Hayes School of Music

Music Humanities Community Conversations Series 

The Music Humanities Community Conversation Series provides a forum for students, faculty, and staff at Appalachian State University and community members to engage current topics in music humanities through invited talks and workshops given by scholars, artists, and cultural leaders from Appalachian State and the surrounding region. Read more about our upcoming events below!

• The events are free and open to the public.
• Events will be in Schaffel Recital Hall or Rosen Concert Hall in the Broyhill Music Center:
• Attendees may park in the Schaefer Lot, Broyhill Lot, or Peacock Lot for free from 5:00pm to the end of the event.  The Broyhill Music Center is at 813 Rivers St, Boone, NC, 28608. 
• For more information, contact Dr. Jacob Kopcienski, via email at kopcienskija@appstate.edu or by phone at 828-262-7385.
• This series is sponsored by the Hayes School of Music, with several events generously co-sponsored by the Center for Appalachian Studies at Appalachian State University.

"Infusing African-American Musical Contributions into Higher Education: Strategies for Cultural Awareness and Appreciation"

• Thursday, October 2, 6:00-7:00pm. Free and open to the public!
• Q&A and reception to follow
• Schaffel Recital Hall, Broyhill Music Center

Presenter Biography

Dr. DaVaughn L. Miller joined the Hayes School of Music at Appalachian State University in 2022 as an associate professor of music, choral conductor, and researcher. In addition to his teaching and performance work, Dr. Miller’s scholarship focuses on musical stereotyping, musical preference, and racial identity development, exploring how identity influences musical tastes and contributes to the formation of musical stereotypes. He has delivered numerous lecture-demonstrations on topics such as Music and the Mind, Musical Preference, and Musical Stereotyping, emphasizing the ways these phenomena shape individual musical experiences. Dr. Miller is also active in integrating diverse musical traditions into higher education, providing students with opportunities to engage with the contributions of African-American composers, musicians, and performers across multiple musical disciplines.

Seminar Presentation

College should be a space where students engage with diverse perspectives, learn from one another, and expand their understanding of varied social and cultural contexts. Music educators such as Lowell Mason, John Dewey, David Elliott, and others have emphasized the significance of music education in equipping students to critically engage with their environments while developing informed musical experiences as listeners, performers, and composers. The role of educating musicians as a vehicle for societal and cultural literacy is still needed.

To advance this initiative, Dr. Miller will introduce a new approach for intentionally highlighting the contributions of African American composers, musicians, and performers across various fields. His presentation showcases how African American influence “plug-in” units can be integrated into existing courses, embedding cultural enrichment within classes students are already enrolled in. The aim is to broaden students' understanding to include the ongoing influence of African Americans across a wide range of areas, thereby strengthening their societal and cultural music literacy.  

This seminar will showcase examples of these “plug-in” units in areas such as music therapy, sacred music, choral conducting, and other humanities such as English Literature.  Integrating African American musical contributions as standalone units across different courses can effectively enhance our music students' broader musical and societal awareness. This approach can also inspire insights for scholars in other humanities disciplines and foster positive impacts throughout our community.