Sweetwater Center for the Arts hosts program for Black teaching artists

In 2021, flutist and musician Brittany Trotter and singer Lyn Starr became the inaugural residents of Unisound's Black Teaching Artist in Residence program, which focuses on supporting the practice and professional development of Black teaching artists in Pittsburgh. The opportunity allowed them to hone their craft and share their knowledge with the community through free workshops hosted at local schools, organizations, and venues.

The program returns thanks to a partnership with the Sweetwater Center for the Arts in Sewickley.

The residency continues UniSound’s stated mission of creating a "more accessible, sustainable, and equitable youth music ecosystem in the greater Pittsburgh area through building an alliance of organizations that provide music education and performance opportunities for youth."

Sweetwater will host two musical workshops led by new residents Anita Levels and Dr. Zuly Inirio. On June 8, Levels, a self-taught vocal artist, songwriter, and producer, will teach "Pens Up! Write!," a workshop aimed at demystifying the songwriting process, and includes writing prompts and ideas to inspire participants.

On June 11, Inirio, a Dominican-American soprano singer, will teach "Foundations of Vocal Technique," a workshop that will help participants develop their own unique singing voices and styles and sing basics like breath posture, dictation, and more.

"With these workshops that will be provided free to the public, Sweetwater hopes to bring new life and excitement to our music programming and promote diversity in the arts in our community," reads a statement.