Clarence Faulcon

Contributor

BSR Contributor Since July 19, 2011

Clarence Faulcon, the retired chairman of the music department at Morgan State University, lives in Hockessin, Del.

Clarence A. Faulcon is a retired chairperson and professor of music at Morgan State University; a pianist; formerly a conductor and clarinetist for the Philadelphia Concert Orchestra; accompanist; and arts consultant. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music education from the University of Pennsylvania and a doctorate in musicology from the Philadelphia Conservatory of Music.

His career in music education included serving as chairman of the music program at Sulzberger Junior High School, Philadelphia; assistant professor and chairperson of the music department at Cazenovia College, Cazenovia, N.Y.; retired chairman and full professor at Morgan State College, then professor at Morgan State University.

He has appeared as pianist and guest lecturer in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and North America. He has been lecturer and accompanist for the International Congress in Arts and Communications (Cambridge, England), meeting several times at Cambridge and Oxford Universities. He was arts consultant for the team that helped President Jimmy Carter start the Office of Adolescent Pregnancy. He is on the Luther Tower Senior Services Board of Wilmington, Delaware; a member of the Music Fund Society of Philadelphia; and was selected for the President’s Award for Outstanding Leadership and Service to West Chester University in 2012.

By this Author

9 results
Page 1
Wheeling and dealing. (Photo of Greenfield by Roy Stevens via Historical Society of Pennsylvania)

'The Outsider: Albert M. Greenfield' by Dan Rottenberg

An outsider and a visionary
Rottenberg's biography of Albert M. Greenfield paints an inspiring picture of a man who not only overcame his immigrant roots, but also targeted the anti-Semitism of the Protestant establishment. It does not, however, provide a useful analysis of the tycoon's visionary leadership.

Clarence Faulcon

Articles 3 minute read
Ottoman military band, c. 16th century: Would you rather fight these guys or join them?

When music trumped military force

When you have music, who needs guns?
Music has long been used by armies in battle to intimidate the enemy and bolster morale. We tend to forget that diplomats also used music to heal the scars after the fighting stopped. That’s what happened between European Christians and Muslim Turks.

Clarence Faulcon

Articles 4 minute read

The secret behind Beethoven’s Ninth

What Beethoven dreamed in his inner ear
From Berlin to Beijing, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony has become a universal symbol of hope. It’s also recognized as the ideal fusion of music and poetry. How on Earth did a composer who was deaf and dying manage such an awesome achievement?

Clarence Faulcon

Articles 4 minute read
WRTI's logo: From Ellington to Ormandy, and back.

How jazz rescued Classical music

The death and rebirth of Classical music radio
Thanks to deregulation, Classical music radio has struggled since the ’90s. But thanks to some shrewd managers at WRTI and an unlikely musical ally— jazz— it’s now flourishing in Philadelphia.

Clarence Faulcon

Articles 5 minute read
Mary Curtis Bok saw the need to train the next generation. (Artist: Norman Rockwell.)

Stokowski's lesson: Develop local talent

One more lesson Yannick can learn from Stokowski
The Philadelphia Orchestra began as an ensemble consisting of European immigrant musicians. Stokowski, Ormandy and Mary Louise Curtis Bok nurtured the infrastructure for developing homegrown talent and audiences. Boston and Los Angeles have learned that lesson; why not Philadelphia, where the idea first took root?

Clarence Faulcon

Articles 6 minute read
Ormandy (c. 1935) broke age barriers and race barriers, too.

Back to the future: Youth and the Orchestra

Back to the Orchestra's future: One musician's story
As the Philadelphia Orchestra's audience dwindles, much has been written about the need to reach out to young audiences. But how exactly does this process work? Let me demonstrate the long-range effect of vigorous youth music programs on a single individual: me.

Clarence Faulcon

Articles 4 minute read
Another asset squandered: Ormandy vanishes down the memory hole.

How to save the Philadelphia Orchestra

To save the Orchestra, learn from General Motors
Just how many classical music lovers live in the Delaware Valley? Enough to make a difference for the survival of the genre, not to mention the Philadelphia Orchestra? Equally important, are the necessary tools available? I would answer yes on both counts— if only the Orchestra's bean counters would get out of the way.

Clarence Faulcon

Articles 5 minute read
Stokowski and Mickey in 'Fantasia,' 1940: How to turn Disney fans into Orchestra fans.

The Orchestra vs. the Phillies

Think outside the box (and other advice the Orchestra has ignored)
The Philadelphia Orchestra is losing its audience while other orchestras— not to mention the Phillies— are growing their audiences. So why has the Philadelphia Orchestra board ignored or remained silent about a study that represents the best professional thinking for the future survival of American orchestras?

Clarence Faulcon

Articles 4 minute read
Tilson Thomas with Renee Fleming: He learned from a master.

How today's orchestras succeed

Earth to Philadelphia Orchestra: It's the Internet, stupid
While the Philadelphia Orchestra struggles in bankruptcy, many major orchestras around the world are flourishing. These “21st-Century orchestras” have seized the marketing and PR possibilities of the Internet in imaginative ways that have so far eluded the timid Philadelphians.

Clarence Faulcon

Articles 5 minute read