Blues legend Mac Arnold to perform March 23 in Greenwood
March 15, 2023
Blues legend Mac Arnold, a native of Greenville, and his Plate Full O’ Blues Band will star in two events in Greenwood as part of a program that is bringing blues music to the local music curriculum.
A 5 p.m. musical performance on Thursday, March 23, will feature Mays Elementary School students and a select group of Emerald High School Band musicians, at the Greenwood School District 50 Performing Arts Center, located at Greenwood High School, 1816 Cokesbury Road. This 30-minute concert is free and open to the public.
At 7 p.m., Greenwood Performing Arts (GPA) will sponsor a special ticketed concert, also at the Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $20, and can be purchased at greenwoodperformingarts.org.
Arnold and his band members will be special guests at 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 22, at The Museum of Greenwood, which is hosting a reception to open the exhibit, “The Blues: A Southern Tradition.” The Museum will have a wide range of memorabilia associated with the region’s rich blues history on display, including items from WCRS Radio. The event, free and open to the public, is being held in a partnership between The Museum and GPA.
Arnold’s visit in Greenwood is part of a program, introduced in February at Mays Elementary School, to bring blues music to students. Mays’ students learned the song, “I Can Do Anything,” the name of Arnold’s foundation, which promotes the arts and music in schools.
The series of events started with project creator Anne Eller, WCRS owner, who took her idea for a school-based music program to Lisa Sanders of GPA.
“Blues music is an integral part of America’s music legacy,” Eller said. “Greenwood’s ongoing Blues Cruise, part of the South Carolina Festival of Discovery, brings talented musicians to our community every summer. Why not keep the excitement going with the next generation of talented singers and musicians? GPA was a logical choice to make this happen.”
Sanders and Eller developed the concept for the program further with Mays Elementary School, which has incorporated the blues into its music curriculum.
“It is the mission of Greenwood Performing Arts to provide diverse, professional performances for audiences of all ages. Adding an educational outreach component to this mission is an exciting venture,” Sanders said. “Already, we are seeing widespread enthusiasm for our blues program throughout the community. Anne and I look forward to the expansion of the educational opportunities that will grow from this first endeavor.”
Funding is provided by Greenwood Women Care and the Self Family Foundation, in collaboration with WCRS, GPA and The Museum of Greenwood.
