Meeting on February 20, 2020—Dr. Wadada Leo Smith

3–5pm in Fayerweather 513 (a map of the campus is available here).

Create, Its Philosophy and practice in Creative Music

We are pleased to welcome invited speaker, Dr. Wadada Leo Smith

Wadada Leo Smith was born in Leland, Mississippi, and his musical life began in high school concert and marching bands. At the age of thirteen, he became involved with the Delta Blues and other music traditions. Wadada Leo Smith, trumpeter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and improviser is one of the most acclaimed creative artists of his times, both for his music and his writings. For the last five decades, Mr. Smith has been a member of the historical and legendary AACM collective. He distinctly defines his music as “Creative Music.” Mr. Smith’s diverse discography reveals a recorded history centered around important issues that have impacted his world. He has been on the faculty of the following institutions: The University of New Haven (1975-’76), The Creative Music Studio in Woodstock, NY (1975-’78), and Bard College (1987-’93). From 1994 he was on the faculty at The Herb Alpert School of Music at California Institute of the Arts. There he was the director of the African-American Improvisational Music program. Mr. Smith retired from CalArts in 2013.

There will be a dinner with Dr. Smith and other members of the group following this talk. Please contact Marc at meh2230[at]columbia.edu if you wish to come to dinner.