It was great to be invited to perform at XPand Fest and be a part of such a fun, diverse street festival of dynamic music from jazz to hip-hop.
Asheville has a healthy reputation for its music culture and theres a lot of nationally recognized talent for such a small mountain town. Hope performed on top, (yes on top) of a double decker school bus! This precarious situation was exciting while throwing down the phat beats to a happy crowd of festival goers. This well attended festival is a great place to connect with community action, creative arts, and amazing musicians all working together! . Hope attended HOUSA, the national handpan gathering in the Appalachian mountains. Present were teachers flown in from Italy including Benny Betaine, internationally renowned handpan player.
After a week of learning and going deeper into the world of melodic percussion and the subtleties of handpan playing, Hope and Benny performed together on the HOUSA stage. Benny recently completed a new album and Hope performed on cajon as Benny played his new compositions masterfully on two handpans at the same time. The collaboration was mesmerizing as the tones of wood and metal wove together beautifully to create symphonic serenity and passion on stage. |