African American Music Heritage Institute presents ‘Ain’t I a Woman’

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Louisville School of Music’s 22 annual African American Music Heritage Institute celebrates Black History Month this year with clinics, lectures, workshops and performances Feb. 5.

At 8 p.m., Core Ensemble, a group that celebrates diversity through chamber music theater, will present the program “Ain’t I a Woman!” The program features actress Shayla Simmons and a trio of cello, piano and percussion players honoring the lives of four significant African American women: ex-slave and abolitionist Sojourner Truth, novelist and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston, folk artist Clementine Hunter and civil rights worker Fannie Lou Hamer. The text is by Kim Hines, and the musical score is drawn from the spirituals of the Deep South, the urban exuberance of the Jazz Age and concert music by African American composers including Diane Monroe.

The show is $10 for general admission at the door, $5 for students with ID and free for UofL students with ID. Call 502-852-6907 for ticket information.

Other institute events include a workshop presentation for area students and their instructors at 10 a.m. and an informal question-and-answer session with performers at 3 p.m. These events are free and open to the public. All events are in Comstock Concert Hall, School of Music, 2301 S. Third St.

The mission of the African American Music Heritage Institute is to provide an educational and enrichment experience in music from the heritage of African Americans and the diaspora.

For more information, contact Jerry Tolson, School of Music professor and institute director, at 502-852-6972 or jerry.tolson@louisville.edu.

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