The first stop of Gather Hear North Carolina was Roanoke Rapids, in Halifax County adjacent to the Virginia border. This county seat city’s population is 15,000 with a 22% poverty rate, race makeup 50% White, 36% Black, 6.5% Hispanic. Our venue was The Music School of Roanoke Rapids, a community music school with students aged 5 to 80 years old. Their lessons are very affordably priced, and they have 130 students!

We were there for two full days, as the Music School kindly lent us rehearsal space. Since Chris my co-performer lives in Philadelphia and I in Boston, we had worked remotely to create our touring show, and we needed rehearsal time and space to work out the kinks before the first performance. 

Each morning I ran on the trails alongside the Roanoke River. The Roanoke River is important to the history of this area, as it was originally inhabited by the Tuscarora people. The Tuscarora War (1711-15), North Carolina’s bloodiest colonial war, established dominance of European settlers in the state. 

The quiet downtown of Roanoke Rapids took up a few blocks, with eateries, clothing stores, salons, even a dance studio, alongside the usual boarded-up and run down historic buildings one sees in rural main streets. These rural downtowns that I’ve encountered countless times across the nation, they strike me as feeling distinctly “American" (this is coming from a foreigner). The tired buildings from decades past, in which you can see evidence of former wealth and glory. The mostly empty streets which feel slightly haunted. Sometimes, downtown is the place that unhoused individuals linger. And then there are individuals, organizations, and small businesses working tirelessly to resurrect this communal treasure trove of history and culture, reimagining downtown to serve the present and future, making it a source of pride and economic development. And that’s where I often find the perfect community gathering space for a Gather Hear concert.

In places like in Roanoke Rapids, downtown is the place that holds the soul of the city, even though the generic strip malls closer to the interstate hold the bulk of business. Our venue, The Music School of Roanoke Rapids, was a significant presence, taking up a large corner property. Katie Ammann, the owner, is originally from the Midwest but was placed in Roanoke Rapids for Americorps after college, fell in love with her now-husband, and never left.

The concert audience was a very diverse one in age and race, reflecting the diverse student base that the school serves. The younger music students were very attentive and serious in soaking up what we had to offer. I met a hopeful mayoral candidate, a transplant from NYC and his sons students at the music school. I also heard that a district judge was in attendance, famed for being one of the “Golden Girls” group of four college dorm mates, all Black women, who all ended up becoming judges! 

My favorite part of the visit was meeting Valentina, a teacher at the school originally from Colombia. She had told me the night before the concert that her mom is a very talented pianist, but she hasn’t been playing much anymore as she’s gotten older. Her mom came to the concert, and told me afterwards that the concert made her want to start playing again.

And so Gather Hear North Carolina was off to a great start! Thank you, Roanoke Rapids!!

There will eventually be blog posts from every stop, and there’ll be a “NEXT” button here to read the next entry!
For now, enjoy blog posts from Gather Hear Tours past.