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Ishmael (Ishmail) Spicer (1760–1832) was a publisher in Baltimore, a teacher, and one of the first American composers.

Ishmael Spicer was born in Bozrah, Connecticut. He founded the first singing school at the Court House in Baltimore in November 1789, basing the curriculum using a teaching system advocated by Andrew Adgate. Tuition was set at $2.50 per quarter and the school was successful for multiple years.

For a time the singing school was attended by John Cole.

Publications

Spicer's Pocket Companion: or the young Mason's monitor, 1799 (printed by Andrew Wright in Northampton).

References

1. Andrew Wright: Northampton Music Printer By Paul R. Osterhout, American Music, Vol. 1, No. 4, Music Publishing in America (Winter, 1983), pp. 5-26 doi:10.2307/3051777
2. http://www.voxnovus.com/resources/American_Composer_Timeline.htm American Composer Timeline
3. The Roots of Music Education in Baltimore By James L. Fisher, Journal of Research in Music Education, Vol. 21, No. 3 (Autumn, 1973), pp. 214-224 doi:10.2307/3345091
4. Early Concert-life in America (1731-1800) ByOscar George Theodore Sonneck, Published 1907 Breitkopf & Härtel Music
5. Psalmody and Secular Songs By Timothy Swan, Nym Cooke. Published 1997 A-R Editions, Inc. Psalmody, ISBN 0-89579-383-0

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