Raising Brilliance

Dr. Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason has long been one of the most compelling voices in conversations about music, parenting, and cultural equity.

With her new book, To Be Young, Gifted and Black, she deepens that contribution, offering a powerful meditation on what it means to nurture creativity in a world that too often questions who belongs in the arts. Written with clarity, candor, and emotional intelligence, this book is both a personal narrative and a cultural call to action.

At the heart of To Be Young, Gifted and Black is a mother watching her children step into the world as artists—and confronting the realities that come with that visibility. The book opens with a moment of triumph: her eldest daughter, pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason, making her solo debut at the BBC Proms in 2023. It is a scene of pride, joy, and the culmination of years of discipline.

But the celebration is short-lived. Days later, another daughter comes to her in tears after reading online abuse directed at her sister—comments insisting Isata “did not deserve to be there.” The contrast is devastating. It raises the central question of the book: How do you prepare a child to thrive in spaces where their excellence may still be doubted?

The Kanneh-Mason siblings—Isata, Braimah, Sheku, Konya, Jeneba, Aminata, and Mariatu—remarkable young musicians whose artistry and warmth have reshaped the landscape of classical music.

Dr. Kanneh-Mason approaches this question with honesty and resolve. Through conversations with her seven children—each a gifted musician—she explores what it means to grow up Black in classical music, a field still shaped by gatekeeping, tradition, and unspoken hierarchies.

Raising Children With an Appreciation of Music

One of the most resonant threads in the book is her belief that music is not a luxury but a life force. In the Kanneh-Mason household, music is woven into the fabric of daily life: practice before school, shared performances, the hum of instruments in every room. But Dr. Kanneh-Mason is careful to emphasize that this is not a story of prodigies—it is a story of nurture.

Her message is clear: children thrive when they are invited into the arts early, consistently, and with genuine enthusiasm. Dr. Kanneh-Mason’s reflections echo what educators, neuroscientists, and community leaders have long argued: the arts are not extracurricular—they are transformational.

In a society where arts funding is often the first to be cut, Dr. Kanneh-Mason’s book is a reminder that music and creativity are not optional—they are essential to raising whole, confident, imaginative human beings.

To Be Young, Gifted and Black is both a celebration of Black artistic excellence and a critique of the barriers that persist. It is also a love letter—to her children, to music, and to the communities that helped shape them.

Dr. Kanneh-Mason writes with the urgency of someone who knows what is at stake: the future of the arts depends on who feels welcome within them. Her book argues, persuasively and beautifully, that when we nurture creativity in children—when we give them instruments, stories, stages, and encouragement—we are not just raising artists. We are raising citizens, thinkers, and visionaries.

River of Music

In addition to her literary work, the Kanneh-Mason family has recently released a new album titled River of Music, which came out on September 12, 2025, under Decca Classics. This album reunites all seven siblings—Isata, Braimah, Sheku, Konya, Jeneba, Aminata, and Mariatu—in a powerful musical collaboration that reflects their shared heritage and passion.

River of Music showcases the siblings’ shared passion and talent. The album beautifully captures how the Kanneh-Masons’ love of music has been passed down through generations, blending tradition with innovation.

This album exemplifies the themes in Dr. Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason’s book, showcasing the family’s commitment to nurturing creativity, cultural identity, and artistic excellence.