Becca May Grant
Like many students, composer and pianist Becca May Grant was clueless about life beyond the UW-Madison campus when she arrived in Madison in 1994. After all, why should a young white girl from Lakeville, Minnesota, know anything about the city’s diverse south side neighborhoods and the people who live there? But then a service learning project at Fountain of Life Covenant Church introduced her to a new world, just down the road from the university. And she forged a connection with that new world through the power of gospel music.
On March 7, May Grant will present “Leaning: Songs of Strength and Justice,” a concert of original gospel jazz songs, at Fountain of Life, 633 W. Badger Road. The compositions are an outgrowth of her 25 years of involvement with Madison’s African American Pentecostal church community. Proceeds from the concert will support a scholarship fund for low-income students at her music instruction studio.
After that initial introduction, May Grant started attending services at Fountain of Life, and was quickly embraced by the community there, especially the musicians. “I had grown up playing classical piano and studied jazz at the university, so I had a bit of an ear,” she says. “The musicians welcomed me and said, ‘Hey sit down and play with us.’ So I started playing there and learning from them, and they were very gracious and let me make mistakes and contribute.” May Grant and her family have been with Fountain of Life ever since. She eventually took a job overseeing the church’s arts ministry, which included its music ministry, a post she held for about 10 years.
Performers (from left) Betsy Ezell, Fabu Carter, Rick Flowers.
The title, “Leaning,” is a reference to a couple of gospel songs that talk about leaning on the Lord. “Something I have learned from my African American brothers and sisters is the value of tenacity, of trust, of hanging on and celebrating in the midst of all that,” May Grant says. “Leaning” will feature dozens of local musicians, with the 10-voice women’s vocal ensemble The Rivers front and center. Featured guests include Sisters in Song Community Choir, former Madison poet laureate Fabu Carter, jazz vocalist Betsy Ezell and mezzo soprano Deborah Garrett Thomas. Backing them will be a cast of instrumentalists that includes organist George Ramsey, trumpeter Paul Dietrick, Latin music ace Richard Hildner on guitar, and drummer Rick Flowers. The compositions represent a blend of the music May Grant has experienced throughout her life
“That’s really what I’m about as a musician — bringing people of different backgrounds together,” says May Grant. “They come from different places, but through these connections everybody can bring their best to the program and create something totally new in the process.”
