In honor of Martin Luther King Day, and in collaboration with the Melrose MLK Day Coalition and Club Passim Folk Collective, Opening Doors presented a free concert and conversation with Stephanie McKay, Tyrone Chase, and Alastair Moock at Melrose UU Church.

Stephanie McKay is a singer-songwriter whose unique blend of folk, soul, and jazz has led her to collaborations with artists as diverse as Toshi Reagon, Roy Hargrove, and Mos Def; Tyrone Chase is Assistant Chair of the Ensemble department at Berklee College of Music who has played with Brian McKnight; Sheila E; Earth, Wind, and Fire and many more; and Alastair Moock is co-founder of The Opening Doors Project and a singer-songwriter who has toured throughout the U.S., Europe, and Asia, sharing the stage with acts like Arlo Guthrie, Taj Mahal, Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, and Greg Brown. Stephanie and Alastair are both also founding members of The Folk Collective, an inclusion and equity collaboration based out of Club Passim in Harvard Sq, which graciously co-sponsored this event.

Following a community potluck in the church, the three musicians swapped songs and engage the audience in a conversation about Dr. King’s “beloved community” and the social and racial barriers that continue to make the arc of the moral universe long.

This FREE community event was made possible by The Melrose Cultural Council, The Melrose Coop Foundation, Melrose UU Church, Nine Athens Music, The Club Passim Folk Collective, and the Mass Cultural Council.

Photography by Paul Locke

Rehearsal clip from Arts Collaborative Medford.