Charleston Gaillard Center Releases Raising the Volume Episodes IV-VII

January 11, 2021

9:55 PM

The Charleston Gaillard Center today released four new episodes and lesson plans as part of the Raising the Volume series. Featuring conversations on music, race, art, activism, and more, the series is curated by Artists-in-Residence, Marcus Amaker and Charlton Singleton.

In Raising the Volume, Charleston's Poet Laureate Amaker and Grammy Award winner Singleton explore issues through open, honest dialogue. Each conversation includes an in-depth conversation with local Black leaders, educators, business owners, and artists. The first three episodes and lesson plans were released at the beginning of December 2020.

The following episodes and lesson plans were released today:

Episode IV – A conversation on growing up in Charleston and life as a journalist and author with Herb Frazier
- Topics include analyzing racial barriers in different geographic locations, role models, and the West African connection to South Carolina
Episode V – A conversation on arts management with Dr. Karen Chandler
- Topics include her journey as an undergraduate at a Historically Black College and her later transition to graduate school, the many music educators that introduced her to the world of arts, and her path to teaching arts management
Episode VI – A conversation on The Jazz Initiative and Jenkins Orphanage Band with Dr. Karen Chandler
- Topics include her time at The Avery Research Center for Afro-American History and Culture, Charleston jazz legends, and her jazz research
Episode VII – A conversation on his life and the health of our Black community with Dr. Thaddeus J. Bell
- Topics include the necessity of clean drinking water, the formation of Dr. Bell's nonprofit, Closing the Gap in Healthcare, and the founding of the Lowcountry Jazz Festival

Each video is accompanied by a lesson plan for both middle and high school students. The Gaillard Center's on-staff educator, Sterling deVries, will facilitate cross-school virtual meetings for students in different areas to discuss the content of the interviews. Eight lesson plans are available now at gaillardcenter.org. The lesson plans highlight the following interdisciplinary themes: global awareness; civic literacy; working creatively with others.

Watch the episodes and download the plans here. All videos and lesson plans are available for free as part of the Gaillard Center's Education and Community Program.