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(08/24/14 5:35pm)
At 19, Bloomington singer-songwriter Marshall Lewis has been described by his peers as an artist who writes and records deeply introspective songs that are well beyond his years.
(05/12/14 1:22am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>By Anthony Broderickaebroder@indiana.edu@aebrodakirckMusician Adam Bodony will head Bloomington’s community orchestra, the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, as its new artistic director July 1.Having previously played for the Symphony, he received wide praise for his ability to collaborate, lead, commit and play with everyone, so the symphony’s board enthusiastically offered Bodony the position, Board President Carl Weinberg said in a press release. “I feel very honored having been hired as the new artistic director of the Bloomington Symphony,” Bodony said. “An orchestra like this is special with how the musicians are diverse and have a seemingly insatiable attitude for the highest quality of music–making, the board is supportive and motivated, and the community treasures the organization.”He will make his conducting debut with the Bloomington Symphony on Sept. 27 for the Symphony’s first season concert.This concert will feature him conducting Mozart’s Symphony No. 40.Many of the members on the symphony’s board were highly impressed with Bodony’s qualifications.Donna Lafferty, Bloomington Symphony Orchestra executive director, said she was completely sold by Bodony’s skills as both a musician and a person having collaborated with him before in past concerts.“Adam’s got all of the attributes we were looking for in a new artistic director,” Lafferty said.“He has administrative experience, he’s incredibly musical, and he’s committed to being with the Orchestra over the long haul, so we’ll be able to grow together, make long-term plans for improvement and have him with us as we see them to fruition.”There were 62 candidates considered for the artistic director position, and Lafferty said she felt Bodony was the best qualified since he was the most invested in getting things done right.“He asked the most questions, he followed up right away when we needed more information, and he was always very responsive and professional in his communications,” Lafferty said. “I got the feeling that some of the other candidates were just looking for any conducting job, but I felt very strongly that Adam wanted to work with this orchestra.”Bodony is currently an executive director and conductor at Indiana’s New World Youth Orchestras.He began training in conducting when he was 22. He received his bachelor’s degree from DePauw University and his master’s degree from IU for trombone performance.In 2013, Bodony was awarded with the Beckman Emerging Artist Award given by the Arts Council of Indianapolis for his exceptional talent and promise in the music field. The Bloomington Symphony will also have a reception at 6 p.m. June 14 at the Atrium at City Hall to formally introduce Bodony to the public. Bodony said he is thrilled to take up the artistic director position and is planning on bringing his own personal style of music–making to the symphony orchestra.“I’m interested in the orchestra playing at a very high level of independence and freedom, both amongst themselves and from me,” Bodony said.“I’ve always found that the most magical music–making comes from when we can all enter into this gray area together, when we’re not really sure who’s leading the musical charge.“This is the sort of musical environment I hope to foster.”
(05/02/14 2:29am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Having once shocked the art realm in the early 20th century, Fauvism-styled artwork will make a comeback for the public to witness today at the IU Art Museum.The Fauvism gallery discussion is a part of the museum’s exhibitions from 3 to 4 p.m. that won’t be displayed in the museum’s galleries but instead will be laid out on tables in one of the museum’s special viewing rooms on the third floor.The one-hour exhibit was created and will be presented by Nannette Brewer, IU Art Museum’s Lucienne M. Glaubinger Curator of Works on Paper. Brewer selected the work that will be featured in the event and will be talking informally about the pieces to guests.“The one-hour exhibitions are something I have been doing for a couple years now as a way of giving an opportunity for students and general public to see things that are not on view,” Brewer said. “Most museums, ours included, only have 5-10 percent of their collection on view.”The gallery will feature a laid-out selection of prints and drawings by Fauvist artists such as Georges Rouault, Maurice de Vlaminck, André Derain, Raoul Dufy and Georges Braque. Brewer will discuss the artists’ style, organization and use of color for each of the pieces at the event. “I decided to do Fauvism for the last gallery of the year because I wanted to honor Henri Matisse, who was an early leader of the Fauvism movement,” Brewer said. “We thought this would be a good way to address the topic of Fauvism with the various artwork the museum owns from other Fauvist artists.”According to Brewer, Fauvism is classified as a loose group of early 20th century modern artists who chose to push the envelope with their work opposing the representational or realistic values that was represented in the impressionism art movement. “Fauvism artwork is known for having an unnatural, strong color and shocking imagery with a sense of simplicity and abstraction,” Brewer said. “The artists of this genre were inspired by post-impressionism artists such as Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin.” To view the exhibit, visitors must meet at the third-floor office to sign in. No pre-registration is required, but space is limited, so admission is organized in a first-come, first-served basis.“This is a drop-in opportunity done in a more flexible and simple matter to be more accessible for the general public,” Brewer said. “It is meant to be a slightly different event than a full-fledged gallery exhibition by having a viewing of the pieces on a table as opposed to being hung up behind glass at the galleries.”
(05/02/14 2:02am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In the past five weeks, sophomore Jo Fipps has been traveling to dining halls all over campus, suprising many students by standing up and singing covers of songs.Fipps will perform his final show of the school year for his “For the People Tour” at 12:30 p.m. Friday at Wright Food Court.He started his tour at Wright Food Court and since then has performed at Gresham Food Court, The Restaurants at Woodland, Edmondson Dining Room and the Hoosier Cafe & Store at McNutt. Fipps’ main goal with the tour is to spread happiness and lighten the mood for students who are under pressure with finals and the end of the semester, he said. The event is sponsored by student-run website designer and video production company Mills Digital.“College is a place where you can do anything you want in order to find your favorite outlet,” Fipps said. “This would be a nice way to have a little spontaneity in their life, to laugh for a couple minutes while a crazy person sings in the dining hall.”Throughout the weeks he has been touring, Fipps went from singing a cappella to slowly collaborating with other students by incorporating instruments with his performances. He plans on having a live band for his finale, featuring students playing a violin, bass, synthesizer and drums.As a group, they will be performing a cover of “Party in the USA” in the middle of Wright Food Court. Jacobs School of Music student Jasmine Scott, a friend of Fipps, has attended each of his weekly performances. She was asked to join him when he was interested in expanding his tour acts.“It’s been an awesome experience just getting to do something fun and putting smiles on everyone’s faces alongside Jo,” Scott said.With the word spreading about his tour around campus, Fipps has been receiving more promotion with his Facebook and YouTube accounts, “Ernie Jo Official.”“It’s been up and down with each of the venues I’ve been at with the structure of the dining halls,” Fipps said. “It was rough getting people engaged the first week, but throughout the weeks people have been beginning to enjoy it by laughing and singing along.”Fipps is planning on doing another tour next spring titled “No Compromises.”“I think Jo’s contribution to IU with this tour is completely awesome,” Scott said. “I love watching him unexpectedly serenade strangers in food courts. It makes me laugh and I know it makes others laugh as well.”
(04/18/14 4:34am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It was pitch black on the IU Auditorium stage. The sound of harmonizing male voices singing “Summer Nights” filled the theater. The curtain rose to reveal eight men in dark gray suits. They made up Gentleman’s Rule, an eight-member a cappella group opening for Under the Streetlamp.The show started at 8 p.m. It was the first show of the 50-city concert tour that Under the Streetlamp and Gentleman’s Rule will be headlining.Gentleman’s Rule originated at IU and focuses on contemporary and retro-style music.“We are so excited to be back here tonight to share our gifts with you,” Brent Mann, member of Gentleman’s Rule, told the audience.The group performed song covers ranging from “Ain’t No Sunshine” to “Good Life,” and modern hits such as Rihanna’s “Stay.” They sang in falsetto, beat-boxed and danced.“They have angelic voices, spiffy moves and have great charm. They are the total package,” Bloomington resident Theresa Wentsworth said before the show. “I look forward to hearing them perform again since they are music to my ears.”Audience members whistled and applauded at the performance. Under the Streetlamp, also an a capella group, got its start on the Broadway musical “Jersey Boys.”The group sang classics from the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. “This group has the talent of bringing their own style to classics I used to listen to,” Indianapolis native Douglas Mackie said. “I have seen them before on the videos, and I look forward to seeing them live.”
(04/16/14 3:44am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Meryl Streep has played many diverse film roles in her acting career. She was a mother fighting for custody. She was a Holocaust survivor. She was a devious fashion editor. This afternoon, she won’t be in front of the camera. She’ll be a speaker at the IU Auditorium.Streep will make her appearance at 3 p.m. She previously spoke at IU in 2010 for the Colloquium for Women of Indiana University’s fall workshop. “It is an unbelievable opportunity that the IU Cinema has been supplied with having an actor like Meryl Streep come talk to students,” IU Cinema Director Jon Vickers said. “It isn’t something I would have foreseen three years ago.” Vickers said there is a longstanding relationship between the University and Streep, whose husband, Don Gummer, is an Indiana native. Additionally, Gummer is a sculptor who has made several public art displays installed at IU-Bloomington and IU-Purdue University Indianapolis.According to the IU Cinema website, Streep will receive an honorary doctoral degree for her achievements in the arts and her contributions as a philanthropist. Considered by many film critics as one of the greatest living actors, Streep has had a successful acting career, with 18 Academy Award nominations and 28 Golden Globe nominations.“Meryl Streep is certainly an A-list actor and is certainly on top of the film scene,” Vickers said. “She is also an international ambassador for the art form.”Her visit this afternoon will be set up as an interview, led by Barbara Klinger, a professor in the Department of Communication and Culture.For the interview, audience members will be allowed to tweet questions for Streep, to potentially be asked by Klinger.Tickets for the event are free, but according to the auditorium’s box office, all the tickets for the lecture have been claimed.Doors to the auditorium open at 2 p.m. and all attendees are required to be present and seated no later than 2:50 p.m.After today’s lecture, she will present a screening of her film “A Prairie Home Companion,” in which Streep stars as Yolanda Johnson, at the IU Cinema.The cinema will also present several of Streep’s recent films, such as “The Iron Lady,” “Sophie’s Choice” and “August: Osage County,” in April and May in honor of her appearance.Students said they are excited to see the acclaimed actress. IU senior Emelly Rusli said she couldn’t be more excited to celebrate her last semester in school with this lecture.“Meryl Streep is an outstanding actress who truly lives the character she plays for in every one of her movies,” Rusli said. “This is my last semester at IU, and I have to say that her coming would be one of the highlights for my last few months here.”
(04/14/14 2:59am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Ten members of the Hoosier Tap Company stood on stage, lined up with their backs to the audience, for nearly a minute. Audience members cheered each member’s name, eager for them to begin. The music began abruptly, and the members turned around, tap dancing in an organized, sequenced fashion.The Hoosier Tap Company presented “Tap into Art,” their showcase performance, at 7 p.m. Saturday in the Willkie Auditorium.The collaboration included a wide variety of performers in addition to the Hoosier Tap Company.Other campus groups such as a capella group Ladies First, InMotion Dance Company, Hooshir A Cappella, the Indiana Hoosierettes dance team and students from IU’s Contemporary Dance Program also performed.Hoosier Tap Company is a student-directed dance company that gives IU students the opportunity to share their passion for tap dancing, according to its Facebook page. IU junior Laura Miller and senior Hannah Morton founded the company.“Our vision for ‘Tap into Art’ was to provide a showcase for the many different art forms and artists represented at IU,” Morton said. “It is a part of our mission to bring awareness to tap dancing as an art, but we also wanted to give other performance groups the same opportunity to share their passions and incredible talents.”The company was launched in the fall. This weekend’s performance was the first showcase to which Hoosier Tap Company played host.Many of the musical acts that took part in the event came from the many connections the Hoosier Tap Company built when it contacted and invited the performers in the fall.The auditorium was nearly full of audience members who clapped along and chanted with every performance.“We were thrilled with the excitement and support from our audience, and HTC was so grateful that so many people came to see the show,” Miller said. “It is always more fun, as performers, to know that your audience appreciates all of your hard work, passion and time spent preparing for the event.”IU junior and pianist Nat Zegree collaborated with the other acts and received a positive audience response for his own solo performance of “Beyond the Sea.”“The most important thing is to have fun and simply share your music to anyone that will listen, and that’s exactly what I did, and I thought it went very well,” Zegree said.Zegree expressed his interest in the success of Hoosier Tap Company.“The talent that this University fosters is unbelievable,” he said. “This tap company is a stellar idea, and I will continue to applaud and support their efforts in any way I can.”Miller and Morton said company members enjoy collaborating at other dance events, and they hope this helps promote the Hoosier Tap Company at IU.“We hope to make ‘Tap into Art’ an annual show,” Miller said. “Student dancers, musicians and vocalists deserve a place to showcase their work, and HTC was honored to be able to do that with this event.”
(04/11/14 2:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The band first came together as a joke, but after learning how to write and play music properly, punk group the Coathangers turned music into a full-fledged career. The group will perform at midnight Saturday in the Bishop with a $10 admission. Attendees must be at least 18 years old. Originally from Atlanta, Meredith Franco, Julia Kugel and Stephanie Luke created the band in order to hang out and play at parties. They had little knowledge of how to play instruments. But as time went on, they began to take their craft more seriously and started playing more personal material. This evolved into their current punk-rock sound they now have.“We take it seriously in the fact that playing has become our lives for eight years now, and it’s the only thing we ever want to pursue,” Franco said. “However, we still try to have fun and keep in mind that it’s just rock ’n’ roll we are doing.”Franco plays bass. Kugel plays guitar. Luke plays drums and all three members sing.The group will perform material from all four of its albums: “The Coathangers,” “Scramble,” “Larceny & Old Lace” and “Suck My Shirt,” which was released in March.According to the Bishop’s website, the title of the album refers to an incident involving the salvaging of spilled tequila during the recording session for the album.The Coathangers were booked to play at the Bishop because of being presented by the Spirit of ’68 Promotions. Mackenzie Blake, an intern for Spirit of ‘68 Promotions, said the group members were primarily booked because of their diversity.“Spirit of ’68 aims to bring a diverse lineup to Bloomington, regardless of genre or how far away they are,” Blake said. “Essentially they bring awesome diversity to the Bloomington music scene.”The Coathangers have toured North America and Europe multiple times and performed alongside bands such as the Black Lips, Deerhunter, Nobunny and Growlers. The group described its music as punk, rock ’n’ roll mixed with magic and rage.“Inspiration for our music comes from everywhere and everything, whether it be someone we know or something one of us experienced,” Kugel said. “Sometimes our music is just a collaboration of words and thoughts that really mean nothing.”This will be the band’s second visit to Bloomington, having previously performed at the Bishop in 2011.“It’s always been a dream to come back,” Kugel said. “Kids like to have a good time, and as a band we want to play all over the U.S.A. It doesn’t matter if we are in Bloomington or LA.”
(04/10/14 2:33am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU’s undergraduate theater group, the University Players, will premiere its last show of the 2013-14 year, “35mm: A Musical Exhibition.”Performances will take place at 8 p.m. April 10-12 with an additional show at 11 p.m. April 11 in the Studio Theater of the IU Department of Theatre, Drama and Contemporary Dance. All shows have free admission.“35mm” is a multimedia musical that plays to the idea of an exhibition through 16 photographs. These photos are accompanied by songs that explore the human condition.The show was created by Ryan Scott Oliver, who was inspired by photographs shot by Matthew Murphy.“We decided to go with this particular play because it was something cutting edge, fresh and edgy,” said Sam Ostrowski, a director of the show and an Indiana Daily Student columnist. “The play was crazy and unlike anything I have previously encountered with how fun it was to find blend genres of people singing and music playing.”Ostrowski said the group’s board of directors chose to perform “35mm” because of its comedic and distinct display.“Each photograph in the exhibition is a story within itself,” Ostrowski said. “We had to find out how well this will be received with the audience since they would be expecting a traditional theater experience when we will be giving them something else.”The music in the show will play to vignettes with themes including an awkward start to a new relationship, a male nanny caring for a bratty child and a high school wannabe prom queen causing malicious trouble.Actors in the show said they enjoyed the show’s difficult format of a song cycle telling stories with many different characters for each scene segment. “It was a great challenge to do a show with no dialogue and to know that these characters and stories had to be expressed only through song,” said Claire Drews, an actress in the production.“For me, it was tricky to be playing numerous characters throughout the show and to establish character during a three-minute song, which in the end really helped me to grow as a performer.”Several of the actors who took part in the production also praised Ostrowski’s direction and assistance that helped them bring “35mm” to the stage.“Sam was incredible with how he came in with such a clear concept of what the show should be, and then it just happened,” said actress Samantha Schiffman. “This show is about the storytelling, and we have to be so vulnerable to do the stories justice. And Sam really helped tell the stories finding unique things about each character in the play.”
(04/04/14 2:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bloomington Playwrights Project will premiere “Mad Gravity” tonight, a comedy that explores how an asteroid heading toward earth could unravel the fabric of society.Performances will take place at 7:30 p.m. April 4-5, 10-12 and 17-19 at the Bloomington Playwrights Project theater. Tickets are $20 for regular admission and $17 for students and seniors, and they can be purchased at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater Box Office or online at bctboxoffice.com. Although the show is already sold out for its opening weekend, tickets are available for the remaining dates. “Mad Gravity” was the winner of the Reva Shiner Comedy Award, selected by the BPP’s artistic director Chad Rabinovitz.“Every year, we have two opening calls and contests for play ideas to be submitted for us to adapt,” said Jessica Reed, managing director for BPP. “We had received over 1,000 submissions all over the world just full of comedy play scripts, and ‘Mad Gravity’ was picked as winner for the funniest playwright.”“Mad Gravity” is a situational comedy that centers on two couples’ reaction to an announcement that an asteroid might hit Earth.The audience is part of the show, as the actors in the play communicate with them without breaking the fourth wall, or the separation of reality and world in which the play is set.The production will star actors Mary Carol Reardon, Alan Craig, Jeff Stone, Darrell Ann Stone and Lauren Sagendorph.The show was directed by Dina Epshteyn, a play director from New York, who previously worked on the productions “Still the River Runs” in 2011 and “Three Views of the Same Object” in 2012 for the BPP.Since the play is new and has not yet been shown in Bloomington, Epshteyn said, she was constantly in contact with the writer of the play, William Missouri Downs to obtain changes and recommendations.She said it was beneficial for the production that they were able to bring Downs to the set and ask for his critique.“‘Mad Gravity’ is a really funny play but has deep and interesting things to say,” Epshteyn said. “It is not something you would normally see in films or plays these days, and I will just leave it at that.”This was a different kind of project for Epshteyn to take on, but she said she was very pleased with the final product.“The show was a challenge for sure, but very fun to direct,” Epshteyn said. “Audience members should be in a very open and flexible mindset when seeing it.”
(04/03/14 4:09am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In 2003, the Kennedy Center Honors said of Itzhak Perlman, “The world falls in love with music when Perlman takes up his violin.”Known for being one of the world’s most celebrated violinists, Perlman will perform at 8 p.m. today in the IU Auditorium along with his longtime collaborator, pianist Rohan De Silva.Tickets prices for IU students range from $20 to $51, and tickets for the general public range from $38 to $69. Tickets may be purchased online at IUauditorium.com or in person at the box office.Perlman and De Silva will perform works including “Sonata No. 8 in G Major for Violin and Piano, Op. 30 No. 3” by Beethoven, “Sonata for Violin and Piano in A Major” by Franck and “Sonata in G Minor for Violin and Piano, L. 140” by Debussy.“It is a special honor for Indiana University Auditorium to host legendary violin virtuoso Itzhak Perlman. We are expecting it to be a magnificent performance,” said IU Auditorium Associate Director Maria Talbert. “Through our nearly 75 years as a presenter of world-class artists and entertainers, IU Auditorium has established deep professional relationships with many of the most celebrated names in musical performance, public speaking and more such as Yo-Yo Ma and Mr. Perlman himself.”Talbert said anyone attending should expect an exciting and inspirational performance filled with famous classical pieces, which are accented by Perlman’s distinct and undeniable charm.Perlman has won four Emmy awards, 15 Grammy awards, the Medal of Liberty from President Ronald Reagan in 1986 and the National Medal of the Arts from President Bill Clinton in 2000. He also collaborated with composer John Williams to create the Academy Award-winning score for “Schindler’s List.”“It is an experience no music lover should miss,” Talbert said. “This is a rare and valuable opportunity to experience for yourself why Mr. Perlman is a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner.” Aside from his solo musical work, Perlman teaches at the Juilliard School’s Pre-College program as well as the Perlman Music Program, a program for exceptional string musicians between the ages of 11 and 18.“Perlman’s performances are always filled with the irrepressible joy of making music that only Perlman can so tangibly communicate with his audience,” Talbert said.
(04/02/14 4:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Many artists of the early 20th century made their mark on art history with revolutionary developments in paintings and sculptures. French artist Henri Matisse is primarily known for his brightly-colored, fluid works.Beginning today through May 25, the IU Art Museum will feature his art in the Special Exhibitions Gallery.Titled “Matisse’s Jazz and Other Works from Indiana University Collections,” it will include a selection of his color prints from “Jazz.”The exhibit has already gained local attention because of the Matisse gallery featured at the Indianapolis Museum of Art in January.“I am delighted to hear that there is a lot of hype and excitement about the show,” museum curator Nan Brewer said. “Henri Matisse, along with his friend and rival Pablo Picasso, is one of the most important artists and one of the leading figures of 20th-century modern art.” The “Jazz” print book contains more than 100 prints based on paper cutouts that Matisse made in his 70s when he could no longer draw or paint. Brewer said the focus of the book emphasizes the artist’s works on paper from the last 30 years of his life, when he had to overcome numerous obstacles to re-invent himself and create some of his most acclaimed work.Matisse’s pieces in the collection were acquired by the museum through purchase and gifting. A large number of the prints came from Diether Thimme, a former professor in the art history department.The museum recently collaborated with the Indianapolis Museum of Art, lending them 20 color stencil prints for their exhibit entitled “Matisse, Life in Color: Masterworks from the Baltimore Museum of Art.”Since the prints returned to Bloomington, they will be the centerpiece of the exhibit.The museum had previously framed the individual plates for their exhibition and took the opportunity to show all these prints together for the first time since they were acquired in 1965. “Although the ‘Jazz’ plates are the centerpiece of the exhibition, we wanted to highlight other works by this important artist in IU collections,” Brewer said. “We’ve only displayed one plate at a time in the past, while we have included over 40 additional works from the collections of the Indiana University Art Museum, Lilly Library and Fine Arts Library.”Matisse’s work is known to be influential to many painters and sculptors in the art field. Senior art student Seth Headdy said he is very excited for the unveiling of this exhibit. “There is a lot to appreciate and learn from his use of color choices and line quality in his pieces,” Headdy said. “His influence on my own art work is nominal, but it’s hard to deny that his work is some of the best art creations ever made.”
(03/31/14 1:58am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Director Patrick Wang spoke about his path to filmmaking, his visual style in his films, his views on literary adaptations and his new technique of documenting the process of filmmaking Friday afternoon in the IU Cinema.Wang is primarily known for his 2011 first feature film “In the Family,” which he directed, wrote, produced and starred in. The film, which screened Thursday night as a part of Asian Pacific Film Heritage Month, received critical acclaim.It was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award, and Filmmaker Magazine named Wang one of its top 25 New Faces of Independent Film.The lecture was part of the “Movement” series sponsored by IU’s Asian Culture Center.IU Cinema Director Jon Vickers introduced Wang and praised him and his work.“His directorial debut ‘In the Family,’ which was screened at the Cinema, has garnered him much attention from critics and audiences from across the country, and I share much superlatives which describe his film by critics,” Vickers said.Directing was never Wang’s main career path. He worked as a physicist and an economist, and graduated at MIT with a degree in Economics and a concentration in Music and Theatre Arts.“In college at MIT, I started volunteering at a theater company just to help with their database,” Wang said. “And after going to many shows, I suddenly found myself on the other side of the stage.” A question-and-answer interview was led by Ougie Pak, a visiting lecturer from the Department of Telecommunications. A large duration of the interview was spent discussing the production of “In the Family,” during which Wang discussed his methods.“I love the little perspectives that go a far way when making a film,” Wang said. “I feel filmmaking is all about being in the moment and thinking how we are going to make the right decisions.”The film was primarily lauded by critics and audiences for being heartfelt and humanistic. Wang explained his process to convey this emotional power.“The perspective I try to maintain all the time is I act as the audience, and I feel there is a danger to thinking that you are both above and below your audience,” Wang said. Wang revealed his next upcoming directorial project will be an adaptation of Leah Hager Cohen novel, “The Grief of Others.” “What intrigues me about literary adaptations are the dramatic elements that baffle me and won’t seem to let go in my thoughts,” Wang said. “It’s exciting and worth discovering taking on these projects.”
(03/31/14 1:57am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In front of a crowd of strangers in the center of Wright Food Court last Friday, IU sophomore Jo Fipps stood on a chair and sang a rendition of “We are the World,” by Michael Jackson.Students all over the dining hall looked at Fipps, unsure of what exactly was going on with the unannounced a capella performance. Others couldn’t help but clap along and cheer for him, while taking out their cameras to film this unexpected occurrence. “It was a bit nerve-racking before I started, but after singing, it all just came out naturally,” Fipps said.The performance was the first in Fipps’ “For the People Tour,” which is an ongoing tour that will take place every Friday for the next five weeks in which he will perform a different song at a different food venue.The idea for his tour evolved from a dare. Because Fipps has a reputation of being extroverted and loves to sing, his friends dared him to stand on a table and sing in front of everyone in Forest Quad.He sang a chorus of Josh Groban’s “You Raise Me Up,” and received a positive response from the students in the dining hall. One of them suggested that he should just go around and sing at every dining hall on campus someday. “For the next couple days this idea grew in my head like a weed, and I was determined to go on a tour in order to have fun, and promote my YouTube channel,” Fipps said. “So I came up with the name for the tour, and got an RPS approval to start off with.”He wanted people to have fun, with each Friday performance being the same for a different crowd of people to witness.“If I can make even one person smile or laugh for a few minutes, I will be content,” he said. “A big part of the college experience is branching out, doing unexpected things, and just letting loose and having a good time.”The tour is free admission and will continue the next four weeks until finals week. Fipps will bring his tour to all the large food courts on campus, such as Gresham, McNutt, Forest and Collins, and it will conclude in Wright where it began.Each Wednesday, he will announce when and where his performance will be and the week’s song on his Facebook page “Ernie Jo Official.”
(03/26/14 3:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Aspiring student filmmakers now have the opportunity to participate in the student film festival Campus MovieFest, which returns to IU this week for the sixth straight year.Students will be given filming equipment to create a five-minute short film in seven days. The production launch, where students can check out the equipment, takes place today.“Students don’t need to be a film major in order to participate in this event,” said Jacob Gabbard, president of the Indiana Student Cinema Guild, which is hosting the festival along with the Business Careers in Entertainment Club.The collection day for this year’s films, when equipment will be collected and films will be turned in before being judged by a panel of 10 judges, is April 1.“The primary goal of Campus MovieFest is to give everyone the chance to produce something of their own and give them a place to showcase it as well,” Hallie Baumann, a fourth-year festival participant, said. “It’s a great forum to show off your skills in, and CMF even provides laptops, cameras and assistance to encourage those who might not have access to production equipment normally to go out and show what they can come up with.”The finale for the festival, where 16 selected films will be unveiled and awards will be given out, will take place at 7:30 p.m. April 6 at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. The event is free.The films may receive awarded in categories such as Best Picture, Best Comedy and Best Drama.Campus MovieFest visits several universities throughout the country and screens the best overall films at an annual event in Hollywood. Gabbard said IU traditionally does well, with films in Hollywood every year.“There is usually a wide variety of film genres and topics to choose from,” Gabbard said. “This gives IU students the opportunity to compete against peers and other competition. This could be one of the most fun times college students can have, with how you get to see a number of really well-made films in the Bloomington area.”
(03/12/14 3:51am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Athletes need to stay active to compete during their careers, but it might prove painful later in life. The IU School of Public Health conducted a recent study revealing elite college athletes might face mid-life health consequences.The study was led by Janet Simon, an associate instructor/doctoral candidate in the IU School of Public Health. The study was featured in the American Journal of Sports Medicine this month.“To be honest, I thought that former Division I athletes may complain of more serious injuries, which may cause physical limitations and pain than non-student-athletes,” Simon said. “However, I was surprised that the former Division I athletes also scored worse on the depression, fatigue and sleep disturbances scales.”Division I athletes compete at the highest level of intercollegiate athletics in the country. Simon’s inspiration for the study came from meeting a Division I athlete who spoke about his previous injuries from college and how they have affected his ability to stay active with accomplishing tasks in his everyday life. She said his story made her wonder if there are other athletes like him. Simon sent out questionnaires about health-related quality of life to former Division I athletes, ages 40 to 64.Her study analyzed questionnaires from 232 former Division I athletes and 225 non-collegiate athletes.When Simon compared her studies on former Division I athletes to non-athletes who were physically active in college and then the general U.S. population, it appeared the second group reported the best quality of life, followed by the general U.S. population.Simon said the reason the lowest qualities of life were reported by former Divison I athletes was simple.“Former Division I athletes sustain more injuries and possibly more severe injuries due to the rigor of their sport,” she said.According to her results, the former Division I athletes were more than twice as likely as non-athletes to report physical activity limitations to daily activities and exercise.She discovered 67 percent of the athletes reported sustaining a major injury and 50 percent reported chronic injuries, compared to 28 percent and 26 percent respectively for non-athletes.In regards to current IU students, Simon said all individuals should stay active, despite their athletic past.“Many of the Division I sports are not lifelong sports, so it is important for the athletes to find sports and activities that can keep them active as they age,” Simon said. “Transitioning from a Division I athlete to a recreational athlete is hard, especially in sports such as football that may not translate as well to the recreational athlete lifestyle.”
(03/11/14 3:50am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Folk-pop trio Pearl and the Beard will perform tonight at 8 p.m. at the Bluebird Nightclub.Emily Hope Price, vocalist and cellist for the band, said the trio went from being a normal folk group to having a more intensified sound in order to appeal to music fans of many genres.“Our group has grown through the years, going from acoustic instruments to a more amplified sound in every genre by incorporating electric instruments and drums,” Price said.Pearl and the Beard has released four albums since 2009. Along with Price, the group consists of Jocelyn Mackenzie and Jeremy Styles. All three members are vocalists and play instruments such as cello, guitar, glockenspiel, accordion and drums.Price, Mackenzie and Styles met and formed Pearl and the Beard while performing at open mic nights in New York City. “It was a transformative experience for all of us,” Price said. “This was the first time I ever performed with my cello, and we all came together, exploring our love for folk song craft.”Since then, the three individuals have produced records with a variety of instrumentals.All three members co-write the group’s songs by alternating from person to person who puts their own introspective and cinematic focus on the lyrics while the rest of the group offers input. “It is truly a great opportunity for us to come to Bloomington, because this performance will be more attuned to the listening experience,” Price said. “This will be a different kind of concert set from going to a normal concert where visuals are everything.” Pearl and the Beard are coming to the Bluebird as part of the venue’s monthly Communion tour, which takes place on the second Tuesday of every month. The band is the only one playing in all nine cities of the tour.Tickets to tonight’s show are $11-15 and attendees must be at least 21 years of age.“Pearl and the Beard have always been firm supporters of Communion Records,” said Molly Moltzen, a member of the band’s management team. “They have always had a great connection with the company, and we’re honored to join the tour with them. What makes Pearl and the Beard so great is how they play the type of music that tackles what music is all about, and that’s bringing people together as a community through sound.”
(03/07/14 4:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Thursday night, the IU Auditorium was flooded with little girls dressed in yellow princess dresses and crowns, all in deep preparation for their favorite Disney film brought to life.The famous Broadway musical “Beauty and the Beast” premiered at the auditorium at 7:30 p.m.“This show is based off of the standard Broadway production, but this is the first year that the IU Auditorium will be showing its updated state,” said Karyn McNay, auditorium marketing manager.“The play itself was just updated a few years ago with its set, costumes and musical numbers, so this is the first year that we are staging its new conception.” Almost every seat was reserved before the show started. Friday’s show will also begin at 7:30 p.m. and is nearly sold out. Tickets are available for purchase on the IU Auditorium’s website.This is the second time the IU Auditorium played “Beauty and the Beast,” with the team previously staging it in March 2010.“Beauty and the Beast” was directed by Rob Roth, and starred Hilary Maiberger and Darick Pead as the lead roles of Belle and the Beast.“We are happy to bring this classic tale back to the IU Auditorium stage, and are excited to see the how this beautiful story has been reimagined for its newest tour,” Booher said. “This production promises dazzling numbers, lavish sets and costumes, and unforgettable characters that will delight audiences of all ages.” The stage was decorated in an exotic French Gothic style with detailed curtains and lights picturesque of Disney style, and was also inspired by the original Broadway musical. Sponsored by B97 radio, the Herald-Times and the Curry Auto Center, the sponsors attended to present “Kids Night on Broadway” in conjunction with the presentation.Themed activities including a “Chip’s Tea Cup Toss” game and “Belle’s Book Drive,” were organized in the lobby before the show.Participants could donate used books to the Indiana South Central Community Action Head Start program through the book drive.Bloomington resident Jacob Ryder conveyed his enthusiasm about “Beauty and the Beast” coming back to the auditorium.“This is one of my all-time favorite Disney films. Words cannot express how excited I am,” Ryder said. “Indiana University always seems to deliver with all of their musicals and other play productions, so I have no doubt in my mind that this show will do incredibly well this weekend as well.”
(03/04/14 3:13am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>March is Disability Awareness Month in Indiana, where more than 19 percent of the population has disabilities.According to the Indiana Disability Awareness Month website, the theme for this year is “Dream to Dare,” which aims to inspire and encourage people to rethink the community around them.In recognition of Disability Awareness Month, IU Cinema teamed up with Stone Belt Arc and the Sprout Film Festival for the Sprout Shorts Program, a short film program relating to the field of developmental disabilities. The free event will take place at 7 p.m. tonight at IU Cinema. Stone Belt’s Director of Development Lori Garraghty worked with IU Cinema for the formation of the program and watched all of the selected films.“The general purpose that the Sprout organization intends with this festival is to show collections of films that are produced (by), directed (by) and stars individuals with disabilities,” Garraghty said. “People with developmental disabilities as subjects and performers remain marginalized and are never explored much in the media. Some of the films displayed are dramatic, while others are comedic.”Eight documentaries, which come from Australia, Spain, Poland, the U.K. and the U.S., will be screened as part of the program. The films include “Against the Fence — The Riley Campbell Story,” “3:15 to Brunswick,” “Dancing with Downs,” “The Ups of Downs” and “Recycling of Souls.”Garraghty said some of the films brought tears to her eyes and some made her laugh out loud. She wanted a variety of films to pertain to everyone’s interests.“Recycling of Souls” explores the topic of employment opportunities for those with disabilities, a topic Garraghty wanted to bring exposure to.“I want the public to be aware on important issues such as employment for disabled citizens, since they want to work and find their certain interest through workshops,” Garraghty said. “Stone Belt is always looking for employment opportunities for clients, since not many IU students are aware that a lot of those clients work all over the IU Campus.”The Sprout Film Festival’s main goal of this event is to present films that display artistry and intellect, and in turn reinforce an accurate portrayal of people with developmental disabilities.In addition, Garraghty said, Stone Belt aims to get its name out so it can continue its goal around the Bloomington area of breaking down the stereotypes and promoting diversity in the general population.
(03/03/14 4:07am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>About 600 people filled the IU Art Museum on Saturday to see works by artists still in elementary school.Specially selected artwork by local students in kindergarten to sixth grade were displayed in the museum’s Solley Atrium. The event celebrated Youth Art Month, which runs through March.Many school systems across the country, including Monroe County Community School Corporation, are participating by staging galleries and promoting their students’ best artwork.Edward Maxedon, IU Art Museum curator of education, was in charge of the reception.“We are proud to sponsor this art event for its 19th annual year,” Maxedon said “We wanted to pique the viewers’ curiosity, inspiring creative thoughts and questioning with their interpretations of each piece from the student galleries.”The artwork was displayed on the second floor of the Solley gallery, showcasing a wide variety of art media such as water color, pastel, colored pencil and paper cutouts.“It’s great to see that our child has artistic talent because there is certainly none in the rest of our family,” parent Chris Morrison said. “We are proud to see that Indiana University is giving the Monroe County some wide exposure with their clearly talented young art program.”Some of the MCCSC student artists and teachers received special recognition.The gallery highlighted the museum’s structured tour program by giving 15-minute introductory, concurrent tours of the specialized galleries for the families and students, trying to promote multi-generational learning.The tours were separated by grades. Galleries focused on some of the best pieces, including animals in art, arts through shapes, introduction to an art museum, communities and world cultures.Maxedon said he felt the event was a bigger success than the previous 18 years because attendance increased and about 20 volunteers took part. “It was truly extraordinary how this year we got close to 600 attendants at the event, and all the staff from the museum’s department were involved,” Maxedon said.“We also had a wonderful backing from all of our donors and sponsors. Each year the Youth Arts Exhibit gets better and better, and this one was the best yet.”