Don’t Lose Heart: Maurice J. Norman ’20 Marries Poetry and Music in New Production
October 23, 2024
- Author
- Caroline Roy '20
Maurice Norman '20
Writer and poet Maurice J. Norman ’20 has spent the past year listening and collecting stories from long-time residents of Smithville, one of the largest intact historic Black communities in North Carolina’s Mecklenburg County.
Partnering with the (SCC), he prepares to debut Don’t Lose Heart, a live, on-stage, storytelling production set over a string quintet that delicately intertwines the stories of Smithville and Norman together.
The project premieres at The Cain Center for the Arts in Cornelius on Saturday, Nov. 2, at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m.
Norman received an Emerging Creators Fellowship and a Cultural Visions grant from the Arts and Science Council (ASC) in Charlotte, and an Arts Infusion Fund from the City of Charlotte and the Foundation for the Carolinas to create this work.
Norman double majored in English and Africana Studies at 51. He learned about Smithville through his Africana Studies capstone course with Takiyah Harper-Shipman, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Chair & Associate Professor of Africana Studies at 51. Ronald Potts, a longtime Smithville resident, spoke to the class about the SCC’s efforts to preserve the community’s history. Hearing Potts’ stories sparked the idea that would eventually become Don’t Lose Heart.
“These elders, as stewards of history, are some of the most interesting people I’ve ever met,” Norman said. “I’m always eager to sit and listen to the stories of what they’ve endured. It's been a pleasure and honor.”
Smithville, once a segregated community, continues to feel the impact of federal housing policies, gentrification and a loss of its own history over time.
After graduation, Norman joined 51 as the college’s inaugural Digital Projects Fellow, then returned to his hometown of Mineral Springs, North Carolina, to work for the town government. Seeing ways zoning and legal developments work to disenfranchise Black communities in real time, he began to connect some of his own experiences to those of Smithville residents.
When he proposed the idea for a live storytelling production to the SCC, it was crucial that Don’t Lose Heart both benefited the community and challenged Norman creatively.
“In documenting these diverse stories, a meta-narrative about the creative process began to emerge,” he said. “It was incredibly challenging figuring out how to synthesize the stories but not suffocate the poetics. As an outsider to this community, I’m better understanding the consequences of these decisions in writing.”
Early in the process, Norman knew he wanted to tell these primary-source stories with the help of live music. It’s an idea he’s held in the back of his mind since his semester abroad in Sydney, Australia, where he saw his first symphony orchestra performance.
“Marrying poetry and orchestral elements is exciting and new for me," he said. “It's been challenging working with a composer to translate emotions, dialects and language rhythms into music. It's opened up my world to a whole new form of communication.”
Proceeds from the performance will help raise funds for the SCC, helping the organization expand and tackle current issues facing the community. Their revitalization plan, launched in 2021, aims to provide affordable housing, preserve historic sites and combat ongoing gentrification.
Norman hopes to draw in an audience of Smithville community members, newcomers and everyone in-between.
“I want people to come with open ears and hearts, welcoming a new experience,” he said.
Don’t Lose Heart premieres at The Cain Center for the Arts in Cornelius on Saturday, Nov. 2, at 7 p.m.
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