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Raleigh goes "in the round" with three local singer-songwriters

Ryan Dunson
Ryan Dunson will be a performer at Imurj's singer-songwriter event on Feb. 24. Photo courtesy of Ryan Dunson.

Three original singer-songwriters will sing in turn to share their music in an engaging way. 

The show opens Saturday, Feb. 24 at 8 p.m. at Imurj, an art and music space in downtown Raleigh.  

“We are very interested in promoting the careers of local singer-songwriters,” said Heather Burns, the managing partner at Imurj. 

The show will be presented in Nashville’s famous “in the round” style. The three artists will take turns performing their songs, explaining the meaning behind their lyrics and sharing the stories and experiences that they found so inspiring. 

Becca Rae, a country singer-songwriter out of Southern Pines, will be one of the three artists performing and hosting the event. 

Rae saw this “in the round” style of performing when she was younger, but could not find anything like it after moving to North Carolina. She decided to bring this style to an event in Southern Pines and said it was “really well received and got a lot of great feedback.”

The other two artists who will be joining Rae on stage are Carrie Marshall, a jazz pianist with an acoustic, indie sound, and Ryan Dunson from the band Rookie of the Year.

These three artists are all performing different styles of music and sharing different experiences that inspired the music they wrote. 

Just because the songwriters are on the stage, however, does not mean that the audience does not play an equally important role. The "in the round" style requires both artist and audience participation. 

“It keeps the crowd there the whole time," Dunson said. "It gets everyone into it because it’s a different kind of situation.”

These three artists said that, although they are all local, they do not really know each other. They hope that this interactive experience is an opportunity for the audience to be a part of an intimate sharing of creativity among passionate individuals. 

“It’s going to be really cool for the audience because as they are getting to know us and our music, we’re getting to know each other live on stage in the moment too," Rae said. 

The artists are excited about the show in general, but particularly excited to form a special bond with the audience through their music and experiences. 

When asked what she was looking forward to most about the event, Rae said, "I’m honestly really excited to meet new folks in Raleigh." 

While this is a music event, it also so much more than that. To these singer-songwriters, the music itself and the act of sharing it is more than just a performance. The overall experience is enhanced by the atmosphere. 

“It’s about the community, the opportunity, when people come to listen to music — there is something special about that,” Marshall said. “Music — it’s meant to be shared. It’s just gratifying to find that common ground with the audience.” 

@skylertaggart

arts@dailytarheel.com

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