Music & Dance: Musicians, Composers, Singers, Dancers, Choreographers, Performers Talk Art, Creativity & The Creative Process

“The harp or the instrument that I play is a traditional instrument from Columbia (I’m from Bogota, Columbia). We have traditional music there called Janetta music. It’s the music from the plains of Colombia and Venezuala. It’s like the cowboy music… I met the harp when I was seven years old. That’s the first time I saw this instrument. I was like–Wow! I knew I was born to play the harp that day!”

Colombian-born harp virtuoso Edmar Castaneda has forged his own path in music by bringing the harp into an unexpected genre–jazz. Castaneda’s style mixes jazz with the South American folk style harobo, and other Latin American styles. He has four acclaimed albums as a leader and several others in collaboration with artists like trombonist Marshall Gilkes and pianist Hiromi. He has performed with Sting, Wynton Marsalis, Paco De Lucia and many other acclaimed musicians.

· www.edmarcastaneda.com
· www.creativeprocess.info

Colombian-born harp virtuoso Edmar Castaneda has forged his own path in music by bringing the harp into an unexpected genre–jazz. Castaneda’s style mixes jazz with the South American folk style harobo, and other Latin American styles. He has four acclaimed albums as a leader and several others in collaboration with artists like trombonist Marshall Gilkes and pianist Hiromi. He has performed with Sting, Wynton Marsalis, Paco De Lucia and many other acclaimed musicians.

· www.edmarcastaneda.com
· www.creativeprocess.info

Political, outspoken and passionate, Chilean singer-songwriter and activist Nano Stern has created his own musical language – an otherworldly sound that blends the youthful exuberance of folk music mixed with years of classical and jazz training against the powerful force of traditional Chilean revolutionary songs. What has emerged is a brilliantly layered confluence of indigenous African, European and North and South American musical influences that reverberate with a soulfulness and originality unlike any other South American artist performing today. He appeared with Joan Baez in 2016 at her 75th birthday celebration at the Beacon Theater in New York where she praised him as the best young Chilean songwriter of his generation.

· https://www.nanostern.cl

· www.creativeprocess.info

Political, outspoken and passionate, Chilean singer-songwriter and activist Nano Stern has created his own musical language – an otherworldly sound that blends the youthful exuberance of folk music mixed with years of classical and jazz training against the powerful force of traditional Chilean revolutionary songs. What has emerged is a brilliantly layered confluence of indigenous African, European and North and South American musical influences that reverberate with a soulfulness and originality unlike any other South American artist performing today. He appeared with Joan Baez in 2016 at her 75th birthday celebration at the Beacon Theater in New York where she praised him as the best young Chilean songwriter of his generation.

· https://www.nanostern.cl

· www.creativeprocess.info

“This museum, this institution has a long history and actually, the idea of a museum goes back to maybe 100 years ago when Civil War veterans wanted a monument recognizing the service and the sacrifice of African Americans during the war effort. It wasn't until the mid-late 80s when congressman John Lewis with some other colleagues started to bring forth the idea that the Smithsonian needed to have a presence to recognize the significance and contributions of African Americans to the history of this country.”

Dr. Dwandalyn Reece is a storyteller, ethnomusicologist, and museum professional. Reece studied American Studies and Music at Scripps College, American Culture and Museum Practice at the University of Michigan, and Musical Performance at New York University. Her research and projects include exhibitions at the Louis Armstrong House and Archives, the Brooklyn Historical Society, the New Jersey State Museum, and the Motown Historical Museum, as well as being the former senior program officer for the National Endowment for the Humanities. Reece is currently the Curator of Music and Performing Arts at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, where she co-curated the Smithsonian Year of Music and “Freedom Sounds: A Community Celebration.” Reece also curated one of the museum’s permanent exhibitions, Musical Crossroads, and received the Secretary’s Research Prize to do so in 2017. Reece is a community-driven artist, and she uses her experience and works in the community to inspire the work she collaboratively produces.
· nmaahc.si.edu
· music.si.edu/dr-dwandalyn-reece

· www.creativeprocess.info

Dr. Dwandalyn Reece is a storyteller, ethnomusicologist, and museum professional. Reece studied American Studies and Music at Scripps College, American Culture and Museum Practice at the University of Michigan, and Musical Performance at New York University. Her research and projects include exhibitions at the Louis Armstrong House and Archives, the Brooklyn Historical Society, the New Jersey State Museum, and the Motown Historical Museum, as well as being the former senior program officer for the National Endowment for the Humanities. Reece is currently the Curator of Music and Performing Arts at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, where she co-curated the Smithsonian Year of Music and “Freedom Sounds: A Community Celebration.” Reece also curated one of the museum’s permanent exhibitions, Musical Crossroads, and received the Secretary’s Research Prize to do so in 2017. Reece is a community-driven artist, and she uses her experience and works in the community to inspire the work she collaboratively produces.

· https://nmaahc.si.edu

· https://music.si.edu/dr-dwandalyn-reece

· www.creativeprocess.info

Photo credit: AlanKarchmer

Composer John Powell is a multiple Annie Award winner for “Best Music in an Animated Feature Production” and “Best Original Score”. Since rising to prominence with his scores to the Matt Damon Bourne trilogy, he has become known for family animated films, scoring Shrek, Chicken Run, Ice Age (2 & 3), Bolt, Rio, Happy Feet (1 & 2) and Kung Fu Panda (1 & 2) and action music for Hancock, Green Zone, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, The Italian Job, X-Men: The Last Stand, and Solo: A Star Wars Story, among others.

Nominated for multiple Grammys, BAFTAs and other awards, his score for How to Train Your Dragon earned him his first Academy Award nomination. His concert music includes  "A Prussian Requiem", an oratorio to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of World War I which  premiered at The Royal Festival Hall.

· https://johnpowellmusic.com
· www.creativeprocess.info