Bea Breaks Barriers!, DeLems

Florence Beatrice “Bea” Price loved music from a young age. When she wasn’t practicing on the piano, she tapped her feet, drummed her fingers and whistled. Growing up in Little Rock, Arkansas, she was surrounded by Negro spirituals, classical music, Juba dance rhythms and folk songs, and she even had the chance to play piano with John William “Blind” Boone.

But as a young Black girl living in the South, Bea wasn’t offered the same chances as white children. Not allowed to perform in public, Bea’s first recital was in her living room. But Bea was not deterred. She studied hard, rose to the top of her class and was accepted to the New England Conservatory of Music — one of two Black students — and majored in both music and composition. Bea never forgot her roots and wove all kinds of musical genres into her musical compositions and spirituals.

Caitlin DeLems enjoys playing piano and violin, and she loves the magic of symphony concert halls. Caitlin has carved out a niche writing history picture books about unknown but determined female musicians and composers.

Author: Caitlin DeLems
Illustrator: Tonya Engel
Format: Hardcover, 48 pages
Publisher: Calkins Creek (2024)
ISBN: 9781635924275