MUSIC FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE

#101 Self. Reflection
Short Description: Moving violin and jazz bass performances anchor the stories of finding one’s own place in society.

Full Description: Violinist Yvonne Lam and composer/bassist Jordyn Davis share their personal journeys toward finding their voice in the world. Through Lam’s moving performance of “Memory” by composer Chen Yi, and Davis’ expression through her own composition inspired by a song by Nina Simone, they paint a clear picture of the self-reflection required by people who are often “othered” by society.


#102 Powerful Voices
Short Description: Two distinct voices share stories and performances in an effort to use music to fight for justice.

Full Description: Mezzo-sopranos Jane Bunnell and GeDeane Graham share historic and personal stories. Bunnell examines famed singer Marian Anderson’s groundbreaking performance at the Lincoln Memorial. Graham shares the tragic story of the murder of her friend. Both vocalists show how the power of the voice can overcome oppression and fight for justice.


#103 Hard History
Short Description: A piano evokes Hawaii’s traumatic past, and jazz reminds of a forgotten era in Detroit.

Full Description: Pianist Derek Polischuk performs music from his album Terra Incognita featuring composer Tom Osborne, celebrating the beauty of Hawaii while sharing its traumatic path to statehood. Jazz bassist and composer Rodney Whitaker recalls the fear and violence a special police unit unleashed on Detroit’s Black communities in the 1970s, performing his original piece “The Big Four” with a quartet.


#104 MLK’s Lasting Legacy
Short Description: Three varied and impactful songs inspired by the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Full Description: Artists share the lasting impact of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Baritone Mark Rucker and accompanist Sadie Rucker deliver a powerful song written by Dr. Lena McLin. Jazz drummer Randy Gelispie and vocalist Brandon Rose reimagine Max Roach’s “I Have A Dream” performance. Multi-genre recording artist Damien Sneed improvises a moving solo piano piece based on “We Shall Overcome.”


#105 Love and Humanity
Short Description: Composers play their moving electronic and jazz pieces inspired by love and humanity.

Full Description: Composer and intermedia artist Lyn Goeringer humanizes an often forgotten segment of our society by shedding light on the murders of transgender women of color in Detroit through the lens of the streetlights meant to keep them safe. Jazz bassist and composer Rodney Whitaker play his tune “First Love, Only Love” which began as a love song to his wife and evolved into a message of love for humanity.


#106 I Am America
Short Description: Music by trailblazing Black composers and a moving saxophone piece celebrate diversity and inclusion.

Full Description: Baritone Jadrian Tarver, with pianist Elden Little, uses his voice to command an equal place in America for all people of color, with music by Margaret Bonds and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. Saxophonist Joe Lulloff and pianist Yu-Lien The perform movements from Dorothy Chang’s “New Stories,” celebrating the diverse influences of the composer who provides insight into her unique American experience.



#107 Freedom
Short Description: Three performances of jazz and art song address oppression yet end the season with hope.

Full Description: In the season finale, jazz bassist and composer Rodney Whitaker and bass-baritone Marc Embree share stories of pain of oppression, but also the hope that music brings. Whitaker performs his original “A Mother’s Cry,” and Embree sings “Goin’ Home” by Antonin Dvorák. The episode concludes with an uplifting performance of Nina Simone’s “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free” by Damien Sneed.