Historic Performers at SUNY Cortland
The Musical Legacy Commemorative Project began in 2018 in preparation for SUNY Cortland’s Sesquicentennial celebration. The project involved many key partners who helped research Cortland’s music history from a three-decade period; the 1960s, 1970s, and the 1980s. During this period, Cortland hosted performances from the Eagles, James Taylor, Aerosmith, the Grateful Dead, Linda Ronstandt, Billy Joel, Neil Diamond, and many more. This research, guided by campus faculty/staff and alumni, produced a series of six-shadow boxes to help shape this narrative and preserve its legacy. These currently reside in Corey Union and were unveiled on October 7, 2021.
Prior to the shadow box unveiling however, Scott Oldfield ‘06, Professor of Art and Art History at Cortland, sculpted a series of musical instruments using a copper and stainless-steel medium to pay tribute to the musical legacy at SUNY Cortland. This permanent display also lives in Corey Union and was unveiled on July 13, 2019.
The descriptions and research in this virtual experience come directly from the Musical Legacy Project Committee members who dedicated countless hours to this one of a kind commemoration.
The virtual experience is organized into a series of tabs. Each one captures different components such as a detailed history of the project, and a history of committees/organizations that is responsible for bringing these musicians to campus. A timeline appears in each year (within the tabs) that detail who and when specific artists came to Cortland. Alongside these are a few articles or photographs that highlight some of these acts.