Women ragtime composers faced challenges – it wasn’t considered very “ladylike” to write this kind of music, and once they got married, they were expected to give up their career and raise a family. Still, a surprising amount of ragtime ...
Black composers were on the forefront of American popular music; ragtime itself was the combination of African syncopation over a European march beat and formed the basis for the development of blues and jazz. Growing up as the children of ...
Pop music comes and goes, but some songs from over 100 years ago are just as fresh in the mind as the day they were written. The Entertainer, Alexander’s Ragtime Band, St. Louis Blues, and Ballin’ the Jack are still ...
Fingers and bow flying, Dennis Stroughmatt et L’Esprit Creole take listeners on a musical odyssey not so different from his own musical and cultural education in Upper Louisiana Creole Culture. Taught to play fiddle by local Creole fiddlers Roy Boyer ...
The Wild Blue Ukulele Orchestra returns to the DeKalb Public Library to perform a virtual showcase of music featuring a full range of ukuleles - from the soprano to the UBass. The fully orchestrated arrangements cover a variety of genres ...
International singer songwriter Barb Sorensen performs a virtual concert featuring original pop/rock songs written for her latest CD, Farm Art, mixed with traditional German and Norwegian folk songs, folklore, and stories from her tours. German songs (with a yodel or two ...
Students elementary age & up are invited to celebrate Lincoln's birthday with a virtual visit from President Lincoln himself. Learn about President Lincoln's life and the history of the U.S from Independence through the Civil War. Lincoln will be available for ...
Developed to commemorate Illinois achieving statehood on December 3, 1818, "From Prairie to Farm to City" reflects the story of Illinois through music. Illinois was shaped not only by the land (prairie, Great Lakes, Mississippi River), but also by the many ...
We’re excited to welcome back one of our favorite performers, John P. Hopkins, for a virtual variety show. Part magic, part humor, all fun! John has been making people laugh with his unique brand of comedy magic for over thirty years. ...
Galen Abdur-Razzaq kicks off this virtual event with a prelude on his flute. From there, this presentation chronicles the music from the turn of the century to present day and highlights various artists, their music, their influence on the evolution ...
February 26, 2021
Highlighting Black Voices: Final Videos
February 26, 2021
Highlighting Black Voices: More videos!
February 16, 2021
Teen Advisory Group is back!
February 16, 2021
Pathfinder: African Americans in the Arts: Classical Composers, Musicians, and Singers
