Tracks Music Library, Chapel Hill’s commercial-free streaming music platform, announces a new music collection for 2021 featuring more than 30 albums produced in the last two years by Triangle-area musicians. New music will be released each Tuesday in July as a “summer mixtape”, hand selected by staff curators and showcasing a variety of genres and bands.
Launched in the summer of 2020, Tracks Music Library, a collaboration between Chapel Hill Public Library and Chapel Hill Community Arts & Culture, removes barriers for local musicians and connects them with their community. Anyone can listen to the streaming service for free, and those with a Chapel Hill Public Library card can download songs.
The new collection includes tracks from local music legend Katharine Whalen; the smooth sounds of Dreamroot, a music collective seeking “to put out positive energy during a dark time;” the latest release by Bright Moments, a solo project of multi-instrumentalist, composer, and arranger Kelly Pratt; and the impressive vocals of pop singer-songwriter William Nesmith, plus so much more.
The 2021 collection was curated by Chapel Hill music leaders, and, for the first time, some of the leading Tracks artists themselves. Artist curators include Erika Libero of BANGZZ and de Fontaine, Steph Stewart of Blue Cactus, Keenan Jenkins of XOXOK, and hip-hop artist and educator, Josh “Rowdy” Rowsey. “The (new) collection is a beautifully diverse snap shot of the music available right here in NC,” says Libero, “I am excited for people to get to know local artists on their own time and as we come out of COVID start coming to local shows in support of their new favorite music. It’s always exciting for me to watch other people fall in love with the music scene here. It’s like ‘see? Now you get it.'” Artist curators not only helped to recruit and select the newest crop of musicians, they also contributed their creative energy toward Tracks projects, including the newly released virtual concert series, Tracks in the Stacks.
To celebrate the 2021 Tracks Music Library collection, local media and digital platforms will be featuring Tracks artists and curators each Tuesday in July.
- Visit tracksmusiclibrary.org/featured each Tuesday for newly released albums and a ‘summer mixtape’ playlist curated by staff. This week’s mixtape is created by Library Director, Susan Brown. Listen here.
- Tune in to WCHL 97.9 The Hill (Chapelboro.com) each Tuesday in July from 6:00 – 6:30 p.m. for live interviews and on-air performances with Tracks musicians and bands.
- Follow along with Chapel Hill Community Arts & Culture and Chapel Hill Public Library social media on Tuesdays for artist takeovers, features, and live performances.
- Download music and create custom playlists with a Chapel Hill Public Library card. Orange County residents can obtain a library card for free at chapelhillpubliclibrary.org.
To learn more about Tracks Music Library, visit tracksmusiclibrary.org.