By Gene Dobbs Bradford, executive director of Savannah Music Festival

Years ago, when I was working as the President and CEO of Jazz St. Louis, I had the honor of being able to sit in on the sound check for Herbie Hancock, the legendary jazz musician, bandleader, and composer. Sound checks are normally rote and efficient affairs, and sometimes bigger-name acts will have sound technicians stand in for them.

What I saw that afternoon with Herbie Hancock was anything but prescriptive.

For two hours, Hancock worked over and over on eight brief bars of “Watermelon Man,” a jazz standard he wrote all the way back in 1962. Here was the Herbie Hancock, still trying to figure things out! He knew, like all of the greats do, that you get better by trying something different and that the fun comes from learning something new.

So, this spring, why don’t you try something different? There’s no better place to start than this year’s Savannah Music Festival, to be held March 27 through April 12. Here are just a few ways to stretch your musical muscles:

Travel around the world. The tagline for Savannah Music Festival is “A World of Music. One City.” My team and I could not be more excited to bring celebrated artists to town that otherwise would not be here. Where else can you hear a Mongolian folk music group that blends traditional Mongolian music with modern influences (Anda Union)? Or a Ukrainian folk music quartet (DakhaBrakha) that fuses their traditional music with global influences, including African, Middle Eastern, Indian, and punk elements? Or a unique musical partnership between a Senegalese kora master and a French accordionist that blends the traditions of West Africa and French folk music (Ablaye Cissoko and Cyrille Brotto)? These are just a few of the artists that will be highlighting a crossroads of global roots music at Savannah Music Festival 2025.

Get out of your comfort zone. Yes, we all have our favorites in terms of genre. I am steeped in jazz and blues, but I have learned to appreciate classical and bluegrass. As a musician myself, listening to different kinds of music certainly introduces me to new techniques, tones, rhythmic patterns, and playing styles, just to name a few. But did you know that listening to different genres engages our brain in different ways? When we listen to music, all four parts of our brain – the frontal, temporal, occipital, and parietal lobes – react and trigger certain emotions and memories, depending on the genre. In fact, Patrick Wong, a researcher at Northwestern University, uses the term “bimusicality” to describe being comfortable with music from more than one culture. “If you are bimusical,” he said, “you tend to engage a larger network of the brain when you listen to the two kinds of music.”

Play the name game. While some of this year’s artists have performed in Savannah before, there are more than 20 who are making their festival debut. One of the most exciting things about having so many artists descend on our city is not only the opportunity to discover an artist on the verge of their “big break”, but the ability to hear him or her in an intimate and often interactive setting. Festival goers have told me stories of dancing onstage with Sharon Jones and the Dapkings, accepting a hug from Charles Bradley at the end of his performance, and seeing Justin Townes Earle play an introspective acoustic set. Don’t miss the opportunity to find your next favorite artist.

Whether you are new to Savannah Music Festival or an old pro, the Festival has something for you. Music is truly the universal language of mankind, connecting us across cultures and languages, generations and political divides. It can evoke emotions, inspire awe, and create a sense of unity. Help us welcome a world of music to the Coastal Empire.

Gene Dobbs Bradford joined Savannah Music Festival as executive director in February 2022. He previously served as the President and CEO of Jazz St. Louis for 23 years.