“Did you know that the history of African-American musicians in urban Charleston extends back in time more than three hundred years? Did you know that Charleston was one of several “jazz nurseries” at the turn of the end of the 19th century? In order to raise awareness of these facts, and to promote a greater sense of civic pride about this aspect of our shared heritage, I will present an eight-part multimedia lecture series entitled “The Color of Music” between October 2012 and May 2013. Over the course of the series, we’ll explore the roll of enslaved musicians in the South Carolina militia and Charleston’s urban police from the early colonial era to the Civil War, and follow the emergence of Charleston “black bands” in era of Reconstruction through Ragtime and early Jazz”.
The series kicks off this week (October 9th and 10th) and will continue monthly, with two opportunities each month to hear each installment. Join me on the second Tuesday of each month at St. Johannes Lutheran Church (48 Hasell Street, 29401), or on the second Wednesday of each month at the 2nd Floor Classroom at the Charleston County Public Library (68 Calhoun Street, 29401). All events begin at 6:30 p.m. and will last approximately one hour. For more details please download the Color of Music series flyer.