Join electronic music artist Carl Craig and jazz bassist, composer, and educator Rodney Whitaker for an in-depth conversation on creativity, improvisation, and artistic practice. Both born in Detroit around the same time, Craig and Whitaker bring perspectives shaped by sustained creative inquiry and a shared attention to process. Craig, one of the current MSUFCU Arts Power Up artists-in-residence at Michigan State University, and Whitaker, University Distinguished Professor of Jazz Bass and Director of Jazz Studies at Michigan State University, will explore the creative processes that connect techno and jazz, reflecting on how structure, spontaneity, collaboration, and intuition inform their work across genres.
This program will be moderated by MSU Museum CoLab Creative Director and Music Professor Mark Sullivan.
This program is in conjunction with the MSUFCU Arts Power Up Art Residency which brings artists each year to the MSU campus to work alongside faculty and students at the intersections of arts and sciences. The residency fosters collaboration, experimentation, and creative research, culminating in public programs that invite campus and community audiences into the artistic process.
The MSUFCU Arts Power Up Artist Residency is generously supported by an endowed gift from the Michigan State University Federal Credit Union.
Carl Craig is a prominent figure in the world of Electronic music, particularly known for his work in the Techno genre. Hailing from Detroit, Michigan, he is considered one of the key artists in the second wave of Detroit techno during the late 1980s and 1990s. Craig has been influential in the genre, both through his own innovative productions and by fostering the careers of other artists through his record label, Planet E Communications.
Beyond his direct contributions to music production and DJing, Craig has been involved in various collaborations and projects across different genres and mediums. His work often bridges the gap between Electronic music and other forms of art, such as performance and installation art. Craig’s influence and contributions to the electronic music scene, particularly Detroit Techno, have made him a respected and seminal figure in the industry.
Craig will be in residence as part of the MSUFCU Arts Power Up Artist Residency program from mid-January through April 2026, working in close collaboration with researchers at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB), a world-unique rare isotope research laboratory. Through this residency, Craig will engage directly with cutting-edge scientific inquiry, translating complex research environments into new creative and conceptual forms.
Rodney Whitaker, a preeminent figure at Michigan State University, is a distinguished professor of jazz bass,
director of jazz studies, and an acclaimed Origin Records artist. Recently inducted into the Academy of Arts & Sciences, his influence on jazz spans decades. Whitaker’s illustrious career, highlighted by collaborations with icons like the Roy Hargrove Quintet and Wynton Marsalis Septet, and his current roles as a bandleader, educator, and mentor, underscores his profound and enduring legacy. He champions jazz’s future through his ambitious goal of nurturing a thousand mentors, each inspiring countless others. Beyond performance and teaching, his work as a recording and performing artist with ensembles like the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra has garnered acclaim for its entrenched insights and vibrant expression, solidifying his status as a highly sought-after collaborator. Since earning tenure at MSU in 2003, Professor Whitaker’s achievements, amplified by Dean Forger’s strong leadership, have significantly elevated the prestige of the College of Music and the university. As Director of Jazz Studies, he has been a staunch champion of excellence and forward momentum. Under his visionary guidance, the jazz program has thrived, marked by the expansion of its faculty to seven and a dramatic increase in student enrollment, 70 undergraduate and 14 graduate Jazz Majors with aspirations for advanced degreed programs in jazz performance.
Program Partners
The College of Music
Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB)
Arts MSU
MSUFCU