In advance of the 2024 National Flute Association Convention in San Antonio, TX this August, the NFA’s official journal, The Flutist Quarterly has published a feature article on Incandescent (Claire James, flute and Dana LeVan, percussion) entitled, “Connecting with Neighbors: A Preview of the Lakota Composer Collaboration” for which they will present a lecture-recital at the convention. The article took the form of an interview with the two artists who discussed their project in detail, ending by stating, “The tough thing is that most musical canons are still monopolized by white male composers, and students/professionals want and need to play these pieces. However, the more that underrepresented composers write and are played, the more likely it is for one of these pieces to be added to canon in the future. This is our hope and the goal of this project: to work collaboratively toward a more diversified, enriching musical tradition.”

A student of Dr. Christine Beard, Claire graduates from UNO with her MM in flute performance this week and was named the UNO School of Music’s Outstanding Graduate Student in 2024. The former Percussion Graduate Assistant, Dana graduated from UNO with her MM in percussion performance in 2023 and studied with Dr. Hannah Weaver.

To read more about the Lakota Composer Collaboration as it develops, follow @ClaireJamesFlute and @danamonanafeefifofana on Instagram and Facebook.