On the opening weekend of spring break, Alyssa, Ho-Chak, Casper, and I had the great fortune of visiting the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, as arranged by Professor Lester Monts and the Stearns Collection. The museum operates on the slogan “Music is the Language of the Soul,” and the bulk of the museum is devoted … Continue reading Musical Instrument Museum Trip
Last weekend, SMR held its much-anticipated 2018 graduate-student conference. Students from around the country gave ten paper presentations (including one lecture-recital) on a variety of topics relating to the conference's theme, "Music and Borders," across the disciplines of historical musicology, ethnomusicology, music theory, and musical performance (see conference program below). The conference's keynote speaker was Dr. Alejandro … Continue reading 2018 SMR Conference: Music and Borders
Alyssa Wells was recently featured on the Brass Chicks blog—on International Women's Day, no less—in a piece she wrote about her path to her current research. You can read all about it here.
Last week, several SMR members attended the 2018 annual meeting of the Society for American Music in Kansas City, MO. One member, James McNally, presented his paper on the experimental music scene in Sāo Paulo, Brazil (see abstract below). Photo: James presenting his talk (credit: Nee Chucherdwatanasak) “DIY Experimental: Punk’s Radical Reinvention of Musical Experimentalism … Continue reading SMR at Society for American Music 2018 Annual Conference
Next weekend, March 10–11, SMR will be hosting a graduate-student conference titled “Music and Borders” right here in Ann Arbor. We will attend the UMS performance of Company Wang Ramirez’s “Borderline” as a group; our keynote speaker, Dr. Alejandro L. Madrid of Cornell University, will give a talk titled “The Importance of Being from ‘The Other Side’: Music, … Continue reading Next Week: SMR Graduate Student Conference, Music & Borders
Earlier this week, several SMR members braved snowy conditions and took the opportunity afforded by Winter Break to meet at Ypsilanti coffee and tap house Cultivate and get some work done in inspirational and enjoyable company. Photo: Productivity in human form (credit: Anna Rose Nelson).
Recently, several SMR members were involved in events surrounding the premiere of a new edition of George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, part of U-M's Gershwin Initiative. One of the main events of this Gershwin-packed weekend was a two-day symposium devoted to discussions of race, representation, activism, and appropriation in the opera. Two current SMR members … Continue reading SMR at The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess Symposium
One of the groups organized by the Michigan Music Forum branch of SMR is the Dissertation Writing Group. Every week, interested SMR candidates meet to discuss an approximately 25-page piece of writing by one of the other members, offering feedback and suggestions. Besides the helpful feedback, this group offers welcome structure, intermediate deadlines, and mutual … Continue reading SMR Dissertation Writing Group
Last Friday, SMR members were at the Yost Ice Arena to watch Michigan play Wisconsin in Big Ten hockey. The Maize and Blue prevailed and delivered a 5-3 defeat to their opponents, and good winter-sports times were had by all. Photos by Mike and Alyssa Wells
Earlier this week, SMR members gathered for SMR's Winter General Assembly. A wide range of exciting initiatives were discussed, including the Michigan Music Research Conference (see here), which we're hosting in March, a variety of social events, and various professional-development offerings. This semester looks to be another promising and productive one! Richard describing his vision … Continue reading SMR Winter General Assembly
