A&T to Participate in 2023 North Carolina Folk Festival

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (Sept. 6, 2023) – North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, its College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (CAHSS) and other auxiliaries will participate in the 2023 North Carolina Folk Festival this weekend, Friday, Sept. 8, through Sunday, Sept. 10.

Along with various musical performances, N.C. A&T is extending an invitation to visit the University Art Galleries and current exhibit, “Flash Fiction. It also will host an activation tent and Cooperative Extension at N.C. A&T 4-H Innovation Station in downtown Greensboro to engage with festival attendees.

The festival is a free three-day outdoor celebration of cultural roots and heritage through music, dance, handmade crafts and food with a mission rooted in appreciating diverse traditions and contribute to community vibrancy and inclusivity.

The schedule for A&T events at and after the festival follows:

Friday, Sept. 8, from 5 to 6 p.m.

N.C. A&T University Jazz Ensemble performance led by Jonovan Cooper, Ph.D.

Old Courthouse Stage (on the other end of Commerce Plaza at Market Street)

N.C. A&T University Jazz Ensemble brings the classics from bands like Ellington and Basie as well as contemporary standards from the likes of Roy Hargrove and international artists like Mulatu Astatke to their audience. Under Cooper’s direction, the group includes a large Big Band, smaller jazz combo and a vocal jazz ensemble. Musicians in the jazz ensemble represent many disciplines in the university including music, biology, engineering, pre-law and more. Guest artists such as Clark Terry, Max Roach, Slide Hampton and Delfeayo Marsalis have performed with group, which was recently coached by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra under the direction of Wynton Marsalis.

Monday, Sept. 11, 11 a.m.

Ethno USA Music Exchange Program

Harrison Auditorium, 1009 Bluford St.

CAHSS will host Ethno USA Music Exchange Program for a masterclass and performance on the A&T campus. This event, geared toward music students, music educators and music fans, is free and open to students, faculty and staff. The group of 30 musicians will engage with the audience, providing a platform for the exchange of musical ideas, techniques and cultural insights, enriching the musical education of participants. The program will highlight folk, traditional and world music.

Ethno USA Music Exchange Program is one of JM International’s 14 international musical exchange programs that convene young musicians in collaborative and educational activities that foster cultural understanding through music. Ethno USA is present in more than 40 countries and is JMI’s premiere program dedicated to folk, traditional, and world music.

Ethno USA will convene about 40 young musicians from across the globe in Greensboro for a week-long residency, culminating in two performances – Friday, Sept. 8, at 6 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 9, at 4:30 p.m. on the Cone Health CityStage – that will showcase original and newly arranged songs created during the residency. Each Ethno USA participant will teach a folk or traditional song from their home country to the other participants in a peer-to-peer, collaborative learning environment through workshops and jam sessions.

Through Oct. 13

“Flash Fiction,” collages by artist Natalie Schorr

University Galleries in the Dudley Building, 202 University Circle, A&T campus.

Flash Fiction” features personal narratives of gender roles, psychological introspection and spiritual reflections. “This exhibition explores the accumulation of narratives through the layering of imagery, materials and a variety of artistic techniques,” said Roy Carter, associate professor and visual arts program director. “Schorr composes narratives that take inspiration from lived experiences and the deep history of art making. There are so many visual surprises in Schorr’s work, but it somehow feels very familiar.”

University Galleries are open Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays by appointment.

For the full schedule of performances, visit the NC Folk Festival website.