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 […]

FYF Fest feeds LA music scene with tastes of indie, mainstream artists

FYF Fest at Exposition Park, a music festival packed with exciting music, long lines and brightly costumed personalities, was a Disneyland for music lovers. The festival, now heading into its 13th year, brought indie and mainstream musical talents to the park surrounding the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Friday Music enthusiasts prepared themselves for headliners Björk […]

UCLA Extension student sings tune accompanying end credits of ‘Valerian’

Alexiane Silla kept the good news about her song under wraps for three weeks because she didn’t want to jinx it. When she found out that her song “A Million on My Soul” was chosen to accompany the end credits for “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets,” which was released in theaters Friday, […]

UCLA alumna creates fashionable, efficient convertible bag

UCLA alumna Julia Lam and her friend Marisa Juárez Burdick advertised one of Lam’s latest bag designs simply by walking into a Michael Kors store at a shopping mall. Upon entering, they were approached by a sales associate who complimented Juárez Burdick’s handbag – an early prototype Lam had created called “The Tracy,” a two-in-one […]

Concert review: J. Cole at The Forum

Mic in hand and head bowed in silence onstage, J. Cole appeared to take his own advice to the audience. “We’re all breathing the same air and hearing the same music, all on the same … frequency right now,” Cole said. “Tonight (Los Angeles), live in the moment.” The audience listened, just as it did […]

Students overcome low budget for LGBTQ film through high collaboration

Sionne Elise and Maggie Jorgenson were eating pasta in the Covel Commons dining hall when they came up with the idea for their independent short film. This year, the fourth-year theater, film and television students will release their film “Going Solo,” a story about two lesbian teenagers who must navigate high school while dealing with issues […]

Alumnus draws from experience in music therapy to teach summer course

Joe Kim uses music instead of medication to treat his patients. Kim is a board-certified music therapist and a choral conducting alumnus of the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. This summer, he is teaching Music 188: “Introduction to Music Therapy.” Music therapy is the practice of using music to address a patient’s symptoms. “Music […]