Doing the Most!: On Being a Black Woman Ethnomusicologist in a Music Conservatory
Lecture by Fredara Mareva Hadley, Ph.D
Ethnomusicology Professor
The Juilliard School
Music conservatories have existed in the United States since the 19th century, yet the social complexities of the 21st century present heightened questions and challenges for conservatory education. One recurring question is what are professional jazz and classical musicians required to know in order to be both proficient artists and well-informed citizens? Whose musics are taught and learned? Whose communities are represented among the students, professorate, repertoire, and audiences? Creating a more inclusive and representative conservatory requires acknowledgment and understanding of what Oberlin Assistant Dean and musicologist Christopher Jenkins calls, “a racialized aesthetic” that historically marginalized the contributions and presence of many African American musicians and composers. Dr. Fredara M. Hadley, a Black woman ethnomusicologist, has a unique perspective on these questions as she has established the entirety of her teaching career within conservatory halls. First, at the nation’s oldest continuously operating conservatory, Oberlin Conservatory, and currently at The Juilliard School.
Join ethnomusicology Ph.D. student, Dexter Story, and Dr. Hadley in conversation as they discuss her roles in conservatory diversity and her current research project on the under-acknowledged contributions of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to both conservatory success and American music.
Fredara Mareva Hadley, Ph.D. is an ethnomusicology professor in the Music History Department at The Juilliard School where she teaches courses on ethnomusicology and African American Music. Dr. Hadley has presented her research at universities and conferences both domestic and abroad and has been published in academic journals and other publications. Her commentary is featured in several documentaries including the recently released PBS doc-series, The Black Church, hosted by Professor Henry Louis Gates. One of her ongoing research projects focuses on composer and musicologist, Shirley Graham DuBois. Dr. Hadley's forthcoming book focuses on the musical impact of historically Black colleges and universities.
Part of the Nazir Ali Jairazbhoy Colloquium Series, this event is sponsored by The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music Department of Ethnomusicology, with support from the Dean of the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.