IN MEMORIAM: NORMA BEECROFT
(1934-2024)
October 2024
We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Norma Beecroft, beloved Canadian composer, electronic music pioneer, and trailblazer in the world of modern music. Beecroft’s legacy will continue to resonate through her groundbreaking compositions, the artists she inspired, and the profound impact she had on Canadian music. She had an unwavering commitment to supporting young composers and musicians, many of whom cite her as a mentor and inspiration.
We are incredibly honored and grateful to have had Beecroft’s work featured as part of Unsung Stories. More information on her work, life, and legacy, including Beecroft’s memoir New Music Concerts 1971-1989, is available here.
KITCHEN TABLE PRAXIS: RECIPES FOR BELONGING IN ELECTRONIC MUSIC
April 8, 2022, 12:30-6:00pm EST
Naomi Waltham-Smith will deliver a keynote entitled "Strange Sound: Capital, Race, and the Field Recorder in Urban Marginalization,” followed by contributors from the field of electronic music and science education studies, including King Britt (UCSD), Cristobal Martinez (Postcommodity/SFAI), LaFrae Sci (Willie Mae Future Sounds), Bonnie Jones (Brown University), Hannah Kye (Rowan University), Lauren Hayes (Arizona State University), Abby Aresty (Oberlin), and Columbia University's Brad Garton, Seth Cluett, Diana M. Rodriguez and Suzanne Thorpe.
This event is hosted by the Society of Fellows and Heyman Center for the Humanities, and co-sponsored by the Computer Music Center at Columbia University (CMC) in addition to The Department of Music at Columbia University and Committee on Equity and Diversity of the Columbia University School of Arts and Sciences.
More information and registration are available here.
YVETTE JANINE JACKSON: GIGA-HERTZ PRODUCTION AWARD
November 2021
Yvette Janine Jackson has been awarded the 2021 Giga-Hertz Production Award for her radio opera, Destination Freedom (2017), in which she reworks sound and history to create a haunting narrative about the deportation of African slaves to America. Each award recipient receives €5,000 for their work, and this year’s award ceremony takes place on November 27 and 28, 2021, at the ZKM Center for Art and Media in Karlsruhe, Germany.
Congratulations, Yvette!
TIME: SPANS 2021 // WAVE FIELD SYNTHESIS
Thursday, August 12 - Monday, August 16, 2021
The compositions premiered in these performances were commissioned for the EMPAC High-Resolution Modular Loudspeaker Array for Wave Field Synthesis. The instrument allows sounds to be placed in space in a unique way for both composers and listeners. Read more about the Wave Field Synthesis array here. 3-D compositions by Miya Masaoka, Nina C. Young, Bora Yoon, and Pamela Z will be showcased at the concerts. More info and tickets here.
THE DREAM FEED PODCAST:
MUSICIANS ON MOTHERHOOD
\Hosted and created by Zosha Di Castri, this podcast series features conversations between musicians on their experiences navigating the seemingly incompatible worlds of professional music and motherhood, sharing in both the personal challenges and profoundly inspiring moments that come with being simultaneously mothers and musicians.
In "B-Side" episodes, the performers share a jointly created duo and discuss what it was like to collaborate at a distance.
Listen to the episodes and discover more here.
This project was made possible by a generous grant from the Canada Council for the Arts.
WOMEN IN SOUND:
INTRO TO MODULAR SYNTHESIS
With Dani Dobkin
Thursday, April 29, 2021 - 5:00pm EDT
This special two-day workshop on the foundations of modular synthesis will be led by composer and sound artist Dani Dobkin. Dobkin will cover everything you need to know to get started using free VCV Rack software. No hardware required!
(for women-identifying, trans, and non-binary artists)
All levels welcome, no musical experience necessary. More info here and tickets here.
In partnership with the Computer Music Center at Columbia University.