From the Deskof the DirectorOn behalf of the staff of the Archivesof African American Music andCulture, I would like to express bothour condolences and admiration tothe residents of New York City.Despite the loss of loved ones in theunfortunate tragedy of September 11,2001, you have demonstrated tremen-dous courage, fortitude, and determi-nation in a way that provided inspira-tion and leadership for the rest of thecountry. Such tragedies remind us ofthe importance of preserving our his-tory, culture, and personal memoriesthrough diaries, letters, cards, photo-graphs, oral histories, video and audiorecordings, and various artifacts.Since September 11th, the AAAMChas had an increased number ofrequests for these and other materialsfor projects that document our past,interpret the present, and chart newground for the future.

Three major collections donated bytwo of our board members, gospelsinger Bobby Jones and author-musi-cian Michael Lydon, and by scholar

Susan Oehler, contribute to our mis-sion. The first installment of Jones’scollection--awards, articles, programs,posters--offer insight into his innova-tive career in gospel music. Lydon’saudio recorded interviews gatheredfor his book Ray Charles: Man andMusic (1999) bring together the experi-ences and perspectives of many per-formers who knew or worked withRay Charles over the years. The audiointerviews and field notes Oehlergathered for her Ph.D. dissertationAesthetics and Meaning in ProfessionalBlues Performances: An EthnographicExamination of an African AmericanMusic in Intercultural Context (2001)offer new perspectives on blues per-formance and meaning.

Over the past twelve months, theAAAMC has engaged in a variety ofactivities to broaden the exposure ofour collections, to meet the diverseneeds of patrons, and to support oureducational mission. Past issues ofLiner Notes have been put on-line andindices to our general and selectedspecial collections will be available onour updated website in fall of 2002.Stephanie Shonekan gave a PowerPoint presentation, “Exploring Black

Music and Culture at the Archives ofAfrican American Music andCulture,” at a spring symposiumgeared for academic counselors andsupport personnel on “Making theMost of College,” which was spon-sored by the offices of IU’s ViceChancellor for Academic Affairs andthe Vice Chancellor for StudentAffairs.

We also completed an instructionalwebsite on hip-hop music and culture(see Liner Notes #4 for more details),which was tested in a class of seventy-one students during the 2002 springsemester. An on-line pilot version willbe offered at IU’s Northwest campusin the spring of 2003 and will be usedby AAAMC in future workshops onAfrican American music for educa-tors. Our activities for the spring of2002 concluded with a visit from Dr.Lutgard Mutsaers of the University ofUtrecht in the Netherlands, who was aFellow in IU’s Institute for AdvancedStudy. She spent three weeks inMarch collaborating with me on ourresearch project, “Black AmericanMusic in Dutch Culture” (see storyinside).

In this issue of Liner Notes, I amproud to present the work of twoundergraduate members of our staff,Laura Gonzales and Tangera Sharp,who each wrote a featured article onthe collections they processed over thepast two years. I am also pleased towelcome two new ResearchAssociates, Professors Tyron Cooperand Daniel Walker, to our staff.Cooper, a renowned and versatile gui-tarist-vocalist, is the Director of theIndiana University Soul Revue and anadjunct professor in the Departmentof African-American and AfricanDiasporic Studies. Walker, whoseresearch encompasses black gospelmusic, is a professor in IU’sDepartment of History. I concludethis issue by announcing the appoint-ment of Stephanie Shonekan asAssistant Director of the AAAMC (seestory inside). Shonekan has mademany valuable contributions as agraduate assistant over the past fiveyears. Her presence in this new posi-tion will enable us to undertake manyprojects that have been in the planningstages for several years. Specificsabout these will appear in the forth-coming issues of Liner Notes.

aaamc mission:The AAAMC is devoted to the collection,preservation, and dissemination of materi-als for the purpose of research and study ofAfrican-American music and culture.

www.indiana.edu/~aaamc

Portia K. MaultsbyDirector

“...you have demonstratedtremendous courage,

fortitude, and determinationin a way that provided

inspiration and leadership forthe rest of the country. “

In the VaultRecent DonationsJames AbbingtonBook -- Readings in African American ChurchMusic and Worship (2001)

Alligator RecordsCompact discs

Bobby L. JonesThe Bobby Jones Gospel Music Collection –video, audio recordings, awards, articles, andother memorabilia collected throughout Jones’producing, broadcasting, and performing careerin gospel music

Ladies First Inaugural compact disc recording of Ladies First,Indiana University a cappella group, Ticket toAnywhere (2001)

LINN Records LimitedCompact disc – Willard White: The Legacy ofPaul Robeson (2002)

Michael LydonThe Michael Lydon Collection – audio recordingsof interviews for Lydon’s biography of RayCharles, Ray Charles: Man and Music (1999)

Susan Oehler The Susan Oehler Collection – field researchmaterial (audio recordings, notes, documents)related to the study of live blues performances inintercultural contexts

Adam SechoolerVideo recording of Interview with FayardNicholas (2001)

Squint EntertainmentCompact disc

Vibe MagazineContinued complimentary subscription

Warner Bros. RecordsCompact discs

Michael WoodsAddition of original jazz scores to existingMichael Woods Collection

No. 6/No. 7) –Fall 2001/Spring 2002Special Double Issue

IN THIS ISSUE:

LetterFrom the Desk ofthe Director

In the Vault • Recent Donations • Featured

Collection:AAAMC General Collection

• Donor Profile

VisitingScholar• Jennifer Searcy

Past Events• Michael Lydon• Lutgard

Mutsaers

People• New AAAMC

Assistant Director: Stephanie Shonekan

• National AdvisoryBoard Member: Patrice Rushen

• Research Associate:Valerie Grim

FeaturedCollection:The AAAMC GeneralAudio & VideoCollection

Need music by Stevie Wonder?Information about the history of theblues or rock ‘n’ roll? A music video ofPublic Enemy? Words to gospel songs?The AAAMC may have just whatyou’re looking for in its large collectionof CDs, cassettes, LPs, 45s, videos, andDVDs.

The Collection had its beginnings inthe mid-1980s, as Dr. Portia K. Maultsbyand other faculty began to acquireaudio and video material on the musicand culture of African Americans. In1991, the AAAMC was officially estab-lished by founder and directorMaultsby, through a grant from theFord Foundation. Since then, she andher staff, as well as members of theNational Advisory Board, have attract-ed special as well as general collections.

A wealth of additional materials havefiltered in through personal donations,complimentary copies from record com-panies, and purchases.

Distinct from the “SpecialCollections,” which contain materialspertaining to specific topics or perform-ers, or from an individual donor, our“General Collection” comprises materi-al that cuts across subject, genre, period,and format. From classical to hip-hop,blues, rhythm & blues*, soul, funk, toR&B*, rock, jazz, and gospel to themusic of the African Diaspora, all arerepresented on more than 2,000 CDs,120 cassettes, 107 LPs, and 83 45s. Thecollection includes music by many pop-ular artists--Michael Jackson, ArethaFranklin, Prince, The Supremes, MilesDavis, LL Cool J, Bobby McFerrin, B.B.King, Yolanda Adams, Femi Kuti, BillyEckstine, Queen Latifah, Parliament,and Destiny’s Child, to name a few--aswell as lesser-known figures such asBody Count, Delinquent Habits, andJurassic 5; plus a few local artists,including Beeble Brox, Angela Brown,and Charles Denson.

Our CD collection includes more than1,450 individual CDs, 255 compilations,134 soundtracks, and 40 box sets. Thecompilations have tracks by variousartists in blues, hip-hop, soul, gospel,R&B, Christmas, song interpretations,funk, disco, dance/club, go-go/house,Motown, and rock. The soundtrackscover movies such as Waiting to Exhale,The Brothers, and Made in America; andmusicals such as Porgy and Bess, The Wiz,and Bring in ‘Da Noise, Bring in ‘Da Funk.

Box sets cover individual artists likeDiana Ross, Al Green, and JackieWilson, as well as subject anthologiessuch as The Sugar Hill Records Story, TheComplete Stax/Volt Soul Singles, and TheDoo Wop Box.

We also have cassettes, LPs, and 45s,and the means to play these sound for-mats on site. Our cassettes cover genressuch as gospel (The Indiana State MassChoir, Reverend Milton Brunson, CLCYouth Choir), hip-hop (Az-1, CypressHill, Goodie Mob), blues (AlbertaHunter, Trudy Lynn), soul (Jerry Butler,Johnny Taylor), R&B (Monica, LutherVandross), African Diaspora (TalkingDrums), and soundtracks (StormyWeather, Black Caesar). Our LP hold-ings include hip-hop (Brand Nubian,The Lox, Will Smith), folk (EstellaConwill Alexander, Leon Bibb), R&B(Mariah Carey, Faith Evans, Usher), jazz(Billie Holiday, Lena Horne), rhythm &blues (Johnny Otis, Toussaint McCall),African Diaspora (Bhundu Boys, Juba,Mahlathini and The Mahotella Queens),classical (William Grant Still), comedy(Bill Cosby), and spoken word (OssieDavis & Ruby Dee). Our 45s includemostly blues (Charles Brown, Lightnin’Hopkins), rock (Tina Turner), country(Willie Nelson, Randy Travis), and soul(Bobby Powell, Ted Taylor) artists.

In addition to our audio collections,

we have a wide range of visual mediaincluding over 273 VHS and 24 betavideos, as well as a growing DVD col-lection. These media productionsinclude programs in music, history andculture. Our video collection housesmovies (White Men Can’t Jump,Remember the Titans); newscasts (60Minutes on Racial Tracking, ABC Newson Nelson Mandela); educational histo-ries (History of Rock ‘N’ Roll, Motown:A Time Capsule); music videos (JanetJackson, Ice T, Afrika Bambaataa); lec-tures (Evelyn Johnson, The MemphisBlues Tradition Symposium); documen-taries (Eyes on the Prize, Our House:Gays and Lesbians in the Hood); instru-ment features (Piano Legends, TrumpetKings); interviews (George Clinton, “Inthe Rapture”); ‘live’ gospel (Gospelfest,The New Life Community Choir);dance shows (Dance Theater of Harlem,Masters of Tap); and much more. Thebeta videos showcase the music of BrianMcKnight, A Tribe Called Quest,Shanice, Boyz II Men, the NevilleBrothers, Mavis Staples, and others.Our DVD collection comprises movies(Shaft, Superfly, and Foxy Brown); doc-umentaries (The Legends of Rock ‘N’Roll); as well as live performances(James Brown; Otis Redding; and Earth,Wind & Fire).

The AAAMC offers a diverse selection

of materials to anyone interested inblack popular music and its contexts.Our facilities are open to educators,researchers, and the public. Teachersand students often use our resources forclass. Recently, students used thearchives to study materials for theirclasses on “Hip-Hop Music,”“Motown,” and “African-AmericanHistory," which were taught by PortiaMaultsby, Charles Sykes, and DanielWalker, respectively. Music clips andphotographs from the collection havebeen utilized for various websites,including the “Survey of AfricanAmerican Music” and “Hip-HopMusic,” the former currently under con-struction. People doing research on anynumber of subjects contact the AAAMCin search of relevant materials. TheAAAMC also hosts workshops, and is apopular destination for field trips – evenfrom abroad. A few years ago, a groupof German students visited to learnmore about gospel and hip-hop tradi-tions.

The AAAMC is a wonderful source forresearch, education, or just pleasure. Nomatter where your interest lies, you aresure to find what you need here at theArchives. See you soon!

- Laura GonzalesGonzales worked at the AAAMC

as an Archival Assistant. She graduatedfrom Indiana University in May 2002.

* The term “rhythm and blues” was first used as a mar-keting label to identify all types of music recorded byAfrican-American artists. Introduced in 1949 to replacethe race music label (a term in use since 1920), “rhythmand blues” (also referred to as “R&B” at this time) encom-passed all black musical traditions, including rural andurban blues, boogie-woogie, black swing, jazz combos,vocal harmony groups, and club lounge trios. The termalso identified a musical genre that began evolving in themid-1940s as reinterpretations and hybridizations of ver-nacular traditions. Although the blues provided thefoundation for rhythm and blues, other elements camefrom jazz, spirituals, gospel, and mainstream popularmusic. By the 1960s, gospel elements began to dominate,transforming rhythm and blues into a distinctive genrelabeled soul. Promoted by the Black Music Association,the term “Black Music” replaced "Soul" in 1982 to reflectnew trends and stylistic diversity in black popular music.In 1990, Billboard reintroduced the term “R&B” “as abroad umbrella to refer to a variety of musical styles,including such contemporary genres as rap, hip-hop andfunk. In addition, R&B as a label is less likely to createexpectations about the race or ethnic origins of themusic’s creators.” The AAAMC will use “rhythm andblues” to refer to 1940s–1960s rhythm and blues and“R&B” for the rhythm and blues of the 1990s and beyond.Sources: Maultsby, Portia K. “Rhythm & Blues and Soul” in TheGarland Encyclopedia of World Music.” Vol. 3 UnitedStates and Canada Music. General Ed. Ellen Koskoff(New York: Garland Publishing, 2000), 667-679.-----------------. "Soul Music: Its Sociological and PoliticalSignificance in American Popular Culture," Journal ofPopular Culture. XVII (Fall 1983), pp. 51-60.“Billboard Leading a New Rhythm Section: Chart-TitleChanges Stress Style of the Music” Billboard. October 27,1990. p.6,35.

**Information concerning our General Collection holdingswill soon be available on our website http://www.indi-ana.edu/~aaamc . Until then, any questions about thecollection should be referred to afamarch@indiana.edu.

Donor Profile – Karen Shearer:From Rhythm toRhinos

When Karen Shearer graduatedfrom San Diego State University, sheplanned to become a teacher. But thecourse of her life took a dramatic turn asthe result of a post-graduation trip toEurope; she ended up living abroad forseveral years, and drastically modifiedher career plans. Inspired by live per-formances by Jimi Hendrix and manyother artists, she became interested inthe documentation of African-Americanmusic. On her return to the UnitedStates, she began working as a publicistfor Capitol Records and was assigned tocover black and country music. Thiswas a major turning point for Shearer;

she loved her work, and it became thebasis for a rewarding and successfulcareer in the recording industry.

For Shearer, the road to success wasjoyful, but sometimes bumpy. She facedmany obstacles, including gender dis-crimination. “Particularly at recordcompanies,” she reminisced. “Womenwere publicists, [and] could evenbecome the director of publicity, but youwere not going to become the Head ofA&R.” After working for CapitolRecords, Shearer landed one of her mostnoted gigs at Westwood One when shewas introduced to Norm Pattis, a per-son she fondly refers to as the compa-

Visiting ScholarJennifer Searcy

Jennifer Searcy, a first year doctoral student of AmericanHistory/Public History at Loyola University, visited the AAAMCin April, 2002. She made the four-hour road trip from Chicago toBloomington twice in her quest to study the material in our BlackRadio Collection and the William Barlow Collection.

During her first year of graduate studies, Searcy became“extremely interested in the role African-American radio played increating race and community consciousness from 1920-1970.”After discovering the AAAMC on the internet and through cita-tions in some of the works she had researched, particularly thework of William Barlow, she decided to make the trip toBloomington. She was specifically interested in the Chicago radiostation WVON while it was owned by Leonard Chess in the 1960s.

By the end of her second trip, Searcy had gathered a significantamount of information for her research. “My only regret,” shesaid, “is that I don’t live closer to Bloomington so that I couldspend more time at the Archive!”

“My only regret, is that I don’tlive closer to Bloomington sothat I could spend more timeat the Archive!”

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ny’s “soul-reigning god.” Westwood One provides over 150

news, sports, music, talk, entertainmentprograms, and features to the radio andtelevision industries. At WestwoodOne, Shearer was in charge of “SpecialEdition,” preparing and producingshows that featured interviews andmusic of a wide range of artists, includ-ing the Temptations, Kool and theGang, Luther Vandross, ArethaFranklin, Jermaine Jackson, StephanieMills and Rick James. Artists talkedabout their lives and careers as well ashow their music and particular songswere created. (Recordings of theseshows are available at the AAAMC in

the “Westwood One: Special EditionCollection;” production and researchmaterial are housed in the KarenShearer Collection.)

Shearer left syndicated radio when theindustry was in the midst of goingthrough major changes. She nowenjoys producing wildlife features fortelevision. “All of those years of doingrock ‘n’ roll tours have made me incred-ibly well qualified for dealing withcrews and rhinos at the sea hold.Nothing shocks me, nothing surprisesme.” While music was her “first love,”wildlife has become a major part of herheart and life. Shearer warmly remem-bers the hundreds of television andmusic interviews she did over the years,but her most memorable interviewswere those she did with the survivors ofthe Oklahoma City bombing.

When Shearer left syndicated radioshe planned to write a book, whichwould introduce her grandchildren to

the work she had done on black musicand culture. But time constraints result-ing from her new job in wildlife pro-ductions prevented her from doing so.As a result, she decided to donate hercollection to the AAAMC because of herpersonal relationship with and trust inPortia Maultsby.

Donated in June 2000, The KarenShearer Collection consists of researchand production materials from thework she did on “Special Edition” and“Rock Chronicles.” It covers a widerange of African-American musicincluding hip-hop, jazz-fusion, doo-wop, soul, funk, and R&B. The materi-als in the collection include publicityinformation, photographs, transcripts,artist biographies, and interviews.

Shearer envisions her collection asbeing of great value to students, schol-ars, and the general public as a docu-mented oral history and a primaryresource because she has always

believed that artists speaking in theirown words are the best sources of infor-mation about their music and careers.

Housing the Karen Shearer Collectionat the AAAMC is a mutually satisfacto-ry arrangement for Shearer and theAAAMC. On the one hand, patrons ofthe Archives will gain rare access to thewords and voices of popular African-American performers. On the otherhand, as Shearer said, “I am absolutelydelighted that the collection representsat least 20 years of work on my part andmy career, and I’m thrilled to know thatit didn’t disappear with [just] a singleairing on radio and that this materialcan, and will be used. This is of tremen-dous satisfaction.”

- Tangera SharpSharp is an archival assistant at the AAAMC.

She is a senior at Indiana University with a doublemajor in History and Political Science. After

graduating, she plans to teach Social Studies andcoach gymnastics and cheerleading.

Lutgard Mutsaers: Studying Black Music in the Netherlands

A petite unassuming Dutch woman fullof enormous and exciting ideas about theglobalization of African-American musicand culture–that describes Dr. LutgardMutsaers in a nutshell. But a nutshell ishardly big enough to contain her passionabout the worldwide influence of blackmusic, particularly in the Netherlands.Mutsaers spent three weeks in March2002 as a visiting fellow at IU’s Institutefor Advanced Studies. This visit was ini-tiated when Mutsaers was nominated forthe fellowship by her colleague,AAAMC director Portia K. Maultsby, inAugust of 2001. The two scholars hadmet at an international conference and shared ideas about black music and itsmanifestations in Europe. Their scholarly collaborations took on a firmer qualitywhen, in the spring of 1998, Maultsby was Belle Van Zuylen Professor of AfricanAmerican Music in the Musicology Department of Utrecht University in theNetherlands, where Mutsaers is a Lecturer of Popular Music Studies.

Ideas for continued collaborations on documenting concepts on global blackmusic formed the bedrock of Maultsby’s successful quest to bring Mutsaers to theIU campus in March. Mutsaers, working out of an office at the AAAMC, spenther days studying and analyzing video footage and audio recordings of per-formances and interviews that had been collected by Maultsby during her fieldresearch in the Netherlands. Together, they fleshed out their initial ideas anddefined a preliminary framework for the study.

Mutsaers’ tenure in Indiana also involved two formal speaking engagementswhich were both extremely well received. On March 19, 2002, she was guest lec-turer in the Survey of the Culture of Black Americans class at the IU satellite cam-pus in Indianapolis. The students were fascinated not just by her lecture, but alsoby the audio/visual material she presented which made her words come to vividlife. These young American students, many of them African Americans, wereable to assess and evaluate for themselves the performances and views of theyoung Surinamese-Dutch artists who aspire to become adept performers of soul,funk, R&B, and hip hop. “Yes, he can make it here, but he’s going to have to keepit real,” was the overwhelming response to one artist that Mutsaers showcased.Mutsaers facilitated an intense class discussion that concluded that the “real life”of a Dutch youth was very different from the life of a young African Americanand this essence would have to emanate in their version of hip hop.

On March 21, 2002, in IU’s Ballantine Hall, Mutsaers gave a public lecture titled“Seeking to Sound Black: Popular Music in the Netherlands in the 20th Centuryand Beyond.” While this presentation also introduced Dutch performers ofAfrican-American music, Mutsaers adopted a more conceptual approach for thislecture. Her detailed models of historical migration and export of black musicfrom the United States and the Caribbean attracted some reflective questions andvibrant discussion.

While she was here, she formalized her attachment to the AAAMC by launch-ing her personal collection and joining our “Circle of Friends.” Mutsaers’ pleas-ant personality and fresh ideas endeared her to everyone at the AAAMC. In thegentle way that is characteristic of her, Mutsaers left a warm note for the staff,which was only found after she had left Bloomington: “Thank you for creating aunique experience for me at AAAMC and IU Bloomington! Love, peace, and god-bless, Lutgard.” The sentiments are mutual!

- Stephanie Shonekan

“I am absolutely delightedthat the collection representsat least 20 years of work onmy part and my career... and

will be used. This is oftremendous satisfaction.”

Past EventsMichael Lydon:Writer andPerformer

In September 2001, the AAAMChosted a campus visit by boardmember Michael Lydon. The versa-tile Lydon brought much flavor tocampus, drawing on his multi-faceted experiences as a journalist,biographer, composer, and per-former. While at IU, Lydon capti-vated audiences at the School ofJournalism as he regaled them withstories and wisdom gained from his35-year career, including tales of hispast as one of the founding editorsof Rolling Stone Magazine, his workwith Newsweek Magazine, and hismost recent project of writing acomprehensive biography of RayCharles. He described how his“God-given” writing talent and hisavid curiosity led him to destina-tions such as Yale, London, SanFrancisco, and New York. Definingjournalism simply as “contempo-rary history,” he advised the bud-ding journalists about the process ofbecoming a successful writer, nomatter what the format or audience.

Lydon was also guest lecturer in anethnomusicology class, WorldMusic & Culture, where he talkedabout his work as a writer and per-former. Focusing on music andarmed with his acoustic guitar, hepresented his thoughts on the devel-opment of American music.Highlighting the interrelationshipbetween music and political ideolo-gy, Lydon explained that in the mid-1950s, when he first became inter-ested in music, rock and roll wasjust exploding on the scene–“thou-sands of American kids were find-ing black music to be the naturalexpression of themselves… they

identified with it.” Lydon citedevents like the civil rights move-ment and the Vietnam war as beingresponsible for opening up the heartand the ears of America’s youth.

Many of the musicians Lydonadmired and interviewed (KeithRichards, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry,John Lennon, Paul McCartney, andB.B. King) inspired and encouragedhim to step in from “the sidelines”and start performing himself. Heexplained that “playing the musicwas like dropping the notebook”that stood between him and themusicians. Creating music helpedhim to see musicians in a more real-istic light—not as untouchablegeniuses, but as regular guys whojust plain worked hard to achievesuccess. Although it was pop musicand rock ‘n’ roll that inspired him,Lydon’s own musical style hasevolved into an easy-going jazz inthe manner of George Gershwinand Cole Porter. On the weekendduring his visit, again armed withhis guitar and accompanied by bassplayer Dave Fink, Lydon performeda set of pop-jazz standards and orig-inals at the Borders bookstore café.

Lydon’s schedule also included atour of the AAAMC and a meetingwith the staff to discuss strategicand programming ideas. Lydonconsistently draws on his experi-ence as a writer, critic, and per-former to help to steer the AAAMCon the right course towards itsvision. We are indeed honored tohave such a versatile, thoughtful,and accessible individual on ourboard.

- Stephanie ShonekanShonekan is Assistant Director of the AAAMC.She is a doctoral candidate in folklore and ethno-

musicology specializing in the biographical studyof African and African- American musicians.

Lutgard Mutsaers and students.

Her detailedmodels of histori-cal migration andexport of blackmusic from theUnited States andthe Caribbeanattracted somereflective ques-tions and vibrantdiscussion.

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PeopleNew AAAMCAssistant Director – Stephanie Shonekan

Stephanie Shonekan assumed thenewly-created position of AssistantDirector/Research Assistant of theAAAMC in August of 2001. The posi-tion, designed to address programmingand strategic vision needs of thearchives, entails research, writing, andteaching, as well as development andmanagement. Shonekan’s backgroundmakes her perfectly suited for the job.Her scholarly pursuits have led her to

envision creative ways in which Africanand African-American music, literature,history, and culture can be used toenlighten, educate, and empower peo-ple across continental, regional, andracial boundaries. As an undergraduateEnglish major at the University of Jos inNigeria, she studied literature and classissues in Trinidadian society. Her mas-ter’s work at the University of Ibadan,Nigeria focused on the folk musical andliterary traditions of Langston Hughes,Leroi Jones (Amiri Baraka), LouisArmstrong, and Miles Davis. She is cur-rently completing a doctorate inFolklore and Ethnomusicology with aminor in African-American Studies atIU Bloomington.

Throughout her graduate studies, shehas concentrated on the propagation,promotion, and participation of all gen-res of African and African-Americanmusic from a historical and socio-cul-tural perspective. Her research into theconnections between African andAfrican-American popular musicresulted in a research paper titled“Nigerian Rap: Reinterpretation of anAfrican-American Musical Tradition,”which she presented at the Society forEthnomusicology National Conferencein November 2000.

Another dimension of her researchinterest involves the study of issues cen-

tered around the portrayal of the lives ofAfrican-American musicians. HerPh.D. dissertation identifies and investi-gates the critical issues surrounding theautobiographical portrayal of CamillaWilliams, a notable African-Americansoprano whose contributions to classi-cal music deserve to be examined.

During her doctoral studies, Shonekandeveloped and taught a course titled“20th Century Africa” at IU’sNorthwest campus in Gary. Her stu-dents learned about contemporaryAfrica through the use of music and lit-erature, drawing relevant parallels topeoples of African descent worldwide.She has been a guest lecturer on varioustopics ranging from black radio inAmerica, to life histories, to Africanpopular music.

Before beginning her doctoral work,Shonekan took a 5-year hiatus from aca-demics to apply herself to the practicaland productive aspects of business, byworking for ArthurAndersen/Andersen Consulting inLagos, Nigeria. She learned valuablemanagement and administrative skillsthere such as change and humanresource management, visioning, strate-gic planning, client proposals and pre-sentations, and team leadership. Sherose to the position of Senior Consultantand became proficient in the use of var-

ious computer applications includingspreadsheets, word processing, data-bases and graphic presentations. Shealso led teams of consultants from themanufacturing, banking, educational,and oil sectors on various projects rang-ing from strategic diagnostics to per-formance management analyses. Shewas responsible for proposal develop-ment, project planning, monitoring, andimplementation. She also edited andwrote articles for the consulting divi-sion’s internal newsletter. This back-ground will be of immense value inwriting grant proposals; strategicallymanaging and positioning theAAAMC; coordinating effective com-munication between the AAAMC, theuniversity, and patrons; and in editingArchives publications.

Stephanie Shonekan joins the AAAMCwith the experience and skills–as well asher qualifications in the study of Africanand African-American music and litera-ture–to help the AAAMC pursue itsmission and vision. Her dual back-ground as a Nigerian and Trinidadianalso give her a valuable AfricanDiasporic perspective. She and her hus-band have three children. The AAAMCwelcomes her on board.

- Portia K. Maultsby

ResearchAssociate –Valerie Grim: TendingHer Rural RootsAs part of its organizational structure, the Archives ofAfrican American Music and Culture maintains agroup of Resident Research Associates from variousdisciplines who serve as resource consultants to thestaff and the patrons of the archives. This issue featureshistorian Valerie Grim, whose research centers onAfrican American rural life. Her studies provide a con-text for the scholarly interpretation of AfricanAmerican vernacular traditions such as the blues,worksongs, game songs, folk spirituals, and other ruralforms of religious expression.

As a five-year-old, Valerie Grim gotup early every morning at her family’sMississippi farm and, after a heartybreakfast, eagerly went outside to tendher little patch of vegetables. Hergrandparents and then her parents hadtaught her how to weed, water, andcare for each type of vegetable. Sheworried about the weather and shewatched as the tiny seeds grew into fat,ripe fruits and vegetables. She wascompletely fascinated by the watermel-on. How could such a tiny seed yieldsuch an enormous thing? And as shegrew, she took on new jobs on otherparts of the vast farmland where herfamily grew cotton, cucumber, okra andsugarcane—milking cows or doing ashift on the sausage production line.She grew accustomed to seeing calvesemerge timidly into the world. Once,when a dairy cow died after givingbirth, she bottle-fed the orphaned calffor weeks and, like a proud mother,watched it thrive. As she traipsedthrough the grass with her nine siblingsstudying leaves and insects and per-forming experiments designed by hervivid imagination, she may not haveimagined that she would one daybecome a college professor.

Today, Dr. Valerie Grim teachesAfrican-American history in theDepartment of African-American andAfrican Diasporic Studies at IndianaUniversity. The years and miles thatseparate her from her farm days inSunflower County in the MississippiDelta have not severed her ties to herrural roots. Instead, she propagates thatway of life from a different vantagepoint. On the farm, she could embracelife, breathe it in every day, and watchthe rural world respond to each season.

Now, in the lofty ivory tower of acade-mia, she presents that lifestyle in aneducational package designed toenlighten students and scholars aboutan essential part of black history thatshe believes has been neglected in tradi-tional history books. While the historybooks had covered the urban politicalterrain surrounding black leaders suchas Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass,W.E.B. Dubois, and Booker T.Washington, “the rural presence wasreally absent with the exception of thedowntrodden story commonly andoverly told about the share cropper.”

Professor Grim utilizes the oral histo-ries she has collected over the years tostudy and present black rural life ingeneral, and black rural property own-ership in particular. It is important toher that people realize that manyAfrican Americans existed and lived offthe land for many decades, just as herfamily and many others continue to do.All ten of the Grim children were taughtto work the land. They each had theirown jobs and they worked hard, 10hours a day, with breaks for heartyhome-cooked meals. Grim fondlyrecalls, “it was a good simple agrarianlife regulated by the farm work.” At theend of the day, everybody went to bed

happy and tired.On school days, there were still farm

chores to do early in the morning. Butthe Grim parents did not take formaleducation lightly. They insisted that allthe Grim children go to school and fol-lowed their progress closely. The PTAwas very active—both parents andteachers were fully involved in the edu-cational advancement of the children.According to Grim, the teachers were“absolutely fabulous,” constantly urg-ing their students to do better than theprevious generation. The six siblingswho had preceded Valerie in gradeschool had maintained a high academicstandard that she was expected touphold. Valerie went to historicallyblack Tugaloo College, and soon gothooked on history even though her ini-tial plan was to become a lawyer. In1984, Grim went to graduate school atIowa State University where, for thefirst time, she had to step out of her hith-erto all-black experience. She made asuccessful transition into a very differ-ent cultural and geographical environ-ment.

Grim’s background has influenced herteaching in terms of content (she teach-es classes on African-American historyand on twentieth century African-

American rural life) as well asher ideology of teaching.

She tries to get her students to envisionthemselves as teammates whose goal inthe class is to win simply by under-standing what other people’s realitiesare. Even the idea of bringing team-work into the college class stems fromthe farm: while Sundays on the farmwere reserved for church activities,Saturdays were dedicated to basketball.The Grims rigged up lights in their barnand held all-night basketball tourna-ments that attracted teams from aroundthe county. Valerie loved to play, andher love of sport remains a vital part ofher life. She has coached girl’s teamsthroughout her career, wherever shewas.

Currently, Grim is working on threemajor projects which sprout from herpassion and interest in presenting blackrural life. In addition to a formal aca-demic manuscript, she is working on amore vibrant work, a collection ofessays and oral histories she has collect-ed from aging black folk in theMississippi Delta. She also plans to pro-duce a documentary using live footageand still photography that she continuesto collect in the Delta region. As aresearch associate of the AAAMC, Grimhas deposited some of her material inthe Archives and plans to design andproduce exhibits in the future.

“Growing up on a rural farm in theMississippi Delta,” Valerie Grimexplains, “I learned so much about lifeand respect for life. We used to sit onthe porch and watch every kind of ani-mal born.” For years, black people haveowned their own land and lived off of it.Grim’s passion is to remind AfricanAmericans in particular, and anybodywho wants to study black life, that theserural folk have flourished for decadeson their own land, by their own devicesand means. Whether to scholars in anacademic environment, or averageAfrican-American teenagers in urban orrural environments, Valerie Grim isdetermined to communicate the vigor,value, and valor of black rural life—past, present, and future- and its influ-ence on black musical creativity. Likethe watermelon that so fascinated heryears ago, Valerie Grim’s career hasgrown from a tiny seed to a largefruit…and like the watermelon, theseeds of her research are being sown tocultivate another flourishing crop.

-Stephanie Shonekan

“Growing up on a rural farm in the Mississippi Delta, I learnedso much about life and respect for life. We used to sit on theporch and watch every kind of animal born.”

Her scholarly pursuits have led her to envision creative ways in which African andAfrican-American music, literature, history, and culture can be used to enlighten,educate, and empower people across continental, regional, and racial boundaries.

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Board Member – Patrice Rushen

In spring 1997, AAAMC established its NationalAdvisory Board, a volunteer group of prominent, dis-tinguished professionals who are committed to ourmission and lend us their support and expertise.Members are actively involved in the production, pro-motion, and study of African-American music and cul-ture. They have contributed to our growth and influ-ence by aiding in the acquisition of materials, in pro-gram development, bringing national visibility, andproviding valuable input to discussions on future proj-ects.

Multi-Grammy-Award nominee Patrice Rushen is aworld-renowned performer, composer, producer, andmusic directors she has worked with artists such asStevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Prince, LionellHampton, Carlos Santana, Boys II Men, GeorgeBenson, Jean Luc Ponty, Tom Jones, Nancy Wilson,Michael Jackson, Dianne Reeves, Sheena Easton,Stanley Turentine, and Joshua Redman. She has alsorecorded 14 solo albums. Her work has frequently been“sampled” by artists like Mary J. Blige, R. Kelly,Shabba Ranks, Heavy D., and, perhaps most notably,Will Smith, who sampled Rushen’s “Forget Me Nots”for his hit, “Men in Black.” She has directed the musicfor a number of television shows including the BETawards, Emmy awards, NAACP Image Awards,People’s Choice Awards, and HBO’s Comic Relief.Here are excerpts from a May 2002 conversation withStephanie Shonekan.

Background

Shonekan: Where did yougrow up?Rushen: I was actually born in LosAngeles. My parents migrated from thesouth and built a life out here in LosAngeles, and raised us. I grew up inwhat was classified as South CentralLos Angeles. The neighborhood wasreally nice and diverse, from lower mid-dle class right on up to upper class,African-American families. Every kindof household was represented—teach-ers, domestic workers, social workers,doctors….My friends and their familieswere close. We hung out a lot and ourparents were active parents. They wentto school meetings and those kinds ofnormal things. The families looked outfor each other. There were a lot of kidsand most of us still keep in touch.

Beginning Music

Shonekan: How did you startout in music? Rushen: When I was 3 years old, mypreschool teacher told my parents toconsider enrolling me in a program atthe University of Southern Californiadesigned for young children. It wasactually a graduate course for studentsof the school who were majoring ineducation, and they were developingsome theories about how young chil-dren learn the fundamentals of music.This was right around the time whenkids’ music programs were becomingincreasingly popular. Within this pro-gram, children were taught rhythmsfirst. At five, you started on an instru-ment and so I started playing (piano) atfive. I went all the way through thatprogram…until I was out of highschool. Today the program is still alivebut it is so much bigger. Now it’s called“The Art Colburn School” which islocated downtown Los Angeles.

Shonekan: Were you everthe kind of kid that had tobe forced to sit down and

practice?Rushen: I think there was a periodwhere I wanted to do it, and you knowhow kids are, you go through a periodwhere you don’t want to do it. But notwanting to do it doesn’t necessarilyreflect on your passion. I think it’s morethe peer pressure. At about ten oreleven you become acutely aware thatyou want to be just like your friends. Soin my preteens I probably went throughthat period in my life where I didn’twant to practice because nobody elsehad to practice. Then later in myteenage years I was totally into it again.I began to gain popularity by playing aninstrument. Also, by this time, I hadcome close to other kinds of music onthe radio that were really interesting for

me. Not that I did not enjoy classicalmusic…. But in high school I becamemore aware of contemporary music,particularly jazz. It had a differentmeaning for me in that it was some-thing that was casual and relevant tome. I became aware of the legacy andhistory of jazz, its value to Americanculture, and in particular African-American culture. By this time I hadenough vocabulary and technique toreally get turned on to this jazz. As I gotinto it I found out more and more howdemanding it was and then the idea ofpracticing took on even a differentmeaning for me. I was practicing beforebecause it was something I was sup-posed to do to play better. Now I’mpracticing on a certain piece that I’mworking on and trying to keep on top ofmy instrument because, most of whatyou try to do in jazz particularly, is getto a point where your instrument is nolonger a physical barrier to listening tothe music. So that’s what brought me tothat understanding and now I canapply that understanding to classicalmusic and every other kind of music.

Rushen’s Music

Shonekan: Your works havebeen classified as jazz, classi-cal, and pop. How did yourmusic evolve?

Rushen: Well it’s all one music to me.One language, different dialects. Icould never say that one is better thanthe other one. There is a level of excel-lence and a level of energy and passionthat transcends all categories when oneis connected to the artistic aspects ofwhat they do. That’s the common link.The knowledge from one “category” istransferable if it is coming from a placewhere there is an understanding thatthere’s art in all of music. To look forthe art in it and operate from that placedoesn’t leave you a lot of room to drawtoo many more conclusions other thanit being something that you can appre-ciate but don’t like, or something youappreciate and love. And there is nogrey area when you are coming from

that angle. Now all the other things thatenter into it – popularity, money or per-ception of certain types of life styles –contribute in part to the perpetration ofthe idea that all are so different.

Breaking Barriers

Shonekan: You’ve brokenseveral barriers in some ofthe things that you’ve done.What was your mindset goinginto some of these projectsthat were new territory forsomeone who was black orfemale, or both?Rushen: I really was not setting out tobe the first to do anything. I justfocused on the task at hand and thechallenge was, “Wow this is a big job. Ithink I know what to do, now let me godo it.” So it wasn’t until afterwards thatit was brought to my attention that Iwas the first to do some of these things.I really don’t have a big flag to wave oranything like that. Now when I lookback on it, I’m glad I didn’t think aboutit. The additional pressure may havederailed my focus. What it has donethough is that it certainly enhances myability to stand out in a crowd. And itbecomes some sort of catalyst for othersto work in these areas; it opens upopportunities.

Sampling and the hip-hopgeneration

Shonekan: How do you feelabout your work being usedby hip hop artists? Rushen: I think it’s good. A writer likesto feel that her work has a certain kindof value and validity to be used, orplayed or read years after it’s done,hopefully even after the writer is gone.I think that’s one of the highest compli-ments that a songwriter or composercan get.

Some years ago, we went through aperiod where music was part of every-day life in a school environment. WhenI was in school, especially in elementaryschool, music, singing, and dancingwere as much a part of your day as ahistory, English, or math lesson. Musicwas part of a well-rounded education.Then this changed. When a lot of musicprograms disappeared from schools, itcoincided with the explosion of rap.Every generation needs an opportunityto express itself, to have a voice, andwhat is heard comes through music.These young people didn’t have instru-ments to play and they weren’t learningmusic fundamentals in the same way.So when they fought through with theirvoice it was more rhythmic. They beaton stuff, used turntables, scratchedrecords. They got creative with whatthey had to find this voice. Theyretained the concepts of rhythm andrhyme. Melody and harmony went outthe window for a while but the mostbasic elements of music-makingremained and presented itself in rapand hip hop. Now we’ve got somework to do on lyrics but there is a lan-guage and a whole lifestyle and culturethat have developed out of it. I thinkthey’ve been very creative for the mostpart. An entire category, an entire typeof music was born and has progressedin terms of what it is musically. So sam-pling could be a good thing.

Shonekan: I’m curious. Howdid it work with Will Smithand “Men in Black”? Did hecall you or did his people callyour people? How does thatwork?Rushen: That was an anomaly. I hadgone to see another film and saw thetrailer for the movie Men in Black. Thiswas before they had attached any musicto the film. Some weeks later I got a let-ter and tape in the mail from ColumbiaPictures. The letter said something tothe effect that they had ascertained thata small sample of my song “Forget MeNot” was used in this new song by WillSmith for “Men in Black.” I listened tothe tape and I said, “Wait a minute,small sample?” So I called my attorneyand we sorted it out appropriately. Iwas not by any means concerned aboutanything at that point other than mak-ing sure that I and the other co-writersof the piece from which “Men in Black”evolved were credited properly andfairly compensated. In the end it was awin-win situation for everyone and WillSmith did a great job with the track.

Collaborations

Shonekan: Not only have youhad your work sampled manytimes but you’ve also worked

continued on back page

I’m a better playerbecause I’ve been aproducer; a betterwriter because I’vebeen a leader; a bet-ter performerbecause I’m a writer.I’m very fortunate inthat my exposure hasresulted in transfer-able knowledge.

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NationalAdvisory Board

Harry AllenLee BaileyRegina Harris BaiocchiKirkland R. BurkeMark del CostelloSharon P. DavisCharles H. DeBow IIIEd EckstinePhyl Garland

Reebee GarofaloAnthony B. GraySuzan JenkinsBobby L. JonesRegina JonesRyan S. KellyA. Roni LooperA.G. “Billye” LoveMichael LydonDebbie MayBarry A. MayoMichael McAlpin

Kellee PattersonTom ReedRobert E. RosenthallPatrice RushenLeonard S. Scott Velisa M. ScottKaren M. ShearerAlan SlutskyMonica StarrOlly W. Wilson

aaamc staff:Portia K. Maultsby,

DirectorStephanie Shonekan,

Assistant Director;Editor, AAAMC Liner Notes

Newsletter design & layout byDennis Laffoon

Additional Editing by Mary Spohn

in memoriam:Thomas H. “Dr. Beans” Bowles(1926-2000);

Jack “The Rapper” Gibson (1922-2000)

with other artists. What doyou do to maintain controlwhen, for example, you arethe director or theproducer? Rushen: Whether it is recording in astudio environment or for a televisionshow, people are depending on some-body to steer the ship. Steering theship and knowing where to go andhow to get there doesn’t mean thatthe person doesn’t need full coopera-tion from other people. It means theyneed to know how to assemble thebest team to get there. There isn’tanything about it that is done com-pletely by yourself. The end result isusually a collaborative collectiveeffort. As a studio musician, I alwayswatched the producers, how theywere able to either empower peopleto give their best performance on acertain day or create an environmentthat was intimidating. As a sessionplayer I could observe a lot. I tendedto gravitate towards and appreciateproducers who knew how to empow-er and inspire the performance, thosewho knew when it was necessary tosay something and when it was nec-

essary to say absolutely nothing at all.They created an atmosphere wherepeople were absolutely comfortableand therefore felt like going for it justa little more. I apply some of thatunderstanding to just about every sit-uation where I find myself workingwith other artists. Approaching it likethat has given me a lot of positiveresults and has allowed me to be flex-ible. There is a knowledge of whenyou have to push hard or when youhave to lay back. Each situation is dif-ferent. Most people respond bestwhen they get a sense that, whateveryour technique or your particularstyle, the setting is one of empower-ment.

Shonekan: What’s yourfavorite role? Is it that ofcomposer, performer, pro-ducer, director? Whatwould you say is the rolethat gives you the mostpleasure? Rushen: I enjoy all of it. But I don’tlike any of it well enough to just do itto the exclusion of all the others. Forme, each role makes me better in the

other roles. I’m a better playerbecause I’ve been a producer; a betterwriter because I’ve been a leader; abetter performer because I’m a writer.I’m very fortunate in that my expo-sure has resulted in transferableknowledge.

Current projects

Shonekan: What projectsare you working on rightnow?Rushen: I’ve had a very exciting andamazing couple of years. I feel I’vereached a different plateau in justabout every aspect of my life. I don’tget to perform quite as much in termsof what you called “pop music.” Thebody of work and the recordings thatI’ve done in a more urban-popularvein continues to be stimulated bysample usage. That’s going very verywell. As a composer of symphonicwork, I’ve had three commissionedworks performed in the last year anda half. The symphonic work is some-thing I’ve always wanted to do butit’s just within the last four or fiveyears that I’ve really made a conscien-

tious effort to get back to that. I havedone several films for television. I’malso teaching a little bit and doingclinics and workshops on varioussubjects including improvisation, jazzbackground, jazz and symphoniccomposition, and piano playing. Ialso give a couple of private lessons.Now I’m working on the secondannual BET awards show. Then of course there is my life athome as wife and mother. I have athree-year old son. It’s a big balanc-ing act but my husband is so cool andthat helps a lot. You know you makeup your mind somewhere along theway to prioritize and that is one of thereasons I’m not performing as much.I do get out and play, but I have tochoose now. I tend to favor, at themoment anyway, performance con-texts that will allow for me not tohave to be away from home so long.So most of them are special events. Ican do a television project very quick-ly. The good part about it is that it isan intense burn and then it’s over andI can get home. Ultimately it’s thefamily life I adore.

Edited by Stephanie Shonekanphotos courtesy of http://www.yamaha.com

Rushen continued...