Music festival looks to jazz up Little Rock

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - An arts festival happening this month looks to "jazz" up Little Rock with the help of music students.

Art Porter Music Education's "A Work of ART" kicked off in City Hall Monday with performances by music students from across the metro area.

The festival hopes to celebrate jazz and the legacy of little rock natives Art Porter, Senior and Art Porter, Junior, musicians who spread their love of jazz across the nation.

One student performer says the education program taught him much more than just how to play, but ALSO how to appreciate everything music is.

"Over time, I met a lot of people who taught me what music is supposed to be and what it means to you," Blake Bennett said. "So, music is also kind of just a journey in itself of just like self-discovery and just community. So, music can be a lot of things but to me, it's education and community."

The festival includes six performances in venues across the city, half of which are free. Upcoming performances include:

Tuesday, Aug. 1 at noon: Jazz on the River Plaza featuring Minors in Music, River Market Pavilions, 400 President Clinton Ave. (FREE)
Wednesday, Aug. 2, 7 p.m.: Ronnie McBride, Ron Robinson Theater, 100 River Market Ave.
Thursday, Aug. 3: 7 p.m.: Dr. Chelsey Green, The Rep, 601 Main St.
Friday, Aug. 4, 7 p.m.: Porter Players Jam Session, AC Hotel, 201 W. Capitol Ave. (FREE)
Saturday, Aug. 5, 8 p.m.: Norman Brown, with a special performance by Lex Porter, Still Ballroom at the Robinson Center, 426 W. Markham St.

Tickets can be found on the program's website, ArtPorter.org.

All proceeds go to the APME scholarship fund.

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