Friday Music Series 26-27

The Friday Music Concert Series offers free performances each semester in the Devine Theatre (Davis Performing Arts Center) on Friday afternoons (12:30–1:45 pm) for the university community of students, staff, faculty, and neighbors in the city. Register for tickets below.

Fall 2026

September 25- Nathan Salsburg

Photo by LUKE SHARRETT
luke.sharrett@gmail.com
(434) 851-3955

Nathan Salsburg is one of his generation’s most gifted and idiosyncratic fingerstyle guitarists. Since 2011, when the first of his eight solo albums was released, he has quietly established a style marked by a depth and a complexity wholly his own, drawing on abiding interests in minimalism, rural American vernacular musics, and the work of British folk revivalists like Dick Gaughan, Dolly Collins, and Nic Jones. He’s a frequent collaborator of songwriter-singer Joan Shelley (his wife) and Chicago multi-instrumentalist James Elkington, and has contributed to recordings by Shirley Collins, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, the Weather Station, and Jake Xerxes Fussell, among others. For three decades Salsburg served as curator of the digital Alan Lomax Archive.

October 2- Wayna

Wayna is an Ethiopian-born, GRAMMY-nominated singer-songwriter, TEDx speaker, former White House writer, and advocate whose performances celebrate the rich cultural influences of her African heritage. A two-time All Africa Music Awards nominee, elected National Trustee of the Recording Academy, and co-creator of the GRAMMY Award for Best Song for Social Change, she has built a career spanning music, public service, and cultural advocacy. Wayna has performed at renowned venues worldwide, including the White House, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, the Apollo Theater, and Essence Festival. She also toured internationally as a vocalist with Stevie Wonder on his Songs in the Key of Life Tour and other performances. Her music has been featured by major media outlets including USA Today, Billboard, BBC News, Essence, Complex, The Washington Post, and the Toronto Star. She has released three critically acclaimed albums—Moments of Clarity, Higher Ground, and The Expats—and earned a GRAMMY nomination for her remake of “Lovin’ You (Music)” featuring Kokayi.
Her recent work includes the music videos “I Won’t Answer,” which explores cultural bias, and “Good on Paper.” Through her artistry, storytelling, and advocacy, Wayna continues to bridge cultures and inspire audiences worldwide.

October 16- Buffalo Nichols

Carl Nichols has been releasing music under the Buffalo Nichols moniker since 2021, but his commitment to creative expression dates back to his teens. Whilst his contemporary take on the blues has taken him from the Late Show with Stephen Colbert to NPRs Tiny Desk concert series, his refusal to bend to genre expectations has seen him be embraced by audiences around the world. In truth, his music owes as much to the traditions of the blues as it does to the fuzz and distortion of shoegaze. Following the lead of his idiosyncratic artistic desires means that Buffalo Nichols continues to confound, continues to experiment, and continues to find new audiences for his heartfelt, emotionally heavy output. Shying away from making something challenging is simply not an option – be that his personal, political lyrics or his sonic exploration missions into the void. Wherever he leads, curious minds will follow.

October 23- Michaela Harrison

Michaela Harrison is an international vocalist and healer whose career is rooted in relaying the
transformational power of music and supporting others in accessing the healing energy available in
nature through ritual and creative practices. She holds a bachelor’s degree in International Affairs and a
master’s in Africana Studies. After nearly two decades of calling New Orleans home, Michaela has
returned to her native Washington, DC, and continues to spend time in Brazil, where she has headlined
music festivals and performs at various venues and events. She has toured and recorded extensively,
performed at and co-facilitated numerous workshops and retreats, and is currently engaged in a project
called Whale Whispering, a musical collaboration on water, healing and ancestry with humpback whales based in Bahia, Brazil. www.michaelaharrison.org

October 30- Clay Ross & Harini Raghavan: An Acoustic engagment with the music of American Patchwork Quartet

While American Patchwork Quartet has captivated audiences on stages from Carnegie Hall to the Grand Ole Opry and earned a Grammy nomination for its debut album, this special acoustic performance offers something different: a chance to experience the music up close.

Featuring APQ founder Clay Ross and vocalist/violinist Harini Raghavan, this intimate concert reimagines selections from the quartet’s celebrated repertoire for two musicians, creating an evening that is both deeply personal and musically adventurous. Blending folk traditions, global influences, virtuosic musicianship, and engaging storytelling, we invite audiences into the creative heart of a project that has been praised for illuminating the many cultural roots of American music. It should be an unforgettable evening of songs, stories, and musical connection.

Clay Ross is a 2x Grammy Award-winning artist and the founder of the Billboard chart-topping band Ranky Tanky. A native of South Carolina, Ross moved to NYC in 2002 and has since collaborated with artists as diverse as Gregory Porter, Snarky Puppy, and Bobby McFerrin. Winning multiple grants through the U.S. State Department, he has toured worldwide as a Cultural Ambassador.
www.clayross.com

Harini (Rini) Raghavan, is one of New York’s great talents in Indian classical and film music. She is both a dynamic singer and expressive Carnatic violinist. Born in Chennai and trained in Indian Classical from a very young age, she moved to the United States to attend Berklee School of Music, graduating with a major in Electronic Production and Design. She has performed and recorded with Grammy winning artists such as A.R.Rahman and composed music for the trending Indian Netflix show ‘The Fame Game.”
www.rinimusic.com

November 13- Sequoia “REDWOOD” Snyder & INNER KNOWING

Sequoia “REDWOOD” Snyder is a Washington, D.C.-born musician, producer, composer, and recording artist who blends the contemporary sounds of jazz, R&B, soul, and hip-hop with striking individuality. Mentored by legends like Rodney Whitaker, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Jason Moran, she earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Michigan State University’s Jazz Studies program. REDWOOD has performed with esteemed musicians such as Kenny Barron, Cory Henry, Carmen Lundy, and the R&B band The Internet. A multifaceted artist, she showcases her vocal and production talents on her debut album Red 2 Go. Stepping forward as a bandleader in 2025, REDWOOD headlined at the Kennedy Center and Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club. In 2026, she builds on that momentum with the release of INNER KNOWING.

November 20- Paul Bratcher

Paul Bratcher, a native of Harrisburg Pennsylvania began playing piano at age 11. He began his study of jazz at Bishop McDevitt High School where he played in the Jazz Band under the direction of David Knott. After high school Paul continued his education at Messiah College where he pursued a Bachelors of Science in Music Education. While attending Messiah he had the pleasure of playing with and learning from such jazz masters as, Tim Warfield, Kirk Reese, Cyrus Chestnut and Bruce Barth. After Paul graduated from Messiah he continued his education at Michigan State University studying Jazz Studies under world-renowned bassist Rodney Whitaker. During The time at Michigan State Paul had a plethora of both teaching and playing opportunities. As a teacher Paul worked with the jazz program at MSU Community Music School in Detroit as well a clinician for a variety of high schools in the mid Michigan area. As a player Paul has shared the stage with Rodney Whitaker, Diego Rivera, Etienne Charles, Michael Dease, and Wes “ Warm Daddy” Anderson. After graduating with a M.M. in Jazz Studies Paul has been busy playing and teaching in the D.C. area. He has toured South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Canada, and Uruguay, Egypt, Indonesia and more. Currently Paul is Associate Chair of Piano at the Levine School of Music in Washington D.C. and Director of Jazz Studies at Georgetown University.

Spring 2027

February 5- Jake Blount

Jake Blount (pronounced: blunt) is an award-winning scholar and performer of Black folk music based in Providence, RI. Initially recognized for his skill as a string band musician, Blount has charted an unprecedented, Afrofuturist course on his pilgrimage through sound archives and song collections. In his hands, the banjo, fiddle, electric guitar and synthesizer become ceremonial objects used to channel the insurgent creativity of his forebears. From transfixing solo sets to full-band festival appearances complete with crowd-surfing and ecstatic chants, Blount’s performances – like his recent Smithsonian Folkways releases, symbiont (2024) and The New Faith (2022) – seamlessly merge centuries-old traditional songs with the trappings and techniques of modern Black genres. This “genrequeer ” approach to the traditions has earned his music a place in the very same archives from which he extracts his repertoire. In defiance of genre categories, revisionist histories and linear time, Blount fashions an “Afrofuturist folklore ” that disintegrates the boundaries between acoustic and electric, artist and medium, and ancestor and progeny.

February 19- Aaron Myers & Co.

An artist with the heart of a public servant, Aaron Myers serves as Executive Director of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, the largest public funder of arts and culture in the nation’s capital, supporting more than 1,000 organizations and individual artists each year. A celebrated jazz vocalist and pianist, author, and advocate with more than 15 years across the media, entertainment, and nonprofit sectors, Aaron has released four jazz albums and two books exploring race, identity, sexuality, and social justice. He is a four-time Wammie Award winner—two for advocacy, one for Best Jazz Artist, and one for Best Jazz Song—and a Jazz Hero named by the Jazz Journalists Association. His artistry has carried him from a 20-city tour of Russia to St. Croix and Zimbabwe, where he taught a master class at the Zimbabwe School of Music. A Distinguished Alumnus of Navarro College, Aaron has served as First Vice President of the DC NAACP, Secretary of the Recording Academy’s DC Chapter Board of Governors, and founding Board Chair of the Capitol Hill Jazz Foundation. For 16 years he has served as Minister of Music at Covenant Baptist UCC, uniting artistry, spirituality, and social impact.

March 12- PostClassical Ensemble- The Legacy of Alan Lomax: Prelude

During a 60-year career, ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax worked to record, preserve, and promote the folk music of the world, seeking to document the sounds of America for the Library of Congress before taking his enterprise abroad. His global field recordings have inspired musicians and composers from around the globe. In this program guest curated by performers, ethnomusicologists, and folklorists Jennifer Cutting and Stephen Winick, PCE will take you on a tour of Lomax’s musical worlds. The PostClassical Ensemble (PCE), a Washington, DC-based chamber orchestra, is proudly designated as the ensemble-in-residence at Georgetown University. Under the leadership of Music Director and Georgetown faculty member Angel Gil-Ordóñez, PCE comprises some of the region’s finest musicians and is celebrated for its creative programming that integrates classical music with historical and cultural narratives.

April 2- Raye Zaragoza

Raye Zaragoza is a Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter who challenges traditional expectations placed on women as they get older. Her album Hold That Spirit explores themes of self-investment, joy, and the female experience. The album’s feminist undercurrent is evident in songs like Strong Woman, which celebrates female strength, and Not A Monster, which candidly addresses Zaragoza’s personal struggles. She collaborated exclusively with female artists on the album, aiming to create a communal, emotionally safe space to process a breakup and make honest art about her life. Zaragoza also hopes to provide visibility for Indigenous artists and foster a sense of community through her music. In addition to her music, Zaragoza is a songwriter for Netflix’s animated children’s series Spirit Rangers and has just finished touring nationally in the reimagined Broadway production of Peter Pan, bringing representation and a fresh perspective to the classic story.

April 9- Charly Lowry

Charly Lowry is an Indigenous (Lumbee/Tuscarora) singer-songwriter whose music lives at the crossroads of Americana, soul, roots rock, and blues. With a voice that is equal parts weathered and luminous, she crafts songs rooted in resilience, identity, and the beauty of becoming. Her artistry has taken her from the Grand Ole Opry and Carnegie Hall to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, where audiences have embraced her powerful vocals, honest storytelling, and unmistakable stage presence. Along the way, she has shared the stage with acclaimed artists including Rhiannon Giddens, Pura Fé, and Rissi Palmer, building a reputation for performances that are both deeply rooted and refreshingly contemporary. A former frontwoman of Dark Water Rising and an American Idol Season 3 semifinalist, Charly continues to carve her own path through music that honors where she comes from while embracing where she’s headed. Shaped by a life marked by resilience, reinvention, and unwavering authenticity, she writes songs that invite listeners to find pieces of their own story within hers. Whether performing solo or with a full band, Charly creates experiences that feel both intimate and cinematic—where raw storytelling meets timeless style, and every song is worn like a well-loved dress.

April 16- Nen Daiko Taiko Ensemble

Nen Daiko is the taiko ensemble of Ekoji Buddhist Temple in Fairfax Station, VA. Founded in 1994 with the guidance of Ekoji’s founding minister and our sister taiko groups (Soh Daiko and Hoh Daiko), Nen Daiko aims to represent Ekoji by sharing kumi-daiko, or ensemble taiko drumming, with the Washington DC area. The group’s mission emphasizes introducing the public to the rich cultural and musical traditions of taiko while highlighting the principles of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism. This spiritual connection fosters a sense of respect and unity among members, who come from diverse backgrounds yet share a commitment to the art form.

Past Performances