The Legacy Show at McCallie School, featuring Tami Lee Hughes on violin and Bryon Burford-Phearse on piano, performed a set of music and poetry interspersed with multimedia segments to highlight the struggle for civil rights and the importance of diversity and inclusion.
“Director of College Counseling Jeff Kurtzman and I share a common philosophy that is always worth the effort to go and hear good live music,” McCallie Dean of Students Bob Bires said. “Today, that took no effort at all for McCallie’s students, because great music came to them along with poetry, and history, and passion, and virtuosity, and affirmations of the both the roots and the legacies of Dr. King’s dreams.”
Dr. Hughes and Mr. Burford-Phearse performed songs performed by notable African-American artists from various eras throughout history with poetry from the era between songs and images of America’s journey toward greater equality.
Upper School students saw The Legacy Show during Chapel on Friday, and the Middle School came to see the same presentation by Dr. Hughes and Mr. Burford-Phearse later in the day
Dr. Hughes has found success as an artist during her career. She earned a bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Minnesota and master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Michigan. As a soloist, she has appeared with a number of symphony orchestras across the United States, including the National, Monroe, Mississippi and Pontiac-Oakland Symphony Orchestras. She has appeared extensively as recitalist at universities and concert venues in the United States, Europe, Costa Rica and Bermuda, and has performed as solo or chamber artist in the Ann Arbor Chamber Fest, Natchez Festival of Music and Ritz Chamber Players Concert Series.
As an advocate for music outreach, Dr. Hughes has taught at the University of Kansas, Marygrove College, Interlochen and the Ann Arbor School for Performing Arts. She enjoys interacting with students of all ages, presenting concerts and serving as guest clinician at institutions across the country.
McCallie’s presentation of The Legacy Show served as the informal launch to the school’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day activities. Monday will be spent as a day of service and outreach for the student body, with advisory groups participating in various projects on and off campus to help the greater community and learn the value of helping others. The Middle School will also be spending the day doing community service projects and activities to highlight the importance of diversity and inclusion.
The Legacy Show was brought to McCallie in part through a gift from the Mandela Fund, a special endowment funded by McCallie alumnus Bob Eager '63 “to advance McCallie School students' understanding of what it means to be an agent of hope, reconciliation, and social justice in a community, the nation, or the world.”