Who is Florence Price?

by Kaufman Music Center, NY Students of the Special Music School at the Kaufman Music Center (Illustrator)

Florence loved her mother’s piano playing and wanted to be just like her. When she was just four years old she played her first piano concert and as she grew up she studied and wrote music hoping one day to hear her own music performed by an orchestra.

This is the story of a brilliant musician who prevailed against race and gender prejudices to become the first Black woman to be recognised as a symphonic composer and be performed by a major American orchestra in 1933.

Genres: Biography, Music, Childrens, Picture Books, History

48 pages, Hardcover

First published November 18, 2021

Reviews

[Johnina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved it on several levels.
I heard about this story on TV. I was intrigued by the life story of Florence Price and impressed with the young people who ended up researching her life, writing this book and illustrating it so beautifully! They even played her music in celebration of their discovery of her life. What a tribute to Florence Price but a legacy these young people provided the rest of us. BTW check out some of Florence's symphonies. Awesome!

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this! It's a children's picture book written and illustrated by middle-school students, and tells the story of the overlooked and talented, Florence Price, a Black woman who composed orchestral music in the early 1900s. I first learned of her through The Philadelphia Orchestra. They won a GRAMMY for their recording of her Symphonies Nos 1 & 3. Some of these students came to Philly to hear the Orchestra perform Price. What a treat!
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[Marsha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’d never heard of Florence Price. But this slim book gives us a basic introduction including special pictures created by the various children who contributed to her story. The collage that makes a listening audience is particularly good. It’s almost like abstract art.

The jump from Florence accepting a chance to publish a composition to her tending to four daughters was jarring, however. (What happened in the interim? Who was her husband? Where did they meet? How did he handle her musical composition? How many years passed between these events?)

Still, this is a book to pique the curiosity, especially for young children who might have a passion for music and/or music history.

[Nicholas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found on one of those little lending library bookshelves during a quiet moment. Really cute little introduction to a composer I did not know, with lovely illustrations. It was aimed at a young audience (and I'll recommend it to the littlest brother) but I managed to learn something, too!

[Salamah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beginner's book for elementary aged students. However, this is just an introduction and students will need to do more research to learn about her life.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was absolutely beautiful! Written and illustrated by students of the Kaufman Music Centre, it is both children's story book and historical fact guide at the end. Read it with your elementary students and then read the biography at the end to educate yourself on this barrier breaking woman. If these are the kids of the future, then our future just might be a bright, educated, and compassionate future after all.