The Resonance Series

The Resonance Series Award-Winning Guest Performance and Lecture series bringing free clinics, workshops, and performances to Norman.

Over 250 events, featuring 80 guests including 41 GRAMMY winners as well as Oscar, Tony, Emmy, Golden Globe, and Pulitzer Prize Winners

The first Resonance Series guest of 2026 arrives tomorrow, Rascal Flatt's Drummer Jim Riley! We are proud to partner wit...
02/20/2026

The first Resonance Series guest of 2026 arrives tomorrow, Rascal Flatt's Drummer Jim Riley! We are proud to partner with the Norman Music Institute and HōM to bring you one of the most successful country drummers to Norman, ahead of his performance that night at the Paycom Center!

Join us at 11am for a free 90-minute Q&A and performance at 2901 Broce Drive, Norman, OK!

02/19/2026

A special message from Austin Wintory, coming to Oklahoma this Monday and Tuesday, Feb 23-24! (Note... this was shot right before he WON THE 2026 GRAMMY FOR BEST VIDEO GAME SCORE! His game "Sword of the Sea" beat out giant IP's including Star Wars, Avatar, Indiana Jones, and Helldivers 2. COME MEET THE WORLD'S BEST VIDEO GAME COMPOSER!!!)

All events are free and open to the public!

music.ou.edu/resonance for the schedule

01/30/2026

A once in a lifetime opportunity in your backyard... 🎶

The Resonance Series and Norman Music Institute are proud to welcome Jim Riley for a one-day only Q&A and performance that inspires, educates, and grooves with you.

Join us on February 21st at 11 a.m. in the Norman Music Institute for an all ages clinic from 6x winner of the "Best Country Drummer" and Hollywood Walk of Fame drummer for the Rascal Flatts.

✨ Be part of an experience like no other and learn more today: (https://normanmusicinstitute.com/events)

Videography Courtesy of Sabian Cymbals and Hudson Music

Norman Music Institute
2901 Broce Drive
Norman, OK 73072

Tonight at 7pm in Catlett Music Center's Sharp Hall, the legendary Mike Stern Quintet! $11 tickets, order online or at t...
11/16/2025

Tonight at 7pm in Catlett Music Center's Sharp Hall, the legendary Mike Stern Quintet! $11 tickets, order online or at the door.

Join us tomorrow (Monday) for free masterclasses, Q&As, and other events, capped with the OU Jazz Bands ft. The Quintet!

If you're a major donor and haven't gotten your free tickets, email [email protected] with how many you'd like and they'll be available at will-call.

More info and links to tickets at music.ou.edu/resonance

THIS SUNDAY THROUGH NEXT TUESDAY!Resonance Series proudly presents: THE MIKE STERN QUINTETNovember 16-18, 2025Join us fo...
11/12/2025

THIS SUNDAY THROUGH NEXT TUESDAY!

Resonance Series proudly presents: THE MIKE STERN QUINTET
November 16-18, 2025

Join us for two concerts and multiple free clinics/masterclasses with the legendary jazz guitarist Mike Stern and his quintet.

Sunday Nov 16th
7:00 - 8:30pm - Sharp Concert Hall - Mike Stern Quintet Performance - $11 Tickets Online ( https://oufinearts.evenue.net/events/RSI ) or at the Fine Arts Box Office

Monday, Nov 17th
9:00am - 9:50am - Catlett 032 - Teaching General Music Class (General Workshop/Q&A) - FREE
12:00pm - 12:50pm - Catlett 109 - Resonance Full Band Q&A - FREE
8:00pm - 9:15pm - Sharp Concert Hall - OU Jazz Bands Concert ft. Mike Stern Quintet - $11 Tickets Online ( https://oufinearts.evenue.net/events/SNMI ) or at the Fine Arts Box Office

Tuesday, Nov 18th
10:30am - 11:20am - Fred Jones Art Museum Sandy Bell Gallery - Jazz Improv Class - FREE
1:30pm - 2:20pm - Catlett 107A - Drumset & Bass Masterclass - FREE

Bios:
Mike Stern - Guitar, 6x GRAMMY® Nominee, Guitar Player Magazine's "Certified Legend" and "Best Jazz Guitarist" award, winner of the Miles Davis Award for significant contributions to the renewal of Jazz, former guitarist for Blood, Sweat & Tears, voted as one of Down Beat Magazine’s 75 Best Guitarists of All Time, has toured as a partner with Miles Davis, and has performed/toured with Jaco Pastorius, Eric Johnson, the Brecker Brothers, Arturo Sandoval, Kenny Garrett, Bela Fleck, Victor Wooten, the Yellowjackets, and countless others

Leni Stern - Guitar, Guitar Player Magazine’s “50 Most Sensational Female Guitarists of All Time”

Jimmy Haslip - Bass, 23x GRAMMY® Nominated, 2x GRAMMY® Winning founding member of the The Yellowjackets

Bob Franceschini - Saxophone, 5x GRAMMY® Nominated Saxophonist who has toured with Celine Dion, Paul Simon, Lionel Richie, Tower of Power, Jennifer Lopez, and many more

Steve Pruitt - Drums, former member of Snarky Puppy, former Professor of Drum Set/Jazz Studies at the University of North Texas, toured/performed with Jeff Lorber, Phil Woods, Bernard Wright, Oz Noy, and Eddie Gomez

Additionally, for the first time in 250+ events and 80 artists, you can now donate directly to the series in any increments directly from your phone or computer! There are two funds; a support fund that helps cover the costs/fees of upcoming artists immediately and directly, and an endowment that grows every year and pays out a percentage, allowing donations to live forever. Your donations allow all educational events to be free, and all ticketed concerts to be affordable to everyone.

Donate at: https://give.oufoundation.org/SoMResonance
The Resonance Series is a part of the OU Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and donations to the series are tax deductible.

If you make plan to make a significant donation, please email Eric Walschap at [email protected] to discuss sponsorship-level benefits.

More information can be found at music.ou.edu/resonance

MIKE STERN QUINTET IN NORMAN, OK, NOV 16-18If you would like to meet, listen to, and discuss music with (current or form...
11/06/2025

MIKE STERN QUINTET IN NORMAN, OK, NOV 16-18

If you would like to meet, listen to, and discuss music with (current or former) members of the bands of Miles Davis, Blood Sweat and Tears, Jaco Pastorius, Snarky Puppy, Celine Dion, Paul Simon, Tower of Power, The Yellow Jackets, Kiss, and dozens of other household names, who as a quintet are selling out venues RIGHT NOW worldwide including Asia, Europe, and all over the USA, join us in Norman November 16-18.

Winner of Guitar Player Magazine's Best Jazz Guitarist, Gibson Guitar's Best Jazz Guitarist, and Down Beat Magazine's 75 Best Guitarists of All Time (11 spots beneath Jimi Hendrix), Mike Stern is already cemented as one of the all time greats.

See the quintet live at:

Mike Stern Quintet Concert on Sunday November 16th at 7:00pm (Tickets at https://oufinearts.evenue.net/events/RSI )

OU Jazz Bands ft. Mike Stern on Monday November 17th at 8:00pm (Tickets at https://oufinearts.evenue.net/events/SNMI )

All tickets for concerts are $11 (with fee included)

All other events are free,including masterclasses, clinics, Q&As, etc. More information can be found at music.ou.edu/resonance

It's been an exciting week for both the Resonance Series and the State of Oklahoma. New initiatives, meeting with state ...
11/06/2025

It's been an exciting week for both the Resonance Series and the State of Oklahoma. New initiatives, meeting with state representatives and recording academy members, new partnerships, new major donors, and on the verge of announcing some of the biggest names on the series to date. These partnerships, donors, and other soon-to-be-announced changes to the series will drastically expand the reach of guests we can bring in, as well as provide new quality, free events around Norman and Oklahoma.

Don't forget to join us November 16-18 for the legendary Mike Stern and his Quintet for two concerts and many free workshops, masterclasses, and more!

More details and tickets for the concerts (Only $11 including fees!) available at music.ou.edu/resonance

Join us Tuesday and Wednesday, September 23-24, as we host the award-winning Adaptive Music Designer and Video Game Musi...
09/20/2025

Join us Tuesday and Wednesday, September 23-24, as we host the award-winning Adaptive Music Designer and Video Game Music composer Seth Wright. In partnership with the Norman Parks and Recreation department, Seth will be giving many free and open to the public talks, workshops, demos, and Q&A's, as well as talking to students at public schools, giving private lessons, and capping his residency off with an exciting presentation at the Young Family Athletic Center at 6:30pm on Wednesday the 24th, with the Norman Parks and Recreation Department both giving away a VR headset to a lucky attendee, and letting us all watch Seth's work LIVE on the biggest indoor screen in Oklahoma, the 74-foot screen at the YFAC.

Additionally, thank you to the Oklahoma Film + Music Office for partnering and helping host this incredible guest, as always lifting and supporting Oklahoma talent!

All events that are open to the public are FREE

Visit music.ou.edu/resonance for the full schedule (minus private lessons)
Visit https://www.normanok.gov/residents-visitors/parks-recreation for information on the Parks and Recreation dept, and their page for more information.
Visit https://www.okfilmmusic.org/ to see the incredible work that the Oklahoma Film + Music Office is doing to elevate Oklahomans while at the same time attracting and bringing in talent from around the country to our state.

The OU Resonance Series officially kicks off its biggest year yet with this coming week featuring two exciting residenci...
09/20/2025

The OU Resonance Series officially kicks off its biggest year yet with this coming week featuring two exciting residencies!

Omanye - Monday, September 22nd

Thanks to the Norman Cultural Connection, and in partnership with the Masala Series, the first guests, Omanye, are coming all the way from Ghana for a six-day tour throughout Oklahoma. As one of the premier music and dance ensembles of Ghana, they will be coming to share their music, culture, and much more in two FREE workshops at OU this Monday, September 22 at 9am and 10am in the Reynolds Performing Arts Center room 3260.

Thank you again to the Norman Cultural Connection and Marial Martyn for creating this wonderful opportunity!

"Omanye Music and Dance Ensemble is a premier Ghanaian performing arts group dedicated to preserving and celebrating the nation's rich cultural heritage through vibrant music and dance.

The name Omanye comes from the Ga language and represents the values of peace, happiness, and well-being. These principles are at the core of our work. Through powerful, engaging performances, we share the spirit of Ghana with audiences around the world, keeping its cultural traditions alive and thriving."

More information on the Resonance Series can be found at music.ou.edu/resonance
More information on the Norman Cultural Connection can be found at https://www.normanculturalconnection.org/

The Resonance Series is humbled and honored to partner with World Literature Today to help host the world-renowned poet,...
08/26/2025

The Resonance Series is humbled and honored to partner with World Literature Today to help host the world-renowned poet, vocalist, and educator, Haleh Liza Gafori. With a performance range from SXSW and Bonnaroo to the the Carnegie Hall stage, and tours, lectures, and more around the globe, she is one of the most respected artists in the field. Her works are published in the Harvard Review, Columbia University Press, Paris Review, and many other iconic publications.

A full schedule of events will be released closer to the events, most held by World Literature Today (follow them on Facebook and other social media!)

Regarded as simply one of the best in the business, we are honored to host the one and only Austin Wintory. As a video g...
08/26/2025

Regarded as simply one of the best in the business, we are honored to host the one and only Austin Wintory. As a video game composer, he has been nominated for 3 Grammys and won a BAFTA award while writing original music and working on huge games like Assassins Creed, League of Legends, Fortnite, Command and Conquer, and defining what music can do with video games on the legendary soundtrack of Flow - among countless other credits. He has had featured presentations on IGN, and his music will pull the heartstrings of nearly all video game players as they recognize his beautiful, powerful, story-telling compositions. His music is one of the constant examples of this genre of music being equal to - or even surpassing - the passion and emotions you feel in film and TV music.

Austin will premier his original work for video games that have just been released, and show his incredible writing process as he gives masterclasses, demos, lectures, and more, showcasing what has made him one of the most sought-after composers in the world.

Address

500 West Boyd
Norman, OK
73019

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