Video and photos by Jo Mathis/AAPS District News
Rapper, composer, director, and bassist extraordinaire Divinity Roxx lived up to her name Wednesday afternoon when she performed for and talked with students as the latest in a series of Community High Jazz Guest Artists.
Beyonce’s former bassist and band director is touring with Victor Wooten, who is performing at The Ark tonight. In fact, Wooten surprised the students by showing up in the last row of the theater, along with Steve Bailey, who chairs the bass department at Berklee College of Music and veteran of Dizzy Gillespie’s band; and naturalist, animal tracking, and nature survival expert Bob Hemenger.
Roxx talked about her years touring with Beyoncé, as well as several other memorable events. She has performed at The White House for the Obamas and played on the Grammy’s, The BET Awards, MTV Music Awards, Ellen, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Saturday Night Live, Good Morning America, and The Today Show.
Community Jazz Program Director Jack Wagner said he felt very fortunate that Roxx stopped by share her music and her stories.
“Hearing from her about the level of hard work and determination it took for her to win the job as bassist with Beyoncé was tremendously inspiring,” he said. “I could not have been happier for our students to hear about the level of detail she puts into her craft everyday to become such a force. Her positivity about life and art was infectious. She provided the perfect role model for young women, especially young women of color entering yet another field historically dominated by men. She’s slashing through all of that, but she does it with such joy, love and kindness.”
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