It has been a while since we have posted any news on the Access 21 website. So, what has been going on?
Well, the music studio is up and running, and classes are well underway. Some of the students, so far, have had a background in some type of music performance, but mainly wanted to take our class in order to learn how to use the Digital Audio Workstation that we use, which is PreSonus Studio One version 7. Of course, the newest version of Studio One is called “Fender Studio Pro 8, “but we haven’t upgraded yet.
Also, Open Mic at 21, our open mic, has launched and has been proven to be extremely successful, so much so that we have features booked until towards the end of 2026. Our open mic seems to resonate with Charlotte’s artistic community, and we continue to have a great audience at Open Mic at 21. Our features have included Nemo Sum, Frank Expression, Enasha James (Lucy Lashae), Levi DaRosa, A Poet Named Superman, Kyla Harmony, Zulynette, Ashley Nicole, Mr. Witzthepoet, and Myrts Son.
We have additionally continued to table to increase the visibility of Access 21 in our community. Since the beginning of 2026, we have had vendors’ booths at the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market, Pineville Paws in the Park, Earth Day 2026, Pineville Arts in the Park, and Japan Fest. Our next two tabling opportunities this summer of 2026 will be at the Juneteenth Festival of the Carolinas and then the Charlotte Pride Festival. Towards the end of 2025, in recap, we participated in the Durag Festival, Veg Fest, the Charlotte’s Kids Festival, the West Blvd Legacy Festival, and Dia De Los Muertos.
Also, some Board members and Access 21 members have volunteered to assist Tarik with tabling. While in 2025, Tarik had assistance from members such as Mike Bizzell, Anna Poon, Tiffany Martin, Antione Herring, and Johnelle Causwell (Board member), in 2026, Brian Yesowitch (Board Member), and Bridget Linton have been helpful as well.
Also, we have moved forward with our collaborative efforts with the Creative Cornerstone. They will be visiting the Access 21 studios this summer, as they did in 2025, to expose their youth to what we offer in the media arts. Also, earlier in the year, in 2026, AJ and Queen Williams, who operate the Creative Cornerstone, brought some of their youth to Access 21 for an orientation, with the hope that the youth would take advantage of what we have to offer at Access 21.
Also, since we last talked, we launched another production called “Jammin’ on the 1″ in early 2026. Jammin’ on the 1 is a musicians’ jam session of completely improvised music. So far, we have had Daniel Arthur Gurley on guitar, vocals, and harmonica, Jared Abitante on finger drumming, Joey Padow on percussion, Mark Sullivan on guitar, Tyrone Ferguson on drums, Lasondra Oates on vocals, Denzel Robinson on guitar, and Ronald Hamilton on drums. Tarik played congas, also.
Also, we have added more staff-led productions, such as Jammin’ on the 1. Now, each studio coordinator has a staff-led program that they are producing. Studio coordinators have taken responsibility for directing the CMPAC Spotlight show (Tarik is the producer of that one), producing Open Mic at 21, and also producing Jammin’ on the 1. The next staff-led production that is on the horizon is the interviewing of local leaders of arts nonprofits. Additionally, while it hasn’t been picked up by staff for the long term, we were able to host the Sign of the Times Band at Access 21 to discuss the history of jazz for Black History Month 2026.
It should also be noted that the Access 21 Podcast has been rebooted. Tarik and DJ Mike Carleon, who is an Access 21 member, co-host the monthly discussions on current events and community engagement at Access 21.
It should also be noted that Studio B at Access 21 is under renovation. A green cyclorama screen is being installed, which will give members the ability to embed virtual sets into their TV productions.
Lastly, in April of 2026, we had two public service announcement (PSA) info sessions. Coined “PSA Days,” these were times when local non-profits could attend an info session to learn more about airing PSAs at Access 21.
Overall, we have moved forward with making Access 21 our community media center.