Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Andre Cardine. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Andre , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

At some point in high school I knew that I wanted to eventually become a music professor. There were two unique experiences in high school that helped guide my current career path:

1.) My junior year of high school I participated in the Kenneth Behring National History Day Competition, where I conducted a research project on the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM). This was my first time crafting a research project to present in a space not directly related for school. My father and I traveled to the University of Maryland so I could compete against other students from across the US.

2.) My junior/senior year of high school I participated in the HHW Vocal Arts Ensemble, hosted in downtown Chicago at Gallery 37, which was tailored to students with a deep interest in the performing arts. Not only was our performance content rigorous, but our teachers (Jean Hendricks, Daniel Henry, and Brian Weddington) often would also focus on the socio-political context around the music, and I recall being intrigued by these dense situations around an artists’ life that influences how they present their work.

I then attended Oberlin College in Ohio and learned about Ethnomusicology, (the study of people, culture, and why they create the music that they make.) I took multiple classes with Dr. Fredara Hadley (currently a professor of Music history at The Juilliard School) and was enamored with how Black music research could be displayed in higher education. My favorite class she taught was titled “Black music in the hour of Chaos” where we explored how an artists’ personal moment of chaos could influence their next work, which would also impact the Black community, and society at large. Our first case study we examined was the “elevator” moment between Solange, Beyonce, and Jay-Z; we listened to the following albums from each of them (A Seat at the Table, Lemonade, and 4:44) and discussed in what ways does this moment then impacts their personal life, their work they create, how the Black community sees them, and the overall potential impact it has on society.

Using ethnomusicology as one of many vehicles, my goal is to both teach and better understand how Black music came to be the global enterprise that it is currently.

Andre , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I have always been heavily involved in activities both within and beyond school. As a child I played football, ran track, and played baseball each for several years, but the most consistent activity I have been involved with has been music. My interest in music started when I was a child; I took classical piano lessons and played piano in church in my adolescence. While at Oberlin, I stayed active in music through a cappella groups (Oberlin Obertones), choirs, and working as music director for various showcases and theatre productions. My most recent extensive music teaching position was at Indiana University was serving as the Associate Instructor (Vocal Coach) for the IU Soul Revue. Started in 1971 by Dr. Portia Maultsby, the mission of the IU Soul Revue is to preserve and perform authentic interpretations of Black popular music. I am grateful for the opportunity I had to sharpen my skills as an educator and performer with this ensemble.

Currently I am a rising 4th year PhD Student at Indiana University (Bloomington) studying Ethnomusicology. I intend to conduct my dissertation in collaboration with the Beverly Arts Center in Chicago (BAC). My research proposal, currently titled “Arts Across the Diaspora: African Derived Approaches to Arts-based K-12 Education” aims to address the needs to diversify curricula in K-12 education by systemically integrating African and African American art forms into the current educational offerings.

Also, I am a music producer, vocalist, arranger, and music director. I cultivate live experiences for artists create unique arrangements for them. Clients can also use my services to book live bands for them; I find skilled musicians to assist in developing an enriched and memorable live show.

Currently, I am proud to be serving as a curatorial assistant and script writer to Dr. Fredara Hadley for the Motown Museum expansion project in Detroit. Over the course of the next year, we will be working with the Museum to determine how to tell the story of Motown’s extensive history and Berry Gordy’s vision.

My (personal) mission in life is to help preserve the stories of Black culture and Black people, with special attention to how Black narratives shape the Black musical continuum, which then impacts popular culture.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

Though I view myself as a creative, I was raised in a household with parents who were very strict and consistently emphasized that we (their children) would always need a “bread-and-butter”(well paying job) to survive in this world. They’ve always stressed to me that its difficult for artists to “make it” in the entertainment industry; since I’ve always done well in school and have had a deep interest in music, I felt it made sense to go into ethnomusicology (or music research, broadly) as a field. Being an ethnomusicologist, I am able to not only have a full time equivalent position at a University, but I also have freedom to do any freelance work related to being an artist, educator, writer, or musician. The downside to this “freedom” is that my freelance work often functions secondary to my work as an artist. Because of the need to be self-sufficient, I don’t spend the amount of time I would like to working on my own artistry because I am working towards my own sustainability. One thing I wish non-creatives understood more is how mentally, physically, and spiritually taxing it is to consistently create art that is then consumed, critiqued, and often forgotten about by the public. Our 21st century, technologically dependent world has developed an unbearable appetite for insurmountable amounts of content. All artists need time to live in order to create art that is meaningful/impactful, but they also must create/work to sustain themselves. It is a hard balance, and I think it takes people time to figure out what works best for them.

Being a creative is a difficult journey. I wish non-creatives understood that being a creative person is taxing, often creative people are at odds with the world around them, and their art is (sometimes) a manifestation of that dissonance.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson that I have to keep re-learning is rest! There has never been a moment in my life where I wasn’t actively involved in some community as either an artist, musician, worker, educator/instructor, or manager. For me, I loved being involved and helping others develop into the best versions of themselves possible; and I like when people feel like they can come to me for assistance. However, this has come at the cost of my own peace of mind at times and the previous year has taught me that I must give myself time, grace, and space from projects when necessary.

I mentioned before that I served as the Vocal Coach for the IU Soul Revue and though it was rewarding, I also felt that it was a mentally taxing position for various reasons. In addition to the usual stressors of graduate school, that position has a lot of pressure placed on instructors to ensure that their section is performing to the best of their ability. As an educator of course I want my students to do their best, but it was definitely a struggle balancing teaching students their parts while also having to write papers, work on presentations, and leaving space for my personal life.
There were many times where we’d be traveling for a performance, but I’m spending my free time working on assignments for class. In undergrad, I’d pushed my body to the point where I’d be physically sick from over-activity/consistently being placed in high stress environments. Now I am at a place where I take space/time for myself when needed to physically/mentally recover, and I don’t allow my work environment to bleed into my personal life.

Though I anticipate I’ll keep myself busy for the rest of my life, I am more intentional on placing restoration into my schedule.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrejamalmusic/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andre-cardine-359a06163/
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/andre_jamal
• Other: For Bookings I can be reached at [email protected]

Image Credits

Nathan Pullins (Soul Revue Spring Show 2024)