Isaac Bynum ’24 won a Try It Fund grant to bring his idea to life shedding light on Nigerian and Black American musicians in the Davidson Community.
“When I was approached about the Try It Fund, I initially had no idea what I wanted to attempt, I just knew that I wanted to complete a project with music,” Bynum shared. “After experiencing my first major concert that involved mostly minorities, I realized that I wanted to present music deriving from a diverse array of backgrounds in Davidson. This always brings me joy – displaying new things that may have never been considered by an audience before. So, I approached the Try It Fund with an idea to host a concert on Davidson’s campus that presented music derived from Nigerians and black Americans.”
After two months of intense work, Bynum staged a concert with his bandmates in the C. Shaw Smith 900 Room in the Alvarez College Union. “I think this experience greatly ignited my passion for music and performing, and I highly underestimated how much I loved playing music with other people specifically.”
“The Hurt Hub and staff were amazing and were the reason this happened in the first place. Not only did they provide me the financial means to have this show, but they also helped with advertising, and even acquired an event space for me to host the show . . . For that, I am extremely grateful.”
If you’re a Davidson student and have a new idea that you’d like to test, learn more about the Try It Fund here. If you have questions, get in touch with Dwayne Sutton, Hurt Hub Funding & Mentorship Program Manager at dwsutton@davidson.edu.
If you’re interested in supporting students in their pursuit of new ideas and innovations, please consider a gift to the Try It Fund!
