Life & Work with Dr. Philip Woodmore

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Philip Woodmore.

Hi Dr. Woodmore, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My home base is St. Louis, MO. I am a music educator, vocal coach, composer, author, and performer locally and internationally. After completion of my Ph.D. in music education, I wanted to venture west to start a second master’s in psychology, and also spend some time being creative while seeing what would come of my time in the desert.

I am happy to say that I have been inspired during my time in Phoenix and am working on my first full-length main stage musical called Team M dealing with mental health issues, especially in the Black community, and more important about empathy towards those who are dealing with things we might not know about. “You don’t know everything about someone else’s journey until you walk a day in their shoes. Be kind to each other and we will be alright.”

This is a lesson that I was taught by my grandmother many years ago and am hoping to share with this incredible art piece. Along my journey in Phoenix, I am collaborating with an amazing woman of color who is changing the lives of so many people in Arizona, Teniqua Broughton who as a master networker has introduced me to many great artists and collaborators.

I was honored to be collaborate with the West Valley Arts Council and the City of Peoria during Black History Month as presented a concert at the Peoria Center for the Arts honoring Black composers past and present including several compositions that I have written over the course of my career. I am passionate about music and was honored to share my passion with the people of Arizona last month.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road getting here. I spent many nights wondering what was next for me, especially during the pandemic. I taught middle school choir for about 13 years and decided to come out of the classroom when the musical I wrote, Antigone in Ferguson, honoring the life and legacy of Michael Brown, got picked up Off-Broadway in New York.

I was living the dream of performing every day and decided after the run ended to come back to St. Louis to get ready for my next project when the pandemic hit. I was left with nothing and had to decide what was next. I opened a virtual voice studio which afford me some income and allowed me to coach students all over the country as well as writing my first book, Antigone in Ferguson: A Journey Through the Transformative Power of Music.”

I have slowly been finding my way back after the pandemic, there were many nights when I wondered if I was even relevant anymore or had anything else to write. I felt as positive as a person as I was, my light was started to dim. Music got me through, and writing music was even more therapeutic as I shared my pain and questions through my art. The arts are transformative and I believe in the power of their transformation.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a musician at heart, I have had a love and passion for music since I was young. My mother always shares the story of knowing that I loved from birth, she said I would wake up and dance around when the choir was singing at church. I started playing the piano at age 5 and then started singing in middle and high school.

At present, I am known for my compositions. I wrote the Off-Broadway show Antigone in Ferguson in 2016, the national touring show, The Drum Major Instinct in 2017, and have written several choral compositions for schools and honor choirs. I have also written a book on the transformative power of music and how the arts bring healing to communities.

I think the model used in Antigone in Ferguson by performing the artwork and then having a thoughtful conversation around the artistic sharing brings a lot of strength to the conversation and begin making connections to topics of social justice and societal issues.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
The pandemic has taught me many things. First, I have learned that I work best with a routine and a schedule. During the pandemic, the days began to blur together and I become unproductive without a schedule.

Furthermore, I learned the importance of mental health. I have always found myself to be a happy and outgoing person, but sitting with my thoughts and fears day after day showed less strength in this area. Finally, I had to learn how to adjust to the times. Losing all of my work during the pandemic as a performer was a giant blow and I had to be creative on how I made income during those hard times.

As things are finally starting to turn around, I am still in a fragile place, but am happy that I have conquered a lot of challenges of working through the pandemic and will have different opportunities on the back end.

Pricing:

• Antigone in Ferguson: A Journey Through the Transformative Power of Music- $20
• New P. Woodmore Music T-Shirts-$20

Contact Info:

• Email: woodmore@gmail.com
• Website: www.philipawoodmore.com
• Instagram: Phil_woodmore
• Facebook: Phil Woodmore
• Twitter: @Phil_Woodmore
• Youtube: Phil woodmore

Image Credits
Tori Wright Studio and Spim Media