Beverly Botsford is a cross-cultural percussionist and educator, blending music, movement, and spoken word in solo and ensemble presentations. Embracing drumming traditions and inspirations of Africa, Cuba, South America and her native North Carolina, she weaves colorful rhythmic tapestries with her infinite array of collected and homemade instruments.
Beverly celebrates more than 30 years of full-time, professional experience, performing and teaching in an infinite variety of situations. Highlights include 13 years of touring with Chuck Davis and the African American Dance Ensemble as well as more than a decade on the faculty of the American Dance Festival. Over the years, she has shared her passion for rhythm and culture in hundreds of school and community residencies, workshops and performances, in solo and ensemble presentations. Since 1998, Beverly has toured internationally with Grammy nominated jazz vocalist, Nnenna Freelon in such venues as the Kennedy Center, the Hollywood Bowl, and the Umbria Jazz Festival. Television credits include appearances on CBS “Good Morning,” BET Jazz, UNC-TV’s “Our State” and WRAL’s award winning, “Smart Start Kids.”
Recent highlights include work with the Urban Bush Women Dance Company as well as performances with Nnenna Freelon in London, Greece, Brazil, Angola and in Hawaii for President Obama and 200 world heads of state.
Beverly offers a variety of solo and ensemble performances as well as workshops and residencies. She tailors presentations to the needs of the presenter, the audience and in educational settings, to the curriculum. She is on the touring and education roster for the NC Arts Council and is a member of Alternate ROOTS, www.alternateroots.org, intersecting arts and activism to build a better world.
Artist Mission Statement
As a cross-cultural percussionist, I use rhythm and percussion as a tool to build bridges; to educate, empower, enlighten and inspire. Wherever I perform or teach, I strive to bring honesty, passion, humility, cultural integrity as well as social consciousness and sensitivity to the needs of the community. I believe in the importance of working globally as well as locally and I am committed to building partnerships that deepen that work. I strive to promote racial and cultural understanding and to stimulate creative thinking, learning and action for people of all ages, races, and cultures, internationally as well as in my own community.
I believe that the deepest most potent creative expressions, channel energy that is much bigger than any one individual or ensemble. I actively invest in developing technique and artistic skills to open this connection, allowing me to speak not just from the head and hands, but also directly from the heart. I strive to be fully present in the musical moment or in even just one note. Some of my strongest creative ideas come inside of a performance or workshop, as gifts from the audience and community.