KENNEDY CENTER AND STRATHMORE PERFORMANCES
OTHER NEWS AND EVENTS
Rod curated a performance “The Dirty South” for the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas in collaboration with the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. “The Dirty South” exhibition, at Crystal Bridges, coupled with the concert examined and presented the aesthetics and musical traditions of souther Black culture in the past century and its influences throughout the American South, contemporary American art, and culture today. View the performance here.
During Chamber Music America’s 42nd Annual Conference in NYC, Rod served as a panelist, along with Armando Castellano and Kerrien Suarez.. The topic “Overcoming Structural Racism in Chamber Music Organizations” introduced and discussed tactics to recognize and address structural racism within an organization. Each panelist presented examples from their own organizations and those of their equity partners. Participants left with tangible next steps to lead change in their organizations.
Rod wrote an opinion piece in the Summer 2021 issue of Chamber Music Magazine. Last year, ensembles and organizations of all sizes made public commitments to racial justice. To abandon those commitments now would be a grave mistake. Click here to read the full article.
Rod was recently accepted into the Sphinx LEAD (Leaders in Excellence, Arts, & Diversity) program. It is a 2-year professional empowerment program designed to evolve the landscape of arts leadership. Ten arts leaders of color are selected annually to participate in a curriculum including mentorship, networking, and leadership retreats at top institutions nationwide. Read more here.
Rod recently delivered the keynote address to the graduating class for the Department of music at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Rod encouraged and challenged the graduates to: (1) Become disruptive innovators who seek to redesign, rethink, reimagine, and recreate; (2) Develop an entrepreneur mindset striving to create an ecosystem for their continued success; (3) Understand personal branding and that one’s reputation takes a lifetime to build but only a moment to destroy, and; (4) Understand the importance of serving others and embracing all people. Watch the commencement here.
Rod served as a mentor and facilitator for the University of Mississippi’s PULSE Leadership Conference in collaboration with the Women’s Council for Philanthropy. The annual PULSE Leadership Conference is designed to provide practical leadership skills to emerging student leaders. The conference strives to provide inspiring, meaningful speakers and activities centered on the three PULSE (Preparing Undergraduate Leaders, a Student Experience) core values - collaboration, communication, and reflection. Read more here.
Rod served as Keynote Speaker for Quintessence: Choral Artists of the Southwest’s Annual “Songapalooza” conference in July 2021. Rod’s presentation “Let’s Not Blend Voices Anymore. Let’s Embrace Differences” provided participants with a blueprint and deeper understanding of how they could build a diverse community through collective learning and sharing.