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CURTAIN winter 2016 ▪ Volume XI, issue II carolinaperformingarts.org
Abigail Washburn The American South Meets the World
Also in This Issue: Turning Military Uniforms into Art Meet CPA’s New Director of Development Danay Suárez: Bridging Cultures Learning from Chicago Symphony’s Best
Photo by Jim McGuire
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EMIL UNPLUGGED
High Risk, High Rewards Emil Kang
Executive Director for the Arts Executive and Artistic Director, Carolina Performing Arts Professor of the Practice, Department of Music
by Andrea Griffith Cash
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ince the beginning, Carolina Performing Arts has aligned itself with artists who are curious – those who take risks and approach unconventional collaborations with openness and enthusiasm.
Both Washburn and Lil Buck are Southern artists – she’s based in Nashville and he’s from Memphis. Washburn got her start in folk and bluegrass after traveling to China to study international law. She discovered music as a powerful tool for communication and began mastering the banjo while writing her own songs in both Mandarin and English.
Perhaps no performances embody that better than three scheduled for consecutive days in April. That’s when Lil Buck – a jookin’ phenomenon – and Abigail Washburn – an innovative banjo player – will each take the stage with four members of the Silk Road Ensemble.
playing the cello, and he started to dance. What he didn’t do was say, ‘I don’t dance to classical music.’ He doesn’t think of himself as just a jooker from Memphis. For him, it’s music and dance. Just like with Abigail. We’re all creative individuals. Maybe working together we can create something even larger and maybe we can learn something about ourselves.” And so, the two Southern artists will collaborate with four members of the Silk Road Ensemble – Indian tabla player Sandeep Das, Russian violinist Johnny Gandelsman, Galician bagpiper Cristina Pato and Chinese sheng player Wu Tong.
Want to Go? Lil Buck will perform at Memorial Hall on April 15 and 16. Abigail Washburn will take the stage on April 17. All three dates will feature Silk Road Ensemble members Sandeep Das, Johnny Gandelsman, Cristina Pato and Wu Tong.
She’s performed at Memorial Hall three times in the past seven years – first with The Sparrow Quartet, then with her trio The Wu Force, and again last March with husband Béla Fleck. “She doesn’t do what people think she should, what she thinks will sell or what she thinks the audience wants,” Emil Kang says. “She’s exploring her own creativity and her own life. And as the audience, we get to go on that journey with her… In so many ways, she really represents the ideal of what CPA wants to encourage – there are no predetermined outcomes. You can do anything.”
“It’s the roots of American South meeting the world,” Kang says. “The idea of bringing the world to Chapel Hill comes through.” Kang says that students, in particular, benefit from being exposed to the boldness of these collaborations.
“The point of these performances is to show that anything is possible, and we ought to reserve any snap judgment about anything or anyone – whether that means a tradition, genre, culture or form,” he says. “And yet we still do it every day. We also tend to do the things we like and the things we know. We find it difficult to try new things. These artists are not afraid. Abigail is not afraid of singing in Mandarin with her banjo. Lil Buck is not afraid of dancing to classical music.” But not every artist can successfully venture down new roads. Imagine certain pop stars du jour trying to yodel.
Kang was introduced to Lil Buck through another CPA favorite, Yo-Yo Ma. Lil Buck and Ma famously collaborated during a performance of Camille Saint-Saëns’ “The Swan.”
“Abigail and Lil Buck and the Silk Road Ensemble musicians – they are masters of their craft,” Kang says. “If you’re not that good and you try this, it will be bad. That’s what ties this together – they are the best at what they do.”
“Lil Buck had no idea what he was going to do,” Kang says. “Yo-Yo started
– Andrea Griffith Cash is VP of Content at Chapel Hill Magazine
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Photo by Melanie Busbee
Danay Suárez (center in all white) with UNC Latino and Latina student leaders
Danay Suárez: Bridging Cultures
C
uban singer Danay Suárez is a natural improviser. Speaking to a group of 100 Carolina undergraduates, she wanted to demonstrate how she constructs a hip-hop song, but had no music equipment with her. True to her roots in Cuba’s underground rap movement, she quickly recruited a sophomore sitting in the front row to “sing” a beat into the microphone. Lacking any experience in music, much less hip-hop, the student gave it a try and soon Suárez had the whole room joining in. “Music creates cultural ties of possibilities,” she later explained to the students as she encouraged them to explore artists and rhythms from around the world. In a wide-ranging conversation with Mark Katz, director of UNC’s Institute for the Arts and Humanities, Suárez talked about hip-hop as a global form of communication and storytelling. During her two days on campus and at her electric performance, Suárez shared her belief in music as a mechanism for bringing together seemingly disparate groups. At a talk at the Gillings School of Global Public Health, she discussed how music can serve as a bridge between communities. Connecting with community groups is a vital issue for public health professionals, and Suárez encouraged the UNC students and faculty in attendance to embrace music as a tool in their work. Organized as part of CPA’s Arts@TheCore program, the conversation highlighted how the arts can enhance public health scholarship. Following a busy introduction to campus, Suárez continued her
carolinaperformingarts.org
by Aaron Shackelford
engagement at a lunch with Latina and Latino student leaders. Organized by Chancellor Carol Folt, the lunch provided a forum for Suárez to share advice and insight with these young leaders. Speaking with the students entirely in Spanish, she shared her own career trajectory and struggles, and encouraged the students to worry less about labels and more about what they want to accomplish. Afterwards, everyone headed outside for pictures around the Old Well as the stories and sharing continued. This opportunity to connect one-on-one with students was incredibly energizing for Suárez and a highlight of her time in Chapel Hill. The excitement in Memorial Hall for that evening’s performance was palpable. Several hundred of the students and faculty who met Suárez earlier in the week were in attendance. At the end of the night, she concluded her visit by meeting with a class of native Spanish speakers. Many of these first-generation college students were still riding high from the concert, and they eagerly talked with Suárez about her music. On the way back to the hotel, Suárez observed how rare it is for her to have a chance to engage so deeply with her audience. Both she and her manager marveled at Carolina’s students and faculty and their interest in learning more about her world.
– Aaron Shackelford is the Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow at Carolina Performing Arts. 3
Art
Turning Military Uniforms into
by Aaron Shackelford
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he Combat Paper Project is an award-winning program that uses the art of papermaking as a vehicle for engaging in conversations about the military experience of veterans returning from service. Carolina Performing Arts (CPA) first brought Combat Paper to campus in January 2015. Students, faculty, and community members were greatly impacted by the experience of transforming military uniforms into paper and discussing the veteran experiences of their fellow students and colleagues in the process. Inspired by this experience and supported by the Office of the Chancellor, CPA brought Combat Paper founder Drew Cameron back to campus for a week in September. At the heart of Combat Paper is the transformative power of military uniforms becoming works of art. Cameron – himself a veteran of the Iraq War – guides participants through a process that
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turns the uniforms into paper upon which they can create an array of images. The uniforms become a medium for veterans and their classmates to reflect upon the role of the military in our culture. As a student veteran noted when he came upon the project, “there’s a lot of sweat and sand in those uniforms, even after they’ve been washed.” A dozen uniforms were donated to Combat Paper by Carolina veterans over the course of the week. One student veteran named Zach Johnson, in his first semester at Carolina, came to Combat Paper curious but unsure what would be involved. By the end of the week he brought in one of his uniforms to donate to the project: “I found the Combat Paper Project to be unique and therapeutic. Drew is passionate about his craft and it shows. His workshop promotes meaningful dialogue and gives participants a chance to express themselves through their own work.” Some of this material went into paper made on campus. The rest will travel with Cameron to other workshops across the country, bringing the stories of Carolina’s veterans with them. Every day, Cameron also hosted open workshops for students, faculty, staff, and the community to participate in the papermaking process. During an open demonstration on Polk Place, students stopped to watch Cameron and make paper themselves. Over the course of the morning, several students identified themselves as veterans and engaged Cameron in lengthy conversations while their peers joined in the discussions. With the support of the School of Social Work, Cameron also demonstrated his work outside of the Tate-Turner-Kuralt building. These future social workers made paper and talked to Cameron about his use of art as a mechanism for enabling challenging conversations with veteran populations, an important task many will face in their future careers. At the end of the week, several veterans said goodbye to Cameron and expressed a hope to see him again next year. In the words of Carolina’s new Student Veterans Assistance Coordinator, Amber Mathwig: “The arts are an increasingly recognized way for veterans to process their experiences. I was excited to see several of our student veterans participating in this project, and I also noted the interest in several of them having their own uniforms ready to be pulped during Drew’s next visit!”
– Aaron Shackelford is the Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow
Student veteran Zach Johnson (’17) donates his uniform to Drew Cameron.
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The uniforms become a medium for veterans and their classmates to reflect upon the role of the military in our culture.
Classes That Took Part in Combat Paper Social Work 845: Health Theory and Practice English 89: Literature of War from World War I to the 21st Century Drama 470: Survey of Costume History Studio Art 238: Screen Printing First-Year Seminar: The Legacy of the Japanese American Internment
5 days 12 200+
Length of Drew Cameron’s Residency
Number of Military Uniforms Donated by UNC Veterans
Works of Art Created During Combat Paper
at Carolina Performing Arts. carolinaperformingarts.org
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Chicago Symphony Orchestra Masterclass Teachers Gina DiBello, violin Daniel Gingrich, acting principal horn Jay Friedman, principal trombone John Hagstrom, trumpet Gene Pokorny, principal tuba
Emily Farmer (’16) with CSO Principal Trombonist Jay Friedman
Learning from Chicago Symphony’s Best
CSO trumpeter John Hagstrom speaks to students following his masterclass
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his October, members of the renowned Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) shared their expertise with music students in a series of five unforgettable masterclasses. Through these one-on-one coaching sessions, the musicians provided valuable feedback about the students’ technique and artistry. The CSO musicians also spoke about their journeys as professional artists and lessons they’ve learned throughout their careers. The masterclasses reached a total of eighty-six students from UNC-Chapel Hill, UNCGreensboro, UNC-Pembroke, and East Carolina University. These unique learning opportunities are only possible because of donors like you. Thank you for your continued support!
CSO violinist Gina DiBello listens to Aiko Jimena Richter (’18)
For decades, the brass section of the CSO has set the standard for aspiring musicians internationally. It is a privilege to learn from this long tradition. –Andrew McAfee, Horn Lecturer, UNC-Chapel Hill Department of Music
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meet your cpa staff
Susin Seow
Susin joined the CPA team as our director of development in September 2015. Here’s a closer look at her background and why she loves the arts.
by Rachel Ash
Why do you think the arts are important?
Where were you working prior to accepting the role at CPA? I was the associate director of development at UNC Global where I spent eight years growing the Chancellor’s Global Education Fund, leading our alumni outreach in East Asia, and working with the UNC Global Advisory Board.
The arts help us strip away all the different layers that separate us and bring us down to the very basic level of what it means to be human. They also create a safe space for addressing the most difficult and important issues of our time.
Was the role at UNC Global your introduction to Carolina?
What performance are you most looking forward to this spring?
No. I came to UNC as an international student from Singapore. I received my BA (`96) and MPA (`99) from Carolina. I had a drama teacher growing up who went to Columbia University and had taught at the UNC School of the Arts. He knew I wanted a liberal arts education and said “Susin, if you’re lucky enough to get into UNC-Chapel Hill, that’s where you should go.”
What drew you to the role at CPA? This is an opportunity to return to my first love—the performing arts—and to work with a visionary leader in Emil who has done so much for the campus. I was also ready to do something different at UNC and this role allows me to still give back, but in a new capacity.
That’s easy. Gil Shaham with the Knights. My grandfather played the violin so that instrument has a very special place in my heart. Gil’s performance this fall of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto made my soul soar.
What’s something that people might not know about you? I studied ballet for four years, but quit before going on point because I didn’t want to ruin my feet!
– Rachel Ash is the Director of Annual Giving at Carolina Performing Arts
MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR
CPA’s 2016/17 Season Announcement May 18, 2016 Tickets go on sale first to donors at the Silver level and above (gifts of $1,000+).
FOR QUESTIONS, CONTACT RACHEL ASH AT 919.843.1869.
carolinaperformingarts.org
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STANDARD CLASS MAIL US POSTAGE PAID SHEPHERDSVILLE, KY PERMIT NO. 497
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Campus Box 3233 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3233
a “don’t miss” performance Thursday & Friday February 18/19
Throw Me on the Burnpile and Light Me Up:
Lucy Alibar by Rachel Ash
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his February, audiences at UNC’s Historic Playmakers Theatre will enter the fantastical world of Lucy Alibar at a reading of her newest work. The Oscar-nominated playwright, whose stage play was adapted into the film Beasts of the Southern Wild, draws upon her idiosyncratic childhood in Grady County on the Georgia-Florida border. Alibar’s latest work, Throw Me on the Burnpile and Light Me Up, is inspired by her father, a criminal defense attorney, the larger-than-life cases he tried, and his gargantuan burn pile. Though her father provided much of the source material for Burnpile, Alibar
attributes her career in writing to her grandmother Alice, a newspaper columnist, and her mother Barbara, an artist. The day she turned eighteen, Alibar (born Lucy Harrison) changed her last name as a tribute to them by combining the women’s first names. “They both worked so hard and cultivated so much of their own happiness. I wanted to have that like an amulet,” Alibar says. Alibar left the Deep South to study playwriting at New York University. Early on in her career, she juggled three jobs to support her writing. Her days consisted of leaving her Lower East Side apartment at 5 A.M. for a job making sandwiches, returning to her apartment to write, then bartending, then home again to write, then waitressing. That all changed when her screenplay for Beasts of the Southern Wild, a collaboration with longtime friend Behn Zeitlin, was selected for the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. Today Alibar is sharing her unique voice with the world. Her plays have appeared at places like London’s National Theatre Studio, New York City’s Joe’s Pub, and France’s Avignon Festival. Join us for her first reading in Chapel Hill!
Call the Box Office today to reserve your seats (919.843.3333). Tickets start at $25.
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