Our friend Jecorey Arthur aka "1200" is currently a democratic candidate for Louisville Metro Council District 4 as well as an accomplished musician and community leader. He joins team Beargrass Thunder to have a great conversation about ways to improve our community, and also to warn his political opposition of diss tracks coming their way!
Who is Jecorey Arthur?
Baby Corey (Jecorey Arthur) was born May 19, 1992, to a single teenage mother who lived with his aunt and grandmother. He was born in a black and poor neighborhood known as Parkland in the West End of Louisville, KY. This neighborhood was also the birthplace of Muhammad Ali. From here he found his passion for music and eventually went on to teach, compose, and perform it.
Jecorey quickly became known as ‘Mr. Arthur’ as he taught all grade levels in schools and in after-school programs. He has taught across Louisville and beyond giving private lessons, workshops, clinics, masterclasses, and trainings for music, mentorships, and more.
Also known as ‘1200', he has performed around the world as a classically trained percussionist as well as a hip hop artist. He started a business to help other artists get paid gigs and teach youth life skills through event organizing. He helped organize a wide range of community initiatives including the inagural ‘I AM ALI’ Festival following Ali’s passing, the grand reopening of the Speed Art Museum, Better Block Parkland, Forecastle Festival’s West Louisville Showcase, and the award-winning ReSurfaced project, where underutilized surface lots were repurposed as music and art plazas.
Jecorey Arthur is an award-winning teacher, musician, and activist from the West End of Louisville, KY running as a Democrat to represent Metro Council District 4. He’s campaigning to make a Louisville For All where every citizen can thrive and not just fight to survive. Arthur himself fought for survival growing up in Louisville’s poorest zip codes. He discovered a passion for making music at age 12, eventually going on to earn his master’s in music education by age 22 from the University of Louisville. He later became a professor at Louisville’s HBCU, Simmons College of Kentucky, where he currently teaches.
As a teacher he has served hundreds of thousands of children in Jefferson County Public Schools, Metro Community Centers, Boys and Girls Clubs of Kentuckiana, and beyond. As a musician he has represented Louisville to an audience of half a million worldwide through collaborations with New York City’s 92nd Street Y, Forecastle Festival, and dozens of professional symphony orchestras. As an activist he has organized hundreds of community events with nonprofits such as the Louisville Downtown Partnership, Center for Neighborhoods, and Louisville Public Media, hiring thousands of local organizations, vendors, and artists, while managing over $1,000,000 in funding.
Also known as ‘1200', he has performed around the world as a classically trained percussionist as well as a hip hop artist. He started a business to help other artists get paid gigs and teach youth life skills through event organizing. He helped organize a wide range of community initiatives including the inaugural ‘I AM ALI’ Festival following Ali’s passing, the grand reopening of the Speed Art Museum, Better Block Parkland, Forecastle Festival’s West Louisville Showcase, and the award-winning ReSurfaced project, where underutilized surface lots were repurposed as music and art plazas.city a better place.”
To learn more about Jecorey, his campaign, and how to support by donating to the campaign, checking out his website, and following him on social media!
Jecorey Arthur For Metro Council District 4 https://secure.actblue.com/donate/jecoreyarthur
https://www.jecoreyarthur.com
https://facebook.com/jecoreyarthur
https://twitter.com/jecoreyarthur
https://instagram.com/jecoreyarthur
This is our first foray into podcasting and recording interviews. Please don't hesitate to reach out to us at beargrassthunder@gmail.com if you have any questions, comments, or ideas for interviews!
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