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Charanga del Norte LIVE Recording ‘Bronx Pachanga’ Added: May 7th, 2020
This is the first of several live music documentaries of Sue Miller and her Charanga del Norte made by Tim Blackwell and recorded on ribbon microphones by Paul Thompson and Barkley McKay. This forms part of a research project funded by the British Academy. Here is a live take of Sue’s arrangement of ‘Bronx Pachanga’ with a cheeky little Watusi middle.
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New Book by Sue Miller – Improvising Sabor: Cuban Dance Music in New York Added: April 23rd, 2020
My New Book comes out next year in hardback and paperback and if you pre-order there are really good discounts available from the University Press of Mississippi. More details here: https://www.upress.state.ms.us/Books/I/Improvising-Sabor
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The Cuban Flute Sound – documentary film Added: April 23rd, 2020
This documentary forms part of a British Academy funded research project and is a shorter version of the ‘Capturing Liveness’ video available on the main British Academy page.
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Learning the 5-key Charanga Flute – Practice Journal Added: March 25th, 2020
This is a practice blog on my progress learning the 5-key wooden flute used in Cuban charanga. In these two short videos I am following the fingerings Cuban flute players taught me in 2011 but I haven’t as yet had time to learn the instrument – the Covid19 pandemic has led to me teaching my University performance students online and I have asked them to keep an audio-visual practice diary. I usually don’t ask students to do things I haven’t road tested myself and although I documented my practice in my PhD I did not record my private practice in video form, only band rehearsals and live performances – so here goes for some ‘practice what you preach!’
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Research Talk at RNCM Wednesday 26 February 2020 Added: February 24th, 2020
Performance and Practice Research: Three Acts of Translation Dr Sue Miller (Leeds Beckett University) Wednesday 26 February 4.15pm Forman Lecture Theatre https://www.rncm.ac.uk/performance/performance-and-practice-research-three-acts-of-translation/ Taking Simon McKerrell’s paper ‘Towards Practice Research in Ethnomusicology’ as a starting point I present here three examples of my own practice research which use performance as ‘a central methodology,’ as a ‘translation […]
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Charanga del Norte Live Recording Added: November 16th, 2019
Sue Miller and her Charanga del Norte are recording a new live album using ribbon microphones. Here’s a photo of our October recording session – recorded by Dr Paul Thompson and Barkley McKay from the department of Music and Sound at Leeds Beckett University and filmed by Tim Blackwell, course leader for Broadcast Media at […]
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British Academy Recording Project Added: October 22nd, 2019
The sounds of New York to be re-created in Leeds Beckett music studios
A new research project – bringing to life the practice and history of mid-20th century New York-based Latin music – has launched at Leeds Beckett.
Dr Sue Miller and Dr Paul Thompson, Readers in Music in the School of Film, Music & Performing Arts, are investigating the original recording studio techniques and performance aesthetics of this traditional style of dance music. -
Invited Talk Newcastle University Wednesday 16 October ‘ PRACTICE RESEARCH IN ETHNOMUSICOLOGY’ Added: October 8th, 2019
PRACTICE RESEARCH IN ETHNOMUSICOLOGY:
THREE ACTS OF TRANSLATION IN MY OWN PRACTICE RESEARCHDR SUE MILLER
Taking Simon McKerrell’s paper ‘Towards Practice Research in Ethnomusicology’ as a starting point I present here three examples of my own practice research which use performance as ‘a central methodology, ’ as a ‘translation of artistic performance aesthetics’ and as a ‘research outcome sited in original performance.’ (McKerrell, 2019, 1)
In the three examples presented here (monographs on performance aesthetics and improvisational creativity), a British Academy funded performance and production project, and a music, dance and animation collaboration), I will demonstrate how, in my translational role, I have employed my own performance practice to produce text, performances, scores, audio and audio-visual research outputs which translate research findings and insights for outside the artistic community of practice, and, in some cases, within it. -
Charanga del Norte Live Added: August 11th, 2019
Here are some photos of Charanga del Norte performing live this summer. Photography by Simon Bartle.
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Charanga del Norte Gig 28 July Lawrence Batley Theatre Added: June 8th, 2019
Book Tickets To celebrate their 20th anniversary Charanga del Norte return to the Lawrence Batley Theatre on Sunday 28 July at 7pm Featuring an exciting line-up which includes the cream of the crop from the UK salsa scene: pianist Kim Burton (Sonido de Londres); bass player Ruth Bitelli (Candela); singer Guillermo Monroy (Merengada), and percussionist Andy […]