American Portraits is an ongoing, multi-faceted musical project 

that I (Jonathan Levin) have cultivated over the past several years, which has expanded to include the talents and inspirations of some of my closest friends and collaborators.  

 

 

The 2024 Cross-Country Tour is a collaboration between Tyrone Chambers and myself, conceived to reach diverse audiences across the US in the most creative, personal, and compelling ways possible through our unique musical skills. Our touring route will have an emphasis on places of special musical interest, and concentrate on reaching small towns with 20,000 or less and communities that are largely underserved - bringing our music, and the uplifting, unifying power that it has, to audiences who don't often have access to these types of performances.  

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Our programs are be flexible for each location, but will include a diverse selection of music from classical masterworks to selections inspired by folk songs, spirituals, classic American musical theatre, original arrangements of favorites from jazz, rock, and pop genres, and more. The music touches on subjects of national pride, racial struggles, conflicts of war and reconciliation, faith, nature, and love, with the overarching theme of peace and unity.  Venues will range from traditional concert halls to schools, libraries, art galleries, hospitals, outdoor spaces or other alternative venues.  In addition to this, we will be documenting through photography and video, the different places we go, focusing not only on the music and behind the scenes of touring, but also highlighting the unique people and places we discover along the way.  Musical recordings, music videos, a documentary and human-interest web series called “American Portraits” and a photo series are all ongoing parts of this large-scale musical venture. 

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Our goal is to create, with each performance, a social and interactive experience, that is  fun, accessible, and unique, and in turn, to transform that experience into a work of art. 

 

The resulting documentaries, music videos, photo series, musical compositions, etc., can then be enjoyed not only by those who directly participated in or witnessed the events, but by people all over the world via online platforms who wouldn’t normally have access to those experiences.  

 

Imagine your town or your place of business becoming the inspiration for a work of art!  All things are possible!