Elayne Jones

Elayne Viola Jones (January 30, 1928 – December 17, 2022) was an American timpanist. An African American woman, born in NYC to Barbadian immigrants, she overcame challenges. From learning piano to excelling in timpani, she graduated from Juilliard, with her mentors being Saul Goodman and Morris "Moe" Goldenberg. Jones's career was marked by remarkable firsts. She became the first Black opera orchestra member in 1949, played with esteemed ensembles, and won a blind audition to join the San Francisco Symphony in 1972, becoming the first black principal in a major American orchestra. Also, Jones was the first documented African American to play with the New York Philharmonic. In 2019, she became the fourth female member of the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame. Quotes I had to prove that music could be played by anyone who loves it. It’s been a terrible burden because I always felt I had to do better, that I wouldn’t be allowed the lapses other musicians have. It’s true even now. It has been quite difficult … Not only playing but trying to live through all this, and living with myself too, which is kind of hard because you begin to question, well, am I really a good performer, am I a worthy person? I was a principal player, the person who is the head of a section and always paid above the rest of the section, first ever for an African American. I was experienced and I was competent; conductors and audiences acknowledged that. … This situation was compounded by the fact … Having these … in leading positions was a little more than their egos could handle. The only thing people of African origin were fit to do was wait … White people considered us strange creatures, second to the animals, and they feared us. No white person could ever imagine that we’d be sitting next to them in an orchestra. Timpanists must tune the instrument, hear the notes they need either by having absolute pitch, or knowing the music well enough to use relative pitch for chordal structure […] while singing and tuning the note at the same time, I must keep the count of where I am […] I am kept extremely busy and for the most part I am all alone like swimming in a sea of sharks waiting to devour me. All youngsters need an image to project to, Negro youngsters even more than white,” she said. “When they can see Negroes playing in the orchestra, they may feel that they can get there someday, too.” I listen to other people, and I have more confidence in myself.” Elayne Jones, The New York Times External links Category:1928 births Category:2022 deaths Category:Drummers from the United States Category:Women from the United States Category:20th-century African-American women