Aaamc Issue 6/7 Chrono
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Music and Culture at the Archives of African American Music and aaamc mission: Culture,” at a spring symposium “...you have demonstrated The AAAMC is devoted to the collection, geared for academic counselors and preservation, and dissemination of materi- tremendous courage, support personnel on “Making the als for the purpose of research and study of fortitude, and determination Most of College,” which was spon- African-American music and culture. in a way that provided sored by the offices of IU’s Vice www.indiana.edu/~aaamc inspiration and leadership for Chancellor for Academic Affairs and the Vice Chancellor for Student the rest of the country. “ Affairs. We also completed an instructional website on hip-hop music and culture No. 6/No. 7) – (see Liner Notes #4 for more details), Fall 2001/Spring 2002 which was tested in a class of seventy- Special Double Issue one students during the 2002 spring semester. An on-line pilot version will be offered at IU’s Northwest campus IN THIS ISSUE: in the spring of 2003 and will be used by AAAMC in future workshops on African American music for educa- Letter tors. Our activities for the spring of From the Desk of 2002 concluded with a visit from Dr. the Director Lutgard Mutsaers of the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands, who was a Fellow in IU’s Institute for Advanced In the Vault Study. She spent three weeks in • Recent Donations March collaborating with me on our • Featured Portia K. Maultsby research project, “Black American Collection: Director Music in Dutch Culture” (see story AAAMC General inside). Collection From the Desk Susan Oehler, contribute to our mis- In this issue of Liner Notes, I am sion. The first installment of Jones’s proud to present the work of two • Donor Profile of the Director collection--awards, articles, programs, undergraduate members of our staff, posters--offer insight into his innova- Laura Gonzales and Tangera Sharp, On behalf of the staff of the Archives tive career in gospel music. Lydon’s who each wrote a featured article on Visiting of African American Music and audio recorded interviews gathered the collections they processed over the Scholar Culture, I would like to express both for his book Ray Charles: Man and past two years. I am also pleased to our condolences and admiration to Music (1999) bring together the experi- welcome two new Research • Jennifer Searcy the residents of New York City. ences and perspectives of many per- Associates, Professors Tyron Cooper Despite the loss of loved ones in the formers who knew or worked with and Daniel Walker, to our staff. Past Events unfortunate tragedy of September 11, Ray Charles over the years. The audio Cooper, a renowned and versatile gui- • Michael Lydon 2001, you have demonstrated tremen- interviews and field notes Oehler tarist-vocalist, is the Director of the Lutgard dous courage, fortitude, and determi- gathered for her Ph.D. dissertation Indiana University Soul Revue and an • nation in a way that provided inspira- Aesthetics and Meaning in Professional adjunct professor in the Department Mutsaers tion and leadership for the rest of the Blues Performances: An Ethnographic of African-American and African country. Such tragedies remind us of Examination of an African American Diasporic Studies. Walker, whose People the importance of preserving our his- Music in Intercultural Context (2001) research encompasses black gospel • New AAAMC tory, culture, and personal memories offer new perspectives on blues per- music, is a professor in IU’s through diaries, letters, cards, photo- formance and meaning. Department of History. I conclude Assistant Director: graphs, oral histories, video and audio Over the past twelve months, the this issue by announcing the appoint- Stephanie recordings, and various artifacts. AAAMC has engaged in a variety of ment of Stephanie Shonekan as Shonekan Since September 11th, the AAAMC activities to broaden the exposure of Assistant Director of the AAAMC (see has had an increased number of our collections, to meet the diverse story inside). Shonekan has made • National Advisory requests for these and other materials needs of patrons, and to support our many valuable contributions as a Board Member: for projects that document our past, educational mission. Past issues of graduate assistant over the past five Patrice Rushen interpret the present, and chart new Liner Notes have been put on-line and years. Her presence in this new posi- tion will enable us to undertake many ground for the future. indices to our general and selected • Research special collections will be available on projects that have been in the planning Three major collections donated by Associate: our updated website in fall of 2002. stages for several years. Specifics two of our board members, gospel Valerie Grim singer Bobby Jones and author-musi- Stephanie Shonekan gave a Power about these will appear in the forth- cian Michael Lydon, and by scholar Point presentation, “Exploring Black coming issues of Liner Notes. In the Vault LINN Records Limited Vibe Magazine Compact disc – Willard White: The Legacy of Continued complimentary subscription Paul Robeson (2002) Recent Donations Warner Bros. Records Compact discs James Abbington Michael Lydon The Michael Lydon Collection – audio recordings Book -- Readings in African American Church Michael Woods of interviews for Lydon’s biography of Ray Music and Worship (2001) Addition of original jazz scores to existing Charles, Ray Charles: Man and Music (1999) Michael Woods Collection Alligator Records Compact discs Susan Oehler The Susan Oehler Collection – field research Bobby L. Jones material (audio recordings, notes, documents) The Bobby Jones Gospel Music Collection – related to the study of live blues performances in video, audio recordings, awards, articles, and intercultural contexts other memorabilia collected throughout Jones’ producing, broadcasting, and performing career Adam Sechooler in gospel music Video recording of Interview with Fayard Ladies First Nicholas (2001) Inaugural compact disc recording of Ladies First, Indiana University a cappella group, Ticket to Squint Entertainment Anywhere (2001) Compact disc of materials to anyone interested in Featured black popular music and its contexts. Collection: Our facilities are open to educators, researchers, and the public. Teachers The AAAMC General and students often use our resources for class. Recently, students used the Audio & Video archives to study materials for their Collection classes on “Hip-Hop Music,” “Motown,” and “African-American Need music by Stevie Wonder? History," which were taught by Portia Information about the history of the Maultsby, Charles Sykes, and Daniel blues or rock ‘n’ roll? A music video of Walker, respectively. Music clips and Public Enemy? Words to gospel songs? photographs from the collection have The AAAMC may have just what been utilized for various websites, you’re looking for in its large collection including the “Survey of African of CDs, cassettes, LPs, 45s, videos, and American Music” and “Hip-Hop DVDs. Music,” the former currently under con- The Collection had its beginnings in struction. People doing research on any the mid-1980s, as Dr. Portia K. Maultsby number of subjects contact the AAAMC and other faculty began to acquire in search of relevant materials. The audio and video material on the music AAAMC also hosts workshops, and is a and culture of African Americans. In popular destination for field trips – even 1991, the AAAMC was officially estab- from abroad. A few years ago, a group lished by founder and director of German students visited to learn Maultsby, through a grant from the more about gospel and hip-hop tradi- Ford Foundation. Since then, she and tions. her staff, as well as members of the The AAAMC is a wonderful source for National Advisory Board, have attract- research, education, or just pleasure. No ed special as well as general collections. matter where your interest lies, you are Awealth of additional materials have sure to find what you need here at the filtered in through personal donations, Archives. See you soon! complimentary copies from record com- - Laura Gonzales panies, and purchases. Gonzales worked at the AAAMC Distinct from the “Special as an Archival Assistant. She graduated Collections,” which contain materials from Indiana University in May 2002. pertaining to specific topics or perform- Box sets cover individual artists like we have a wide range of visual media ers, or from an individual donor, our Diana Ross, Al Green, and Jackie including over 273 VHS and 24 beta * The term “rhythm and blues” was first used as a mar- “General Collection” comprises materi- Wilson, as well as subject anthologies videos, as well as a growing DVD col- keting label to identify all types of music recorded by such as The Sugar Hill Records Story, The African-American artists. Introduced in 1949 to replace al that cuts across subject, genre, period, lection. These media productions the race music label (a term in use since 1920), “rhythm and format. From classical to hip-hop, Complete Stax/Volt Soul Singles, and The include programs in music, history and and blues” (also referred to as “R&B” at this time) encom- blues, rhythm & blues*, soul, funk, to Doo Wop Box. culture. Our video collection houses passed all black musical traditions, including rural and We also have cassettes, LPs, and 45s, movies (White Men Can’t Jump, urban blues, boogie-woogie, black swing, jazz combos, R&B*, rock, jazz, and gospel to the vocal harmony groups, and club lounge trios. The term music of the African Diaspora, all are and the means to play these sound for- Remember the Titans); newscasts (60 also identified a musical genre that began evolving in the represented on more than 2,000 CDs, mats on site. Our cassettes cover genres Minutes on Racial Tracking, ABC News mid-1940s as reinterpretations and hybridizations of ver- such as gospel (The Indiana State Mass on Nelson Mandela); educational histo- nacular traditions.