Behind a glass display case in the College of Music is a small selection of albums by MSU professors — jazz, classical and other recordings that, at first glance, may look like faculty side projects.
But they are much more than that.
For College of Music faculty members, recording is part of the same creative and scholarly work that professors elsewhere might express through a journal article or book.
“Research and creative endeavors are equally important forms of scholarly work,” said Derrick Fox, associate dean for graduate studies and creative endeavors in the College of Music. “For artists, leading a major performance or crafting composition and other creative projects represents the same kind of sustained inquiry, preparation and contribution to the field as writing a book.”
Fox said the display includes just a sample of faculty recordings produced over the years. A more complete collection is available at the college’s online Books and Recordings page.
Recent additions include Tasha Warren’s “Daydreaming Indigo” and “MotherLoad,” Michael Dease’s “MSU Jazz Trombones: Spartan Strong,” and Young Hyun Cho’s “Beethoven Piano Sonatas.”
One recent recording demonstrates just how much research can sit behind an album.
Pianist Stanislav Khristenko’s “24 Preludes” grew from his study of the history and development of the prelude, which is a short piece of music played before a larger work. Khristenko studied significant preludes from different eras before assembling the program he ultimately recorded. The result is an artistic argument built through research, interpretation and performance.
Another album currently on display and available online belongs to Carmen Bradford, MSU professor of vocal jazz and the subject of an MSUToday feature tracing her musical journey from singing with the Count Basie Orchestra to teaching the next generation of jazz players at MSU.
Her album, “Carmen Sings Carmen: Echoes of Carmen McRae,” was released in 2025 and grew out of a collaboration with the Compass Jazz Orchestra. Bradford helped select the songs and had a role in arrangements, mixing, mastering and even the album’s artwork. The recording pays tribute to jazz vocalist Carmen McRae while drawing on Bradford’s own decades of experience with the Count Basie Orchestra.
Bradford continues to perform internationally while teaching at MSU, where she works with students on everything from phrasing and improvisation to developing their own artistic voices. She said that she often sings alongside students during lessons and asks them to think about the story they are trying to tell through each song.
That overlap between performing and teaching is fundamental to the College of Music experience. Faculty members are known on occasion to invite students into professional recording sessions.
“Collaborative learning gives students the opportunity to grow with and from one another,” Fox said. “When they learn to contribute as peers, they build the confidence, perspective, and professional skills they will carry into their own careers.”
So, the next time you pass that display case at the College of Music, it may be worth a closer look. Those CDs are more than entertainment, they’re Spartan excellence you can hear and feel, showcasing the passion for music that these masters share with eager MSU students every single day.