When Destroying Art Becomes Art

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As we all know, art can come in many forms.  It can be played by an instrument, drawn by pencil, sung by voice, and nowadays, photographed by a DSLR camera and fixed by Photoshop.  Now, here’s the twist: take all that and destroy it.  That’s what Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum is doing for tomorrow’s (October 24, 2013) opening of the exhibit: “Damage Control: Art and Destruction Since 1950″.

An example of what will be shown will be the destruction of a piano with an ax.  “Piano Destruction Concert” (1966) by Raphael Montañez Ortiz will surely be a sight to see. There will also be moving gears to push beams against the gallery’s walls, causing destruction.  That’s only two of the many.  So, why do this?  Gustav Metzger, “inventor” of self-destructive art, says that as humans, we are all naturally aggressive and we should take it out on art, not people.  One of the curators, Russell Ferguson, explains the attraction of artists to destruction as the need for control.  However, it has also become a health concern to the museum staff and the audience.  The pieces itself could potentially hurt, or kill, a person.

Self-destructive art is an interesting way of “creating” art.  We are often taught that all art should be appreciated, not destroyed.  And even so, how hard have people worked to preserve art pieces and fund museum exhibits?  It’s certainly a new concept. However, art is about self-expression and if it means expressing your aggression, as Metzger comments, then it should be done.  As seen, this art is not done for money (as there is no money for something that no longer exists), but rather for the artist themselves.  The destruction can symbolize the self-destruction of the art world since so many artists lack passion, but desire wealth.  It can also be seen as symbolizing the temporariness of everything on earth.  Art is wonderful, but like anything else that is tangible, it will disappear and it should be extinguished by the artist themselves.  If they brought it into the world, they should be the one to destroy it.  However, I am not at all advocating the destruction of pieces like the Mona Lisa or Starry Night, as those are universal pieces priced at millions of dollars.

The Museum should try to keep this exhibit as long as possible because a lot of curious people will find their way there.  The idea of self expression is also present, as well as the subliminal message of art being for passion, not wealth.  As for the health concerns, I believe that they should definitely consider high safety.  I wouldn’t put an age limit on the exhibit, but block off each piece with protective glass.  It could be dangerous if Ortiz’s piano-destroying piece strikes anyone in the eye with a piano key.  Art is made to express, not hurt.  I am excited to see this exhibit open tomorrow and see what all the destruction is about.

Article made available here: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/24/arts/design/damage-control-at-the-hirshhorn-explores-neglected-trend.html?ref=arts

Janice Fong

Interview with a Poet

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Interview with Gareth Bryant

Gareth Bryant is a 32 year-old writer based in New York City. A Muslim revert, Gareth converted (reverted) to Islam in high school at the age 15. He’s been a professional writer since 2008 with his online blog, GarethBryant.wordpress.com, generating over 100,000 views so far. Some of his other pursuits include modeling and a non-profit organization for which Gareth is the national spokesperson: Muslims Giving Back.

Would you describe yourself as a poet?
“I used to describe myself as a poet early on because when I first started writing in 2008, I was writing exclusively poetry. But then when I started my writing page in 2011, I started to expand my writing. And I ended up finding out that as a literary artist, as a writer, my craft evolved in such an important way that it was beyond just the scope of poetry, of rhyme and poetics. Referring to my writing and what I write, I now consider myself as a writer. Obviously I am a poet in the conventional sense, but much more than just a poet, I’m a writer.”

Growing up in Bedford-Stuyvesant, did that at all affect your writing?
“Oh yeah of course…I can fairly say that I’ve written about every life experience that I’ve ever had. That’s very fair to say…You gotta remember, people are in fact products of their environment. Your environment defines who you are as a person to a very great deal. So obviously if I would’ve grown up in a different place, I probably wouldn’t have even been a poet. I probably would’ve been some lame stockbroker…or biggest drug dealer.”

What do you mostly write about these days?
“It’s relevant to the time and place. A fair amount of my writing is religiously, socially, and politically based…a lot of current events. Some stuff about…financial conditions of the world or of the country, and things of that nature.”

A lot of commentary?
“It’s almost exclusively commentary….I would say my poetry, specifically, is more self-commentary, self-reflection, self-evaluation. It’s more commentary of my own life…I always like to personalize myself in my poetry. I always exert a lot of my personal energy into my poetry. And basically if you didn’t know me- if you would’ve just go through my blog page and just view my writings, you would get a perfect sense of who I am as a person, even if you’ve never met me before. In other words, that’s how much I invest of myself into my writing.

….It’s like a digital autobiography. It’s a personal anthology.”

Are there any major themes, or symbols you write about that show up in your writing?
“My two main influences referring to my writing are in fact religion and social historical, socio-political aspects. So basically, most of my writing comes exclusively from a religious and socio-historical, socio-political perspective.”

What are some of your influences in your writing?
“I…I can’t really pinpoint, a fellow writer per say. In the beginning I tried to pattern my poetry specifically after Edgar Allen Poe. I like his dark thematic kinda like self-incriminating [writing]. So I actually adopted a lot of that…especially in myself self-reflective writing. A lot of it is self-crimination, self-indictment against myself…[And] I used that type of matrix or format. But then I just developed my own style.”

What would that style be?
“Basically, I just view my life– you have to remember that writing is general– specifically poetry. It’s a very personalized interpretation of things. Even your own religious stances, the world around you, how you view anything and everything. So that’s basically what I do with my writing, more specifically– my poetry, it’s very indicative of how I personally view things.

…I’m my biggest influence. I mean it’s fair to say, from a human perspective, I am my primary reference. Now, obviously, from a divine perspective, Allah holds the highest level referring to influence over my writing. Most of my themes or writing have a very deep rooted religious context. And obviously since I’m Muslim, that means Allah has a very deep influence in my writing.”

Can you give us some examples?
“OK. Let’s give an example of… relationships. I’ve had a lot of sucky relationships. But all relationships are not the same. But when I write poems about relationships, or when I have written poems about relationships, I exclusively wrote it from my perspective relative to my experience, and my moment in time, that as an example. Again, like I said, what I do, exclusively with my poetry, I draw a lot from myself. I use myself as the drawing board. I just extract certain psychological aspects, emotional aspects, things of that nature, and I put it to pen and paper.”

So what, are you up to now a days?
“Actually I just recently published a poetry book, my very first poetry book published. I’m trying to advocate and just get it traction. I’m going to Insha’Allah (if Allah wills) I’m actually gonna be doing a promo video this week for it. To be very honest the publishing element has suffered because I’ve been so highly involved in my nonprofit Muslims Giving Back. So that’s actually taken the back burner in pursuit to my nonprofit and modeling pursuits, ironically. And I’m still working, the regular stuff that New Yorkers go through on a regular basis.”

Any plans for the future?
“Definitely I wanna be at a place where my writing is a lot more well known…I literally have large views from places I didn’t even know were countries. Like, this far off island of the south East coast of Africa, La Réunion, a province of France, I’ve gotten blog views from there. I’ve actually gotten views from this island in south Indian Ocean, Mayotte, which literally means island of death in Arabic. [In] the immediate future, I actually want to start going to the places where my writing has reached.”

Find Gareth Online!
http://garethbryant.wordpress.com/

Interview

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Ms. Lindsay Roberts is a Philadelphia born performer. She attended the University of Maryland where she began her career focusing on Music Education. Later on she found her real passion lies on stage. Through Memphis and now Porgy and Bess she has fulfilled her dream and has stimulated her mind by touring the country. Ms. Roberts has done some musical directing in Ghana where she found a balance between Music Education and performing. She hopes to always be able to follow where her heart lead her.

 

J: What was the spark that inspired you to involve yourself in the performing arts?

L: I started performing while in high school. I went to school originally for music Ed and vocal performance. There was some practicality to that but I realized I longed for theater. When people say you do this business because it is the only thing you can do, it is true. Why would you choose to be in this business, where there is no stability? You have to do it because you love it. It’s too hard to suffer through otherwise.

J: You went to the University of Maryland, College Park; can you elaborate on that experience?

L: College Park is a campus under University of Maryland. I double majored in vocal performance and music education. It wasn’t that I didn’t like music Ed. When I did my student teaching I realized I wasn’t so passionate about being in the classroom.  Broadway Dreams was an outlet for me to teach in a national training program over the summer while still enjoying the performing aspect. Broadway personnel train students, from ages five to sixty-five, through workshops and master classes. This program is pre-professional; it’s not summer camp. At the final production agents, directors and many other people are invited to scout out the students. I started out as a student in the program, that’s how I got my agent. I auditioned for him at the end of the week. He wanted me to move to New York to join his agency, so I did. Later on I came back as a teaching and guest artist.

J: Are those workshops known for recruiting?

L: No I would say it’s for training and some serious networking. Signing with this agency was a big catalyst for me to move to New York .It was the perfect transition to New York where I got my first big break. Lost in the Stars at the New York City Center was my epic New York debut. The New York City Center is a company that revives old plays that could transfer to Broadway.

J: How does it feel to be a star?

L: I’m not a star. It’s weird having people look up to me now. You referred to me in your e-mail as Ms. Roberts. In the Broadway world everyone goes by his or her first names. It is all about networking, there must always be a sense of familiarity. In college I thought I am never going to have friends that are black females because we will always be competing, but good friends are there regardless. I have my training in Opera, which differentiates me from most Black females anyways. I am now in Porgy and Bess playing Clara singing “Summer-time,” which is the perfect song for my training. I am swinging the show and I’ve never done that before.

J: What is swinging?

L: I cover every woman in the ensemble and some main roles. I thought at first oh God I’m going to have to be in the show every night, but then I realized I get to be almost every role (about 20) and that is amazing. I now know this show inside and out.
J: When do you go on tour, what is that like?

L: We leave November fourth for tech in San Francisco, where we also open. We then tour for nine months. A typical day will be waking up whenever; we don’t have to be in the theatre until half hour before the theatre opens at 7, 7:30. Weekends are pretty much non-existent because we perform Friday night and Saturday. Other than that our days are pretty free. I sometimes went hiking and then performed Memphis. The cities really embrace us; they set us up in the cities. It was funny seeing how different parts of the country reacted to Memphis. Memphis is the classic 1950’s black and white love affair. Seeing people in the south versus the north react to key pivotal moments during the show was so different. It’s also interesting how we adapt the show because some weeks we could have extra room and others we could barely stand. We travel with a whole group of people to adapt the show like stage managers and engineers. We higher local instrumentalists and professionals as well.

J: You can higher other instrumentalist to just take part in the show?

L: Instrumentalists may get the music in advance, learn it, and that Tuesday before the show they go over it, change a few things, and then we hit it.

 

J: Have you ever been unemployed; I know the employed percentage is terrible?

 

L: Yea it sucks. I’m blessed, in our union we’re like two percent employed, which is why I said this is something you only do if you feel so convicted that you have to do it. When I came to New York I had a dry phase, I went nuts. I am not good with idle time, I felt like I had something inside of me that I wanted to share and no one wanted to take it.
J: So what did you do in that time?

L: Whenever I feel like I am not working I like to create my own thing and that’s when my one-woman show formed. I just sang all songs that are in my repertoire that I loved, in Philadelphia.

 

J: How did you put it together? Did you need instrumentalists?

L: I did just a piano it was an intimate space. I had this friend in college who is a pianist.  I asked him to do it with me. We did a press release, news articles, and email blasts, it was a huge success.

J: Did you make a profit?

L: I did this concert as a fundraiser for a friend that started a theatre company, they made one. I should have gotten a third. I was being too nice. I think it is so important to compensate performers. You wouldn’t ask a doctor to do a surgery for free you shouldn’t ask a performer. It just frustrates me

J: How was Accra, Ghana?

L: I miss Ghana everyday. I wanted to study ethnomusicology, but I never had time to study abroad. I had a connection to this family who formed this school in Ghana and they extended an invitation to me years ago so I accepted this past summer. I was a theatre director at this school. We put on an adaptation of Cinderella. It was such a learning experience. Maybe I will do this again, but I am not ready to settle down in a school surrounding yet. I’m really blessed and happy doing whatever I am doing. Whatever you do it is important to be passionate about it because life is to short, you know?

 

 

Geoffrey Cantor, his Art, and New York City

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Geoffrey Cantor is an actor who’s recent works include roles in the films Public Enemies, Man on a Ledge, and When in Rome, along with roles in video games including Alan Wake and Grand Theft Auto V and television shows including Law and Order: Special Victim’s Unit and Law and Order: Criminal Intent.  He has a much lengthier history of roles, though, including roles in advertisements and in theater.  He previously worked as a social worker, and is currently involved with a number of charitable organizations.  I spoke with him for nearly an hour in a café at Baruch College and got to explore his perspective on the arts in New York City, his art and his experience as an artist.  Here are some of the highlights of that conversation:

Jeremy (me):  How are you involved in the arts in New York City?

Geoffrey:  Well, I would say that my primary art form is acting, and I’ve been acting in New York City for the last 18-19 years.  It has expanded somewhat to include teaching acting, I’ve also been doing some directing, and recently I’m working with a not for profit creating some media content for them as a director… well, director, executive producer, edit supervisor, art director – but essentially the director.  I’ve expanded a little bit because I’ve found that being creative and doing something meaningful is a great combo.

Jeremy:  Is it central to New York City?  The organization you’re involved in?

Geoffrey:  Yeah, actually the organization I’m involved in, it’s an international organization, primarily an American organization – they have pieces all over, but their offices are here in New York.  My agent is here in New York.  My manager is actually in California now, because my agent has an office out there, and there’s a whole thing that’s going on in the acting world where if you’re what’s called a local hire – and this is true of both coasts – if you’re a local hire, it’s easier to get work, and my manager represents that I am a local hire in California.  With the three airports here in New York, I can hop on a plane and get myself out there relatively inexpensively if the job is big enough.  But all of my auditions are here in New York.

Jeremy:  Have you found many differences between the West Coast and New York in terms of the industry?

Geoffrey:  Oh yeah, that’s a great question.  I mean there’s a huge difference.  As an actor, one might say one is foolish to be stuck in New York City.  I believe, however, because this is where I’m from, this is where my family is, that I have certain “groundedness” here that I would not have out there.  I don’t think that’s unique to me, I think that New York is not a one-industry town.  It’s a BIG city where people do MANY things and there are MANY careers that people have and there are artists of all sorts.  LA is really a one-industry town, so the artists are actors, primarily, or directors or writers.  There’s much more dance here, there’s… clearly there’s museums and stuff.  The arts scene is strong here – the visual arts scene/graphic arts scene is very, very vibrant here in New York.  I think that an artistic environment feeds all of the arts, whereas in California, there’s not as much theater – the theater there is a bunch of movie stars doing theater.  Some of them are very good actors, but you don’t have the culture of theater that you have in New York.  You don’t have as many festivals as you have in New York, you don’t have off-Broadway… There’s Juliard, there’s NYU, Columbia has now a drama program, a film program, so there’s much more happening here in terms of the growth of the artist.  But also you have access, and you’re impacted by people who are outside of the arts.  So I think it creates a more well-rounded person who is living in the world, as opposed to someone who is living in the cocoon of the business of show, which is different from the art of acting.

Jeremy:  So, there’s more room for growth?

Geoffrey:  I think financially, it might be more difficult here.  Eventually, you’re going to have to act wherever the acting work is.  They put films all over the country, all over the world.  I think that there is something healthier about living here than there is about living there.  I think it’s a healthier environment for the average actor.

Jeremy: I would have never known that.  That’s a very interesting perspective to me.

Geoffrey:  I’m shooting [an episode of] Special Victim’s Unit right now, and a woman who was in 30 Something [who I work with] – remember that show 30 Something?

Jeremy:  I don’t think so.

Geoffrey:  It’s probably before your time but your professor will know.  She and her husband were both from New Jersey and moved to California when she had this show.  It’s a huge show.  She did it for three years.  They moved back, because there is a sense of being a person who is an actor as opposed to being stuck in the industry where EVERY conversation you have, every waitress, every bartender… everybody is involved in the same business.  And that’s an unhealthy sort of… I’d say incestuous, it’s like inbreeding – it’s social inbreeding.  That’s my take on it.  I don’t think many people disagree with that, but that’s my take on it.  That said, I do know at some point I may have to go to California!  Because if I get a TV show, most of them film out there.  If I get a big movie, most of them film out of there.

Jeremy:  Would you say it’s more competitive out there?

Geoffrey:  It’s different… a different competitive.  I don’t think it’s more or less competitive.  You have the same amount of people vying for jobs.  Some of us are vying for all the same jobs – I’m vying for jobs at LA from here.  It’s just you don’t have other influences – here, when I’m walking down the street and I see someone, they’re not necessarily an actor, a writer or a director.  They could be an accountant or a doctor or a lawyer or a graphic designer or a student.  You don’t walk around in LA – you drive everywhere, you drive an hour everywhere and so you’re stuck in your car, you’re stuck in your apartment, you’re stuck in your house… everybody walks in New York.  So, just by experiencing something outside of that, it’s a healthier way to live.  Outside input positively influences the artist.  I think that one could make that point about anybody.

Jeremy:  I totally agree.

Geoffrey:  But I can only speak as an artist.  So, I find ideas, and perspective, and knowledge from watching and sensing behavior by being out in the world.  It’s a social art form, right?  The social world of New York is diverse and full.  The social world of California is much smaller, in terms of the types of people and the types of jobs people have – and in terms of the actual interactions people have on a day-to-day basis.  If you’re auditioning, and you’re driving to every audition, you’re landing at your audition, you’re going to your audition, getting back in your car, you’re not having a conversation even with another actor, at Starbucks or on the street – you’re not bumping into people, you’re not interacting in the same way.  It’s an unhealthy… environment.  It’s certainly a smaller universe, and I think that that wouldn’t help me.

Jeremy:  I absolutely see that.  As a student, taking varieties of courses, getting different perspectives of all different sorts of subject matters, that’s helped me overall as a person, as a student, in relating to other subjects as well.  So I can totally see how that relates to you as an artist.

Geoffrey:  Well, I also think, as an actor, I’m really a student.  I always advise young actors to take a liberal arts education, because you need to bring something to bear on your work.  Via art, which is your intuitive ability to interpret something, you have a set of skills that you learn by going to drama school, which I did, because there are certain things you need to learn how to do.  You can have the soul of an artist and you can have great intuition, but you also need this certain skillset to apply – how to use your voice, how to articulate, how to do accents – and going to drama school helps, just like going to graduate school for dance.  A conservatory environment is very important, I think, for an actor.  I had to go after I already had a structure… because I had to be mature enough to apply those skills.  I had to be smart enough to take information I had learned as a liberal arts student to apply these artistic skills that I had learned and that my intuition was sort of moving me to do.  So, if you look at living in the world as sort of a liberal arts campus, New York is the best liberal arts campus there is!

Jeremy:  Absolutely.

Geoffrey:  It’s like going to extra credit.  You’re constantly getting influence, and that generates that broader sense and understanding and perspective of the world that you need to be, I think, any artist.

[This was only a small selection from our full conversation.  I intend to edit and post the full interview either to my personal Eportfolio or to the class blog, or both, possibly with some or all of the audio.]

Geoffrey and I proving that the interview actually happened:

2013-10-22 16.49.34

… And Geoffrey in a challenging scene in which he had to remain completely still as a dead person:

Brotherhood. N.d. Photograph. IMDbWeb. 23 Oct 2013. <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0134666/resumephotos?v=me703494284>.

Interviews!

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Sharon Yoon, 12th grade, and Mary Kim, 11th grade, are two high school friends that attend selective precollege programs at renowned music institutions. Sharon currently goes to the Manhattan School of Music and plays both violin and viola. She started attending the program at the age of 14. Mary goes to The Julliard School and has played piano, violin, and viola. Mary started attending the program at the age of 13. Both programs offer opportunities to young students to encounter pre-professional musical experiences.

 

SHARON

Hanna: How did you find out about the program at the Manhattan School of Music (MSM)?

Sharon: I found out about the Precollege Program through a friend. She recommended that I try to expand my horizons in the musical world. I took up the challenge and started to lookup the requirements for the entrance audition and a professor who I could potentially study with after acceptance into the program.

H: How often do you go to the MSM for this program?

S: I go every Saturday except for the holidays. The general ensemble playing hours are from 9AM to 4PM. The higher-level string instruments have orchestra rehearsal until 5:45 PM. It also provides Music Theory and Ear Training classes.

H: Is there anything interesting or important to point out about this program?

S: The point that I want to share is the great opportunities the program offers especially to higher-level string students because a chance is given to the students of performing pre-professionally in massive symphony orchestras. I have performed in the Philharmonic Orchestra for two years so far, and I love every moment of it. Music critics attend these concerts, listen to us, and critique us. Although they are harsh, they always have something good to say about our orchestra. One critic complimented that considering the orchestra consisted of only 16 to18 year olds, the skill level of the playing and the cohesiveness was not even comparable to professional adult orchestras all over the country. This program gives the students exposure to critique and the ways of the music world when they leave the student bubble after graduation.

H: Have any of the students in this program continued their musical career?

S: A friend of mine now pursues her musical career in Julliard and absolutely cherishes her memories at MSM. The great Maestro Jonathan Strasser was a violin student at the MSM precollege and is now a world-class conductor who loves to teach the violin. There are many more including the world renown Patricia Kopec who assistant teaches Pinchas Zukerman at the MSM today.

H: Are there any accomplishments you have made so far in this program that you would like to share?

S: I have performed with the Philharmonic Orchestra along side with Maestro Strasser and was a semi-finalist in the Concerto Competition in 2011. I was also offered a bigger opportunity outside of MSM. I deferred the offer, but will take it into reconsideration after I graduate high school.

H: Do you plan on continuing your musical career after MSM?

S: I plan on continuing my musical career. I don’t necessarily want to go into music and become a performer, but I want to incorporate music into my career in international affairs. I consider music to be a language in itself, so I believe that music will help me bring different nations and people together.

H: Is there anything else that I didn’t ask you that I should’ve, and is there anything else you would like to say?

S: MSM is an eye opener to the musical world and truly challenges students in a positive manner.

 

MARY

Hanna: How did you hear about the program offered at Julliard?

Mary: My first violin teacher in 3rd or 4th grade. She asked me if I was interested and thought I could handle the audition.

H: Any of your friends who were in the program, have they continued their musical career?

M: A lot of them. Some of them end up going to Julliard and some end up going to other conservatories, such as the MSM.

H: Do you plan on continuing your musical career after high school?

M: I do not ever want to stop playing. I am looking into conservatories, but my parents want me to apply to academic schools. Even if I go to an academic school, I’ll incorporate music somehow.

H: Is there anything special about the Julliard program?

M: Any preprogram has a lot to offer. As much as I do not like o say that one is better than the other, Julliard is well known because it is wide spread and it introduces you to different types of music. The administration lets people know of the opportunities to play in pre-professional orchestras.

H: Do you play only one genre of music?

M: For violin, the emphasis is on classical music. The emphasis is to develop your playing and who you are as a musician and later expand on it.

H: How often do you go to Julliard?

M: It’s every Saturday; however, for certain teachers they don’t teach Saturdays. The lesson is one-on-one for one hour. Teachers also have studio classes where students play for each other and give criticize and feedback.

H: Are there any accomplishments you have made at Julliard?

M: Personally, no. I like to stay low-key, but it was definitely helped me improve as a player in general.

H: Is there anything that I didn’t ask you that you want to say about Julliard or comment on?

M: I see music as a network. Although the program takes a lot of dedication, I have come to embrace music as a big part of my life. Julliard has helped me to develop my skill and also my emotional and mental state. Every week, Saturday is th

An Insight into Martial Arts with Master William Moy

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Most people view art as a means to express creativity or originality. So it may seem surprising to some that martial arts could be counted as part of the so-called “arts scene.” Ving Tsun Kung-Fu master William Moy certainly thinks so. A kung-fu instructor that has taught in New York for over 25 years, Moy believes that despite martial arts’ association to rigid tradition, they still have room for creative expression for any practitioner. This is a very interesting thought because Ving Tsun is known for its scientific and efficient approach to combat. It emphasizes simplicity and directness so in other words, there is only one “correct” way to handle an incoming attack.

Q.

Tsang: What is kung-fu and martial arts to you?

A.

Moy: Let’s distinguish the different words you mentioned. Kung-fu is a part of martial arts. Martial arts are systems of style that develop the individual mentally, physically, spiritually, etc. And martial arts have many different kinds of systems and styles. So kung-fu is a system and a style. It is like a category – a certain type of martial art. What kung-fu is to me is that it is a tool to improve and enhance the individual through physical training and mental training. The exact meaning of kung-fu is hard work and effort, both of which equals to skill. That is what kung-fu is.

Q.

Tsang: Since you say that kung-fu is under a broader category of martial arts, do you think it can be considered as part of the arts scene like painting?

A.

Moy: Yes. Let’s look at what art is. Art is something that you use to express yourself. It is through different mediums. When we talk about art, like how a painter does art, he uses the mediums of brushes and colors and canvases to express his feelings and ideas. So kung-fu can be the same thing. A person could use kung-fu to express his individual ideas, concepts, or his feelings. When people practice some forms of martial arts, they can also play around with it. They can interpret the movements according to how they feel about it. Some movements can be very strong, while others can be very light and loose. So yes, kung-fu is an art when considered in that manner.

Q.

Tsang: Do you approach kung-fu in this way? Or as a Ving Tsun practitioner, is it always just scientific and practical?

A.

Moy: I think I move from one area to another depending on my role, meaning that if I’m playing kung-fu for myself, that’s just for myself. If I’m doing kung-fu as an instructor, which is my career, I’m doing it in a different way. So if I’m doing it for myself, I can say it is more my style, my individual art. But if I’m doing it as a kung-fu teacher, it’s less of an art because I’m presenting it in a way so that there’s none of my expression of what I think it is. I present the kung-fu as a system where I don’t change it. It’s the same way that I learned it. There is already a set pattern and curriculum that you follow. But there can be an art in the teaching. Sometimes I might have a certain style of teaching for a certain class or for certain people. I might teach it this way or that way. So that becomes more of an individual interpretation, more of an art too.

Q.

Tsang: What do you hope your students will take away from you, besides self-defense skills?

A.

Moy: I don’t have anything per se – no one idea. My job is not to have my goals reflected upon my students. It’s whatever my students want from kung-fu, that’s what I hope they’ll get from it. But if I could interject my goals or my desires, I would hope some of them could pass on the art and be a sifu [master] so that the art doesn’t disappear. But in the way I teach, I will give you what you want to learn from the kung-fu. That is very important. As a student, you have to know what you want from the art – not the other way around. When you decide to learn kung-fu, you need to know what you want from it. If you don’t, spend some time thinking about what you want from it. Then you can really benefit from kung-fu.

Q.

Tsang: Can you characterize your personal art, your approach to kung-fu?

A.

Moy: My father was my teacher so his teaching and his style influenced me very heavily. So I think the way I look at my Ving Tsun as a style, is very similar to my teacher. We both draw a lot from the Ving Tsun kung-fu. I think we like to do things simple and direct. It helps us achieve a great degree of relaxation. So when you’re relaxed, you can be more creative. That’s my style: being simple and direct.

Q.

Tsang: How creative can you get in such a rigid system like Ving Tsun?

A.

Moy: Most people think that when you learn something like Ving Tsun, you cannot have freedom to express yourself. That’s if you only look at the more practical side of the system. How we do things here is that we make it more of an art so that there’s more creative freedom. But even as an artist, you still need to know your rudiments. How can you be creative if you’re missing an element? You still have to know how to make a line, know how to do shading, and understand colors and their complements. And once you know that, then you can break the rules. But you have to start from somewhere and have a foundation. For kung-fu, the foundation is not very creative. You don’t have too much freedom because you need to acquire the foundation. But once you get basics, you can be very creative and you should be. And even as you learn the foundation, we try to emphasize that you should still be relaxed and be creative – be yourself. We do want you to have that freedom, but you have to have the foundation. If you don’t have anything, what can you compare yourself to? Being creative is doing something different, something that nobody has ever done before. But if you don’t know what other people have done before, how can you be creative? How do you know what’s different? You have to start from somewhere: the foundation. Then you can branch off and be creative.

Q.

Tsang: Can you give some examples of being creative after knowing the fundamentals?

A.

Moy: Let’s use our art as an example. We have an exercise called “chi sao” where two partners touch hands and make contact. They make movements and work on attacking and defending. So when you learn the basics, you learn all the parts and skills of the chi sao. And when you do chi sao, you can be creative. You can attack or not attack. You can wait or be aggressive. There aren’t rules of how you should operate. You don’t have to follow patterns. Just play it in your own style and your own way. That’s what art is: expressing yourself. Some people do chi sao and become more proactive or passive. In this exercise, you have that freedom.

Another example is the training device we have called the wooden dummy. It’s a piece of wood with arms and the practitioner plays techniques on it. When you have the rudiments and basics, you can play the wooden dummy with any sequence you make up. We have eight sections but within those, you can mix up those sections to practice what you want more of. So there’s more freedom in that. If you want to practice kicks, just play the section with kicks. You don’t have to play the whole sequence in order.

Q.

Tsang: How different would your life would be if it wasn’t for Ving Tsun?

A.

Moy: It would be very different because most of my life was revolved around Ving Tsun. I know I would not have the tools I have now; I would not be as relaxed or as focused as I am now. I don’t know if I would be happier since I like to think of myself as a creative person. So to me, having focus and relaxation is very important for creativity. So I think kung-fu centers you, grounds you. I don’t know if I would’ve gotten that from anything else. When I started out, I was very busy. Kung-fu centered me and allowed me to bring all my energy to what I needed to focus on. So that’s a very powerful tool. If I didn’t have these tools, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve as much, both in life and my career.

Interview with a First Seat, First Flute: Catherine Hsin

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Catherine Hsin is currently a student at Baruch College.  In addition to sitting first seat, first flute in her church orchestra, she also teaches aspiring flute players by spreading her passion for music and creativity.

 

How are you doing?  Can you tell me a little about yourself and what you do?

I’m good, how are you?  I’ve been playing flute for about 10 years.  I’ve been performing for about 5-6 years in my high school band, as well as multiple orchestras.  Currently I’m playing at the Harvest Presbyterian Church of New York City.  Sometimes we play in the church itself, but many times we go outside and play in nursing homes and banquets. 

 

How was your first time playing flute?

It was interesting, but frustrating.  I was about 8 years old.  I picked it up and I couldn’t get any sound out for two days.  But, I didn’t give up.  I realized that if I was able to do this, I would be able to do a lot more.  Eventually, I was able to make music, which was wonderful.  That’s probably why my first time playing orchestra was not nerve-wracking.  I just showed my audience what I knew how to do.

 

Who inspired you to play the flute?

My mother inspired me.  She wanted me to be well rounded, so she put me through music lessons.  It’s definitely helped me in appreciating music as a whole, not only the musical pieces I play.

 

What do you enjoy most about the flute?

The flute itself is an interesting instrument.  It’s built for the player to work around it, unlike a piano, where you press a key and the same sound comes out each time.  The flute is special because you have to control where you position yourself to make music.  I like the control because you can always change the sound you make. It just depends on how you blow and how you move your mouth.  It’s certainly a good way to experiment with sounds and make your own.  This is what distinguishes one flutist from another, which is not only important in the orchestra, but also in the music scene.

 

Let’s get into more detail about what you play.  What pieces do you usually play?

I usually play well-known classical music, some movie scores, some Disney songs.  It all depends; like if I’m at a nursing home, I will play something softer, more accustomed to their musical taste.  But if I’m at church or a fundraising banquet, we play all different types of music.

 

Even though you are given sheet music to play, how do you express your creativity?

I believe that every time I play the flute, I am expressing my creativity.  I’m expressing myself through my music.  Reading sheet music doesn’t make you uncreative.  Outside of sheet music, I do experiment with music on my own.  A message is better expressed with musical accompaniment.

 

What was the most influential experience you’ve had playing the flute?

This brings me back to high school, when I was placed first seat, second flute.  There was a girl who was first seat, first flute (first flutists’ abilities are generally higher than second flutists) who didn’t know how to play her piece.  I helped her out and that day my friend told me I should have been a first flute.  That day was important to me because people cannot determine your potential.  They can try to label it, but you know where you stand.

 

What is important about teaching others how to play the flute?

It is important because it all goes back to creativity.  A person may be creative, but if they don’t find what stimulates them, it is worthless.  Playing the flute may be it and I’m interested in helping people find their passion. It’s also important to show others how to appreciate music in general.  Certain instruments, of course, are not meant for everyone.  But going back to appreciation, people should open up to music instead of sticking to one genre.  Even if you only like hip-hop, you should try to listen to classical music.  It is good to take a genre and evolve it.  Open-mindedness is so important, especially in art.

 

And what led you to this mindset?

Music is a human thing.  Everyone likes music and it’s something to talk about.  You start listening to what they like and you appreciate it.  This leads you to appreciating them as a person.  Remember, it doesn’t matter what language you speak or where you come from, music is a part of every culture.

 

Have you ever played other instruments?

Yes, I’ve actually started off playing the piano.  Piano is great because it helps you build a basis for other instruments.  It teaches you how to be more coordinated and read sheet music.  I wished I stayed with the piano, not because it is more respected, but there is more of a foundation.  Playing the flute makes it difficult for you to switch to other instruments, whereas a piano integrates a wider skillset into one instrument.  But on the other hand, I’m also very interested in picking up the violin and teaching myself guitar.

 

Do you have any advice for an aspiring flute player?

You need a passion for the flute, but also music in general.  There’s always going to be someone who’s better than you.  Even if you can play well mechanically, you’re going to need the emotional aspect of it.  If you don’t “feel” the instrument, you won’t be able to express yourself, thus hindering your creativity.  Don’t play for an audience; don’t play for the sake of playing.  Play for feeling.

 

A Poem on the Nose

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Poem by Nicholas Arniotes, Joeleen Moy, and Kirsten Erika Paulsen

We believe the nose was chased to create craziness.

We saw the nose run and dance on stage.

We saw a journey that’s nose moved towards craziness.

We saw a nose use hubris to oppress.

We felt eyes told angst.

We felt disturbed and sleepy.

We believe hatred attacks the eyes.

We felt frustration arrest our feet.

We believe this was not how we wanted to spend last night.

Someone Teaches Me About Fashion: An Interview with an FIT Student

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An Interview About Fashion With Alexa Emilio

Alexa Emilio is a junior at the Fashion Institute of Technology who studies fashion merchandising.  She has had interest in fashion for several years and has gained experience in fashion from school and her job at Express.  She is currently a manager at Express after being in the store at the Staten Island Mall for several years now.  Alexa is looking to pursue a professional career in fashion and I was honored to have this interview with her.  The interview, for me, was an insightful way to look into the fashion world that I know so little about.

Nick: Can you tell me what the fashion world is like today?  What are the newest and most popular styles of clothing?

Alexa: The fashion world today is ever changing as there are so many different aspects that go into this industry. It is very fast paced, and trends come and go very rapidly. The newest and most popular styles of clothing involve the Peplum style.  This style has been seen is so many different products: tops, bottoms, dresses, and skirts. It has been around for almost a year now and is still seen in various retail stores and on mannequins. Furthermore, it can fit any body type and looks great on everyone. I believe this style is going to become a classic rather than a fad.

Nick: Knowing the industry, what do you feel is a more trendy and bigger industry: men or women’s fashion?

Alexa: Being that I am a lady and I work in a retail store, I do feel that today the men and women’s industry are at the same level. Working at Express, our men’s sales are always much higher than our women’s sales are, but we always have a lot more foot traffic on the women’s side. Also, I feel that the men’s and women business are both extremely trendy. I believe that any look that is “hot” on the women’s side.  The men’s designers take inspiration from that style and make it appropriate for men. Same for the women’s designers, I have seen a lot of menswear inspiration in many different types of clothing.

Nick: I hear that you major in fashion merchandising at FIT.  What is the importance of the fashion merchandiser and its role in the fashion role?

Alexa: Well Nick, fashion merchandising takes up a large part of the fashion business.  It involves 3 main categories: buying merchandise, selling merchandise, and being a merchandiser. A buyer buys and prices merchandise for resale; when buying products they try to obtain the highest quality goods at the lowest cost. Next you have a Sales Executive. A sales executive sells product to the retail buyers. Lastly, you have a merchandiser. A merchandiser is the liaison between the designer and the sales team. In addition, merchandisers’ are continuously involved in business promotion by buying and selling goods the buying and selling of merchandise. Furthermore in merchandising you can also have a product developer and the product available are basically specific products to be developed internally so they are basically like the designers for private label retailer.

Nick: Do you have any fashion designer or figure that inspires you?

Alexa: A Fashion designer that really inspires me would be Christian Louboutin. Christian Louboutin is a French designer who designs women’s and men’s shoes and handbags. He is a luxury designer and he is most known for his red bottom soles or more commonly referred to as “red bottoms.” They are featured in many music videos, TV shows, movies, and are spotted on many celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, Victoria Beckham, and Blake Lively. The silhouette of every single shoe Christian Louboutin creates is stunning and many people try to knock off his items because they are so popular and do so well within the market. Women crave to put their feet in his shoes.

Nick: What experiences have you had with big-time fashion designers?

Alexa: I haven’t really had experience with big-time fashion designers, although I did intern at a luxury retailer this past summer. I interned at Burberry, and while at Burberry, I learned that they do not have a single designer responsible for all of the product; however, they do have a creative director. While interning there, I worked very closely with many different departments. These departments would include wholesale, marketing, public relations, and operations. I was in the showroom department, and these other departments always came to the showroom to borrow samples. It was such a great experience, and this is the closest I have gotten to a designer.

Nick: Have you ever done a fashion show before?  What is it like?

Alexa: During my second year of college at FIT I actually had to produce a fashion show for my final project. This was for my Creative Fashion Presentations class and we were assigned to work with a group of six girls. We were responsible for various things involving us to find a DJ for music, learn how to set up a light show, hire models, style outfits for the models, find hair and makeup artists, decorate the stage and room as well as create an invitation and flyers to invite many students, faculty, family and friends to come and watch our show. My team and I were inspired to base our show on Andy Warhol. It involved lots of bright colors, bright lights and loud music. The show turned out to be a huge success and we got a great grade.

Nick: My grandfather has been in the fur industry for many decades.  In your opinion, is fur still a popular type of clothing?

Alexa: I most definitely think that fur is still very popular. Furthermore, I feel like it has become a classic. Fur has been in from season to season and I don’t feel that it will ever go out of fashion. I also feel that fur is both a basic and fashion good. Many people need fur to keep them warm during the very cold winter, but the fur most definitely makes a winter coat much more fashionable.

Nick: What led you to pursuing a career in fashion?

Alexa: Ever since I was in high school, I always knew that I wanted to do something in fashion. In my junior year, I took a trip to Paris and to all of the beautiful fashion houses and designer stores took my breath away.  It really made me so passionate about this art. After this trip, I decided to take a fashion class over the summer at FIT. The class I took was called The In’s and Out’s of Fashion Merchandising. This class was one of the best experiences of my life. I learned so much that one summer, and really took so much out of the class. We went on many field trips to fur manufactures and jewelry manufacturers. I also made many connections with my classmates and professor.

Nick: What are your hopes in the future for your fashion career?

Alexa: I plan on working in wholesale sales. Since working at Express for quite some time, I’ve realized that I want to work in sales and sell product. I think it’s such a challenge to sell all different types of clothing to all different types of customers. Wholesale sales is the career for me!

Nick: Can you give me any pointers on my own fashion sense?

Alexa: I think you’re the way you dress and that it represents your personality, so I wouldn’t recommend or change a thing. If you are interested in dressing more trendy, the military trend is very big now.