By Jocelyn Hagen Growing up as an only child in the country, outside a small town in North Dakota, allowed me to spend a lot of time inside my head. Being creative was a part of my everyday life, just as it is now. Through the years I became very comfortable in my mostly singular […]
Article · August 23, 2014 by Valerie Nahmad
By Austin, Next Notes intern The title of “composer” immediately evokes images of men in powdered wigs writing a strictly formulated sonata for the harpsichord. While this scenario does demonstrate the role of some composers, it all too often pushes young adults from this activity that defies the myriad assumptions surrounding it. Composing music is […]
Article · August 23, 2014 by Valerie Nahmad
By Peter E. Leggett, Walker West Music Academy At Walker West Music Academy, we know that parents play a pivotal role in developing young musicians. Today, we are celebrating two Walker West parents for the years they dedicated to helping their children explore, learn and grow through music. Danita and Dewayne Jackson gave their sons […]
Article · August 20, 2014 by Valerie Nahmad
By Serlin Quah, ZERO1: The Art & Technology Network The second installment of Life of Leo, where artist David Szlasa re-stages Leonardo DiCaprio films, with himself recast in DiCaprio’s role and recorded in front of an audience. Performed in front of a green screen, the artist recasts himself as Jack Dawson in Titanic, layered back […]
Article · August 18, 2014 by Valerie Nahmad
This month, five Detroit arts groups are vying for the Knight Arts Challenge People’s Choice Award, a $20,000 prize the winner can use for a project of their choice. The award is one of the ways Knight aims to bring attention to small arts organizations and their impact on the city. Here, KnightArts.org has a […]
Article · August 18, 2014 by Valerie Nahmad
Although I grew up in Georgia, since I graduated from high school I’ve spent most of my time in the northeast. When I was accepted into the AIRIE program more than a year ago, I was excited to return to the deep south, about as deep as you can get (Key West is its own […]
Article · August 18, 2014 by Valerie Nahmad
By Coming Home to Music staff Nearly a year into this adventure called Coming Home to Music, we’re excited to see the pieces coming together. And we’re really thrilled to be sharing our vision of creating an intimate, engaging series of concerts that rotate through the homes of Detroit and surrounding area, and feature diverse […]
Article · August 15, 2014 by Valerie Nahmad
By Minnesota Opera staff From the Italian master who wrote Madame Butterfly and Turandot comes a romantic portrait of America’s iconic Golden West. Puccini’s gorgeous melodies and blazing orchestral colors are set against a backdrop of a gold-mining frontier town, where a poker-playing, pistol-wielding saloon owner finds herself in a love triangle with a handsome […]
Article · August 13, 2014 by Valerie Nahmad
By Carol Coletta, Knight Foundation This week, we launch “Knight Cities,” a new weekly audio interview series that focuses on the people and ideas shaping our cities. Theaster Gates – Chicago-based visual artist, actor, singer, restaurateur, activist, academician and all-around urban transformer – is our first guest. The conversation with Theaster embodies all the reasons […]
Article · August 13, 2014 by Valerie Nahmad
By Nicole Rupersburg This story was originally published in the Knight-funded Creative Exchange. For more stories of community transformation through the arts, please visit Creative Exchange at SpringboardExchange.org. The hardest thing about making a life as an artist is actually making a life as an artist. That’s where Artists U comes in. Andrew Simonet is […]
Article · August 13, 2014 by Valerie Nahmad
By The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra staff The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra (SPCO), Minnesota Public Radio (MPR), American Composers Forum (ACF) and Minnesota Opera are pleased to announce the third season of the Composer Conversation Series, events of which will take place at Amsterdam Bar & Hall in downtown Saint Paul (6th & Wabasha) February […]
Article · August 13, 2014 by Valerie Nahmad