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Pass the Mic: Creating a Stage for Change


This podcast is a part of the Tennessee Theatre’s Pass the Mic: Creating a Stage for Change series, providing an opportunity for artists from marginalized and underserved communities to share their art with others. Through podcast episodes, concerts/performances, visual art displays, discussions and panels focusing on important issues, and educational opportunities, artists have the chance to engage with the community. The Tennessee Theatre is proud to provide a space for audiences and artists to better understand one another.

Jul 3, 2024

For this episode of Pass the Mic: Creating a Stage for Change, we spoke to Amythyst Kiah during the 2024 Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, Tennessee. Amythyst earned a GRAMMY nomination for her song “Black Myself” in the category of Best American Roots Song. She is also a member of the “all women of color supergroup”, Our Native Daughters, which also featured Rhiannon Giddens, Leyla McCalla, and Allison Russell. Amythyst’s 2021 album, Wary+Strange, was described as “a must-listen about living in the land of white privilege” by Billboard and a “masterful blend of lonesome folk and neo-blues” by Rolling Stone. In this conversation, Amythyst describes her early experiences with music, her time exploring music as a student at ETSU, and ways that learning to manage social anxiety has shifted her approach to songwriting.

All music featured on this episode was composed and performed by William Wright.