Dr. Roland Carter

The National Association of Negro Musicians’ 89th annual convention, which officially gets under way today, began unofficially Saturday with a rehearsal by the convention chorus.

Dr. Roland Carter, the organization’s president for six years, is retiring this year. A Howard High School graduate, Dr. Carter is now the Ruth S. Holmberg Professor of American Music at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He said he was proud to host the conference in his hometown, and that it would showcase Chattanooga’s talents.

“Chattanooga has a very important musical history,” he said, adding, “We’re talking about spiritual, we’re talking about Beethoven, we’re talking about Bach, because we do all of that.”

He said running the 600-member organization can be challenging, in particular because of the word “negro,” which he said can make some people uncomfortable. He said the group retains the word so as to honor the legacy of blacks in the past.

David Morrow, the organization’s first vice president, said it was fitting to hold Dr. Carter’s last annual meeting as president in his hometown. He said it was an unofficial tradition to hold the convention in the reigning president’s hometown at some point during his or her tenure, and that this was the last chance to do so for Dr. Carter.

The group rehearsed Dr. Carter’s arrangement of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” after which conductor Damon Dandridge dismissed them and members mingled and exchanged greetings.

In a separate room, Dr. Louise Toppin, a soprano, and Dr. Robert Owens on piano rehearsed a composition by Mr. Owens that they’ll play in Tuesday’s Concert at Noon. The concert, held at Second Presbyterian Church on 7th and Pine Streets, will feature an ensemble that includes members of the Chattanooga Symphony.

“Yes, that’s going to be very good,” Mr. Owens said after a run through his song, “Havana Dreams.”

Dr. Owens is a native of Germany, and Dr. Toppin teaches at East Carolina University.

Dr. Carter said funding from Chattanoogans, the Lyndhurst and Maclellan foundations, the Tennessee Arts Commission, and the University of Tennessee helped the convention offer most of its programming free to the public. He said he expects about 225 NANM members to attend the convention and that he hopes Chattanoogans will get involved.

Dr. Carter said Dr. Owens will be honored for his lifetime achievements at a banquet on Wednesday. This year’s other honorees are the Chattanooga Gospel Orchestra, Irene Gary Dave, Brazeal Dennard, Russell Goode, William Price, Booker T. Scruggs II and Ralph Simpson, he said.