Beige Cowell (they/them, she/her) has been playing the baritone saxophone for twelve years and composing music for nine. What first started as a way to cope with the death of her father, writing music very quickly became Beige’s passion. Music was their constant companion through years of an unstable home, foster care, and post-traumatic stress.
Beige’s musical interest has taken many forms; from classical, jazz, theatrical, and folk. They are a McNair Scholar and a recipient of the University of North Texas (UNT) Undergraduate Research Fellowship. Beige’s research, Galdr: Music, Magic, and Gender in Viking Scandinavia, has been presented at several universities. The research focuses on the galdr and kulning singing styles, both feminine-exclusive styles of singing from ancient Scandinavia, both with a deep connection to nature, and the former, galdr, with its roots in pagan ritual and magic.
After graduating from UNT with a BM in Composition in 2023, Beige was awarded a Fulbright U.S. Study Research Award to Sweden. They are currently pursuing a Master of Art in Music Composition at the University of North Texas. Her thesis entitled Anne Bonny, a folk opera, is a folk opera story reimagining the lives of historical female pirates and lovers, Anne Bonny and Mary Read.
Identity
Beige identifies as genderqueer and uses they/them and she/her pronouns. They also identify as aromantic-asexual, an often underrepresented and misunderstood queer identity. These identities are deeply important to her and are the source of inspiration for much of their compositional and research-based work.
Music written by women is in the vast minority of the Western compositional canon, and until recently, the voices of queer composers have been muted or closeted. Beige strives to uplift and celebrate the voices of women, queer folks, and others persecuted by the church. All people deserve the right to love whomever they choose and be whoever they truly are.
