This past May, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and STL GLD were on track to make history at Symphony Hall.
The orchestra had organized the first ever community-curated performance at the Massachusetts Avenue facility, created under the artistic direction of STL GLD’s Moe Pope. Initially named “Us: A Celebration of Community,” the show was scheduled to feature performances from STL GLD, additional hip-hop acts, spoken word artists, DJs, dancers, and other Boston creatives.
Of course, once the COVID-19 pandemic began to unfold in the United States earlier this year, both STL GLD and the BSO had a choice: Scrap the project, or find a new approach. Opting for a virtual presentation, “Us: A Celebration of Community” has transformed into “Us: Sessions,” a seven-part online series that will run through mid-November.
The first video of the series dropped today (October 29), featuring an at-home performance of STL GLD’s song “With Me” in collaboration with members of the BSO. All future sessions will feature conversations with both BSO players and musicians who were scheduled to perform at the May concert, such as Dzidzor, Najee Janey, and Cliff Notez. Conversations are moderated by STL GLD member Tim Hall, who guides the chats and explores “the synergy between artists of different genres,” according to a statement from the BSO.
“STL GLD has partnered with The @bostonsymphony to create ‘Us: Sessions’ a series that has had a long journey in its creation and underwent a lot of creative adjustment due to the global pandemic we are experiencing,” STL GLD shares on Instagram. “This 7-part series starts with a collaborative performance captured during quarantine of our song, ‘With Me’ and continues with 6 episodes of conversations between musicians over the course of the next 2 weeks. Many thanks to the BSO for believing in Us and this project, and to all involved in making this happen.”
View the first session below, and check out the complete schedule for future sessions here.