The ACTOR Speaker Series invited world-class scholars to share their research on topics related to timbre and orchestration to the general public. The presentation series was either in-person, in a hybrid format, or virtual, so that members and guests could have the opportunity to exchange ideas and participate in the Q&A session following each presentation. To maximize dissemination of information, video recordings documenting the event have been made available on ACTOR’s website.
Unraveling timbre in the music of the marriage ceremony of the Chewa and Bemba in Zambia
Bibian Kalinde | Sep. 30 2022
A Question of Context: A Systemic Approach to Mixed Music Practice
Pierre Alexandre Tremblay | Nov. 16 2022
Dark: The Sight and Sound of Black Lives
Stephanie Shonekan | Nov. 18 2022
Crunk, Trap, and Compositional Representations of Embodied Experiences
Kevin Holt | Jan. 18 2023
Orchestration: a functional approach to sound organization in African music
Andile Khumalo | Mar. 13, 2023
Claus-Steffen Mahnkopf | Mar. 23, 2023
Afro Caribbean Music: An International Impact on Culture and Aesthetic for Ensembles
Joel LaRua Smith | Apr. 3, 2023
How the cello became a vehicle for arranging Haitian songs
Leyla McCalla | Oct. 5, 2023
The Timbre of Early Blackface in the Making of (Black) Americana
Matthew Morrison | Dec. 7, 2023
Yorùbá Language Tonality as Basis of Orchestration
Ayò Olúrántí | Jan. 18, 2024
Teaching Timbre: The Hammond Organ, Black Gospel, and the Politics of Presets
Braxton Shelley | Jan. 25, 2024