UCLA lecturer harmonizes Armenian, American cultures through song

Karenn Chutjian Presti began translating nursery rhymes and American folk tunes into Armenian about 6 1/2 years ago, when her first daughter was born. “A lot of people talk about having a baby and your brain turning to mush and it wasn’t like that at all,” she said. “I was learning new words, I was […]

Alumnus creates abstract visual art to accompany newly released music

Bryce Lamar painted strokes of blue and grey onto a sheet of poster board, smearing the paint around with different brushes to create various textures on the artwork. The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music alumnus said he felt the free-flowing, water-like textures and colors of the final product fit with the musical aesthetic of […]

Second Take: Kesha’s new sound is a good balance of poignant and peppy

The pop sensation who once sang about brushing her teeth with whiskey has turned to rainbows and fringed jackets. Kesha’s return to the music scene marks a turning point in her creative evolution –while her recent releases display the confidence and assertiveness that made her famous, the emotional rawness of her new material is unparalleled […]

Album review: “Melodrama”

It’s been nearly four years since Lorde came out with a full-length album, but she’s back at it, better than ever. The New Zealand artist released her second album “Melodrama,” on Friday, departing from the dark and minimalist characteristics of her first album, “Pure Heroine,” and delving into more mature territories with an impressive vocal […]

UCLA students create, produce innovative electronic music for YouTube

Will Hammer doesn’t like to describe his music – he prefers to have listeners draw their own conclusions about the music’s sound, as he draws inspiration from an assortment of different genres and sounds.   “I’m just trying to make as much music as I can because that’s really what I enjoy doing,” he said. […]

Club cooks up kosher cuisine for Shabbat dinners

Thursday evenings are meal prep nights for Elisa Gurevich. Last week, the co-director of Chabad House at UCLA set a large stainless-steel bowl filled with bread dough onto a long wooden table in her family’s Westwood townhouse. By 8:30 p.m., the members of the Kosher Cooking Club had entered the home and had begun to […]

TFT alum, lecturer brings Polish poetry to stage through performance

The name for Monica Payne’s latest project came to her while reading a Polish poem with imagery of clouds and skies. The phrase “Into the Empty Sky” popped into her head as she read poetry that took on the viewpoint of the clouds floating over humanity. Payne, a theater lecturer and 2011 alumna of UCLA […]