PRESS RELEASE: The REP Theatre Announces "A Journey Into Sound"

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Posted By: 30amanager October 15, 2024

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PRESS RELEASE: The REP Theatre Announces "A Journey Into Sound" Seaside, FL: The REP Theatre is pleased to announce a special event added to its 2024 Fall Season featuring The Sock Joplin Trio! An exciting addition to The REP’s already impressive lineup of live music, The Sock Joplin Trio will present their concert entitled “A Journey Into Sound” on Friday, November 15th, and Saturday, November 16th.
 
Based in Indianapolis, The Sock Joplin Trio is led by pianist Joshua “Sock Joplin” Thompson and includes PsyWrn Simone on vocals and Jared Thompson on saxophone. Accompanying the trio, The REP Theatre is pleased to welcome local musicians Joe Murphy on bass, Jim Ward on guitar, and DJ Rhodes on drums, promising a dynamic and diverse performance. 

In January, Joshua A. Thompson delivered a captivating solo performance at The REP as part of his month-long Artist Residency with Escape To Create. His sold-out concert, a dazzling showcase of classical masterworks by African American composers, showcased Joshua’s exceptional talent and magnetic stage presence, leaving a lasting impression on all fortunate enough to attend.

This November, Joshua Thompson will continue to leave his indelible mark on the 30A community with The Sock Joplin Trio. Thompson welcomes his twin brother, Jared Thompson, a composer, saxophonist, and bandleader of the multi-album-producing band Premium Blend. Powerhouse vocalist PsyWrn Simone will join the duo. Together, the combined talents of these acclaimed and national touring artists promise to ignite the stage and give audiences a musical experience that explores Black music’s rich and intertwined histories. 

“A Journey Into Sound” is a unique experience for the area and showcases the enduring legacy of Black music and its powerful impact on the world. In addition to the two-night concert event, The REP and The Sock Joplin Trio will host free film screenings and provide music workshops to local schools. This lineup of enriching arts programming fosters cultural engagement along 30A and illustrates The REP’s fierce commitment to the community.

The Sock Joplin Trio performs “A Journey Into Sound” on Friday, November 15th, and Saturday, November 16th, at 7:30 pm at The REP Theatre. Tickets are $60 and $48 for REP Members. For tickets and more information on The REP’s Fall Season, visit LoveTheREP.com.
 
Known onstage as “Sock Joplin”, Joshua Thompson is a pianist, music sociologist, and lecturer recognized nationally for his expertise on classical composers of African descent. A recipient of numerous awards and national fellowships, Thompson has completed residencies at the Berklee School of Music in Boston, University of Puget Sound, University of Louisville, Seaside, FL, University of Nebraska Omaha, and currently serves as the Creative Partner in Residence with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra. A 2019 TED Talk presenter, Thompson is the creator of the award-winning podcast, Melanated Moments in Classical Music which has a global listening audience in over 2,000 cities and is used as curriculum in colleges and universities. Joshua has worked and performed with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Pulitzer Prize winning composer, Anthony Davis, New York Philharmonic clarinetist Anthony McGill, and legendary operatic soprano, Angela Brown.
 
AshLee “PsyWrn Simone” Baskin (pronounced Sī-ren Si-mōn) is an Indianapolis, IN based multi-hyphenate Performing Artist and Arts Advocate/Educator who has been a vibrant force in the Arts community for the last several years. Known for artistically rich collaborations with bands, collectives, and prominent musicians in the city and beyond, she is gaining increasing visibility as she expands her artistic prowess beyond music into theatre and other creative disciplines.

Driven by the legendary Nina Simone’s appeal for artists to “reflect the times”, PsyWrn blends activism and art. By incorporating various forms of soulful expression, her performances transform into a captivating, multi-sensory, experience! A multifaceted artist, PsyWrn seamlessly shifts from Vocalist to Songwriter, to Lyricist, to Spoken Word Artist, to Actor, to Teaching Artist—depending on the context. Armed with passion and compelled by intention, her intersectional work is both an examination of and commentary on culture with a central focus to uplift, educate, empower, and effect change. Musically, her style has been described as “Neo-Afro Soul with a side of funk,” while “wrecking the status quo with a beat, some lyrics, and a seductive melody.”

Saxophonist, composer, and arranger Jared Thompson began studying piano at the age of 5 and saxophone at the age of 10. The Denison University alum (c/o 2004) formed the jazz quintet Premium Blend in 2007. Premium Blend has been featured in two national award-winning documentaries “Go Get Your Horn” and “Chatterbox: A Love Letter.” In 2019, Premium Blend was awarded a commission by the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation and directed and produced the mini-documentary “38th & Postmodernism” that addressed the myriad of social tensions that were at the forefront of America’s mind throughout 2020. That same year, the mini documentary was accepted and screened by the Heartland International Film Festival.
 
Thompson has opened for international artists like Trombone Shorty, Tank & the Bangas, and was featured at SXSW in 2018. In 2022, Thompson was awarded the prestigious MapFund artist grant out of NewYork City and several commissions from Classical Music Indy and The Center for the Performing Arts at The Palladium. Most recently, Thompson received the Artist at Work Grant from the Simon Family Foundation and is a teaching artist with Arts for Learning. Premium Blend has released five albums, “SOAP” (Sum of All Parts-2017), “The Road.” (2019), “Vices” (2021), “38th & Postmodernism” (2022), and “Virtue” (2023). Thompson’s primary goal is to present jazz music’s evolution from its zenith of popularity during the Blue Note Record years to today.

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