It’s not everyday that elementary school students get to record an album with two GRAMMY Awards® nominees - and then have that new album get a GRAMMY nod, as well!
Then again, Easley Elementary School students (and sisters) Aaliyah and Aayana Scott are not exactly everyday people.
Born into a musical family, Aaliyah and Aayana are featured on the album, “AnceStars,” by Durham icon jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon and her hip-hop artist son, Pierce. The work was nominated for a Best Children’s Album GRAMMY this past year. The sisters performed as background singers on several songs, as well as just the two of them singing in response to Ms. Freelon’s vocals on one song.
“AnceStars” is, of course, a play on the word “ancestors.” It is a celebration of those who have gone before us, as well as a source of comfort for those left behind. Its message is aimed specifically at children.
“The album deals with how to go about healing from loss,” said the sisters’ father, Lance Scott, who is a co-producer on the album. “It’s interesting because it actually delves into the concept of loss, and this is something that people don’t always take into consideration where children are concerned.”
Unfortunately, many children do experience loss, and while it is very real to them, they often lack the capacity to process their feelings as adults do. The Freelons decided to create this piece of artistry as a way of reaching out to children to help them not only experience and embrace their feelings but also to learn how to appreciate and honor their ancestors by keeping their memories alive.
Song titles include “Sing Me Down,” “CelebraShine,” “Help You Do the Work,” “You Live in My Memories,” “Cry a Rainbow,” and “Everything Comes and Goes.”
“It makes me feel great because I can express myself in a different way, and it just feels good to sing sometimes - especially when you’re sad,” said Aaliyah, now a sixth-grader at Durham School of the Arts, of her participation on the album. “I feel like it will do good things for (children) because they can learn it’s okay to be sad, but sometimes we have to get past it or we are just going to be stuck.”
“It was really great to sing on an album because I had never done it before,” said Aayana, an Easley fourth-grader. “I was pretty nervous and excited at the same time but I really did have fun.”
The album is also a tribute to the Freelons’ husband and father, Phil Freelon, a noted Durham architect who passed away in 2019. In a recent performance at the Durham Performing Arts Center, Pierce shared memories of his father, said Gabrielle.
“Pierce said that his father may be gone, but that he is still reminded of all the great things they did together and the moments they were able to share when he was a young child,” she said.
That is one of the sentiments the Freelons wanted to convey with this album. Another goal was to weave a variety of Black music genres into the positive messages about love, loss and memories, said Mr. Scott. The album incorporates hip-hop, soul, R&B and AfroBeat sounds.
Music is a big part of the Scotts’ family life, said Mr. Scott, a DPS graduate who studied jazz at North Carolina Central University, where he met his wife, Gabrielle, when both were members of the NCCU Jazz Ensemble.
“It’s been music all the way down to the very beginning,” said Scott. “Our girls are big on music performance. They love to record videos … anything that requires creative effort, our girls are into it.”
Aaliyah said she would like to pursue a career in music. She has represented Easley by performing in small ensembles at Durham Public Schools’ Evening to Shine program. And both sisters have sung in church and school for years.
"It is a joy to have the Scott girls in music class,” said Amanda Haas, Easley Music Specialist. “We have all benefited from their musical heritage and natural musicality, whether through the DPS Evening to Shine, which Aaliyah was a part of last year, grade level performances, or weekly music classes. We're proud to have the Scott girls as part of our Easley family."