Stephanie Coleman

Folk Musicians Nora Brown & Stephanie Coleman Protest Trump’s Takeover

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One of President Donald Trump’s most intense fixations since returning to the White House has been to take over and overhaul the Kennedy Center, the national arts and culture institution in Washington, D.C. Trump fired the president of the Kennedy Center, replaced the bipartisan board of trustees with loyalists and made himself chairman of the organization, vowing to shift programming away from “woke” art and toward more patriotic themes.

On Monday, he visited the Kennedy Center to personally preside over a board meeting. Numerous artists have cut ties with the Kennedy Center since Trump’s takeover, but folk musicians Nora Brown and Stephanie Coleman performed a concert at the Kennedy Center last week and used the opportunity to protest Trump’s policies from the stage. “We were considering what the most effective method of protest was” and decided “our voices would be loudest on the stage,” says Brown. “The arts are a fundamental way for people to express ourselves and for us to recognize other people’s stories and experiences and struggles,” adds Coleman.

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Tiny Desk Concert with Nora Brown and Stephanie Coleman

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The Hobbledehoy attended a short but wonderful performance by Nora Brown & Stephanie Coleman at last year’s Jack Kerouac Festival which takes place annually in Lowell, Massachusetts. We’re thrilled to see Nora and Stephanie featured on NPR’s terrific “Tiny Desk” program.

“There’s a sweet moment between songs when Nora Brown and Stephanie Coleman reminisce about their love for traditional banjo and fiddle tunes. Speaking about “Across the Rocky Mountain,” banjo picker Nora Brown says she first heard the song when she was about 10 or 11. That puts a grin on fiddler Stephanie Coleman’s face, as she chimes in to say, “I had the same experience; we both were middle schoolers who were obsessed with old banjo players.” It’s this passion that these two have for traditional tunes that sparks me as a listener, and the audiences that come to see them. It’s a body of work that’s been handed down from player to player for centuries.”

– Bob Boilen

TINY DESK SET LIST

  • “Across the Rocky Mountain”/”The Old Blue Bonnet”
  • “Lady of the Lake”
  • “Copper Kettle”

As for the Kerouac Festival – it takes place annually in October featuring panel discussions, readings, jazz and folk music, films, open mike events, as high poetry competition, book signings, and more.

Kerouac fans and scholars from across the United States and around the world travel to Lowell for the festival. Writers, musicians, and scholars who have participated over the years include Allen Ginsberg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Robert Creeley, David Amram, Gregory Corso, Anne Waldman, Patti Smith, Michael McClure, and Ray Mazarek.