Kinston, North Carolina is experiencing a cultural rediscovery showcasing its natural and cultural assets. Fundamental amongst these assets are the Neuse River, and African American music heritage.
Through direct engagement with African American musicians, and diverse community stakeholders, over 40 locations were mapped in Kinston that were connected to the music heritage of the city.
Trail Concept Statement: “The African American Music Trail connects places and people in order to commemorate the rich heritage of African American music in Eastern North Carolina and to celebrate, sustain, and perpetuate the regions vital musical history and traditions.”
African American Music Trail Pilot Study Findings
The African American Music Trail Kinston Pilot Study (2009) identified a conceptual tour route and new interpretive locations. The Kinston Music Park was identified through this study.
The Kinston Music Park location, the former New Dixie Warehouse, was identified for its location in a significant musical heritage area, as well as its current role as a southern gateway to the city. Public art already exists on site. It’s location in the floodplain makes a public park space possible.
Kinston Music Park Kinston, North Carolina
A site analysis was prepared, and a preliminary plan was generated to spark community discussion about the possibilities present at the park. Park components had yet to be identified, and the subsequent community workshop defined and refined park program elements. Additionally, examples of existing music parks were presented for community discussion.
Congo Square (Louis Armstrong Park), New Orleans
Music Garden, Toronto
Beale Street Landing, Memphis
Congo Square is an plaza marking the informal area where many believe Jazz music was born. It commemorates the meeting ground where enslaved African Americans were allowed to perform their traditional music, dances, and rituals.
Music Garden in Toronto is a series of mounded spaces inspired by the music of Mozart as performed by cellist Yo Yo Ma. Located on the Harborfront, the garden uses mounds, terraces, and spiraling walks to evoke the spirit of musical performance.
Beale Street Plaza is currently under construction. The design features five terraces, echoing the 5-note blues scale, floating over the Memphis Riverfront. The landing also doubles as a riverboat access point.
Kinston Music Park Workshop One Findings
Park Themes “Word Cloud”
Park Programs “Word Cloud”
The workshop featured small group exercises to help define the themes community stakeholders would like to see expressed in the park design. Responses were collected using surveys. Survey results were analyzed and presented as “world clouds”; visual representations showing which responses were repeated by the most stakeholders. In this park themes world cloud, music, musicians, and instruments were the most common references. Additionally, references to Kinston’s Parker family were frequently associated with the music heritage of the city.
The workshop also asked small groups to identify programs, uses, and potential users of this park. Specifically, stakeholders were asked to share the elements that they thought would make the park successful. In this word cloud, the ability to hear live music emerged as an important program element. Additionally, sufficient parking and services for visitors not from the local area was identified. This last observation acknowledges that the current context for the park makes it more of a regional destination in the near future.
Kinston Music Park Kinston, North Carolina
Waves The image of soundwaves have been translated into the landscape iny many places using planting, landform, and other elements.
Geometries of instruments Seating areas, walls, kiosks, and shelters have been used to echo the forms and shapes of musical instruments.
This conceptual section looks south into the park from Springhill Street (Herritage Street). It features (from left to right) low mounds to block street noises, a small outdoor performance area, low walls for seating and interpretation, and a public art feature announcing the park at the Springhill/Herritage Street intersection.
Musical notation The musical score and the rythyms of musical notation have been captured in the landscape through the use of paving materials, planting, and other elements.
Music venues The aesthetics and materials of the nightclubs, warehouses, and other places where music was performed have been translated into landscape elements using collage, assemblage, and the use of found materials in site furnishings.
This conceptual section looks west into the park from South Queen Street. It features (from left to right) preserved existing woods on site, terraced lawn areas stepping up from the south for concert use, an outdoor performance area, a landmark public art feature, and mounded seating areas.
Music performance The most popular program element communicated by stakeholders was a place for live music performance. A wide range of stages, canopies, and other infrastructure for outdoor performances are available for the park.
Kinston Music Park Workshop Two Findings
Kinston Music Park Kinston, North Carolina
SOUTH QUEEN STREET
SPRINGHILL STREET
Kinston Music Park Master Plan
Kinston Music Park Kinston, North Carolina
Park Concept Statement: “The Kinston Music Park communicates the African American music heritage of Kinston and Eastern North Carolina. The park is a community space intended to serve as a catalyst for cultural economic development .�
Kinston Music Park Phase One
Kinston Music Park Kinston, North Carolina
This conceptual section looks west into phase one of the park from South Queen Street. It features (from left to right) a sloped wooded area, the termination of “The Score” walk and “The Griot” interpretive feature, the “Sound Mound” rolling lawn area, “The Gateway”/ public art area with interpretive seating, and the Springhill Street edge. The first phase of the park creates a series of outdoor rooms that can serve as a trailhead for the African American Music Trail, as well as a southern gateway to the City. Rolling landforms buffer the space from street noises, and numerous trees provide shade to a range of seating areas. The individual spaces acan combine to support live concerts and performances, festivals, and other large gatherings in the park.
The Griot
The Score
The Gateway
This interpretive element will use text, dial-in numbers, and other elements that allow visitors with cellphones and smartphones to access African American Music Trail information including playlists, and historic information. The Griot’s form is inspired by a regional tradition where African Americans used an upside down cooking pot to symbolize protection.
This interpretive element will use concrete and reclaimed stone strips to define a central park walk through a lawn area. The Score connects the major spaces of the park, and each strip offers surfaces for inscribing historic information about the park. The Score connects to The Griot and Sound Mound areas in the First Phase plan.
This interpretive area near the corner of South Queen and Springhill Streets showcases the public art designed for the park. This outdoor room provides a landmark experience for visitors, and is the primary space for daily use in the first phase of the park. Interpretive seating surrounding the public art offers opportunities to celebrate historic warehouse venues.
Details (In Progress) The Kinston Music Park is currently in the design development phase. Numerous details are in design to infuse the partk with information and inspiration connecting visitors to the rich heritage of African American music in Kinston and Eastern North Carolina.
Kinston Music Park Phase One
Kinston Music Park Kinston, North Carolina