Jon michael spencer biography

History.
SPENCER, Jon Michael.
SPENCER, Jon Michael.

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Spencer, Jon Michael

SPENCER, Jon Michael. American. Genres: Music, Race relations. Career: Authority on African-American hymnal music and music history. Duke University Divinity School, Durham, NC, faculty member; Department of Popular Culture, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, faculty member; University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, faculty member; University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, faculty member. Publications: As the Black School Sings: Black Music Collections at Black Universities and Colleges with a Union List of Book Holdings, 1987; Sacred Symphony: The Chanted Sermon of the Black Preacher, 1987; Protest and Praise: Sacred Music of Black Religion, 1990; Theological Music: Introduction to Theomusicology, 1991; Black Hymnody: A Hymnological History of the African-American Church, 1992; Blues and Evil, 1993; The Rhythms of Black Folk: Race, Religion, and Pan-Africanism, 1995; Sing a New Song: Liberating Black Hymnody, 1995; Researching Black Music, 1996; Self- Made and Blues-Rich, 1996; The New Negroes and Their Music: The Success of the Har

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Home

Michael Jon Spencer, Founder and Executive Director of Hospital Audiences, Inc. (HAI) for more than 40 years, passed away on November 30, 2015 in New York City at the age of 77 due to complications arising from pneumonia. He is survived by his daughter, Joanna Spencer; granddaughter Katherine “Katie” MacAaron; sister Caryle Wells; son-in-law David MacAaron; brother-in-law Arthur Wells; nephew Andrew Wells; many cousins; and numerous pets including dogs, cats, horses, goats and chickens. He was the son of Joseph and Ethel Spencer.

Michael was born on Valentine’s Day, 1938, in Brooklyn, New York. He spent his formative years in Los Angeles, CA, where he attended Fairfax High School, and became friends with schoolmate Phil Spector. Later, he became a sessions pianist as well as music contractor for Spector. His playing can be heard on the original classics “Be My Baby” and “Pretty Little Angel Eyes.” In his youth he also studied classical piano with Serge Tarnowsky, who had been Vladimir Horowitz’s teacher. As a teenager, he and anothe

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My Story

1961

I left Harvard Law School after three months to resume piano studies, at Mannes College of Music in New York City.

1963

Rehearsed/performed my required graduation recital for a small group of patients at Manhattan State (mental) Hospital. The perceived success by staff attending and my personal satisfaction led to their recommending I visit Essex County Overbrook Hospital, NJ which had a full fledge music therapy program. I played for the director, Myrtle Fish Thompson who was so impressed, she suggested I develop a series of different programs, which I did, returning every two weeks.

1964

I married Ruth Albert who was studying piano at Mannes College when I was there. She became a pillar of support and help; first, in the tedious task of writing thousands of foundations, and also participating as a second pianist performing four hand music at a single piano.

1964-1966

I developed and performed a series of weekly concert/lectures for patients in other mental hospitals. The long-term institutionalization of these patients meant they could attend an entire seri