Join us at the next installment of our story-sharing series, “Three Acts in Over-the-Rhine” on Wednesday, December 13th at Memorial Hall (1225 Elm Street). Speakers Preston Charles III, Damon Gray, and Zarleen Watts will talk about their roles in supporting Over-the-Rhine’s culture of music. Charles will paint a picture of what it took to make his dream of becoming a musical performer and composer a reality. Gray will share the joy he experiences building and maintaining string instruments out of his local shop. Watts will describe her role in continuing the legacy of Schwartz’s Point Jazz Club as she works to ensure it continues to be a destination for jazz performances.

Reserve your seat today! Tickets can be reserved on a “pay what you would like” donation basis. We recommend $5-10 per person. Doors open at 6:00 PM and the program begins at 6:30 PM. A cash bar will be available throughout the event.

This Three Acts event will be held in Memorial Hall’s studio room on the lower level. Parking can be found at the Washington Park garage, nearby lots, or on-street. Bus and streetcar stops are located across from Memorial Hall, and a Red Bike station is available at Elm and 14th streets. This program can also be viewed live via facebook.com/OTRmuseum. 

PROGRAM SPEAKERS

Preston Charles III
Preston Charles III is a Cincinnati native and lifelong musician who has turned his passion for the art form into a professional career. Over-the-Rhine has always been and continues to be a focal point for his musical performances and community involvement. Throughout the years Charles has performed at nearly all of the neighborhood's venues including Music Hall, Memorial Hall, Ghost Baby, The Art Academy, Findlay Market, Queen City Radio, Washington Park, and Taste of Belgium. His recent involvement includes being a Co-founder of the Cincinnati Hip Hop Orchestra, a Blink 2022 artist and installation collaborator, a musician at Black Tech Week, and a performer for the Vigil of Elijah McClain.

Preston Charles III will share his personal story including his start in Over-the-Rhine as a 4-year-old member of Bethlehem Temple Apostolic Church (now the Transept) and how he obtained his dream of one day performing at Music Hall. His adventure goes through time, change, venues, and events, and shares how through perseverance, he evolved from student to busker, to composer and performer.

Zarleen Watts
Zarleen Watts is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati with a Bachelor's degree in English Literature and Fiction Writing and a Master's degree in Library Science. Watts is also a wealth of knowledge about Cincinnati’s jazz community having grown up in her parents' jazz clubs and restaurants. In 2016, her father, Ed Moss, one of Cincinnati's premiere jazz pianists, passed away leaving her his jazz club, housed in the iconic Schwartz's Point building located in Over-the-Rhine at 1901 Vine St.

Watts will tell the story of the Schwartz’s Point venue, both what it brings to the jazz community and some of the history of the iconic building. Woven into this narrative are the struggles and triumphs that have come with inheriting a small business in North Over-the-Rhine.

Damon A. Gray

Upon graduation from CCM at the University of Cincinnati with a degree in cello performance, Damon Gray worked in a local violin shop gaining knowledge of repair and the history of stringed instruments. He was quickly fascinated by the subject and decided to pursue violin making as a profession. He attended the Violin Making School of America in Salt Lake City, Utah for two years and studied with Paul Hart of Mt. Pleasant, Utah for a year of intense training in the making of violins, violas, and cellos.  In 2000, he set up his first studio in Cincinnati dedicated to making and restoring string instruments. In 2004, Gray was awarded a certificate of merit for tone for violin in the international violin-making competition sponsored by the Violin Society of America. In 2014 he was awarded a silver medal for tone for another violin in the same competition. His instruments are played by professionals and conservatory students in the region as well as around the country. His workshop is in the carriage house behind his home in the Prospect Hill neighborhood, overlooking Pendelton and Over-the-Rhine. He lives there with his wife, Melissa, and two teenage children, Maya and Silas. In addition to maintaining his shop, he remains an active freelance cellist and is a member of the Blue Ash/Montgomery Symphony Orchestra. He also enjoys playing steel guitar with his friends in the Western Swing band, the Sidecars.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Three Acts in Over-the-Rhine is an innovative lecture series designed to expose attendees to stories of the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. Each event features three, fifteen-minute talks and concludes with a group question and answer period. 

The Over-the-Rhine Museum welcomes your support for these provocative stories. Donate online at www.otrmuseum.org/donate.

ABOUT THE OVER-THE-RHINE MUSEUM

The Over-the-Rhine Museum inspires understanding and respect for the people who have created and lived in Cincinnati’s historic Over-the-Rhine neighborhood by working with community members and visitors to uncover, present, and preserve their stories in an immersive experience.