Encore | Damien Sneed

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February 2019 View more

A lifetime of musical genre-hopping

I’ve spent most of my life going back and forth between different musical styles. When I was a kid, I’d play at church on a Sunday morning, have a classical solo piano recital in the afternoon, and play a jazz gig in the evening. So all of these styles and genres have always been very equal to me.

Inspiration for a tribute

Being from Georgia originally, Martin Luther King Jr. has always been a figure who’s been at the forefront of my mind. But with everything that’s going on in the world today, I think it’s very timely to re-engage with the ideals for which he stood—that we can all overcome any situation by working together in unity and in love. I hope that people walk away encouraged by that message.

There’s still more to say about MLK

There was a time in the past that I might have felt that there was nothing new to offer about MLK, but given that many of the same issues from his time continue to arise in our present society, a tribute like this can really help younger generations see his life, his work and his mission as something still very necessary today.

We Shall Overcome: A Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
February 23 at Wentz Concert Hall
171 East Chicago Avenue, Naperville
Tickets: $40–$50 | finearts.northcentralcollege.edu

Photo by Starlic Williams