The Oklahoma Film + Music Office (OF+MO) is proud to support several music events this season, including The University of Oklahoma’s (OU) Resonance Music Series, Norman Music Festival, Red Fern Festival and Gypsy Café. These events have provided economic and social impact within these regions as well as continued education and performance opportunities for our local working music professionals and students.
OU’s Resonance Series
OF+MO is proud to partner with the University of Oklahoma (OU) Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts’ School of Music in presenting The Resonance Series. Since Fall 2020, over 70 guests have spoken or performed for the series in over 200 events including more than 35 GRAMMY® winners representing 140+ GRAMMY® wins and over 350 GRAMMY® nominations.
This semester’s Resonance will take place April 21-22 and will feature Quantum Blues Quartet with Paul Shaffer, Will Calhoun, Jamaaladeen Tacuma and Tisziji Muñozis.
- Paul Shaffer has served as Partner and Musical Director for David Letterman’s entire 33-year career spanning over 6000 shows, Saturday Night Live’s first Musical Director and Pianist (Seasons 1-5), Band Leader of Blues Brothers with Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, member of the Honeydrippers with Robert Plant, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page, Musical Director for Paul McCartney, Musical Director for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since its inception in 1986, has recorded or performed with hundreds of legendary musicians.
- Will Calhoun has served as the drummer for Living Colour, B. B. King, Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger, Paul Simon, Harry Belafonte, The Allman Brothers, Jaco Pastorius, Steve Vai, Mike Stern and Public Enemy. He was voted “Best New Drummer” by Modern Drummer, “Best Drummer of 1990” by Rolling Stone and “Best progressive Drummer” three times.
- Jamaaladeen Tacuma is the bassist for Sting, The Roots, Carlos Santana, Jeff Beck, Dave Matthews Band, Ornette Coleman, Sheryl Crow, Brad Paisley, Derek Bailey and Peter Murphy.
- Tisziji Muñoz is the guitarist for Pharoah Sanders, Ravi Coltrane, John Medeski, Rashied Ali, McCoy Tyner and Dave Liebman.
The series has events across campus and Norman, including the Pioneer Library System, Norman Public Schools, and local businesses. Except for specific concerts, all events are FREE and open to the public.
More information on scheduling and to purchase concert tickets, visit https://www.ou.edu/finearts/music/series/resonance/2025-spring.
Norman Music Festival
Taking place April 24-26, OF+MO is proud to be a partner of the Norman Music Festival (NMF), the state’s largest free-to-attend community music festival spanning three days of music across four outdoor stages and a dozen partner venues. More than 70,000 attendees are expected to visit Main Street in Downtown Norman for the event, which has become a highly anticipated highlight in Oklahoma’s music scene.
As part of their partnership, OF+MO will help launch NMF with preliminary festivities, including a music education panel on Wednesday, April 23, at 6 p.m. at The Standard. Moderated by NMF Executive Director Shari Jackson, the panel, Local Legends, Local Gigs: Strengthening the Oklahoma Live Music Scene, will feature special guest musicians, venue and label owners, state and city leaders and more. The panel will guide audiences through a discussion on building a stronger local music culture on stage and in policy to create a vibrant live music scene through empowering local artists, supporting venues and advocacy. This panel is FREE and open to the public.
On Thursday, April 24, NMF will kick off its 17th year, headlined by the all-female indie dance-rock band La Luz, marking their highly anticipated debut performance in Oklahoma. Joining them is a three-day powerhouse lineup that includes hip-hop artists Jabee and Apollo Brown, cosmic rock band Levitation Room, Corridor, Cliffdiver, Ken Pomeroy, JW Francis, Levitation Room and The Mystery Lights, Casii Stephan, Branjae, Mallory Eagle, Mary Shelley, Red Sun, Sierra Spirit, The Ivy, The Muffled Siren and more.
“NMF has a fantastic history of introducing music lovers to their next favorite bands, and this year is no exception,” said Shari Jackson, Executive Director of the Norman Music Alliance. “We’re thrilled to bring home several artists with deep roots in Oklahoma, highlighting the incredible talent the state has to offer.”
For festival, VIP and sponsorship information, visit https://normanmusicfestival.com.
Red Fern Festival
Voted best premier event in Oklahoma by AllEvents.com, the Red Fern Festival is one of the largest free, family-friendly community events in Cherokee County. Now in its 17th year, the Red Fern Festival will be held April 25-26. This festival has become the signature event hosted by Tahlequah Main Street drawing over 30,000 people to downtown Tahlequah where over 150 colorful vendors, food, live music and activities await, creating an enticing blend of art, culture, music and community.
“The Red Fern Festival is excited to partner with the Oklahoma Film and Music Office for our Music Lineup, which will highlight two separate stages with over 20 performances throughout the weekend,” said Michael Payne, Tahlequah Main Street Association Board President and Red Fern Committee Member.
In addition to supporting live music on-stage, OF+MO is working with Red Fern Festival to host a music artist meet-up at the event, bringing together statewide music talent with city and state leaders to showcase the depth of the music ecosystem from this event and within the region.
“Live music and festivals are key components of the state’s music industry, and we’re happy to partner with Red Fern Festival among multiple statewide music events and initiatives this season to further music performance and education opportunities, particularly for local artists who represent Oklahoma music professionals and workforce,” said OF+MO Director Jeanette Stanton. “These events contribute to a larger ecosystem of job creation and economic growth in Oklahoma for live music and community development, a primary focus of our Music Friendly Community Program that continues to be developed for the state.”
For more information about Red Fern Festival, visit https://www.facebook.com/share/16Gj2FMo8o/.
For more information on the long-term music program, follow OF+MO social media platforms, subscribe to the monthly newsletter and contact Jenn Easley, Film and Music Production Specialist for OF+MO, at Jenn.Easley@okcommerce.gov.
Gypsy Cafe
Bob Childers’ Gypsy Café, Oklahoma’s largest homegrown songwriter festival, is scheduled for Sunday, May 4, and will host over 70 Oklahoma songwriters playing acoustic song swap sets on stages at four local music venues.
As part of their partnership, OF+MO will sponsor the live music stage at Stillwater’s newest live music venue, The Dirty Rooster. This venue will host a kick-off performance from Tulsa-based Johnny Mullenax Band as well as several musical acts, including the Red Dirt Rangers and more, throughout the day.
A staple of the festival, a morning brunch will be presented by Cove Environmental, which will include general admission to the festival and performance by Mullenax, who signed with Crossover Touring last year and is billed on festivals nationwide in 2025. The main festival grounds and venues open starting at 12:30 p.m. with a lineup that includes festival staples like John Fullbright, Carter Sampso, and Mike Hosty, while adding 15 new voices as well as the winner of the Jimmy LaFave Songwriting Contest.
The festival benefits Red Dirt Relief Fund, a nonprofit that provided aid to more than half the artists in the lineup during the pandemic, and more than $950,000 in emergency financial assistance to music professionals in all genres statewide since 2012.
The festival will provide a free shuttle running a loop around the general admission venues 12-7 p.m.
For more information on tickets and lineup, visit https://www.reddirtrelieffund.org/gypsycafe/.
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About the Oklahoma Film + Music Office
Under the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, the Oklahoma Film + Music Office (OF+MO) works to promote the state as a viable hub for film, television and music production as well as further develop opportunities for workforce, business and community growth within these sectors. For more information on the Oklahoma Film + Music Office, including the state’s film incentives and additional resources, visit okfilmmusic.org.
