Us: Sessions at BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

In what is being described as a celebration of community, the BSO and Thomas Wilkins are delighted to present Us: Sessions, a collaborative video series with Boston-based hip-hop artist Moe Pope and the award-winning band STL GLD, marking the first public manifestation of a partnership, which began in 2018 during the BSO's three-year residency in Jamaica Plain. The series kicked off on Thursday, OCTOBER 29, with the release of a powerful music video by STL GLD and eight members of the BSO string section, all playing on camera at home, in a special arrangement of STL GLD's 2019 song "With Me." Six conversations follow over the course of two weeks, one released each Monday (11/2 & 11/9), Wednesday (11/4 & 11/11), and Friday (11/6 & 11/13). The videos, along with bios and supplementary materials, are available at bso.org/stlgld.

This week, on Monday, NOVEMBER 2, in the first of the six video podcasts, Thomas Wilkins joins three members of STL GLD-emcee Moe Pope, producer The Arcitype, and saxophonist Tim Hall (left) for a lively and illuminating conversation with a focus on the value of being open to music of all kinds. On Wednesday, NOVEMBER 4, BSO horn player Rachel Childers, folklorist/storyteller Dzidzor, and singer-songwriter Julia Easterlin join Tim Hall for a discussion ranging from the question "when do you finally feel like a professional artist?" to facing loss and rage. On Friday, NOVEMBER 6, BSO bassoonist Suzanne Nelsen, STL GLD vocalist Christopher Talken, BSO Assistant Principal Bass Lawrence Wolfe, and host Tim Hall discuss the importance of amplifying marginalized voices and the influence of church music.