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Thursday, March 28, 2024

IU honors alumna

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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Crystal L. Taliefero-Pratt, an Indiana University and Soul Revue alumna who has performed to acclaim from audiences and critics the world over, returned to Bloomington to receive the IU African-American Arts Institute’s Herman C. Hudson Alumni Award.

The award was established in 2005 as part of the anniversary celebration commemorating 30 years of the African-American Arts Institute. The award, which is given annually, recognizes former student ensemble and staff members who, after leaving IU, have made outstanding contributions in the arts.

Taliefero-Pratt has since enjoyed extensive success as a performer touring with the likes of John Mellencamp, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Faith Hill, Brooks & Dunn, Garth Brooks, Joe Cocker, Elton John and a host of other widely successful artists and groups.

“Crystal Taliefero is without a doubt the most talented multi-instrumentalist and vocal arranger I have ever worked with. I have been honored to have her as a member of my recording and touring group for over 25 years now,” Joel said in a statement offering his congratulations.

In many ways, Taliefero-Pratt is an embodiment of the late Herman C. Hudson’s vision for the AAAI. Hudson, founder of the Office of Afro-American Affairs and the Minority Achievers Program at IU Bloomington, believed the institute should strive for the highest levels of excellence in performance. Throughout its history, the institute has nurtured and developed the talents of students of diverse backgrounds who come to IU with varying artistic interests and experience.

Taliefero-Pratt received the award at a celebration banquet in the Grand Hall of the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center, on the IU Bloomington campus. A large plaque engraved with her name will be mounted on a wall in the culture center.

She is said to be a magnificent vocalist and instrumentalist, who also is admired for her producing, arranging and writing skills. Taliefero-Pratt plays the saxophone, guitar, harmonica, percussion instruments, bass and keyboards during her performances when she is not in front of a microphone.

As part of its mission, the African-American Arts Institute and its ensembles expose IU students to a wide range of musical styles, while giving them tools to be successful in the world of professional performance and beyond.

James Mumford, emeritus director of the IU African American Choral Ensemble, fondly remembers working with Taliefero-Pratt when he directed the IU Soul Revue in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

“She is one of the most outstanding female musicians I’ve ever taught,” Mumford said. “She’s extraordinarily talented – she’s a composer, a performer on multiple instruments and an overall fantastic musician who’s had an exciting career with the top names … but she’s also just a wonderful person.”

Before coming to Bloomington, Taliefero-Pratt already was an accomplished musician, but her talents as a vocalist weren’t evident until she started working with Mumford and others as an IU student.

“When she first starting working with me, she had the kind of talent that no teacher can take a whole lot of credit for,” he added. “She came to me with a mound of talent already and I was able to shape it and give her the confidence as a solo singer.”

In addition to her performance and production credits, Taliefero-Pratt also has used her talents and success for service and co-created a series of children’s books as well as an actively supported VH-1’s “Save the Music” campaign.

 

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