noonartsound, a series of University of St. Thomas programs that blend musical performance and historical perspective, will begin its fall semester schedule with a performance by the duo Wilkinson James from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6, in the first-floor O’Shaughnessy Room (Room 108) of the O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library Center on the university’s St. Paul campus.
The Wilkinson James musicians are Andrew (AJ) Scheiber and Liz Wilkinson, both professors in the English Department. They have been performing folk and honky-tonk music for the past seven years and will perform some of their original songs.
The program, free and open to all, also features the talents of Dr. Shelly Nordtorp-Madson, chief curator and a member of the clinical faculty in the Department of Art History. She will present and discuss some visual artifacts that reflect the program’s musical selections.
Wilkinson and Scheiber explained that traditional country music “was once defined as three cords and the truth. It’s a song tradition in which simplicity of expression is valued, and which describes the everyday struggles of ordinary people to put food on the table, to find love, community and justice, and to go forward with hope despite the frequent scarcity of all these things.”
Those attending the program are welcome to bring their lunch; beverages and light dessert will be provided.
noonartsound was initiated in 2013 by the library, Nordtorp-Madsen and Dr. Chris Kachian of the St. Thomas Music Department. noonartsound features noontime talks on a variety of periods in art, sculpture, painting, costume history and more coupled with period performances of guitar music by Kachian and guest performers.
You can check the library blog for more information, and if you have any questions, contact Julie Kimlinger at jakimlinger@stthomas.edu or (651) 962-5014.
