Wednesday, November 2, 2022
11 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
Room 250, Leonard and Claire Tow Performing Arts Center
In-Person and Virtual
In 2022, the technical music industry remains professionally dominated by men. Although women+ have begun to make inroads, progress is slow and frustrating, particularly considering intersectional identities. Claudia Acuña, a Guggenheim winning recording artist, composer, and performer, and Angela Piva, a celebrated music producer who teaches music technology and production at the Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema, discuss the battle Latinas have fought to survive and thrive in an industry where they have not always been welcome. These Grammy nominees will discuss issues confronting the bias and gender-based violence in the music fields affecting both professional and personal lives. As part of their conversation on women’s place in the music world, Acuña will perform a part of her most recent album, DUO (2022).
Since the 1990s, Claudia Acuña has released six albums as a leader including the 2019 Latin Grammy nominated album Turning Pages. As the world slowed to a crawl in 2020, Acuña took time to find the core of her dedication and the power of music. The result is DUO, an album of nine songs recorded with composers hailing from Chile, Cuba, Argentina, and Mexico. Reflection and re-dedication are steady themes in the life and work of Acuña:“At the end of the day we all walk alone, and we can discover our beauty when we see ourselves and Earth as one.”
Angela Piva has received several Grammy award nominations as well as RIAA multi-platinum sales. She was recently elected Vice President of the Audio Engineering Society for the East Coast & Canada, and is featured in the Russell Simmons documentary “The Show.” Recording and Mix Credits include Michael Jackson, Toni Braxton, Naughty By Nature, Queen Latifah, and Mary J Blige.
In collaboration with the Ethyle R. Wolfe Institute for the Humanities at Brooklyn College, American Studies Program, Department of Puerto Rican and Latine Studies and the Conservatory of Music.
