Students Archives - BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications

Young Performer Luke Rands Finds His Place in NYC

Alyssa Anderson — Fri, 04 Mar 2022 16:29:39 +0000

The post Young Performer Luke Rands Finds His Place in NYC appeared first on BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications.

Music Professors Promote Connection and Community With “Stories of Our Time” Concert

Alyssa Anderson — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 16:00:13 +0000

The post Music Professors Promote Connection and Community With “Stories of Our Time” Concert appeared first on BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications.

The Paradigm Shifters

admin — Tue, 01 Feb 2022 18:26:24 +0000

The post The Paradigm Shifters appeared first on BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications.

Behind the Gallery: Student Educator Joseph Rowley Shares Insights on “Across the West and Toward the North”

Alyssa Anderson — Thu, 27 Jan 2022 19:11:24 +0000

The post Behind the Gallery: Student Educator Joseph Rowley Shares Insights on “Across the West and Toward the North” appeared first on BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications.

The Westerlies Mentor Students on Music Composition and Creativity

Capri Baker — Thu, 02 Dec 2021 17:25:12 +0000

The Westerlies shared their insights and strategy on improv and music composition, inspiring students to delve into their own creative process The Westerlies, a self-described “accidental brass quartet,” paid a visit to BYU on November 11, allowing students an opportunity to learn a bit more about the brass musicians up close. The foursome creates music that is a fusion of different music styles, mixing various genres such as classical, jazz and folk. Read the full article at arts.byu.edu

The post The Westerlies Mentor Students on Music Composition and Creativity appeared first on BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications.

BYU student film featured at the world’s largest children’s film festival

admin — Wed, 17 Nov 2021 20:51:40 +0000

The post BYU student film featured at the world’s largest children’s film festival appeared first on BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications.

From NYC to Provo – The 5 Browns Share Music and Insights for Piano Performers

Capri Baker — Mon, 25 Oct 2021 17:55:47 +0000

BYU’s piano students had the privilege of playing for The 5 Browns and hear their personalized advice People Magazine dubbed Utah’s own The 5 Browns the “Fab Five,” but they don’t just play beautifully. They also give back, like the recent masterclass they hosted with BYU School of Music. Named the “Fab Five” by People magazine, The 5 Browns piano group came and shared a bit of their expertise with BYU’s piano students. Originally from Alpine, Utah, The 5 Browns are the first set of 5 siblings to have been accepted simultaneously into New York’s Juilliard School. The piano professionals have been recognized on Oprah, PBS, The Tonight Show, Good Morning America and numerous other media sources. Their unique approach to piano has gained them a great deal of recognition, making their advice quite valuable to BYU’s piano players. Students Jacob Warnick and Tanner Jorden both had the opportunity to play and receive suggestions. Warnick was a bit anxious to play for The 5 Browns. “Typically when you’re playing for somebody you don’t have to worry about particulars,” he said, continuing, “It’s a little bit more nerve-racking, because [professionals] hear everything. It’s really important to pay more attention to the details.” Despite initial nerves, Warnick said the feedback was helpful. He received personal critiques from Melody, as she walked him through specific areas of the song that could use improvement. She noted that he seemed to become more comfortable the longer he was onstage. Melody focused on the tempo, differentiation in texture and varying dynamics. She applauded Warnick on his technique. She suggested that an element of surprise be added to the song, especially in key changes, making sure not to “show [the audience] everything at once.” Warnick said he benefited from Melody’s advice. “It’s not very common that you get to play for someone with so much talent and to get such great feedback,” he said Jorden shared his experience performing for Gregory. When Jorden first discovered he would be given a chance to play for The 5 Browns, he said he felt “super excited, because [he had] listened to their music a lot.” Prior to performing, he made sure to mentally prepare as he looked forward to playing and taking in the expert guidance that was soon to come. Gregory emphasized the importance of storytelling through music and creating imagery. He expounded on the history of the piece that Jorden played, encouraging him to better understand the song and what it was trying to say. “When you get the balance just right, the emotional effect on you and the listener is so much more impactful,” Gregory said. Jorden appreciated the advice and the way in which Gregory approached the piece. “I’ll be a little bit more thoughtful about where I’m taking time; why I’m taking time,” Jordan said. “I’ll be more thoughtful about where I put the climaxes, looking more into what the composer meant by his dynamics instead of looking right at the dynamics.” Both students walked away from the special experience looking forward to improving their piano-playing skills. ______________________________________________________________________________ To discover more about The 5 Browns, visit https://www.the5browns.com/.

The post From NYC to Provo – The 5 Browns Share Music and Insights for Piano Performers appeared first on BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications.

Student-Produced Album “Shadows of the Dawn” Promotes Gospel Message of Light Amid Dark Times

Alyssa Anderson — Fri, 22 Oct 2021 15:23:43 +0000

The post Student-Produced Album “Shadows of the Dawn” Promotes Gospel Message of Light Amid Dark Times appeared first on BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications.

A Transfer Student Advocate: Athena Davis

Elena Castro — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 16:05:21 +0000

A transfer student from UNLV, Davis is making inclusive strides for the future of dance transfers Considering herself a “super senior,” Athena Davis has taken the long way to get to where she is today. A contemporary dance major, president of the Dance Major Student Representatives Council (DMSR) and choreographer for the DancEnsemble choreography team, it stands as a reason to ask: Who is Athena Davis? Like many BYU students, Davis’ road to becoming a BYU Cougar was unconventional. Completing both freshman and sophomore years in her home state’s University of Nevada, Las Vegas, she had zero intentions of “bleeding blue.” In high school she studied fashion in hopes that she would attend the Fashion Institute in California after graduation, though she ultimately decided to attend her local university. She was a Vegas girl enjoying life as a Rebel pursuing a degree in dance while working as a costume seamstress for a theatre. This would all change, however, when her mother suggested she try some classes out at BYU through the school’s visiting student program, just to experience something other than what she’d always known. Davis joined the visiting student program and took an ASL class and a Beginning Contemporary Dance class during the summer to get her feet wet. “I took contemporary dance because it fit my schedule well and I just wanted to see what the dance department was like. I wasn’t even considering transferring and anytime someone suggested that I was offended. I would say, ‘No! My school is UNLV, I’m just here visiting. I’m never going to go to BYU.’ And then I ended up falling in love with it,” said Davis. She returned to UNLV to finish out her sophomore year and started to work on the transfer process – which was not easy. Once at BYU, Davis decided to continue to major in dance. “I noticed how people who graduated from the BYU dance department have a lot more opportunities than what I’ve seen people at home do. I’ve found people appreciate dance for what it is. I thought if I graduated from BYU, I would have more skills to be able to take to professional companies,” she said. Coming into a new university as a transfer student, Davis noticed a disconnect between how she was treated versus her peers. “People kept treating me like a freshman, but I had two years under my belt,” said Davis. People would suggest taking part in freshman performances, but Davis didn’t want to be further linked with the younger students when she already had half a college degree’s worth of experience to build on. Davis took her frustrations to her advisor and asked why there were no resources for transfer students within the Department of Dance. Over the course of two years, Davis has been able to build up her for-the-students resume and now acts as a link between faculty and pupils. Beneath the DMSR presidential position, Davis has student committees dedicated to mentorship, community outreach and activities. She added that the Department of Dance also has representatives from each area of dance. “There’s a BFA, BA and Dance Ed rep. It’s just to make sure that everyone in the department feels seen and heard.” Department of Dance PR Coordinator Erin McClellan had this to say about the senior: “Athena cares deeply about her fellow dance majors – especially those younger [than her] and those who’ve transferred to BYU. She has made it a personal goal to make sure all dance majors feel informed, included and excited to be dancing at BYU.” Davis is expected to graduate with her BA in dance with an emphasis in contemporary this coming April. She hopes to start teaching in a studio and to also place on a performing team. She is considering getting her master’s and teaching at the university level down the road.

The post A Transfer Student Advocate: Athena Davis appeared first on BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications.

Ballet Dancer Ana Brooks on Everything She Does in 24 Hours

Elena Castro — Mon, 18 Oct 2021 21:24:53 +0000

A guide on everything a dance major does in a day: with Ana Brooks On stage, ballet dancers gracefully glide with ease beneath the lights. But what does it take for a dancer to reach this level of artistry? We interviewed dance major Ana Brooks to find out what a day in her shoes looks like. Name: Ana Brooks (/ǎːna/ – “Awnah”) Major: Dance BFA Emphasis: Ballet with some contemporary Expected graduation: August 2022 Q: As a dancer, what time do you wake up on a typical morning? A: Usually I get up around 7 am and I’m out the door by 7:30 because class starts at 8. Q: Do you usually have breakfast in the morning or are you just out the door? A: I usually meal-prep breakfast, but it varies on how much I’ve prepared. Sometimes it’s just a granola bar morning. Other times I can make egg muffins, but it changes week to week. Q: What’s your first class of the day? A: Ballet Technique. It’s usually an hour and a half to two hours. After Technique, there is rehearsal until about noon. Q: Do you do anything to prepare for the first class of the day? A: I’ll try to do a little bit of warming up, some conditioning and stretching. Q: Do you prefer ballet or contemporary? A: Ballet is my first love. I really value ballet as the foundation of my technique. But I came to BYU’s dance program specifically because I could have the best of both worlds. I don’t prefer one over the other, I love them both for different reasons. Q: What’s after Ballet Technique and rehearsal? A: I have dance major classes this semester. I go straight from rehearsal to Music for Dancers and then to Advanced Choreography and then after that, I have an hour and a half of Contemporary Technique. Q: When do you usually have lunch? A: Usually once my class block is done, but I like to have snacks in between. Q: What do you usually snack on? A: Whatever I can get my hands on. Lots of trail mix, applesauce, things I can easily take with me on the go. Q: Do you choreograph on Ballet Showcase? A: Yes. Q: Do you think every dancer can choreograph or do you think there’s a specific skill set for dancers who choreograph? A: I think there’s a common misconception, especially among ballet dancers. In a lot of intense schools growing up, sometimes your teachers or the institution you’re at will put forth the notion that you’re the dancer and you have to do as they say. So a lot of ballet dancers think they can’t choreograph, but really, anybody can choreograph. Q: What is homework like as a dance major? A: It varies a lot by class. For a lot of my choreography classes, for example, I’ll be expected to come to class with a minute or two of choreography prepared. There can also be a lot of writing, actually. Q: What time do you usually go to bed? A: I usually try to be in bed asleep by 10:30. Q: Have you always been an early-to-bed, early riser type of person? A: No, I was not an early bed person for a long time. It’s nicer because I don’t have things in the evenings anymore in comparison to the last few months. I usually get home at 3 and start homework ASAP so that I can be in bed by that time. I noticed that I get injured a lot more easily and I fatigue a lot [more quickly] if I’m not getting a lot of sleep. – After graduation, Brooks hopes to dance for a few years with a ballet company. She is currently preparing for the 2022 season auditions. After her dancing years come to a close, Brooks has entertained the thought of grad school for genetic counseling.

The post Ballet Dancer Ana Brooks on Everything She Does in 24 Hours appeared first on BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications.