Collection Guide
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Southeast Symphony Association Records
SPC.2021.030
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Table of contents
Contributing Institution:
California State University Dominguez Hills, Gerth Archives and Special Collections
Title: Southeast Symphony Association Records
Creator:
Chester, Patsy F.
Identifier/Call Number: SPC.2021.030
Physical Description:
24 boxes
Physical Description:
1 folder
(1 oversize folder)
Physical Description:
23.43 Linear Feet
Date (inclusive): 1967-2019
Abstract: The Southeast Symphony Association (SESA) Records (1967-2019) comprises of record books; photo albums; panoramas; organizational
records; concert programs, flyers, and posters; magazines; and newspaper clippings concerning SESA, the SESA Conservatory,
the Symphonettes Guild, and the Southeast Symphony Orchestra.
Language of Material:
English
.
There are no access restrictions on this collection.
The Southeast Symphony Association (SESA) Records are arranged topically into four series. The Southeast Symphony Association,
Inc. is the main organization that has established and helped to oversee community-driven programs, such as the Symphonettes
Guild, the SESA Conservatory, and the Southeast Symphony Orchestra. Materials within each folder are arranged chronologically.
Southeast Symphony Association (SESA) Records Series Titles
- Southeast Symphony Association, Inc., 1967-2019, undated
- Symphonettes Guild, 1989-2002, undated
- SESA Conservatory, 1995-2019, undated
- Southeast Symphony Orchestra, 1974-2019, undated
History of Southeast Symphony Association, Inc.
A music teacher named Mabel Massengill Gunn gathered her colleagues and founded the Southeast Symphony around 1948 in an area
southeast of downtown Los Angeles. It was created as a way to provide a space primarily for Black musicians and their students
so they could learn orchestral repertoire and ensemble performance as well as prepare for meaningful careers outside of the
orchestra. Kenneth Hahn, a prominent member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, was one of the Southeast Symphony's
chief supporters and it wouldn't be long until it became an official non-profit organization, known today as the Southeast
Symphony Association (SESA), in 1958. Throughout its more than 70 years of existence, SESA has been a vital training ground
for many Black musicians of all ages who have aspired to perform orchestral music.
Other groups formed within the organization include the Symphonettes Guild in 1989 and the SESA Conservatory in 1995. The
SESA Conservatory is a Saturday program offered in cooperation with the Los Angeles Unified School District and is designed
to offer instruction in instrumental music to students from 3rd grade to high school. The Symphonettes Guild was founded under
the sponsorship of former President Dr. Jacqueline Broussard and comprises of professional women who pledge to come together
in support SESA and serve as a fundraising entity.
For information about citing archival material, please consult the appropriate style manual or see the Citations for Archival
Material guide: (https://libguides.csudh.edu/archives-citation)
Processed by Lindsay Anderson and Jesus Padilla, 2021.
This collection is part the Sacred Music Collection, also known as the Georgia and Nolan Payton Archive of Sacred Music, and
is associated with the African Diaspora of Sacred Music and Musicians (ADSMM) program. The Sacred Music Collection is made
up of smaller collections that contain various primary source materials, such as sheet music, books, periodicals, photographs,
audio visual materials, manuscripts, and more. ADSMM's mission is to facilitate research, preserve, and make accessible collections
documenting the lives of important figures within the sacred music community as well as its influence primarily within the
Los Angeles Black community.
Interested in accessing other Sacred Music collections? If you would like to view these materials in-person, please make an
appointment through the
Gerth Archives and Special Collections website . If you would like to view these materials online, please visit the the
Sacred Music Digital Collections Database website . Please keep in mind that some of the materials in our archival collections are still in the process of being digitized and
are therefore not yet available to the public.
The Southeast Symphony Association (SESA) Records (1967-2019) comprises of record books; photo albums; panoramas; organizational
records; concert programs, flyers, and posters; magazines; and newspaper clippings concerning SESA, the SESA Conservatory,
the Symphonettes Guild, and the Southeast Symphony Orchestra.
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Archives
and Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical
materials and not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
African Americans -- California -- Los Angeles
African Americans -- Music
African American conductors (Music)
African American musicians
Music -- Instruction and study
Symphony orchestras
Southeast Symphony Association
Cook-Glover, Rosemarie L.
Broussard, Jacqueline, Dr.
Gunn, Mabel Massengill
Palange, Louis, 1917-1979
Henderson, Luther, III
Devereaux, Yvette
Dennison, John Teman
Dickerson, Charles
Parnther, Anthony
Hahn, Kenneth
Wilson, J. Harrison
Hairston, Jester, 1901-2000
McNeil, Albert
White, Don Lee, -2010
Caldwell, Hansonia L. (Hansonia LaVerne), 1944-
Second Baptist Church (Los Angeles, Calif.)