CAP UCLA Presents Four Days of Music and Poetry at THE TUNE IN FESTIVAL

UCLA's Center for the Art of Performance presents the return of The Tune In Festival from Thursday, November 4, through Sunday, November 7 at CAP UCLA Online. The festival will be free to enjoy with channel registration.

The Tune In Festival is a four-day convening of more than 30 artists and ensembles coming together in cross-cultural solidarity to pay respect to the time-honored tradition of music and poetry as sources of resilience, protest and inspiration. Creative Advisor Kristy Edmunds tapped Award-winning performance poet J. Ivy and pianist Lisa Kaplan as associate curators. They created a lineup that brings joy and hope for a post-pandemic future, and will perform their own sets on day four and one, respectively.

"What I love most about this collection of storytellers is the bravery and hope that each artists chooses to yield," says Ivy. "They breathe purpose. They are Healers. For example, the author of We Want Our Bodies Back, Jessica Care Moore, affectionally known as Detroit Butterfly, is not only an Apollo Legend, whose words are celebrated worldwide, she is a pillar in the poetry community. In her set she shares her latest work of art, Such a Wild Beauty, where she gives love new perspective, but also dances with the tug of war that love often presents."

"I wanted to bring in a fantastic, early-career string quartet for The Tune In Festival," said Kaplan. I had met Thalea String Quartet a few years ago and loved their energy, their focus on commissioning and of course their seemingly effortless virtuosity. It was a joy working out the pieces for their set together, and I couldn't have been more delighted to be able to perform Andy Akiho's epic piano quintet, Prospects of a Misplaced Year with them. I am excited for the audience to see, hear and be inspired by Thalea."

The festival will open with the masterful and moving performance poet Sunni Patterson, followed by Thalea String Quartet, performing on both the first and last day of the festival, with works by Gabriella Smith, Andy Akiho, Jessie Montgomery, Ayanna Woods and Anthony R. Green. Other highlights include Mariee Sioux's mesmerizing yet intimate performance featuring a hauntingly beautiful set of songs which were filmed outdoors on occupied Nisenan territory. On day 3, Tongo Eisen-Martin will perform his poem It's Midnight Already, which is sure to leave audiences awestruck in less than five minutes. The full schedule of artists follows below.

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