MUSIC FROM HOME

A Message from Joseph Williams

Music from Home celebrates world-class performers, composers and visual artists of underrepresented identities. Featured artists vary from seasoned faculty scholars to internationally acclaimed touring performers; symphony musicians to music educator-activists; opera singers to oud players; tea-stained ceramic artists to abstract expressionists. We are honored to showcase an array of artistry at one of South Sound's most inspiring natural settings, Lakewold Gardens.

The abundant support of attendees and partner organizations has enabled Music from Home to enter its second season with a heightened sense of empowerment. It is a dream-project that grew in response to classical music spaces often being characterized as elitist, eurocentric and male-dominated. Consider Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's finding that only 1.8% of music programmed by all 21 major American orchestras in 2014/2015 was composed by women. While there is hope that this percentage is rising, the imminent global celebration of Ludwig van Beethoven's 250th birthday carries the risk of implicitly overshadowing the accomplishments of marginalized composers both past and living. Until important figures such as Chevalier de Saint-Georges and Gity Razaz become household names, we must collectively challenge the dominant narratives presented in classical music discourse. By authentically centering programming around womxn and people of color, this series rejects tokenization and invites each artist to paint their own narratives.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive, warm and intimate setting for each concert. Expect exultant clapping between movements, children roaming freely from bean-bag to coloring station and relentless reminders that there are drinks in the back. Music and art allow artists to convey ineffable feelings, thus inducing empathy in our hearts and catalyzing connectivity with others in shared space. It is our hope that you will leave the Gardens having made new friends, a richer understanding of artists' varying perspectives and multitudinous memorable moments of warmth - not least of which is that cozy feeling of home.

Sincerely,

Joseph Williams

Artistic Director

Music from Home

2021 Season

Black Splendor

Music from Home kicks off its third season with a ten-part virtual mini-series entitled “Black Splendor.” Each virtual concert in this series celebrates a black artist who are true innovators in their musical field. This virtual event will kick off on April 24.

Music from Home Season Archives:

2020

2019

Joseph Williams, Artistic Director

Joseph Williams is a pianist, educator and arts advocate from Tacoma, WA. Memorable performance venues include The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, The Cleveland Museum of Art, The Northwest African American Museum and Dubai's Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children. He teaches courses in music theory, ear training and chamber music at Seattle University and provides piano lessons in the Community Music Department at University of Puget Sound. He is founder and director of Tukwila Kids Make Music, a free music mentorship program offering piano, guitar, violin and East African drum lessons to 50 children every week of the year. He provides instruction at Key to Change, a nonprofit violin studio with the mission of inspiring underserved youth through world-class music instruction and supporting their development as self-aware leaders. Williams is proud to serve as founder and artistic director of Music from Home.

Serena Berry, Filmmaker

SERENA BERRY is an award winning independent filmmaker and producer from Tacoma, Washington. She holds a BA in Communications from the University of Washington-Tacoma. Serena has been working in independent cinema Pacific Northwest for nearly a decade. Her debut short film Shards was shown at HollyShorts Film Festival and won Best Narrative Short at the Synimatica Short Film Festival. Before penning Shards she worked as a freelance producer for PBS affiliate KCTS9 as well as multiple projects for Puget Sound non-profits organizations such as the Museum of Glass, America’s Car Museum and the Hilltop Artist Program . Her goal has always been to create stories that often don’t get told about real people.

Carlos Camargo, Filmmaker

Carlos Camargo (creative24.net) is a self-employed commercial filmmaker from Western Washington. Originally born in Mexico City, he was brought to the US in 2000 at the age of eight by his family. He grew up on classic cinema and has passionately shared stories through video since he can remember. Today he devotes all of his time to producing promotional videos for businesses and organizations. He owes so much to the community of people that encourage him and support his craft.

Carlos has captured media for Music From Home since its inauguration and says it "has been one of the most fulfilling projects I’ve been involved with. Every performance I get to capture gives me a chance to record gifted artists, each with their own unique look and tone."