Family-Friendly Events In Inspirada and Henderson
The Inspirada community is where neighbors aren’t just neighbors, they’re your friends. Residents valley-wide come together for a variety of fun community events, and there is always something for everyone!
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“Fiddlin’ with Stories” featuring master storyteller Charlotte Blake Alston and violinist Diane Monroe
February 25, 2023 @ 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Free
When: February 25, 2023 at 7 p.m. (doors open 6:30 p.m.)
Location: Water Street Plaza Amphitheater (click for venue information)
Cost: Free to attend!
Description: Celebrating the role of stringed instruments in African and African American culture and history. In both traditions ancient and modern instruments such as kora, xalam, bolong, ngoni, fiddle and banjo have been an integral part of the life of a community. Stringed instruments were played as history was recited or sung, when babies were named, when couples married, as the community celebrated or grieved. Stories, both poignant and funny, are blended throughout the program to instrumental accompaniment.
About Charlotte Blake Alston
Charlotte Blake Alston is a nationally acclaimed storyteller, narrator, instrumentalist, librettist and singer who has performed in venues throughout North America and abroad for over 30 years. She is committed to the preservation of African and African American oral storytelling traditions. Her stories include folktales, historical stories and songs that highlight the richness of those traditions. Her presentation style is engaging and often participatory. She sometimes incorporates traditional instruments such as thumb piano, djembe, or the 21-string kora. Her wide range of talents includes collaborations with other arts institutions. The 2021-2022 season marks her 30th consecutive season serving as host and narrator on family concerts for The Philadelphia Orchestra, and 28th as Host of sound All Around, the orchestra’s preschool concert series. Charlotte hosted family and school concerts at Carnegie Hall for 19 years and has performed for Lincoln Center Institute and the Juilliard School digital learning platform. She has appeared in such venues as the Smithsonian Institution, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the National Storytelling Festival and the National Festival of Black Storytelling.
About Diane Monroe
Diane Monroe is a violinist whose versatility and expressive artistry consistently bring both jazz and classical audiences to their feet. Her visibility as a jazz artist began with her long-standing membership as first violinist of the Uptown String Quartet and the Max Roach Double Quartet. Her original compositions and arrangements are highlighted on TV shows, on recordings, and in performances with the two ensembles in major concert halls and festivals throughout the world. In 2018, she won both a Pew Fellowship, and a Pew Project grant from The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage. The Pew Project grant funded her 2019 project, Violin Woman, African Dreams. Concurrently, Vibes, and her orchestration of Fred Rogers’ You Are Special, appears on the Sony Classical Records soundtrack recording for the film “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”.