University of Michigan presented a weeklong Alice Coltrane Residency. The program included special Alice Coltrane Oral History presentations by Michelle Coltrane and Brandee Younger at both The University of Michigan and Cass Tech High School in Detroit. Outlining Alice Coltrane’s life and creative works for the students, the presentation included a harp and vocal performance from Michelle and Brandee and a chance for the students to ask questions of their own.
Cass Tech High School is home to the oldest harp program in the United States, and 2025 marked the program’s centennial. The school celebrates the uniquely African American harp continuum that runs from Dorothy Ashby (a Cass Tech graduate), through Alice Coltrane, to the radiant Brandee Younger. Each of these artists plays an important role in expanding the identity of the harp and music itself, as composers, performers and innovators. Through their work, the artists continue to inspire the next generation of musicians, which was evident in these programs. Brandee Younger, Michelle Coltrane and the legacy of Alice Coltrane deeply resonated with students as they learned about applying the Coltrane legacy to their own work. Much like this program, The John & Alice Coltrane Home will continue to engage students with the Coltrane legacy as we work towards opening the Home to the public.
October 4 marked the final night of the residency where Brandee Younger took the stage at the University of Michigan’s Keene Theater to celebrate the legacy of Alice Coltrane. Allan Mednard and Rashann Cater accompanied Younger’s Trio. Sita Michelle Coltrane also performed as a guest vocalist.
The performance was presented by the Center for World Performance Studies with support from the U-M Program in Creativity and Consciousness Studies, Arts Initiative, and Department of Jazz & Contemporary Improvisation.
The Coltrane Home extends its gratitude to Michael Gould, Lydia Cleaver, Ed Sarath, and Andy Milne for their support of this event.