Book Talk: Go Back and Fetch It

M | Arts Initiative

A Conversation with authors Rhiannon Giddens &amp; Kristina Gaddy

Rackham Amphitheatre

<h3>Book Talk &amp; Signing with Rhiannon Giddens and Kristina Gaddy</h3>Presented in partnership with the University of North Carolina PressJoin us for an evening with Grammy Award–winning musician Rhiannon Giddens, University of Michigan Artist-in-Residence, and acclaimed writer Kristina R. Gaddy as they discuss their new book Go Back and Fetch It: Recovering Early Black Music in the Americas for Fiddle and Banjo (UNC Press, 2025) in a conversation moderated by Mark Clague, Executive Director of the University of Michigan Arts Initiative. The talk will be followed by a dessert reception, with books available for purchase and signing.📅 Schedule<ul><li>5:00 p.m. – Doors open</li><li>5:30 p.m. – Authors talk begins</li><li>6:30 p.m. – Dessert reception and book signing</li></ul>Preorder your copy of Go Back and Fetch It through <a href="https://www.schulerbooks.com/book/9781469690575" title="https://www.schulerbooks.com/book/9781469690575" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Schuler Books</a>. <h3>About the Book</h3>For the first time, this groundbreaking songbook collaboration by music writer <a href="https://www.kristinagaddy.com/" title="https://www.kristinagaddy.com/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Kristina R. Gaddy</a> and Grammy Award winner <a href="https://rhiannongiddens.com/" title="https://rhiannongiddens.com/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Rhiannon Giddens</a> makes nineteen examples of early Black Atlantic music accessible and playable for today’s musicians, music enthusiasts, and historians. Presenting music from 1687 through the 1860s in modern treble clef and banjo tablature, along with the rich stories behind each song, Gaddy and Giddens take readers on a journey from the Caribbean across the Americas. Immensely readable for amateurs and professionals alike, Go Back and Fetch It explains the significance of early Black Atlantic music and how the patterns of tunings, melodic lines, and lyrics shed light on the impact that Black American music has had on nineteenth-century popular music, early country, old time, and bluegrass. Each tune pairs with an engaging essay on its historical background and how the tune transformed over time, as well as information about the collector. Deeply researched and carefully approached, this essential source restores the roots of Black music to the musical canon.Learn more about the book from <a href="https://uncpress.org/9781469690575/go-back-and-fetch-it/" title="https://uncpress.org/9781469690575/go-back-and-fetch-it/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">University of North Carolina Press</a>.