The “Beginnings” of a story
As students return to Ball State’s campus, art at the Ned and Gloria Griner Art Gallery in the new exhibit, “Beginnings,” showing art from 2021 freshman students in the School of Art, welcomes them.
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As students return to Ball State’s campus, art at the Ned and Gloria Griner Art Gallery in the new exhibit, “Beginnings,” showing art from 2021 freshman students in the School of Art, welcomes them.
The first Thursday of every month, Muncie Community Events holds an event in DWNTWN Muncie titled, “First Thursday. First Thursday gives local artists a chance to highlight their work to the community by allowing guests to walk through a gallery of their artwork.
July 23, 2022, the David Owsley Museum of Art is set to host Music at the Museum with violinist Emma Andersen and pianist Bruno Theiss scheduled to perform at 1:30 p.m.
Art on the side of two buildings in downtown Muncie, Indiana, pictured the morning of July 19, 2022. This art not only showcases the artists' ability but promotes the local businesses inside the building the art is featured on. (Kyle Smedley/DN)
A series of photos taken July 12-13, 2022, feature art in downtown Muncie, Indiana. Some photos include art that showcase love for the Muncie area and some simply show art itself. (Kyle Smedley/DN)
Calling all music lovers! If you are looking for an eccentric sound among the wave of alternative pop and R&B in the Muncie area, look no further than May’s Artist of the Month: Imani. On April 26, I had the chance to interview this Ball State University student. His potential was palpable through the screen of our Zoom call. He wore a pink hoodie and much like the color; he exuded a vibrant and chill demeanor. As a first-generation American, born to Jamaican immigrants, he reflects on music's important role in his life. He grew up listening to reggae, dancehall, R&B, and gospel. He traded in his old stomping ground of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, full of palm trees and balmy weather, for the four-season state of Indiana to study musical theater.
In honor of Women’s History Month, several of Byte’s feature writers have compiled a group of groundbreaking female artists that have impacted the music scene in profound and exciting ways. These artists push the envelope and dare to create within a traditionally male dominated-industry.
In the bleak months of February, some people may find themselves in the midst of a mid-winter slump, searching for sanctuary within a harsher climate. This month’s Artist of the Month, singer and cellist Kelsey Lu, sings bewitchingly about the season, “Sudden shiver, taking a dip in a river in winter. Cold breeze caressing frozen cheeks.” Their most recent projects, Blood and Hydroharmonia, soothe the soul through the winter months, bringing promises of healing and hope.
Graham breaks down the exciting announcements made in the most recent Nintendo Direct.
Pop is one of the most recognizable music genres of this millennia. Everyone knows the classic beats, instrumentation, and tone stylization that define pop. While many people prefer the musicality of drums or piano, guitar is my favorite. I find myself constantly searching for new artists who incorporate guitar into their music. I am drawn to the gentle plucks of the strings and the hard-hitting riffs of guitar chords — to the point that I would call myself a guitar connoisseur. In my 18+ years of listening to music, I have never been more impressed with a guitar playing style than when I first heard “What’s My Name” by the artist Miyavi. The Japanese musician's unique guitar slapping, raspy vocals, diverse discography, and ever-evolving fashion style completely enraptured me. When Spotify Wrapped was released at the end of last year, I was happy to note that Miyavi, nicknamed the “Samurai Guitarist," was once again my top artist.
The 1970s are back, decked out in large Bourbon-colored sunglasses, revere collars, Embassy cigarettes, and crushed velvet suits. I absolutely love it! In a world where rap has become the number one musical export, many are left asking where’s the “real R&B” music in 2021? Where did music with instruments, captivating vocal performances, and heart-wrenching climaxes go? Contrary to popular belief it never left. The existence of Childish Gambino, The Internet, Janelle Monae, H.E.R., Kali Uchis, and Miguel are a testament to the modern R&B scene. In March 2021 there was a fortuitous attempt to make R&B mainstream again, thus giving birth to November’s Artist of the Month: Silk Sonic.
The race for the 2021 Game Awards has begun.
When you think of October, what pops into your mind? Is it candy, scary movies, or yellow leaves? For me, October is based around costumes and fun music that inspires my creative side. Last October, during quarantine, I was scrolling through YouTube searching for some music videos to bring me out of the complete boredom of sitting indoors all day. After sifting through indie bands, dance collaborations, 70s hair bands, and 90s hip-hop, I finally landed on “Desco” by Queen Bee. Queen Bee, also known as Ziyoou-vachi, utilizes bright colors, creative themes and costumes, octave changes, and diverse discography completely enraptured me. Recently, I was once again scrolling through YouTube to find the best playlist. Half paying attention to homework, while also trying to find something unique to dress up as on Halloween, I once more came across Queen Bee.
It is National Hispanic Heritage Month and that means the Spanish music on my playlists will be played nonstop to celebrate. In high school, I asked a friend, who was enrolled in a Spanish course, for music recommendations that she had discovered in her class. After sifting through the songs that she suggested, I added some to a playlist. Slowly, I weeded them out and selected the ones that I thought should make it onto my primary playlist. That’s when I recognized there was one repetitive name—Alvaro Soler. After realizing how much I enjoyed his songs, I did a deep dive to listen to more of his discography and became enamored with his music. His song “Sofia” made it onto my most listened to music on Spotify multiple years in a row. Recently I looked back at his Spotify profile to see if he had released any new music and was not disappointed. On July 9, 2021, Soler released another album titled Magia, that rekindled the magic I felt from falling in love with his previous music years ago.
By Anthony Herring Warning: This review contains spoilers for the first season of "Loki” Back in Avengers: Endgame, the Avengers enacted a “Time Heist” where they traveled through time to gather all six Infinity Stones. One of the places that they went to was New York City in 2012, where the final battle of The Avengers occurred. After a dangerous mishap involving the Hulk and a flight of stairs, the Avengers fail in gaining the Tesseract (Space Stone), and it ends up in the hands of none other than Loki. With the Stone in his possession, he disappears. That was the last time we all saw him, and none of us knew when he would see him again. Everything changed in 2019, where it was revealed that Loki’s story would continue in a Disney+ show, aptly titled 'Loki'. After several delays due to COVID-19, Loki premiered on Disney+ on June 9th, 2021 and ended on July 14th. It is the third MCU show on the platform, following WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and is the third installment of Phase Four. Overall, Loki ultimately proved to be a wacky ride from start to finish.
by Anthony HerringI’m just going to come out and say it: I love The Last of Us Part II. Sure, it made some controversial choices that didn’t sit well with everyone—Joel’s death primarily. Yes, it also made you play as the woman that killed him—who I found to be a compelling character. And yes, it was a pretty depressing game all around.Despite all of that, I still loved it.
by Anthony HerringWords cannot express my love for Naughty Dog’s Uncharted series. I first played the initial three games—Drake’s Fortune, Among Thieves, and Drake’s Deception—back in high school, and wow, what a ride. The adventures of Nathan Drake and his friends captured both my imagination and my attention for months on end; I couldn’t stop playing them (resulting in play sessions that I labeled “Uncharted Days”).It was around this time that the next Uncharted game, titled A Thief’s End, was announced. The first teaser released for the project held a dark tone, with Drake waking up wounded in a jungle. While doing so, a voice over of his mentor, Victor “Sully” Sullivan, was playing; he asked Drake if he was willing to continue on the dangerous quest that he’s currently on. The trailer then ended with the title card.As the release date drew closer, Naughty Dog announced more about the game: Drake had an older brother named Sam, who was never mentioned before. Along with that, this was to be the final entry in Drake’s story, and the series creator, Amy Hennig, was no longer helming the project. Taking her place was Neil Druckmann and Bruce Straley, the two directors behind the critically acclaimed, survival horror masterpiece The Last of Us. Needless to say, this game was shaping up to be familiar, yet different from its more light-hearted predecessors, and I couldn’t have been more excited.With A Thief’s End having celebrated its fifth birthday this past May, I wanted to discuss why I feel that this is the best installment in the series.
By Anthony Herring The Marvel Cinematic Universe has officially entered a new era of storytelling. Having utilized feature-length films for 11 years straight, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige announced that the MCU would venture into the world of television. At Comic-Con in 2019, he revealed that these shows would be released on Disney+, starting with five: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, WandaVision, Loki, What If…?, and Hawkeye. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was scheduled as the first show to be released, with a tentative date of Fall 2020. Everything changed when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Every MCU show was delayed, resulting in the schedule being shuffled around to accommodate production changes. As a result, the first show to be released on Disney+ was WandaVision (back in January 2021), with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier following suit on March 19th. The show—part of the MCU’s Phase Four slate—manages to tell a compelling and timely story, despite a few stumbles here and there. Two peas in a pod Set six months after Avengers: Endgame, Sam Wilson (played by Anthony Mackie) struggles with the fact that Steve Rogers chose him to be the next Captain America. Rather than take up the mantle, he decides to give it away to the U.S. government—a decision that backfires. What ultimately makes Wilson’s arc gripping is not only due to Mackie’s insanely likable performance, or that Wilson proves himself worthy of being Captain America time and time again—but because the show chooses to discuss how he is a Black man in America. He gives up Cap’s shield for this reason, as he believes that there’s no way that the country will accept him as this symbol of Americanism. The inner conflict presented here is portrayed well, and ultimately has a satisfying conclusion. The second half of this duo is none other than Bucky Barnes, played by Sebastian Stan. Before this show, it can be argued that Barnes didn’t really have any discernible character traits. The best I could give you regarding that is that he was both Steve Rogers’ best friend and the Winter Soldier. (Infinity War and Endgame did him no favors, as Barnes had barely any screen time in those films.) Thankfully, the show actually takes the character’s past and uses it in impactful ways, demonstrating how he seeks redemption for his crimes as the Winter Soldier. Not only that, but he feels like a real character, as there are multiple facets of his personality on display, such as his remorse and personal growth. The chemistry that Stan shares with Mackie is wonderful too (which is great, or else the show’s premise would’ve fallen flat). The Star-Spangled Man without a plan One of the show’s newest characters is John Walker, who is played by Wyatt Russell (the son of Kurt Russell, who was also in the MCU as Ego the Living Planet). The U.S. government chooses Walker—which goes against what Wilson wanted when he gave the shield away. To make matters worse, Walker is shown to be the perfect soldier: brave, in peak physical condition, and highly decorated—but not a wholly good man, which is in stark contrast to Wilson and Rogers. As a result, he is revealed to be emotionally unstable and slightly insecure, making dangerous and reckless decisions at the worst possible times. Russell does an incredible job showing these aspects of Walker’s character, so much to the point that many have thrown hate towards him. (Frankly, that hate should be thrown at Walker, not Russell, he’s just doing his job as an actor.) Despite all that, there are moments where the character expresses his humanity, which ultimately makes him a rather compelling anti-hero instead of a full-on villain. Chillin’ with a villain(s) Speaking of villains, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier has a group of them in the name of the Flag-Smashers. They are led by Karli Morgenthau (portrayed by Erin Kellyman), and their goal is to make the world how it was during the Blip (the five-year period between Infinity War and Endgame). While their goals were clearly illustrated, Morgenthau and her accomplices as characters themselves were pretty uninteresting and unmemorable. Thankfully, the same cannot be said for Daniel Brühl’s Baron Helmut Zemo (who returns from Civil War). While it can be argued that Zemo didn’t have to be in the film—the Sokovia Accords provided enough for the Avengers—he definitely was one of the highlights of it. Zemo is one of the better MCU villains we’ve gotten, and it was delightful to see him return. The show reveals more about his backstory, gives a deeper insight into his hatred towards superpowered individuals, and manages to do the impossible: turn him into a meme. (That last part is a sight to behold.) Lastly, Emily VanCamp’s Sharon Carter returns as well (with her last appearance being in Civil War). Unlike the more benevolent portrayals of the character in the past, she is instead cast in a more suspicious light. She lives in the city of Madripoor (a staple from Marvel’s X-Men comics) and partakes in very mysterious dealings. Without getting into major spoilers, it is an interesting route to take Carter—considering that she’s the niece of the heroic Agent Peggy Carter. Sources: The Verge, Entertainment Weekly, CBR, IMDB Images: The Mary Sue, USA Today, Deadline Featured Image: MediaScrolls
by Savannah Jordan I recently started my teen drama watchlist in June when I finished Gilmore Girls for the first time. Gilmore Girls was the first teen drama I had watched and I loved the sense of real-life that revolved around the characters’ lives, as well as the time and effort the writers put into scripts to make the audience feel what the characters are feeling in a certain moment. Before Gilmore Girls, I didn’t have a specified watch list. But, after researching more about the show and its characters, other teen drama promotional posts kept making their way onto my screen and I fell down the teen drama rabbit hole. For instance, One Tree Hill made numerous references to Dawson’s Creek, and it really made me want to watch Dawson's Creek, so I could better understand why One Tree Hill made the reference. It honestly makes the show so much better when you understand its pop-culture references. I have been into watching teen dramas not only because of the screenwriting, but also because I love the drama that ensues. I love the character “ships” that are created within shows and debating what person was right for who. I like really digging into the characters’ lives and getting to know their whole story, and that they have a continuous story to keep you hooked, not one plot-point per episode, like action and crime shows such as NCIS or Chicago Fire. Getting to know character backstories and being able to follow one continuous story plays into allowing someone to appreciate each individual character—no matter how good or bad of a person they may turn out to be—and the show itself.After Gilmore Girls, One Tree Hill, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Dawson’s Creek, I kept watching other teen dramas because they offer so much more than just a TV show to watch—they offer a lifestyle. They make you feel like you are living the character’s lives with them as they teach you lessons about love, strength, weakness, friendship, forgiveness and life in general. I have compiled a list of lessons that I have taken away from my top six favorite teen dramas; working my way up to my favorite lesson.
By Arianna Sergio You can’t call yourself a music connoisseur if you’ve never listened to Sir Paul McCartney. McCartney changed the music world forever when he emerged on the scene with his fellow Beatles bandmates—John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr—and soon enough, Beatlemania swept the nation. With hits like “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “Hey Jude,” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” among many others, The Beatles were the biggest thing at the time and were unstoppable. That is, until McCartney famously announced that they were breaking up due to, “Personal differences, business differences, musical differences, but most of all because I [McCartney] have a better time with my family.” Since then, he has had an outstanding solo career, releasing 26 studio albums. His newest album, McCartney III Imagined, is unlike anything he, or anyone else in the music industry, has ever done. Of course, there are plenty of artists who do covers of other artists’ music, but other than McCartney, I have never seen another artist openly invite other artists to create new interpretations of their own compositions.