We are all the kin of immigrants or refugees — if you go back far enough. In the past three to four decades the sociopolitical upheavals in other countries have created a need for sanctuary and asylum for millions of people, many forced to leave their homeland due to violence, terrorism, oppression, and extreme poverty. As the need for support services in the US has increased, Clarkston, Georgia has become a safe and welcome haven for many of these refugees. However, basic housing and social support only scratches the surface of need.
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Ready or Not: A Community Art Project
Elise Witt’s “Ready or Not” imagines our human journeys, through the image of packing a magic suitcase. Join our #ReadyorNotSuitcase Community Art Project on Facebook and Instagram! @ReadyOrNotSuitcase
A BREATH of SONG takes a deep dive into “Song Deep in Your Bones”
I met creator Elise Witt online during the pandemic, when we were both in a course led by the extraordinary improviser Rhiannon… I was honored, because I already knew of Elise as a composer of unusual choral work that I had explored doing with my community chorus. In fact this piece was conceived as a choral piece, and Elise very generously let me excerpt a bit of it to be a pocket song.
AJC: Elise Witt Celebrates a Lifetime of Song
Musicians honor Atlanta songstress for her contributions. Elise Witt, one of the godmothers of vocalism in Atlanta, has coached and counseled singers all over the world. Hundreds have subscribed to her classes in town and thousands have heard her perform, as a bandleader, a soloist and choral director.
ArtsATL: Elise Witt uses Her New Songbook to Invite the Whole World to Sing
Ever since Elise Witt moved to Atlanta in 1977, the acclaimed folk singer, educator and activist has made it her duty to foster community through song.
“This is the body of work,” Witt says. “Everything I do is extremely eclectic. There are songs in the songbook you can sit at home and play on your guitar, songs you can sing with friends on the front porch and songs you can sing with a choir.”
City Lights: Lois Reitzes on “All Singing: The Elise Witt Songbook”
Lois Reitzes talks with Atlanta-based singer/songwriter Elise Witt about the “All Singing: The Elise Witt Songbook Release Concert.”