ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

‘Listen. Love. Take Note.’ 89.9 WDAV Classical Public Radio and FAIR PLAY Music Equity Initiative invite music fans to NoteWorthy, featuring singer-songwriter and cultural activist Quisol, at 7:30 PM on Wednesday, June 30th. Joined by Charlotte Symphony violinist Kari Giles and cellist Jeremy Lamb, Quisol will bring his distinctive blend of pop and Latin influences to Facebook Live at facebook.com/wdavclassical.

 Joseph Samuel Quisol, M.Ed. is an artist, educator, and organizer with roots in the Philippines and Puerto Rico. After getting onto the stage in his hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina, Quisol began recording original music, producing DIY shows and building community through music wherever he went.

Quisol earned his Master’s of Education in Arts in Education from Harvard University, where he engaged in Critical Race Theory in Education, Transformative Justice, and Pedagogy of The Oppressed. While at Harvard University he studied music activism with Esperanza Spalding and co-wrote with musicians across genres in Vijay Iyer’s Creative Music Ensemble.

Quisol was awarded a Live Arts Boston Grant from The Boston Foundation to produce live music events across the city and produce his debut album REVELATIONS. Released in 2019 at the inaugural Arts Equity Summit opening celebration co-produced with Arts Connect International, the album features an all-star lineup of queer and trans artists of color from Boston, Charlotte, and beyond.

Quisol continues touring and composing, and has crafted a facilitation practice drawing from creative exercises, DIY music culture, and organizing strategies learned from activist spaces in California and Southeast United States.

Of NoteWorthy, Quisol said, “My first time ever stepping foot inside the Blumenthal and engaging with classical music in my hometown was for the NoteWorthy Project. This experience has given me a newfound love for the classical tradition. I’m hopeful that new collaborations like these will invite more folks in Charlotte and the surrounding areas to partake in the wealth of talent and creative resources we have in the Queen City.”

“Quisol is an amazing talent,” said Will Keible, Director of Marketing at WDAV. “Those who view Quisol’s NoteWorthy performance will see not only the true depth of his music, but also his desire to enact social change through it.”

NoteWorthy is a concert series that pairs gifted Black and brown artists from Charlotte’s music scene with classically trained musicians. It’s what happens when jazz, soul, Latin, rock, hip-hop, pop, and R&B meet classical. Through this project, WDAV and FAIR PLAY aim to break down cultural divisions among music lovers by centering the contributions of musicians of color. NoteWorthy was awarded a Cultural Vision Grant by the Arts and Science Council.

“NoteWorthy is all about expanding musical palettes as well as challenging the limits that traditional genres can place on audience exploration, and Quisol’s unique musical style is a perfect example of that,” said David “Dae-Lee” Arrington, Co-Founder of FAIR PLAY Music Equity Initiative and Hue House co-owner.

For more information, contact Will Keible,Director of Marketing and Corporate Support,WDAV Classical Public Radio,(704) 894-2983 or [email protected]

David “Dae-Lee” Arrington, Co-founder FAIR PLAY Music Equity Initiative, [email protected]