WEBVTT 00:00:10.722 --> 00:00:16.210 - Good evening, and welcome to the 2025 Potpourri of the Arts concert. Welcome. I'm Dr. Raymond Wise, 00:00:16.210 --> 00:00:22.082 - Executive Director of the African American Arts Institute, and it's my honor to greet you for this vibrant 00:00:22.082 --> 00:00:27.790 - celebration of African American music, dance, and culture. Now, from the very beginning, I want to give 00:00:27.790 --> 00:00:32.510 - you permission to celebrate with us. African American art is a collective experience. 00:00:33.026 --> 00:00:38.340 - It lives through the energy between performers and audience. So clap your hands, move to the rhythm, 00:00:38.340 --> 00:00:44.075 - shout if you want, but let the spirit in you join our spirit as well. Now tonight, we stand on the shoulders 00:00:44.075 --> 00:00:49.389 - of more than 50 years of artistic excellence. For over five decades, the IU Soul Review, the African 00:00:49.389 --> 00:00:54.967 - American Dance Company, and the African American Arts Institute have lifted voices, preserved traditions, 00:00:54.967 --> 00:00:58.334 - and created spaces of belonging and expression for IU students. 00:00:58.722 --> 00:01:05.337 - And this year, we're especially proud and honored to have the 50th anniversary celebration of the African 00:01:05.337 --> 00:01:08.894 - American Choral Ensemble. A milestone, yes, a milestone. 00:01:14.018 --> 00:01:19.921 - It's a milestone that reminds us of the power of legacy learning and love through the arts. We're deeply 00:01:19.921 --> 00:01:25.543 - grateful for so many sponsors, donors, and friends who've made this evening possible, including Old 00:01:25.543 --> 00:01:31.615 - National Bank, the Jacobs School of Music, Connie and Jim Cooke, Annie Willis, and all others who sponsored 00:01:31.615 --> 00:01:37.237 - groups and donated tickets for students. We want to give a special thanks tonight to our AAI staff, 00:01:37.237 --> 00:01:43.028 - including Jerrica Stocker, our project management specialist, Johnny Campbell, our technical director, 00:01:43.028 --> 00:01:43.984 - to our director, 00:01:43.984 --> 00:01:49.894 - Stafford C. Barry, Jr., and James Strong, and our Emeritus Faculty, Professor Iris Rosa and Dr. 00:01:49.894 --> 00:01:56.111 - Charles Sykes, former director who now serves as our historian. We're grateful for them and we thank 00:01:56.111 --> 00:02:02.329 - them for their work and service. But I also want to say thanks to our more than 20 student employees 00:02:02.329 --> 00:02:03.806 - who are second to none. 00:02:04.354 --> 00:02:09.395 - I'd like to also thank the Neil Marshall staff, Dr. Gloria Howe, Tim Womack, Nancy Cross-Paris, and 00:02:09.395 --> 00:02:14.739 - the Neil Marshall ambassadors who have been working with us, and we thank you for your continual support. 00:02:14.739 --> 00:02:19.780 - I want to also say thanks to the IU auditorium staff and the excellent technicians who've partnered 00:02:19.780 --> 00:02:24.922 - with us to bring this performance to life tonight. From the lighting, to the sound, to the tech crew, 00:02:24.922 --> 00:02:30.064 - we appreciate all of you. We also want to thank our academic home, the Department of African American 00:02:30.064 --> 00:02:34.046 - and African Diaspora Studies, through which our students earn academic credit. 00:02:34.466 --> 00:02:40.283 - I'd also like to acknowledge the College of Arts and Sciences, but most importantly, I want to acknowledge 00:02:40.283 --> 00:02:45.775 - our students who represent many majors, backgrounds, and ethnicities. They come together to do their 00:02:45.775 --> 00:02:51.212 - best work and embody the diversity and the unity of our IU community. And though they are students, 00:02:51.212 --> 00:02:57.138 - not professionals, they strive to perform at a professional level, and they work with passion and excellence 00:02:57.138 --> 00:02:58.334 - to inspire all of us. 00:02:58.466 --> 00:03:02.998 - Then to our parents and our family members who've traveled from afar, thank you. Your support means 00:03:02.998 --> 00:03:07.575 - the world to our students and especially a personal thanks to my wife and my son and my best friends 00:03:07.575 --> 00:03:10.974 - who've come from Ohio to be with us tonight. We're glad that you are here. 00:03:15.586 --> 00:03:20.756 - And also, we want to thank all of you, our IU community, the Bloomington community, our Indianapolis 00:03:20.756 --> 00:03:26.080 - community, for your continual support, because you didn't have to come today, but you did. And we truly 00:03:26.080 --> 00:03:31.200 - appreciate it, and we thank you for just showing up. Then we want to welcome our visiting students. 00:03:31.200 --> 00:03:36.421 - We've got some high school students visiting, some from Gary, Indiana. I believe you're in the house. 00:03:36.421 --> 00:03:41.541 - Welcome. We're glad you're here. We've got some students from Indianapolis. We've got some students 00:03:41.541 --> 00:03:42.462 - from Bloomington. 00:03:43.746 --> 00:03:49.046 - We're glad you are here and thank you for coming. And we want you to take part in our outreach programs. 00:03:49.046 --> 00:03:53.790 - If you're singers and musicians, we've got Camp Soul. If you're dancers, we've got Cucasonia. 00:03:54.210 --> 00:03:59.472 - the dance workshop, and we invite you to be a part of these programs. These programs literally will 00:03:59.472 --> 00:04:04.735 - spark young talent that grow into lifelong artistry, leadership, and community impact. And today to 00:04:04.735 --> 00:04:10.260 - see that impact, one of our guests tonight, our guest performers, Barbara Stafford C. Berry and company, 00:04:10.260 --> 00:04:15.575 - they are alumni of our programs and they're living proofs of the legacy we continue to build here at 00:04:15.575 --> 00:04:20.995 - the AAAI. So if you want more information, see the back of your program and you can register for those 00:04:20.995 --> 00:04:22.942 - programs as well. Now looking ahead, 00:04:23.426 --> 00:04:29.234 - Mark your calendars for ACE's 50th anniversary alumni concert celebration on February the 21st, 2026. 00:04:29.234 --> 00:04:34.985 - We plan to bring more than 100 current and former ACE members to the MAX stage, and we're gonna have 00:04:34.985 --> 00:04:40.737 - a great time. And if you're a singer in ACE or used to be a part of ACE, come and join us. Then also 00:04:40.737 --> 00:04:46.488 - look for our spring concert series. The African American Dance Company will be on April 18th. The IU 00:04:46.488 --> 00:04:52.239 - Soul Rebut will be on April 25th, and ACE will be on May the 2nd. Now, I want to share that all that 00:04:52.239 --> 00:04:53.150 - you see tonight 00:04:53.666 --> 00:05:00.195 - as a result of the vision of Herman C. Hudson, who served as the former Vice Chancellor of Black Affairs. 00:05:00.195 --> 00:05:06.354 - And we cannot let his vision die. So as we transition into our new homes in the College of Arts and 00:05:06.354 --> 00:05:08.510 - Sciences, we face some challenges. 00:05:08.642 --> 00:05:14.323 - but also some new opportunities. And your support is going to be vital in helping us to continue this 00:05:14.323 --> 00:05:19.893 - important work. So we ask you to please consider joining our Just One campaign. If you look on page 00:05:19.893 --> 00:05:25.630 - 10 of your program, you'll see there is a QR code there. But it's basically an invitation for everyone 00:05:25.630 --> 00:05:31.423 - to give just $1 or any amount that you can to help sustain these transformative programs. And if you're 00:05:31.423 --> 00:05:37.048 - unable to give financially, perhaps you can consider just writing a note or writing a letter talking 00:05:37.048 --> 00:05:38.608 - about the impact of the AAI 00:05:38.608 --> 00:05:43.870 - in your life and together even small acts and things that we do can really make a big difference. 00:05:44.546 --> 00:05:49.845 - Now, our theme tonight is Together Again. It celebrates our commitment to reconnect, to rejoice, 00:05:49.845 --> 00:05:55.527 - to recommit. And what you'll see on the stage is basically a testament to what happens when we all come 00:05:55.527 --> 00:06:00.990 - together across generations, disciplines, and communities to celebrate the beauty and resilience of 00:06:00.990 --> 00:06:06.454 - African-American art. So I want to say thank you again for being a part of this celebration and for 00:06:06.454 --> 00:06:09.950 - standing with us as we move toward the next 50 years. Together. 00:06:10.242 --> 00:06:16.061 - We will continue to lift voices, we'll nurture talent, we'll keep this cultural treasure alive 00:06:16.061 --> 00:06:22.430 - for generations to come. And if time permits, we look forward to greeting many of you after the concert 00:06:22.430 --> 00:06:28.617 - tonight. But for now, without further ado, get ready to experience the spirit and the rhythm and the 00:06:28.617 --> 00:06:32.414 - joy of Potpourri 2025. Welcome and enjoy the show. Thank you. 00:07:00.386 --> 00:07:10.435 - Good evening, good evening, good evening. Are you there? Let me hear you. Are you there? We want to 00:07:10.435 --> 00:07:20.686 - start off talking with you just very briefly about a wonderful year. The year is 1974. I know some of 00:07:20.686 --> 00:07:28.926 - you remember 1974, right? Exactly. Mama Kim, what was happening with you in 1974? 00:07:39.426 --> 00:07:46.384 - studies in biology and minor in dance. I was the first black female president of the student government. 00:07:46.384 --> 00:07:53.277 - Whoo-hoo! So black people was running it. I'm telling you, we had that strength, that courage, and that 00:07:53.277 --> 00:07:59.970 - desire to do whatever we wanted to do. And the second greatest thing happened in 75 when my daughter 00:07:59.970 --> 00:08:06.597 - was born, my first born. Whoo, and I got six of them, y'all. Whoo-hoo! And I've been with the dance 00:08:06.597 --> 00:08:08.254 - company here since 2004. 00:08:10.466 --> 00:08:20.098 - We also know that in 1974, we were in the middle or in the midst of the civil rights movement and era. 00:08:20.098 --> 00:08:29.637 - We know that in 1974, we were experiencing still some struggle with police brutality, even across the 00:08:29.637 --> 00:08:38.334 - pond, as far as places like London. But also in 1974, Dr. Herman C. Hudson had the wise idea 00:08:38.562 --> 00:08:48.807 - to create a dance company that is still in existence today over 50 years later. The legendary 00:08:48.807 --> 00:09:00.360 - African-American dance company under two directors, Professor Emeriti, Professor Iris Rosa. And currently 00:09:00.360 --> 00:09:05.918 - under my direction, I'm Baba Stafford C. Berry Jr. 00:09:08.290 --> 00:09:18.438 - And we will continue to rise and continue to be a jewel in the crown that is IU. We will continue to 00:09:18.438 --> 00:09:26.174 - focus, continue to dance unyielding. Because you know, once you get started, 00:49:11.394 --> 00:49:16.928 - I'm Dr. Raymond Wise again, and this is the African American Choral Ensemble, affectionately known as 00:49:16.928 --> 00:49:22.353 - ACE, and welcome back to the Potpourri of the Arts Concert. Tonight, we invite you to celebrate the 00:49:22.353 --> 00:49:28.049 - rich tradition of African American choral music, and one theme of this evening's concert is based around 00:49:28.049 --> 00:49:33.474 - the letter L. Lift, live, love, and lead. And through these four words, we're gonna share a message 00:49:33.474 --> 00:49:38.899 - of hope and encouragement, reminding us all that no matter what we face, we can lift our voices, we 00:49:38.899 --> 00:49:40.798 - can live with purpose, we can love 00:49:40.898 --> 00:49:47.573 - deeply and we can lead with compassion. So settle in and celebrate with us as we begin our musical journey 00:49:47.573 --> 00:49:53.874 - together. This year actually marks the 125th anniversary of Lift Every Voice and Sing, also known as 00:49:53.874 --> 00:49:55.870 - the Black National Anthem. Yes. 00:50:00.354 --> 00:50:06.229 - This hymn was originally written by James Weldon Johnson and composed by his brother J. Rosamond Johnson 00:50:06.229 --> 00:50:12.216 - in 1900 for a celebration of Abraham Lincoln's birthday. And it was first performed by 500 school children 00:50:12.216 --> 00:50:17.924 - in Florida. But since then, it's become a song of hope and endurance for African-Americans and people 00:50:17.924 --> 00:50:23.519 - all over the world. And it was adopted by the NAACP as its official anthem. And the lyrics speak to 00:50:23.519 --> 00:50:25.086 - this. Yes, that's good too. 00:50:26.850 --> 00:50:32.815 - It speaks to the struggles and the triumph of people yearning to be free, and to the faith and perseverance 00:50:32.815 --> 00:50:38.338 - that continue to guide us. Now traditionally, when this song is done, we stand and we sing the song 00:50:38.338 --> 00:50:44.193 - together in reverence and in unity. So tonight, we're going to invite you to stand and join us in singing 00:50:44.193 --> 00:50:48.446 - the first verse, and then you may be seated for the second and third verses, 00:50:48.546 --> 00:50:53.959 - which are more of a choral arrangement. But the words are gonna be on the screen, and we invite you 00:50:53.959 --> 00:50:59.534 - to stand with us. So joining us on piano is Josh Cantanzaro, and we welcome him as we lift every voice 00:50:59.534 --> 00:51:01.374 - and sing. Stand and sing with us. 00:55:56.066 --> 00:56:02.839 - spiritual and the gospel tradition. Now in the spiritual, enslaved African Americans spoke of freedom 00:56:02.839 --> 00:56:09.745 - in life after death, or the life to come. But in gospel music, African Americans declared freedom right 00:56:09.745 --> 00:56:16.518 - here and now. They celebrate the abundant life that their God gives them in this very moment. And too 00:56:16.518 --> 00:56:23.358 - often in our lives, we put off living. We make a bucket list and dream of some day. But life is short. 00:56:24.802 --> 00:56:31.852 - to say here today gone tomorrow, but now we say here today gone today. And this song encourages us to 00:56:31.852 --> 00:56:39.247 - live our best life now. So I ask yourself, what are your dreams? What are your gifts? What are you waiting 00:56:39.247 --> 00:56:46.297 - for? You don't need anyone's permission to walk in your purpose. So live boldly, live joyfully, start 00:56:46.297 --> 00:56:51.550 - living now because tomorrow's not promised. Now this song is a gospel song. 00:56:51.810 --> 00:56:59.720 - So we invite you to sing along, rock along, clap along, pat your feet, and celebrate. Now remember, 00:56:59.720 --> 00:57:07.866 - friends don't let friends clap on one and three. So you rock on one and three, and you clap on two and 00:57:07.866 --> 00:57:15.934 - four. You got it? All right. So please welcome Will Muir as we celebrate. Live your best life. Enjoy. 00:57:21.570 --> 00:57:26.302 - I wanna thank y'all for coming out with us tonight. We about to have a good time, we not done yet. Let's go! 01:06:11.490 --> 01:06:20.966 - We might ask, whatever happened to love, faith, hope, truth? Where is compassion, empathy, and understanding? 01:06:20.966 --> 01:06:29.323 - And it often feels like hearts have just grown a cold. But what if we return to the golden rule, 01:06:29.323 --> 01:06:34.750 - which says, do unto others as you would have them do unto you? 01:06:38.722 --> 01:06:44.752 - What if we led with grace and kindness and forgiveness, even when it's hard? And every day when I come 01:06:44.752 --> 01:06:50.607 - into class, I ask the students, are you gonna make it? And some days they say yes, but there's some 01:06:50.607 --> 01:06:56.462 - days when they say, I'm not sure. But it's in those moments that we need a little bit more love and 01:06:56.462 --> 01:07:02.668 - we need to encourage faith and hope and we know that we encourage truth that it's gonna carry us through. 01:07:02.668 --> 01:07:06.942 - And one way or another, we always end up making it through the challenge 01:07:07.106 --> 01:07:14.343 - Because as the saying goes, trouble don't last always. So as you listen to this song, reflect on these 01:07:14.343 --> 01:07:21.579 - words and remember that if we live with love, keep the faith, hold on to hope, and stand and speak the 01:07:21.579 --> 01:07:28.254 - truth, we can make it through anything. So reflect on this song, love, faith, hope, and truth. 01:11:56.802 --> 01:12:04.124 - dates and more peaceful ways and we will make it through. Can you take that with us? Can we sing a little 01:12:04.124 --> 01:12:05.022 - bit of that? 01:13:07.522 --> 01:13:13.875 - It's been a joy sharing with you tonight. Before we sing our last song, I'd like to acknowledge these 01:13:13.875 --> 01:13:20.166 - wonderful musicians over here. To my right and your left, Bobby Davis on keys. Darren Collins on the 01:13:20.166 --> 01:13:26.581 - drums. And Josh Contanzaro here on piano. Then I want to thank the Choral Ensemble for their hard work 01:13:26.581 --> 01:13:32.997 - and dedication. It takes so much to make this ensemble operate smoothly. So I want to thank our gifted 01:13:32.997 --> 01:13:36.734 - associate instructors, Ambriel Ivy, who's our road manager. 01:13:38.690 --> 01:13:44.046 - And Langilishe Ngati, who is our vocal coach. And I'd once again like to acknowledge that if there are 01:13:44.046 --> 01:13:49.298 - any former ACE members out there in the audience, we want to invite you to come join us for our 50th 01:13:49.298 --> 01:13:54.654 - anniversary concert. And we want to get you on stage singing with us one more time. So get a flyer out 01:13:54.654 --> 01:13:59.906 - in the lobby, sign up, and participate as a part of that. And finally, I'd like to invite all of you 01:13:59.906 --> 01:14:05.210 - who used to sing in high school choir or church choir, who are not singing right now in college, come 01:14:05.210 --> 01:14:05.886 - and join us. 01:14:06.050 --> 01:14:12.037 - This coming Monday at seven o'clock, we have auditions in the Neil Marshall Black Culture Center. We'd 01:14:12.037 --> 01:14:17.850 - love for you to come and join us and be a part of using your gifts and talents to make a difference 01:14:17.850 --> 01:14:23.895 - in our community. I hope you've enjoyed being with us tonight, and we hope you have been inspired. Now, 01:14:23.895 --> 01:14:29.882 - our final song was composed by one of our own, Bobby Davis Jr. And it carries a timeless message, lead 01:14:29.882 --> 01:14:32.382 - with love. Now, every day we face choices. 01:14:32.546 --> 01:14:38.778 - how we speak, how we act, how we respond. And this song reminds us that our words and our actions matter. 01:14:38.778 --> 01:14:44.656 - And when we lead with love, we invite peace instead of conflict. For you see, love can calm storms. 01:14:44.656 --> 01:14:50.770 - Love can heal wounds. Love brings light into darkness. And as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, darkness 01:14:50.770 --> 01:14:56.767 - cannot drive out darkness. Only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that. 01:14:56.767 --> 01:15:01.470 - So as you return to your own lives and your communities, remember this message. 01:15:01.794 --> 01:15:07.326 - Whatever you do and wherever you go, lead with love. Enjoy. Thank you. Good night. 01:19:43.330 --> 01:19:43.646 - soul. 01:42:35.522 --> 01:42:41.127 - named Phyllis Hyman. How many of y'all know Phyllis Hyman? All right, regardless of if you do or don't, 01:42:41.127 --> 01:42:44.414 - we're going to teach you something about her tonight. Ready? 01:46:05.698 --> 01:46:11.873 - Cast by the name of Bill Bibb to vote. Who said that? Who said that? I heard you. We're going to put 01:46:11.873 --> 01:46:14.686 - some poison in your system. Hey, y'all ready? 01:51:08.610 --> 01:51:10.142 - Tell it a little bit of ooh child, is that cool?