The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Healing Blues project concert benefits homeless
NEW BRITAIN >> The Healing Blues project, initiated by Central Connecticut State University art professor Ted Efremoff, in collaboration with Greensboro College Music Professor Dave Fox, travels from its roots in Greensboro, N.C. to New Britain.
The Healing Blues band, with formerly homeless spoken word artist Don Miller, will perform at the Healing Blues Concert and Teach-In at Torp Theater on the CCSU campus. The event will also feature an introduction to Social Practice Art by Professor of Art History Dr. Leanne Zalewski, and an introduction to The Healing Blues project by Professor of Art Ted Efremoff.
The Torp Theater is located in CCSU’s Davidson Hall at 1615 Stanley Street, New Britain. The concert and Teach-In will take place on April 18 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., and is free and open to the public.
The Healing Blues Band brings together musicians and people experiencing homelessness to create musical documentaries of their lives while at the same time raising money for the Interactive Resource Center in Greensboro, N.C., a partner of the project.
The Greensboro, N.C.based project has so far created two music CDs, Healing Blues and Healing Blues/Spoken Words.
Proceeds from these efforts and various concerts have so far raised over $15,000 for the center, much of it going directly to the storytellers (ie. homeless) themselves. There are some well-known musicians on the project, such as Fred Wesley (of the JB’s) and Bob Margolin (a former guitarist for Muddy Spoken word artist Don Miller will perform in the upcoming Healing Blues concert to benefit the homeless. Waters).
“I am excited to bring The Healing Blues project from my former home of Greensboro, N.C. to my current home in Central Connecticut. The project illustrates how the healing process of talking about and memorializing one’s struggle in living music can improve the lives of individuals and how broad community partnerships involving the arts, education, social services and philanthropy can address the needs of our most vulnerable communities.”