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STArt  Now  Blog

Artists'   tales

We have so many great interactions with artisans near and far, local and national, that we decided to start a blog about all of the exciting stories and experiences we have! Read Below!

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Equality   in    sports

5/5/2022

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Women in sports are mistreated, undervalued, and stereotyped even on a local level here in St. Augustine, albeit less drastic . After seeing the treatment women receive in sports I was disheartened. As a female athlete myself, I empathize with these athletes. I wrote the following articles to give female athletes a voice and bring to the publics attention some of the adversity they have to face in their daily lives. I am hoping you’ll also be inspired to use your voice to help women in sports as they fight to reach complete and full equality on all levels of play.
 

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#12 Katie Stubits, Phoebe Licence Soccer, #14 Sadie Davis, #15 Jazzy Mathis, #18 Amanda Fernandez. All current Flagler College Saints Players.

Gabby Alfveby, Author

Current Flagler College student, writer, and athlete. Gabby is also the journalist intern for STArt Now's partner Narrow Magazine.

Kathryn  Hennessy, photographer

Current Flagler College student and freelance photographer as well as Narrow Magazines additional intern.

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equality   in   sports  series

5/5/2022

1 Comment

 

Equality  in   basketball

Women’s basketball faces inequalities compared to their male counterparts on all playing levels of basketball. Gender inequality in women's basketball has occurred for a few decades now.
WNBA players' average salary during the 2019-2020 season was less than $80,000 while the NBA average salary was $7.4 million.
 
Sedona Prince caught the eyes of the nation during last year's March Madness tournament when she exposed the NCAA for the lack of fair treatment women were receiving. Prince posted a video on the social media platform, TikTok, showcasing the difference in weight room sizes, meals, and gear the players received.​

We see this filter down to our own local schools. Flagler College is a subsequent victim to gender inequality in basketball.
 
The women’s basketball team at Flagler College experiences a minuscule locker room, equipment differences, travel mistreatment, scarce promotion and low fan attendance. These inequalities affect the lives of these players on and off the court in both a mental and physical capacity.
 
Players for the women’s team feel their locker room is clustered and cramped, making their experience uncomfortable. On the contrary, according to fans and players, the men's basketball team has what some might refer to as a luxurious feel including a gaming system, massage chairs and an ample amount of space in their locker room.
 
The women's basketball team suffers on a sartorial level as well. Members discussed that the men have newer practice jerseys than they do. Taylor Gardner, a point guard wears number 5 for the Flagler Saints women's basketball team and brought to attention the conditions of the practice jerseys they wear.
 “I guess jerseys would be another thing, too. They have newer jerseys, and I just got here so I’m not sure but our practice jerseys seem like they’re very old,” Gardener said.
 
Traveling seems to be strongly controversial. Flagler female basketball players aren’t satisfied with their unequal treatment while traveling for games.
 
“They get hotels every time they travel. They go the day before every time they travel. And there will be some times where we have to leave the day of because we can’t afford a hotel. So we have to… stay on a bus for five hours and then play a game that same day,” Gardner said.
 
Women’s basketball suffers in the marketing realm as well and is simply not promoted as much as the men's games. This isn’t just on a regional and Flagler level, but on a coinciding national level. Sue Bird, a Seattle Storm point guard in the WNBA, discussed promotion equity. Bird doesn’t think they should be paid the same as the NBA. People immediately jump to the conclusion that female basketball players just want money when they call for equality, but what they really want is fair promotion.

“We're just like, 'Could I get the same media coverage, and the corporate sponsor looks, and things like that?,” Bird said while discussing the unequal coverage women's games receive.
 
The WNBA has to build what they do without fair media coverage. Once they are more successful as a business the money will be received, or so that is what many believe.

Fan attendance has been discussed in the WNBA at great length, but also at Flagler College. The men's basketball games at Flagler are usually packed while the women's games have a small attendance rate. Flagler women's basketball players are affected by the audience differences.
 
Benge thinks fans can do more to fix the disparities the women's team faces against their male counterparts.

“I would say notice the differences. When fans come you can even see the fan count difference,” Benge said. “People start showing up fourth-quarter cause they know the boys play after us and I guess people who actually care, they could notice that and say something.”
 
Family members of the Flagler College women's basketball players have noticed inequality issues. Gardner's sister was able to attend a game this season and was shocked when she arrived at the game.
 
“The first thing she said to me when I sat down to watch the boy’s game with her was, ‘What the heck does nobody notice how this is so much more hype than yours,'” Gardner said. “She was like, ‘Why are there so many more people here?’ I was trying to explain to her that they just receive more attention and she said we need to do something.”

Some people may argue that the women's team needs to win more and bring in more revenue in order to have some of the privileges and respect that the men's team has but this has turned into monetary favoritism. The men's team has had equipment donated to them that the women didn’t receive.
 
Flagler College women's basketball head coach Mo Smith talked about where some of the extra equipment came from.

“The massage chairs you reference were also donated items,” Smith said.

Women’s basketball can’t grow in popularity without receiving equal opportunities and treatment regardless if they are winning or not.
 
Jazzy Mathis, a guard and number 5 for the Saints feels undervalued compared to her male counterparts.

“I feel like they’re looked at as just better than us. Even I remember when we were winning a lot more than they were, it was always about their team, it’s always about them. So, I feel like the focus is always on them. Even since madness, I don’t know if you remember that like literally, we were just hiding behind them. It was literally all about them. We were just showing up, and as soon as our coach started talking everybody left. So that’s just kinda disrespectful,” Mathis said.
 
Women’s basketball has to continue to take steps if they want to end inequality. Flagler as a community needs to show up and support female athletes.

“We practice the same amount of hours as the boys, play the same amount of games. We may not win as much but we're still putting in the effort, the same amount of effort as they are,” Benge said. “It's not just supporting the guys' team, it's supporting the school, the whole program. So if you come to support the guys, you should want to come support the girls too.”
 
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Jazzy Mathis, Current Flagler Saints Basketball player

Gabby alfveby, author

Current Flagler College student, writer, and athlete. gabby is also the journalist intern for STArt Now's partner, Narrow Magazine

Kathryn  Hennessy, photographer

Kathryn is a current Flagler College student and freelance photographer as well as Narrow Magazines additional intern

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equality  in  sports  series

5/5/2022

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Equality   in   soccer

4:0. This is the ratio of world cup titles between the U.S. women's soccer team and the U.S. men's soccer team. Women’s sports, including soccer, have faced differences and inequality for decades now. The women's national team has won 4 World Cups, while the men’s team have won zero, but regardless of the success the USWNT (U.S. Women’s National Team) has had, they still get treated lower than their male counterparts.
 
The USWNT fought this inequality, led by veteran players like Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, and Carli Lloyd. It has been a long, treacherous fight that has been argued for nearly 6 years. In February 2022, Rapinoe and her USWNT teammates were able to receive an equal pay settlement after receiving a salary that was much less than their male counterparts for years. Kristine Lilly, U.S. soccer hall of fame player, played for the USWNT from 1987-2010. Lilly played in 5 World Cups and is the youngest and oldest player to score a WC goal, but despite this she wasn’t able to experience the equal pay settlement that is currently happening.
 
To put this into comparison and show the level of disparity that existed: the USWNT brought in $20 million in revenue during the 2015-2016 season, but despite this, they were still paid four times less than the men’s team. Then in 2019, the Women’s World cup was the most-watched soccer match broadcast in English for men or women in U.S. history. There were 1.2 billion viewers and they were still paid less.​

The equal pay settlement consists of a $24 million payment in an attempt to equalize pay. The payment will be distributed to current and some former USWNT players. U.S. Soccer then promised or pledged to equalize pay between the men and women’s teams for all situations such as the World Cup. The fight for equality is not done yet as USWNT players won’t stop until they see the money in their hands and promises being kept. Carlos Cordeiro was the previous President of the U.S. Soccer Federation and has resigned in 2020 due to the equal pay lawsuit. Cordeiro resigned after the USSF claimed in a lawsuit document that female soccer players “do not perform equal work requiring skill [and] effort” compared to male players who have more “speed and strength.”
 
Flagler College is home to both male and female soccer teams. Fortunately, the two teams don’t have much of a disparity besides the fact that it isn’t easy to be a female in sports. There are preconceived ideas and stereotypes such as ‘you run like a girl’ that female athletes have to experience throughout their careers. If you search on Flagler College’s newspaper website The Gargoyle, there is not one singular article about women's soccer. There is a problem with promoting women's sports at Flagler College. Campus-wide sports announcements usually feature the men's sports teams.

Although some equity exists between these teams, there is still growth potential in promotion efforts. The women’s soccer team at Flagler isn’t talked about enough or promoted.
 
Phoebe Licence, a junior midfielder and number 12 for the Saints, has been playing soccer for 17 years and is originally from England. Licence finds the equal pay settlement to be admirable and admires their efforts.

“I think it's just knowing that if you fight for what you believe in and stuff that it helps a lot and this has been a big step in how women will be treated in sports professionally,” Licence said with thoughts of her own future soccer career in mind.
 
The equal pay settlement is a big step for women's soccer and women's sports in general. There is still so much more to accomplish to end inequality. The equal pay settlement doesn’t just affect pro players but also female players at all levels including Flagler women's soccer team. The settlement affects them because it motivates younger generations of players to continue following the path to equality. These players look up to the U.S. women’s soccer stars.
 
Ashley Martin, the Flagler women’s soccer team’s head coach, has been coaching soccer since he was just 17 years old. As a coach who has experience coaching for 23 years, Martin is supportive of equity in women's soccer, especially as a father. Martin had coached female soccer players for 4 years at Slippery Rock University prior to his current 8 seasons at Flagler.

“I've been in and around Flagler athletics for more than 15 years now and so you know it's not something that we deal with here, fortunately. I’m a parent of two little girls and you know I want them to be afforded the same opportunities as if I had sons,” Martin said.

Flagler soccer players don’t see inequalities because they are protected by Title IX and the NCAA, but who protects female athletes who don’t have the privilege of having this protection?
 
Although, Coach Martin has been around Flagler athletics for awhile and thinks otherwise.

“I don't think that there's any sort of issues here with gender and equity but I've been here a long time. I mean I played here, I'm a Flagler grad,” Martin said.
 
The inequality between men’s and women’s soccer at Flagler College is not necessarily apparent because it seems to be “swept under the carpet” because of the contracts of protection that they are under. There will, for the foreseeable future, be inequalities between men and women because of how society has been structured. Just because people can't see inequalities because of these protections doesn’t mean they don’t exist.
 
Title IX is reaching its 50-year anniversary this year and protects individuals from experiencing gender inequity in education and athletics.
 
Jessica Kobryn, the Title IX coordinator for Flagler College, was a division I female athlete in college. Kobryn has been the coordinator for 4 ½ years. The way Title IX handles equity is different than what someone not directly involved would think. 
“Basically, the way sports works is that it just has to be equitable somewhere. So, this is kind of a super oversimplified example but like if the women's basketball team takes a trip to New York City, then just another men's team has to have the opportunity to take a trip somewhere. It doesn't have to be the men's basketball team. It could be the golf team or the tennis team but they just have to provide that opportunity to both genders when it comes to sports,” Kobryn said.
 
An equality that may not be recognized is how hard it is to be a female athlete. Stereotypes, labels, and rude phrases are shouted at sporting events and written in newspaper headlines. Society has this idea that women can't do what men can do which isn’t true.

Licence is affected by these acts as a female soccer player.

“I think it’s upsetting to hear honestly,” Licence said.

Since Licence’s future is on the line and if equality doesn’t progress then she may be targeted by some of these phrases in the future which is why the USWNT is fighting for equality.

The USWNT has been more successful than the men. At Flagler College, both the men’s and women’s team have won 4 Peach Belt Conference championships.


Females in sports face challenges that no athlete should have to experience. The USWNT needs all the support they could get including help from society to continue the journey towards ending disparities. Talking about the problems and spreading awareness is a great way to help this movement. Female athletes deserve to be treated equally and provided with the tools necessary to succeed not only in sports but in their lives too. Yet, granted the existence of gender inequality, women’s sports have improved enormously in the last decade as they seek full equality for future generations of women and women athletes.
 



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Phoebe Licence, current Flagler Saints soccer player

Gabby Alfveby, author

Current Flagler College student, writer, and athlete. gabby is also the journalist intern for STArt Now's partner, Narrow Magazine

Kathryn  hennessy, photographer

Kathryn is a current Flagler College student and freelance photographer as well as Narrow Magazines additional intern

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Equality  in  sports  Series

5/5/2022

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Equality  in   lacrosse


In a society where women’s inequality is unlearned and less apparent due to societal expectations acting as a parasite to the sport of female lacrosse, it makes players just want to be treated as an athlete rather than a “girl.” Nationwide, female athletes face inequalities. Everything from the rules, uniform, equipment and the way they are looked at is different from their male counterparts.
 
Many women want to be able to be as physical as their male peers are in lacrosse, but instead they have resorted to a more technical style of play as an alternative to the sport of play that is predominantly dictated by physical contact since biased game rules have restricted them.​

Kaleigh Bruss is an attacker for the Flagler College Lacrosse team and wears jersey number 29. She is disheartened that women can’t be physical like their male counterparts.

“It's not as physical and I wish that it was more physical and it was a contact sport,” Bruss said. “I think that also with women’s lacrosse it is a lot more complex because you can't make contact.”
 
Even the tools and equipment needed for play are affected in Women’s lacrosse. Sticks for the female team are made out of thick strings or leathers which are usually tied tightly and run lengthwise, making the pocket of the stick shallow. On the contrary, the men’s lacrosse sticks are made of mesh and have a soft deep pocket making it easier to cradle and keep the ball inside the stick pocket. This is an evident difference that corresponds with systematic gender roles.

“It's so much harder to have to cradle with a woman's stick,” Bruss said. “The men’s are deeper and so it's a completely different thing like with stickhandling it's so much harder to really control the ball.”
 
A female lacrosse stick demands for players to have more mental skill and composure than their male counterparts. Even though mental skill is not a negative quality to have, equity is still at stake. Grant Kelam, Flagler's women’s lacrosse head coach, acknowledges how much harder it is to throw and catch with a women's stick.
 
“So one of the biggest things is the amount of talent and skill required in women's lacrosse versus men's lacrosse,” Kelam said. “And with a women's stick you have to be fundamentally sound in order to throw the ball accurately and efficiently, consistently. And so I tell them all the time, like hey, you're looking to correct that guy's throwing mechanics. Give them a women's stick, because they won't be able to throw sidearm with a women's stick.”
 
Female lacrosse players are still forced to wear skirts instead of shorts for their uniform. This is a gendered idea that was inserted into the women’s game of lacrosse. Kelam is supportive with his team and makes sure at all costs that they are going to be treated equally. Women and their rights are backed by male allies and not just supported by other females.
 
“And one of the big things that I think I've done with the teams that I've coached is that my roster, see, I'm not just going to take no for an answer. We demand to be treated equally, at every turn. It's not okay. And I think with my upbringing, and you know, being on the men's side of sports growing up, I know what we were given on men’s teams, right,” Kelam said.

Female Lacrosse players are unsatisfied that, in men’s lacrosse, checking is allowed while in women's lacrosse it is not. The players feel as if they are being looked at as unable to handle contact when lacrosse is supposed to be a contact sport. This also exemplifies the treatment of bias they receive.
 
“So I really know the men’s sport [lacrosse] pretty well,” Davis said, alluding to growing up watching her brothers play. “Honestly I feel like the women aren't given enough credit. I feel like it could be a lot more of a physical sport but given the rules we aren't given the opportunity to play like the guys.”

The lacrosse field size for the men's team is 110x60-yards but the women's field is thirty yards longer and stands at a size of 120x70 yards. These differences can lead to more fatigue for female players. This could tie into the original systematic issue of suppressing women not only in sports but education and ownership as well.
 
There are stereotypes that are put on female athletes that affect the players. Flagler College players feel the judgment on the field including Sadie Davis, a freshman defender, who wears jersey number 14 for the Saints.

“I think being a female athlete in any sport is pretty difficult but lacrosse itself is such an underrated sport that I feel like there is a lot more judgment to go there. I just feel like it's a lot of pressure, a lot of pressure to succeed and do well,” Davis said.
 
The NCAA spends about $53,211 to promote the Division I men’s lacrosse championship but only about $17,396 on the women's championship. In the 2021 championships the NCAA made sure that the staff was more equal in comparison to the men's championship. If you are unfamiliar with what happened during last year's march madness, Oregon forward Sedona Prince showed the meal differences, equipment differences and other actions of inequality that the women player faced in a TikTok video. Prince’s viral march madness video encouraged other sports to make changes to make sure they are treating men's and women's sports equally.
 
Flagler female lacrosse players think they don’t have equal rules because they are undervalued.
“They don't believe that all girls can play that level but I mean you look at top five Division One schools and they're shooting 100mph,” Davis said.
 
Will Horn, a sophomore men's lacrosse player at Flagler shows support for female lacrosse players.

“I don’t think that they should be confined to skirts because they’re girls. They also should not be looked at differently due to their gender,” Horn said.
 
Gender inequality in sports is a controversial issue that will continue to be discussed until there is a resolution. The only way to diminish the gap between men and women is by continuing the discussion of these issues. Female athletes deserve to feel equally appreciated and treated. Women’s sports aren’t publicized as much as men's sports and this change can make a difference.
 
Even though female athletes are undervalued they are still able to confide in one another. The Flagler Women's lacrosse team is like a family and is always there for one another.

“We're all coming from different places, different backgrounds and having a group of girls coming to this place where you know now people are from here and you can just rely on each other,” Bruss said.

Bruss enjoys building the relationships she has cultivated. Her previous coaches engraved in her mind the importance of team chemistry for female sports.

“They [Bruss’ coaches] said that the girls that they played with in college where the girls that like were their bridesmaids,” Bruss said. “Having the aspect of family away from home and girls who play sports. I feel like her, more grittier you know.”


Fixing inequality in women's sports has to start with women. Women need to support women if they want to see change. Coach Kelam urges this mutual support and camaraderie.

“So if you want people to care about women's sports, women have to show up to women's sports,” Kelam said. “As women, we need to go support the softball team. We need to go support the tennis team. We need to go support the Women's Lacrosse team and get out there and enjoy watching our fellow classmates and what not and compete at what they do and cheer them on. Because that, I think, is the one thing that is still missing in the final piece of the puzzle.”
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#88 Lauren Ribadeneira, #12 Katie Stubits, #29 Kaleigh Bruss, #18 Amanda Fernandez, #14 Sadie Davis. Current Flagler College Saints lacrosse players

Gabby  Alfveby, author

Current Flagler College student, writer and athlete. Gabby is also the journalist intern for STArt Now's partner, Narrow Magazine

Kathryn  Hennessy, photographer

Kathryn is a current Flagler College student and freelance photographer as well as Narrow Magazines additional intern

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Super  Girl  Pro   DJ  JUDGE

1/14/2022

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Judging the Surfer Girl pro DJ competition was an enlightening and exciting experience.
The competition started in California several years ago, and in November 2021 they decided to leave Cali for the first time and come to Jax Beach. The main competition is for surfers, but the weekend long event has grown into a festival dedicated to women’s empowerment and their representation in male dominated careers. The DJ industry is one of those fields where majority of people only know of one or two females, and those are usually highly sexualized and not focused on talent.

The finalists I had a privilege to judge showed true talent and a dedication to their craft. Each one was unique, and their own personal style was represented. DJ JV had a more electronic and light timed show with European influences.  DJ Patty Clover had a scratch vintage vibe with her record spinning and timing. DJ Dopamine and DJ Krista Mac had a more relatable style and both blended genres seamlessly.  
 
While all the competitors did amazing, the top 4 blew us away and led to the high scores and ranking based on the judging criteria. Myself and my fellow judge, local favorite, DJ Squish, judged based on creativity, technique, use of the time allotted, and their transitions. We agreed on each ranking in each round and by the final third round there was a tough decision to be made when DJ Patty Clover, DJ Krista Mac, and DJ JV battled it out.  DJ Patty Clover won, JV came in second, and Krista Mac won bronze.
 
Being the only female judge on the panel, I felt a unique sense of pride in each competing lady during every round they performed, and when I looked out on the crowd from the stage and watched the group of young girls dancing in the field grow bigger and bigger, I was filled with even more pride. Those girls were able to see women represented on stage and in positions of power, meaning it would not be a foreign concept to them as it has been to me and many of others in my generation. 
 
Since the competition I have kept up with these strong leading females and am even more impressed. They use their platforms for good. Some use their celebrity to advocate for awareness and equal rights, while others use it to further their career and are setting a standard of women in music, a standard that is growing but not yet equal. These women are setting the stage for female generations to come and doing an amazing job of it.
 
I encourage you to follow them and listen to their music. Support them, they are more than deserving and are leading the way for the future!
- Sway 
​
DJ Judges
@swaydifeo
@squish_dj
​@realtimemanagement
  DJ Competitors
DJ Patty Clover :  @pattyclover
DJ JV :  @janevanderbiltmusic
DJ Krista Mac : @djkristamac
DJ Dopamine:  @djdopamine

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Passionately Interesting

11/22/2021

2 Comments

 
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​By Julia Corrie
 
Mike “Smoka Rocha” was an interesting character, he was like no other musician I have spoken with before. He spoke so passionately about his music, and it blew my mind when he said he has recorded at least one song every day for the past year.
 
He had worked with many bands before, and enjoyed the teamwork aspect of making music together. The problem with musicians, though, is that not all of them are as passionate as Mike is, and he would sometimes rather move forward on his own if that means he would be taking that chance of booking a gig or being picked up as an artist. 
 
Mike emphasized the importance of putting yourself out there, especially as a solo musician trying to get different gigs booked or gaining a larger following. Sending people your music, reaching out and keeping up with venues, there is a lot of work that goes into it. 
 
At the end of our interview, he played me a song he had recorded the night before, called “Black Sheep.” He said he was the black sheep of his family, so the title seemed more than fitting. His upcoming albums are sure to be successes, as he’s been working on them for so long and has put serious thought into each.
 
Titles like Arkham (11/25) and Ghost Town (12/30) are all about hearing the voices in your head and hearing from those that you’ve lost, and will have a variety of musical influences on each. Mike was also excited about Hold the Mike (1/1/22) and All Natural (2/14/222), which are both acoustic albums of previous music, and also holding some new tracks. 
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Feeling  your  feelings

11/15/2021

1 Comment

 
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One of my favorite quotes is: “If you aren’t vulnerable there is a lot less pain, but a lot less love.”
 
Being vulnerable and feeling your feelings is a scary ordeal. It can be uncomfortable to sit alone with your thoughts and feel the “bad feelings.” 
 
An underlying theme I have seen woven throughout each interview I have with musicians is the way music allows them to be vulnerable and share their feelings. It’s therapeutic, it’s freeing, and their vulnerability inspires others, like me, to not keep feelings bottled up. 
 
Opening up in his newest album “loneliness in the presence of company,” Ethan Jewell gives an ode to a feeling we all may know too well: loneliness. 
 
Jewell’s words are real and raw, a type of “musical poetry,” as he describes it. His vulnerability helps listeners as we listen to him navigate through a dark period. His words let us know we aren’t alone in our loneliness, which maybe means we are never really alone. In his outro, Jewell shares “after all, there’s no better company than myself.” 
 
We’ve probably all gone through seasons of loneliness, but it’s important we are vulnerable with ourselves during these times. When we aren’t vulnerable and when we don’t allow ourselves to truly get to feel our feelings, we close ourselves off from opportunities, people, and the space for new, “good feelings” to come about. 
 
Please be vulnerable in a world that tells you it’s cool not to care, in a world that tells you having feelings is a sign of weakness. Never be ashamed for saying how you feel, for caring for others. Protect your peace. Be conscious of who or what you put your energy towards. If people shy away from your vulnerability, know that these are not your people. 
 
And while I’m not a musician, it’s important to find that outlet where you can be in your most vulnerable form. For me, that’s journaling. For Jewell, it’s in his songwriting. 
 
Be vulnerable even when it’s hard and know you are never truly alone in your feelings. 
 
It’s cool to feel your feelings and musicians like Ethan Jewell inspire us to be open and content in our “loneliness.” 
​
  By Maiya Mahoney
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Becoming My favorite

11/10/2021

1 Comment

 
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I attended the press conference for Holly Humberstone on Sept. 22, and she has since become one of my top favorite up and coming artists. Holly is going on tour with Girl in Red in the Spring, and I am already searching for the first opportunity to attend one of their shows.
 
One of the things I really enjoyed about the interview with Holly was that she was incredibly vulnerable about her music and what it means to her. Her song “Haunted House” had a different vibe after the interview, because she explained how it was about moving out of her childhood home. She cherished the memories there, and now all of the light and the joy was going to be taken out of it. Hearing her speak so passionately about the stories she tells in her songs was incredibly inspiring. I could definitely relate to this story, as I was in a similar situation when I was growing up.
 
By far, my favorite song of hers is “Overkill,” I feel like I listen to it every day. It’s all about putting yourself out there without the fear of coming off as too much, and what that feels like through her eyes. Not only is it a great song, I can relate to the lyrics like no other song of hers. I hope to speak with her again soon, and hopefully attend one of Holly’s shows in the spring of 2022. 
By Julia Corrie 
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sitting down with brady james

10/27/2021

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Brady James is a 23-year-old musician from Long Island, NY with big dreams for his music. Blending elements of pop, alternative, and so much more, Brady James was one of the kindest artists I have ever had the pleasure of interviewing one-on-one.

In my interview with Brady, I learned a lot about his process when writing music and creating content for his listeners. One of the best stories he told me was when he was growing up, he would use his seatbelt in the car as an imaginary guitar, because he never learned how to play a real one. Now he is slowly but surely getting better at playing a real guitar, but there’s no doubt in my mind he still goes to the seatbelt every once in a while for inspiration. 

He has been on a kind of musical hiatus, after building a small but solid fan base over the past 3 years. Now, his ultimate goal is to reconnect with his fans, and to create a world for his music. If his story and past struggles could help other people move forward, it keeps him going and wanting to make more music. 

When talking about the writing process, he was so passionate about every step to get to the final product. He wanted to get as many hands on it as possible, after starting with a few simple piano or guitar chords. Trusting people’s advice and opinions on your music has been a challenge for Brady, but he made it clear that he has an inner circle working with him and supporting him along the way. 

Brady James dropped his most recent single, “TRY YOU” on Sept. 17, the music video is here. His visuals for this song are, in one word, mesmerizing. If this is the kind of work he is releasing for singles, I can only imagine what will come in the future.

Watch the "TRY YOU" video.

Post by: Julia Corrie
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connecting with the greeting committee

10/27/2021

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Picture
With a song for every emotion and season of life, Dandelion continues to be a go-to album for my day-to-day existence. Driving up and down A1A, I blast “Make Out” through my one car speaker. Yes, one car speaker, because the other speaker is blown out from my many other therapeutic jam sessions. The salty wind blows through my hair as I sing “Let’s just make out / What’s the harm now?” 
 
After chatting with The Greeting Committee, I instantly set a reminder on my phone for the album release. The band’s energy and passion was evident through the screen and I was inspired by their vulnerability. 
 
Lead singer Addison Sartino and I both have Leo placements in our birth charts and both agreed it's easy for us to be vulnerable. Us Leos do love talking about ourselves. For Sartino, this vulnerability was shown easily through her songwriting.   
 
As a 22-year-old, I also could relate to 23-year-old Sartino who spoke about watching her life a lot of days instead of living it. With graduation around the corner, I definitely feel as If I am going through the motions and feel lost. The unknown future can be scary and feeling the pressure, even at a young age, to find and reach your fullest potential. 
 
A lot of The Greeting Committee’s new album Dandelion touches on grief, breakups, and life itself. Dandelion is one of those albums that puts what you are feeling into words. 
 
Their song “Make Out” on their new album Dandelion has become a favorite of mine and when I first heard it during the press conference I knew I would be listening to the song on repeat. A more upbeat, quirky vibe compared to the other songs on Dandelion, “Make Out” shares how love can be innocent and carefree. “She's eating pickles from a jar, I think I love her / That girl I met inside a bar in East Virginia.” 
 
Go add “Make Out” by The Greeting Committee to your current Spotify, car jam-session playlist. You can thank me later.  

Post by: Maiya Mahoney
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