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For the past 20 years, Boris “Bluz” Rogers has expanded the boundaries of poetry, spoken word and musical storytelling. As an Emmy Award-winning performer, he has shared the stage with legends like Outkast, Pink Floyd and Gil Scott-Heron. As a poetry slam master and coach, he’s risen through the ranks of spoken word and inspired … Continue reading "Measure For Measure, Boris ‘Bluz’ Rogers Is The Bard Of Charlotte Hip-Hop And Spoken Word" The post Measure For Measure, Boris ‘Bluz’ Rogers Is The Bard Of Charlotte Hip-Hop And Spoken Word appeared first on Amplifier.

Alfred Sergel IV has three decades of experience as a professional jazz musician — not as a jazz singer or jazz pianist, but as a jazz drummer. Between performing with Grammy honorees and recording with Billboard-charting artists, Alfred (or, as his friends called him, Al) still finds time to create original music that merges new-age … Continue reading "ENCORE: Drumming Up Memories with Charlotte Jazz Musician Alfred Sergel IV" The post ENCORE: Drumming Up Memories with Charlotte Jazz Musician Alfred Sergel IV appeared first on Amplifier.

Self-taught on the drums at the age of 6. Raised on a mix of A Tribe Called Quest, Chuck Berry, and Lauryn Hill. Taking meetings with Jay-Z’s record label Roc Nation before her debut release even dropped in 2017. Just like her music, the stories of up-and-coming R&B star Cyanca are anything but ordinary. “It … Continue reading "ENCORE: Neo-Soul Artist Cyanca On Finding Her Way: ‘Your Pain is Equal to Your Breakthrough’" The post ENCORE: Neo-Soul Artist Cyanca On Finding Her Way: ‘Your Pain is Equal to Your Breakthrough’ appeared first on Amplifier.

“Democracy is not something that happens only at election time, and it’s not something that happens just with one event. It’s an ongoing, grassroots building process.” Long before the coronavirus pandemic, Charlotte musician Si Kahn understood the power of resilience. For the past 55 years, Kahn has dedicated his life’s work to civil rights activism, … Continue reading "‘Believe Them And Follow Them’: Folk Musician Si Kahn On 50 Years Of Rabble-Rousing Music Activism" The post ‘Believe Them And Follow Them’: Folk Musician Si Kahn On 50 Years Of Rabble-Rousing Music Activism appeared first on Amplifier.

Without a doubt, the coronavirus pandemic coupled with ongoing demonstrations and protests have changed the landscape for conversations and creative output. In particular, musicians have taken this time for self-reflection on the state of the music industry and their individual responsibilities in moving the conversation forward. For Charlotte-based singer-songwriter Kelsey Ryan, the past five months … Continue reading "Three Chords And The Truth With Charlotte Country Musician Kelsey Ryan" The post Three Chords And The Truth With Charlotte Country Musician Kelsey Ryan appeared first on Amplifier.

If you lived in Charlotte in the early 2000’s, you lived through the golden age of Rock En Español in the Queen City. Latin reggae band Bakalao Stars (led by Christian Anzola) took root during this fertile musical period, a time of locally-produced and supported Latin music which was heralded as “the soundtrack of Charlotte’s … Continue reading "ENCORE: Bakalao Stars On Charlotte’s Golden Age Of Rock En Español" The post ENCORE: Bakalao Stars On Charlotte’s Golden Age Of Rock En Español appeared first on Amplifier.

As America reckons with racial injustice, the music industry has scrambled to show its support for the Black community. Recording companies took a day off work and opened up their checkbooks with #BlackoutTuesday. Major labels like Warner Music Group and Sony Music created multi-million dollar funds to combat systemic racism. Here in Charlotte in recent … Continue reading "What’s Stopping Charlotte From Being ‘The Next Music Hub?’ Jermaine Spencer Shares His Solution" The post What’s Stopping Charlotte From Being ‘The Next Music Hub?’ Jermaine Spencer Shares His Solution appeared first on Amplifier.

Opportunities from contributing music to the hit Cartoon Network show “The Boondocks” to performing with Marsalis jazz family royalty, it’s no wonder Charlotte native Harvey Cummings II has been called a “jazz legend in the making,” mixing the classic riffs of Coltrane with the hip-hop sensibilities of J. Cole. “We’re trying to push jazz forward, … Continue reading "ENCORE: From Coltrane To J. Cole, Harvey Cummings II Has The Jazz Chops" The post ENCORE: From Coltrane To J. Cole, Harvey Cummings II Has The Jazz Chops appeared first on Amplifier.

Across the city and country, music venues remain closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. According to a June survey conducted by the National Independent Venue Association, 90% of independent music venues could close permanently within the next few months. As that association puts it, “Unlike restaurants or grocery stores, venues have no way to pivot … Continue reading "‘We’re Just Trying To Make It’: Jamie Starks On The Optimistic Uncertainty Of Charlotte’s Local Music Venues" The post ‘We’re Just Trying To Make It’: Jamie Starks On The Optimistic Uncertainty Of Charlotte’s Local Music Venues appeared first on Amplifier.

Progressive R&B artist and Charlotte native Whitney Hall is a self-described “trifecta:” a black lesbian woman who is proudly centered in communities of color, LGBTQIA+ and music. On the 50th anniversary of Pride’s Stonewall Uprising, amid nationwide demonstrations against police brutality and systemic racism following the death of George Floyd, Whitney H shares her thoughts … Continue reading "‘It’s Our Responsibility’: R&B Artist Whitney H On Centering LGBT Voices Of Color" The post ‘It’s Our Responsibility’: R&B Artist Whitney H On Centering LGBT Voices Of Color appeared first on Amplifier.

The past week has been like no other. For millions of Americans, the trauma and the heartbreak is profound following the death of George Floyd, who was killed by a Minneapolis police officer. On Tuesday, the music industry launched #TheShowMustBePaused, a statement of solidarity in response to Floyd’s death and the #BlackLivesMatter movement. As a … Continue reading "‘You Need My Urban Community’: DJ Fannie Mae on Inclusive Beats And Charlotte’s Music Heartbeat" The post ‘You Need My Urban Community’: DJ Fannie Mae on Inclusive Beats And Charlotte’s Music Heartbeat appeared first on Amplifier.

In recent weeks, local music advocates David “Dae-Lee” Arrington (Grammy-nominated producer and co-founder of FAIR PLAY Music Equity Initiative) and Rick Thurmond (lead for Charlotte Center City Partners’ Music Everywhere CLT) have established the Charlotte Music Community COVID-19 Relief Fund, designed to help local creatives who have lost income due to the coronavirus. Long before … Continue reading "Can Charlotte Music Survive COVID-19? We Ask The Experts." The post Can Charlotte Music Survive COVID-19? We Ask The Experts. appeared first on Amplifier.

As a result of the coronavirus pandemic and stay-at-home orders, remote education and virtual programs have seen a massive uptick in recent months. That includes virtual music lessons from organizations like Charlotte’s Bold Music Lessons, which brings music to homes and creates teaching jobs for musicians who’ve lost work as a result of the pandemic. … Continue reading "At-Home To Online: Bold Music Lessons On The Pivot (And Power) Of Music During The Coronavirus Pandemic" The post At-Home To Online: Bold Music Lessons On The Pivot (And Power) Of Music During The Coronavirus Pandemic appeared first on Amplifier.

“Jah” is more than a shortened form of Jehovah. For Charlotte artist Joel Aloise, founding member and guitarist for the Latin reggae band JAHlistic, the word “Jah” is a mantra to be fully, transparently and wholeheartedly authentic in both life, love and music. “Reggae is on the rise. Latin music as well. It was always … Continue reading "‘Reggae Is More Than A Genre’: JAHlistic On Peace, Love And Finding ‘Jah’ In Charlotte" The post ‘Reggae Is More Than A Genre’: JAHlistic On Peace, Love And Finding ‘Jah’ In Charlotte appeared first on Amplifier.

It’s been nearly a month since COVID-19 shut down Charlotte in practically every way imaginable. For the local music scene, that means venues of all shapes and sizes closing their doors and hundreds of concerts being canceled or postponed until the coronavirus outbreak comes to an end. But that hasn’t put a stopper on Charlotte’s … Continue reading "‘Value The People Closest To You’: Brit Drozda On Finding Meaning Through Music" The post ‘Value The People Closest To You’: Brit Drozda On Finding Meaning Through Music appeared first on Amplifier.

Since Amplifier debuted in 2018, we’ve had the pleasure of featuring a wide variety of rock artists on this podcast: alt rock, indie rock, psych rock, punk rock, pop rock. But today’s episode marks a first with Charlotte-based math rock band Cuzco, hailed by Volume Magazine as “a world of odd time signatures, not-so-typical rhythmic … Continue reading "Count On It: Math Rock Band Cuzco Shares Its Exponential Growth In Charlotte" The post Count On It: Math Rock Band Cuzco Shares Its Exponential Growth In Charlotte appeared first on Amplifier.

In 2018, Charlotte soul artist MercuryCarter was invited to perform at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. Beyond the opportunity to sing at the second-largest jazz festival in the world, Mercury’s appearance was made even more notable by the simple fact of his being the third North Carolina vocalist to have performed at the festival … Continue reading "‘I Remind People How The Soul Feels’: The Musical Ascendance of MercuryCarter" The post ‘I Remind People How The Soul Feels’: The Musical Ascendance of MercuryCarter appeared first on Amplifier.

For the past five years, singer-songwriter Jim Sharkey has taken the 200-year-old lilt of traditional Irish folk music and placed it in a 21st-century context (with contemporary references to Facebook, Whitney Houston and even the 2019 Women’s World Cup). On his 2019 full-length release “A Lovely Day,” Sharkey sings to the theme of home: of … Continue reading "May The Road Rise Up To Meet You: The Journey Of Irish Singer-Songwriter Jim Sharkey" The post May The Road Rise Up To Meet You: The Journey Of Irish Singer-Songwriter Jim Sharkey appeared first on Amplifier.

Host note: As a music fan, you probably know that music legends stand on the shoulders of oft-forgotten music trailblazers … like how Elvis Presley and Frank Zappa were inspired by Sister Rosetta Tharpe and John Coltrane. February is Black History Month, a month-long celebration of the achievements of African Americans. But why stop at … Continue reading "ENCORE: A Sign Of The Times, Unearthing History One Song At A Time" The post ENCORE: A Sign Of The Times, Unearthing History One Song At A Time appeared first on Amplifier.

Since 1994, tens of thousands of musicians have trekked to the “music oasis” that is The Playroom, the 22,000 square foot facility that is Charlotte’s oldest and largest music production space. On any given day, you can find more than 100 musicians working out of the facility, with talent ranging from up-and-coming Charlotte acts to … Continue reading "Welcome To The Playroom, The ‘Musical Oasis’ For Usher, Fantasia And Charlotte Music" The post Welcome To The Playroom, The ‘Musical Oasis’ For Usher, Fantasia And Charlotte Music appeared first on Amplifier.