Curating & Hosting #IWonderU40 Hybrid Prince Symposium
Curating and Hosting #IWonderU40 Hybrid Prince Symposium
Save The Dates
Join us on April 17–19, 2026 (Friday–Sunday) for #IWonderU40, a HYBRID symposium, celebrating two landmark anniversaries: ten years since Prince’s passing and forty years since his visionary 1986 releases, the Parade album and his second narrative film Under the Cherry Moon.
The speakers and schedule at a glance are on the symposium website, https://iwonderu.polishedsolid.com.
Pre-Register and Stay Up To Date
Save the dates and pre-register now at https://iwonderu40.substack.com.
This will be our first hybrid symposium, designed to support both our international and local community.
- Friday • Fully virtual on Zoom Events + YouTube to accommodate our global audience.
- Saturday and Sunday • In person at NYU Tandon in Brooklyn at 370 Jay St., where we previously celebrated #EroticCity40.
The in-person sessions will be livestreamed and posted later on YouTube and/or Vimeo.
MASSIVE THANKS to our wonderful sponsors
NYU Integrated Design & Media (IDM), Princesyllabus.org, NYU Tandon Undergraduate Academic Affairs, NYU Liberal Studies, NYU Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music (CDI), NYU Institute of African American Affairs and the Center for Black Visual Culture (IAAA & CBVC), NYU Photography & Imaging (DPI), NYU Center for Multicultural Education and Programs (CMEP), the NYU LGBTQ+ Center, and Rev3rend for the INCREDIBLE graphics!
The Event is FREE
With that being said, please consider donating to DIVAS (Digital Interactive Visual Arts Sciences) for Social Justice, a 501(c) nonprofit that empowers youth living in underserved communities to use tech and visual arts to promote social justice and become change makers in their communities.
DIVAS currently serves New York City and recently expanded to South Minneapolis.
To learn more, watch this trailer and visit divasforsocialjustice.org.
This symposium is dedicated to De Angela’s dearest and oldest Prince friend Ricky Wyatt (1971–2025)!
#IWonderU40 is the 11th polished solid Prince symposium and the 16th Prince event, curated by De Angela L. Duff!
The Estate of Prince Rogers Nelson is not affiliated, associated, or connected with the ‘Prince #IWonderU40 Hybrid Symposium’ nor has it endorsed or sponsored the ‘Prince #IWonderU40 Hybrid Symposium.’ Further, the Estate of Prince Rogers Nelson has not licensed any of its intellectual property to the producers, advertisers, or directors of the ‘Prince #IWonderU40 Hybrid Symposium.’
![[March 6, 2026] Generative AI Symposium Flyer](https://www.polishedsolid.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/March-6-2026-Generative-AI-Symposium-Flyer-uai-258x145.png)
NYU’s 6th Teaching and Learning with Generative AI Virtual Symposium
Organizing and Hosting NYU’s 6th Teaching and Learning with Generative AI Virtual Symposium
Join us for NYU’s 6th Teaching and Learning with Generative AI Virtual Symposium: Group Conversations Across NYU Units, hosted by the Office of the Provost.
📅 Friday, March 6, 2026
🌍 8–11:30am NYC | 4–7:30pm Abu Dhabi | 9pm–12:30am Shanghai
This semester, we’re spotlighting group conversations across NYU units, and how communities of practice are shaping teaching, learning, and culture around generative AI. Be part of the conversation.
For the schedule at a glance, talk descriptions, and registration link, visit https://wp.nyu.edu/mar2026aisymposium
Will The Event Be Recorded? Yes, the symposium will be recorded and eventually edited and uploaded to the symposium website.
In the meantime, it’ll be viewable for registered attendees until the end of the month directly on Zoom Webinar and Events.
We hope to see you there.
De Angela planned, organized, curated and will host this event!
Speaking at Google’s #EduOnAir Webinar
Speaking at Google’s EduOnAir Webinar
Join us on February 26 for Google’s EduOnAir, where I’ll share insights from NYU’s 5th Teaching and Learning with Generative AI Virtual Symposium (https://wp.nyu.edu/2025notebooklm). I’ll highlight real-world use cases of NotebookLM across teaching, learning, research, and administration from NYU faculty, staff, administrators, and students.
My NYU colleague Clay Shirky will explore why NotebookLM’s underlying mental model may be better aligned with academic work than the standard chat interface.
And, NotebookLM co-founder Steven Johnson will kick off the session and do a live demo of the tool’s newest features.
If you’re thinking about how generative AI can support serious academic work, not just generate answers, this session is for you.
Register at https://educationonair.withgoogle.com/events/edu-on-air-higher-education-2026
The webinar will be available on-demand but you will need to register for the Edu on Air series in order to see it.
Interviewed on When Doves Podcast
Interviewed on When Doves Podcast Parts 1 & 2
If you want to hear two people geek out about Prince, listen below:
The conversation was so rich it had to be split into two parts. Part two will be released next Sunday.
Sometimes you meet someone for the first time and discover they are also a massive Prince head and when that happens, the conversation simply flows.
That’s exactly what happened when De Angela Duff joined Ed Miller on When Doves Podcast. What began as an interview quickly became an effortless exchange between two members of the purple community, proof of what Prince can spark.
In the excitement of the moment, time and formalities gave way to joy and revelry. As C. Liegh McInnis often says, “When two or more are gathered in the name of Funktivity, funky thangs will happen.” In that spirit, a few important names deserved to be clearly acknowledged.
Deep gratitude goes to her brilliant co-hosts of What Did Prince Do This Week? Michael Dean, C. Liegh McInnis, and the late Ricky Wyatt (RIP), who is sorely missed. This work is never solo. It is built in conversation and sustained by community.
She also referenced the remarkable book The Lyrics of Prince: A Literary Look at a Creative, Musical Poet, Philosopher, and Storyteller, authored by C. Liegh McInnis, and wishes to properly credit him here.
Additional acknowledgment goes to Harold Pride, who coined the phrase “the band with no name” in reference to the Sign O’ the Times/Lovesexy band.
As Prince reminds us in Lovesexy, it’s “the feeling u get when u fall in love, not with a girl or boy but with the heavens above.” Sometimes the pure joy of talking Prince becomes almost unlanguageable, but the community is always bigger than the moment.
De Angela remains deeply grateful to everyone who contributes to keeping Prince’s spirit alive.
Here’s part 2 of my interview on the When Doves Podcast with Ed Miller:
We cover a lot in this one:
- my Prince symposia
- the weekly What Did Prince Do This Week? virtual book club + Saturday salon (https://youtube.com/@polishedsolid)
- Prince and politics
- D’Angelo
- Bilal
- André 3000
- Cory Henry
- Janelle Monáe
- Alice Smith
- Prince’s album artwork
- Prince’s philanthropy
- Marva Collins
- We Are The World documentary
- Live Aid
- Luke Vibert
- my top 5 favorite Prince albums
- my top 5 favorite Prince album covers
- my top 5 favorite Prince songs
- Why I named the upcoming Prince symposium, IWonderU40?
Part 2 is, without question, one of De Angela’s favorite conversations about Prince, ever. Thank you, Ed Miller!
It’s rare to fall into a conversation with someone you just met that feels so natural and effortless, where time disappears and joy carries you. That’s what happened here.
Prince has a way of doing that.
De Angela misses him, and knows that you do too if you’re still reading this. He is LOVED!
She hopes you tune in!💜
Spoke at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture about Prince
Spoke at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture about Prince
Like Cynthia Erivo says in her book Simply More: “What’s the dream that you don’t even know you have?”
Speaking at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York Public Library, during its centennial about Prince was one of De Angela’s.
She was honored to speak at the Schomburg on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, alongside the brilliant ethnomusicologist Fredara Mareva Hadley (Juilliard) and moderated by Schomburg Curatorial Specialist Daniella Brito.
We were in conversation about Prince, following a screening of Prince and The Revolution: Live, as part of the Schomburg’s Black on Screen: A Century of Radical Visual Culture centennial series.
This was the first time De Angela has spoken at the Schomburg, which makes it especially meaningful to her.
Interviewed on WNYC's All of It with Alison Stewart about Prince (2026)
Interviewed on WNYC's All of It with Alison Stewart (2026)
De Angela was invited to WNYC’s All of It with Alison Stewart for a second time to promote the screening and talkback for the iconic concert film, Prince and The Revolution: Live, presented as part of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture’s centennial series, Black on Screen: A Century of Radical Visual Culture. She also discussed Prince’s artistry, while listeners called in to share their favorite memories of Prince and his music.
Organized and Hosted hashtag#LTT2026 Learning To Teach: (Re)Designing Creative Tech Pedagogy for the GenAI Era, A Virtual UnSymposium
Organized and Hosted #LTT2026 Learning To Teach: (Re)Designing Creative Tech Pedagogy for the GenAI Era, A Virtual UnSymposium
De Angela curated, organized, and hosted Learning To Teach: (Re)Designing Creative Tech Pedagogy for the GenAI Era, A Virtual UnSymposium hosted by Integrated Design and Media (IDM) at NYU Tandon School of Engineering on Friday, January 16, 2026 • 8:45am – 6:45pm ET.
Eight dynamic panels.
40 brilliant educators and practitioners.
One very, full day shaping the future of creative tech pedagogy.
We explored how teaching and learning are evolving across code, computation, custom bots, design, games, physical computing, and the creative process.
At LTT2026, we welcomed 33 higher education, K-12, and non-profit faculty and practitioners join us from institutions across North America, Europe, and Africa, including Algo Peers, Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, Carnegie Mellon University, Concordia University, Fordham University at Lincoln Center, HKU, University of the Arts Utrecht, Hunter College, Köln International School of Design, Lehman College (City University of New York, CUNY), Lehigh University, Long Island University, Marymount School of New York, New York University (NYU), OCAD University, Portland State University, Pratt Institute, Processing Foundation, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), School of Visual Arts (SVA), Tech Unlimited, The Possible Zone, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), University of Denver, University of Florida, University of San Francisco, Xavier University of Louisiana, and York College (CUNY).
MASSIVE THANKS to our phenomenal presenters for taking time out of your busy schedules to present.
MASSIVE THANKS to my incredible NYU colleagues, who moderated eight fast-paced, idea-rich sessions: Tega Brain, R. Luke DuBois, Kathleen McDermott, Ronah Harris, Carla Gannis, Hui Soo Chae, and Scott Fitzgerald. This event would not have been possible without you. I have to give a special shout out to Hui Soo for doing triple duty as a panel moderator, chat moderator, and virtual backstage host and to Scott for moderating 2 panels.
And, MASSIVE THANKS to the amazing LTT2026 audience (182 in attendance) for your thoughtful questions, vibrant chat action, and engaged presence throughout the day.
#EroticCity40 Featured in the Journal of Popular Music Studies
#EroticCity40 Featured in the Journal of Popular Music Studies
Massive gratitude to the Journal of Popular Music Studies (JPMS) for featuring last year’s Prince #EroticCity40 Symposium in the Field Notes section of their September 2025 edition!
- Volume 37, Number 3 (pp. 3–20)
- Published by the International Association for the Study of Popular Music, U.S. Branch (IASPM-US)
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1525/jpms.2025.37.3.3 (You’ll need a university account to access it.)
This edition features lightly edited transcripts from three outstanding presentations by Robert Loss, Zachary Hoskins, and Arthur Turnbull, representing three of the four 1984 albums celebrated during the event: The Time’s What Time Is It?, Apollonia 6’s self-titled debut, and Prince and The Revolution’s Purple Rain (all produced, arranged, composed, and performed by Prince alongside some of his remarkable musical collaborators).
JPMS specifically wanted to highlight women’s stories. So, the selected talks examine Prince’s relationships and work with Joni Mitchell, Apollonia 6, and Beyoncé.
Selecting just three from fourteen exceptional presentations was incredibly difficult. My deepest gratitude goes to ALL #EroticCity40 presenters for their contributions! 💜
Watch the featured presentations:
The Estate of Prince Rogers Nelson is not affiliated, associated, or connected with Prince #EroticCity40 Symposium, nor has it endorsed or sponsored the event. Further, the Estate of Prince Rogers Nelson has not licensed any of its intellectual property to the producers, advertisers, or directors of this symposium.
#Shhh30
Do U No 90s Prince? Over 2 days, “Gaze Deeply and U will C.” The Exodus has begun.
Save the dates and join us on September 20–21, 2025 (Saturday–Sunday) for #Shhh30, a *VIRTUAL* symposium celebrating the 30th anniversary of Prince’s The Gold Experience and The NPG’s Exodus.
Press “come” 2 pre-register for FREE. In the meantime, Xplore the schedule at a glance, speakers + more here on the symposium website.
Hello, welcome to The Dawn. Playground for the New and Next Power Generations. There are over 10 experiences to choose from, including 4o-plus speakers + 2 special guests, 8 presentations across 2 presentation panels, 5 lively roundtable discussions, an integrated segment of the weekly, What Did Prince Do This Week? webcast, and 2 keynote conversations.
The Gold Experience captures Prince at a creative crossroads. Released in 1995 during his battle with Warner Bros., it was the first album to bear his new name: the unpronounceable symbol, o(+>. Exodus, also released in 1995, is an album filled with deep cuts from Prince’s band, the New Power Generation AKA the NPG, with Prince performing incognito as the mysterious Tora Tora.
This event is FREE, but please consider donating to DIVAS (Digital Interactive Visual Arts Sciences) for Social Justice, a 501(c) nonprofit that empowers and inspires youth living in underserved communities in NYC and very soon MPLS to use tech and visual arts to promote social justice and become change makers in their communities. On Juneteenth 2024, DIVAS opened its first satellite office in South Minneapolis. The organization launched a social justice makerspace designed by the community. To learn more about DIVAS, watch this trailer and visit divasforsocialjustice.org.
MASSIVE THANKS to our wonderful sponsor, NYU, and Rev3rend for the INCREDIBLE graphics!
#Shhh30 is the 10th polished solid Prince symposium and the 15th Prince event, curated by De Angela L. Duff!
The Estate of Prince Rogers Nelson is not affiliated, associated, or connected with the ‘Prince #Shhh30 Virtual Symposium’ nor has it endorsed or sponsored the ‘Prince #Shhh30 Virtual Symposium.’ Further, the Estate of Prince Rogers Nelson has not licensed any of its intellectual property to the producers, advertisers, or directors of the ‘Prince #Shhh30 Virtual Symposium.’
Curated #PopLife40
At the #PopLife40 virtual symposium on April 11-13, 2025 (Fri-Sun), we celebrated 40 years of Prince’s Around The World In A Day (ATWIAD), The Family, and Sheila E.’s Romance 1600, all of which Prince produced, arranged, composed, and performed with the assistance of some amazing musical collaborators!
ATWIAD marked the bold and unexpected left turn Prince took while still riding the wave of Purple Rain’s massive commercial success. This symposium explored why he chose not to capitalize on that momentum with a “Purple Rain 2,” why the tour was cut short and never made it to Europe, and broader themes of race, gender, politics, and sexuality, as well as his impact on music, film, and fashion.
Over three days, the symposium featured 42 speakers across 10 sessions, including 13 presentations on five panels, three lively roundtable discussions, an integrated segment of the weekly What Did Prince Do This Week? webcast, and two very special keynotes. The first keynote brought together members of The Family—St. Paul Peterson, Susannah Melvoin, Jellybean Johnson, and Eric “Blow Your Horn” Leeds—on one virtual stage. The second keynote spotlighted Eddie M., whose iconic saxophone work could be heard throughout Romance 1600 and on two unforgettable tracks from Around the World in a Day.
MASSIVE THANKS to our wonderful sponsor, NYU!
#PopLife40 was the 9th polished solid Prince symposium and the 14th Prince event, curated by De Angela L. Duff!
This event was FREE, but please consider donating to DIVAS (Digital Interactive Visual Arts Sciences) for Social Justice, a 501(c) nonprofit that empowers and inspires youth living in underserved communities in NYC and very soon MPLS to use tech and visual arts to promote social justice and become change makers in their communities. On Juneteenth 2024, DIVAS opened its first satellite office in South Minneapolis. The organization launched a social justice makerspace designed by the community. To learn more about DIVAS, watch this trailer and visit https://divasforsocialjustice.org.
Featured in We Want The Funk! PBS Doc
📣 While it premiered on Tuesday, April 8, the doc can be currently streamed from the PBS YouTube channel or the PBS website.
De Angela is thrilled to be featured as a scholar and cultural critic in We Want the Funk!, a brand-new documentary from Emmy® Award-winner Stanley Nelson (who is also the Director of the equally important, Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool documentary) and Co-Director/Producer Nicole London.
We Want the Funk! explores the legacy and cultural impact of funk music through powerful first-hand accounts from legendary artists, including:
💥 George Clinton (Parliament-Funkadelic)
💥 Fred Wesley (The J.B.’s)
💥 Marcus Miller
💥 Nona Hendryx (of Labelle)
💥 David Byrne (of Talking Heads)
and SO many more!!!
It also features insights from contemporary scholars and cultural voices such as:
💥Questlove
💥Donnie Simpson
💥Rickey Vincent
De Angela appears alongside a dynamic group of esteemed colleagues from the Prince and music studies community, including:
💥Scot Brown
💥Miles Marshall Lewis
💥Jason King
💥Mark Anthony Neal
💥Fredara Hadley
💥Melissa A. Weber aka DJ Soul Sister
She is deeply honored to contribute to this celebration of funk’s enduring spirit and cultural significance.
If you love music history, Black culture, or just want to feel the funk, don’t miss this soul-stirring, head-nodding, must-watch experience because funk music is ALWAYS good for the soul! But, more than that, its rich history holds deep cultural truths and significance!💜
Curated and Moderated Prince Panel for PopCon 2025
Curated and Moderated Prince Panel for PopCon 2025
At the 23rd Annual #PopConference (PopCon 2025), held at USC Thornton School of Music on Friday, March 14, 2025, I curated and moderated a multidisciplinary panel titled Dressed to Thrill: Tracing the Cultural Impact of Prince’s Iconic Fashion and Style. As Prince’s influence on popular culture continues to resonate across generations, this panel offered new frameworks for understanding how his revolutionary fashion choices shaped and continue to shape visual culture, gender expression, and identity politics in popular music.
The panel featured an international roster of speakers:
- Professor Kirsty Fairclough (Manchester Metropolitan University)
In “Style as Legacy: Examining Prince’s Influence on Beyoncé’s Fashion and Artistic Expression,” Fairclough examined the stylistic and cultural lineage connecting Beyoncé and Prince, revealing how Beyoncé’s fashion both introduces and reinterprets Prince’s iconic aesthetic for a new generation. - Casci Ritchie (Northumbria University)
In”Embodied Intimacy: Studying Prince’s Dressed Moving Body on Screen,” Ritchie introduced “embodied intimacy” as a theoretical lens to analyze the audience’s sensory and emotional response to Prince’s clothed, moving body, using the performance of “Hot Thing” from Sign o’ the Times Live (1987) as a case study. - Robin Shumays (Independent Scholar)
In “Bedlah Bedlam: An Exploration of Orientalist Fantasy and Fashion via the Lens of Prince Rogers Nelson,” Shumays explored how Prince’s early 1990s fashion was influenced by Middle Eastern belly dance aesthetics through his relationship with Mayté Garcia. - Karen Turman (Harvard University)
In “‘A Long Fur Coat of Mink’: Semiotics of the Fur Coat in Sheila E.’s ‘The Glamorous Life’,” Turman analyzed Sheila E.’s mink coat in the “The Glamorous Life” video as a complex symbol of wealth, race, class, sex, and environmental politics.
Together, these presentations illuminated how Prince’s fashion legacy transcends mere aesthetics to interrogate broader conversations about culture, identity, and artistic influence.
Interviewed on Entry Points
De Angela joins Arthur Turnbull on ENTRY POINTS. They dive deep into her work in higher education, focusing on the future of teaching and learning with generative AI.
Of course, the discussion wouldn’t be complete without talking about… 🥁 drumroll… Prince!💜
Audio
Join them on Apple Podcasts, Spotify & elsewhere…
Video
Curated #Come30 Virtual Symposium
Symposium website: https://come.polishedsolid.com
The Prince #Come30 virtual symposium, celebrating 30 years of Prince’s Come, was held on August 10-11, 2024 (Sat-Sun)!
Over 2 days, there were 41 speakers over a total of 8 sessions, featuring 12 presentations over 3 presentation panels, 4 roundtable discussions, and an integrated segment of the weekly What Did Prince Do This Week? on the conference platform, Zoom Events, instead of the usual YouTube and Facebook!
MASSIVE THANKS to our wonderful sponsor, NYU, and Marco ‘t Hart of 9t99art for the amazing graphics!
#Come30 was the 8th polished solid Prince symposium and the 13th Prince event, curated by De Angela L. Duff!
This event was FREE, but please consider donating to the DIVAS (Digital Interactive Visual Arts Sciences) for Social Justice, a 501(c) nonprofit that empowers and inspires youth living in underserved communities in NYC and very soon MPLS to use tech and visual arts to promote social justice and become change makers in their communities. On Juneteenth 2024, DIVAS will open its first satellite office in South Minneapolis. The organization will launch a social justice makerspace designed by the community. To learn more about the DIVAS, watch this trailer and visit https://www.divasforsocialjustice.org.
To keep abreast of future symposia, subscribe to https://polishedsolid.substack.com or https://polishedsolidevents.substack.com.
The Estate of Prince Rogers Nelson is not affiliated, associated, or connected with the ‘Prince #Come30 Virtual Symposium’ nor has it endorsed or sponsored the ‘Prince #Come30 Virtual Symposium.’ Further, the Estate of Prince Rogers Nelson has not licensed any of its intellectual property to the producers, advertisers, or directors of the ‘Prince #Come30 Virtual Symposium.’
Presented at the Prince on Screen: Images and Ideology Conference
De Angela is presenting at the Prince on Screen: Images and Ideology Conference at the University of Minnesota on June 17-18, 2024! This conference is curated by the International Centre 4 Prince Studies!
De Angela’s presentation is “”Life Is Just A Party, And Parties Weren’t Meant To Last:” Life, Death, And Celebration In Prince’s Cinematic And Musical Odyssey, by De Angela Duff” on the “Brave New World”: Prince’s Cinematic World Building” panel!
Abstract:
Prince’s prolific oeuvre traverses a spectrum of human emotions and existential reflections, manifesting most evocatively through the themes of life, death, and celebration and crafting a narrative that is as melancholic as it is euphoric. This talk explores these thematic recurrences in Prince’s narrative films, Purple Rain (1984), Under The Cherry Moon (1986), and Graffiti Bridge (1990), alongside a parallel analysis of these themes within his musical compositions.
Moreover, the interplay between joie de vivre and mortality is further nuanced as we approach the 40th-anniversary celebration of Purple Rain, Prince’s award-winning, debut film, and eight years since Prince’s own transition. Through a multidisciplinary lens encompassing film studies, musicology, and cultural analysis, this presentation seeks to understand Prince’s embrace of the inevitable– death, thereby enriching the understanding of his life, his moving image, and his musical legacy, as we continue to celebrate and honor his “everlasting now.”
Learn more about Prince on Screen: Images and Ideology Conference at https://www.internationalcentre4princestudies.com/events.
Curated #EroticCity40 Prince Symposium
Symposium website: https://eroticcity.polishedsolid.com
The #EroticCity40 symposium was held at NYU 370 Jay Street, Rm 202, Brooklyn, NY & livestreamed on April 12–14, 2024 (Friday through Sunday) to celebrate the four albums that defined 1984—Prince’s Purple Rain, The Time’s Ice Cream Castle, Apollonia 6, and Sheila E’s The Glamorous Life—alongside the Purple Rain film.
Over 3 days, there were 48 speakers and a total of 14 sessions, featuring 14 presentations, 5 roundtable discussions, a daily 80s fashion contest, a special in-person segment of What Did Prince Do This Week?, and a very special keynote with Vaughn Terry, best known as one-half of the design team duo Louis & Vaughn, who crafted Prince’s iconic looks during the Purple Rain era! We will also discuss film, race, gender, and sexuality in addition to music and fashion.
For more details, including the schedule and speakers, visit the symposium website: https://eroticcity.polishedsolid.com.
#EroticCity40 is a polished solid production, curated by De Angela L. Duff!
The Estate of Prince Rogers Nelson is not affiliated, associated, or connected with the ‘#EroticCity40 Prince Symposium’ nor has it endorsed or sponsored the ‘#EroticCity40 Prince Symposium.’ Further, the Estate of Prince Rogers Nelson has not licensed any of its intellectual property to the producers, advertisers, or directors of the ‘#EroticCity40 Prince Symposium.’
To keep abreast of future symposia, subscribe to https://polishedsolid.substack.com or https://polishedsolidevents.substack.com.
Presented & Moderated at Pop Con 2024
De Angela presented and moderated at the 22nd annual Pop Conference at the USC Thornton School of Music, March 7-9, 2024!
Her presentation was “Wax ‘N Facts: A Musical Odyssey of an Avid Record Collector and a Liner Notes Junkie!” on the “Legacy Junkies and Collectors: The Archive and the Personal” panel!
Abstract: Record collecting and music listening practices are more than hobbies; they are sacred duties that preserve musical legacies and shape cultural narratives. These practices create a tapestry of collective memory. My tale reflects a universal experience: the endless horizons that a love of music unveils and how it connects and sustains us. My journey into this world began in childhood through my aunt and uncles and since morphed into a lifelong mission to keep Prince’s name on the lips of the children. How does collecting physical forms of media and reading liner notes impact individual lives—a journey where every record spun connects us with other music listeners of the past, present, and future, keeping the collective narrative threads enmeshed? Collecting, cherishing, and sharing music isn’t just a pastime; it’s a way to shape the musical legacies that resonate across time and space through specific, individual actions. I invite you to reflect on your journey and ruminate on how we can collectively ensure that our love of music persists and resonates through the annals of time, honoring past listeners and acting as a bridge to future generations to come.
She also moderated the “Repackaging Dreams: Media as Archives from Greatest Hits” panel.
Learn more about Pop Con 2024 at https://music.usc.edu/spotlights/popcon-2024.
Diamonds and Pearls Super Deluxe Virtual Celebration
#DPSDVC Diamonds and Pearls Super Deluxe Virtual Celebration
#DPSDVC Diamonds and Pearls Super Deluxe Virtual Celebration was a 2-day virtual celebration on Saturday, December 9, 2023, and Sunday, December 10, 2023, for the release of Prince’s Diamonds and Pearls Super Deluxe.
This event was in the spirit of the#W2AVC Welcome 2 America Virtual Celebration (2021), #SOTTSDC Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Celebration (2020), and the tradition of Harlem Renaissance salons, where gifted & creative poets, writers, artists, musicians, activists & scholars came together 2 have conversations & debates in a supportive & welcoming space!
This event was FREE, but please consider donating to the Purple Playground, a 501(c)3 nonprofit fan-based group formed in June 2017 to honor Prince’s legacy and create their Academy of Prince music program for teens. To learn more about the Purple Playground, visit https://www.purpleplayground.org.
The AMAZING Graphic Design by Reverend!
#DPSDVC is a polished solid production, curated by De Angela L. Duff!
For more info including the speakers and video archives, visit https://bit.ly/dpsdvc.
The Estate of Prince Rogers Nelson is not affiliated, associated, or connected with the #DPSDVC Diamonds and Pearls Super Deluxe Virtual Celebration nor has it endorsed or sponsored the #DPSDVC Diamonds and Pearls Super Deluxe Virtual Celebration, etc.
Wrote Essay for Prince's Grammy-Nominated Diamonds and Pearls Super Deluxe
Wrote Essay for Prince's Grammy-Nominated Diamonds and Pearls Super Deluxe box set
How can I convey the “unlanguageable”(as my brother in Lovesexy would say)? It’s nearly impossible as I struggle to find words to express this singular moment.
So, I’ll tell you a quick story instead. When I got my copies of the Prince’s Grammy-nominated Diamonds and Pearls Super Deluxe Box Set, I thought once I had the accompanying 120-page hardcover book in my hands and saw my name in black and white as an essayist for “Everything U’ll Look 4, U’ll Find,” my contribution to the box set would sink in and feel real. But, to this very moment, I am still in disbelief. It feels surreal… like my essay is someone else’s, not mine.
To an outsider, this might seem like just another accomplishment, but those who truly know me understand the profound significance of this once-in-a-lifetime occasion.
Even though I am still in shock, “there comes a time in every (wo)man’s life that” they need to pause and express gratitude. So, here we go…
I wouldn’t have gotten here without so many people supporting my Prince work… So, here are my album credits, once again in no particular order: Londell McMillan, Charles Spicer, Duane Tudahl, Warner Records, Sony Legacy Records, C. Liegh McInnis, R. Luke DuBois, Scott Fitzgerald, Dr. Deborah Willis, Lisa M. Coleman, Ph.D. (she/hers), ayoka chenzira, Joe Holt, Kirsty Fairclough, John Wyatt IV, Zaheer Ali, Anil Dash, Miles Marshall Lewis, Elliott H. Powell, Arthur Turnbull, Kamilah Cummings, Harold Pride, Michael Dean, KaNisa Williams, Edgar Kruize, jooZt of PrinceVault, Matthijs L. Nicolay Rook, Marco ‘t Hart, Rev3rend, Ivan Orr, Chris Rob, Tammy Sharpe (Alana Mika), Sam(antha) Jackson, Tracy Figueroa, special and heartfelt thanks to Krysta Battersby for always having my back even when she doesn’t have to do so, Mable Ivory who is the light source that gave me the push I needed to get my ball rolling, and to each and every presenter, roundtable panelist, and moderator of all the symposia, and, last but definitely not least, every single person who has ever attended my weekly, virtual book club, What Did Prince Do This Week?, one of my Prince symposia, listened 2 one of the Grown Folks Music Prince podcasts or my Prince birthday mixes on my online radio show, No Turn Unstoned.
I am deeply grateful to the Prince Estate for affording me this opportunity, and I’m extremely honored to be among the esteemed company of the other essayists: Chuck D of Public Enemy, Andrea Swensson, Jason Draper, Duane Tudahl, and KaNisa Williams!
But, above all, #Prince! 💜
What Did Prince Do This Week? #WDPDTW
What Did Prince Do This Week? #WDPDTW
New Year! New Prince project! What Did Prince Do This Week? #WDPDTW
Hope you’ll join De Angela, co-host Michael Dean, and various guests for a very, very, very slow read of Duane Tudahl’s entire Prince Studio Sessions book series through a weekly, online book club, beginning Sat, 7 January 2023.
They are live every Saturday at noon ET on YouTube and Facebook to discuss with YOU what Prince did during the parallel week, beginning in 1983.
They are beginning with Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions: 1983 and 1984 (Expanded Edition) by Duane Tudahl! We’ll read it over the course of two years. Yes, it is a commitment, but we’ll be reading the book in very short, digestible, bite-sized chunks!
You can find the weekly schedule here: http://bookclub.polishedsolid.com/schedule.
To keep up with the latest videos, visit: https://www.youtube.com/@polishedsolid.