opera and I wouldn't understand a word what was being said, but I understood the emotion and I understood how to replicate it.
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I → listen → it
So I used what I call abstract vocalism.
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I → use → what
It’s the manipulation of foreign languages - Italian, German, French – so it sounds like it's those, but it isn't, it's made up.
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it → ’ → languages
The voice is treated solely like an instrument rather than having a lyrical meaning.
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voice → treat → meaning
It expresses the power of music because music surpasses lyrical meaning, or language understanding.
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music → express → meaning
We're now dealing with music being the meaning itself, the sound being the meaning itself, and the emotions is brought through the sound of the music rather than the lyrics.
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emotions → deal → music
That was my way of doing things.”
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That → do → things
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He smiles at the responses it has brought.
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it → read → responses
“When I explain it to people, they're like, what do you mean there's no words?
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you → explain → people
What do you mean it's made-up language?
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it → mean → What
I remember watching back The Piano on Channel 4, seeing Mika and Lang Lang's reactions.
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I → remember → reactions
I always astound people.
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I → astound → people
I always shock people with my music.
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I → shock → music
There is a genius within the idea and concept, that music is the meaning itself, you don't necessarily need to understand it, as long as you're feeling it, that's the important thing.
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that → be → it
Howell pleasingly often talks this way, displaying an easy confidence that isn’t braggadocio but certainty, and a trust in his own instincts.
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that → talk → instincts
His methodology combines classical knowledge with a pop star’s innate feeling; he wouldn’t write out his compositions, rather just hear them within and record himself playing them straight out.
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he → combine → them
His almost secret bedroom talents became discovered at Richmond-upon-Thames college, where he was spotted by Paul Smith, who encouraged Howell and pressed the college to fund the recording of Great is the Grief.
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Great → discover → recording
Once it was out on Spotify and YouTube, it quickly gained attention and the BBC ran a story on his remarkable story, before The Piano came calling...
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Piano → gain → story
he had seen the show and made an application.
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he → see → application
“I just hoped to het in and I did.
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I → hop → ?
I’ll never forget, it was Victoria Station around February 2024, we did the filming and I met Claudia Winkleman.
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I → forget → Winkleman
…and 12 more, not listed.
The Aporia
