Harpist Angelica Hairston is featured on the latest episode of From the Top: “Where Are They Now?” with host Peter Dugan on National Public Radio (NPR). In the episode, Hairston shares her journey with Challenge the Stats (CTS), an organization she founded, and performs Maurice Draughn’s Musical Branches with fellow harpists Mason Morton and Charles Overton. Hairston has gained national attention for her work as an advocate for equity and social justice in the arts community with CTS, an organization that “aims to empower BIPOC artists and use music as a tool for social justice.”
(Pictured from l. to r.) Angelica Hairston, Charles Overton, and Mason Morton perform on NPR’S From the Top.
“Three Black harpists performing the music of a Black composer. In a field that was structured to exclude our stories, I’m grateful to @fromthetopfans for shaping a new reality,” Hairston writes on Instagram.
“It was an honor to be interviewed on the show and trace the journey of the organization I founded in 2016, Challenge the Stats,” says Hairston. From the Top highlights Hairston’s 2016 inaugural performance with CTS. “Performing the work of Maurice Draughn alongside harpists Mason Morton and Charles Overton at the inaugural CTS concert was a life changing moment and I’m thrilled that From the Top decided to highlight that performance as part of the show. Navigating a multifaceted career as a harpist, educator, and activist has been an exciting path and I’m grateful to NPR’s From the Top for standing with me every step of the way!”
Read more about Hairston’s work as an artist and advocate in her Sounding Board article in the January/February 2018 issue of Harp Column.
