MTSU faculty and staff appeared on WGNS Radio recently to share information about ongoing and upcoming festivals as well as events planned for Women’s History Month in March.

The details were shared during the Feb. 18 “Action Line” program with host Bart Walker. The live program was broadcast on FM 100.5, 101.9 and AM 1450 from the WGNS studio in downtown Murfreesboro. If you missed it, you can listen to a podcast of the show here.

MTSU faculty and staff appeared on the Feb. 18 WGNS Radio “Action Line” program with host Bart Walker to discuss upcoming MTSU events. Pictured in studio are, top left, Jamey Simmons, music professor and musician; top right, Mei Han, director, MTSU Center for Chinese Music and Culture; and, bottom left, Barbara Scales, director, June Anderson Center for Women and Nontraditional Students. (MTSU photo illustration by Jimmy Hart)

Guests and their topics were as follows:

• Jamey Simmons, MTSU School of Music faculty member, trumpeter and composer, discussed the MTSU’s Illinois Jacquet Jazz Festival to be held March 14-16 in the MTSU School of Music.

Drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts, saxophonist Larry Panella, trombonist Roland Barber, and MTSU jazz faculty will present clinics and concerts as a part of the festival.

Two of the concerts at 7:30 p.m. in Hinton Hall of the Wright Music Building — one on March 14 and one on March 16 — are part of the series known as the MTSU Jazz Artist Series. View a concert flier with details at https://www.mtsu.edu/music/pdf/jacquetposter2019.pdf.

Tickets for the evening concerts on March 14 and 16 are $10 for the public and free for MTSU students, faculty and staff.  Discounts for area band students and educators are also available. For reserve tickets call 615-898-2724 or email James.Simmons@mtsu.edu.

• Dr. Mei Han, director of MTSU’s Center for Chinese Music and Culture discussed the 2019 Murfreesboro Festival of Chinese Arts.

Presented by the Center and the Confucius Institute at MTSU, the celebration runs through March 17 at various MTSU and Murfreesboro locations. Events thus far have included an Art Crawl, a symposium and various musical performances.

Among remaining events is “The Art of Harmony,” an exhibition of the classical Chinese painting of Xie Weiqiang, that will be on display through Thursday, Feb. 28, at the Center for the Arts, 110 W. College St. in Murfreesboro. Xie’s paintings show a natural balance of bright-feathered birds and colorful flowers.

From March 11-17, “Peace of Mind,” an exhibition on the art of the Chinese qin, will be on display at the MTSU Center for Chinese Music and Culture, 503 Bell St.

For more information about the 2019 festival, contact Han at 615-898-8121 or ccmc@mtsu.edu.

• Barbara Scales, director of the June Anderson Center for Women and Nontraditional Students, discussed MTSU events for Women’s History Month in March.

This year’s national theme for the month is “Visionary Women: Champions of Peace & Nonviolence.” The MTSU NWH Month Committee will recognize women (faculty, staff, students, alumni) who exemplify that theme at a March 12 kickoff event.

The month will also feature tributes to the late legendary singer Aretha Franklin, who was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and passed away in August 2018.

Among other featured events, MTSU will screen the documentary “RGB” about Associate Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as well as host a discussion with director Julie Cohen of the highly touted film. Cohen also is scheduled to deliver MTSU’s National Women’s History Month keynote address.

“RBG” will be shown in two screenings Monday, March 18 — at 2 p.m. in the Keathley University Center Theater and 6 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom. Both screenings are free and open to the public.

Students, faculty and staff who are interested in guesting on WGNS to promote their MTSU-related activities should contact Jimmy Hart, director of news and media relations, at 615-898-5131 or via email at jimmy.hart@mtsu.edu.