At 5:30 pm on Friday, March 7th, the Archives of African American Music and Culture will host a free open house, featuring live music, and a talk by visiting artist Dr. William Banfield. Please join us at IU Wells Library, West Tower, Suite 305 for an enlightening evening, and get ready for Sunday’s Concert!

As part of the AAAMC Open House weekend March 7 and March 9, Bloomington, Indiana will be graced with the presence of composer, educator, author, jazz guitarist, and former Director of IU Soul Revue (1992-1996), Dr. William Banfield.

Hailed by Cornel West as,” one of the last grand Renaissance men in our time…a towering artist, exemplary educator, rigorous scholar, courageous freedom fighter..”, and considered by Henry Louis Gates to be, …”one of the most original voices on the scene today…”, Dr. Banfield returns to IU’s campus with an illustrious career as an author, professor, scholar, and musician under his belt. Serving in positions as varied as the founding director of Black Music Culture Studies at Berklee College of Music where he was appointed as Professor Emeritus, to serving as research associate at the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, and being commissioned by Quincy Jones to develop curriculum and approaches to teaching the history of American popular music, William Banfield is an authority on black music scholarship, composition, and performance.

While serving as assistant professor in African American Studies/Music at Indiana University, Dr. Banfield established the Undine Smith Moore Collection of Scores and Manuscripts of Black Composers (SC 102). The AAAMC is pleased to welcome Dr. Banfield back to Indiana University to give a talk in the archives on Friday, March 7. Following the archive tours at 5:30, Dr. Banfield’s talk will begin at 6:15 and will be framed within a larger conversation on Black Composers illustrated through a series of in-house exhibits showcasing various black composers highlighted in the AAAMC collections. These exhibits will be on display in the AAAMC multi-purpose room during the Open House and will remain on display throughout the rest of the spring and summer semesters. Space in the archive for Friday’s tour and talk is limited, so arrive early to secure your spot!