Daisy James Issue #2

DukeEllington

School of the Arts - est 1974

daisyJames

Volume 1, Issue #2

BEN WILLIAMS torture &

The Hunger Games

What’s Going On Now?

The Howard Theatre returns

Building the 21st century writer

DaisyJames lifestyle magazine produced by Literary Media & Communications at Duke Ellington School of the Arts Editor’s Welcome Welcome to the second official issue of Daisy James magazine. Everyone in the Literary Media and Communications department at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts would like to thank you for reading our magazine. As mentioned in the previous issue, this is really the fourth publication of Daisy James, we started with issue number 0 that focused on R&B singer Mario, the next publication was a special edition for the school’s Dreamgirls show. Our last issue, issue number 1, featured the artist Hank Willis Thomas on the cover.

This being my first time as an editor of anything, I was a little scared and a little excited. I had to step in from the cold, as my teacher put it, and work very hard if I wanted this to happen. This was the second issue of Daisy James this year, and I wanted to live up to the previous publications. We were on a stringent deadline, and despite various setbacks, wedis prevailed. It took a lot to pull though this, but the writers, photographers, editors, and many others pulled through to help get this issue published. As the great American author Mark Twain says, “The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, then getting started on the first one.” No matter what the problem, the more we broke up the tasks and distributed them - the faster things would be done.

For this issue I have to take a moment to thank both my journalism instructor, Mr. Koye Oyedeji, and my assistant editor Barrett Smith. Without those two, I’m not sure if I could have jumped over the hurdle of completing this issue.

Both of them played pivotal roles in the publication of this issue. They both worked through the night, as well as during the day to push out the last of the articles to make this a success. I am really proud of the work my peers and I have produced. In this magazine I believe there is literally something for everyone. No matter what your preference is, we have it - fashion, features, music reviews, interviews, and much more. Once you start reading I’m positive you won’t stop. I really believe that I have done the other Daisy James predecessors justice. I hope you enjoy our magazine. This is the product of words, sweat, tears - as well as a determination that all the Daisy James contributors acquire.

Daisy James, Volume 1, Issue #2 DAISY JAMES is a publication of LMC, LITERARY MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS @ DUKE ELLINGTON SCHOOL OF THE ARTS, 3500 R STREET NW WASHINGTON, D.C. 20007 DEPARTMENT CHAIR MARK WILLIAMS EDITOR: RASHAWNDA WILLIAMS ASSISTANT EDITOR: BARRETT SMITH PHOTO EDITOR: KYNDALL BROWN CONTACT: DAISYJAMESMAG@GMAIL.COM CONTRIBUTORS: ASIA ALSTON, MARCUS BROWN, LUCY FRESHOUR, MADISON HARTKE WEBER, QUADAJA HERRIOTT, GENNA KULES, SIENNA LASTER, PRINCESS LAWRENCE, IDIA LEIGH, KHAT PATRONG, BARRETT SMITH, RASHAWNDA WILLIAMS, MALIA WILLIAMS-HAYNES INSTRUCTOR/MANAGING EDITOR/LAYOUT: KOYE OYEDEJI ONLINE / ASSOCIATE EDITOR: KELLI ANDERSON

Rashawnda Williams, editor

DaisyJames Presents

a special thank you to the Literary Media & Communications Staff on behalf of Nile Myers & Family

PHOTOGRAPHERS: KYNDALL BROWN, AURIELLE CATRON, JATI LINDSEY MADISON HARTKE WEBER,

THANKS TO: Kelli Anderson, Olivia Drake, Brittany Fenison, Kristen Hartke, Tia Powell Harris, Tonya Johnson, Alan King, Rick Weber, Mark Williams, The Parent’s Committee for the Literary Media & Communications Department

contents 4 What’s Going On Now? Genna Kules takes in the sights and sounds of the two-day series of performances celebrating Marvin Gaye’s 1971 Kennedy Center concert .

6 fashion: Style on the Streets Princess Lawrence takes to the streets to find out what’s hot in Dupont Circle.

8 Cover Story: Ben Williams The Thelonious Monk award winner and Duke Ellington Alum speaks to Daisy James.

12 Feature: It’s good to meet you too Quadaja Herriott sits down with the new Chief Development Officer of the Ellington Fund.

14 Feature: Inside The Classroom Daisy James talks to Duke Ellington teachers about the secret lives they lead.

18 Feature: Back to the Future: The Howard Theatre re-opens.

22 DJ Recommends: Madison Hartke Weber spotlights the latest bands that are on the rise.

23 spotlight: The Visual Arts Department Senior Show 26 Is Torture On The Wall? An essay by Barrett Smith, inspired by the Hunger Games.

29 Tribute: Chuck Brown 30 Live Review: Idia Leigh checks out the All American Rejects at the 9:30 club.

31 Reviews: Lucy Freshour reviews the latest John Mayer and Jack White albums.

Words: Genna Kules

Above & Left: Students from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts perform on the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage (Photos by Ron Newman)

A group of poets, filmmakers, radio DJs, museum curators, MCs and other artists from around the country joined forces with the Kennedy Center to talk about social responsibility, poverty, the environment, social change, addiction, veterans issues, love and solidarity.

The “What’s Going On...Now” campaign was created by the Kennedy Center to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Marvin Gaye’s performance of his album “What’s Going On.” They brought in Duke Ellington School of the Arts students, U Media Chicago artists, MCs from Ohio, Venice Arts students, Words Beats and Life DJs and the D.C. Slam Poets for a series of performances on the Millennium Stage and a final performance by John Legend in the Concert Hall.

The performances on the Kennedy Center Millenium Stage were all formed around ideas taken from Marvin Gaye’s original album. The performers told different stories about what the words mean in their lives today. Christopher Rojas, from Venice Arts, did a beautiful piece on immigration, he recreated the experience through semi-abstract video and narration. In the video the light shining between the leaves on the the trees was all that was needed to show that he was in the woods; the fast moving blurring shots and bright lights placed the car in the viewer's mind as Christopher narrated, in Spanish, about his trip. He told the story of hiding behind bushes, from a helicopter and arriving at a safe house, only to find out that the car he was supposed to be riding in had been deported back to Mexico. Christopher’s video moved the audience; people watching the performances could relate to every piece shown on the Millenium Stage during those three nights.

Kush Thompson, a poet from Chicago, addressed the environment painting a series of metaphors with her poetry. She reminded the audience to look at the environment as their mother. People say “mother earth” but do they treat the earth like it’s their mother? She spoke the words: “I built dams into her blood vessels and watched as the veins bulged into her neck,” and Kush introduced her piece with the concept of mother-son interdependence; she said, “If men spit upon the ground, they spit upon themselves,” her argument being that this is the intensity of the close-knit dependence. She addressed the issue of construction by painting a flower in the listener’s mind, only to kill it with concrete. Kush’s poem made audience members step back and think, not only about the environment, but about their own mothers as well.

Below: Students from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts perform with John Legend (Photo by Sarah L. Voisin/Washington Post)

Above: The Duke Ellington School of the Arts poetry performance ensemble, The R-Street Collective, prepare to perform at the Kennedy Center (Photo by Kelli Anderson)

After the first two days on the Millenium Stage, the Youth Summit, which consisted of many of the people in the performances and a few others, got together to discuss what needed to happen next. Before lunch, Mark Williams, chair of the Literary Media and Communications department at Duke Ellington, discussed the importance of critique and critical analysis. He talked about what true “American literature” is, addressing the idea that schools have a separate class for “African-American literature” and questioned why it is not taught with the traditional English “American Literature” class. He went on to speak about changing lesson plans and syllabi, so that the content stays up to date with the students and with the teachers. Other groups discussed their processes and their ideas of what needed to change in the future.

The Museum Studies department put up an exhibit in the Kennedy Center that portrayed many of the issues through photography and the editing of photographs. Each student in the department chose a topic to focus on.

Aysha Jones, Camille Posey and Ashley Prillaman had the topic of social responsibility. One of the images they used to show social responsibility, in the context of “then” and “now”, was a twitter page for Marvin Gaye. They wrote what they thought Marvin Gaye would have been tweeting, what people would have been saying to Marvin Gaye, the followers he would have had, the people he would have followed and the influences he would have made through tweets. Anya Fredrickson took on the topic of love. She focused on, in her words, the “unions that weren’t accepted during [Gaye’s] time and the unions that aren’t accepted now,” such as interracial relationships and same sex marriages. She commented on the lack of change made in 40 years, addressing the growing need for change and acceptance on the topics.

Wrapping the whole event up, was John Legend in the Concert Hall. He began his performance with the love songs that Marvin Gaye is mostly remembered by; he and Sharon Jones paid tribute to Marvin Gaye during the first half of the show by celebrating and enjoying his songs.

During the second half of the show, John Legend played the piano and sang from Marvin Gaye’s album, “What’s Going On”. The whole concert was accompanied by poetry; students from the Youth Summit performed pieces on the Concert Hall stage, that they had previously performed on the Millenium Stage. Duke Ellington’s Lauryn Nesbitt performed her poem and the school’s Show Choir ensemble joined Legend on stage for the finale.

FASHION:

STYLESTREETS ON THE

INTERVIEWS: Princess Lawrence photos: madison Hartke-Weber

Name: Krystian How he describes his style: Casual What he's wearing: Brooks Brothers Favorite store in D.C.: Brooks Brothers Occupation: Training & Tech

Name: Jesse How he describes his style: Preppy What he's wearing: Ray-Ban, a Rugby shirt, J.Crew pants, Sperrys Favorite store in D.C.: Brooks Brothers Occupation: Georgetown Student

Name: Miles How he describes his style: Sexy & modern What he's wearing: Express head to toe.

Favorite store in D.C.: Zara Occupation: Digital marketing specialist.

Name: Laura What she's wearing: Riller & Found, Lowluv by Erin Wasson Style Icon(s): Nicole Richie & the Olsen twins.

Favorite store in D.C.: Cusp Occupation: GW student

JOAN

Name: Gena What she's wearing: Vintage, Rebecca Taylor, Jbrand, & Sperrys.

Style Icon: Kreayshawn Favorite store in D.C.: Secondi Occupation: Wilson Student

Name: Kayla What she's wearing: Urban Outfitters head to toe.

Style Icon(s): Jennifer Aniston & Rachel Zoe Favorite store in D.C.: Bloomingdales Occupation: GW Student

cover story:

BEN WILLIAMS

words: Rashawnda Williams photos: Jati Lindsey

The tradition & the Progress

8

I was armed with my laptop and my cell phone as I sat on the twenty-foot green chair that stood on the lawn of my schoolyard; I watched the minutes tick away on my watch. I was never one for punctuality but I wanted to be sure to call at least a minute early.

My palms felt clammy as I fumbled to retrieve my phone from my pocket. I dialed and listened to it ring on the other end as I waited for Ben Williams, one of the most sought after bassists in the world, to answer. Born and raised in Washington D.C., Williams has worked with everyone from Wynton Marsalis to Herbie Hancock. He is the winner of the 2009 Thelonious Monk International Bass Competition.

He has traveled throughout the world with his band, Ben Williams and the Sound Effect.

He picked up the phone almost immediately and, after we exchanged greetings, we jumped right into his start in music.

‘It’s funny because, at first, I wanted to play the guitar,’ he said, ‘I thought that was the coolest instrument ever but I went into class and walked in, it hit me - I was in the wrong class.’

Since there were no guitars, he decided to pick the next-coolest looking instrument, which just happened to be the bass.

‘I thought it was the coolest looking instrument. I picked up the electric bass, in addition to string bass and I was learning both at the same time.’

Before this, he was already armed with musical talents; Williams was raised in an artistic family of musicians, visual artists and rappers, he had been playing the piano since his younger years. ‘The first song I learned was “Lean On Me” [by Bill Withers],’ he recounted, ‘I recall it

being really easy - it was just the first four notes on the scale.’

‘I have a lot of music in my family; my cousin played the classical piano, she was really good. My grandmother used to play piano in church for years. In my family there’s a lot of singers and a few musicians; I come from a very artistic family overall.‘ We discussed his many musical inspirations - as a kid he wanted to be a rock star. His heroes were Prince and Michael Jackson. ‘That list could go on forever: Miles, Stevie Wonder, there’s so many others; I grew up listening to a lot of old school Motown stuff.’ All of my teachers have been inspiring to me as well, particularly Ms. Kellock [Carolyn Kellock - the Cello, Bass and Theory instructor at Duke Ellington School of the Arts], she was one of the greatest teachers I’ve ever had. Period.’

‘I developed so much as an artist [at Duke Ellington]. I didn’t realize it at the time - that for a high school student I was pretty damn busy.

Sometimes we’d have jazz band rehearsal before school started and we might have a gig later that same day. We’d get home after all that, then have to do our homework and get up in the morning to do the same thing over again.’

He joked about Ms. Kellock not letting anyone in the classroom that wasn’t prepared.

‘There were a lot of really great memories and it was fun because I didn’t have to think about anything else. There was nothing to worry about but being a student and my music.’

Williams excelled at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. He performed in jazz band, gospel choir, orchestra and other ensembles, and graduated with honors and a Best in Instrumental Music Award.

He garnered scholarships from the Fish Middleton Scholarship Competition of the East Coast Jazz Festival, the International Society of Bassists’ Competition, the Steans Music Institute, the Duke Ellington Jazz Society, the International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE) and D.C. Public Schools’ Annual Piano Competition.

Williams received his Bachelor’s in Music Education at Michigan State University in 2007 and his Master’s in Music from the Juilliard School in 2009.

In 2009, Ben Williams won the Thelonious Monk Jazz competition playing Duke Ellington's "Caravan", with Dee Dee Bridgewater. ‘In the jazz world, it’s like American Idol and for the winner you expect a lot of great things from them musically.’

Asked how his life changed, he jokes: ‘Yeah, I started riding in a lot of limos and drinking champagne. No, it wasn’t like that. I would say there were things that did change but mostly it was a case of my name being exposed to a lot of people.’

One of those people was his childhood hero, George Benson, the famed jazz guitar player.

‘Last year I got to record with George Benson and I recorded on his last record. So much of what he does, his playing and his music, has influenced me.

All in one day I got to meet, play and record with

him. That was pretty cool; that was one of the highlights of my career.’ ‘[The Thelonious Monk Jazz competition] really perpetuates one’s musical career. I got a lot of great opportunities from that - I got to record an album for Concord Records.’

The album, his debut, was released in 2011. ‘The title, State of Art, is really just a reflection of what I was going for on the album, which is the current state of music and trying to reflect on contemporary art.’

The album contains a few covers of some of his favorite contemporary artists, like Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and James Brown. ‘The whole concept was to be modern, that’s my approach to my music in general. I’m not trying to recreate something that happened in the past, but really push forward in my music. Even on the jazz standards, I interpreted them in a modern way.’

We began to talk about the progression of Jazz and if he considered himself traditional or progressive. ‘I’m tradition and progressive,’ he replied, ‘It’s all just a continuation anyway; Jazz tradition isn’t really about something old, like most people think but the whole genre is about moving forward.’

‘As an artist, you really separate yourself from tradition but that, itself, is coming out of some type of tradition. There’s nothing new under the

sun. It’s always about being new or fresh, as long as you’re not trying to recreate something from the past, that’s okay. [Musicians] don’t try to be progressive, they just are. They have the utmost respect for their heroes but they don’t want to be them.’

‘There is only one of you in this world,’ he said, which makes him unique, alongside his sincere and honest approach to his work.

Williams composes his own music. Asked where he gets his inspiration, he said, ‘It’s funny because I get inspired when I’m really not trying to.’ He doesn’t consider himself the type of person that can just sit down and write something. ‘I’m usually inspired when I’m not looking for inspiration, it just comes to me. I just try to capture that moment; on my phone I have a lot of scratch ideas.’ He’s usually away from the piano or his bass when he has an idea, but he settles for other measures to capture his thoughts. ‘I have a bunch of ideas, I sing them and record the singing on my phone - I would never let anybody hear, they probably sound really silly. I have fragments of songs that I’m hearing in my head, some things that inspire me. Sometimes it’s just something really small.’

Asked when we should expect a new album, his answer does little to allay fans thirsting for more. ‘It will probably be a couple years before I make another album; I’m just focusing on getting the band out there. Making an album is something sacred and I try to make each one special. I don’t really want to rush this process.’

Working with his band represents another great opportunity for Williams to do what he loves; he’s been working with Ben Williams and the Sound Effect for the past couple of years. He’s also been busying himself with other music side projects. ‘There’s a side project called the Lee Morgan story which is a spin off of a track on my album. It’s a Hip-Hop tribute to [trumpet player] Lee Morgan. We’ve played a couple of shows in New York and we are probably coming to D.C. in the summer.’

When asked to share what words he might have for an aspiring musician, Williams said ‘Learn as much as you can now and your hard work will pay off later. Also remember we’re all students and we never really graduate - I still feel very much like a student. I’m not in school anymore but the learning never stops.’

For more information got to: http://benwilliamsmusic.net/ @ benwmsonbass

Words: Quadaja Herriott Photos: Kyndall Brown

IT’S GOOD TO MEET YOU TOO Daisy James catches up with the new head of the Ellington Fund From matinee performances and trips around the world to simply singing in the hallways, students at Duke Ellington School of the Arts tend to overlook the humble aspects of the school: the rooms tucked away in the corners of the building, supporting the very base of Ellington and its continuance. The Ellington Fund is one such room and inside, its small team goes about its daily tasks: fundraising, managing school fees and taking care of the school’s general finances. Recently, a new Chief Development Officer, Grace Hong, has taken over the Fund; she intends not only to keep things up and running, but to familiarize students with the Ellington Fund. Daisy James had the chance to talk with Ms. Hong regarding her new position and found her to be a very enthusiastic person who deeply cares about her work.

Daisy James: How do you see yourself affecting change at Duke Ellington?

Grace Hong: Well, as the new chief development officer, my primary goal is to raise money for the under-funded programs needed at the school. I believe that anything I can do to help further the education, training and experience of our students is a great thing.

DJ: What do you feel is the relationship between the Ellington Fund and the students?

GH: Right now, I think it’s probably not well developed. I think there are a lot of students who don’t know who I am yet and don’t know, really, what the Ellington Fund does. It’s a big priority of mine to break down that barrier and have a lot more interaction with students and awareness of what the fund does and that it’s for the students and the benefit of the school.

DJ: I understand you come from an arts background, can you tell me a little about that?

GH: I am a trained classical pianist and I sing as well. I sing with the Washington chorus; we hold concerts at the Kennedy Center. I’ve played piano since I was six years old, I went to Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music, undergrad, and got my double degree in English and piano performance. So, I really feel like I have a unique background and understanding, to kind of blend both my skills and artistic training, and fundraising success. So it’s unique.

DJ: What experiences can you take out of your time at Ellington so far?

GH: So far, I am completely and utterly inspired by you all, by the students everyday and the performances that I’ve seen and how you all carry yourselves in public, you know, not just in the school setting. I feel like there’s real dedication here, by the students and by the faculty. I’m just always impressed by the whole package and it really drives what I do.

DJ: Can you tell me about your experience at Children’s Hospital?

Yes. So I worked at Children’s Hospital Foundation for almost ten years doing major gift fundraising, specifically for Pediatric Cardiology. It was a very different setting, it was a huge place; in the development office there was seventy-five staff and I was one of seven directors of development and we raised a lot of money. But that was a whole bigger scale than coming to a school like Ellington, which is definitely more grassroots. Smaller in every way, but in a way more intimate and I find it magical because I feel like I can really make an impact here. It’s not that I wasn’t [making an impact] there but there’s more appreciation here, I think, for the work, and any funding that I can bring in to directly impact saving a teacher’s salary or making a summer retreat happen or some of these programs, that I think are invaluable, that need to happen but can’t happen without philanthropy.

So it’s a much more direct hands on kind of business and operation for me.

DJ: How much did you know about Ellington before you got here?

GH: I knew of it pretty well, actually. I’ve come to events here in the past. I’ve been in Washington almost sixteen years now and my first job out of college was working at the Levine School of Music and that used to be where Washington International School is now. So, I knew of Ellington, it had a great reputation, but I didn’t know it as well as I do now and I’m learning more about it as I go.

DJ: Where were you born and raised, and how long have you lived in D.C.?

GH: I was born in Boston, I'm Korean-American. My parents came over in 1967. I have two other siblings and we were all born in the States; so we were very American but we don’t look very American. I grew up in a really small town in upstate New York where there was a lot of ignorance; I wouldn’t say it was racism but I definitely felt that I looked different. I've always felt very American and I'm influenced by my culture because my parents - I'm first generation - they're very Korean, so we kind of had a mix of culture at the house.

DJ: Are you the first born?

I'm the last. Yes, I’m the baby and I'm having a baby.

That's the other surprise. When I got here I found out that I was newly pregnant. I was kind of freaking out because you don't want to start a new job with: ‘Hey, I'm pregnant,’ but I love the fact that I have so many moms here, like Donna Hollis and Mrs. Stone, faculty who all are moms, giving me great advice; and students that I sort of kind of know that are excited for me and my husband. It's a really nice place to be - a family setting to bring another kid into the world.

DJ: What is your most significant memory from your time here?

GH: I just started here, okay, and I’m two weeks in the job and I felt like I needed to go to performances to fully understand the school. So I went to Show Choir’s Gospel and Motown Christmas concert and my husband is really not a fan of show choir concerts or anything like that, you know. But I said: “Look, I really need to go and I would love for you to go with me, please join me,” and he said: “Okay.” So, we attend and I promise him we can leave at intermission. I’m like: “I just need to hear a little bit.” So we get there, we’re going through the first half and my husband is riveted by the the live accompaniment of the orchestra, the students, the dancing, the quality and he was totally blown away and so I looked at him, nearing intermission, and I said: “Do you want to go?” and he said: “No, we should stay for the rest of the show.” I thought that was really powerful, that that kind of experience changed somebody like my stubborn husband to want to stay on a Friday night, you know, after a long day.

inside the classroom:

an inside look at the ellington staff The ongoing series of stories that looks into the hidden lives of staff at Duke Ellington School of the Arts.

WORDS: Bridget Dease PHOTOS: Kyndall Brown & Aurielle Catron

Ava Burke ‘I don’t think I could teach health without swimming because every health teacher must practice what they preach,’ says Mrs. Ava Burke, the Duke Ellington School of the Arts’ longstanding Health teacher. I was sitting in class copying the objective from the front whiteboard, eager to learn more about the “Meet Your Feet” lesson she had prepared for us and the unfamiliar terms that followed. As soon as the bell rang and, as a few of the late students lingered in at the sound of it, Mrs. Burke began teaching. She answered our many repetitive questions about feet, and when asked by a student to explain Athlete’s foot in detail, she did so with a delighted and slightly impressed grin on her face. ‘Do you swim?’ she asked the student, hoping to answer her question with something familiar to everyone. It was then that Mrs. Burke, our beloved health teacher, gave us two startling pieces of information; the first was that she was retiring in June of 2012, the second piece of news was that she has been a determined swimmer of thirty years.

Although she does not swim professionally, Mrs. Burke considers it a “very important” aspect of life when it comes to staying healthy and in shape.

She personally encourages everyone to swim, especially those who feel that they are incapable of doing so, such as the handicapped. ‘Swimming requires the use of all of your muscles,’ she says, ‘and it is such a good relaxation method, a way of relieving stress.’

Mrs. Burke recalls her earliest memories of swimming, informing me that, as a child, her father taught her how to swim. ‘We used to have a lot of fun going to indoor and outdoor pools when I was a kid,’ she says. While teaching at the University of Texas, she took part in a swimming marathon for cancer, her participation raised a lot of money for the MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Each day, Mrs. Burke makes it a goal to swim at least two miles; whether it is at the Georgetown University swimming pool or at a public pool for the elderly, she enjoys swimming and every aspect of it. As a health teacher, Mrs. Burke says that swimming, among other physical activities,11 is very important to her.

Michele Baskin

Most students know Ms. Michele Baskin to be the funny, charismatic chemistry teacher who often monitors the hallway between class periods. I had Ms. Baskin in the 10th grade for Chemistry and again in 11th grade for AP Chemistry.

It was not as surprising as it was fascinating to hear about Ms. Baskin and her life in Texas with her family. As the class waited for the promethean smart board to load, she revealed that she caters for various organizations and personal friends when she’s not teaching chemistry at Ellington. Ms. Baskin says that she grew up cooking all the time, but it wasn’t until she was fired from her first teaching job in Missouri for being openly gay, that she began to work in catering at Whole Foods. Once there, she became their official chef for approximately four years. In need of extra money, Ms. Baskin began to privately cater in order to create additional income. It made sense, her family were known for hosting large parties and she was used to the idea of preparing food for a large amount of people. Ms. Baskin says that her family is supportive of her decision to become a caterer, that they loved seeing her do something that satisfied her, just as long as it didn’t take away from her career as a Science teacher.

Ms. Baskin was attracted to the independence the catering buisness would give her, it was something she could do alone, a time where she could be her own boss. ‘I got to use my own things instead of adhering to someone else’s recipes or rules,’ says Ms. Baskin, ‘it is also a fun way to connect with people.’ More recently, Ms. Baskin has been able to cater for the wedding of Algebra 2 and Physics teacher, Mrs. Bethany King. While living in Missouri, Ms. Baskin catered for several functions for Washington University at St Louis and various departments of medicine; she has also catered at the Wayside Center for Progressive Education in Charleston, Virginia. It was at the Wayside Center that she catered for an entire weekend, a task that approximates to 6-7 meals for forty people. According to Ms. Baskin, the cooking is not necessarily difficult, it is just the timing that sometimes throws her off. Her biggest culinary challenge to date is a Moroccan stew she prepared back in late February, a meal much different to the usual fair she is used to stirring up. ‘The stew contained such foods as apricots, peas, sweet potatoes, honey and various spices. That was my first time making a stew like that and everyone enjoyed it.’

If Ms. Baskin has learned anything about cooking and catering, it is that she cannot do it full time, on account of the arthritis in her hands, something which I can no doubt relate to, but these personal limitations do not stop her from connecting with different people and making things appealing to people that may see things in a completely different light.

‘It just doesn’t matter if the food tastes good, it has to look good.’ Ms. Baskin does consider what she does to be art in one of its finest forms, as she is often proud of the outcome of her presentation through her cooking skills.

James D. Bennett

I pass him in the science hallway each day, and I am reminded that I will be taking his class in the near fall. I peer into the classroom every now and again, only to be greeted by the sight of unusual objects - frozen insects concealed in a solid substance sit in various jars along the back tables and the smell of a recent lab conducted with his students often fills the air.

Although it would seem that Anatomy and Physiology teacher, Mr. James Bennett is immersed in teaching the sciences, it turns out that he is also a skilled photographer. Mr. Bennett has been taking photos off and on since he graduated from Mckinley Tech high school and has grown to love what he does outside of teaching at Ellington. Though he did not go to school to learn photography, Mr. Bennett has taken classes at the Corcoran School of Art and the United States Department of Agriculture. He says that learning about digital photography is much more ‘fun, because it’s easier to manipulate images.’

Mr. Bennett would call his photography “almost professional”, and has been able to sell two of his earlier photos. He was not inspired to become a photographer by any one person or idea, he just ‘found a camera and just started shooting with it.’

Among the many photographers he admires, Mr. Bennett cites the work of Ansel Adams, who is not only a photographer but an environmentalist. Mr. Bennett just wants to be able to ‘shoot what he likes’ as well as what is appealing to the eye. When asked about the consistent trend of photos taken, Mr. Bennett says that he often shies away from taking images of people, but enjoys animals, landscapes, nature and especially his passion: nightscapes. He says that nightscapes are enjoyable for him because there is nothing quite like the ‘night lights of the city.’ Although he prefers to take these types of photos, he is open to taking a few shots of people, but rebels against it because he’d rather not “deal” with them. ‘There is just a certain excitement that the nightlife gives me,’ he says.

He must be very patient with the animals because they won’t always do what he wants them to, but they will also give you something that, in his words ‘you wouldn’t expect.’

Mr. Bennett said that his best image would be the one he took of the Washington Monument, which he shot it from the perspective of the Lincoln Memorial, called “Vanishing Viewpoint.” This particular image is on display at a law firm here in D.C.

James D. Bennett

words: Marcus Brown

BACK TO

THE FUTURE

THE HISTORIC HOWARD THEATRE IS BACK ON D.C.’S MAP I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first walked through the doors of the newly renovated Howard Theatre. Earlier that day, I had been shopping in thrift stores with a friend, when my dad called, asking if I was free. He went on to tell me that a job was available, the role of an assistant for Yasiin Bey, more popularly known as Mos Def. I was to call Kutia Stit, a friend of my father’s who was at the theater. Enthralled by the opportunity to see Yasiin Bey perform, as well as to have a reason to stay out past 2 a.m., I immediately called Kutia. Pleasantries were exchanged and within 45 minutes, I was on my way to the Howard Theatre.

I had heard of the Howard Theatre before but where I arrived was a building very different from the dilapidated, run-down theatre I was told to expect.

Having hosted musical legends, such as James Brown, Duke Ellington, Chuck Brown, Ella Fitzgerald, and Otis Redding, the Howard Theatre, in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington D.C, has been part of the fabric of the city for more than a hundred years. The theater first opened in 1910 under the ownership of Andrew Thomas of the National Amusement Company, and over the years, it has

18

changed owners, welcomed thousands of different acts and received through its doors, just-as-varied clientele. In the 1930s, the theater became recognized as a hub and nurturing ground for African-American performers, much in the same way that New York’s Apollo Theater served the Harlem community.

By the 1960s, the Howard Theatre had emerged as the foremost venue for the stars of rock & roll and the blues, with many acclaimed artists taking its stage. However, the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., and the subsequent race riots, left the theater in ruins.

It would remain closed for years, until it was revived by the Howard Theatre Foundation and the building was registered as a national landmark. Just as it did in its glory days, the theater would host notable acts such as Red Fox, Chuck Brown and a variety of go-go bands until, once again, it was closed down in 1980.

The theater stayed closed for another 30 years before undergoing an extensive facelift, with renovations starting in 2010, before its official reopening in April of 2012. The theater was revitalized in 2012 and its interior reflects the change in time.

The inside of the theater has a candlelit type of ambiance to it and from the balcony you can see the rotunda-like curvature, revolving around the center floor and stage. The bar on the first floor is located at the back of the theater, facing an elevated stage that stands roughly seven feet above the main eating area, a space that becomes a dance floor when the tables are moved.

Spread out around the outskirts of the main floor are cozy little alcoves curved into the walls and only visible by candlelight. My favorite part of the theater was the upstairs balcony, another bar with catacomb-like booths, where one can look down on the entire bottom floor.

Each one of the catacombs was cordoned off and isolated from the others through a maze-like construction, adding to the privacy of each booth.

I was introduced to the producer of the show and my boss for the day, Ms. Jill Newman. Initially I was deceived by the appearance of a frail white woman who looked the same age as my grandmother but, in time, I learned to fear the woman. Yasiin Bey was taking part in a soundcheck as the Hispanic laborers moved tables and various waiters darted around, lighting candles and setting out silverware. I sat a table away from Ms. Newman, waiting to be given a request but secretly hoping I didn’t have to do anything but listen to Yasiin Bey run through the show. Dressed in blue jeans that were borderline high waters but acceptable because of age, a dress shirt and expensive-looking loafers, Yasiin Bey bounced around the stage to the beat, doing snippets of songs, before growing uninterested and switching to another. Something felt peculiar about watching Yasiin Bey and I couldn’t decide whether it was just the

uneasiness of being so close to a celebrity or the contrast between his appearance, performance style and a youthful demeanor that betrayed his air of maturity. I couldn’t place my finger on it, but nonetheless, I was intrigued by his unorthodox rehearsal techniques. He would start a song and stop in the middle to ask the band to change how they played one note or transition, usually he was more than willing to sing the revision or pick up an instrument and play it himself. The members of the band would immediately pull out notebooks to record the changes, indicating these spontaneous changes were commonplace. On more than one occasion, he would play a part two different ways and ask the waiters or movers which one they liked best, then tell the band to do it that way. Despite the live entertainment, I began to grow anxious, especially after two hours of watching Ms. Newman periodically check her blackberry and jot down notes in her planner.

It wasn’t until the third hour that I was asked to fetch water for the performers on stage; after this, the frequency of her requests began to increase. I was soon arranging bowls of roasted nuts in the dressing rooms and taking orders to the waiters. I was on my feet for the next six hours. There was no reprieve between the orders and the trips back and forth from the kitchen to the dressing room and to the bar. In a couple of hours I learned the ins and outs of the restaurant, which was far more intricate than I had previously imagined. Yasiin Bey ended up arriving late to his performance and, as she awaited his arrival, Ms. Newman went ballistic. I took this opportunity to avoid her and to snoop around the theater.

As I aimlessly meandered through the halls of the theater, I tried to imagine all of the history that had been made in the building and the greats who’d performed here. The wall across from the backstage door is covered in graffiti and idiosyncratic scribble, left as mementos from the performers and, as I scanned the writing, it finally began to hit me that I was in a place of importance. The importance that I’m talking about isn’t fiscal or political, but cultural and historical; even within that, what stands out more than the obvious cultural significance of the Howard Theatre, is the symbolism of a place that can be shut down and left desolate but still returns time and time again. Despite all of the setbacks and hardships the Howard Theatre has endured, it continues to rise from the ashes and refuses to be tossed aside to the irrelevant annals of the history of the black people. The Howard Theatre could have easily been forgotten by history and left to crumble in a rotting neighborhood but, instead, it continues to be relevant and stand tall as a benchmark of our progression as a society.

My ponderous reverie was broken by Ms. Newman screeching that Yasiin Bey had arrived and that I was to fetch ‘this and that’ and ensure that everything was to his liking. I had noticed that the crowd was growing restless and Yasiin’s arrival was a relief for everyone. Once the curtains separated and Yasiin began to address the audience, all misgivings were pushed aside and replaced by an eagerness to hear him perform. The show was a tribute to the late Gil Scott Heron, a spoken-word artist that came to the public attention in the 1970s. Yasiin’s performance was different to those that he had given under the Mos Def moniker, the change of name appears to symbolize a change in culture and way of life. As he sang through song after song, the hype present at the beginning of the show, caused partially by his longawaited arrival and partially by his fame, began to wane.

The audience tried to be as enthusiastic as possible but it quickly became evident that Yasiin Bey was outside of the comfort zone of most of the fans expecting a Mos Def show.

When Yasiin broke into “Umi Says” the audience responded immediately, as this was the closest they were going to get to what they had been expecting.

The show was well-received but I felt this was because of who was performing and not what was performed.

The show came to a close and, when the last of the drunk post-show stragglers began to disperse, I started on the last of my work. The basement dressing rooms were packed and the hallways congested with various members of the entourage and friends of the entourage, all trying to get autographs or free things on Yasiin’s bill.

I ducked and weaved through the groupies to finish my duties and, after collecting my money, I was finally free to leave. It was around two in the morning and the trains had stopped running, which meant I had to catch a cab.

It was only after being ignored by six cab drivers, and having one pull off with my hand still on the door handle (after I mentioned my home address in South East D.C.), that I found a cabbie willing to drive me. I gave the Nigerian taxi driver an additional five dollars to turn off the blaring Michael Jackson music and agree not to engage me in idle chit-chat. I wanted as much quiet as possible to reflect on the events of my arduous night.

What I got out of my first night working at the Howard Theatre was a feeling of appreciation and awe. I was impressed by how hard everybody had to work to keep the show from falling apart when, literally, anything that could go wrong usually did. What left a more tangible footprint in my mind was the fact that this was by no means the first or last time feet would rush frantically to and fro in the theater. Performers will continue to show up late and lecherous entourages will always try to take advantage. 25, 50, 75 years ago there were assistants like me taking orders and artists like Yasiin Bey giving them. The Howard Theatre has almost escaped the confines of time because I could tell, after one night, that this place will continue to survive, as it did long before I was born; maybe it will have a different name and different look, but the spirit of the Howard Theatre isn’t going anywhere.

DJ RECOMMENDS

words: madison hartke-weber

DaisyJames spotlights some of its favorite bands that are on the rise.

Fourth Quarter Comeback: Fourth Quarter Comeback

Fourth Quarter Comeback are a Power Pop band from Fairfax, Virginia. Recently, they released their debut EP “Finders Keepers” and, over the past few months, have been touring in places around Pennsylvania and New Jersey. 4QC possess all of the qualities that good Power Pop music has: upbeat guitar riffs, drums with a heavier undertone and catchy lyrics. In general, a good Power Pop band should have music that is fun to sing along and dance to - 4QC definitely has that. The band also has excellent stage presence and are already quite accomplished. They just finished a tour with Pop-rockers School Boy Humor and played at the Virgin Mobile Freefest last September, alongside acts such as Big Sean and the Black Keys.

Check em out here: purevolume.com/ 4thQuarterComebackMusic For fans of: Forever the Sickest Kids/The Click Five/We the Kings

T.I.M.E Moves: T.I.M.E Moves is fronted by producer and rapper T.I.M.E (Taking in Music Enternally), T.I.M.E Moves is an alternative Hip-Hop band originating from Richmond, Virginia and the D.C. area. It is difficult to compare T.I.M.E Moves to other bands in today’s music scene, as their sound is very original. They create a unique blend of Rap, Indie, and Funk music, combining beats with light guitar riffs and melodic basslines. Their music also includes both rapping and singing. The group first gained success around the campus of Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina, where its members attend college. Since then, they have performed at numerous venues on campus, as well as in D.C., including the famous 9:30 Club.

Check em out here: youtube.com/TimeMovesInfinitely For fans of: N.E.R.D/Chiddy Bang/Childish Gambino

T.I.M.E Moves

SPOTLIGHT: the visual arts department

MAY 11TH – JUNE 18TH 2012

WORDS: Sienna Laster, Khat Patrong, Malia Williams-Haynes PHOTOS: Kyndall Brown

The Duke Ellington School’s Visual Arts department’s 2012 Senior Art show is a collection of vibrant paintings, photography and abstract art. It is housed in the Duke Ellington School of the Arts’ gallery. A great deal of attention has been paid to the curation of the 2012 show; the seniors have their own biographies next to their artwork, there are portraits of all of the seniors on the wall outside the gallery, drawn by Elana Casey, one of the department’s 12th graders.

The artwork in the show is not just visually appealing, but stirs the emotions as well. One of the many highlights is “Reflections” by Tyra Mitchell, a mixed-media acrylic painting that features a cat and shards of a broken mirror. You can literally see yourself in the piece, you feel like you’re a part of it.

Then there is “Wonder Brain” by Pearl Freeman, a colored pencil and ebony pencil drawing.

A drawing of a girl with half of her head and her brain exposed, illustrating how the girl showed her thoughts to the world.

The work of Kutia Scott is equally as interesting, with the painting “Bottom of the Sea”, Scott is giving us the sea and the life that thrives within it. Instead of the normally dark deep blues, she uses pinks and magentas to bring the ocean to life in a very vivid manner. This is a mixed media painting where the artist infuses colored pencil, charcoal and watercolor on an already colored surface.

“Carnival Girls”, also by Scott, reminds us of a tropical vacation during the festival season, it is a colorful painting that evokes the summer. This piece features two girls in colorful clothing that represents festivities and the different colors attract your attention to the unusual shapes, which make you think of carnivals.

Another piece of artwork that stood out to us was “Untitled” by Paris Grooms. The abstract artwork is made of white and black stripes with red paint dripping from the top. The color scheme suggests blood and the piece was very suspenseful.

One piece that can’t escape mention is the “Robotic Marilyn Monroe” by Malik Taylor, a photoshopped and illustration piece that gives a sense of the future mixed with the past. The piece also has an ironic mixture of new-age and old-age art.

Overall the art show was evocative, each piece carried a range of themes. The bar has been raised for the class of 2013 and future seniors in the Visual Arts department.

Left: The Gallery

Right: “Wonder Brain” by Pearl Freeman

Below: “Carnival Girls” by Kutia Scott

Above: “Bottom of the Sea” by Kutia Scott

Left: “Reflections” by Tyra Mitchell

Below: “Masked Man” by Kutia Scott

Above: “Untitled” by Paris Grooms

Above: “Untitled” by Paris Grooms

ESSAY:

IS TORTURE WRITTEN

ON THE

WALL?

“The Hunger Games as Political commentary”

words: BARRETT SMITH

“Are you, Are you Coming to the tree Wear a necklace of rope, side by side with me.”

In The Hunger Games trilogy, the protagonist, Katniss, recalls a song her father taught her and realizes it is more than a folk tune, the song speaks of suicide - to hang oneself before the government can; it is a call for rebellion, similar to spirituals during slavery. The Hunger Games is a YA [Young Adult fiction] trilogy by Suzanne Collins. It is set in a dystopian future where a tyrant, President Snow, rules over the twelve starving districts of Panem, which pose as a stark contrast to the riches of the Capitol. Every year, one boy and one girl, from each district, are chosen to compete to the death in the Hunger Games. The deadly competition is used as a form of propaganda to instill fear on the districts and as a “reminder of [the government’s] generosity and forgiveness” (1) after the past rebellion.

The Hunger Games explores teenage issues such as sexuality, rebellion and despair but it also serves as a political commentary that parallels the Stalinist Era and could be interpreted as a warning for our future.

Joseph Stalin was the premier of the Soviet Union for thirteen years, from 1941 until his death in 1953. His rule is associated with torture, totalitarianism, breach of privacy and terror. Under Stalin’s rule, there was a lack of privacy and anyone who spoke ill of the government was punished. Similarly, in The Hunger Games, President Snow feels he must punish the protagonist, Katniss, for her “act of defiance” because “‘if a girl from District Twelve of all places can defy the Capitol and walk away unharmed, what is to stop [everyone else] from doing the same?...What is to prevent, say, an uprising?’” (2) Totalitarian rulers, both in history and in The Hunger Games, believe that the slightest act of resistance “may grow to an inferno that destroys [the country].”

1. The Hunger Games. Dir. Gary Ross. Lionsgate, 2012 2. Suzanne Collins, Catching Fire (New York: Scholastic 2009) p21

One method of punishment and interrogation, in both Stalin’s Russia and The Hunger Games, is torture. Kazimierz Moczarski, a soldier in the Polish Army, reports the “49 types of torture and battery used against [him]” while imprisoned by the Polish secret police, consisting of sixteen types of beatings, five types of hair pulling and twenty eight types of burning - this included on the eyes and lips with a cigarette and on the hands with a burning torch (3). In The Hunger Games, President Snow tortures insurgents primarily with public whippings or by cutting out their tongues and making them slaves to the government. They often use futuristic forms of torture, such as venom from genetically engineered wasps.

These regimes use torture as a way of gathering information and of punishing those who resist their rule; the punishment is harsh and often disproportionate to the crime, but it sets an example and instills fear on citizens.

Another form of punishment were labor camps. In the Soviet Union these were called GULags - a russian acronym for ‘Chief Administration of Corrective Labor Camps and Colonies’. In GULags, prisoners worked under inadequate conditions, the camps were overcrowded, houses and clothes were falling apart and there was little to no healthcare or food. Prisoners could be punished for refusing to work, even if they were too weak or sick to complete the tasks that were demanded. According to the Center for Human Demography and Ecology, nearly 1.6 million people died in GULags between 1930-1953 (4). Labor camps in The Hunger Games are not overtly oppressive but the districts, where the citizens live, parallel camps. Each district is tasked with a different type of work; they are fenced in, with watchtowers and Peacekeepers to punish those who do not follow the social order and routine. The districts are also overcrowded, the conditions and poverty resemble the Great Depression, the only form of healthcare is from a widow’s kitchen table and food is rationed meagerly. To get extra food, children have to enter their names additional times into the lottery to fight to death in the Hunger Games.

The Hunger Games themselves are an element of totalitarian regime that parallels Stalin. A key element of repressive regimes is the lack of, or negative, communication between people. The only way to survive in labor camps was to steal from each other and look out for only yourself, Stalin pitted people against each other, as did many other dictators, to ensure that they did not band together and become more powerful than he. Using the Hunger Games, President Snow pits children against each other, forcing them to fight to the death, even teammates and children from the same district must separate eventually - there can only be one winner. During the games, Katniss has a conversation with a girl from another district, Rue, about her daily life; The Hunger Games are broadcast live across the nation but Katniss believes the government is blocking out her and Rue’s conversation because “even though the information seems harmless, they don’t want people in different districts to know about one another” (5).

There have been more historic examples than Joseph Stalin that parallel The Hunger Games and illustrate its importance. Historically, people have been repressed, tortured and murdered by their governments, just as they were in The Hunger Games. We think it won’t happen again, not to us, not in our country, but as Lois H. Gresh wonders in The Hunger Games Companion, “What [did] people [think] before the Romans instituted the Games? Did people like me, mothers and mild souls, think such atrocities could happen to their children in their civilized societies?”

3. http://www.doomedsoldiers.com/torture-methods-of-ub.html 4. http://demoscope.ru/weekly/2007/0313/tema06.php 5. Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games (New York: Scholastic 2008) p203

THE UNIVERSAL APPEAL OF YOUNG ADULT FICTION A large man in a dark suit and tie climbs onto the bus and, as he sits down, his calloused hands reach into his briefcase; where I might him expect to emerge with Time magazine, the Economist or The New Statesman, he instead pulls out Catching Fire, the second installment to the Hunger Games Trilogy. This act is, according to Joel Stein, a columnist for New York Times magazine, “more embarrassing than catching a guy on the plane looking at pornography on his computer.” (1) But, according to The Week magazine, sales of Young Adult fiction have risen by more than sixty percent last year - a surge that can’t be attributed to teenagers alone.

Young adult fiction, widely known as YA fiction, is commonly defined as fiction aimed at readers between the ages of 14-19. But what are the characteristics that set it apart from “old adult” fiction? On the most basic level: the protagonist - in YA fiction, the protagonist is usually between the ages of 15-18 “because these are considered the ‘sweet spot’ years between adolescence and legal adulthood/ independence.” (2) Sweet, because you’re no longer awkwardly pubescent but at the same time, you’re yet to take on the responsibilities that come with adulthood. The protagonist also tends to have an internal struggle with identity, romance or coming of age; YA novels are usually about “the teenage experience.” The YA mechanics are straightforward: shorter books with simple language; they focus on plot rather than on lyrical, descriptive prose. “[YA fiction is] built to grab your attention and hold it.” (3) says Lev Grossman, a book critic for the New York Times magazine. Young Adult fiction also tends to be very dark, reflecting “teen angst”, but the books always end on an upward turn, giving both the characters and the readers hope.

So why would an adult trudge through the love triangles, the rebellion and the angst to read a young adult novel? Firstly, because it’s usually the case that adults were once teenagers and, as Grossman says, some “are still processing that experience” and could learn from the adolescent conflicts of young adult fiction. Another reason might be because we don’t always read for the sake of expanding our literary arsenal, as Alison Flood from The Guardian puts it “sometimes – for me, at least – [books] need to be the mental equivalent of a bar of Cadbury's chocolate.” (4) With straightforward language and attention grabbing plot, YA fiction can be just that.

1. http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/03/28/the-power-of-youngadult-fiction/adults-should-read-adult-books 2. http://maybegenius.blogspot.com/2011/04/whats-considered-youngadult-fiction.html 3. http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/03/28/the-power-ofyoung-adult-fiction/nothings-wrong-with-strong-plot-and-characters 4.http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2012/mar/30/joel-steincategorising-books-by-age

Works Cited Collins, Suzanne. Catching Fire. New York: Scholastic, 2009.

Print.

Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic, 2008. Print.

Flood, Alison. "Don't Be Fooled, Joel Stein: Categorising Books by Age Doesn't Tell the Full Story." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 30 Mar. 2012. Web. 25 Apr. 2012. <http:// www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2012/mar/30/ joel-stein-categorising-books-by-age>.

Gresh, Lois H. The Hunger Games Companion: The Unauthorized Guide to the Series. New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 2011. Print.

Grossman, Lev. "Nothing’s Wrong With Strong Plot and Characters." The New York Times. The New York Times, 28 Mar. 2012. Web. 25 Apr. 2012. <http:// www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/03/28/thepower-of-young-adult-fiction/nothings-wrong-withstrong-plot-and-characters>.

Rosenberg, Alyssa. "Why Snobs Like Joel Stein Are Wrong About Adults and YA Literature." Think Progress. 30 Mar. 2012. Web. <http://thinkprogress.org/alyssa/ 2012/03/30/455937/why-snobs-like-joel-stein-arewrong-about-adults-and-ya-literature/>.

Sinkhorn, Stephanie. "What's Considered Young Adult Fiction?" Maybe Genius. 27 Apr. 2011. Web. 25 Apr. 2012. <http://maybegenius.blogspot.com/2011/04/ whats-considered-young-adult-fiction.html>.

Stein, Joel. "Adults Should Read Adult Books." The New York Times. The New York Times, 29 Mar. 2012. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/ roomfordebate/2012/03/28/the-power-of-youngadult-fiction/adults-should-read-adult-books>.

Vishnevsky, Anatoly. "Demographic Losses from Reprisals."

Center for Human Demography and Ecology. Web. 25 Apr. 2012. <http://demoscope.ru/weekly/ 2007/0313/tema06.php>.

"Young Adult Fiction: The Genre Is More than Just Teen Characters and Love Triangles!" Ware-Pak LLC. Web. 25 Apr. 2012. <http://trends.ware-pak.com/tweets/ 180092238318141441>.

Chuck Brown : A TRIBUTE

Words: Asia Alston: Died - May 16, 2012 at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

The Immortal.

I remember how excited my mother was when she told me that she had purchased tickets to see Chuck Brown at the new Howard Theatre. She said that she hoped he wouldn’t get ‘too comfortable in the thin hospital beds.’ I laughed because, at that moment, she was joking. I also remember thinking that people like Chuck Brown would live forever.

May 16.

Usually, radio personalities just talk to kill time. I guess that’s what they get paid for. They talk and play the same songs over and over again.

I heard about his death on the radio.

I don’t remember if it was 95.5 or 93.9 but the station was taking calls and I’d felt like I’d walked in on the middle of a conversation and didn’t really know what was being discussed. I knew somebody had died and that the callers were distraught, but I didn’t know who. It wasn’t until the caller made his final remarks that my heart dropped. He said: ‘Man this is crazy. I can’t believe pops is gone. The Godfather of go-go. I can’t believe it.’ and for a minute I couldn’t comprehend what was being said. Chuck Brown...gone? No, because Chuck could never die. He was one that could live forever.

I felt like I had lost a grandfather.

Even though I’ve only seen Chuck Brown a handful of times - once on the National Mall in front of the Capitol - I still somehow felt as though I was able to form a personal connection with him. It was like that for many people. Going to a Chuck Brown show was like going to a family reunion, and that was because he treated his audience like family instead of just fans. Almost everyone who crossed paths with him called him “pops.”

Chuck Brown just had that personality - fun, energetic and like the crowd would say: ‘ain’t no party like a Chuck Brown party ‘cause a Chuck Brown party don’t stop’. He truly was the life of any party so, of course, when he died, I felt like D.C. had lost its soul. It made me uncomfortable to think that only people from D.C. would understand the magnitude of his impact because, to me, he deserved worldwide recognition. He was an extraordinary person who developed a new music genre special to the D.C. community. He gave us something to be proud of, something to cherish.

He was the Godfather of go-go.

D.C. has lost its soul.

When the realization of his passing hit me, I had only one question: “What 29 will become of my city and its soul?”

reviews

The red lights come on and the crowd immediately recognizes the familiar chords. Cheering starts before the band even utters their first line: “Let me know that I’ve done wrong…”

It’s a line that you don’t need to be the biggest fan to know how to complete. So there I was, standing in a crowd, singing at the top of my lungs, a few rows away from the All American Rejects.

From the small town, Stillwater, Oklahoma, the Pop Punk group formed in 1999 and has gone on to sell over 10 million records. In recent years, the band has been relatively quiet, leaving us clinging on to memories of their 2009 single, “Gives You Hell”.

I can’t say that I had begun to forget the All American Rejects but I had almost forgotten why I was missing them. The band’s recent performance at the 9:30 Club was a timely reminder.

The show was part of a nationwide tour, aptly named the Shaking Off the Rust tour. Lead vocalist, Tyson Ritter contorted himself around the stage; while lead guitarist, Nick Wheeler, had an irresistible smile. Tough guy, Chris Gaylor, rocked out on the drums and Mike Kennerty coolly played the bass. The crowd went wild as Ritter sang “I wanna, I wanna, I wanna touch you. You wanna touch me too…” I couldn’t help but think that most people in the crowd were screaming in their heads: “Yes I do!” My suspicions were confirmed when someone threw a pair of underwear onto the stage, which Ritter then placed on his guitar. You couldn’t help but feel the rush as you locked eyes with a member of the band. All American Rejects were feeding off of the audience’s energy and the rapturous fans were in adulation. The band ran through a set comprised of songs taken from their four albums. There was their debut single “Swing, Swing”, alongside songs that were released this year. The performance, from start to finish, was energetic and, well, just plain fun.

After the show, audience members got an opportunity to meet the band and to have merchandise and memorabilia signed. The band members were extremely friendly and receptive, hugging fans and sharing jokes. Personally, my night was made when Tyson Ritter said to me: “Hey, I pointed at you!” There are no words to describe the feeling I experienced.

The All American Rejects’ most recent album is “Kids in the Street”, and the album’s title track seems to be a favorite of Ritter’s. “It took me 25 years to find myself,” he says, “and it’s all in this song.” The track “Someday’s Gone”, is a personal favorite of mine, a song that anyone who has been screwed over can relate to. “Beekeeper’s Daughter” is a fan favorite, it’s upbeat and it’s fun, while “Affection” is another beautiful, relatable song. It’s the latter, along with the likes of “I for You”, that are the songs most likely to stick in your head and have you believe that you are more of a romantic than you actually are.

I felt honored to witness, and be a part of, the return of the All American Rejects and I’d advise anyone not to miss out on their new album, for they are a fantastic band.

Reviewed by idia Leigh

Live: All American Rejects 9:30 Club april 2012

blunderbuss Artist: jack white third man/xl recordings (columbia) Release: April 24th 2012 It’s been argued that the music of our generation lacks the quality of the years that have gone before but I’m telling you, if that’s the case, there’s a little gem hidden in all that crap you hear. That little gem’s name is Jack White.

You may not recognize the name but you would definitely recognize the voice. He’s been the leader of three very successful bands in his lifetime: The Raconteurs, The Dead Weather and, most notably, my favorite band of all time, The White Stripes.

A new album by Jack White? At first I didn’t know how I felt about this. Some artists can’t go solo, they just aren’t the same without their bands. But I gave it a listen and now I can’t seem to stop. On the bus, in the shower, with my friends...I’m obsessed.

And I’m not the only one! The album, released April 24th, has already made it to number one on the iTunes chart. Is it a stretch to say that everything about this album is genius? I can’t remember the last time I bought an album and loved every single song on it.

The title of the album is “Blunderbuss”, which grabbed my attention right away - I had no idea what it meant. According to my dictionary, a blunderbuss is a short musket of wide bore and flaring muzzle...or a clumsy person. Either way, it’s a catchy title.

The song “Sixteen Saltines” is reminiscent of the music Jack White performed as part of White Stripes duo (“Seven Nation Army” and “The Hardest Button to Button” come to mind). It has heavy drums, screeching guitars, loud vocals. “Freedom at 21” is disturbing in its lyrical content but White’s metaphors are excellent and it all makes for an accurate portrayal of heartbreak. Then there is “Love Interruption”, my favorite song on this album. There is much to love about it. The guitar, the harmonies, the melody and, most of all, the lyrics. My favorite part is the chorus.

He sings: “I won’t let love disrupt, corrupt, or interrupt me.” It’s so simple, yet so great. The album’s title track, “Blunderbuss”, is a very melancholy song. The lyrics are poetic and the instrumentation, soothing. It reminds me of a lullaby. It’s one of those songs that you have to listen to a few times in order to understand. It’s more of a journey than a song. Blunderbuss is a thoroughly enjoyable album, it has something to offer everyone.

Reviewed by Lucy Freshour

Born and Raised Artist: John Mayer columbia Release: May 22nd 2012 John Mayer is a musical genius; he has the ability to be unique and still appeal to a wide audience. For over 10 years he has released hits including “Waiting On the World to Change”, “Say”, “Gravity”, “Heartbreak Warfare” and “Daughters”.

His recently released album, “Born and Raised”, has received mixed reviews. Many reviewers have complained about his change in style. The album has more of a country vibe than his previous albums. On iTunes, Macforever2012 wrote: “This is a complete waste of material…If the record label was smart, they should have not released it…Change is not always good.”

However, many reviewers loved the new album. AAWitters (also on iTunes) wrote: “A great mix of all previous albums with a definite folksy feel. Credit to John Mayer who refuses to settle into any one genre. I’ll be listening to anything and everything he creates for as long as he is creating.”

I agree with the latter review. I’m a huge fan of country music and John Mayer so, to me, this album is great. I love all the songs but a few really caught my attention.

“Queen of California”, the first song on the album, is so good in so many ways. The instrumentation is flawless, as always - Mayer is considered one of the greatest guitarists of our time.

The lyrics are very strong as well. Mayer sings: “Hello beauty, hello strange, hello wonder, what’s your name? Looking for the sun that Neil Young hung after the gold rush of 1971, I just found out her ghost left town, the Queen of California is a-steppin’ down, down.”

“Something Like Olivia” is another great song. It’s country meets jazz meets blues…and the list goes on. Mayer sings about the girl of his dreams, Olivia, who is, unfortunately, in love with someone else. He sings: “Well, Olivia is taken but a look like hers can be found from time to time, I’m thinkin’ something like Olivia is what I need to find.”

“Born and Raised”, the album’s title track, is my favorite song on the album. It features acoustic guitar, harmonica and drums. It has a country vibe but Mayer is still true to his original style. The lyrics are simple but poetic: “One of these days I’ll be born and raised and it’s such a waste to grow up lonely.”

I would definitely recommend buying this album, especially if you are into country music. It’s not for everyone but I really enjoyed it.

Reviewed by Lucy Freshour

see. hear. feel.

experience Arts majors for students grades 9-12: y y y y

Dance Literary Media & Communications Technical Design & Production Visual Arts

y y y y

Instrumental Music Museum Studies Theater Vocal Music

Learn more and apply at www.ellingtonschool.org Applications must be complete by December 15.

Questions?

eMail bpower@ellingtonarts.org or call 202-298-1777 ext. 1774.