Voices of America: Music, Stories & Spirit

A Year-Long Celebration of Arts, History, and Community Voices

Written by Lisa Church

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, communities across the country are reflecting on the stories that shaped our nation and the voices that continue to define it. Here in Morris County, New Jersey - often called the Crossroads of the Revolution - that history is not abstract. It lives in preserved landscapes, personal narratives, and a long tradition of civic and cultural gathering.

Roxbury Arts Alliance believes the arts are one of the most powerful ways to explore that legacy; not just by looking back, but by listening closely to the voices around us today. That belief is at the heart of our 2026 programming theme:

Voices of America – Music, Stories & Spirit

This theme is not a single event or performance. It is a year-long framework guiding how we curate concerts, storytelling, community programs, and partnerships, each one asking a simple but essential question:

How does this experience reflect the story of America and our shared community?

Why “Voices of America” and Why Now?

Morris County played a critical role during the Revolutionary War, hosting more battles, encampments, and strategic moments than any other county in New Jersey. Figures such as George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and countless soldiers, civilians, and families passed through or settled here. The result is a region deeply rooted in our nation’s founding story and uniquely positioned to help tell it.

Morris County is proudly commemorating the 250th Anniversary of America and will be a focal point for historical tourism, education, and community engagement throughout 2026. Organizations like the Morris Tourism Bureau and local cultural partners are working together to highlight how history, creativity, and civic life intersect.

For Roxbury Arts Alliance, this moment invites more than patriotic reflection. It calls for deeper listening, especially to voices that have historically been overlooked, unheard, or underrepresented.

Building on the Work We’ve Already Begun

Voices of America – Music, Stories & Spirit did not emerge in isolation. It is the natural evolution of community-centered work at Roxbury Arts Alliance, that placed storytelling, creative expression, and human connection on our stage at Citizens Bank Theater and at the center of our programming. RAA expanded its role beyond the high-quality live music and entertainment our patrons have come to look forward to for nearly thirty years.

In collaboration with local artists and partners such as Frank May of M Galleries in Washington, NJ, RAA developed a platform for personal voice through open mic nights and intimate gallery-style experiences at our Roxbury theater. These programs invited community members to share original poetry, music, visual art, and spoken word, often exploring identity, resilience, and lived experience in ways unlike traditional performances.

Open Mic in collaboration with Frank May ran monthly, alongside quarterly art gallery exhibits,

from June 2024 through December 2025.

At the same time, our ongoing partnership with Life Center Stage, an expressive arts organization based in Boonton, NJ, deepened our commitment to arts-based wellness and awareness. Beginning with an original concert with the female trio The Inspire Project in January of 2025, continuing through a youth program "Dare to Shine, Dare to Lead" and culminating with a multi-performer showcase "The Alchemy of Artistry" in December of 2025, these initiatives demonstrated how creative practice can foster trust, emotional well-being, and meaningful dialogue across generations.

Storytelling also emerged as a unifying thread through programs like The Signature Project with artist

Patrick Dunning, which highlighted personal narratives and shared experiences. This multisensory performance reinforced the idea that history is not only preserved in archives but lived and carried forward through individual voices.

The 2 performances of The Signature Project and The Backstories, which debuted on the RAA stage, were beautifully documented on pages 6-8 in the Holiday 2024 issue of Lake Hopatcong News.

Read the LHN Article Here

Across these efforts, a clear pattern emerged: when people are given space to speak, listen, and create together, community strengthens. These programs laid the groundwork for RAA’s broader, more intentional framework connecting personal story to collective history.

Voices of America builds on this momentum, expanding from individual expression to a larger reflection on the music, stories, and spirit that have shaped our nation and continue to shape our local community today.

The Pillars of Roxbury Arts Alliance 2026 Programming

Throughout this year, many of our performances and programs will align with four guiding pillars: America’s Musical Story; Living History & American Voices; Community Experiences; and Signature Events.

America’s Musical Story

The performances presented at Citizens Bank Theater in 2026 will explore how music has reflected and shaped American life across generations, revealing how sound carries cultural change, protest, joy, resilience, and identity.

We will trace musical lineages rooted in folk traditions, immigrant influences, harmony singing, swing, blues and rock, country, patriotic music, and contemporary global sounds, illustrating how America’s musical voice has always been diverse, evolving, and deeply connected to lived experience.

From tribute concerts and community choirs to family-friendly performances, original works, and free outdoor summer concerts held at the Bandshell at Horseshoe Lake, these events honor both familiar sounds and emerging perspectives. Alongside traditional events, RAA will also present interactive and experiential offerings, inviting audiences not just to listen, but to participate, learn, and connect through shared experience.

Living History & American Voices

American history comes off the page and onto the stage through intimate, story-driven performances centered on personal perspective. Through our connection with the Ferro Monte chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Roxbury Arts Alliance is proud to present programs that illuminate the human stories behind some of America’s most influential eras and figures.

These performances spotlight voices often heard only in the margins of history: wives, mothers, civilians, and eyewitnesses whose lived experiences shaped the cultural and our nation’s moral fabric. Featured narratives include the story of Catherine Greene, an intelligent and perceptive observer of the American Revolution and the wife of General Nathanael Greene, whose firsthand accounts offer rare insight into daily life, leadership, and resilience during the war.

Additional programs explore American history through a personal lens, including perspectives connected to Benjamin Franklin and Nancy Hanks Lincoln, emphasizing the relationships, environments, and values that shaped the individuals behind the history. Together, these stories reinforce the idea that America’s past is best understood not only through major events, but through the voices of those who lived it.

Community Experiences & Signature Events

In addition to concerts and performances, Voices of America – Music, Stories & Spirit extends beyond the stage and into the community. As the year unfolds, Roxbury Arts Alliance will continue to introduce hands-on, participatory programs that invite connection, reflection, and creative expression, ensuring the 250th Anniversary year is experienced not only through entertainment but through shared cultural engagement.

Drum circles, open mic nights, oral history projects, and youth workshops invite people of all ages to participate in sharing stories, building confidence, and connecting through creativity. Anchoring these ongoing offerings will be a small number of 250th Anniversary Signature Experiences that blend performance, history, and community dialogue in ways that feel both celebratory and reflective.

Rooted in Morris County, Open to All

While our inspiration is national, our work remains deeply rooted in Morris County, where history is tangible and community matters. As cultural tourism increases and visitors explore Revolutionary War sites, museums, and historic districts, the arts provide a vital bridge between past and present.

An Invitation to Listen and Participate

Roxbury Arts Alliance is proud to contribute to our cultural landscape by offering live entertainment and multi-layered programming that is as unique and complex as the United States itself. Through Voices of America – Music, Stories & Spirit, we invite our community to listen, reflect, and help shape the next chapter together.

Whether you attend a concert, join a workshop, share a story, or simply sit in the audience, you are part of our living narrative.

Discover upcoming performances and programs and purchase tickets on the Roxbury Arts Alliance events page on our website www.RoxburyArtsAlliance.org. Stay connected! Sign up for our newsletter, follow us on Facebook and Instagram, or get involved as a volunteer. Through partnerships, collaborations, and local advertising, we’re proud to support the businesses that help strengthen our community.