(bright music) - Coming up next on "Curate."

- [Aoife] There was a time 100 years ago where women didn't have the right to vote, and we need to not take that for granted.

Music does have the power to get into those vibey ether of the mood.

- [Trey] We really want it to sweep the audience up in the space and transport them back to the era.

- [Kyla] Being able to create with my teachers and my friends was just something that I just really enjoyed, and it truly did bring us closer.

- Thanks for joining us and welcome back for another episode of "Curate."

I'm Jason Kypros.

- And I'm Heather Mazzoni.

In 2024, husband and wife musicians, Aoife O'Donovan and Eric Jacobson, came together for a special concert at the Ferguson Center.

Aoife brought her Emmy award-winning folk music featuring suffragist theme songs from her most recent album, "All My Friends."

- While Eric conducted the Virginia Symphony in performing the music of Aaron Copland, featuring some of the most iconic American music.

- Together, this talented couple shared important parts of their American experience and how history comes to shape the present and future.

(audience clapping) - Hello, Virginia!

(audience cheering) - I'm so excited to be here.

I've been looking forward to this for so long, and I'm just so thrilled to see so many people out there, and I'm gonna dive right into some music.

(gentle orchestral music) Tonight, we're showcasing a couple of my songs.

I put out an album called "All My Friends," which was inspired by the suffragists and by the passage of the 19th Amendment.

It was especially crazy to be performing these songs in an election year, and I know the election is behind us now, but the message remains crucial, I think, for people to keep at the front of their mind that there was a time 100 years ago where women didn't have the right to vote, and we need to not take that for granted.

♪ Red and white and blue and gold ♪ ♪ I wanna wait for the water to touch my toes ♪ ♪ On the beach it's the Fourth of July ♪ ♪ I wanna wait for the fire to burn my eyes ♪ Music really does have the power to get into those sort of vibey ether of the mood and really kind of hit you from that angle.

♪ There's a hole and it's twelve miles deep ♪ ♪ I dug it with my hands ♪ ♪ Come on, lie next to me ♪ We really were able to work together in making the record itself.

I wrote the music and we performed it, but I said, "I wanna record it," and he helped me produce the album, and it really was a very much a collaborative process.

♪ Black and blue all on my face ♪ ♪ I wanna follow you home, I wanna see your place ♪ ♪ I wanna take you in my arms ♪ ♪ And float down a river with you ♪ ♪ I wanna buy the farm ♪ ♪ Come on, let's role play ♪ - I think I bounce and Aoife decides.

(laughs) This piece, really, it's Aoife's creation, and every element of it, whether it's the children's choir... (singers vocalizing) (singers vocalizing) Whether it's the orchestration... (bright orchestral music continues) (Aoife singing indistinctly) Whether it's how the chords flow together...

It's the sonic world that it lives in.

It feels so if Aoife.

Being a part of it as an interpreter, whether it's Copland or Aoife, or the world premiere that we're doing tonight by Christina Courtin, I think all those things are, how can I get into this as the composer would have intended or the creator would've intended.

(lively orchestral music) I think Copland, as an American composer in the orchestral world is one of the heroes, someone who has kind of become the definition of sounds that evoke orchestral America.

So you have that sound of the Grand Canyon.

You have the Great Lakes.

You have "From Sea to Shining Sea," and all of the immense things that intersect throughout this country.

(lively orchestral music continues) And Copland's sound both can be naive and proud and all the beautiful things that make up this country.

(jubilant orchestral music) When putting this program together and thinking of if Aoife's work, it felt like Copland was such a perfect pairing.

(jubilant orchestral music continues) - Christina is actually one of the people who introduced us way back in the day.

She was a friend of mine and a friend of Eric's.

(audience clapping) So it's really fun to be doing this work with her.

We have this opportunity to create some new music, and we thought, who could we get to do it?

Who would be really a fun composer to work with?

And I love Christina's songs.

She's an incredible songwriter and singer, so it's especially nerve wracking to sing a piece that was written by a singer.

(laughs) ♪ Of my memory (indistinct) just a patch ♪ ♪ Not a piece of the puzzle ♪ ♪ I had (indistinct) ♪ The lyrics are just gorgeous.

The text is stunning and the orchestration is really so her.

And also, I feel it's very neat as well, so I think it goes, it's a really nice addition to the program.

♪ Walk an ordinary (indistinct) in the street ♪ ♪ And everywhere that I go and everyone I meet ♪ ♪ They don't know the things that we've been through ♪ - When Eric asked me to write the piece, he said, "If you can have it reflect on your American experience," (gentle music continues) For me, what that means right now is how to persevere and how to keep going, how to listen.

♪ We are a quarry ♪ I wanted to try and make something really positive and something that felt hopeful, more common ground maybe.

(choir singing brightly) - The inspiration for this piece is the relationship between the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and the Ferguson Center and when talking with Bruce Bronstein about how to celebrate the Ferguson Center, 20 years in, and the Virginia Symphony relationship and featuring Aoife was one of his goals.

And he said, "You know what, and let's build something new "that's never happened before."

So I think that was sort of the jumping off point.

- One of the things that's important to me at the Ferguson Center, I love that the symphony is so ubiquitous throughout Hampton Roads, but this is my venue, and I like to do things that are a little different here.

So this was a way to do something special here at the Ferguson Center, add a commission to it, so it's a world premier event, and then such a wonderful story to be able to celebrate this talented couple and throw a Hampton Roads hug around them and celebrate them right here at the Ferguson Center.

♪ Where is there democracy ♪ ♪ For which to run this (indistinct) ♪ ♪ For which we often go ♪ ♪ (indistinct), burn it down (indistinct) ♪ - Bruce has been able to take what is possible in a concert venue and sort of blow out all the sides, you know, the idea of being able to support artists and support the community in a truly symbiotic way and bring people up to the next level and to feature people and to bring his audience in for these super unique happenings is so beautiful.

(Aoife singing indistinctly) - It's a lot more fun to be able to take artistic risks.

I feel like it's the mission of a performing arts center to elevate artists and create opportunities.

Everyone who's creating deserves the opportunity to have a platform to be heard, to be seen.

Aoife was just nominated for two Grammys, but she's not a household name in our market yet.

(Aoife singing indistinctly) ♪ Some of you are all I know ♪ And creating an opportunity to put her on stage and especially with Eric and the Virginia Symphony and for the community to be able to develop a relationship with her, that's how artists grow their careers by building those relationships, and if Ferguson Center, and frankly, if I, personally, can be part of that, nothing fills my soul more.

(bright orchestral music continues) (Aoife singing brightly) (audience clapping) (audience cheering) - [Announcer] Filmmakers, are you looking for a platform to present your documentary, feature, or short film?

Check out whro.org/whro+.

- Since its inception, ROjGE: Theater Reinvented has been pushing the envelope on theater and other types of performance arts.

- And their latest endeavor is no different.

"Rosie the Riveter" is an immersive experience about the iconic factory worker whose image helped motivate a country at war.

- Utilizing the military aviation museum in Pungo and its impressive fleet of airplanes as a backdrop, this play was a historic success.

- [Host] Whenever you're ready, boys.

- [Singer] A one, two, a one, two.

(bright jazz music) - People can to see a story of resilience, of perseverance, of unity, a story in which we show how good it can be to challenge the status quo.

- I was searching for a story to inspire my female actors, and there was a dearth of female stories out there.

So I decided to start writing my own works, and then once they uncovered it, really it was this kind of mirroring art and history.

- Rosie the Riveter, and if you join her... - Rosie, as a character, has been really interesting to imagine what that icon's life might've been had she actually existed, it's been cool.

♪ Why don't you come on over (indistinct) ♪ - [Trey] During the second World War when factories had large portions of their workforce either volunteered or drafted, there was a very real labor shortage, and women from all across the country from rural backgrounds and everything would join the US workforce to build equipment.

I started researching and started pulling lots of dialogue from real people's stories and started putting this piece together.

- [Actor] (indistinct) was the largest amphibious invasion the world has ever seen.

- Two years ago at Great Bridge High School, I came and I met Keegan, and we started a relationship, 'cause he was very interested, 'cause I called him and asked, "Can I have a plane?"

And he was like, "I've never been asked that before."

- So we loaned them a fuselage that was under construction.

It very much looked like it would belong on a factory floor.

That was kind of a quirky thing, and it was exciting and engaging, and those drama students at the high school got to work on this real airplane - [Trey] From there, when I was bringing all his stuff back, including a plane, he said, "Well, I would love to have this here."

And I said, "Me too!"

And so we sort of started a year-long conversation about how to transform a stage play into an experience that was at the museum.

- But we met in high school.

I was a cheerleader and he was the president of our class.

- [Trey] We really want it to be immersive, experiential, sweep the audience up in the space and transport them back to the era.

- Which would encompass the audience being a part of the production and not in the way that we put the lights on them and give them lines to say, but in a way that they are close to the scenes and the energy, and they get to participate in some of the scenes if they want to, but they are part of the world and the environment of the show.

And we get to allow them to experience it rather than just to sit and watch it.

- [Trey] In a stage play, you can follow Rosie from scene to scene, but in an immersive experience, you're going everywhere, and you might not catch that character but a few different times on your track.

So we had to decide how can we make that feeling of that piece and the communication of that piece fit in this environment.

- [Julie] It's been a lot of trial and error, timing things, cutting lines, adding lines, just trying to make everything flow together as best as possible.

- I'm used to doing shows in a big, old theater on a stage where there's a huge divide between the cast and the audience.

And so, I think it's pretty vulnerable.

I think that it makes us, as actors, be more engaged, because the people we're talking to are right in front of us and I think it also helps the audience be more engaged.

I've seen and heard, and I think that that's pretty beautiful.

There's not so much of a separation.

It's like you're all in it together.

- How come they give you one of those cushy jobs working at the patent office?

- Yeah, right.

- So then what, when I- - Well I understand that!

- [Christine] A lot of the samples from some of the scenes are from letters that real women wrote home.

And when you're coming into this hangar in particular, and you're seeing planes that were built by women, it's a beautiful thing, and it really hits you when you first enter the space.

- It is an honor to be a part of this production where I can pay even just a little bit of an homage to the woman who came before me.

(siren blaring) (people yelling indistinctly) - [Trey] It's really great to have people, what I call in theater "yes, and" projects.

A lot of times in our world, the answer's no.

And I found Keegan was a big proponent in the museum to say, "Yes, why not?"

I even brought my students out here, and they learned to rivet.

Our actors have learned to rivet during this production.

So all together, everyone just getting on board and having that collaboration, great things can happen, and that's how art gets built.

(audience clapping and cheering) (audience clapping) (bright music) - [Announcer] Looking to binge on some "Austin City Limits?"

Stream your favorite PBS and WHRO programs on Roku and other smart devices.

- "Born Like Me" is a song by our very own Governor School grad, Jake Clemons from Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band.

The music video was shot here in Norfolk and features other Governor School students, graduates, and faculty, both in front of and behind the camera.

Two of those very talented GSA students are here today.

We are joined by Annika and Kyla.

How're you guys doing?

- [Both] Good, how are you?

- I'm doing pretty good.

Tell us about "Born Like Me."

- Because of the recent situations with the Black Lives Matter movement and all these civil rights movements coming back into the forefront of everybody's view, Jake Clemons really wanted to touch on it and just make sure that people understand and are aware of the situation and that it's still very relevant now.

- So what role did you both play?

- Well, I was mainly in the film department being able to work on set, work on cameras, and it was a really great experience being able to learn different jobs on set.

- I'm a dancer at the Governor School, but I love musical theater, so I love theater, I love the all the behind the scenes.

And so that was my first experience with actually filming and having the whole production set and everything.

- What was y'all's favorite part of this whole process for this film?

- I loved the rehearsal process.

Being able to create with my teachers and my friends was just something that I just really enjoyed, and it truly did bring us closer, and it's that one thing that we have that's documented now that we can be like, "Wow, we were really a part of that, "and we put in something to contribute "to such a beautiful message."

- Yeah, how about you?

- My favorite part was definitely the filming process, being able to work with different departments.

Because being in film, you're so close with theater, making films with specifically theater, but being able to branch out with the other departments, working with them, filming them, seeing they excel in their craft has been truly the best part.

I get to see, for example, Kyla dance when filming.

She was amazing, and being able to see visual with their art pieces in the video.

So, different specs and practicals of every department, being able to combine as one in the music video and seeing how they are just like us.

They wanna excel in their craft.

They wanna do more.

They wanna be better just as much as all of us want to do.

- This was a big production.

- We had a director, Daniel Russell.

He is a GSA alum.

We had an amazing producer, Locklin, and many other amazing GSA alum, as just casting, staff, and wonderful helpers on set.

- Kyla, how did it feel for you just after the product was done, and you saw it for the first time, how did that feel?

- I did get a little bit emotional when I was watching with my parents.

- I did that.

- Just, yeah, just because they've sacrificed an unmentionable amount for me and to even have something, like it really did pay off.

They're just so supportive.

So yeah, I was a little bit emotional.

My parents got a little bit emotional, so it was a really nice moment to have.

- I love that you see your parents' sacrifice.

That's beautiful.

- Yeah.

- Annika, how about you?

When did them tears start flowing?

- Probably as soon as the video ended to be like, "Oh my gosh, I did that.

"Like I actually, I did that."

That was really cool to see it.

- All right, thank you guys both for stopping by.

- [Both] Thank you.

- Yeah.

And I got a feeling that you're both gonna be some of the next alum of the Governor's School for the Arts that we're all looking up to.

- (laughs) I hope so.

- I hope so too.

- Yeah, definitely.

And with that being said, we're gonna check out "Born Like Me."

("Born Like Me" by Jake Clemons) (gentle music continues) (gentle piano solo) (gentle piano solo continues) ♪ I feel the walls start closing in ♪ ♪ I could fight but I'd never win ♪ ♪ To live and breathe is a mortal sin ♪ ♪ It's getting clear that this is the end ♪ ♪ A consequence of the skin I'm in ♪ ♪ Momma please won't you guide me in ♪ ♪ Won't you guide me in ♪ ♪ I can't breathe ♪ ♪ I can't breathe ♪ ♪ I can't breathe ♪ ♪ I can't breathe ♪ ♪ Sleeping next to my best friend ♪ ♪ I hear the door, someone's breaking in ♪ ♪ Protect your girl, grab your weapon ♪ ♪ Shots fly and I'm panicking ♪ ♪ Shallow breath's all she's taking in ♪ ♪ 32 rounds and they did her in ♪ ♪ But she was innocent ♪ ♪ I can't breathe ♪ ♪ I can't breathe ♪ ♪ I can't breathe ♪ ♪ I can't breathe ♪ ♪ I can't breathe, I can't breathe ♪ ♪ I can't breathe, I can't breathe ♪ ♪ I can't breathe, I can't breathe ♪ ♪ I can't breathe, I can't breathe ♪ ♪ Remember with me, 26 million souls rising ♪ ♪ United in solidarity ♪ ♪ Dreaming no justice, no peace ♪ ♪ From the depths of their righteous rage ♪ ♪ In eternal hope for change ♪ ♪ Has there been enough cumulative Black death ♪ ♪ To move you to action now ♪ ♪ To love and fight for folks born like me ♪ - Join us.

(gentle music continues) ♪ Born like me ♪ ♪ Born like me ♪ ♪ Rise, rise, yeah ♪ ♪ Stand tall, born like me ♪ ♪ Born like me ♪ ♪ Born like me ♪ ♪ Born like me ♪ ♪ Born like me ♪ ♪ Yes ♪ ♪ Yes ♪ ♪ Yes ♪ ("Born Like Me" outro) - How inspiring it is to see so many people come together to make such a beautiful piece of art.

- Yes, and to think they are all GSA students or alumni is mind blowing.

- Well, speaking of things that are mind blowing, congratulations and best of luck in retirement to one of our favorite people, Debra Thorpe.

- Debra has worked at the Governor's School for the Arts for 37 years and has made a tremendous impact on the lives of all the students who pass through their doors.

- Debra, we hope you enjoy time with your beautiful family.

- Well, that's gonna do it for another episode of "Curate."

Make sure you catch us next time for our season finale.

- Well season finale already?

- Yeah, but let's not talk about that quite yet.

That's what next week is for.

- Okay, see you then.

(bright music) (bright music continues) (bright music continues) (bright music continues)