Pianist Darrell Grant has used his musical talent for over two decades in service to his community as an educator and leader in the arts.
Grant’s multi-faceted creative projects and innovative initiatives reflect a belief in the extraordinary power of art to communicate, inspire, provoke, inform, and move others to transform society and themselves.
Music for Justice
Darrell uses his music to harmonize Oregon, focusing on issues from ecology to racial and social justice.
“Being an artist is not just about performing. I feel that it is important for me to give back with my art and to use it to connect with others,” he said.
Grant’s belief in using his artistic work for justice comes from his powerful and unique life influences.
“I have always felt that I grew up at a fortuitous time to be black in America,” he reflects. “I was born in the civil rights era and so benefited from the incredible sacrifices that those who came before me made to secure my rights as a citizen. I grew up in the era of affirmative action which provided windows for me to succeed that I might not have otherwise had. I moved to New York City at the beginning of an extraordinary period of renaissance for jazz music.”
Experiences that stand out include creating the “Great Day in Portland” photograph showcasing Portland’s jazz community in 2005, organizing the “Truth & Reconciliation” concert that brought Bishop Desmond Tutu to Portland in 2009, and driving a piano into the Elliott State Forest to play in support of preservation of public land in 2017.
Among his current projects is The Territory, which is a musical exploration of Oregon’s geographical and cultural history, from the floods and eruptions that formed its unique landscape, to the experiences of native peoples, settlers, and immigrants who have called Oregon home.
For the 2019 Oregon Bach Festival, Grant and his jazz ensemble perform The Territory on July 12. The concert will reimagine Oregon’s history with melodies borrowed from Nez Perce chants, thematic elements representing rolling ice-age floods, and vibrations he imagines resonating throughout Oregon’s hills. Join us for an informal pre-concert chat with Darrell Grant discussing The Territory, 6:30 p.m., July 12.
“My core belief is that life is good, so I want people to feel hopeful and empowered from experiencing my work. I am always looking for connections between my work and issues that affect my community,” Darrell said.
An Artist at Work
Just living his everyday life brings Darrell his best artistic inspiration, with ideas flowing from walking down the street, having a conversation, or reading a magazine article.
“Living, learning and connecting to the larger world is my main sources of inspiration,” he said.
Darrell’s favorite part of the process, is the process itself.
“I love the research phase of planning projects—finding relevant connections between art and contemporary events. Gaining historical perspective fuels creativity,” Darrell said.
He treasures the freedom of discovery, and brings his improvisation from music back into the way he creates his life as well.
“I am at my happiest being neck-deep in the process of creating,” he said. “In part because creating itself is exhilarating, while also knowing that something I’ve done has positively influenced those around me.”
Learn more about Darrell Grant.
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