Oakland, California born Alexander Taite has had the passion and talent for music all his life. He started on piano at age 8 and by age 16 had completed high school studies and went on to teaching at Oakland School for the Arts right after college. He’s known as an opera and choral singer/director throughout the Bay Area and has created a one-man show called Deep River: The Flow of Negro Spirituals Through Time.
Long roots with Opera
Alex has sung every season with the San Francisco Opera since 2007 and has directed myriad choruses, choral projects, and been in bands. In this episode we…well honestly, we laugh a lot. We cover the historical significance of the spiritual, the Black music origins of most common American music styles, Alex’s career and his one-man show, and educational production of negro spirituals. Alex is a vocal coach and his role with students takes on a variety of forms.
In the end of the episode, Alex performs a piece live from his one-man show. Be sure not to miss it!
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About Alex Taite
A resident and native of Oakland California, Alexander Taite holds a bachelor’s degree from Pepperdine University in music theory and composition with a main emphasis in vocal performance and a minor emphasis in jazz piano.
Alexander has robust interests and musical skills including opera, choral, spiritual, barbershop, jazz, blues, renaissance/baroque, vocal percussion and hip-hop. He has also studied classical and jazz piano since the age of 8, and has played in bands of varied styles including jazz, funk, R&B, rock, hip-hop and pop.
In addition to singing with the San Francisco Opera Chorus every season since 2007, he has sung roles with The Berkeley Opera Company, San Francisco Parlor Opera, Opera Parallèle, Livermore Valley Opera, Island City Opera, Philharmonia Healdsburg, Pocket Opera, Walnut Creek Festival Opera, and The Berkeley Chamber Opera.
In 2015, Alexander was honored to be asked to direct, cast, and conduct a project with renowned baritone Lester Lynch. The gospel and spiritual album was recorded at the prestigious Skywalker Sound studio, and included a 16-person adult choir and 10-person children’s choir.
Opera, Orchestra, Teaching and Beyond
Similarly, Mr. Taite served as music director for Pocket Opera’s animated production of The Magic Flute. He guided two separate youth orchestras and 9 soloists through a years-long recording process in three separate recordings studios around the greater San Francisco Bay Area. The resulting music heard in the animated educational film is available to educational organizations worldwide. Other special appearances include studying opera in Germany with accomplished tenor Dr. Henry Price III.
Alexander also spent 4 years as a member of the Vocal Faculty at Oakland School for the Arts, teaching music theory and classical performance. He led master classes, directed several choirs, and helped to develop two curriculum for the high school: a senior recital program, and a music theory placement exam for vocal and instrumental students. Soon thereafter, he spent 7 years directing the graduate level chorale at the San Francisco Boys Chorus.
Alex was a finalist in the James Toland Vocal Arts competition in both 2014 and 2016, and was a finalist in the East Bay Opera League vocal scholarship program. He was also selected as a piano finalist in the Young Performers Concert series in San Francisco.
Mr. Taite is thrilled and honored to fill the role of Director for Chorus Eclectic. Currently, he is a vocal and choral coach with the Nova youth choir of Cantare Con Vivo, and Music Director for the Piccola Carolers.
He is also accepting bookings of his one man show – Deep River: the flow of negro spirituals through time – where he plays and sings his own arrangements of Negro Spirituals. This lecture recital explores the evolution and influence of the Negro Spiritual in American culture and society, told through story and song.
Alex’s show: Deep River: The Flow of Negro Spirituals Through Time
Ringing chords, barbershop term
Music in this Episode
Alex’s arrangement of Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child by William E. Barton
Alex’s arrangement of Old Man River from the musical Showboat
Chorus Eclectic Sings Yellow Submarine
Deep River, written and performed by Alex.
