Daniel Bernard Roumain, a Black, Haitian-American violinist and composer, created an unique piece that he carried out at WHIN Neighborhood Music Constitution College on June 11 and 12. As the present artist in residence on the faculty for the 2024-25 faculty 12 months and into October, Roumain works with college students of their courses and is a mentor determine for them.
His father was born in Port‑au‑Prince, Haiti, and his mom was born in Jacmel, Haiti. “My dad and mom instilled in me a way of service to Haiti and the USA of America,” Roumain stated about his household background.
He was born in Chicago, and although he’s been to Haiti many instances, Roumain stated that rising up in a small suburb of Illinois was very significant.
“To me, as a baby, everybody was there, after which after I was 5 years previous, my father moved us to South Florida, and I noticed that the world that I believed was massive was truly fairly small. In South Florida, I discovered about variety and division. I discovered about security and separation, and I discovered about pleasure and justice,” he added.
One thing which will shock individuals about Roumain is that his son is Black, white, Haitian, and Jewish, and in addition the son of immigrants from Israel. He lived in Harlem for a few years and nonetheless has a house in New York. Roumain, his son, and his son’s mom at the moment stay in Boston, Massachusetts.
Discussing who had probably the most vital affect on his profession, Roumain shared, “My dad and mom had the best affect on my path, in addition to my first music trainer, Mr. Miller. Rising up in South Florida, in Margate, Florida, was essential to me. I’m the proud product of the general public faculty system of Broward County, Florida. That’s the place I first discovered the way to play violin, and it was my invitation into music-making and composing.”
His profession received began by enjoying the violin when he was 5 years previous in a small city referred to as Margate,
Florida. He feels that the violin selected him in some ways, and music invited him right into a world of concepts, with composing being a continuing pal to him.
He received paid to play the violin for the primary time at about 10 years previous, and it was a efficiency at a spot that’s now not round in South Florida referred to as Musicians Change.
“The primary time I ever labored with an expert orchestra was after I was 20 years previous, and that was the Oakland East Bay Symphony, greater than 30 years in the past. And I’m proud to say that I’m at the moment the artist‑in‑residence with the Oakland Symphony, now renamed. And all of that’s because of the work I did with one in every of their music administrators, Michael Morgan, who sadly handed away just a few years in the past. But when it weren’t for Maestro Morgan, I don’t see how I’d have turn into an expert,” he defined.
Roumain has been busy, and he credit his dad and mom and my household for instilling his work ethic in him.
He feels fortunate to be nonetheless working and nonetheless have a platform for the broad vary of his inventive expression and follow. “Up to now couple of years, I’ve written two operas, a number of massive works for orchestra, a number of works for solo devices, chamber works, three movie scores, and an array of labor for dancers and spoken phrase artists,” he acknowledged.
On composing these works and making TV and radio appearances, Roumain says he’s hyper‑collaborative and is aware of the way to get together with individuals.
“I’m all the time studying about myself via working with others. I feel there’s a sure accountability as a Black Haitian American composer to have the ability to work in a number of completely different areas of inventive exercise. I feel it helps audiences perceive what it’s wish to be a Black Haitian American particular person, particularly now when there may be a lot misunderstanding and miscommunication and, frankly, hate on the planet,” he defined.
He says working with WHIN has been life‑altering for him as a result of, in response to him, the school and employees method their teachings with a sure morality, which he says is clear as quickly as you stroll into the constructing and see the messages on the partitions.
Roumain describes the piece he wrote for WHIN, The WHIN Variations, as a form of reflection on the work that I’m doing there. “Everybody has an element to play. Everyone seems to be being challenged within the piece, and everybody has a chance for his or her voice to be heard throughout the bigger group voice,” he continued.
He hopes that the scholars there can see inspiration within the work that he’s doing. “I feel that for me, my violin has all the time been greater than my instrument. It’s been my companion, pal, and trainer in some ways. I hope that the scholars there are engaged in the identical form of journey with their instrument and their music-making and that they might not notice this now, however their lives have modified and can change if they permit music to be integral to their path and life’s journey,” he acknowledged.
He additionally hopes that his work with the scholars motivates them in the direction of excellence and kindness. He emphasizes that lecturers and fogeys even have to emphasise kindness, grace, and love as a result of he doesn’t assume love is talked about sufficient.
Though he’s not involved together with his legacy, Roumain believes the one factor he can do is rise up every day and attempt to be the perfect model of himself that he might be. He provides, “I feel the sound of me being alive is wailing on my violin. After all, the query is for you–what’s the sound of you being alive? What’s most essential to you? And what are the each day examples of this?”
