Christopher Reali
FLORENCE – Author and musicologist Christopher Reali will discuss his 2022 book “Music and Mystique in Muscle Shoals,” 6 p.m., Thursday, March 16, at the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library.
An assistant professor of music at Ramapo College of New Jersey, Reali based his book on years of
archival and oral history research. In his author talk, he’ll explore the process of writing the book and what he learned about Muscle Shoals music along the way.
“Dr. Reali’s book is one of the most comprehensive histories of this local music that rocked the world,” said Carrie Crawford, director of the Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area, which is co-sponsoring the library talk. “It’s a much-needed addition to resources about our local music history.”
Reali is a cultural musicologist who studies popular music by examining the relationships between local music scenes and the national music industry. He has presented at numerous conferences including the American Musicological Society, Society for American Music and Society for Ethnomusicology. He has published work in “Southern Cultures” as well as the New Grove Dictionary of American Music and New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture. He’s also toured internationally as a guitar technician and manager for Chris Whitley and as a guitar, bass and drum tech for David Gray.
For details, contact the library at 256-764-6564.
Media Release/Cathy Wood/MSNHA media coordinator
