Local musician Jess Garland is bringing her full range of musical talents to the Wyly Theatre this weekend, May 26-28, in collaboration with fellow artists Eric Trich and James Talambas.
Presented by the AT&T Performing Art Center’s Elevator Project and sponsored by the City of Dallas’ Offices of Arts & Culture, the Luminescence concert features an all-black cast of musicians. Using light, sound, and interactive visual projections, the musicians honor “creativity as a source to express and celebrate Blackness while invoking change in the Arts District.”
Garland will be debuting her new one-of-a-kind 3D laser-printed harp made of red translucent resin. The performance will also feature multi-instrumentalist Brianne Sargent, violist Steven Juarez, cellist Najeeb Sabour, vocalist Audra Scott, and Grammy award winner Geno Young.
Garland is a singer, songwriter, performer, and recording artist. The multi-instrumentalist describes her music as “celestial avant-garde pop with ethereal jazz tones.” A sample of her debut single can be heard here.
The Dallas native recently spoke to The Dallas Express about playing at the popular theatre.
“It means a lot to play at the Wyly Theatre just because of the history that is in the arts district. The arts district is relatively young, and the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) first opened in 1984, which is the year that I was born,” she said.
Garland said her musical path started in another well-known art district in Dallas, Deep Ellum.
Garland told The Dallas Express that she loves what she does, but along the way, she has faced hardships within the art community.
“It means a lot to me because of a lot of the racial inequity experiences that I’ve had from working in these institutions,” she said, expressing frustration over the lack of opportunities available to musicians of color.
“Being told by foundations that … we’re not teaching the students to be good enough — specifically talking about black and brown students — to be on that stage, instead of rethinking their programs so we’re providing access. Most of the students are black and brown, but why are these students not on their stages?” Garland said.
Through her nonprofit organization, Swan Strings, Garland is working to change that. Swan String’s mission is to provide free music education, community concerts, and sound therapy services to North Texas individuals without access. The organization focuses mainly on the South Dallas, Oak Cliff, and Pleasant Grove communities.
“With the harp, I get a chance to be more free, not follow certain rules, use those backgrounds and influences, and show people that there’s more than one way to do music by using all of these skills and techniques that you have,” Garland said.
More information about the Luminescence concert, including ticket information, can be found here.