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Behind the Arcadia Variety Show Created by musician Sam Nester, Arcadia creates a stream of ever-changing music and light by capturing the natural biorhythms of Virginia native plants and converting them through a Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) into sound and light signals. To learn more about Sam Nester’s work, visit www.samnester.com Murals at Mason produces on-campus public art projects designed to engage social justice issues, and enrich the University’s learning environment through experiential learning projects for students. To learn more about Murals at Mason, visit go.gmu.edu/murals Student Artists: Nicolette Cash is a Sound Designer living in Northern Virginia. She is currently earning a Bachelor of Music with a concentration in Music Technology and an Audio Production
minor.
Nicolette
most
enjoys
the
post-production side of film sound because of the emotional tether that detailed audio choices provide the viewer to the film. Her hobbies include reading, research,
music
composition,
and practicing the
classical saxophone.
Nadya Steare is a BFA student with a concentration in drawing. As an environmental enthusiast and activist, her artwork is inspired by the natural world. She aims to promote positive relationships between people and their surroundings through a commentary on social and ecological concerns, specifically regarding animal welfare. Nadya is a recipient of the 2020 Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Fellowship and
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her work has been shown at Touchstone Gallery, the Torpedo Factory, McLean Project For The Arts and the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art.
Yemar M. Marcano Rivera is a music composer and guitarist from Puerto Rico who lives in Richmond, Virginia. They have just earned their B.A. of Music degree, with concentration in Music Technology from George Mason University. Yemar draws inspiration from nature, and they mainly focus on creating atmospheric, and relaxing ambient compositions that help clear the mind.
Doni Nolan works full time at Mason as the Greenhouse and Gardens Program Manager for the Office of Sustainability. The Arcadia project is housed in the hydroponic greenhouse that she has managed since 2014. Doni is passionate about plants and harnessing a welcoming space in the greenhouse for volunteers and visitors. She believes the plants can sense human energy, and that the sounds from Arcadia are influenced by the community she builds there. Doni is also an artist, musician and aerial dancer. The chance to perform on aerial silks to the Arcadia project was a unique opportunity for her to blend her passion for science with her love of performing. Get involved with Doni's programs by visiting green.gmu.edu.
Dr. Michael Nickens, a.k.a. Doc Nix, was born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Alexandria, Virginia. He received his B.M. from the Manhattan School of Music, his M.M. from Yale University and his D.M.A. from the University of Michigan. Dr. Nickens joined the faculty of the School of Music in the Summer of 2006 following 3
Mason Basketball’s famous Final Four appearance. He is best known as the director of the “Green Machine”, lauded in 2015 as the #1 pep band in college basketball by the NCAA. Dr. Nickens received the Earle C. Williams Medal for Excellence in Social Impact in 2017, was named the 2016 Faculty Member of the Year by the George Mason University Alumni Association, and was a finalist for the Washington Area Music Association’s Educator Award in 2020.
Bobby Lacy II is from Waco, TX and Taught himself how to sing and play piano at the age of 14 after discovering that music was his passion. He leads the small group called the Funk Band which is a branch of the Green Machine pep band which is made to help develop a musicians ability to learn songs off of the page and flow with performance dynamics. Bobby completed a Bachelor's degree in Music with an emphasis on vocal performance and a minor in Music Technology at George Mason University and is currently a candidate for a Masters in Arts Management also at George Mason University with an expected graduation date of December 2021.
Kendell Haywood is a professional percussionist from Northern VA. He primarily works in DC and Alexandria, VA playing musicals, orchestra concerts, and jazz combo gigs. Kendell has been playing with Bobby as a member of the George Mason Green Machine since 2015. He is also the inaugural drummer and a founding member of Bobby's Funk Band.
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