On Sept. 24, The Company Band brought their musical talents to Zoom for a virtual concert for ETSU students.

The Company Band, from Charlotte, North Carolina, has a history of performing in Johnson City, Tennessee. Laura Terry, director of programming and outreach at the Mary V. Jordan Multicultural Center, first ran across the band eight years ago when looking for a group to perform at Unity Fest. Since then, they have performed at ETSU, Unity Fest and the Umoja Festival multiple times.

(Contributed/ ETSU)

“We were going to have them this year at Welcome Week, so this would be an activity we could do virtually since it would be good to bring a band for the different students of color,” said Terry. “What other way could we get all different, diverse groups to engage in something than if by having music? Music is something that all can dance and enjoy together.”

The ensemble performed an hour and a half of popular music, with release dates ranging from 1960 to 2019. Artists such as Bruno Mars, Journey, Stevie Wonder, Lizzo and the Jackson 5 were included in the mix. They encouraged students to turn on their web cameras throughout the evening to dance along with the music, which many did.

Sponsored by the Mary V. Jordan Multicultural Center and Black Affairs Association, the concert was attended by ETSU students, staff and the Johnson City community. Graduate Assistant Katherina Saliba hopes that this concert was a nice break to ease the minds for students who may be reaching the point of experiencing Zoom fatigue.

“I think especially right now with COVID-19 going on, it is a good opportunity for students to have an interaction and actually hear music and see a band play, rather than just hearing someone speak daily,” Saliba said.


To learn more about upcoming Multicultural Center events, email mcstaff@etsu.edu.

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