​  Back again with another short post to share what's new. About a week ago, I had the pleasure to be a guest alongside Artist Nate Key on Episode Nine (~54 minutes long) of Open Convo, a podcast hosted by a mutual friend, Elviria Valdaz and edited and produced by her partner, Sidney. Nate and I have been working on a number of art projects with more on the way, so it was a great time to reconnect with Sidney and Elviria and be on the show to talk about our work and upcoming events. Check it out on her site (notes below provide a quick timeline of our conversation) or SoundCloud page!

00:00 - Podcast Welcome & Gratitude from Host, Elviria, "EV" Valdaz
00:50 - Intro of Nate "The Flow" Key & Cynelsa "C y" Broderick
01:47 - EV kicks off open convo with prompt and C y starts off in response
07:11 - Flow joins the convo and tells us more about himself and his artistry​
10:31 - Were either of us involved in the recent post-Charlottesville rallies/riots (with a tangent on astrological characteristics)?
19:45 - How does the current state of society inspire us as black artists? 
23:04 - What are we trying to communicate with our art? With the state of our country, what do you feel as an individual with your talent that you have to do [or contribute] to create the change [we need]?
29:28 - What does "being creative" mean to you?
30:34 - EV explains that she asked the question about being creative because she feels that sometimes "people create solely to gain instant validation" and shares her experience related to starting a podcast. As an artist/musician, how to you keep the faith or keep it moving and pushing if/when nobody is nobody is watching?
39:24 - Flow responds to the "throwaway culture" our generation currently faces and sees in our youth; and talks about how the speed in which music gets made nowadays changes its quality.
41:17 - EV asks Flow as a musical artist, what his artistry looks like? What does he convey (visual art versus music)? HE BLESSES THE MIC WITH AN A CAPELLA SNIPPET OF HIS MUSIC IN RESPONSE!
42:45 - 'God is so real...'
47:15 - Closing remarks; social media plugging and sharing of upcoming events
​53:47 - Thanks for listening; farewell from Sidney
​
  The upcoming events mentioned in this podcast are listed below, as well as the ["Pineapple Express"] t-shirts we launched in connection to the continuation of an expanded Letters, Locks & Lyrics show. To find more information about getting your very own shirt in support of our art, visit: https://teespring.com/thepineappleexpress and click the "I still want one" button. Thanks for checking out this post and stay tuned for more to come!

 What happens when you hear that Beyoncé's choreographer is coming to town and will be teaching at a dance workshop? You get yourself together and get there, praying you will to be able put in the work and keep up, that's what!
  Yesterday, as the nation celebrated Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the WonderTwins presented a full-day dance workshop called "Sauce, Slay and Service" that featured classes taught by professional choreographers and dancers. It wasn't just a day off, it was a day ON! Proceeds went to victims of Hurricane Matthew and we also brought nonperishable foods to the event to donate. What a wonderful day of service it was... full of terrific energy and talented movers. I told myself I wanted to make more time for attending dance classes this year and this was a great first class to start 2017 off with. The last time I took a class this challenging was in 2011, only months after I had moved down to Carolina, when Willdabeast was dancing with T-Pain during Chris Brown's F.A.M.E. Tour; and he and Tre Holloway taught at Studio RUSH in Charlotte, NC. It was my first advanced-level class, but I remember leaving feeling inspired by Will's words to me, "...KEEP DANCING!"

  I realize I shared my story about Iyanya stopping in Raleigh-Durham to give us a time to remember, but there is an entire string of concerts that I've had the pleasure of experiencing this year. As the summer winds down and due to having more video footage than I know what to do with, I am here today to share! Keep scrolling to see snippets of live performances from stars, such as Wande Coal, The Internet, Bobby V., 112, Todrick Hall and even BEYONCE!
​  Also, I've listed FIVE reasons why LIVE music and shows are everything. Enjoy!

   Today is a Tuesday, and I feel a shift happening-- a transformation. Tomorrow will mark two weeks since I received a welcome to the Durham Arts Guild (DAG) Board of Directors, a two-year term that I will be serving as a board member. I am excited for the opportunity and cannot wait to see what the future holds.

  Much time has passed since my last post, but I'll be sure to share what's been going on over the next few weeks for "Throwback Thursdays" and "Flashback Fridays". For now, I'd like to share some photos highlighting what the first two weeks of being a DAG Board Member has been like!

  If you would like to become a member of the Durham Art Guild, please join! There is a membership drive underway, and anyone who signs up before June 23rd will receive a $10 discount.
  On another note, international recording artist Iyanya from Nigeria is in the U.S. for his 2016 tour! He made his way to Farotage Nation Lounge on Saturday, June 11th and put on an excellent performance for his Carolina fans. This is what I heard... because I wasn't there. I was totally bummed knowing I'd miss the afrobeat star's energetic show because I wasn't in town. Little did I know, I was in for a pleasant surprise the following day.

  What a jammed-packed Labor Day Weekend (LDW) with friends and family - FRAMILY! My cousin, Shadlyn, spent her vacation paying me a visit, so I tried to make sure we had a good balance of things to do. It was a great time hosting and showing her pieces of my life while also venturing out to enjoy other parts of North Carolina. This post will be a complete recap of our weekend, starting with Sunday (the day before she headed back to Baltimore).

  We slept in and did not make it to our scheduled morning church service or community yoga session, but the sleep was very needed. When we finally rolled out of bed, we fixed breakfast and watched 21 Jump Street (I'll only say "I've seen better"). A little after noon, I pulled out a blouse that urgently needed to be stitched, so I did that quickly and we got ready and were off to the Durham Civil Rights History Mural (DCRHM) Project wall. Shadlyn had expressed to me prior that she was upset I signed her up to paint, but I found it necessary that we put in a few volunteer hours in our schedule. In the end, she said that she had a great time helping out on a mural for the first time. Below, find some flicks in the slideshow of the site's progress!
  We headed straight to my sister's house to visit her family afterwards. They had fried rice, peppered cajun seafood, and drinks waiting for us. SCORE! While there, my brother in law ran out to buy some fruit that I agreed to help him carve into a "wagon". More visitors came and we had a great time bonding with each other. It wasn't until close to midnight when we headed back home to get some rest. We all had a splendid time and I'm glad we convinced Shadlyn not to hit the road until early Monday morning. It's a blessing to be people rich.