| Alma Hightower | |
|---|---|
| Born | Alma Julia Webster November 27, 1888 Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA |
| Died | August 1, 1970 (age 82) Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Nationality | African American |
| Other names | Mrs. Alma Hightower |
| Occupation | Musician, Vocalist, Teacher, Composer, Band Leader |
| Known for | teaching many students who became noted musicians |
Alma Julia Hightower was an African American vocalist, musician[1] and music teacher. She was born Alma Julia Webster on November 27, 1888 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and died August 1, 1970 in Los Angeles at the age of 82. She taught hundreds of children and adults. Many became outstanding performers like Clarence McDonald[2]
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Alma had at least four siblings, three brothers and a sister. Circa 1927 Alma adopted the young daughter (Minnie Alma) of a Louisiana friend and had a very large extended family of the children of her siblings. Alma's nephews and nieces include Alton Redd, Daniel Webster, Geraldine and Fred Thompson, Hazel Stanislaus, Vivian Carrington, Dorothy Lawson and Allen Webster. Alma was married briefly to a man named Hightower.
Hightower was known as Aunt Alma to her many nieces and nephews, “Bamma” to the three children (Clifford Allan, Walter Michael and Deborah Juliana) of her adopted daughter Minnie Moore Hightower; and Mrs. Hightower to the many students who studied music with her.
Alma moved to Los Angeles in the 1920s, first living with her nephew Alton Redd in Los Angeles. She later moved to a rented house at 1553½ East 33rd Street in Los Angeles for a number of years and began her illustrious career as a musician, composer, band leader and music teacher mostly at her Hightower Music Studio and Conservatory in Los Angeles, California on Vernon Avenue between Mettler Street and Towne Avenue.[3]
During the years of the Work Projects Administration (WPA/1936–1943) she participated in the arts, drama, media and literace projects of the WPA where she taught hundreds of young people to act, dance, sing and play musical instruments at the Ross Snyder Recreation Center.[4]
The WPA was a large and ambitious New Deal agency which employed millions to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads. It fed children and distributed food, clothing, and housing. Almost every community in the United States had a park, bridge or school constructed by the agency, which especially benefited rural and Western populations. The budget at the outset of the WPA in 1935 was 1.4 billion dollars. There were an estimated 10 million unemployed persons at the time and the WPA provided work for three million of them. Expenditures from 1936 to 1939 totaled nearly $7 billion and by 1943, the total amount spent was more than $11 billion.
Alma purchased a half acre of property at 466 East Vernon Avenue[5] on July 14, 1943, where she had rental apartments and a Music Studio Conservatory constructed from a four car garage.
She taught thousands of children and adults from the early 1920s to the mid 1960s. On November 30, 2007, Alma was one of 32 entertainers honored at the Community Build Park in Los Angeles.
Many of Hightower's students became renowned musicians such as:
In 1947, Minnie played in an all-girl band that opened the Flaingo Hotel in Las Vegas.[6] The group was called The Four Queens and included Elyse Blye on piano, Doris Jarrett on bass, Minnie on alto sax and Clora Bryant on Trumpet.[7]
1. Shorpy.com, Café Society 1941 (shows Alma Hghtower playing the drums)
2. Four minute audio clip by Clarence McDonald: scpr.org/programs/offramp/2009/10/03/my-teacher-alma
3. Jessie Carney Smith, Editor, (1996) "Notable Black American Women: Book II", pp. 413–414
4. Catherine Parsons Smith, (2007) "Making Music in Los Angeles", Google eBooks, p. 175-(WPA Band)
5. scpr.org/programs/offramp/2009/10/03/my-teacher-alma-(Vernon Avenue Studio)
6. wikipedia.org/wiki/Vi_Redd<br-(Alton Redd)
7. "Making Music in Los Angeles", Google eBooks, p. 175-(shows Minnie, 3rd from left on alto sax, in 1936)
8. Jessie Carney Smith, Editor, (1996) "Notable Black American Women: Book II", pp. 413–414-(Las Vegas)
9. Roy Porter (with David Keller) (1991) There and Back, Louisiana State University Press, p 144–(The Four Queens)
10. "Making Music in Los Angeles", Google eBooks, p. 175-10-(shows Vi Redd, 4th from left on alto sax, 1936
11. cityofangelschurchrs.com/newsletter/halo_june2010.htm-12-(Clarence McDonald profile)