Stephen F. Austin State University

The SFA Music Preparatory Division presents a collaborative concert celebrating community, creativity, and musical excellence. Supported by a Rooted in Community grant from the National String Project Consortium and the NAMM Foundation, this project brings together the SFA Youth Orchestra and Strings Project with The Purple Hulls for a unique performance experience.

Born and raised on a working family farm in deep East Texas, identical twins Katy Lou and Penny Lea Clark—known collectively as The Purple Hulls—share an acoustic-driven sound rooted in authenticity, faith, and storytelling. Their musical journey has taken them from Texas to Tennessee and onto stages across the United States and Europe, including work with the Grand Ole Opry and Nashville’s leading music publishers.

This concert offers young string musicians the rare opportunity to collaborate with internationally recognized artists while highlighting the power of music to connect generations, genres, and communities.