Kansas Arts Commission and KTWU Partner to Showcase Kansas Musicians, Featuring Melissa Etheridge, Freedy Johnston

The Kansas Arts Commission announced today that Grammy- and Oscar-winning rockstar/musician Melissa Etheridge and 1994 Rolling Stone Songwriter of the Year Freedy Johnston will be featured in a new television series highlighting the diverse musical talent born and raised in Kansas. Produced by the Kansas Arts Commission in partnership with KTWU, a PBS member station in Topeka, “LG Desk Concerts” will premiere at 7:30 p.m. November 8 on KTWU, Channel 11.

“Between our inspiring landscapes and the nurturing environments found in every Kansas community, there is ample room across the state for creativity to flourish – and it does,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “Accomplished Kansas artists long have had an impact on local, national and world stages, and this series showcases the diversity of our state’s rich musical traditions.”

Filmed in the Lieutenant Governor’s Office at the historic Kansas Statehouse, the series features a diverse range of musical genres, including Latin, blues and classical, all performed by different Kansas artists. Several of the musicians featured are included in the Kansas Arts Commission’s Touring Artist Roster, which connects musicians and other artists with non-profit venues for performances, programs and educational events.

“With this exciting new initiative and the collaboration with KTWU, we are able to highlight a different and unique aspect of Kansas — the talented artists that come from the urban and rural communities that we all know and love,” Kansas Arts Commission Director Curtis Young said. “We are honored to work with such talented artists that highlight our great state and the hidden treasures that are found across the Sunflower State.”

The show is hosted by Sierra Scott, a Kansas Arts Commission member and host of “Positively Kansas,” which airs weekly on PBS Kansas, located in Wichita.

KTWU announced it will debut the following episodes:

• November 8: Freedy Johnston (Kinsley), 1994 Rolling Stone Songwriter of the Year
• November 15: Maria the Mexican (Lawrence), a Mexicana/Americana/indie blues rock/funk/soul fusion band – a true hybrid of Mexican folklore and rock ’n roll
• November 22: Son Venezuela (Kansas City), Kansas Music Hall of Fame inductees and legends of tropical Latin music
• November 29: Kelley Hunt (Lawrence), award-winning Roots R&B/Americana singer, songwriter, pianist and guitarist
• December 6: Bad Alaskan (Lawrence), Indigenous singer/songwriter of experimental traditional music with fresh electronic stylings
• December 13: The Opus 76 String Quartet (Prairie Village), renowned classical musicians with national and international tours
• December 20: Melissa Etheridge (Leavenworth), world-famous Grammy- and Oscar-winning musician with eighteen recorded albums and over 30 years of success in music, advocacy and philanthropy

Check local listings for air dates on other public television stations throughout Kansas.

For more information about the Kansas Touring Artist Roster, please visit here.