Artzray Interview with Musician and Songwriter Sam Friend

Ben Muller Artist Profiles, Music, Performing Arts

Game of Thrones video takes the New Orleans Swamp Donkeys to the next level.

It’s been a helluva a year for the New Orleans Swamp Donkeys, a jazz group that “recalls the New Orleans music of roughly a century ago, with youthful, high-spirited aplomb” (Nate Chinen, The New York Times). The traditional New Orleans jazz group toured Europe, released two albums, and had their interpretation of the Game of Thrones theme go viral. I had the pleasure of speaking with their founder, lead singer, and banjo player Sam Friend a couple months ago about his experience as a musician, composer, and songwriter. Sam is an alum of Amherst College, where he majored in music.Read More

3 Tips for Beginning Ballet Partnering For Girls

Marshall Ayers Career Advice, Dance, Performing Arts

After hours of barre, relentless plies and tendus, and working up strength in pointe shoes, a dancer then faces ballet partnering. Whether your first opportunity comes from a summer intensive or from your home studio, partnering can be a rarity due to the surfeit of ballerinas and deficit of ballerinos. But, partnering is valuable training, and feels just a step away from flying.

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Partners Samantha Loui and Miles Parsons

Here are my top three tips when beginning ballet partnering:Read More

5 Reasons To Jump Start Your Career In The Arts

Kimberly Duron Beyond, Career Advice, College, Getting Started, Opportunities, Student Resources

(Career insights from a 19-year-old)

Kimberly Duron for Artzray. Looking at the Career Choices Below Her!

Photo: Kimberly Duron

At nineteen years old, your future career goals can be clouded with dorm life, Greek life, and finals that leave us measuring our days by the number of caffeine runs we make. All too often, we may also assume that we are too young and unprepared to dive into the professional field we are studying. But there are plenty of opportunities for us to network, learn, and practice outside of our campus, before we graduate!Read More

Photo by Sergey Sus Photography

Sergey Sus’s Street Photography Tips

Steve O'Bryan Artist Profiles, Photography, Visual Arts

Being a photographer in any capacity, from pro to beginner, the subject of equipment is always at the center of our thoughts and conversations. Sure, if there is anything that can improve a photo it would be a camera and lens, right? I’ve been a photographer for a while now and I’d consider myself a professional. As websites like Sweet Table Contest suggest, a photographer’s outfit can be crucial to a successful shoot. As well as this, I’ve spent a long time perfecting my skills and I use pretty expensive camera equipment too! Read More

The Most Relatable Musicals for Millennials

Samantha Jacobs Performing Arts

scranton community center musical - by Bob Schrader

Best Musicals to See Over the Holidays

Most Millennials might be known for their serious commitments to Netflix, but that doesn’t mean the musical theater genre has to die. For the generation that is known for having the attention spans of goldfish, the idea of sitting through a 2-hour spectacle of flamboyant singing and dancing may not be the most appealing. But, if you give them a chance, musicals, whether they are new phenomenons or old classics, can be more relevant than you may think. Here are some of the most relatable musicals for all Millennials, and ones that are especially good to check out when home for the holidays.Read More

The Kid Speaks: An Interview with Trumpeter Glen Marhevka

Jacqueline Bacino Artist Profiles, Music, Performing Arts

 

Glen “The Kid” Marhevka is the trumpet player for Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, and a master trumpeter at that. Here is a story of personal drive, mentor relationships, disciplined training and cooperative band experiences over the past thirty years. It sounds a lot like the music he makes: collaborative, energizing and filled with those gorgeous brass instruments that make you feel good from start to stop.Read More