At 7:30 pm on Friday, Feb 7 at Kalamazoo Central High School, a pay-what-you-will event will bring together a host of DJs, dancers, rappers, singers, and instrumentalists who will celebrate the art of hip hop in collaboration with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. It's a partnership that was built from the ground up over nearly a year. Cara Lieurance talked with organizers Dr. Kandace DC Lavender and DJ Bird Beezy and KSO conductor Julian Kuerti about the one-of-a-kind concert.
Says Lavender, "Right now, we're at a time where we need togetherness. We need community. And so we're just playing our part to do what hip hop already does." For Kuerti, the concert was a blank slate for the orchestra. "I realized very early on that actually, there was no music that we could use for the symphony... And so in the end, I decided I would write and arrange most of the music on the show." He credits cellist and songwriter Jordan Hamilton as a co-arranger. DJ Breezy Bird will spin music from turntables in classic hip hop fashion before the show.
For a list of artists and more, visit the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra website.
