In 2022, NBMC/NASPAAM celebrated 50 years of furthering the development and dissemination of African American Music. We held a virtual conference to reflect on our past and look toward the future.
Sessions
Welcome & Greeting ~ President Marsha-Kindall Smith, NASPAAM President
Brief History of NBMC/NASPAAM ~ Dr. Ted McDaniel, NASPAAM co-founder
The Brief History includes the following: a narrative that explains the protest meeting that arose because of issues with the programming at the 1972 MENC Convention in Atlanta that resulted in the birth of the NBMC, its growth and development, major activities, and accomplishments; Mission Statement and Goals; and a listing of the Council of Presidents.
Meaning, Music, and Social Justice in Our Anthems ~ Dr. Shana L. Redmond
Reminiscing on his relationship with Paul Robeson, self-described Robeson “disciple” Harry Belafonte quoted his mentor’s lasting advice: “Get them to sing your songs and they’ll want to know who you are.” With this instruction, Belafonte went on to a significant career combining music and social change. He followed in Robeson’s footsteps as well as those of many others–those musician-strategists who created anthems from stray notes and made new publics from atomized people. In this brief presentation, Shana Redmond will chart a portion of this genealogy through a look at four songs that changed the course of the twentieth century. Rather than a deep reading of each, she will show their interrelation and the large form structures, both musical and political, that they helped to create and sustain.
Keynote Speaker ~ Dr. Mackie Spradley, NAfME President
The Quilt Speaks ~ Dr. Rene Boyer
The Quilt Speaks is designed to give elementary and middle school general music students, an opportunity to delve into a fascinating world of historical subterfuge, secrecy, desperation, and thoughtful hope. In this workshop we invite you to journey with us as history unfolds itself and reveals the importance of a spiritual and a seemingly simple quilt square. Teachers will be guided through steps needed to engage students in singing and accompanying themselves on Orff instruments as they learn the languages of spirituals and quilt squares from a turbulent time in American history.
Black Music Matters ~ Dr. Ed Sarath, Dr. Michael Nickens, Kayleigh Wilder
Professor Ed Sarath is joined by U-M alumni Kaleigh Wilder (freelance musician and activist) and Michael Nickens (Prof of Music at George Mason University) to reflect on promising innovations at Michigan which may signal important pathways for the field at large. Most recent of these are a DMA in Jazz and Contemporary Improvisation, a course called Black Music Matters that is offered for undergraduate and graduate credit, and which is accompanied by a book of that title by Sarath. A rich legacy of precursors to this work in which African American creative, pedagogical, aesthetic and spiritual influences have been prominent include the Music School of the Future graduate seminar, Creative Arts Orchestra, and Integral Basic Musicianship course sequence, among the very first instances nationally (established in 1993) where music majors (including classical performance majors and music education students) could fulfill a significant portion of their core curricular requirements through a jazz-based approach to music theory and aural skills. The panelists will reflect on how their experiences with these innovations have both empowered them during their time at U_M and also impact current work.
Rap/Hiphop Music and Culture in the Music Curriculum ~ Dr. Cheryl Keyes
Hip-Hop is the fastest growing youth arts movement in the latter 20th century. It consists of four elements—MCing/rapping, deejaying, graffiti/mural art, and breakdancing. Of the four, the first two elements have proven to be a platform by which Black youth express their everyday realities via beats and rhymes. As hip-hop evolves well into the 21st century, this Black art form also continues to (re)shape the cultural and musical landscape of youth culture around the globe. This presentation explores the efficacy of hip-hop music in contemporary culture and its pedagogical importance in music education.
Tribute to Dr. T.J. Anderson
Composer and a Founder and 1st President of the National Black Music Caucus (NBMC), later NASPAAM (National Association for the Study and Performance of African American Music. Includes a taped lecture and performance of a T. J. Anderson composition, with brief Q&A with T. J. Anderson.
Reflections on the 50 Year History of NBMC NASPAAM
A video based on a new program called Vidday that allows current and past officers and board members to introduce themselves and offer a personalized one to two-minute reflection about NBMC/NASPAAM during the past 50 years.
