The students at the Stax Music Academy, the world’s only 27,000-square-foot sweet soul school, are taking the show on the road for their annual all-ensemble Winter Concert, scheduled for Lausanne Collegiate School’s Elder Performing Arts Center on Saturday, December 9th. They may be young, but they’re hardly amateur performers: Earlier this year, 14 students represented the Stax Music Academy at the Porretta Soul Festival in Porretta Terme, Italy — one of four stops on a summer tour sponsored by FedEx. The Stax Music Academy Rhythm Section, Premier Percussionists, StreetCorner Harmonies, and Soulsville Swing Band are all slated to play at the free concert, along with saxophonist Kirk Whalum (pictured), a new artist-in-residence at the facility. Expect to hear soulful renditions of classical holiday favorites and vintage Stax tunes, along with originals penned by the after-school ensembles, as well as a set by the Soulsville Charter School’s Soulsville Symphony Orchestra, which last performed before Stevie Wonder at the National Civil Rights Museum’s annual Freedom Awards.
Stax Music Academy Winter Concert with special guest Kirk Whalum, Saturday, December 9th, 7 p.m., at Lausanne Collegiate School’s Elder Performing Arts Center, free. For more information, go to www.SoulsvilleUSA.com.
