In celebration of Black Music Month, Apple’s newest U.S. store in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, has teamed up with the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) to host virtual Today at Apple sessions with country artists Willie Jones and Valerie June. Attendees learn music-making skills from these incredible songwriters as they explore the rich history of music, story, and culture.
“We are thrilled to be collaborating with our next-door neighbor, the National Museum of African American Music, to celebrate Black Music Month and bring Today at Apple programming to the Nashville community,” said Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice president of Retail + People, in a statement. “Our Today at Apple sessions aim to inspire creativity, and with sessions led by incredible artists like Willie Jones and Valerie June, we are excited to hear what our attendees create.”
Hosted by Apple Music’s Rissi Palmer, the Today at Apple sessions feature Jones and June leading participants through songwriting skills. In Jones’s session on June 8, he shared his songwriting process, which begins when he pulls out his iPhone to capture the spark of a melody in the Voice Memos app. Once he has the basis of his melody, he takes it to the studio, where he pulls inspiration for lyrics from the Notes app — his preferred method for getting out his ideas. He often works collaboratively with co-writers in Pages, using different fonts and colors just to “make it fun” before building out the track in Logic Pro.
Tomorrow, June 15, singer-songwriter Valerie June will explore mindfulness and creativity, and will teach participants how to draw inspiration from the rich history of African American culture. Together with Palmer and NMAAM Vice President of Brand and Partnerships Tuwisha D. Rogers-Simpson, June will then lead a creative exercise to explore gratitude, courage, and joy using the Notes app on iPhone.
“Here at NMAAM, our main focus is to educate the world, preserve the legacy, and celebrate the central role African Americans have played in creating the American Soundtrack,” said Rogers-Simpson, in a statement. “Today at Apple shares that focus of educating and inspiring others through the power of music and creativity, and we look forward to working together on many more sessions in the future.”
Apple Music is celebrating Black Music Month worldwide with an exploration of the legacy, artistry, impact, and influence of black musicians. For the first time ever, Apple Music is taking the significance of Black Music Month worldwide with bespoke global playlists in over 30 different countries that explore the undeniable impact of black music on local popular music. Apple Music also commissioned 15 new DJ Mixes from standout black artists including Honey Dijon, Amorphous, DBN Gogo, DJ Clue, DāM FunK, and more. Across the platform, Apple Music’s celebration of Black Music Month will feature special programming on Apple Music TV and in radio programming across Apple Music 1, Apple Music Country, and Apple Music Hits.
MacDailyNews Note: To register for Valerie June’s Today at Apple session, visit apple.co/music-legacy-series.
I thought it was gay month?
Possibly gay black month? It’s all too confusing.
That’s racist!!!!!! What about White Music month? Yellow Music Month?? Red Music Month?
How are the Orientals, Indians and the rest of us supposes to feel? You know, it’s all about feelings!
What about Mentally Defective Music Month so Dementia Joe can join in?? Oh, Oh, don’t forget Whore Music Month!!!
We need some pole dancing music for our honorable and chaste VP!!!
We need MDN to ban comments that are racist, homophobic, and demeaning to people with disabilities.
“You keep using that word. I do not think
it means what you think it means…”
The premise of the article is racist, not the comments.
Banning TxControlFreak from commenting would be better.
Funny, libturds like Txloser, don’t think that Black Music Month is racist. Hilarious!!!!!!
No. Just like I don’t think St. Patrick’s Day Parades are racist because they focus on Irish-Americans, or Columbus Day Parades are racist because they focus on Italian-Americans, or Cinco de Mayo is racist because it focuses on Mexican-Americans. People are entitled to celebrate the positive aspects of their own heritage. Before somebody points out Confederate Heroes Day (still an official state holiday in Texas, South Carolina, Alabama, and Mississippi), I do not find waging war against the United States (defined as treason by the Constitution) as a positive aspect of my heritage.
People with disabilities? Who? Do you mean Joe? Are you implying that our president has a… disability?
I think he was referring to the mental defects of the Biden voters
Identity Politics…aiming, apparently, to solidifying groups of people. Its end result; division.
Class was the previous focus used to delineate and that didn’t leave a trail of good memories.
Racist or not, if it brings back the Motown sound, I’m for it.