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Spring 2024

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The Award-Winning Resonance Series is a guest lecture/performance/residency series that brings music professionals from around the world to share their experiences and stories, provide the future generation with insight into the industry and career paths, perform with local professional musicians, give masterclasses, and more.

Since Fall 2020, nearly 70 guests have spoken or performed for the series including more than 30 Grammy winners representing 110+ Grammy wins and over 300 Grammy nominations. Additionally, guests have included Oscar, Emmy, Tony, Pulitzer Prize, Golden Globe, Juno, and Latin Grammy winners, multiple U.S. Ambassadors of Music, multiple Guggenheim Fellows, and the musical directors of the Super Bowl, American Idol, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Demi Lovato, and Kesha. Guests have played in the bands of Michael Jackson, Prince, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, BTS, Paul McCartney, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Elton John, Ray Charles, Billy Joel, Celine Dion, Shakira, Stanley Clarke, Stevie Wonder, B. B. King, Ariana Grande, Sting, Chick Corea, Barbra Streisand, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Snarky Puppy, and many more. Guests have been featured in Pixar Movies, TED Mainstages, Oprah, The Voice, American Idol, Late Night Talk Shows including Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, David Letterman, and Seth Meyers, NPR's Tiny Desk, BBC Proms, and more.

The series has free and public events across campus and Norman, including the Pioneer Library System, Norman Public Schools, and local businesses.

All events are free and open to the public. Join us for this unique opportunity to listen to, work with, and ask questions of the music industry's most successful experts.

The Resonance Series’ major sponsor is the Norman Arts Council, with additional support from Oklahoma Film and Music Office, the Recording Academy (GRAMMYs), Onyx Lane, The Pioneer Library System, Midway Deli and AirBNB, The Embassy Suites of Norman, Norman Public Schools, Gilliam Music, Imagine Music and Arts, the Norman Music Institute, Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Montford Inn, The Winston, Benvenuti's Ristorante, Legend's Restaurant, Louis Bar & Grill, Tea Cafe, Elaine Kemler, and the Walschap family.

Email e@ou.edu for additional information.

Spring 2024

Residency - Feb 8-9, 2024

Shayna Steele and her husband David Cook will be at OU and other locations on February 8th and 9th for a two-day residency.

David Cook is a 15x Grammy winner and Emmy winner, including 6 current Grammy Nominations for 2024. He is and has been the Musical Director and Pianist for Taylor Swift for the last 12 years and was formerly a member or director of the bands of NSYNC, Kesha, Jennifer Hudson, Thomas Rhett, Ben Platt, Maren Morris, and many others. Dr. Cook is a professor at Music at Montclair State University, a 2x U.S. State Department Ambassador of Music, and has also played with Dennis Chambers, Quincy Davis, Christian McBride, Marcus Miller, Victor Wooten, and hundreds of other Grammy-winning legends.

Shayna Steele is an 8x Tony winner and Grammy winner, #1 Billboard charting singer, Broadway performer on Hairspray (original cast), RENT, and Jesus Christ Superstar, original music in Bourne Identity and Sex and the City, has recorded with Moby and Chris Botti, toured as a vocalist for Rihanna, Kelly Clarkson, and Bette Midler.

Schedule of Public and Free events

Feb 8th

  • 10:30am - Jazz Improvisation Masterclass with David Cook - Catlett Music Center 116
  • 1:30pm - Resonance Talk and Q&A with David Cook and Shayna Steele - Catlett Music Center Pitman Hall
  • 5:30pm - Talk and Q&A with David Cook and Shayna Steele at the Pioneer Library West (Norman Public Library West)
Feb 9th
  • 9:30am - Lecture and Q&A with Music Education students - Catlett Music Center 116
  • 10:30am - Lecture on Modal Mixture and Modulation in the music of Taylor Swift and Shayna Steele - Catlett Music Center 109
  • 12:30pm - Masterclass with Chorale - Catlett Music Center 128
  • 3:30pm - Masterclass with Jazz Band O - Catlett Music Center 116
  • 4:30pm - Masterclass with Jazz Band U - Catlett Music Center 116
  • 5:30pm - Talk and Q&A with David Cook and Shayna Steele at the Norman Music Institute
  • 7:30pm - Concert - Catlett Music Center Pitman Hall

Spacer

  • 4:30pm - Sharp Concert Hall
  • Zoom Link (meeting ID 648 487 4475, password resonance)
  • 12:00pm - Pitman Recital Hall (120 in-person capacity, 300 zoom capacity)
  • Zoom Link (meeting ID 648 487 4475, password resonance)