100+ songs to sustain a movement — a playlist for the streets

Favianna's iconography of the migrating monarch butterfly is a symbol of immigrant rights. Calvin's project, Wakanda Dream Labs, bridges fandom with activism, because popular culture and the dreams of Afrofuturism are the foundations for Black liberation. In Poetry is Not a Luxury, Audre Lorde wrote that "[poetry] is a vital necessity of our existence. It forms the quality of the light within which we predicate our hopes and dreams toward survival and change, first made into language, then into idea, then into more tangible action."

String Theory

After spending a few years away from the violin (and other instruments in general), I heard God tell me through prayer that He wanted me to return to my craft. Today, I just wanted to share a few clips of the work I have done since I heard that call.

Dvořák String Quartet No.12 (American)

This semester, my quartet has been working on the first two movements of the "American" Quartet. It's been an exciting and rewarding journey, and we gave our final performance on December 6th. Here's a YouTube upload of our concert. Enjoy! https://youtu.be/-usF7qjA-sk Fall 2017 performance at Wellesley College II. Lento I. Allegro ma non troppo Gloria …

The Promise Inaugural Award Goes to Chris Cornell

Five days ago, Chris Cornell was posthumously awarded the inaugural 'The Promise' award by the Los Angeles Committee of Human Rights Watch. The Promise award recognizes "an outstanding song, television show, or film that advances the values of equity and justice in an original and powerful way." Chris Cornell was recognized for his song, "The …

Song Feature: “Dancing In The Dark” – Bruce Springsteen

Although in this analysis here I focus mostly on the words (which have a lot to say despite being accessible), let it be known that I admire his outfit, dance, and overall energy. Check out that fancy ankle work, foot tapping, and crowd engagement. Who else could pull off those rolled up short sleeves over tight black jeans? There's nothing fake about this man.

Is Classical Music Dead?

Scroll through the average teenager’s playlist and you find Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, Rihanna, Ed Sheeran, and the like. But there is usually a stark absence of, well, dead white males. While Bach’s Toccata in Fugue is immediately associated with Dracula in pop culture, and everyone recognizes the opening four-note motif from Beethoven’s fifth, the …

What We Can Learn from Conducting (Music, not Electricity)

Believe it or not, conductors do not get up on that podium and wave their arms around until the music stops. (Just kidding. I'm sure you know that.) Well, I am no stranger to the art of conducting, though I am only relatively beginning my expertise in this area of knowledge. One of my favorite …

Tips for Practicing (Violin)

These are the notes I distilled from the Solo Strings Symposium I attended in Miami a few years back. I hope you find these rules of thumb helpful!