- MSU Jazz Professor Rodney T. Whitaker was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, joining one of the oldest learned societies in the United States.
- Whitaker has traveled the world as a performer and has been the director of the Jazz Studies program at MSU since 2000.
- Video shows Whitaker recalling his path to get here, as well as what the opportunity means to him.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
I’m your MSU Neighborhood Reporter Colin Jankowski. You may recognize names like Actor George Clooney or Apple CEO Tim Cook. Now, one of our neighbors here at MSU will be represented alongside them in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Let’s meet Rodney T. Whitaker.
“Most of my years prior to coming to MSU were spent on the road traveling playing jazz professionally,” Whitaker said.
From Paris to Tokyo, MSU Director of Jazz Studies Rodney T. Whitaker has made a name for himself across the globe as a performer.
“You know it’s exciting to be inducted into the academy,” he said.