WADA addresses gun violence with ‘Harmony and Discourse’

Friday in the Warehouse Arts District, Tampa’s Dwayne White will perform on the Instrument of Hope, a trumpet made partially from bullet casings in the wake of the Parkland, Florida high school shootings.

Since 2020 the Instrument of Hope travels the country, as part of a movement to keep the conversation about ending gun violence at the forefront.

Friday’s event – “Jazz and Politics: Harmony & Discourse” – begins at 6:30 p.m. at Seven C Music, which is adjacent to the Warehouse Arts District Association (WADA) Artsxchange campus, at 535 22nd St S.:

The first hour will consist of a panel discussion, with moderator Kim Scharnberg, a noted composer and arranger who has compiled testimonies from former students and survivors; St. Petersburg city councilmember John Muhammed; Florida Rep. Lindsay Cross; Tara Newsom, director of St. Pete College’s Center for Civic Learning and Community Engagement; Professors Kirsten England and Erin Carlin, both of whom conduct research and outreach on the subject of mass shooting incidents; and Maress Scott, who lost his son to gun violence.

From 7:30 until 9 p.m. musicians from the Al Downing Jazz Association – including Dwayne White – will play on the outdoor Artsxchange stage.

Tickets, and additional information, are available here.