Letter from the Executive Director
Welcome, and thank you for joining us for Fretless Freestyles, a celebration of our musicians’ stories through improvisation. This show is all about creativity, energy, and celebrating the voices of young artists who are changing the game.
At the Columbus Cultural Orchestra, our mission is rooted in promoting Diversity in Music Education and creating space for young musicians to explore, innovate, and express their story through sound. Tonight’s performance is a bold example of that mission in action.
You’ll hear everything from fresh student compositions crafted in GarageBand and brought to life with live improv to powerful orchestral arrangements of music by Black legends like Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, and Kendrick Lamar. This genre-defying evening is as much about honoring the past as it is about empowering the next generation of artists to shape the future.
As we gather in celebration of Juneteenth, Fretless Freestyles, this performance is our way of honoring the legacy of Black music and turning up the volume on what’s next.
I am so proud of the students, mentors, and musicians who have poured their creativity into this moment. We’re glad you’re here to experience it with us.
With gratitude,
Megan Wetzel
Executive Director, Columbus Cultural Orchestra
The Orchestra:
Violin I
Megan Wetzel
Anaisha Sarda
Robyn Jackson
Chris Shaw
Stephen Spottswood
Violin II
Kevin Hagans
Claudia Bowles
Amiyah Mattox
Violin III
Alice Mitro
Khali Garrett
Ani Dorohoff
Viola
Norman Cardwell
Nic Lacy
Myken Thomas
Rhea Kalvala
Cello
Elias Golla
Savannah Freeman
Duduca Taborda
Bass
Donovan Egelhoff
Megan Pantchev
DJ
Ashton Hood
Dancers
Nia Gayle
Nikki Schmidhammer
Wanna Join the Classical Crossover Crew? 🎶
We’re not your average orchestra. At the Columbus Cultural Orchestra (CCO), we teach strings with a hip hop heartbeat, blending classical training with the music students actually love, like R&B, jazz, hip hop, and original tracks they help create.
This is music education remixed:
✅ Learn violin, viola, cello, or bass from top-tier instructors
✅ Build skills in improv, composition, and GarageBand production
✅ Perform music by Black composers and legendary artists
✅ Get paid for rehearsals, concerts, and gigs
✅ Be part of a team where every voice matters
Debut Strings is for beginners and intermediate beginners.
Columbus Cultural Orchestra is for intermediate and advanced players.
Whether your child dreams of performing, composing, or just wants a creative outlet, they’ll gain confidence, discipline, and community that lasts a lifetime.
The Program
Four Women
Nina Simone/Arr. Mark Lomax, III
Stand By Me
Ben E. King
As
Stevie Wonder/Arr. Stephen Spottswood
Rock With You
Michael Jackson/Arr. Stephen Spottswood
Killing Me Softly
Lauryn Hill/Arr. Stephen Spottswood
Luther
Kendrick Lamar/Arr. Stephen Spottswood
Heaven Knows
Stephen Spottswood
Drippy
Stephen Spottswood
Beathoven
Stephen Spottswood
Intermission - 15 min
The Remix Project
Student Composition 1
Student Composition 2
Student Composition 3
Student Composition 4
Student Composition
Special Thank You
Brian Kozicki - Lights and Sound
Ray Bruster - Videography
David Turner - Photographer
John Host - GarageBand Workshop
Kevin Hagens - Looper Pedal Workshop
Stephen Spottswood - Improv Workshop
Shaudretta Boykins - Financial Literacy Workshop
Audience Evaluation
🎤 We wanna hear from YOU! Tell us what hit right or what we could level up.
Filling out our audience evaluation form helps us keep the shows fresh, turn up the quality, and most importantly, secure those grants so we can keep bringing this fire to the stage.
🎯 Your feedback = better concerts + more opportunities for our musicians.
Thank you for being part of the Classical Crossover Crew. 💛🖤
Thank You To Our Sponsors
Support CCO
Thank you for your Donation
Benita Kahn
Ashlee Fielding
Michelle Golla
Jennifer Dorohoff
Angela Jackson
Bobbi & Jeff Noe
Ronnelle Ferrell
Heather Spencer
Valerie Lighthart
Ray’Anthony Bruster
William Penn
Mia Penn
Andre Barrett
Adrienne Garrett
Ludia Doreljen
Tina Valentine
Lyssa Fisher-Rogers