By Jamie Engle
Staff Writer

Five young musicians from Murphy will perform in the R&B through the Years concert by Strings of Color Orchestra. Ariel Bowman (violin), Mari Fleming (violin), Andrew Hodge (cello), Maya Kirkland (violin) and Ari Mixon (violin) are part of the orchestra and will be performing timeless pieces by Dionne Warwick, Whitney Houston, Kool & the Gang and a special tribute to Michael Jackson in their third annual Black History Month concert. 

Showtime is 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6 at The Eisemann Center – Bank of America Theater in Richardson. 

Adding their vocal talents to the evening are Andrea Williams and 6-year-old Kyrah Williams. The show opens with the neo-soul sounds of local band Soul Kallab, featuring works by Ledisi, Erykah Badu and Musiq SoulChild. 

“Since R&B has been a staple in the African-American community for years, it just seemed appropriate for our annual Black History Month concert. I believe we are performing a lot of music that all listeners, especially lovers of R&B, will be able to relate to,” said Ron Planks, founder and SOC director.

Planks said the audience for the Black History Month concert has grown each year. 

“Our concert is a great cultural activity celebrating Black History Month. We really want this to be a staple for years to come, a concert that community members will look forward to and get excited about every year,” he added.

This unique orchestra is designed for people of all colors, ranging from middle school to college level experience. Hopeful musicians try out in the summer. SOC performs a variety of works including literature from the traditional repertoire as well as the best of new music, such as pop, R&B, hip hop and gospel. The R&B through the Years concert marks the first time the group is dedicating a performance to one type of music. 

Planks, director of the award-winning Plano ISD Williams High School Orchestra, founded SOC in 2007. 

“Strings of Color was born out of a desire to provide young string players of all racial backgrounds a venue to showcase their talent, with our target audience being string players within the African American community,” Planks said. “I remember coming through my public school orchestra program and being one of maybe two African-Americans in my string program. But times have changed, and you see so much diversity in all music classes but especially the orchestra room.”

Along with audience growth, SOC has grown considerably too. They have 28 members on their roster now, compared to 19 members their first year. 

“I am also pleased to say that we are now recognized by the government as a 501c3 non-profit entity, which makes charitable giving much easier,” Planks said. “Our board of directors has contributed so many volunteer hours, and I’m so appreciative of their efforts.”

One of the board’s challenges is securing transportation for the group.

“We get a lot of calls for performance opportunities, but it is difficult sometimes to get all of the members to a central performance location when parents work and lead very busy lives,” Planks said. “All of the parents are extremely supportive and do their best, but I know it would be really helpful to have a way to transport the members.”

SOC is also in the process of trying to generate funds for a rehearsal space that is more central to Dallas. 

“We have so many young people that are interested in participating, but our present location in Plano is difficult for many of them to get to and join us for rehearsal,” Planks said. 

SOC members have been working and practicing long and hard in anticipation of their annual Black History performance, Feb. 6. Members are: Alicia Best (bass, Euless), Ariel Bowman (violin, Murphy),  Kellie Brooks (viola, Arlington), Xavier Degrate (violin, Murphy), Alexandria Dillard (cello, Lewisville), Victoria Dillard (violin, Lewisville), Mari Fleming (violin, Murphy), Gabriella Grange (cello, Plano), Imani Handy (violin, McKinney), Michael Hendrix (violin, DeSoto), Andrew Hodge (cello, Murphy), Xavier Hubbard (violin, Richardson),  Jordan Johnson (violin, McKinney), Mickala Johnson, (cello, Carrollton), Maya Kirkland (violin, Murphy), Ari Mixon (violin, Murphy), Joshua Perkins (cello, DeSoto), Kalif Perkins (cello, DeSoto), Dominick Reed (viola, Plano), Alex Robinson (viola, Plano), Jasmine Scott (violin, Plano), Alexis Smith (violin, Richardson), Richie Smith (violin, Richardson), Marques Swoopes (violin, Plano), Ramfis Swoopes (cello, Plano), Savannah Thigpen (cello, Dallas), Brandon White (bass, McKinney) and Maia Wilson (violin, Frisco).

Tickets for R&B through the Years are on sale now at www.eisemanncenter.com, or by phone at 972-744-4650. 

Ticket prices range from $5 to $30. Students and seniors receive 20 percent off tickets $15 or higher. Group ticket purchases of 10 or more also receive a 20 percent discount. The Eisemann Center is located at 2351 Performance Dr. in Richardson.