Special Collections in Performing Arts debuts new podcast

Special Collections in Performing Arts (SCPA) at the University of Maryland (UMD) has released a new scripted podcast, Not a Quiet Place: Exploring Special Collections in Performing Arts.

“A new must-listen in the growing world of musicological podcasting, ‘Not A Quiet Place’ explores rich musical traditions through the lens of UMD’s SCPA musical archives and the voices of its archivists. Weaving together fascinating interviews with insightful scholarship, episodes focus on topics from the wind band to HBCUs to the impact of COVID on music-making. Check it out!” -  Dr. William Robin, Assistant Professor of Musicology at the University of Maryland and host of Sound Expertise podcast.

Not a Quiet Place highlights SCPA’s archival collections and how they relate to current issues and trends in the performing arts. Hosted by archivist and musicologist Dr. Christina Taylor Gibson, this first season focuses on examining different aspects of wind band culture.

Episodes explore the turn from the popular town band culture of the late 19th century to the esoteric wind band music of the late 20th century, the history of Historically Black College and University (HBCU) marching bands, the Minnesota Consortium for Black American Composers, and the science around COVID-19 mitigation in the performance setting as applied during the 2020-2021 academic year at UMD.

This season features interviews with composer David Holsinger; UMD band director Dr. Michael Votta; musicologists Dr. Fredara Mareva Hadley, Dr. Patrick Warfield, and Dr. Bryan Proksch; band director Dr. Stephen Cunningham; UMD students and composers Adrian B. Sims and Christen Holmes; and others. Delving into SCPA’s unique band research materials, archival interviews with band composer/conductors Vaclav Nelhybel and Karl King are also heard.

Listen to Not a Quiet Place on Spotify, Apple, and other podcast platforms, or on the UMD Libraries website.