Berklee's Africana Studies Division Launches New Degree Program in Black Music and Culture

The Africana Studies Division at Berklee College of Music has established a new degree program in Black music and culture with an emphasis in gospel music beginning this fall. 

The gospel music curriculum will be focus on three areas: artistry, industry, and culture. Artistry will delve into the composers, musicians, singers, and styles of gospel music; industry will examine the business and economic aspects of the gospel music industry as a part of the music industry at large; and culture will explore the social and cultural origins of gospel music from its development, rooted in the spirituals of the enslaved, into its own genre.

Emmett G. Price III, founding dean of the Africana Studies Division, has been developing the degree program for the past three years in partnership with Africana Studies Department Chair Dr. Michael C. Mason and in collaboration with faculty members across the College and Boston Conservatory at Berklee. His mission: to design a comprehensive academic program that will combine music performance with historical and social contextualization and integrated study of business and industry, with an eye towards innovation and entrepreneurial acumen.

"Birthed from the blues, negro spirituals, and Protestant hymnody, gospel music not only gave rise to a deeply moving and emotive style of performance but also expanded a thriving segment of the entertainment and media industry while having an undeniable impact on various cultures and societies around the globe,” said Price. “From Arizona Dranes, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the Rev. Thomas A. Dorsey, and the Rev. James Cleveland, to Minister Kurt Carr, Donald Lawrence, Yolanda Adams, and Kirk Franklin, gospel music has emerged as a major force for hope, healing, and resilience worldwide.” 

Founded in 2021 with Price's arrival, the division has quickly expanded to include several key events such as the Berklee Gospel Music Hall of Fame, the annual Gospel Performance Summer Program coupled with Gospel Week, and the Gospel Extravaganza concert.

In support of the new degree program, gospel music specialist David Freeman Coleman and respected pioneer, gospel music scholar, and historian Dr. Teresa Hairston-Jackson recently joined the Africana Studies Department as its newest faculty members. They will be teaching several new courses that will provide the social and cultural contexts of the development of gospel music in the United States, spanning from the spirituals of enslaved Africans to the development and growth of gospel music created by their descendants. 

Coleman, who served as music director and rehearsal pianist for several productions including the 2012 Tony Award–winning production of the Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess and Ain't Misbehavin'—for which he received a 2023 Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Musical Direction—will teach two courses: Gospel Music History 1 and 2: Artistry, Industry, and Culture. Dr. Hairston-Jackson, who recently completed two years as a Berklee visiting scholar-in-residence, will teach Gospel Music: Advanced Studies in Artistry, Industry and Culture. 

“We are proud to provide this genre of music through our individual gospel music courses, as well as a new concentration in gospel music within the new bachelor’s degree in Black music and culture,” states Mason. “This will allow students to dive deeply into this unique cultural art form from its inception to its influence around the globe!”

Building upon the relationships that Price has established within the gospel music industry, he has become a founding member of the newly formed Gospel Industry Coalition. In July 2024, the department secured an internship for one of its students at the most recent Stellar Gospel Music Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada. The eventual goal is for every student who studies gospel music within the division to be placed in an internship that will complement their classroom and performance experiences. Additionally, Price and Mason plan to extend the expanding influence and impact into Berklee Valencia and Berklee NYC, as well as the Berklee Online learning environment. The goal is to establish it as the preeminent global hub where mastery in performance and academic excellence intersect to reflect the brilliance, resilience, and hope of Black culture. 

“Dr. Emmett Price's dynamic leadership in orchestrating this program shows that he and Berklee are willing to be holistic in their offerings to students,” says Dr. Hairston-Jackson. “It also represents cultural innovation and sensitivity. Gospel music is the bedrock of American music. It has influenced everyone from Ray Charles to the Queen of Soul to the King of Rock and Roll, but gospel hasn't been afforded the respect in academia that it deserves. Finally, the time has come when systems are changing to embrace today's vibrant and diverse culture! I'm excited to be a part of it!"