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April 24-26, 2026
Tallahassee native Steve Dollar is a contributing editor at Flamingo magazine and a regular contributor to the Los Angeles Times. He is the artistic director of the Tallahassee Film Festival. Steve will be interviewing author and musician Willy Vlautin at the 2026 Word of South Festival. […]
Leon Anderson, Jr., Associate Professor and Director of Jazz Studies, joined the Florida State University faculty in 1998. His musical experience includes that of a classical and jazz percussionist, educator, clinician, and composer. Mr. Anderson earned the B.A. degree in Music Education at Louisiana Tech University and the M.A. degree in Percussion Performance at Southeastern […]
Nominated in 2019 for the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Salley is the 2018 & 2019 IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) Songwriter of the Year and was named the 2003 SESAC Country Music Songwriter of the Year. Salley has had over 560 different songs recorded, and his songs have sold in excess of 19 million […]
Columnist Mark Hinson, who is a fifth generation North Floridian, has written for the Tallahassee Democrat and Tallahassee.com, both part of the USA Today Network, for more than 25 years. He has covered the arts and entertainment scene in the Capital City for the same amount of time. Over his long career, Hinson has interviewed […]
William “Scotty” Barnhart is an American jazz trumpeter. A three-time Grammy winner, he has played since 1993 as a featured soloist with the Count Basie Orchestra, and in September 2013 became its director. He has multiple recordings with pianist Marcus Roberts as well as recordings with Tony Bennett, Diana Krall, Ray Charles, and Tito Puente. […]
Paul Wilborn is an author, musician, and arts administrator. His new novel, The Everlasting Life of Charlie Wall, was published in April by St. Petersburg Press. His debut novel, Florida Hustle, earned a starred review from Kirkus and was named one of the “100 Best Indie Books of 2022,” by Kirkus. His 2019 short story […]
Kristen Arnett is the queer Floridian author of the novels STOP ME IF YOU’VE HEARD THIS ONE (Riverhead Books, 2025) which was a finalist for the Southern Book Prize, was shortlisted for the Comedy Women in Print Prize, and was awarded a silver medal from The Florida Book Awards, With Teeth (Riverhead Books, 2021) which […]
Singer-songwriter Grant Peeples, a native of Tallahassee, says he was changed forever at the age of 15 when a friend came over and played three classic Bob Dylan songs. A self-described “tree-hugger who watches NASCAR,” he is known for his axe-sharp socio-political tunes, raucous humor and heart-gigging ballads. He’s the recipient of the Focus Foundation […]
Grammy-winner George Clinton, formerly known for his role in the groups Parliament and Funkadelic, revolutionized R&B during the 70’s. Since his first major hit “(I Wanna) Testify,” George Clinton made his mark in the music world for his psychedelic rock and funk band-format, with eccentric costumes and themes inspired by ’60s acid culture and science […]
The award-winning Rickards High School Marching Raider Band is the premier ensemble of the James S. Rickards Band program. The ensemble serves to establish musicality, discipline, esprit de corps and instill the band’s motto of P.R.I.D.E., and performs at varsity football games, basketball games, pep rallies, parades and other performances. They’ll be kicking off this […]