John Petrucelli Named 91ֱ��’s First Postdoctoral Fellow in Jazz History</h1> <article> <h1>John Petrucelli Named 91ֱ��’s First Postdoctoral Fellow in Jazz History</h1> <p>eburnett — Thu, 23 Jun 2022 20:48:19 +0000</p> <span>John Petrucelli Named 91ֱ��’s First Postdoctoral Fellow in Jazz History</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2022-06-23T16:48:19-04:00" title="Thursday, June 23, 2022 - 16:48">Thu, 06/23/2022 - 16:48</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The position was made possible by James and Susan Neumann, whose <a href="/news/16m-gift-supports-endowed-fellowship-jazz-history-oberlin-conservatory">recent $1.6 million gift</a> to the conservatory supports the endowment of the fellowship in jazz history. The Neumanns’ generosity also provided for the 2011 gift of an <a href="https://libraries.oberlin.edu/libraries/conservatory-library/special-collections/collections/the-james-r-and-susan-neumann-jazz-collection/about-the-collection">extensive collection</a> of more than 100,000 recordings, books, posters, and other artifacts chronicling the history of jazz.</p> <p>Beginning with Petrucelli, each postdoctoral fellow will be hired for a two-year term to teach courses on specialized topics in jazz history and prepare research involving 91ֱ�� students. The conservatory’s expansive archival materials, including those provided by the Neumanns, will play an integral role in both coursework and research.</p> <p>Petrucelli arrives after serving as visiting director of jazz at the University of Utah. At 91ֱ��, he will interact with students interested in jazz and contemporary American music.</p> <p>“91ֱ�� is fortunate to have John Petrucelli join us on campus,” says Deborah Campana, head of the Conservatory Library and chair of the search committee. “As someone fairly new to the college classroom, John impressed the committee by his devotion to the art of jazz performance. At the same time, it was also evident that he holds respect for its history and impact on society. His ability to share this wisdom and enthusiasm while engaging with the resources provided in our special collections will benefit our entire community.”</p> <p>Petrucelli earned master’s degrees in jazz studies from Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts and in jazz history and research from Rutgers University-Newark, followed by a PhD in music from the University of Pittsburgh. He holds an undergraduate degree in philosophy from the University of Virginia. In 2019, he was honored by the Jazz Education Network for outstanding contributions to jazz education.</p> <p>Petrucelli’s interests span the history of jazz. He has performed with and learned from a long list of luminaries including Geri Allen, Charles Tolliver, Terence Blanchard, and <a href="/node/314401">late 91ֱ�� alumnus Stanley Cowell ’62</a>, his mentor at Rutgers. His research interests include the music of underrepresented saxophonists, and he hopes to complete a book on one of them, Clifford Jordan, during his fellowship.</p> <p>Petrucelli’s three recordings to date reveal his devotion to the jazz tradition as well as his penchant for exploring realms of contemporary classical and new music, and seeking points of intersection between the varied musical languages. He continues to perform with duos and ensembles of various sizes.</p> <p>“I feel as though I'm coming to 91ֱ�� with a blank slate,” says Petrucelli. “What is most intriguing about this opportunity is the ability to collaborate with world-class faculty across the college and conservatory while pursuing new avenues in my research, pedagogy, and performance practice that will be inspired through the Neumann Collection. I’m hoping to make the most of the these two years and to contribute as much as I can to the 91ֱ�� community.”</p> <p>The endowment of 91ֱ��’s jazz history postdoctoral fellowship coincides with news of a newly developed <a href="/node/387996">minor in African American music</a>, created in tandem with the Conservatory of Music and the College of Arts and Sciences. In spring, the conservatory appointed musicologist <a href="/node/319121">Courtney-Savali Andrews</a> to a <a href="/node/413236">new tenure-track faculty position</a> in African American and African diasporic music.</p> <hr> <p><em>91ֱ�� Conservatory’s newly endowed postdoctoral fellowship in jazz history continues the institution’s ongoing efforts to expand curricular diversity and support inclusion. Learn more about 91ֱ��'s commitment in the <a href="/about-oberlin/presidential-initiative-racial-equity-and-diversity">Presidential Initiative on Racial Equity and Diversity</a> and the conservatory’s <a href="/node/306446">Racial Equity and Diversity Action Plan</a>.</em></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Educator and performer to teach courses and guide student research.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2022-06-27T12:00:00Z">Mon, 06/27/2022 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Erich Burnett</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p><a href="/john-petrucelli">John Petrucelli</a>, a jazz saxophonist, composer, scholar, and educator, has been named the first James R. '58 and Susan Neumann Postdoctoral Fellow of Jazz History at 91ֱ�� Conservatory, a two-year appointment that begins in fall 2022.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3490">Presidential Initiative</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3450">Conservatory Library</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3448">Conservatory Special Collections</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=34691">Jazz Performance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=34896">Jazz Composition</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=28856">Musicology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/jazz-studies" hreflang="und">Jazz Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/musicology" hreflang="und">Musicology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">courtesy of John Petrucelli</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>$1.6M Gift Supports Endowed Fellowship in Jazz History at 91ֱ�� Conservatory</h1> <p>eburnett — Wed, 16 Feb 2022 21:32:18 +0000</p> <span>$1.6M Gift Supports Endowed Fellowship in Jazz History at 91ֱ�� Conservatory</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2022-02-16T16:32:18-05:00" title="Wednesday, February 16, 2022 - 16:32">Wed, 02/16/2022 - 16:32</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>For more than a decade, the generosity of James R. and Susan Neumann has led to incomparable opportunities for 91ֱ�� students to study the history of jazz. Now a new gift from the Neumanns will offer additional paths to explore the quintessentially American art form.</p> <p>The Neumanns, who in 2011 gifted to 91ֱ�� an <a href="https://libraries.oberlin.edu/libraries/conservatory-library/special-collections/collections/the-james-r-and-susan-neumann-jazz-collection/about-the-collection">extensive collection</a> of more than 100,000 recordings, books, posters, and other artifacts chronicling the history of jazz, have donated $1.6 million to establish a fund supporting the creation of an endowed conservatory faculty position in jazz history. An allocation of $100,000 of the overall gift will support the Neumann Jazz Collection.</p> <p>The newly endowed fund makes possible the creation of a postdoctoral fellowship. Each fellow will be appointed for a two-year period on an ongoing basis, and will teach two courses on specialized topics in jazz history. Those courses will draw upon the conservatory’s expansive archival materials provided by the Neumanns and others. In addition, each fellow will pursue individual research, which will involve 91ֱ�� students.</p> <p>“I’m delighted that, through this generous gift, we will be able to expand our offerings in jazz history in such a meaningful and enduring way,” says Dean of the Conservatory <a href="/node/49511">William Quillen</a>.</p> <p>“Increasing the number of academic courses dedicated to jazz history has been an interest of numerous members of our community here at 91ֱ��—and a particular interest of mine—and I’m thrilled that we are able to achieve such a goal through the addition of bright new faculty members. The generous, longtime support of Jim and Susan Neumann has been instrumental to the development of the unrivaled opportunities for jazz study that exist at 91ֱ��.”</p> <p>The endowment of 91ֱ��’s jazz history faculty position coincides with news of a newly developed <a href="/node/387996">minor course of study in African American music</a> created in tandem with the Conservatory of Music and the College of Arts and Sciences. Later this spring, the conservatory will appoint a new tenure-track faculty member in African American and African diasporic music.</p> <p>“The gift provided by Jim and Susan Neumann marks a new era for the appreciation of jazz at 91ֱ�� and ultimately beyond,” says <a href="/node/29976">Deborah Campana</a>, head of the Conservatory Library—which houses the conservatory's <a href="https://libraries.oberlin.edu/collections/special-collections">Special Collections</a>—and director of the Division of Musicology. “The Conservatory Library is grateful for the generous support of the collection itself. At the same time, we look forward to working with a new colleague who will inspire students’ thinking about jazz as they navigate the rich resources represented in this unparalleled collection.”</p> <p>A lifelong jazz enthusiast, James Neumann promoted jazz concerts at 91ֱ�� as a student in the mid-1950s. He has maintained close ties to his alma mater in the decades since his graduation.</p> <p>“It is fortuitous that this gift is going to the school where I graduated from,” he said in January from his home in suburban Chicago. “It is a wonderful way to come full circle, just an incredible piece of good fortune for me, and I hope for 91ֱ�� too."</p> <hr> <p><em>91ֱ�� Conservatory’s newly endowed faculty position in jazz history continues the institution’s ongoing efforts to expand curricular diversity and support inclusion. Learn more about 91ֱ��'s commitment in the <a href="/node/410371">Presidential Initiative on Racial Equity and Diversity</a> and the <a href="/dean-of-the-conservatory/racial-equity-diversity-action-plan">conservatory’s Racial Equity and Diversity Action Plan</a>.</em></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">New role made possible by James R. ’58 and Susan Neumann.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2022-02-16T12:00:00Z">Wed, 02/16/2022 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Erich Burnett</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3448">Conservatory Special Collections</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3346">Advancement</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3450">Conservatory Library</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=34691">Jazz Performance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=34896">Jazz Composition</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/william-quillen" hreflang="und">William Quillen</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/jazz-studies" hreflang="und">Jazz Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/musicology" hreflang="und">Musicology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">The James R. and Susan Neumann Jazz Collection at 91ֱ�� consists of more than 100,000 recordings spanning the complete history of jazz.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">James R. and Susan Neumann Jazz Collection</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>A Jazz Legend Returns to the Road</h1> <p>eburnett — Tue, 09 Jun 2020 13:21:57 +0000</p> <span>A Jazz Legend Returns to the Road</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2020-06-09T09:21:57-04:00" title="Tuesday, June 9, 2020 - 09:21">Tue, 06/09/2020 - 09:21</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>A one-of-a-kind exhibition created by the 91ֱ�� Conservatory library tells the story of one of the most prolific jazz musicians of the 20th century: concert performer and session man Milt Hinton, whose seven-decade career intersected with everyone from Dizzy Gillespie and Cab Calloway to Barbra Streisand and Paul McCartney.</p> <p><em>Playing the Changes: The Life and Legacy of Milt Hinton</em> initially appeared at 91ֱ�� and in several northern Ohio venues, including the Cleveland Public Library. It is now on the road for a tour of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) across the United States that will extend beyond 2021.</p> <p>A standout bassist, Hinton was also a talented photographer who captured thousands of unguarded moments with his fellow musicians on the road and in the studio, as well as rare glimpses of the segregation faced by black Americans early in his touring career.</p> <p>In 2014, 91ֱ�� established a relationship with the Hinton estate that included the transfer to 91ֱ�� of four prized basses and countless other artifacts—financial records, correspondence, datebooks, and more—amassed by Hinton throughout his life, as well as the establishment of the biennial <a href="/node/51121">Milt Hinton Institute for Studio Bass</a> at 91ֱ��. The Hinton Collection at 91ֱ�� was inspired by David G. Berger and Holly Maxson, longtime friends of Milt Hinton and his wife Mona.</p> <p>From that collection emerged <em>Playing the Changes</em>, which showcases dozens of Hinton’s finest photographs and tells the story of his life in music. Each host venue also coordinates related academic offerings and other programming, and students at each school take part in a practicum on exhibition installation led by <a href="/node/29821">Heath Patten</a>, 91ֱ�� College Library’s curator of visual resources.</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>Students at each host institution play a pivotal role in the exhibition's installation.<br> Photo courtesy of 91ֱ�� College Library</figcaption> </figure> <p>“We encourage the students to think about how they can take an installation a step further,” Patten says of the course. “It’s a conversation about audiences and how people interact with exhibitions and why we choose certain elements of design and flow, how we want people to move through an exhibit, and what they want that experience to be. We also have to consider the uniqueness of the space, and that becomes fundamental to what we can do.”</p> <p>In recent years, Patten has been part of the 91ֱ�� teams that have created exhibitions on civil rights activist Mary Church Terrell, Class of1884, and 91ֱ��’s historical support of coeducation and the suffrage movement.</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>The Hinton exhibition's first tour stop was the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff in summer 2019.<br> Photo courtesy 91ֱ�� College Library</figcaption> </figure> <p>In July 2019, <em>Playing the Changes </em>began its scheduled two-year tour with three months at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. From there it took up residence at Morgan State University in Baltimore through December. The exhibition was on display at the Diggs Gallery at Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina when the COVID-19 pandemic forced museums and galleries everywhere to close their doors. Its travel plans remain in flux as cities and states across the U.S. continue to assess guidelines for reopening.</p> <p>When the tour is cleared to resume, the exhibition will appear at Hampton University in Virginia, North Carolina Central University in Durham, Fisk University in Nashville, and Howard University in Washington, D.C.</p> <p><em>Playing the Changes: The Life and Legacy of Milt Hinton</em> is generously supported by the Berger Family Foundation so that 91ֱ�� College can help ensure that the Hintons’ legacy will be passed to future generations. The exhibition’s current tour of colleges and universities is organized by Caryl McFarland, director of the HBCU Alliance of Museums and Galleries.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2020-06-09T12:00:00Z">Tue, 06/09/2020 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Erich Burnett</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>91ֱ�� exhibition honoring bassist Milt Hinton visits historically black institutions across the U.S.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3450">Conservatory Library</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2384">Libraries</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2374">Archives & Special Collections</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/heath-patten" hreflang="und">Heath Patten</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Milt Hinton’s seven-decade career included an extended stint in Cab Calloway’s touring orchestra. Hinton (left) is seen here in a 1951 performance with Calloway in Cuba.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Courtesy of Milton J. Hinton Photographic Collection</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> </main></body></html>