WSCC to Host Noted Native American Musician on November 3rd, and 4th, 2014

Walters State Community College will welcome noted Native American flutist Gareth Laffely to all campuses in November. All performances are open to the public with no admission charge.

Laffely will perform Nov. 3 at 11:30 a.m. in room 100 of the Greeneville/Greene County Campus and at 3:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Claiborne Campus. On Nov. 4, he will also perform at 1 p.m. in CAPE-104 on the Sevier County Campus and at 7 p.m. in the Lyceum, located inside the student services building, on the Morristown Campus.

Laffely, 15, is of Mi’kmaq/Cree descent and has a unique and rare ability to connect with audiences through this traditional Native American instrument. He is one of the youngest writers accepted into BMI, a group that protects the rights of songwriters. His debut CD, “The Journey,” was released in 2013 to much acclaim. The title cut is dedicated to all Native Americans who lost their lives during the Trail of Tears, a government action meant to relocate the Cherokee nation from western North Carolina to Oklahoma.

One critic said Laffely combines the spiritual and healing influences of his heritage with the “edge of Ian Anderson and Jethro Tull.” In fact, his producer Robert White Johnson has worked with acts like Lynyrd Skynyrd, Cheap Trick and .38 Special.

He has most recently gained national attention for his “Move On” composition, written to mourn a friend who passed away due to cancer. For the past year, he has been invited to perform the song at many fundraisers held by various cancer support and research groups. Money made from the song is donated to cancer causes.

For more information on the concert, contact Eileen Bowers at Eileen.Bowers@ws.edu or 423.318.2347.