COURTESY NIA J

R&B singer and songwriter Nia J will perform with Drew Dansby June 6 as part of a six-concert series at Myers Park Presbyterian Church.

Drew Dansby’s first try at concert promotion will directly benefit worthy causes.

Dansby, 21, organized a six-concert series at Myers Park Presbyterian Church through June 27. The free chamber music programs will include 18 different performers. Spectators are encouraged to donate to Feed the Movement CLT, a volunteer-run mutual aid fund that supports Black trans women, single mothers, and others facing political and social inequality by paying for housing and meals.

“I've never been to a concert that raises money directly for a mutual aid fund or gives the money directly to people who need it,” Dansby said. “It all goes through some bureaucratic organization, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but I wanted to try to do it where 100% of the proceeds went to people who need the money.”

The series was designed to include an eclectic variety of performers and instruments, creating a unique chamber experience. All shows begin at 7 p.m. and will feature piano solos, cello ensembles and wind instruments.

The Section Cello Ensemble on June 6 is the second performance of the series and will include a guest appearance by R&B singer and songwriter Nia J. June 10 will feature a program of pieces for cello and piano, including John Corigliano’s “Phantasmagoria.”

The performance on June 16 will showcase wind instruments from the Charlotte Symphony and   finally, a program of musicians from all around North Carolina will unite in Charlotte on June 27 for a contemporary string quartet.

“A local R&B singer will play with one of the ensembles, which I'm super excited about. We have talked to a lot of independent, non-classical musicians in the area, like R&B or hip-hop artists,” Dansby said. “Charlotte has a really vibrant hip hop scene right now. They've all been very receptive to collaborating with classical musicians. But that isn’t the issue. The issue is the organization aspect. I'm hoping that after this series more people will collaborate.”

Dansby has also made it easy for Charlotte residents to make it to shows by offering free ride services. Anyone interested in attending can fill out a Google form with their information, including how many guests they’re bringing, and a volunteer driver will be there to pick them up.

“I am always thinking of ways to make a concert more accessible to people who may want to come, but who don't know how to get there, how to dress, how to act, or may feel uncomfortable,” Dansby said. “The question was how do we make the concert more accessible, especially to students and people who live far away. When we talk about making concerts more accessible, transportation is always the main issue. This concert series is at Myers Park Presbyterian, which is in a very bougie part of town. It’s far away from downtown and where most people I know live who may not have a lot of money.”

The ride sharing concept is an experiment Dansby hopes will prove successful for the future. He wants concerts to become more mainstream and one way to do so is to make it as easy as possible for residents to attend the event.

Dansby is a performer in the summer concert series. He will take the stage on June 6 as part of the cello ensemble with Nia J.

Dansby has been playing the cello and violin since he was 4 years old but did not get serious with music until much later. He attends Oberlin College in Ohio but is currently on a gap year pursuing a yearlong contract with the Charlotte Symphony. He has been playing alongside some of his mentors and teachers from high school, one of which helped Dansby secure his spot in the symphony. He is honored to be playing with the very people that inspired him from the beginning.

“I want people to realize the immense talent we have in Charlotte and even in North Carolina,” he said. “The reason I love doing chamber music and orchestra is the synergy that comes with playing music with other people. I feel like there's some kind of instantaneous connection, or a moment when our brainwaves are in sync. That translates to the energy a live audience can feel.”

Audience members who decide to donate can do so on PayPal at @feedthemovementclt or on Cashapp at $feedthemovementclt. The mutual aid fund is currently working to help two single mothers pay rent, as well as helping a disabled man keep his housing in a hotel. Proceeds from the concert will go to those individuals’ needs.

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