Today we’d like to introduce you to Beau Bledsoe.
Hi Beau, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew in Little Rock, Arkansas, and moved to KC in ‘93 to attend graduate school at the UMKC Conservatory of music. I started working as a professional musician when I relocated here and haven’t stopped since.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s been a good market for me and a fine place to base myself when traveling nationally. The best part is being to participate in real estate as a working artist. This is one of the few places in the US where that is possible.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I facilitate “auditory handshakes” between performers locally and from other parts of the world often integrating folkloric tradition with modern ideas. I produce and perform musical conversations that honor the cultural backgrounds of my collaborators and integrate this into a new and interesting sound.
Through my nonprofit organization Ensemble Ibérica Iorganize the resulting collaborative works into concerts and recordings. This has resulted in many deep and personal connections around the globe that continue to flourish and produce new work both in my own community and abroad.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
Artists generally have the skillset to adapt to adversity. All the artists that I know that we’re doing well already and had their taxes up to date did very well in 2020. Ensemble Iberica invested heavily in technology to present online and it’s something that we’ll be doing more of in the future.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@guitarrascastillo.com
- Website: http://www.ensembleiberica.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ensembleiberica/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ensembleiberica
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/EnsembleIberica
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFAeeTBv01n-EH5xyQuSLLg
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/ensemble-ib-rica
Image Credits
Jeff Evrard
