Ep. 63 - Passion and Perseverance in the Choral Arts - B.E. Boykin

“Let your passion guide you. That has been such a huge help to me in this journey because I know that I’m doing it because I love to do it. Don’t get caught up in going through the motions. It’s easy to be on autopilot and push things to the back of your mind so you can keep putting out work, good performances, or good rehearsals, but always try to be in tune with yourself and listen to what your body needs.” B.E. (Brittney Elizabeth) Boykin is a native of Alexandria, Virginia, and comes from a musical family. At the age of 7, she began piano lessons and continued her studies through high school under the tutelage of Mrs. Alma Sanford. Mrs. Sanford guided her through various competitions, such as the NAACP’s ACT-SO competition where she garnered 1st place for 3 consecutive years in the local competition, as well as being awarded The Washington Post “Music and Dance Award” in the spring of 2007.Boykin then pursued her classical piano studies at Spelman College under the leadership of Dr. Rachel Chung. After graduating Spelman College in 2011 with a B.A. in Music, Boykin continued her studies at Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, New Jersey. During her time at Westminster, she was awarded the R and R Young Composition Prize just a few months shy of graduating with her M.M. in Sacred Music with a concentration in choral studies in May, 2013.Boykin’s choral piece, “We Sing as One,” was commissioned to celebrate Spelman College’s 133rd Anniversary of its founding at the 2014 Founders Day Convocation. She has also been featured as the conductor/composer-in-residence for the 2017 Harry T. Burleigh Commemorative Spiritual Festival at Tennessee State University. Boykin has been commissioned and collaborated with several organizations, including a number of ACDA divisions, the Minnesota Opera and the Kennedy Center. She obtained her Ph.D. from Georgia State University with an emphasis in Music Education and is currently an Assistant Professor of Music at the Georgia Institute of Technology.To get in touch with Brittney, you can find her on Instagram (@_klavia) or Facebook (@klaviapress). You can also visit her websites, klaviapress.com and beboykin.com.Choir Fam wants to hear from you! Check out the Minisode Intro Part 2 episode from May 22, 2023, to hear how to share your story with us. Email [email protected] to contact our hosts.Podcast music from Podcast.coPhoto in episode artwork by Trace HudsonExcerpt from "Stardust" by B.E. Boykin, performed by the WSU Treble Choir, Matthew Myers, conductor. Available from Graphite Publishing: https://graphitepublishing.com/product/stardust/LOTL: Queer ConversationWe all crave Queer Conversations. Follow the link to listen.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify