Podcast
Photos above courtesy of (left to right): Columbia University (Sondra E. Woodruff II); Natsuko Kojima (Yuriko Kojima); Yvette Jackson, and Pril Smiley
Overview
This podcast series features five initial episodes of the stories of women who undertook significant work at the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center and the Computer Music Center. In conversation with historical musicologists, music theorists, and fellow composers, they explore aspects of their experiences within the field of electronic music. We hope to continue building on this archive of interviews in the future.
Episodes
#1: Alice Shields interviewed by Danielle Sofer
In conversation with musicologist Danielle Sofer, classical and electronic music composer Alice Shields speaks about her early life and influences, as well as the time she spent composing and working at the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center (CPEMC) and the Computer Music Center (CMC) from 1964 to 1996.
To listen to parts 2 & 3 of this conversation, visit: tinyurl.com/alice-shields2
To learn more about Alice Shield's music, check out: www.aliceshields.com
#2: Pril Smiley interviewed by Brigid Cohen
Maverick Pril Smiley speaks with historical musicologist Brigid Cohen (New York University, FAS) about her early days working and making electronic music at the CPEMC (now CMC), and her compositions for theatre amongst other fascinating projects.
#3: Sondra E. Woodruff II IIinterviewed by Sky Macklay
Interviewed by composer Sky Macklay (Valparaiso University), singer-songwriter/guitarist Sondra E. Woodruff II speaks about her music, studies at Columbia, and involvement at the CMC. Sondra has toured with the Backstreet Boys, opened for Anthony Hamilton, performed with Taylor Swift, recorded with LL Cool J, and played guitar for Aaron Pfeiffer, Drew Vision, Bets, and Sara Ramirez. She is also co-director and co-founder of The SCALE Fellowship Program, to promote the advancement of Black women in music, especially in Pittsburgh.
To learn more about SCALE, explore: https://www.limelightpgh.com/about-scale
For Sondra’s website, check out: https://sewthesecond.com
#4: Yvette Janine Jackson interviewed by Amy Cimini
Composer/sound artist Yvette Janine Jackson (Harvard University) speaks with music historian Amy Cimini (UC San Diego) about her time at Columbia’s CMC in the mid ‘90s, her fascination with splicing things together, and bringing attention to social issues and historical events through experimental sound. Their conversation covers, amongst many topics, narrative soundscape composition, and Yvette’s steady diet of radio drama and Charles Mingus, which has served as inspiration and fueled her radio operas.
For Yvette’s website, check out: www.yvettejackson.com
#5: Yuriko Kojima interviewed by Cathy Cox
Composer Yuriko Hase Kojima (Shobi University) joins us in conversation with electroacoustic music researcher Cathy Cox (Kunitachi College of Music). Together they take us through Kojima’s musical history, including her time at Columbia during the transition from the Electronic Music Center (EMC) to the Computer Music Center (CMC) in the mid-90s. Yuriko speaks about how electronics help her to realize the sounds in her mind that cannot be put to paper. The interview also touches on the importance that female compositional role models have had on her artistic development, including interactions with Betsy Jolas and Mari Kimura. [Special thanks to Cathy Cox for additional editing.]
For a sampling of Yuriko’s music, check out: https://soundcloud.com/yurikohasekojima/tracks
Listen here, or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.
This podcast is produced by Zosha Di Castri, Ellie Hisama, and Paola Cossermelli Messina, with editing by David Adamcyk. Our theme song was composed by Diana Marcela Rodriguez. You can learn more about her music and work at dmr.land. This project is made possible by the generous support of a public outreach grant from the Center for Science and Society, an anti-racism seed grant from the Office of the Provost, and a Diversity Matters grant from the Arts & Sciences' Committee on Equity and Diversity. It is cosponsored by the Society of Fellows/Heyman Center for the Humanities, the Fritz Reiner Center for Contemporary Music, the Department of Music, The Institute for Research on Women, Gender, and Sexuality (IRWGS), the Computer Music Center at Columbia University (CMC), the Sound Art Program at Columbia University, and the Barnard Center for Research on Women (BCRW).