Author Archive
Celebrating Black Music Appreciation Month all season long
Who do you consider the most influential Black artist in American history? Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Marian Anderson? Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix? Prince, Beyonce, Tyler, the Creator? The list of history-making, genre-defying Black musical powerhouses goes on and on! In celebration of Black Music Appreciation Month, the Levitt Foundation is proud to honor…
Celebrating Juneteenth Across the Levitt Network and Beyond
“You can’t separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom.” Malcom X This Sunday, June 19, marks the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States: Juneteenth. This federal holiday marks the day in 1865 when enslaved Blacks in Galveston, Texas finally…
Applications Now Open for the Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards
Posted OnApril 18, 2022 byBring free music concerts to your community! Applications for the Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards are now open through June 30, 2022! The Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards is an exciting, multi-year matching grant opportunity bringing the joy of free, live music to small to mid-sized towns and cities across the country. Catalytic…
AAPI Heritage Month: How Asian artists enrich the diversity and beauty of Levitt programming
From The Beatles’ use of the sitar in the 1960s to the homage of martial arts woven throughout Wu Tan Clan’s unique style in the 1990s to the hyper sounds of K-Pop dominating hearts and minds today, it’s undeniable the impact of Asian influence on Western music and in popular culture. In celebration of Asian…
Levitt venues and concert sites are jazzing up their free music series this season
Finding its roots in New Orleans in the 1880s, the music genre of jazz improvised its way from a blend of ragtime, marches, blues and other types of music as African American musical traditions mixed with European influences. Today, jazz is a broad style of music distinguished by syncopated rhythms and complex harmonies with regional…
Three Black trailblazing music makers: Florence Price, Mamie Smith and Sister Rosetta Tharpe
There are so many valuable contributions from musicians and performers that bring joy to our lives and feed our musical souls. While we can’t know every artist in the history of music, there are many who are not household names, but should be! In honor of Black History Month, we’re sharing the stories of three…
Gong xi fa cai! The Year of the Tiger roars in 2022
Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat (Sheep), Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig…which are you? If you were born in the years 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998 or 2010, congrats Tiger—2022 happens to be your lucky year! The Chinese New Year, or the Lunar New Year (throughout Asia), is a cultural celebration based…
Best of 2021: Levitt Staff Playlist
Music is at the core of who we are and the work we do at the Levitt Foundation. Looking back on another challenging year, music was a source of comfort and joy as we moved and grooved to the beats and rhythms of 2021, whether we gathered in person to once again enjoy live concerts or played tunes at home…
Levitt Artists Rock Multiple GRAMMY Noms
The Recording Academy recently announced its full list of nominees, recognizing the amazing artists and their music that brought joy to our lives during another challenging year. The 64th annual GRAMMY® Awards are just around the corner, and 18 Levitt artists rock the nominations from among the 86 different music categories. We’re thrilled to congratulate…