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Capers, Valerie Interview 3, Bronx African American History Project

Oral Histories

Valerie Capers (b. 5/24/1935) is a concert pianist, composer, music educator, and jazz musician. Born in the Bronx, she lost her sight at a young age. Nevertheless, she attended the Juilliard School for her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and was the first blind person to graduate from the school. She taught at the Manhattan School of Music for many years, and from 1987 to 1995, she was chair of the Department of Music and Art at Bronx Community College.

Valerie grew up in various places throughout the Wakefield section of the Bronx and further south in the Bronx, around 168 …