In addition to her concert for campus at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 2, Native American and African-American vocalist, songwriter, composer and educator Martha Redbone will host a pair of free online workshops as part of her virtual residency in the Artswego Performing Arts Series.
Native American Identity, 2:45 p.m. Tuesday, March 2
In this discussion, Redbone will explore her own identity, growing up with her gospel-singing African American father and the resilient spirit of her mother’s Cherokee/Shawnee/Choctaw culture. Her conversation will address racial identity and diversity in both an historical and personal context including American racial identity as expressed by DNA, laws and choices, and finding one’s own roots.
Women in the Arts, 2:15 p.m. Monday, March 1
In this workshop, Redbone will discuss her recent work on several theater productions, and the challenges facing women in the arts. Redbone is the composer of original music and score for the 2019 revival “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf,” and is currently in development with her own new work “Black Mountain Women” at The Public Theater.
For access information and more details, visit the calendar links above on the event titles.
About Martha Redbone
Leading The Martha Redbone Roots Project, she is known for her unique gumbo of folk, blues and gospel from her childhood in Kentucky infused with the eclectic grit of pre-gentrified Brooklyn. Inheriting the powerful vocal range of her gospel-singing African American father and the resilient spirit of her mother’s Cherokee/Shawnee/Choctaw culture, Redbone broadens the boundaries of American Roots music.
With storytelling that shares her experience as a Native and Black woman and mother in the new millennium, Redbone gives voice to issues of social justice, bridging traditions from past to present, connecting cultures and celebrating the human spirit.
Tickets for her March 2 evening concert, followed by live Q&A, are available via tickets.oswego.edu. Tickets for this show are free for SUNY Oswego students; $8 for SUNY Oswego faculty, staff and alumni; and $10 for the general public (per household stream). A streaming link will be sent via email prior to the performance.
For more information on performing arts events at SUNY Oswego, visit oswego.edu/artswego.