Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music

Conversations with our Curator - Nick Corasaniti
2024-09-04 19:00 (America/New_York) | https://springsteencenter.org/event/conversations-with-our-curator-nick-corasaniti/
BSACAM Curator, Melissa Ziobro, will be interviewing New York Times author, Nick Corasaniti, about his latest book, “I Don’t Wanna Go Home” – An Oral History of the Stone Pony on September 4th at 7pm. This will be the 8th interview in this free, monthly virtual series in which Professor Ziobro explores new perspectives in American music history with researchers and writers. Prior conversations have included Warren Zanes, Jim Cullen and Holly George Warren. Audience Q&A will follow. The virtual conversation is free to the public and begins at 7pm. Registration is required

Conversations with our Curator: June Skinner Sawyers
2025-01-15 19:00 | https://springsteencenter.org/event/conversations-with-our-curator-june-skinner-sawyers/

Conversations with our Curator featuring Josh Davidson
2025-02-12 19:00 | https://springsteencenter.org/event/conversations-with-our-curator-featuring-josh-davidson/

Conversations with our Curator featuring Dewar MacLeod
2025-03-19 19:00 | https://springsteencenter.org/event/conversations-with-our-curator-featuring-dewar-macleod-2/

Conversations with our Curator featuring Dewar MacLeod
2025-03-19 19:00 - 21:00 | https://monmouth.zoom.us/meeting/register/aBYmctXFRrCIZWOWNZdArA#/registration

Conversations with our Curator featuring John Massaro
2025-04-09 19:00 | https://springsteencenter.org/event/conversations-with-our-curator-featuring-john-massaro/

Conversations with our Curator featuring Michael C. Gabriele
2025-05-14 19:00 - 21:00 | https://monmouth.zoom.us/meeting/register/dK28ZNwRQRK9-AFK_dL2rA

Conversations with our Curator featuring Frank White & Alan Tecchio
2025-06-11 19:00 - 21:00 | https://monmouth.zoom.us/meeting/register/akDQjN0tRHOPj5lYVBQjgQ

Conversations with our Curator featuring Laurel Snyder
2025-07-16 19:00 | https://monmouth.zoom.us/meeting/register/l4Ggle-TQK2mVZS9dYgkkA
Pre-register here: https://monmouth.zoom.us/meeting/register/l4Ggle-TQK2mVZS9dYgkkA

Conversations with our Curator featuring Ricky Riccardi
2025-08-13 19:00 | https://monmouth.zoom.us/meeting/register/ffLw4XPHQaO0fNXBZYh2kA
Pre-register here: https://monmouth.zoom.us/meeting/register/ffLw4XPHQaO0fNXBZYh2kA

Conversations with our Curator featuring WP Tandy
2025-09-10 19:00 | https://monmouth.zoom.us/meeting/register/ATSmg3QARiKL01hrbzZ3iA
Pre-register here: https://monmouth.zoom.us/meeting/register/ATSmg3QARiKL01hrbzZ3iA

Conversations with our Curator featuring Allison Bumsted
2025-10-15 19:00 | https://monmouth.zoom.us/meeting/register/n9xhH80URh6r0lBd65TfKg
Pre-register here: https://monmouth.zoom.us/meeting/register/n9xhH80URh6r0lBd65TfKg

Conversations with our Curator featuring Alan Light
2025-11-10 19:00 | https://monmouth.zoom.us/meeting/register/1lelOMyHQCCDLRoIF-mFFw
Featuring Alan Light discussing Don’t Stop: Why We (Still) Love Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours’ – Register for the Zoom link here: https://monmouth.zoom.us/meeting/register/1lelOMyHQCCDLRoIF-mFFw

Conversations with our Curator featuring Jay Sweet
2025-11-19 19:00 | https://monmouth.zoom.us/meeting/register/EOuMZW3ERFKnY25xT9yXyQ
Pre-register here: https://monmouth.zoom.us/meeting/register/EOuMZW3ERFKnY25xT9yXyQ

Conversations with our Curator featuring John Morrison
2025-12-10 19:00 | https://monmouth.zoom.us/meeting/register/lr9iuTVBSLqBiG0Gn9e2OA
Boyz II Men 40th Anniversary Celebration: Unofficial & Unauthorized

Pre-register here: https://monmouth.zoom.us/meeting/register/lr9iuTVBSLqBiG0Gn9e2OA

In the unofficial and unauthorized Boyz II Men 40th Anniversary Celebration, music journalist John Morrison delves into the band’s origins—from their beginning in high school and their earliest influences—to their biggest successes in the ’80s and ’90s, to their continued achievements today and the lasting legacy they’ve left in the boy-band canon. Along the way, readers will also explore the creation of Boyz II Men’s biggest hits, such as “End of the Road” and “Motownphilly”; the fan culture that built up around the band, from the small gigs and mall tours of their earliest years to their national anthem performance in 2022 and tour and album plans for their anniversary year in 2025; Boyz II Men’s influences, from R&B to a cappella, and their place in a boy-band history that begins with the Jackson 5 and continues in the modern day with bands like One Direction and BTS; and the lasting legacy of a band proudly celebrating their fortieth anniversary.
The book features interviews with icons of the music world and leading music historians and journalists, including:

Singer-songwriter and record producer Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds
Singer-songwriter Loren Davis-Stroud
Music journalist Michael Gonzales
Music producer Joe “The Butcher” Nicolo
Musician and studio manager Daria Marmaluk-Hajioannou
Audio engineer George Hajioannou
Bassist Reggie Hamilton
Author and historian Dart Adams
Longtime music journalist and entertainment industry professional Karas Lamb

With stunning photographs and recollections from fans throughout, fans can relive their most precious memories of their favorite crossover band and learn about hidden gems and new tidbits from famous friends and collaborators. This is far from the end of the road for this groundbreaking group, and this book is the perfect companion to your everlasting love for “Nate, Mike, Shawn, and Wan”!

“Conversations with our Curator” is a free, monthly web series featuring BSACAM Director of Curatorial Affairs, Melissa Ziobro, in conversation with researchers and writers exploring new perspectives in American music history. Audience Q&A welcome.

Conversations with Our Curator - Where Are Your Boys Tonight?: The Oral History of Emo’s Mainstream Explosion 1999-2008 (2023) with Chris Payne
2026-01-20 19:00 | https://monmouth.zoom.us/meeting/register/_MW-mZbJRjuY7XKXjAlnCA
Where Are Your Boys Tonight?: The Oral History of Emo’s Mainstream Explosion 1999-2008 (2023)
Pre-register here: https://monmouth.zoom.us/meeting/register/_MW-mZbJRjuY7XKXjAlnCA
“Conversations with our Curator” is a free, monthly web series featuring BSACAM Director of Curatorial Affairs, Melissa Ziobro, in conversation with researchers and writers exploring new perspectives in American music history. Audience Q&A welcome.

Conversations with Our Curator - Before Elvis: The African American Musicians Who Made the King (2025) with Preston Lauterbach
2026-02-11 19:00 | https://monmouth.zoom.us/meeting/register/lIZkIguaTy2IS7xm7UZTXQ
Before Elvis: The African American Musicians Who Made the King (2025)
Pre-register here: https://monmouth.zoom.us/meeting/register/lIZkIguaTy2IS7xm7UZTXQ

“Conversations with our Curator” is a free, monthly web series featuring BSACAM Director of Curatorial Affairs, Melissa Ziobro, in conversation with researchers and writers exploring new perspectives in American music history. Audience Q&A welcome.

Conversations with Our Curator - Traveling: On the Path of Joni Mitchell (2024) with Ann Powers
2026-03-17 19:00 | https://monmouth.zoom.us/meeting/register/1FIuOvvvRZecPcDyRZ3Stw
Traveling: On the Path of Joni Mitchell (2024)
Pre-register here: https://monmouth.zoom.us/meeting/register/1FIuOvvvRZecPcDyRZ3Stw
“Conversations with our Curator” is a free, monthly web series featuring BSACAM Director of Curatorial Affairs, Melissa Ziobro, in conversation with researchers and writers exploring new perspectives in American music history. Audience Q&A welcome.

Conversations with Our Curator - Last Waltz: The Full Story of The Band (2025) with Craig Harris
2026-04-08 19:00 | https://monmouth.zoom.us/meeting/register/4OH9FBLIS4Sn0Ef7DHOzzw
Last Waltz: The Full Story of The Band (2025)
Pre-register here: https://monmouth.zoom.us/meeting/register/4OH9FBLIS4Sn0Ef7DHOzzw
“Conversations with our Curator” is a free, monthly web series featuring BSACAM Director of Curatorial Affairs, Melissa Ziobro, in conversation with researchers and writers exploring new perspectives in American music history. Audience Q&A welcome.

Conversations with Our Curator - A Little More Love: The Life and Legacy of Olivia Newton-John (2026) with Matthew Hild
2026-05-13 19:00 | https://monmouth.zoom.us/meeting/register/Nw-rUjAOQ8iIuGBGK8DMdA
A Little More Love: The Life and Legacy of Olivia Newton-John (2026)
Pre-register here: https://monmouth.zoom.us/meeting/register/Nw-rUjAOQ8iIuGBGK8DMdA
“Conversations with our Curator” is a free, monthly web series featuring BSACAM Director of Curatorial Affairs, Melissa Ziobro, in conversation with researchers and writers exploring new perspectives in American music history. Audience Q&A welcome.

Conversations with Our Curator - Springsteen Fandom: “A Lifetime Conversation” (2026) with Nicolas Pethes
2026-06-17 19:00 | https://monmouth.zoom.us/meeting/register/vUrcDb9dRVSOW4RpzY0ynA
Springsteen Fandom: “A Lifetime Conversation” (2026)
As this month’s author lives in Europe, this session of “Conversations with our Curator” will be pre-recorded and available for viewing at 7PM. No registration is required.
“Conversations with our Curator” is a free, monthly web series featuring BSCAM Director of Curatorial Affairs, Melissa Ziobro, in conversation with researchers and writers exploring new perspectives in American music history. Audience Q&A welcome.

Conversations with Our Curator - Talkin' Greenwich Village: The Heady Rise and Slow Fall of America's Bohemian Music Capital (2024) with David Browne
2026-07-08 19:00 | https://monmouth.zoom.us/meeting/register/ieN64qLnRRmpoKAwEZXNLw
Talkin’ Greenwich Village: The Heady Rise and Slow Fall of America’s Bohemian Music Capital (2024)
Pre-register here: https://monmouth.zoom.us/meeting/register/ieN64qLnRRmpoKAwEZXNLw
“Conversations with our Curator” is a free, monthly web series featuring BSCAM Director of Curatorial Affairs, Melissa Ziobro, in conversation with researchers and writers exploring new perspectives in American music history. Audience Q&A welcome.

Conversations with Our Curator - Tonight in Jungleland: The Making of Born to Run (2025) with Peter Ames Carlin
2026-08-19 19:00 | https://monmouth.zoom.us/meeting/register/1EI9qSmhRSC9SxC3rreoCA
Tonight in Jungleland: The Making of Born to Run (2025)
Pre-register here: https://monmouth.zoom.us/meeting/register/1EI9qSmhRSC9SxC3rreoCA
Conversations with our Curator” is a free, monthly web series featuring BSCAM Director of Curatorial Affairs, Melissa Kozlowski, in conversation with researchers and writers exploring new perspectives in American music history. Audience Q&A welcome.

Conversations with Our Curator - Gliders Over Hollywood: Airships, Airplay, and the Art of Rock Promotion (2025) with Paul Rappaport
2026-09-16 19:00 | https://monmouth.zoom.us/meeting/register/BFUkN2syRVmtEFKoWt1EbA
Gliders Over Hollywood: Airships, Airplay, and the Art of Rock Promotion (2025)
Pre-register here: https://monmouth.zoom.us/meeting/register/BFUkN2syRVmtEFKoWt1EbA
Conversations with our Curator” is a free, monthly web series featuring BSCAM Director of Curatorial Affairs, Melissa Ziobro, in conversation with researchers and writers exploring new perspectives in American music history. Audience Q&A welcome.

Conversations with Our Curator - The Midnight Special: The Secret Prison History of American Music (2026) with Colin Asher
2026-10-08 19:00 | https://monmouth.zoom.us/meeting/register/1EI9qSmhRSC9SxC3rreoCA
In American popular music, we often glorify rebellious artists and “outlaws.” But in THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL: The Secret Prison History of American Music [W. W. Norton & Company; June 30, 2026; $29.99 hardcover], Colin Asher, author of a critically acclaimed biography of Nelson Algren, Never a Lovely So Real, tells a deeper story about the criminal justice system’s impact on our musicians, explored through compelling portraits of five artists whose careers span the twentieth century.
Opening with folk and blues artist Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter, who was made to perform wearing prison clothes, Asher traces the intertwined histories of music and incarceration, from Southern prison farms of the Jim Crow era, through the heroin-driven mid-century drug wars that villainized a generation of jazz artists, and to our present era of mass incarceration.
Asher shows how the suggestion of criminality has often benefited white artists, while prosecutions often hurt Black musicians. Comparing the divergent trajectories of jazz pianist Elmo Hope with country singer Johnny Cash, Asher examines how violent and discriminatory policing stifled Hope’s career and led to the creation of his album Sounds from Rikers Island (1963), while forgiveness and lenience brought us Cash’s masterpiece At San Quentin (1969).
With keen musical analysis and sociological insight, THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL examines key themes in culture and criminal justice, from the movement for prison reform that allowed soul musician Ike White to stage thrilling concerts while locked up and record his album Changin’ Times (1977), to the crushing cultural weight of mass incarceration a generation later. Closing with Tupac Shakur’s Me Against the World (1995) and stories of music in prisons today, THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL recounts how prisons occasionally incubate talent but more often shorten careers and distort the public’s perception of musicians and their value to society.
An urgent book about the ways music can affirm an individual’s sense of humanity in dehumanizing circumstances, THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL writes the history of prisons into American music—a story as important as it is overlooked.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Colin Asher is the author of the critically acclaimed Never a Lovely So Real. His work has been featured in the Believer, the Baffler, the New Republic, and the Los Angeles Review of Books. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Conversations with our Curator” is a free, monthly web series featuring BSCAM Director of Curatorial Affairs, Melissa Kozlowski, in conversation with researchers and writers exploring new perspectives in American music history. Audience Q&A welcome.
