Building Bridges with Music presents: An MLK Day Celebration at Two Venues

Building Bridges with Music presents an original literary and musical masterpiece by acclaimed composer/bassist Marion Hayden. Ocean: The Life and Times of Poet, Phillis Wheatley will take place this MLK Day, Monday, January 15, 2024, at 7pm. This Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day event features one show across two venues: The Alluvion and Milliken Auditorium! From The Alluvion, Marion Hayden and her all star Detroit octet will perform her musical suite centered around the life story of poet, Phillis Wheatley, the first African American to publish a book and achieve international stature, nearly 200 years before The Civil Rights Movement.

And that’s not all! The same program will be livestreamed into Milliken Auditorium where NMC’s Chamber Singers, Cantus Children’s Choir and Skyelea Martin with Jimmy Olson will perform live in an interactive dance celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

And there’s MORE! Looking for a way to get the whole family invested this MLK Day? All day long, the Alluvion and NoBo Mrkt, located in Commongrounds at 414 E Eighth, will be hosting a series of FREE events in honor of Dr. King, sponsored by Building Bridges with Music.

Community MLK Day Celebration at Commongrounds:

● 10-10:45am: Music for Kids in The Alluvion - Ms. Miriam will lead a music class perfect for Kindergarten and younger with their grownups with stories about MLK

● 11-11:45am: Art for Kids in The Alluvion - Laura Adams will offer creative reflections about MLK with art-making stations for 1st-5th graders

● 12-2pm: Free Community Lunch at Nobo Mrkt - Building Bridges with Music invites everyone to a free community lunch in TC’s newest restaurant.

● Spirituals: Listen for Kevin LaRose on Tuba and Joe Wilson on Dobro playing spirituals throughout the building.

● 6-6:30pm: SkyeLea and Jimmy Olson in The Hive (The Alluvion Lobby)

● 6:30pm: Doors to The Alluvion open for the day’s final showcase: Marion Hayden’s Ocean Suite

● 7-9pm Marion Hayden’s Ocean: The Life and Times of Poet, Phillis Wheatley with NMC choirs and SkyeLea with Jimmy from The Alluvion AND Milliken Auditorium.

Tickets are FREE. You can choose the venue which is most convenient for you. All aspects of the 7pm show will be livestreamed into both venues, creating one seamless, citywide remembrance of the life and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This event is sponsored by Building Bridges with Music and Dennos Museum’s Milliken Auditorium.