When Snarky Puppy returns to Jefferson Center for their first performance since winning their first Grammy, they’ll be practicing what they preach.
Holding the Grammy firmly in his grasp last Sunday evening, bandleader Michael League gave an acceptance speech in support of arts education initiatives. “I want to say that I’m really happy that an album that was designed to benefit music education has received so much attention, because as a band we are really committed to that kind of thing,” said League. “And hopefully it will promote the idea that music education is the kind of thing that needs to be supported at all cost and at every level.”
Proving they walk the walk and always have, Snarky Puppy spent Thursday evening recording an original song with 12-year-old Music Lab student Jayna Brown. This isn’t the first time Brown has joined the Pups, Jayna is a featured artist on Snarky Puppy’s Family Dinner album, filmed and recorded at Jefferson Center last spring.
Jayna isn’t the only student Snarky Puppy is reuniting with. Students Judi Jackson and Gabe Morales return to the stage for tonight’s concert, along with Burundian Music Lab student Bukuru Celestin who will perform his original African Gospel songs recorded last year and distributed worldwide on his collaborative album with Snarky Puppy, Amkeni.
Snarky Puppy’s Grammy winning performance was one piece of a larger project benefiting arts education at Jefferson Center, Roanoke’s non-profit community center.
Snarky Puppy, Lalah Hathaway and nearly a dozen guest artists, including a number of Jefferson Center’s Music Lab students, were filmed and recorded live inside Jefferson Center’s historic Shaftman Performance Hall in March 2013. The end result was Snarky Puppy’s newly released album, Family Dinner Volume One.
Family Dinner is on sale now and available around the world. Partial proceeds from every sale of the album benefit Jefferson Center’s education programs throughout Western Virginia. In addition to the positive focus and proceeds benefiting Jefferson Center, millions of views on YouTube and thousands of DVD’s sold around the world spotlight Roanoke and highlight the unique music experiences taking place in Virginia’s Blue Ridge.
