The past half-century has been tough on Detroit.
Detroit’s decline has been well-documented in film, literature, and photography, so I won’t dwell on it here. Instead, I’d like to focus on an institution that’s been a bright spot in the motor city: Cass Technical High School.
Cass Tech was founded in 1907, just four years after Henry Ford founded the Ford Motor Company. Within ten years, Detroit was the fourth-largest city in the US, and Cass Tech had been expanded, adding an iconic new building to what was considered one of the finest technical schools in the country.
Over the years, through Detroit’s booms, busts, riots, and eventual re-birth, Cass Tech was a rare example of stability. Part of its appeal was that students picked an academic path upon gaining acceptance, almost like declaring a major in college. The quality of its programs brought promising young people from far and wide, and the school churned out notable grads in a variety of fields, especially in the arts.
Among many, many others, Cass Tech’s notable arts grads include Diana Ross, Kenny Burrell, Jack White, Della Reese, and the harpist you’re listening to right now: Dorothy Ashby.
The old building was demolished in 2011, but unlike so many of Detroit’s fine old buildings, Cass Tech was re-built. And despite its location in one of the most difficult educational districts in America, where budget cuts, dropout rates, and declining enrollment make success impossible for many schools, Cass Tech just keeps succeeding.
What makes this a beautiful song:
1. The opening seconds sound like a flashback. You can almost imagine the pages of a school yearbook flipping past.
2. The composer, Ollie McLaughlin, also lived in Detroit. He owned four record labels, named after his four daughters. That’s got very little to do with this song, but I just think it’s cute.
3. The harp as a jazz instrument. In a genre dominated by percussion, reeds, and brass, hearing a harp is unexpected, bright, and refreshing. Kind of like Cass Tech.
Recommended listening activity:
Visiting your old school.