Dr Sue Miller is now on the editorial team for Flute Journal along with experts in the field of flute performance. Flute Journal Our goal at International Flute Journal is to bring together the finest performers and educators in the flute community worldwide. I have been thrilled by the encouragement and positive energy I have received from all […]
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.
The Leeds Arts Research Centre (LARC) brings together creative practitioners and academics across Leeds Beckett University whose research interests lie in the arts, whether that is music, film, fine art, design or performing arts.
LARC draws on staff from the School of Art, Architecture and Design and from the School of Film, Music and Performing Arts. It brings together cultural historians and theorists with arts practitioners at the cutting edge of practice as research. Providing a forum for debate, it is also a window on the exciting and innovate creative work going on across the two Schools. Here staff collaborate on new projects, showcase their research and build together the research culture
Review by Sunni Witmer of ‘Cuban Flute Style: Interpretation and Improvisation’ by Sue Miller in Latin American Music Review, Volume 37, Number 1, Spring/Summer 2016, Published by University of Texas Press
https://muse.jhu.edu/article/619638
‘All in all, Miller’s book is a valuable contribution to the scant research on charanga, and it is especially informative for those interested in improvisation, performance practices, analysis of popular music, flute performance, and, of course, Cuban music.’
Book Review: Cuban Flute Style: Interpretation And Improvisation, By Sue Miller. Book Review by Jessica Valiente Cuban Flute Style: Interpretation and Improvisation, by Sue Miller (The Scarecrow Press, 2014), holds the distinction of being the only scholarly work published in English devoted exclusively to the study of the Cuban charanga. Read more here: Book Review in Flute Journal […]
I am honoured that the multi-talented flute player Nestor Torres has reviewed my book for the Association of Recorded Music Sound journal (ARSC):
‘I declare that Cuban Flute Style is brilliant and without precedent. The research work is thorough and meticulous. The historical narrative of the flute styles and its protagonists is comprehensive, consistent and most importantly, respectful of the music’s tradition and filled with palpable affection. Her improvisation transcriptions and music samples from a wide selection of recordings (most of them commercially released) are accurate and accessible. . . .Sue Miller has created a work that celebrates and guarantees the perpetuation of Charanga and its Cuban Flute Style Tradition for many generations to come. Its historical, cultural, and pedagogical value cannot be overstated.’ (ARSC Journal)
Charanga del Norte perform at The Big Weekend in Cambridge on 10 July 2016. Featuring Guillermo Monroy on vocals the band will play as part of a 3 day world music festival and it’s FREE! Held on Parker’s Piece, Cambridge.
Sue Miller’s monograph on Cuban flute style will be of interest to ethnomusicologists and flautists alike. It is a clearly written, highly musical book that serves as both a guide to performance practice and an academic text. Miller brings together performance as a research technique, interviews with musicians, lessons with renowned flautists, and detailed and extensive transcription and analysis of recordings to create a ‘musical archaeology’ (246) of creative processes, interpretation and improvisation in Cuban charanga flute performance.
Sue’s panel at the Society for Ethnomusicology’s annual conference in Texas Austin takes place on 3 December at 4pm. Also on the panel are renowned scholars of Latin American music Professor David Garcia (University of North Carolina) and Dr Ben Lapidus (CUNY).
Panel Abstract: ‘Clave feel’ is often cited as one of the main elements of Afro-Cuban/salsa improvisation yet very little to date has been done to demonstrate this concept analytically. Building on research in this area by Christopher Washburne, Peter Manuel, David Garcia, Robin Moore, Lise Waxer, and Robert Farris Thompson, scholars of Latin improvisation consider how clave remains a point of tradition, pride, and practice for many performers of Afrocuban music in New York City. Brass, woodwind and piano clave-based improvisation styles are examined to demonstrate how clave feel can define both the artistry and identity of performers. Ethnographic research informs the musical analyses of solo improvisations from both recordings and live performances to demonstrate how clave sensibility permeates the artistic work of New York-based Latin soloists.
Sue is performing Cuban music at a lecture by Katia Chornik to launch her new book: Alejo Carpentier: Blurring Genres (Monday 23rd November at 6.30. Instituto Cervantes, 102 Eaton Square, London SW1W 9AN). The event will include live Cuban music by Son Yambu (www.sonyambu.com) with special guest Sue Miller, and will be followed by drinks.
Reserve your seat at reservas.londres@cervantes.es