Join us for a thought-provoking and insightful session by Emma Johnson in The Arts Society at Firstsite (TASAF) Lecture series!

The Arts Society at Firstsite is an organisation about connecting people who have a passion for art.

TASAF is part of a global network of local societies, which bring people together through shared curiosity for the arts. You can learn more about it here. 

We offer a series of 10 talks* from accredited lecturers based around the UK. Lectures take place throughout the year from September to June on the third Tuesday of each month. 

Find out more about TASAF here.

Session Program 

Roots of Jazz (Lecture by Emma Johnson)

New Orleans at the end of the 19^th century was a busy port welcoming ships and sailors from all over the world bringing with them many diverse styles of music. It was also one of the few places in America where the music of the slave population was not just tolerated but openly enjoyed by black and white communities alike.

In this Creole crucible it was not long before such a kaleidoscope of musical traditions would come together, react, and evolve into an exciting new music, namely jazz.  

Jazz’s evolution didn’t happen overnight of course. And in this talk we’ll look at the part African Blues and Cakewalk, American Classical and Vaudeville, Latin American Dance, and Middle Eastern Klezmer all played in the story of jazz.

We’ll also enjoy along the way some of the greatest musical artists of the twentieth century: Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington to name but a few.

About the Lecturer

Emma Johnson is one of the few clarinettists to have performed as a soloist all over the world. After winning BBC Young Musician at the age of seventeen she studied Music and English at Pembroke College, Cambridge University and was the first woman to be made an honorary fellow of the college.

Since then, she has made over 30 recordings, including several best sellers and collaborated with musicians such as Sir Yehudi Menuhin and the jazz artist Sir John Dankworth.

An Arts Society accredited lecturer, Emma also enjoys talking and writing about music. Her talks ‘Woodwind Wizardry’ and ‘The Poet John Milton’ were both broadcast by BBC radio and she has lectured for festivals and tour companies about a range of musical topics from comedy in classical music to Vienna’s golden age.

In 2024 she formed the Emma Johnson Music Foundation which takes ‘Instrument Story’ workshops into UK primary schools to introduce children to music.

A published composer, Johnson’s latest work, ‘Tree of Life‘, a musical response to the climate crisis, will tour in 2025 making its debut at the Wigmore Hall, London.

Emma’s hobbies include running and birdwatching – but not at the same time!

Visit the Firstsite Cafe before or after TASAF Lecture Series session! 

Our cafés offer a wide selection of delicious snacks, cakes and light meals, along with hot and cold drinks which can be purchased to enjoy.

Find out more about our menus here 

*This price is the set fee paid by all members irrespective of the date they join the society.