Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have made indelible, but underappreciated, contributions to the Tennessee musical landscape for over one hundred years. In this session, two HBCU-affiliated scholars and musicians discuss the legacy of HBCU musical traditions. Fisk University’s Music City Sound and Tennessee State University’s The Aristocrat of Bands are renowned for their innovative choreography, musical versatility, and high energy performances.

Dr. Gary Powell Nash is professor of music theory and technology at Fisk University and conductor for the Fisk University Jazz Ensemble. Dr. Reginald McDonald is director of bands, coordinator of instrumental music, and associate professor of music education at Tennessee State University.

Tennessee 101 is funded in part by a grant from Humanities Tennessee, an independent affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.