651 ARTS in partnership with The Billie Holiday Theatre present Song Salon.
An intimate night of music and conversation.
Every Thursday in May, 651 ARTS and The Billie Holiday Theatre bring you the Song Salon, a series of intimate performances and conversations, inviting audiences into the room – into the artistic process, a live Behind-the-Scenes with the folks standing at the front of it!
- May 4 — Jordyn Davis
- May 11 — Terron Austin
- May 18 — Candice Hoyes
- May 25 — Nicholas Ryan Gant
What is it?
Each Thursday in May, we’re inviting an artist to share their performance and process (or plight) in front of an audience. Each one of them brings a different experience, and unique offering.
Will there be live music? Yes
Will you be able to talk about it and ask questions? Also, yes.
Your interaction is not only welcomed but encouraged. It’s a conversation and we want to hear your voice/thoughts/feelings!
Why a Salon?
Salons have long served as safe spaces where Black artists, thinkers and creators gather to discuss and express themselves.
The Song Salon draws inspiration from the historical importance of the “Salon” to Black creativity and expression. It was designed to be a supportive space and community for creatives to try new things, revisit old things, or simply to talk through things.
The Artists
We invited two artists and each of them nominated an artist of their choice – someone they’re excited about, someone they want to share with you!
This inaugural season of the Song Salon will feature a collective of dynamic, emerging artists on-the-rise including:
Jordyn Davis
Date: May 4th
Award winning bassist, composer, songwriter, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist Jordyn Davis became the first African-American woman to receive a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Composition from Michigan State University in 2019 as well as the first Michigan State student to receive a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Composition and Jazz Studies concurrently. She has also performed and worked with artists such Micheal Dease, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Wycliffe Gordon & The Black Excellence Dee Dee Bridgewater, Craig Harris & William Delisfort. Additionally, she is the proud leader of her own band “Composetheway.” The Brooklyn-based artist was recently featured on the PBS Limited Series “Music for Social Justice” and is an alumnae of The Woodshed Network – a mentorship and career accelerator program for emerging self-identifying women artists in Jazz presented by 651 ARTS in collaboration with music legend Dee Dee Bridgewater. Davis is also one of two inaugural Jazz Leader Fellowship recipients from the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music as well as a teaching artist for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
Terron Austin
Date: May 11th
Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Terron Austin has spent the past eight years writing, recording & lending supporting vocals in studios & on stages across the globe serving a plethora of world-renowned artists such as TLC, Teedra Moses, B. Slade, Shanice and Durand Bernarr. Austin can also currently be seen touring internationally with the illustrious “Queen of Neo-Soul,” four-time Grammy Award-winner Erykah Badu. With his eyes set on making his own impact on the world of music & the entertainment industry at large, he most recently made his solo debut with a prominent feature on summer 2022’s “B-Boy Blues” Original Motion Picture Soundtrack now streaming on BET+. In 2022, TERRON also garnered the lead single & title cut from the global artists compilation project “Lovers Lane,” which landed in the Top 10 Best R&B Albums lineup in Croatia, with additional major support in London, Amsterdam & Brazil.
Candice Hoyes
Date: May 18th
Recently featured in Carnegie Hall’s 2022 Timeline of African American Music, Candice Hoyes is an artist of “chill-inducing range” (Vogue) across genre, medium and style. The prolific singer, producer, songwriter, filmmaker and archivist has been dubbed “an artist with the most eclectic and delicious voice ever” by JazzFM(UK) using her music to bring “Black history into the present” (NPR). Hoyes’ recent works include Carnegie Hall, Detroit Symphony, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Caramoor, NYC JazzFest, Blue Note, and collaborations with Chaka Khan, Lalah Hathaway and Lin-Manuel Miranda. As an activist, she was commissioned by Michelle Obama’s When We All Vote and National Black Theater to create performance art to mobilize Black voters. A Harvard, Columbia Law and TED alum, Hoyes is also an alumnae of The Woodshed Network. She is set to releases her experimental jazz album, Nite Bjuti (pronounced night beauty) in Summer 2023, and the first single is out now.
Nicholas Ryan Gant
Date: May 25th
Nicholas Ryan Gant (NRG) is a New York based artist and educator from Phoenix, Arizona. NRG studied classical vocal performance at Howard University in Washington, D.C. and holds a master’s of art in Music Education from Hunter College, as a participant in The Lincoln Center Scholars program and is a recipient of the 2020 Paul Simon Music Fellowship. In addition to the classroom, NRG is also an accomplished vocal coach for several artists and record labels as well as a sought -after workshop and masterclass facilitator. NRG is the vice-president of the board of directors for Decolonizing the Music Room. As a vocal composer NRG has collaborated with choreographers Malik Washington, Francine E. Ott and Kyle Abraham. He’s been a featured vocalist on several projects internationally and has recorded 7 independent projects of his own. NRG has also had the opportunity to sing support vocals for artists such as Michael McDonald, Mariah Carey, Jon Batiste, Miri Ben-Ari, Zo!, Carmen Rodgers, Sy Smith, Run the Jewels, and Childish Gambino.
Stay tuned for announcements of weekly special guests!