Oral History of American Music

Oral History of American Music Libby Van Cleve, Director

Oral History of American Music (OHAM) at Yale University is the preeminent project in the field of music dedicated to the collection and preservation of oral and video memoirs in the voices of the creative musicians of our time. Please visit our website for a complete list of interviews in the OHAM archive, and contact us you're interested in accessing transcripts for academic purposes!


Now available to stream online is OHAM’s interview with musician, educator, minister, and producer John Paul McGee. Know...
09/21/2026

Now available to stream online is OHAM’s interview with musician, educator, minister, and producer John Paul McGee. Known for “Gospejazzical,” his approach blending gospel, jazz, and classical genres, McGee has built a wide-ranging career spanning performance, ministry, and higher education, including his current role as Assistant Chair of Piano at Berklee College of Music, as well as a recording career that includes the Billboard-charting A Christmas with John Paul. OHAM’s interview with John Paul McGee is available to stream at the following link: https://archives.yale.edu/repositories/7/archival_objects/3968518

Now available to stream online is OHAM’s interview with Houston-based music minister Leon Lewis. Raised with a close rel...
09/14/2026

Now available to stream online is OHAM’s interview with Houston-based music minister Leon Lewis. Raised with a close relationship to the Baptist church in Louisiana, Lewis found his calling in music ministry and built a career as a pianist, organist, composer, songwriter, producer, and worship leader. Today, he serves as minister of music at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church in Houston, where his responsibilities include everything music and fine arts related. You can hear Leon Lewis speak more about his life and career in his OHAM interview, available at the following link: https://archives.yale.edu/repositories/7/archival_objects/3968517

OHAM’s interview with North Carolina-based music minister Alma M. Jones is now available to stream as part of our Music ...
08/24/2026

OHAM’s interview with North Carolina-based music minister Alma M. Jones is now available to stream as part of our Music and the Black Church collection. Growing up playing multiple instruments including saxophone, organ, and classical piano in Richmond, Virginia, Jones was the first Black music major at Duke University. Jones’s professional experience also spans multiple fields, including performance, finance, and administration. Hear Alma Jones speak about her musical childhood, educational journey, and career experiences in her interview with OHAM, available at the following link: https://archives.yale.edu/repositories/7/archival_objects/3968516

The Oral History of American Music recently had the wonderful opportunity to produce a video for MacDowell's 66th Medal ...
07/03/2026

The Oral History of American Music recently had the wonderful opportunity to produce a video for MacDowell's 66th Medal Day celebrating legendary composer and multi-instrumentalist Anthony Braxton, who was honored with the award. The video created for the Medal Day event is now available to watch on the OHAM Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/gGaDSRXPJO4

Pictured are Anthony Braxton with former OHAM director Libby Van Cleve, OHAM interviewee Jack Vees, and OHAM social media manager/video producer Nikki Pet.
First photo is credited to Beowulf Sheehan, second to Jack Vees.

The staff at OHAM join the world in mourning the passing of Abdullah Ibrahim, South African multi-instrumentalist, compo...
06/19/2026

The staff at OHAM join the world in mourning the passing of Abdullah Ibrahim, South African multi-instrumentalist, composer, and jazz legend. Born in Cape Town, Ibrahim's work spans genres including American jazz, traditional African folk songs, bebop, and the gospel music of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Ibrahim was named a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master in 2018, and his work remains a profound testament to the beauty, resilience, and anti-apartheid spirit of South African jazz.

OHAM is fortunate to hold two interviews with Abdullah Ibrahim from 2024 and 1979. They are available to stream at the following links: https://archives.yale.edu/repositories/7/archival_objects/3901205
https://archives.yale.edu/repositories/7/archival_objects/3087883

Now available to stream online is OHAM’s interview with Chicago-born gospel musician and choir director Mark Hubbard. Hu...
05/29/2026

Now available to stream online is OHAM’s interview with Chicago-born gospel musician and choir director Mark Hubbard. Hubbard, whose love of sacred music and gospel was inspired at an early age by his mother, has enjoyed a highly decorated career in recording and performance, including multiple awards and international performances. His choir, Mark Hubbard and the Voices, have shared the stage with prominent artists including Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, and Richard Smallwood, in addition to releasing numerous albums.

OHAM’s interview with Mark Hubbard is available to stream at the following link as part of our Music and the Black Church collection: https://archives.yale.edu/repositories/7/archival_objects/3968515

OHAM’s interview with legendary educator and choral conductor Joyce Garrett is now available to stream as part of OHAM’s...
05/22/2026

OHAM’s interview with legendary educator and choral conductor Joyce Garrett is now available to stream as part of OHAM’s Music and the Black Church collection. A North Carolina native educated at Bennett College and The Catholic University, Garrett led the renowned choirs of Washington, DC’s Eastern High School to international acclaim and later founded the Washington Youth Choir. She also served as director of the United States Naval Academy Gospel Choir for over a decade and is the longtime Director of Music and Worship Arts at Alfred Street Baptist Church, and the 2025 recipient of the Roland Carter “Living Legend of Church Music” award.

OHAM’s interview with Joyce Garrett is available to stream at the following link:
https://archives.yale.edu/repositories/7/archival_objects/3968514

OHAM’s interview with Philadelphia-based organist, educator, and choral director Sheila Booker is now available to strea...
05/16/2026

OHAM’s interview with Philadelphia-based organist, educator, and choral director Sheila Booker is now available to stream as part of OHAM’s Music and the Black Church collection. A graduate of West Chester and Temple Universities, Booker has served as a choral music specialist in the Philadelphia School District, Outreach Coordinator for the Philadelphia Boys Choir, and Music Director within the First Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. She is also the longtime director of Sounds of Joy and the 2024 recipient of the Hampton University Ministers Conference’s “Roland M. Carter ‘Living Legend of Church Music’” award.
You can access OHAM’s interview with Sheila Booker at the following link: https://archives.yale.edu/repositories/7/archival_objects/3968513

Now available online is OHAM’s interview with three-time Grammy nominated producer, songwriter, and musician, Berris Bo...
05/07/2026

Now available online is OHAM’s interview with three-time Grammy nominated producer, songwriter, and musician, Berris Bolton. Born in Chicago into a musical family, Bolton has worked with notable artists in multiple genres for nearly three decades, and is the recipient of the 2023 ICON Award. Bolton is also recognized for his unwavering commitment to the community and excellence in the music industry, and is currently the music director at the Progressive Baptist Church of Chicago.
OHAM’s interview with Berris Bolton is available as part of the Music and the Black Church collection, and is available to stream at the following link: https://archives.yale.edu/repositories/7/archival_objects/3968512

The staff at OHAM are greatly saddened to learn of the passing of renowned American conductor Michael Tilson Thomas. A v...
04/25/2026

The staff at OHAM are greatly saddened to learn of the passing of renowned American conductor Michael Tilson Thomas. A visionary conductor, pianist, and composer, Michael Tilson Thomas’s career included 25 years as Music Director of the San Francisco Symphony, positions with the London Symphony Orchestra and Boston Symphony Orchestra, founding the New World Symphony, and winning 12 Grammy Awards. Beyond these artistic achievements, he was one of classical music’s great ambassadors—mentoring generations of young musicians and bringing orchestral music to wider audiences through imaginative programming, education, television, and public outreach.
OHAM is very fortunate to hold three interviews with Michael Tilson Thomas in our collections. Two from 1994 and 1986 are in the Major Figures in American Music collection, and another from 2001 is in the NewMusicBox Interviews collection. These interviews are accessible at the following links: https://archives.yale.edu/repositories/7/archival_objects/3352774 (NewMusicBox)
https://archives.yale.edu/repositories/7/archival_objects/3184043 (Major Figures)

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