No-No Boy Residency
November 3–5, 2026
Three days of music, environmental exploration, storytelling, and community creativity with Dr. Julian Saporiti.
Participating in Residency Events
We welcome UC Merced students, faculty, staff, and members of the greater Merced community to participate in the residency!
Workshops (Free): Please use the RSVP links below for registration information and participation details. Please note that space is limited. Additional instructions for the nature walk, including the meeting location, will be shared with registered participants.
Concert & Pre-Concert Conversation: Tickets for the November 4 performance are available through UC Merced Arts' Box Office Website and at the door the night of the performance. Tickets are Free for UC Merced & Merced College students (with ID), $20 General Admission for adults, and $5 General Admission for students from other universities and children under 18.
About the Artist
Julian Saporiti / No-No Boy
Dr. Julian Saporiti is a musician, songwriter, and scholar who performs under the name No-No Boy. His acclaimed Smithsonian Folkways project brings overlooked histories to life through original songs, archival materials, field recordings, and multimedia storytelling.
With a Ph.D. in American Studies from Brown University, Saporiti explores themes of migration, memory, identity, and belonging through an interdisciplinary approach to music and historical research.
His latest work draws inspiration from mountains, rivers, ancient forests, and the people dedicated to protecting them. Through music, storytelling, and research, he explores the connections between people and the natural world, encouraging reflection on our relationship with the environment.
During his residency at UC Merced, Saporiti will collaborate with students, faculty, and community members through outdoor exploration, collective songwriting, interdisciplinary conversation, and live performance.
Residency Schedule
Join us November 3–5 for a series of events exploring the connections between art, environmental awareness, and community creativity. The residency features a guided nature walk, songwriting workshops, and a live concert at the Merced Theatre with a pre-concert conversation with Julian and UC Merced faculty from the Arts, Humanities, and Sciences (included with concert admission).
Tuesday, November 3
Guided Nature Walk & Creative Workshop
Discover the Central Valley landscape through guided observation and creative exploration with Julian Saporiti. Participants will engage with the natural environment, reflect on the relationships between people and place, and explore how ecological experiences can inspire artistic expression.
Collective Songwriting Workshop
Explore the creative possibilities of collective songwriting in this participatory workshop led by Julian Saporiti. Through storytelling, listening, and collaboration, participants will explore how shared experiences and relationships with the natural world can inspire original musical expression.
Wednesday, November 4
Julian Saporiti & UC Merced Faculty in Arts, Humanities, and Sciences
Join Julian Saporiti and UC Merced faculty for an interdisciplinary conversation exploring the relationships between creative practice, environmental research, and the natural world. Bringing together perspectives from the arts, humanities, and sciences, this discussion will consider how music and storytelling can deepen our understanding of environmental change and our connections to place.
This pre-concert conversation is open to all No-No Boy concert ticket holders at no additional cost. No separate RSVP is required.
No-No Boy: Live in Concert
Experience the acclaimed Smithsonian Folkways project No-No Boy live at the Merced Theatre.
Julian Saporiti blends raw acoustic songcraft with field recordings, ambient textures, and reflective storytelling. His newest work turns toward mountains, rivers, forests, and the people who protect them, creating a sonic sanctuary that invites audiences to quiet the mind and reconnect with the natural world.
Thursday, November 5
Collective Songwriting Workshop
Continue exploring the connections between music, place, and shared experience through collaborative songwriting with Julian Saporiti. Participants will engage in creative exercises that connect storytelling, environmental reflection, and collective expression.
Concert Tickets & Season Flex-Passes
Join us for No-No Boy's live performance at the Merced Theatre on Wednesday, November 4 at 7:30 PM. Tickets are available individually, or as part of a 2026/27 UC Merced Arts Season Flex-Pass.
$20
General Admission
$5
Non-UC Merced / Merced College students and children under 18
FREE
UC Merced & Merced College students
Save with a Season Flex-Pass: Choose a 4-, 5-, or 6-Concert Flex-Pass and save compared to purchasing individual concert tickets.
Residency Partners
The No-No Boy residency is presented by UC Merced Arts in partnership with the UC Climate Action Arts Network (UC CAAN), the C-VIBE Project (Community Voices Inspiring a Better Environment), and UC Merced Assistant Professor of Music Patricia Vergara.
UC CAAN
UC Climate Action Arts Network
C-VIBE Project
Community Voices Inspiring a Better Environment
Patricia Vergara
Assistant Professor of Music
UC Merced
Explore More UC Merced Arts Events
No-No Boy is part of the 2026/27 UC Merced Arts season, featuring nationally and internationally recognized artists working across music, storytelling, culture, and interdisciplinary performance.
