Composer and key player Andrew Magowan said he thinks the Durham-based band, which released its newest album in December, stays together because of its uniqueness.
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“I think that everybody is so obsessed with it because, one, there's so much drama behind the song and everybody loves drama,” senior Taylor Edmonds said. “And then two, it's a beautiful song. And three, people love hearing the sad deep emotional songs, especially if they can connect to it because of their own sad emotional experiences that they've gone through.”
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Some student performance groups are set to resume in-person rehearsals this semester, such as Tar Heel Voices, University Bands and Blank Canvas Dance Company. They are all making sure to follow COVID-19 guidelines to ensure maximum safety of participants. Each group has a contingency plan in place should the University move to a fully remote format once again, including one that could prevent Blank Canvas from holding a livestreamed showcase.
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“Behind every sea shanty there's a story,” rising junior Maggie Helmke said. UNC students are sharing their thoughts on the newest TikTok trend, which has users sharing sea shanties.
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"Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical" hit small screens nationwide Jan. 1 after garnering vast popularity from what started as a TikTok trend. The musical’s star-studded cast spans from popular TikTok creators like JJ Neimann (@jjneimann) to high-profile stars like Tituss Burgess, a Broadway and "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" alumnus who plays Remy, the “rat of all our dreams.” Almost cartoonish in nature, the musical’s filter-esque effects play into the silly and lighthearted nature of the whole digital affair.
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Students are decking the residence halls, off-campus houses and apartments this year after COVID-19 concerns and inflexible work schedules have prevented them from returning home for the holidays. Still, students are finding ways to keep their holiday cheer.
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The press release stated that "Black Nativity Durham" is a “soulful, gospel, celebration about the birth of Jesus Christ” that was originally written by Langston Hughes and adapted by Wendell Tabb, who also directs and co-produces the show, along with Xavier Cason.
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National Pawn, with 20 statewide locations over the past 33 years, recently donated over 100 musical instruments to Musical Empowerment, a Carrboro-based nonprofit. The organization is dedicated to creating equitable access to music education, pairing underserved children with collegiate mentors who volunteer weekly music lessons at no cost.
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The band features two members of the UNC community.
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With theater depending on in-person interaction, theater companies in 2020 had to be even more creative to make sure the show would go on virtually. Each group produced performances a little differently. Some were on Zoom, others on Skype, some prerecorded, and some livestreamed on Twitch or YouTube.
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Many UNC creatives are enlisting the internet to engage with their fans. Livestreams on Zoom, Facebook and Instagram Live are connecting Chapel Hill performers to fans at a social distance.
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Racial injustices and police brutality in 2020 sparked a new wave of music that addressed these issues. Students created a playlist of these songs from this year’s racial reckoning.
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Although 2020 has presented many challenges, several UNC arts community members feel that the changes imposed by the pandemic have increased connectivity and meaning in the art world.
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While movie theaters are open in North Carolina, a weak slate of blockbuster films and low attendance have made 2020 one of the most difficult and fascinating years in recent Hollywood history.
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The music industry in Chapel Hill has slowed to a near halt in 2020. Live music tends to involve shuttling people into the kind of crowded, intimate space that is now synonymous with risk. Venues and artists alike have had to adapt to a music scene without shows.
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UNC alum Tracy Deonn’s most recent young adult fantasy novel “Legendborn” tells the story of 16-year-old Bree Matthews as she discovers a magical world of Arthurian legends and secret societies on UNC Chapel Hill's campus.
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With many Americans turning to meatless or otherwise plant-based diets, Thanksgiving may look different today than in decades past. Past and present UNC students shared their experiences with non-traditional Thanksgiving menus.
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With "Outer Banks" up for a series of People's Choice Awards, North Carolinian students consider the impacts of the show.
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A new student-run magazine launching Nov. 15, called "SAATH HAI SHAKTI," focuses on mental health and experiences of the South Asian community. For students who feel the cultural experience they have on campus has been put on pause, the magazine offers a new perspective. While the magazine emphasizes the unique and diverse cultures of the South Asian community, readers of all ethnic, racial and religious backgrounds are encouraged to learn more. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, SAATH HAI SHAKTI’s editors had to prepare for unprecedented methods of collaborative communication.
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Drew Ellis, commonly known by his stage name of “Drell,” is a junior with a passion for making music. Not music for the sake of combining sounds and creating new genres, but music as a form of personal exploration, expression and evolution.
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