Pride Music and Art Festival: Let the Music Play

About the Concert

The Tampa Bay Pride Band presents the 3^rd Annual Pride Music and Art Festival! The Pride Music and Art Festival is an annual concert and art festival that celebrates and combines the visual and musical arts of Tampa Bay. It also serves as the kickoff Pride event here in Tampa. The Pride Music and Art Festival allows us as an arts community to stand together and celebrate diversity through music and art.

The Festival will take place Sunday, March 8^th at 5pm. The evening will begin with artists from all around Tampa Bay displaying pieces of original work that center around one theme. What does diversity mean to me? Come meet the artists. Their artwork will be displayed and available for purchase from 5pm – 7pm and the concert will begin at 7:30pm. Throughout the evening, we will have surprise pop-up performances from groups around the Tampa Bay area from voice, instrumental, and dance. Light refreshments will be served.

 “Let the music play…he won’t get away…let the music play and he’ll come back to you.” (1983, Lyrics by Barbosa & Chisholm)

While we all feel the inexorable pull of music as it urges us to dance, or elicits feelings and memories, musicians are often drawn back to music for alternately similar and different reasons. The Tampa Bay Symphonic Winds and Tampa Bay Pride Band exist not only to support our community through music and LGBTQIA+ Initiatives, but also to fulfill the musical enrichment of our members (and the community). Many of us have been drawn back to band performance through our desire to reconnect with our instruments – some of our members have joined the band after decades of missing playing their instruments.

At this year’s Pride Music and Art Festival, we would like to pay tribute to the music making experience unique to band programs. Rather than performing an entire concert of pop selections based on our theme inspired by the 1983 hit “Let the Music Play” by Shannon, we have decided to share our version of a Prism Concert. At this event, you will experience a taste of many of the musical experiences that American bands have to offer: Classic hits for the concert band, solo works featuring the talent of our own members, and a few other surprises. Featured works include “Rocky Point Holiday” by Ron Nelson, two movements of Johann de Meij’s epic  “Symphony No. 1: Lord of the Rings”; and two exciting new works for band – “Until the Scars (2019)” by John Mackey and a fun performance-art piece “Paper Cut” by Alex Shapiro utilizing black light effects and…Paper!

With the Support of the Arts Council of Hillsborough County and the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners, we thank you for your support and being a recipient of the Annual Arts Council Community Arts Impact Grants Project Specific Grant. The Tampa Bay Pride Band is a 501(c)3 Organization. All funds received for this event go towards the continuation of this project and the Tampa Bay Pride Band.

If the music is drawing you back to your instrument…or if it has ignited the desire to learn from scratch in the company of some of the Tampa Bay Area’s finest teachers and musicians, then we’d love to help you in your journey to “Let the Music Play!” Visit our website www.tampabayprideband.org for more information on how to join!

If you are interested in being an artist at our show please send an email to tbpbpresident@gmail.com.

Program

• Rocky Point holiday By. Ron Nelson
• Cousins By. Herbert Clark
• The Lord of Tiger Rings Movement I & II
• Until the Scars By. John Mackey
• Paper Cut By. Alex Shaprio
• Pride Anthem Marching Band Arranged By. John Davis