Alaba Ilesanmi
Born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, Alaba is a McKnight Doctoral Fellow and a doctoral candidate in musicology at the Florida State University, where he also directs the Pan-African ensemble, Afro-Nyota. His music studies formally started at the prestigious Musical Society of Nigeria (MUSON) School of Music, Lagos; there, he was awarded a full scholarship by the MTN Foundation in 2010 and graduated as the “Best Overall Student” in 2012. He holds advanced certificates in music theory and percussion and piano playing from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) and Trinity College of Music, London. Also, he holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Texas at Tyler and a master’s degree in musicology from Florida State University. Additionally, he is a certified EC-12 music educator in Texas. Alaba’s primary interest is in African and the African diaspora’s music, exploring the continuous feedback among global Black cultures as they intersect with the themes of identity and cultural politics, indigeneity, intersectionality, colonization, post-colonial theory, and globalization. He actively maintains his career as a composer, educator, music theorist, and researcher. Beyond academics, he enjoys traveling, kayaking, sightseeing, and volunteering.