Center for Music of the Americas

Mission Statement

The Florida State University Center for Music of the Americas promotes the scholarship, performance, and dissemination of musics found in the American Hemisphere, from Tierra del Fuego to the Arctic Circle. It facilitates initiatives within the College of Music, across the University, between FSU and our sister institution FAMU, and throughout the North Florida community through partnerships with a diversity of local artists, venues, and institutions.

Although the Center’s role within the College of Music is not confined to any specific area, its aims align closely with the primary objectives of the Musicology program, the cross-cultural Music Education curriculum, and the numerous performing ensembles active within the College. To this end, the Center curates and supports a number of initiatives that engage with the breadth and depth of global music traditions here in the American South and Caribbean and the people who practice them.

World Music First Thursdays Concert Series

During the academic year, the Center for Music of the Americas curates a monthly concert series at Midtown Tallahassee’s beloved live music venue, Blue Tavern. The series focuses on local and regional artists practicing musical traditions that are underrepresented in public performance spaces in North Florida, and aims to bring diverse audiences and musicians into creative dialogue through an intimate and inclusive concert experience. 

The 2022-2023 season includes:

September 1, 2022: Seminole legends and songs with Brian Zepeda of the Seminole Tribe of Florida
October 6, 2022: Andean music with Cecilia Bohorquez and members of the FSU Andean Ensemble
November 3, 2022: November 3, 2022: Brazilian bossa nova with Welson Tremura and Randy Lee
December 1, 2022: Irish fiddle and guitar with Randal Bays
February 2, 2023: Flamenco guitar, song, and dance with Siempre Flamenco
March 2, 2023: Brazilian accordion and guitar with Luizinho Calixto and Jorge Simas
April 6, 2023: TBA
May 4, 2023: Appalachian fiddle, banjo, and mountain dulcimer with Hog-Eye Man

Details are available here. 

Florida Folklife Artist in Residence Program

Each Fall, the Center for Music of the Americas partners with the Florida Folklife Program to bring performing artists for a residency in Tallahassee. organizing public school performances, workshops for college students, and a public performance at historic Mission San Luis near the FSU campus. This year, we are honored to welcome Harmonic Motion, a duo comprised of oud master and vocalist Joe Zeytoonian and percussionist, dancer, and vocalist Myriam Eli for a program focusing on the musical and dance traditions of the Armenian, Arabic, Sephardic, Greek, and Turkish diasporas. Their residency will culminate in a concert on Wednesday, October 26 at Mission San Luis. 

Contact

Director
Dr. Panayotis League
pleague@fsu.edu
(850) 645-0420

Mailing Address
Center for Music of the Americas
College of Music
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida 32306-1180