OU to welcome Dr. Mel Stanfill for ‘One Nation Under Somebody Else’s Groove’

Oakland University will welcome Dr. Mel Stanfill for a special presentation — “One Nation Under Somebody Else’s Groove: Making Cultural and Legal Sense of Musical Reuse” on Thursday, Feb. 15 at noon in the Nyberg Room (242) at the Kresge Library.

An associate professor with a joint appointment in the Texts and Technology Program and the Department of English at the University of Central Florida, Stanfill’s latest book, Rock This Way, examines what it means to re-create and borrow music, how the racial identity of both the reusing artist and reused artist matters, and the ways in which the law polices artists and their works.

“Stanfill’s work on music and copyright is timely for so many disciplines as we grapple with the rise of generative AI that can produce creative work like music, art, and film,” said Bridget Kies, assistant professor of Film Studies and Production at OU.

“As we decide as a culture how we want to protect artists’ rights without limiting creativity — and whether we can do both at the same time — Stanfill demonstrates the tensions that have always existed between laws about music reuse and cultural appreciation for it,” Kies added.

This free event is co-sponsored by Oakland University’s Film Studies and Production Program; the Department of Communication, Journalism, and Public Relations, the Department of Music; and University Libraries.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their own brown bag lunch as food will not be provided.