Latest news with #expression
Yahoo
02-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
These WMass performers are honing their skills at CitySpace Easthampton
EASTHAMPTON — For Amherst native Hazel Kleinman-Eddy — known to most as 'Hazel Basil' — music is more than just sound; it's a form of expression and self-reflection. 'Music allows me to explore myself and understand myself in the world around me better,' Kleinman-Eddy said in a recent interview with The Republican. Kleinman-Eddy is a member of the 2025 Pay it Forward residency at CitySpace Easthampton, a program that provides Western Massachusetts performance artists with venue access for shows and events, rehearsal space, financial support and one-on-one coaching. She also will be the first from her cohort to perform for an audience at CitySpace, when she takes the stage on Aug. 24. Kleinman-Eddy said she's been making music for as long as she can remember. As soon as she was old enough, she joined her school orchestra. A few years later, she picked up the violin, which she played for eight years — after that, she picked up the bass, and finally, she settled on the guitar. The guitar, Kleinman-Eddy said, 'stuck with her.' A turning point in Kleinman-Eddy's music and life journey was coming out as transgender in 2022. 'Music has felt feminine to me in my life, and embracing my femininity and realizing that I was transgender allowed me to really just blossom into the music,' Kleinman-Eddy said. That moment of self-discovery prefaced Kleinman-Eddy's debut album, 'Herbs and Grains,' a five-song project released in 2023. She is now working on two albums — one of which will be entirely instrumental. She's also preparing for her upcoming show at CitySpace, 'Breathe,' which also will be a heavily instrumental show. 'The idea behind 'Breathe' is that I think we don't do enough of it,' she said. 'Music, for me, is a breath. It is a moment outside of time, outside of all the pressures that keep me moving, in which I can rest and recharge and find a little bit of ground to stand on. And I want to share that with people.' The evening is being described as a meditative one — in-between songs, there will be the opportunity for audience members to write, journal and create art. Kleinman-Eddy's concert, 'Breathe,' will be held in the CitySpace Blue Room at Old Town Hall in Easthampton. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the performance begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets, which start at $10 for general admission, can be purchased online at All proceeds will benefit the artist. Jazz roots Following 'Breathe,' another Pay it Forward artist — Chestina Thrower — will take the CitySpace stage on Aug. 30 for a night of soul and jazz. Doors open at 7 p.m. Thrower will be joined by their quartet: Kai Caban on bass, Jahian Cooper Monzie on drums and Matthew Mueller on piano. 'I feel like jazz has been the only space for African Americans to truly express themselves,' Thrower said. 'At least in the earlier times, that's how they got together, through improv and scatting.' Thrower was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but moved to Springfield as a child, where they grew up. Thrower credits their father with nurturing a love of old-school music. 'We listened to a lot of doo-wop together,' Thrower said. 'And as I got older, I was exposed to Sarah Vaughan and a little bit of Miles Davis, and I think that just started me off, just having that in my ear.' Now singing jazz, Thrower said it's strengthened family ties, as well. 'Later, I was like, 'Oh yeah, I grew up on this. Let me try it.' So, I feel like ultimately, I have a stronger connection with my father, because it's the music of his time.' They've performed alongside a number of greats, including Western Massachusetts' own Charles Neville. Thrower performed onstage with Neville at the Springfield Jazz and Roots festival a year before Neville's passing. Thrower was 15 at the time. 'It was inspiring, just getting to work with this huge legend,' Thrower said. 'I remember when I told my mom, she was like, 'Oh, my gosh, you're playing with The Neville Brothers.'' Thrower also has performed at the Jazz in July All-Stars Concert at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and at Holyoke Community College. The show at CitySpace will be their first true headlining performance. 'I'm hoping to break a barrier with more alternative-looking people. You know, with all my tattoos and my piercings, I feel like a lot of people assume, 'Oh, you don't sing jazz,'' Thrower said. 'But I'm hoping to show people that, that has absolutely nothing to do with anyone's taste or their abilities.' Bringing CitySpace to those who need it most Zoe Fieldman, program director at CitySpace Easthampton, has overseen the Pay it Forward program for two years out of its four-year lifespan. The program was first launched by Burns Maxey, president of CitySpace. 'In our current culture, we view things like art and creativity as a luxury instead of a necessity, and a lot of people can't afford that luxury,' Fieldman said. 'So, what can we do to help bring this space to people who might otherwise need to forgo that part of their life because they can't afford to prioritize it?' It doesn't matter whether someone is just starting out in their journey, or if they've been creating music for years, or whether someone is 18 or 60, they are invited to apply to the Pay it Forward program. 'I like to say that for every connection that you make as an artist, you grow your network exponentially, because you might meet one person, but that person knows two people, and now you know three people,' Fieldman said. The complete 2025 Pay it Forward cohort includes: Muriel 'Monik' Johnson, of Springfield; Patric Madden, of Northampton; Chestina Thrower, of Springfield; Ricky Nixon, AKA The Heatmizer of LS Camp, a hip-hop trio based out of East Longmeadow; Mo Schweiger, of Greenfield; and Ailey Verdelle, of Holyoke. New this year is a 'punch card,' which Fieldman said is an initiative to encourage people to see as many Pay it Forward shows as possible. The punch card allows people to buy four or eight tickets at a time to Pay it Forward shows. 'We want audience members to see this more as a series and a collection of works instead of standalone projects, to encourage repeat audience participation,' Fieldman said. What does Fieldman love most about overseeing the program? 'Watching people grow,' the program director said. 'One example I like to give is, last year, the Grotesque Burlesque were a Pay It Forward participant headed by Lex Grotesque. After they sold out their show, they were literally crying, telling me about how they were so happy to not only be able to have paid all of their performers, but also to pay themselves for the work they did,' Fieldman said. 'They would love if they could do this for money, but that's just not the reality of being a performer, especially in this area these days.' Read the original article on MassLive. Solve the daily Crossword
Washington Post
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Is the ‘Gen Z stare' real? We asked the experts: our interns.
Arts & Entertainment Is the 'Gen Z stare' real? We asked our interns. July 21, 2025 | 5:59 PM GMT The emotionless expression teens and young adults sometimes make if someone inconveniences them by saying 'hi,' tries to engage in small talk with them, or tries to take their food order finally has a name: the Gen Z stare. Why the Gen Z stare has every generation talking Related
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tyler, The Creator Explains Urgency Behind ‘Don't Tap The Glass' LP in Note to Fans: ‘This Album Was Not Made For Sitting Still'
Early Monday morning (July 21), Tyler, The Creator released his ninth studio album, Don't Tap The Glass. Shortly following the drop, the high-motored lyricist explained the intentions behind his dance-laden effort and the urgency that fueled it. 'I asked some friends why they don't dance in public, and some said because of the fear of being filmed,' his Instagram post began. 'I thought damn, a natural form of expression and a certain connection they have with music is now a ghost. It made me wonder how much of our human spirit got killed because of the fear of being a meme, all for having a good time.' More from Billboard Mariah Carey 'MC16' Album Details Coming Tomorrow Fans Choose BTS' 'Permission to Dance On Stage' Live Album as This Week's Favorite New Music 'JACKBOYS 2' Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart On the eve of Don't Tap The Glass, Tyler held an intimate listening party where he played the album front-to-back twice, dubbing the dance soiree as one of the 'greatest nites of his life.' 'I just got back from a listening party for this album and man was it one of the greatest nites of my life. 30 people. No phones allowed. No cameras. Just speakers and a sweatbox. Everyone was dancing. Moving. Expressing. Sweating,' the Grammy-winning MC said. 'It was truly beautiful. I played the album front to back twice. It felt like that pent up energy finally got released and we craved the idea of letting more of it out.' He added: 'There was a freedom that filled the room. A ball of energy that might not translate to every speaker that plays this album but man did that room nail it.' He finally urged people to soak in the album in a way that allows them to move freely, express themselves, and, most importantly, dance. 'This album was not made for sitting still. Dancing. Driving. Running. Any type of movement is recommended to maybe understand the spirit of it. Only at full volume,' he wrote. Don't Tap The Glass arrives less than a year after Tyler's Billboard 200 chart-topper CHROMAKOPIA. He's currently embarking on a worldwide tour for the project and will surely dish out new records from his latest effort during his multi-country trek. Read Tyler's full post below. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart Solve the daily Crossword
BBC News
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Farnworth teensagers 'inspired' by Mancunian performance poet
"Poetry can validate young people and give them a voice." That was the message to pupils at a secondary school in Bolton, Greater Manchester, who say they have been "inspired" to express themselves through poetry after a visit from a Mancunian poet Mike Garry said he wanted to "empower young people and make them see the world differently".He spoke to English students at St James' C of E High School in Farnworth about the power of reading."It's important for young people to realise than not all poets are dead," he said. Garry added: "They need to hear a voice which is familiar in sound and music to theirs."They need to hear poems that speak about the places they know or at least heard of. "They need to see their lives and experiences in poetry. It validates them. "It says, 'your voice is important and so is your world'." St James' Year 10 student Tumukunde said she felt poetry was a way of expressing the "deeper meaning of life", adding that "a big message can be said with very few words". Garry had "made it make sense",15-year-old Oren said. "He solidified everything I've been told about reading."Jayden, 15, said the poetry "spoke to us and not at us".Oliver, 15, was impressed by the "energy" which comes from performance poetry and Eden, 15, said it had been "inspirational". Head of English at St James' Victoria Kilgour said she felt "words are power" for her students. "Through reading, our young people can be empowered to express their feelings, speak their desires, challenge their thinking and that of others and break barriers." Garry graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University with a degree in Library and Information Studies and went on to work as a librarian for 15 years before becoming a 2015, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Education at Manchester Metropolitan in recognition of his commitment to promoting reading and literacy in young people throughout the work with young people in Manchester has also won him awards from the Prince's Trust and the National Literacy Trust. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Washington Post
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Why the Gen Z stare has every generation talking
The emotionless expression teens and young adults sometimes make if someone inconveniences them by saying 'hi,' tries to engage in small talk with them, or tries to take their food order finally has a name: the Gen Z stare. It's unclear how it got its name. But many say they've long been on the receiving end of the face and are trying to understand why much of Gen Z looks so dead in the eyes, creating dead air in what's supposed to be a dialogue. In years past, the internet has fixated on socks, jeans, hair parts and whether avocado toast and Starbucks coffee are the two biggest barriers to millennial homeownership (Spoiler: they're not). As people talk about the Gen Z stare, they're also discussing other generations' stereotypical pregnant pauses. Some Gen Zers have tried to defend their age group, arguing they glare when they're listening to an entitled or dense customer at their job or processing how to respond when unruly clients approach them. But others, like millennial content creator Jarrod Benson, say the 'resting retail face' from customer service and minimum wage workers isn't a Gen Z stare, but a look that defies generational confines. So what makes a stare a Gen Z stare? It's a blank look where a response is reasonably warranted. Think of the way Sydney Sweeney and Brittany O'Grady's characters in 'The White Lotus' silently looked from their pool chairs as Alexandra Daddario's character asked them questions. Brenda Alarcon, a 20-year-old Santa Clara University student and research analyst intern at SolPods, said she saw her fair share of the stares as a waitress at a Menifee, California, restaurant. Alarcon said she often tried to be 'overly customer service-y' to compensate for her co-workers. 'Me personally, I would never give the Gen Z stare because I'm the type to ask really dumb questions unintentionally, whether I'd be super tired or the menu could be right there and I don't see it.' At other points, Alarcon said she's gotten the glare when trying to order food with young workers. 'Sometimes, it gets to a point where I kind of feel uncomfortable, so I just leave,' she said. 'Or if there's a self-order thing, I prefer to do that.' Jarrod Benson, a 33-year-old Orlando content creator who makes videos poking fun at generational idiosyncrasies, believes a 'perfect storm' of Gen Z constantly being on social media and the physical isolation from the pandemic led to a socially awkward generation. Benson said he once had a waiter not say a word while his table ordered food, instead just looking at each person. 'It's like they're always watching a video, and they don't feel like the need to respond,' he said. 'Small talk is painful. We know this. But we do it because it's socially acceptable and almost socially required, right? But they won't do it.' Benson says he's guilty of the millennial pause — when it takes a second or two to start talking at the beginning of a video — and sometimes forgets to edit it out after he's filmed a video on his phone. Then there's the comparison to the boomer 'lead poisoning' or 'lead paint' stare, a similarly deadpan face older people make in interactions with service workers. (The boomer stare, likely a symptom of getting older, Benson said, also is a tongue-in-cheek reference to lead exposure.) At the end of the day, it's all in good fun. Benson says he's gotten kind messages from people of all ages as he reenacts their signature quirks. As every cohort gets older, each takes on more habits the other generations can cringe and laugh about. Still, as more young people enter the workforce, he said, 'Gen Alpha is going to be terrible.'
