UTC Alumnus to perform with India.Arie on SNL

Look for India.Arie percussionist Forrest Robinson, a UTC alumnus to perform on NBC's Saturday Night Live on March 9. Robinson majored in music education at UTC from 1988-1992. He performed at the Grammys last week in Los Angeles, Calif., with 7-time Grammy nominee India.Arie.

Forrest, originally from Memphis, had a percussion concentration and studied under UTC Professor of Music, Dr. Monte Coulter, who hears from the talented young artist frequently.

"To put the Grammy appearance in perspective, it should be said that a multitude of musicians in this country and abroad have long, lucrative, influential recording careers and are never nominated for Grammy awards, much less perform at the ceremony," Coulter said.

A very active percussionist, Robinson performed in the UTC orchestra as timpanist, played multi-tenors in the Marching Band, was in the percussion section of the Concert and Symphonic bands, was the drummer in the UTC Jazz Band, and played for several semesters in the UTC Percussion Ensemble. He credits his music study at UTC with providing an unusual breadth of musical experience that serves him well in his current performing career.

Robinson went to Atlanta in 1993 to pursue a recording and performing drumming career. He has been the drummer for India.Arie for about six months, and has played in a number of foreign countries, at Carnegie Hall, and throughout the United States. "Every drummer in the country right now wants my gig," Robinson told Coulter recently.

"I am very proud of Forrest, but I am not surprised at his success. He was a very gifted student, and also a sensitive and warm person," Coulter said.

UTC Celebrates Diversity

A celebration of the art, fashion and food of UTC’s international students ended Saturday, and this week there will be foreign films, discussions and musical performances in observance of National Foreign Languages Week. Hugh Prevost, the director of the International Studies Abroad Program would like to combine these events and expand the celebration next year.

UTC international students enjoy
cuisines from around the world.

 "I can give two reasons to think bigger. One is to show off the diversity of our students, and the second is to introduce our students to other places in the world. Some of our students have never been out of the Chattanooga area, so we will bring a variety of cultures to them," according to Prevost.

Unusual cooking spices wafted through the University Center last Thursday, tempting many to purchase tasty treats from around the world. Mouth watering entrées featured babaganoush from Palestine, spicy pork from Thailand, bank tran, a spring roll with pork and veggies from Vietnam and shrimp and turkey and pork rolls from China. Desserts included Lebanese butter cookies, Vietnamese banana cake, French crepes, burfi, an almond confection from India, chin chin from Nigeria and wortels from the Netherlands.

Twenty students and International Student Organization officers were involved in the food preparation. "This sale is our biggest annual fundraiser," according to ISO web designer Nitesh Chhajwani of India, who invites readers to link to www.utc.edu/~iso.