“Play On, Washington Heights!” is a festival of monthly outdoor concerts curated and performed by Leadlights, in partnership with Word-Up Community Bookshop. The festival celebrates the resilience of New Yorkers during the COVID-19 pandemic and brings the energy of live music to the streets of Washington Heights. The performances will take place on the third Wednesday of every month outside the bookstore on the sidewalk. This location is ADA accessible.  Leadlights will follow CDC and NY state COVID-19 guidelines, including social distancing by spacing out chairs for listeners, and mask wearing. The festival will run from April through October, weather permitting.

Each event features the musical voices of composers of color and women composers, in addition to traditional classical fare. The featured composers include highly-acclaimed Black composer Jessie Montgomery, Puerto Rican composer Angélica Negron, and one of the earliest classical composers of African descent, Chevalier de Saint-George, among others.

To celebrate the resilience of Washington Heights’ residents during the COVID-19 pandemic, Leadlights will lead audiences in a short “collective composition” session during each event, exploring musical sounds together based on themes of resilience and hope for the future. “Play On, Washington Heights!” will culminate with these compositions featured on Leadlights’ website and social media.

Dates of Performance:
April 21
May 19
June 16
July 21
August 18
September 15
October 20