The day before the fourth of July, PaintJam met with Local NBC reporter Rashad Williams for a preview of the show to come on Independence Day. Harvey from Team PaintJam performed a fantastic show accompanied by an oboe player and flautist from Furman Lakeside Band. On the 4th of July Director Sue Samuels led the Furman Lakeside band along side the artists from PaintJam. The event took place on campus at Furman University in the McAlister Auditorium.
PaintJam was invited to perform with the Furman University Lakeside Concert Band in Greenville, SC for July Fourth. Dr. Sue Samuels is the Director of Bands at Furman and had collaborated with PaintJam before, in 2017, when she was the Director of Visual and Performing Arts for The Randolph School in Huntsville, AL. When her invitation came to share the stage this summer with 90 musicians, we were elated. Performing with orchestras is one of the most rewarding shows we do.
This band was made up of Furman students and members of the community. Ages ranged from young teens to seventies.
Dr. Samuels requested that PaintJam perform four paintings and an audience participation number. During the band’s performance of “America the Beautiful”, Dan painting a Soaring Eagle. Harvey painted Louis Armstrong while the band played “Satchmo”.
Two pieces, “Defying Gravity” from Wicked and “Apollo 13” accompanied Harvey’s painting of The Astronaut On the Moon. Dan tutored an audience volunteer for the “Art Fight” as the two drew on giant sketch pads. The sketches grew increasingly difficult, but the volunteer triumphed with her painting of Mona Lisa. She was delighted to be gifted a PaintJam cap.
For the finale, the band played Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever” as Harvey surprised the audience with his painting of Lady Liberty. Emcee and Greenville personality Jeremiah Dew “JDew” invited the audience members to bid on the four paintings directly after the performance, with all proceeds benefitting the band program.
PaintJam loves taking in the sights when we visit new places. We were able to tour the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC – America’s largest home built by G.W. Vanderbilt almost 130 years ago. The architecture and grand scale was remarkable. Falls Park on the Reedy River in downtown Greenville, SC was a refreshing spot on a hot day.
We look forward to performing with more live bands and orchestras. Thank you for your invitation, Dr. Samuels, Furman University and the Lakeside Concert Band!
