Highland park - city of ogun

Highland Park: City of Ogun is a six-part musical composition that explores how Highland Park has changed through the lives and stories of its residents.

Hayden interviewed community members during the Highland Park Music Festival, gathering the memories and narratives of different generations into a digital archive. Community memory is ephemeral; as we lose people through aging and displacement, the preservation of their stories increases in importance. Highland Park: City of Ogun preserves and protects these stories at a pivotal point in history by interweaving excerpts from these narratives as lyrics, improvisational themes, and word-scapes into a new musical composition.

The voice of the people serves as the centerpiece of Highland Park: City of Ogun. The fabric of this community is threadbare because of prolonged disinvestment in its people and education, jobs, housing, infrastructure, services, and amenities, yet its people remain resilient. The collective memory and bonds of its residents, their connections to the neighborhood, schools, churches, businesses provide a foundation for renewal. Attracting audiences from Highland Park and Detroit to Smith Shop, the project culminates in a musical performance and celebration that centers and amplifies the voice of the community.

Date: October 20, 2019
Partner: Smith Shop
Location: 180 Victor St, Highland Park, MI 48203
Coordinates: 42.40831, -83.0912

About the Artist

Marion Hayden is one of the nation’s finest proponents of the acoustic bass. Hayden is part of Detroit’s great jazz legacy, and was mentored by trumpeter Marcus Belgrave, pianist and composer Kenn Cox, and saxophonists Wendell Harrison, Donald Walden, and Charles Gabriel. She is co-founder of the groundbreaking women-led jazz ensemble Straight Ahead. Hayden has performed with Geri Allen, Bobby McFerrin, Regina Carter, Steve Turre, and Nancy Wilson.

As an artist, Hayden works in the areas of jazz and creative improvisation, informed by the Black music traditions of gospel, blues and R&B. Her compositions are narrative driven and include work on the poet Phyllis Wheatley, the biblical book of Ruth, and a Solo Bass Score for “Eulogy for Detroit 1967” by poet Melba Joyce Boyd. She holds teaching positions at the University of Michigan, Oakland University, Michigan State University, and the Detroit Jazz Festival.