For three years, “More Bounce with Clara Kent” has been celebrating music from across the African Diaspora, playing a wide range of genres and artists, from Fela Kuti and Jimi Hendrix to Beyoncé and Naomi Sharon, bridging gaps between generations and cultures worldwide. From 6 to 8 p.m., her show celebrates the beauty and history […]
Read More
by Jason Washington, 2026 Beckom-Freeman Teaching Artist-in-Residence If you’ve been around the Pittsburgh music scene recently, you may have heard people talking about Mystery Music Mondays, also known as M3, happening at Club Cafe. What started as a simple idea between a few friends has quickly grown into something that a lot of musicians […]
Read More
We are saddened to hear of the passing of Afro American Music Institute’s Co-Founder, Dr. James T. Johnson, Jr. Dr. Johnson died unexpectedly Monday at the age of 76, survived by his wife and AAMI co-founder Pamela J. Johnson and his five children. Dr. James T Johnson, Jr., CEO of Pittsburgh’s Afro American Music Institute (AAMI) Inc., graduated […]
Read More
by Omari I. Abdul-Alim It was an amazingly uplifting experience to be able to curate and perform Pittsburgh’s first Groupmuse concert, in celebration of Black History Month 2026. Groupmuse is an internationally active organization that provides a platform to promote and finance intimate/salon concerts in various cities around the world. These concerts are an excellent […]
Read More
UniSound announces next Beckom-Freeman Teaching Artists-in-Residence: Clara Kent and Jason Washington PITTSBURGH – UniSound has selected Clara Kent and Jason Washington as its Season 5 Beckom-Freeman Teaching Artists-in-Residence. Kent is an Afro-Indigenous (Oglala Lakota & Ojibwe) multidisciplinary artist, entrepreneur, and community leader from Pittsburgh’s Homewood community. In 2022, she began hosting a radio show on […]
Read More
UniSound’s Beckom-Freeman Teaching Artist-in-Residence (BTAR) alumni and BTAR Fellows don’t just create musical opportunities as performers. As teachers and mentors, they build community and maximize impact across music education, community engagement, and organizational synergies. Former BTAR Yusef Shelton “YS1” (’23-24) continues to mentor students across schools and youth-delinquent systems by teaching emotional intelligence, purpose discovery, […]
Read More
ACT3 Consulting Partners, UniSound, and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) presented the second annual “Synergies” event, an unforgettable evening honoring Pittsburgh’s Black musical talent and innovators. This special gathering is dedicated to celebrating the achievements of Black musicians and teaching artists, with a spotlight on UniSound’s Beckom-Freeman Teaching Artist-in-Residence (BTAR) recipients, BTAR alumni, and PSO’s […]
Read More
UniSound’s inaugural Black Teaching Artist-in-Residence Fellow Omari I. Abdul-Alim stars in a new documentary from WHRO Public Media entitled, “Virginia Symphony Orchestra Fellows: Orchestrating Change.” WHRO followed four amazing young musicians on their year long journey as VSO Fellows. The program was created to give underrepresented orchestral musicians the experiences they’ll need to succeed. The […]
Read More
In 2023, I had the honor of participating in the SCALE Fellowship Program: A Program for Black Women in Music, hosted by the Equity Impact Center. This incredible opportunity supported me in bringing my Nina Simone Tribute to life. Nina Simone’s music has been a part of my journey since childhood, sparking my love for […]
Read More
Who is Anyah? Great question! To be honest, I’m still figuring that out myself. I know what my bio says, and I have an idea of how my friends would describe me. When I open my Bible, I can read about who God says I am, and while all these perspectives about “Anyah” hold truth, […]
Read More