Documentary to Premiere in Little Rock Featuring U of A Musicians

Photo Courtesy of UA Special Collections

A new documentary film on the life and music of Florence Price will have its premiere screening from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center in Little Rock.

In 1933, Little Rock native Florence Price made music history as the first African American woman whose music was performed by a major symphony orchestra. The Caged Bird presents the life and music of this extraordinarily talented woman and presents it in the cultural context of the challenges facing African-American women in the early years of the 20th century. This new documentary film presents many of her songs and instrumental compositions performed by University of Arkansas music faculty and students as well as leading classical musicians from across the United States.

The film was funded by grants from the Arkansas Humanities Council and was produced, written and edited by James Greeson, professor emeritus of music at the University of Arkansas. Professor Dale Carpenter of the journalism department served as the associate producer.

The Caged Bird will be broadcast by AETN in the coming months, and will have an on-campus screening on Oct. 23 in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall on the U of A campus. The film is distributed by the University of Arkanas Press. Both the Little Rock and U of A screenings are free and open to the public.