Mother Earth Concert to Promote Intersectional Climate Education

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The Department of Music and Zero Hour Arkansas will host the Mother Earth Music Concert at the Stella Boyle Preforming Hall at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30. 

Mother Earth is a community-driven environmental justice concert. This intimate event combines art with activism, to hold space and create accessible, joyful and educational experiences for people with intersectional identities to find community and learn about climate justice.

There will be performances by music faculty members Nathan Mertens and Tomoko Kashiwagi. Their performances will be premiered on the Department of Music's YouTube channel at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30. Climate justice conversations.

The workshop following the concert 'Art as Activism' will be led by Zero Hour Activists, Amelia Southern Uribe and Grace Holley. 

About Zero Hour Arkansas: Zero Hour Arkansas is a climate justice community and student organization amplifying BIPOC and other historically excluded voices from the environmental movement. We merge science, cultural wisdom and creativity through curriculum and interactive learning experiences to connect individuals with their local communities to root their environmental practice in equity and inclusion.

About Nathan Mertens: American saxophonist Mertens (he/him) currently serves as the teaching assistant professor of saxophone at the U of A. As an active soloist and chamber musician, he has performed recitals in Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Croatia, Bolivia, the United Kingdom and throughout the United States. He has performed as a soloist with orchestras including the Busan Philharmonic Orchestra, Hastings Symphony Orchestra, The University of Texas Symphony Orchestra and the U of A Saxophone Ensemble. Mertens' orchestral experience includes performances with the San Antonio Symphony and the Omaha Symphony. In competition, he was awarded Third Prize in the 14th Kurashiki International Saxophone Competition, Second Grand Prize in the North International Music Competition in Sweden and has been a finalist for many national competitions.

About Tomoko Kashiwagi: Pianist Kashiwagi finds great joy in playing the diverse repertoire she encounters as a performer and as an educator. Kashiwagi loves being inspired by the dynamic, creative people in this world. She completed her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees as well as the performer diploma in piano performance at Indiana University, where she studied with professors Shigeo and Reiko Neriki. It did not take long for Kashiwagi to realize the importance of chamber music and ensemble playing as a musician and that she truly enjoys interacting with other musicians. She is the first recipient of the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in collaborative piano from the University of Texas at Austin, where she studied with Prof. Anne Epperson.