MEET THE MUSICIANS: ADAM SADBERRY

L. Alex Wilson, Adam’s grandfather and editor of Tri-State Defender during his coverage of The Little Rock Nine Integration of Central High School in 1957.

WHAT INSTRUMENT DO YOU PLAY?

Flute

WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

I’m originally from Montgomery, TX. It’s a town that’s located about an hour north of Houston.

WHERE DID YOU STUDY?

I received my bachelor’s degree from the Eastman School of Music, and in lieu of going to grad school, I was an African-American Orchestra Fellow with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for a year.

WHEN DID YOU COME TO MEMPHIS?

I just got here! I moved in at the end of summer 2019.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO MAKE MUSIC FOR MEMPHIS?

Making music for Memphis means contributing to the city’s rich history of sounds. Memphis is of course much more well-known for its soul, blues, and rock and roll than its classical music, but that doesn’t mean that that classical music should be valued any less or viewed as an “other” here. It’s my and the rest of the orchestra’s job to authenticate our sounds using Memphis’ influence. We, like the rest of the musicians in town, are representatives of the culture here, and we have to honor it whether we’re doing an Elvis show or playing Beethoven’s fifth for the millionth time.

WHAT HAS IT MEANT TO YOU TO MAKE MEMPHIS YOUR HOME?

Memphis was partially home before I got here! My mother’s side of the family is from Memphis, so I came a few times during my childhood to see family. Now, I occasionally get to see relatives that still live here, and I also get to visit those that now reside at Elmwood Cemetery. Particularly, I look forward to visiting my late grandparents, L. Alex Wilson, my grandfather and former editor of the Tri-State Defender during the Civil Rights Era, and Emogene Wilson, my beloved grandmother and former Memphis public school teacher who just passed away on Christmas. Therefore, making Memphis my physical home has meant reconnecting with family, history and getting immense pleasure out of getting to add to it.

“MAKING MEMPHIS MY PHYSICAL HOME HAS MEANT RECONNECTING WITH FAMILY AND MEMPHIS HISTORY. I AM HONORED TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADD TO IT.” — ADAM