Guest Artists Archives - BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications

Ira Glass Shares Lessons from Radio and Storytelling Career

admin — Fri, 19 Nov 2021 18:57:06 +0000

Ira Glass, radio personality and host of the award-winning podcast “This American Life,” addressed BYU on Saturday as part of the College of Fine Arts and Communications’ BRAVO! series. His presentation of “7 Things I’ve Learned” expounded upon key lessons of his career and an analysis of the craft of storytelling. Glass began with an hour-long masterclass for select students prior to his main presentation. Delving into his narrative theory, Glass expressed his intrigue in telling the stories of everyday people. In telling these stories, he emphasized that once you have a plot and an idea, you have a story that people will be interested in. A story, Glass explained, is really about motion: that forward movement propels the story forward and captivates an audience. Glass also encouraged writers to interview children. “We’ve always done a ton of interviewing kids on the show because I love it”, Glass said. “They are constantly getting into situations where they feel the stakes are very high because it’s the first time they are doing things, and they’re right.” To read the full story by Marissa Lundeen, click here.

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Air Play Experts Enlighten Students in Theatre Workshop

Capri Baker — Wed, 29 Sep 2021 17:13:25 +0000

Professional clowns Seth Bloom and Christina Gelsone taught students the ins and outs of theatre performance in their workshop Air artists Seth Bloom and Christina Gelsone, the dynamic duo that make up Air Play, paid a visit to BYU as part of the BRAVO! Professional Performing Arts Series and led a workshop for theatre students. Bloom and Gelsone shared some helpful tips and tricks when pursuing a path in the dramatic arts and even displayed a bit of their airplay talent with the class. The masterclass helped students gain a better understanding of the kind of life an artist pursuing this path might have, as well as how to reach this level of success. Student Jaycelin Eyre attended the workshop and said that she was able to get a better feel for all the little details that go into perfecting their abilities and performing to the audiences’ needs. Bloom and Gelsone are unique in their specific approach to theatre, as they both define themselves as clowns. However, they have found their particular passion through different air-styled techniques, expressing their creativity within their work. Eyre shared more of her experience. “I have never really considered any side of acting aside from just scripted, or, regular acting, so for me it was cool to see,” she said. “It is a whole other genre. It was fascinating to learn about all the different aspects that go into it.” Gelsone and Bloom advised students to make certain their performances pertain to the specific audience. They emphasized the importance of adapting to viewers, depending on the country and culture. Bloom explained, “It wasn’t about ‘are we good or not.’ It’s about ‘is the work working?’” One of the key factors that the couple taught was the importance of awareness; of sense of humor and the pace of the show. In their view the small details matter and other times larger movements are needed. Eyre wants to personally incorporate her newly learned skills. “I think with the physical acting, [I need to be] more aware of my body on the stage and the impact that’s having. … [For instance,] how my breathing is saying something about who my character is. That’s gonna be a big deal for me,” said Eyre. Bloom and Gelsone have experimented with a plethora of props for their sky-high endeavors. From cocktail umbrellas to cellophane strips to plastic bags, they have tried just about everything. “We like taking ordinary objects and making them extraordinary,” Gelsone said. They explained that rehearsals may be a frustrating process, trying an idea out only to reach a dead end. However, they understand the importance of hard work. The clown couple have created their own spinoff from a more traditional acting career, even for clowns. Their pursuits in airplay have proven to be quite worth the effort in their eyes. They have performed together in 28 different countries with this being their 279th show. “Although I may not go this route with my career, being aware [that] you can just put something together for yourself, even though there’s a lot that goes into it, you can still start something,” said Eyre. Gelsone and Bloom have created a distinctive performance with their individualistic artistry. They love the aspect of personal interpretation within their work, allowing the audience to feel and view the production in their own way. “We think of this whole show more as a poem, rather than a book,” Bloom said. The Air Play couple’s workshop offered a new way of looking at theatre. It reminded students, perhaps figuratively and quite literally, that the sky’s the limit.

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BRAVO! and Theatre Performances Announced for 2021-2022 Season

admin — Wed, 14 Jul 2021 17:23:06 +0000

As BYU returns to a traditional semester this fall on campus, BYU BRAVO! and Theatre events will also be returning to in-person performances. The upcoming season boasts a spectacular lineup from both departments that are sure to sweep audiences off their feet. For both the Theatre and BRAVO! departments, this year promises both masterful performances from guest artists and stunning stage renditions of favorite plays and musicals. “After a season successfully and creatively navigating productions during COVID-19, we are especially excited to return to performances where we can share the innovative work of our students and faculty with the surrounding community,” said BYU Theatre Artistic Director Stephanie Breinholt. From the talented students in the Theatre department will come eight excellent stage productions this year, including “Luna,” “Escape From Planet Death!” “Julius Caesar,” “Fiddler on the Roof” and “As You Like It.” The department will also host an evening of “Contemporary Voices,” where students will perform readings of such modern masterpieces as “The Christians,” “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” and “The Thanksgiving Play.” The full list of performances can be found at arts.byu.edu. To read the full announcement, head to Arts.BYU.edu.

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Guest Artist Nyama McCarthy-Brown Discusses Race and Inclusion

Elena Castro — Fri, 07 May 2021 19:12:28 +0000

The final Listen Up! event of the Winter ‘21 semester featured professor Nyama McCarthy-Brown from The Ohio State University Nyama McCarthy-Brown visited with students virtually from Ohio State University, in Columbus, Ohio. She spoke to dance students and faculty about racism, cultural relevancy, and bridging educational practices. McCarthy-Brown was brought in at the suggestion and high praise of BYU faculty. Professor Kori Wakamatsu from the Department of Dance participated in a Q&A in preparation for McCarthy-Brown’s lecture. You can read the Q&A here. The educator said customs in the United States are very race-based. “Our culture has many racist mechanisms, and so the people within the culture maneuver and negotiate that space.” She followed up by saying that it’s problematic to penalize any one single person, because one single person does not make up the entire construct. It would take a group effort to change the systems in place. McCarthy-Brown continued and said that it is really about learning, growing, and coming to a place of understanding how and why all these structures are working and how they harm people. During the presentation, a photo of a little Black girl in a leotard and tutu was shown. McCarthy-Brown presented questions such as, “Does this little girl get to dance? Where does she get to dance? What about her appearance has to change before she’s accepted into a space?” “The first thing that jumped out for me was her hair,” said McCarthy-Brown. “She has beautiful braids that are flowing into what I think looks like a bun. But I know some places would insist that she had a flat bun, straight with no braids. And that gives me pause.” Situations like this cause McCarthy-Brown to think about how culturally relevant a dance form can be in its requirements. “Do you have to overcome who you are and your appearance to participate? Or can the structure accept you as you are and even a step further–affirm you?” she asked. McCarthy-Brown challenged: “If the dress code pushes against a student’s identity, is something wrong with the student or something wrong with the code?” At the end of the lecture, Wakamatsu presented questions students had submitted. One of the questions was, ”What’s the best way to incorporate more culture in our dances without being disrespectful to their traditions, and where’s the line of centering another cultural dance forms and appropriating a culture’s dance?” McCarthy-Brown responded by praising the students for being aware and receptive of those issues. She then shared a quote from a Native American friend of hers. “There is no representation of me, without me.” “I think there is no representation of any culture without people from that culture. That stated, there are always opportunities and space to share knowledge and information that you hold,” she said. In addition, cite your sources, even if it was a neighbor or friend, cite expertise of all kinds. All people deserve to be recognized, respected, honored, and given credit for what they have shared with you. In McCarthy-Brown’s work employing culturally responsive teaching, she seeks to bridge the gap between past ‘traditional’ habits and progressive habits that would make spaces more inclusive. “As a dance educator, it’s really important for me that all of the material I give students is culturally relevant. My goal is to reach students by relating to who they are and what they came into the classroom with,” she said. The instructor said she believes that most people dance somewhere, somehow in their lives. “Students have movement history. They have embodied knowledge. How can I bring that knowledge into the classroom and position my students as experts, even before they start the work of training in a particular technique?” McCarthy-Brown said first, it’s about exchange. “It cannot be that one group has something to offer and the other group has nothing to offer.” During the lecture, McCarthy-Brown posed these questions: What way is the field of dance upholding structures of whiteness? In what way is the field of dance dismantling structures of racial oppression? She followed up by saying, “If you’re not a dance person, then I challenge you to ask that question in terms of your own discipline or area of expertise and study. What ways are structures of whiteness being upheld in your area? And in what ways are the structures being dismantled?” McCarthy-Brown said that when she’s talking about ‘whiteness,’ she’s not talking about white people. She shared a definition of whiteness from Angelina Castagno’s 2014 book, Educated in Whiteness. The term refers to: Structural arrangements and ideologies of race dominance. Racial power and inequalities are at the core of whiteness, but all forms of power and inequity create and perpetuate whiteness. The function of whiteness is to maintain the status quo, and although White people most often benefit from whiteness, some people of color have tapped into the ideological components of whiteness for their own financial and educational benefits. Whiteness maintains power and privilege by perpetuating and legitimating the status quo while simultaneously maintaining a veneer of neutrality, equality, and compassion. She explained that she has also tapped into whiteness, for her educational or financial benefit and survival on occasion. “So, what does it mean to dissent from whiteness? I’m asking you to consider that,” she said. She called on future educators, parents, and community members to ponder what it meant to dissent from whiteness and consider what inclusion really means.

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Jazz Legend Wynton Marsalis Discusses Music and Race During Live Session with BYU Students

Chris Hayes — Tue, 01 Dec 2020 18:58:43 +0000

The hour-long virtual Listen Up! session was followed by an exclusive streamed concert Internationally acclaimed musician and prolific composer Wynton Marsalis is known for his extraordinary talent, as well as his humanitarian efforts around the world. Along with other respected names within the professional music sphere, he has added his voice to the painful but necessary conversations about race relations in America. In 1987, Marsalis co-founded Jazz at Lincoln Center. He has produced more than 100 records, won nine Grammy awards, and was the first jazz musician ever to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music. On October 28, BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications students were treated to an hour-long virtual session with Marsalis, followed by a free streamed public performance of his new work, the “Democracy! Suite,” performed with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Septet. Although Marsalis considers himself a leader in the arts world, he said that when it comes to race relations, he speaks as a citizen. He shared his insights in three individual segments: the pandemic’s impact on the arts, race relations, and the world as viewed through the lens of his composition “Ever Fonky Lowdown.” Read the full article at BYU Arts.

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BIPOC Lecture Series Brings New Perspectives to BYU Department of Theatre and Media Arts

Chris Hayes — Thu, 01 Oct 2020 18:45:48 +0000

Guest speaker Melissa Inouye outlined potential steps in the quest for anti-racism As part of its Black Lives Initiative, the Theatre and Media Arts department hosted its first in a series of virtual seminars with distinguished BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) guest speakers. The lecture, held via Zoom on September 24, was titled “A Latter-Day Saint Theology of Anti-Racism” by Dr. Melissa Inouye. Inouye, a senior lecturer at the University of Auckland, earned her PhD in East Asian languages and civilizations from Harvard. She also works as a historian at the Church History department in Salt Lake City. The scholar, author and mother of four spoke from her perspective as a fourth-generation Chinese-Japanese American and a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Inouye delivered her lecture from a hospital room in Murray, Utah, where she was undergoing chemotherapy treatment. She stressed the need to press forward with life’s obligations whatever the circumstances, saying simply, “Life doesn’t happen in a vacuum.” Inouye went on to use her own experience as an example of the need for empathy in life, stating that her physician is also a cancer patient, making him a more effective healer because of his experience. “The best healers know what it’s like to be sick,” she said. “Racism is a part of my story,” Inouye said, explaining that she has not only been the victim of racism, but at times has been guilty of it as well. “We must recognize that we bear the moral and cultural blinders of our society.” She emphasized that every individual carries his or her own biases based on the circumstances in which they were raised. Addressing issues specific to Utah culture, Inouye believes that most instances of racism are borne more from ignorance than from maliciousness. The first step is to recognize the gaps in our understanding, then actively work to learn and change. Even minor biases, she said, are like tumors that will grow and spread if not addressed. Citing examples of past racism within the Church, Inouye acknowledged a sometimes uncomfortable history while also advocating a reason for hope: the doctrine of forgiveness. This key tenet of LDS theology underscores our capacity for change and asserts that mistakes are necessary for personal growth. The certainty of human imperfection is countered by the potential for improvement. To conclude, Inouye encouraged every individual to ask two important questions: First: What lack I yet? “Each of us can do a better job of loving our neighbors, of developing our talents and capacities,” she said. “We must figure out what those talents are and then use them to take action.” The second question, she said, is: Who will feed my sheep? We can visit new places and seek new perspectives by reaching out to those different from ourselves. “We must decide to leave our comfort zone to initiate change in ourselves and others,” said Inouye. “We must enter the discomfort zone.”

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Guest Professors Bring Balinese Music and Dance to BYU

Sarah Duffin — Tue, 21 Apr 2020 20:38:50 +0000

Visiting professors I Nyoman Windha and I Gusti Agung Ayu Warsiki bring Balinese music and dance to BYU classrooms Music professor Jeremy Grimshaw has long been fascinated by the Indonesian music tradition. Grimshaw — director of BYU’s Balinese percussion orchestra — specializes in the study of the Balinese musical genre of gamelan, and he works to bring guest experts in the style to the School of Music whenever possible. During the 2019-2020 school year, Grimshaw brought Indonesian culture to an even wider audience by inviting both a Balinese musician and a dancer to teach at BYU. I Nyoman Winhda is an award-winning musician, renowned in Bali for his gamelan compositions and performance. Windha’s wife, I Gusti Agung Ayu Warsiki, is an accomplished performer in her own right, and a revered teacher of traditional Balinese dance. Last year, Grimshaw approached world dance professor Jeanette Geslison about co-hosting the famous couple as guest professors. She was equally delighted by the idea, and an original partnership was born. Read more about this unique partnership at dance.byu.edu or music.byu.edu

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Media Arts Professors and Students Create Sci-Fi Comedy Podcast ‘Escape From Planet Death!’

Martha Duzett — Mon, 02 Mar 2020 18:24:14 +0000

The podcast was directed by Jerusha Hess and features the voice acting talents of comedy stars such as Louie Anderson and Kyle Mooney BYU’s media arts program has a long and rich history of both fiction and documentary filmmaking, but students and professors in recent years have also explored emerging storytelling mediums such as web series, video games, virtual reality and — as with the recently released sci-fi comedy adventure “Escape From Planet Death!” — podcasts. “The thing that is most interesting to me about working on podcasts is that it’s a uniquely modern medium, even more so than film — which is still very new in the history of the world,” said media arts major Sam Matheson. “We’re a multitasking generation, so the ability to listen to a podcast while you’re working or in your car is huge. It’s something that you can experience no matter what you’re doing.” Matheson was one of six student producers who worked to bring a scripted series developed by media arts professors Tom Russell and Courtney Russell to vivid, aural reality. The earliest version of the story — which follows a crew of bureaucrats as they leave an apocalyptic Earth for a distant planet — was developed by student screenwriters in Tom Russell’s Writers’ Room course. “We created the class because we had students get into writers’ rooms and other professional writing positions and feel discouraged when their ideas would be overlooked or revised or rewritten — which is all part of the collaborative writing process,” said Russell. “We wanted to increase collaboration between students while they’re in the program to help them get used to rewriting somebody else’s material and having their material rewritten. At the end of a project like this, they can say ‘this doesn’t feel like the thing we wrote,’ but it’s absolutely the thing.” In addition to working as creative colleagues with their professors and peers, the student producers had the invaluable experience of collaborating with prominent industry professionals — including comedians Louie Anderson of “Baskets,” Kyle Mooney of “Saturday Night Live,” Whitney Call of “Studio C” and actor Joe Estevez, all of whom performed the audio for their respective characters at June Audio Recording Studios in Provo. Read the full story at the Department of Theatre and Media Arts website.

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Performance With Itzhak Perlman Marks Biggest Concert in BYU Philharmonic History

Martha Duzett — Mon, 20 Jan 2020 19:12:23 +0000

Director Kory Katseanes and student violinists Rachel Christensen and Donni Evans reflect on their experience preparing for, working with and learning from Perlman It’s a rare moment when a young musician is able to observe firsthand the foremost practitioner of their craft, but the students in the School of Music’s Philharmonic Orchestra did exactly that as they shared the de Jong Concert Hall stage with top violinist Itzhak Perlman — making BYU history in the process. “It’s not easy to quantify what this performance means for students in the orchestra, the students in the School of Music, for BYU and for the community,” said Philharmonic director Kory Katseanes. “His is an unequaled reputation in our lifetimes. There’s never been a classical artist as well-known, as beloved as Itzhak Perlman, and the community knows that.” To this point, the BYU Philharmonic is the only university orchestra scheduled to perform with the 15-time Grammy winner this year — an honor that was not taken lightly by the students in the orchestra. “As soon as Kory told us that we would be performing with Itzhak Perlman, we all knew in the back of our minds that we would need to rise to a new level of playing,” said concertmaster Rachel Christensen, a graduate student in violin performance. “Everyone wanted to do their very best for Perlman. It goes beyond a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity — it’s something I never imagined would even be a possibility.” With the most important concert in the history of the Philharmonic on the horizon, Katseanes identified a theme for the year to guide rehearsals and inspire the student musicians: prepare for Perlman. Read the full story at the School of Music website.

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Christmas Around the World Showcases International Choreographers

Sarah Duffin — Wed, 27 Nov 2019 00:03:56 +0000

Dancers from the International Folk Dance Ensemble worked with artists from across the world to bring a diverse performance to BYU Christmas Around the World is almost synonymous with the Christmas season in Utah Valley. The International Folk Dance Ensemble (IFDE)’s annual concert has been bringing people together across distances and generations for 60 years. This year’s theme — “A Light in the Window” — celebrates the courage and hope of migrants as they travel and adapt. Featuring the talents of over 175 dancers and musicians, Christmas Around the World is a celebration of unity, diversity and Christmas joy. This year’s performance includes dances from all over the globe, including Ukraine, Wales, Indonesia, Haiti, Germany and Scotland. The world dance program highly values accuracy and authenticity, and brings in international choreographers whenever possible. Recently, artists from India, Mexico, China, Canada and more have visited campus — teaching, choreographing and coaching dancers on genre-specific styling. “Almost all of our dances are not choreographed by the teachers or directors, but by specialists or people from that country,” said IFDE member Ashley Jex. Go to dance.byu.edu for a sneak peek at some of the guest artists featured in this year’s concert. Tickets and Show Details Performance Dates and Times: Dec. 6-7 | 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7 | 2:00 p.m. Location: Marriott Center Price: $9-22 Tickets: Available in person at the BYU HFAC or Marriott Center Ticket Office, by phone at (801) 422-2981 or online at byuarts.com

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