UNC-Chapel Hill Department of Music

UNC Libraries are hiring--Music and Performing Arts Librarian! Come join an amazing library. #musiclibrary #performingarts

“Go with your passion. Have confidence in your potential.” Ann Cameron Pearce graduated in 1967 after studying piano with William Newman and flute with Earl Slocum. Though her degree was in Religion, much of her time was spent in the music building. After graduation, Ann went on to have a robust teaching and performing career in music, co-founded two local flute organizations, and co-founded the online music publisher ScoreVivo. Learn more about her time at Carolina and how it impacted her life and career in our latest alumni feature at https://lnkd.in/e4aUrPDi. #UNCMusic #AlumniFeature #music #unc #gdtbath

Anna Gatdula studies how the atomic bomb influences music, art, and culture. https://go.unc.edu/Dm85Q The music professor's research bridges aesthetic theory, cultural history, and science and technology studies, exploring the connections between media, performance, society, and nuclear technoscience. Gatdula acknowledges that her research is an incredibly niche topic, one she discovered by "[being] in the right place at the right time." At the start of her PhD program in 2017, the University of Chicago was celebrating the 75th anniversary of Chicago Pile-1, Enrico Fermi’s experiment that resulted in the first sustained nuclear chain reaction. The university had a semester-long series called “Nuclear Reactions,” which featured researchers and speakers from across disciplines in the humanities, social sciences, applied sciences, and public policy — and it sparked Gatdula's curiosity. "I left those celebrations wondering: What kind of social, political, and historical implications are at play when a university celebrates such an event? How does the representation of a scientific discovery become aestheticized into cultural objects like music? What are the contesting narratives of the nuclear reactions that remain relevant to us today?" #UNCMusic #UNCResearch #music #musicology #history #research #gdtbath

Congratulations to Rebecca Kleinmann, director of Charanga Carolina, who won her first Grammy this past weekend! Prof. Kleinmann played flute on Taylor Eigsti’s album Plot Armor, which won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album. “This album was extremely satisfying to help create,” Kleinmann told us. “Taylor flew me up to NYC to record at GSI Studios for the very last recording session of Plot Armor. I recorded three composed flute parts on several tracks. Once those were ‘in the can’ he recorded me improvising freely over most of the album. He ended up using my improvisations in several places! I’m so happy to be playing in the company of great artists like Dayna Stephens, Lisa Fischer, Becca Stevens, and many more. It’s a true honor to be part of this vibrant music. I felt genuinely joyful and encouraged to be creative throughout the entire recording process.” #UNCMusic #Grammy #instrumental #music #unc #gdtbath UNC College of Arts and Sciences University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

“For every small upward growth that we see above ground, there is a strong downward growth in the complex root system.” Join us for Dr. Jessica Kunttu’s faculty recital in Moeser Auditorium, where she will showcase a range of bassoon repertoire, blending both classic and innovative new works. With a strong emphasis on community, this recital highlights the power of music to connect and inspire. For a deeper look into Dr. Kunttu's musical journey, creative processes, and inspirations behind the recital, check out our exclusive interview. #UNCMusic #FacultyFeature #recital #bassoon #unc #gdtbath Jessica Kunttu UNC College of Arts and Sciences

UNC Musicology ?? Taylor Swift From a pop-up conference in 2014 dissecting Swift’s 1989 album to the new Taylor Swift course taught this past summer and fall by Ph.D. Candidate Kari Lindquist, UNC Musicology has been at the forefront of Taylor Swift research. Most recently, Ph.D. Alumna Christa Bentley is joining fellow scholars Kate Galloway, and Paula Harper in co-editing a new book of essays about Taylor Swift, set to publish in March 2025. Their upcoming book Taylor Swift: The Star, the Songs, the Fans includes essays by numerous scholars, including department chair Dr. Jocelyn Neal, who like Bentley was part of the 2014 pop-up conference. This past fall, the trio made an appearance on Ph.D. Alumnus Will Robin’s podcast Sound Expertise to discuss how the book came about and what it means to study the cultural phenomenon that is Taylor Swift as a musicologist. Learn more about their upcoming book and why “everybody’s studying Taylor Swift these days.” #UNCMusic #TaylorSwift #musicology #music #culture #unc #gdtbath Jocelyn Neal Christa Bentley

“In my most challenging moments as an undergraduate student at Carolina, poetry, hip-hop music, and the community I cultivated through the arts provided me a space of peace and introspection; a reminder that I did, in fact, belong here, when everything else seemed otherwise. It is my hope, that with this appointment and my role at the University, I can expound on that lyrical tradition by creating opportunities and programs for students, Town residents and civic leaders, to engage with one another poetically, to unearth people’s stories, experiences, and material needs. I intend to use music and poetry, within my coursework, research, and community outreach, to amplify our capacity for collective healing, wellbeing, and resilience.” Major congratulations to Teaching Assistant Professor Dr. Donovan Livingston on his appointment as Chapel Hill’s Poet Laureate, 2025-2026! We can't wait to see and experience the poetry, performances, and innovations he'll create as Poet Laureate! #UNCMusic #PoetLaureate #poetry #music #unc #gdtbath Donovan Livingston, Ph.D. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill UNC College of Arts and Sciences Chapel Hill Community Arts & Culture

Aaaand we're back! Take a look at what's coming up next in our first events newsletter of the spring semester. #gdtbath https://icont.ac/50W5G

Happy FDOC, Tar Heels! Grab a donut and coffee in the Hill Hall Rotunda to start the semester on a sweet note! #UNCMusic #Spring #FDOC #donuts #music #unc #gdtbath

“As a pianist, I press keys, and I make sound. It’s a machine I use to translate my thoughts and emotions and how I envision a piece into a clear sound narrative.”??-Dr. Clara Yang Ex Machina, the 2024 Festival on the Hill, was a triumph on many counts. Associate Professor Dr. Clara Yang’s interdisciplinary project exploring the intersection of technology and humanity became even larger than she dreamed. What began as a series of questions about machines and music has evolved into a groundbreaking multimedia performance. This spring, Dr. Yang will bring Ex Machina to the UNC Process Series, March 21-25. She also spent part of December recording this work in Moeser Auditorium! #UNCMusic #ExMachina #piano #music #technology #unc #gdtbath Clara Yang Institute for the Arts and Humanities