Harpist Brandee Younger was recently invited by NPR Music to perform a Tiny Desk concert as part of its celebration of Black Music Month. Compositions from her 2021 album, Somewhere Different, garnered her a GRAMMY nomination for best instrumental composition—the first for a Black woman—and an entry on NPR Music’s 100 Best Songs of 2021 list.
“When you think of harps and harpists, you don't necessarily think of ‘Black’,” Younger says. “And so to be a part of that conversation as a harpist, it’s a big deal.”
Younger’s Tiny Desk concert begins with “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing,” often referred to as the “Black National Anthem.” The harpist’s own compositions round out the program. “Brand New Life” and “Moving Target”—both from Younger’s latest album Brand New Life—feature vocalist Tatiana Mayfield. Drummer Allan Mednard and bassist Rashaan Carter join Younger for her final selections, “Unrest I” and “Unrest II,” which she composed during the height of both the COVID-19 pandemic and 2020’s Black Lives Matter protests.
Watch Younger’s Tiny Desk concert below. Check out Harp Column’s cover interview with Younger in our January/February 2021 issue.
