Performance: Shirlette Ammons

My music is a polyrhythmic expression of my queerness, Blackness, and Southernness. It is best conveyed with the support of expert musicians whose astuteness of craft and joy for life elevate my expression. I thrive in a space of collaboration and am nourished by the energy of a live audience. As I told freelance music writer and comrade Grayson Currin, “The musicians I respect have never been beholden to their assigned genre. You have to recognize your ability to be dynamic, even when genres are telling you that you’re not.” Performing as part of this series I had the pleasure to curate is my most recent effort at defying genre and prescribed roles. This performance is part of "Up 86," a trio of spring performances is the culmination of a new collaboration between the Moss Arts Center and North Carolina artist Shirlette Ammons, who is serving as the center’s first independent guest performing arts curator. Ammons brings a new perspective to the center’s lineup, creating a focus on Black Southern artists who effortlessly cross genres and revitalize time-honored music traditions. Friday, April 7, 2023, 8 PM $15 general admission | $10 students with ID and youth 18 and under