United: A Remembrance Concert

UNITED A Remembrance Concert evokes art’s healing power

To mark the first anniversary of the campus shooting that took place last year on April 30, UNC Charlotte will host a Day of Remembrance. On Thursday, April 30, 2020, events on campus will honor the lives of the students who died and the sacrifices of those injured. In addition, a commemorative concert, UNITED: A Remembrance Concert, conceived by Chancellor Philip L. Dubois and developed collaboratively by members of the campus community and Charlotte’s performing arts community, will be presented at 7:30 p.m., at Belk Theater, Blumenthal Performing Arts Center in uptown Charlotte.

“There exists no universal way to move forward after trauma,” said Dubois. “We believe, however, that students, faculty and staff, and the greater Charlotte community, which has demonstrated time and again its generous love and support for UNC Charlotte, can continue to recover by remembering and reflecting upon such a tragic day. Our hope is that this concert serves as a unifying celebration of community, guided by remembrance, resilience and resurgence.”

The program, under the direction of Lynne Conner, chair of the Department of Theatre, will feature artists from the community and

BY JARED MOON

Don Dahler ‘91

UNC Charlotte in a variety of music, dance and multimedia performances. The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, led by Music Director Christopher Warren-Green, will perform an original composition by the Department of Music’s John Allemeier. The Charlotte-based band Water from Fire, whose members include three UNC Charlotte alumni, will play favorite songs of Riley Howell and Reed Parlier, the students who perished on April 30. The evening’s host is CBS News Correspondent Don Dahler, who graduated from UNC Charlotte in 1991.

“The mark of a strong community isn’t that it suffers needless, tragic deaths, but how it responds to them; that’s why I wanted to come back to UNC Charlotte for the Remembrance Concert,” said Dahler. The professor and students and alumni have decided to honor the courage exhibited that day, and the outpouring of love and care in the days and months and soon to be year afterwards. I am proud to be a part of the UNC Charlotte family and want to be a part of this important evening.”

On the following pages, participating faculty members and students, alumni and other artists share their thoughts about their opportunity to convey the healing power of art through UNITED: A Remembrance Concert.

UNITED: A Remembrance Concert Belk Theater at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center 7:30 p.m., Thursday, April 30, 2020 Tickets: blumenthalarts.org/events/detail/united-a-remembrance-concert All proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the April 30 Remembrance Fund.

Lynne Conner Chair, Department of Theatre

Artistic Director, UNITED: A Remembrance Concert

“Through my work as the artistic director, I feel that I’m in a meaningful conversation, literally and figuratively, with the UNC Charlotte community. It’s important to me that we are one community trying to make sense of what happened, moving forward together even as we process in our own ways. I’m hoping the concert on April 30 will be the ultimate expression of community. There have been moments in this process that have been really hard emotionally, of course, but I’m honored to serve the community in this role.”

John Allemeier Professor of Composition

Composer of new music to be performed by the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra

“As I composed the piece for the concert, I reflected on my own experience from last spring in an effort to build connections with the community’s shared experience. In creating a piece of art intended to provide a path forward emotionally, I tried in earnest to capture the emotional soul of a community working to heal.”

Melinda Erikson Dance Student

Performing “River,” which expresses the theme of unity

“The events of April 30 affected me deeply, as a human, a mother, and a member of the Charlotte community. It is an honor and a privilege to be included in the April 30 Remembrance Concert, and with that comes responsibility, especially to the families of Reed and Riley. The healing process is challenging; it’s not linear and it’s different from one person to the next. I know art can heal and I hope this piece can provide some level of healing.”

John Woodall ’14 Water from Fire

Co-founder of Water from Fire, a band whose members include three UNC Charlotte alumni, which will perform selected favorite songs of Riley Howell and Reed Parlier.

“For me, music has always been a steadying force in my life, constantly providing a source of connection and inspiration. I’ve truly come to realize the healing power of music and its ability to create meaning at times that can otherwise seem meaningless. My hope for this concert is to pay respect to the families and friends who lost loved ones. I pray we can also provide a sense of inspiration for the families that gives them peace and allows them to remember the absolute best parts of their loved ones.”

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