TENNESSEE DRAWS OVER 80,000 PEOPLE TO ONE FARM TO HEAR SOME MUSIC

By Karen Campbell

MURFREESBORO, Tenn.-- A farm located in Manchester, Tenn., brought in over 80,000 people from all over the world this year for four days for “Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival.”

The annual festival multiplied the entire town’s population by at least eight times. Top musical acts performing this year ranged from Billy Joel to Mumford and Sons to Kendrick Lamar. The entire town works very hard every year to make sure that proper means of security are met to accommodate such a massive crowd. Although the size and popularity of the festival are majorly increasing every year, Manchester still manages to keep this event family friendly and enjoyable for all Bonnaroovians.

Photo by Karen Campbell

The music starts at noon each day of the festival and does not stop until 2 or 3 a.m. Over 100 bands play on more than six stages throughout the weekend. Bonnaroo always delivers a very interesting lineup with performers from all types of genres.

Ben Folds Bonnaroo 2012 (Photo by Karen Campbell)

With a crowd as massive as this, it is of great importance that security is strictly enforced, which Manchester has done a wonderful job with. Manchester calls upon law enforcement from all over the state to assist in maintaining order at the festival. Security checkpoints are set up at the entrance as well as drug dogs to watch for illegal substances.

“The line of cars waiting to get through the security checkpoints stretches for miles,” said Officer Justin Boyd. “It’s difficult to provide security for this many visitors. We’re really thankful to have so many volunteers from the community to help out at the festival. Dozens of nurses volunteer as well.”

Jason Huber of Cherub with some Bonnaroo fans

                      Bonnaroo is usually held during the third week of June. With that being said, you can only imagine how hot it gets being out at the farm for four days straight. There are several free water stations located all around the festival. However, when dealing with thousands of teens and college students overheating is an inevitable occurrence. The festival has done a very good job at covering all of the bases including medical cars stations, plenty of water, shaded resting areas, and even large fountains in the middle of the festival for a nice cool break.

                  With Bonnaroo going on its 14^th year and its size increasing dramatically every year, there are constantly many changes being made. This year, Bonnaroo was bought out by Live Nation. This means there will be less stress on the town since a large corporation will be in charge of the festival from now on. Coachella and most other prominent music festivals like Bonnaroo are run by corporations such as Live Nation. This has many advantages when dealing with events as large as this for reasons such as security and safety.

                  One significant change that has been made due to the new ownership is that every person attending the festival will be required to scan in and out of the campgrounds to help reduce the number of people sneaking into the festival without a ticket. They will also be cracking down on keeping illegal drugs out of the festival. The staff at Bonnaroo has been dealing with this issue since the festival first occurred in 2002 and they hope that increased amount of security guards will help this factor.       

Girl Talk at Bonnaroo 2011 (Photo by Karen Campbell)

                  Bonnaroo is a hidden gem in the little of town of Manchester. While many people fly in from all over the world for this festival, Middle Tennesseans practically have it in their backyard. The key is to plan ahead, stay hydrated, and don’t hesitate to take a break from the music to find some shade.

The 14^th year of Bonnaroo will be held from June 9-12, 2016 and will be drawing in record-setting crowds once again. The lineup is set to be released in February 2016. Pre-sale tickets and more information can be found at www.bonnaroo.com. Take advantage of your home state’s world famous event and go have some fun at the farm!

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MT Storytellers Returns with a Bang

By Alexia S. Thompson

MUFREESBORO, Tenn.- A night of talent returned to the campus of Middle Tennessee State University at 7 p.m. Nov. 12 for the first time since 2012, resulting in a large turnout.

Hosted by Corey Franklin and Darrell Martin, an event by the name of MT Storytellers gave artists a chance to showcase their craft and share background behind the pieces they performed. The event was coordinated by two popular organizations on campus: First Flight Entertainment, a party promoting group, and Collegiate 100, an organization that works to help grow the population of black males on campus.

MT Storytellers was inspired by a television program with a similar name, VH1 Storytellers, which was also created to connect viewers with popular singers and songwriters as the artists play their music and tell the stories behind their greatest songs and albums. Each episode goes behind the scenes with a single artist or group and features intimate musical performances and the first-hand stories behind the hits.

The event brought out students, parents and a few local members of the Murfreesboro community. The turnout was so great that the room became quickly overcrowded, and many were left standing.

“MT Storytellers was brought back from 2012 because it was a flourishing event” said Demarcus Williams, member of Collegiate 100, “If you missed it you missed one of the most exciting events of the year. The crowd heard many artists share their stories and values.”

"Emotions are the absolute biggest driving force of my writing,” said Brittany Spencer, a singer who performed a couple of her written pieces. “My experiences inspire my writing the most."

Other performances included, rappers that go by the names Evan Dupri, Douglas, and D Mauz, a singer by the stage name Vann, as well as a poet that goes by the name Angel. Before the artists went on, there was a short video played that talked about who they were and what inspired them to begin writing and sharing their craft. 

 "I really liked it,” said freshman student Britnie Harding, when asked what she thought of the event.  “I love how they shared their stories by using their talents."

To learn more about the organizations, you can visit https://www.facebook.com/Collegiate-100-Black-Men-of-Middle-Tennessee-State-University-209911449041526/?fref=nf and https://twitter.com/1stflightent.

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Middle Tennessee State University Hosts Stock Horse Show

By Evan Taylor

            MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee State University presented the Stock Horse Show Regional Championship at the Tennessee Miller Coliseum on Nov. 21. 

Photo Provided by MTSU

            MTSU’s Horse Science students who participated practiced two nights a week to prepare for the Stock Horse Show Regional Championship. The event started with the novices trying to show control of the cows, and prevent them from running off. After all the novices completed their part of the competition, it was time for advance riders.

            MTSU Graduate Student Andrea Rego is one of the advance riders who participated in the event. One of her tasks was to box in the cows, or control the cows to prevent them from running off. She plans to coach the competitions after she finishes her degree.

            “I trained a horse when I was an undergrad,” Rego said. “It’s all about learning how to communicate with the animal. It’s easy to communicate when you have another person who can speak like you. It’s a whole ‘nother game when you have to try to break a horse.”

            Novices are given trained horses to ride, while the advanced riders have to ride the more untrained horses as a safety precaution, while also showcase skills within their range.

Photo Provided by Tennessee Stock Horse Association

            “We wouldn’t dare put a rookie on a beginner horse,” said Rego. “We don’t want to have an incident where the new guy gets hurt on an unbroken horse. We take care of that ourselves.”

            Over 80 horses were shown off during the event, and all of the contestants went through similar events to figure out who were the most skilled at their task. Belt buckles were given to the best participant in the division of novice and advance. The winner for the novice event was Hunter Hazleton, who is not a MTSU student.  For more information on the stock horse show and the rankings of other participants, visit www.tnsha.org.

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Pop-Punk Line-Up Proves Nashville Isn’t Just For Country Music

By Kendra Blake

The Wonder Years
(Image provided by Hopeless Records) 

            NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A bill of pop-punk bands drew a large, rowdy crowd from the country music capital to the Cannery Ballroom on Nov. 6 for a co-headlining tour between The Wonder Years and Motion City Soundtrack.

            Many tourists don’t see Nashville as anything more than the “Home of Country Music”, making them naïve to other music scenes that are alive and very prominent in this city. Proving this fact came as an easy task for the acts on this tour, starting with the Orlando-based quintet, You Blew It. Their catchy and lively melodies got the crowd dancing quickly and ready for more.

            Taking the stage next was a band from New York called State Champs for their fifth Nashville show over the last year.  Even though they were one of the openers for the show and the newest act on the bill, there were a lot of fans jumping around and singing along. The crowd responded extremely well to their set, which mixed a lot of their previous album with their most recent release.

            State Champs lead singer Derek DeScanio headed to the merch table as soon as their set was over to meet and talk with fans.  

“We can always count on a good turn out from this city,” DeScanio said. “There’s lots of energy out there. I know there are plans in the works to come back some time in the new year and we can’t wait.”

            After the break between sets, everybody in the room was anxious and eager for more. Finally, Motion City Soundtrack took over the stage and started their set with an older single “Everything Is Alright,” making the whole room jump and dance around. The band last played Nashville back in July to a sold-out show on their tour celebrating the 10-year anniversary to their most popular, fan-favorite album “Commit This To Memory.”

            While the entire line-up for this tour has very similar music styles, each act brings out different behaviors from the fans. When MCS was finished with its set, it became clear how anxious fans of The Wonder Years were becoming.

            The crowd at The Wonder Years shows can be intense and manic, and the band’s performance made sure that this show wasn’t any different. There was a mosh pit during most of their set while Dan “Soupy” Campbell, TWY’s lead singer, kept the fans engaged and having the time of their lives.

            Long-time fan Jesse Taylor took part in the madness of the crowd.

            “This is one of the best tours I’ve been to in a long time,” Taylor said. “These bands never disappoint.”

            This tour has just wrapped up its last shows in November. You can find more touring info for each band on their respective official websites: www.Motioncitysoundtrack.com, www.thewonderyearsband.com, and www.statechampsny.com.

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'Cuba, Two Visions' Inspires at The Baldwin Photographic Gallery

By Jaime Herriott 

     MURFRESSBORO, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee State University held a lecture for the exhibition "Cuba, Two Visions" by photographers Betancourt and Griffiths in The Bragg Building on Nov. 16, with a reception following in The Baldwin Photographic Gallery. 

     Jose Betancourt , a Cuban native and a photography professor at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, presented his series called “Cuba: Reconstructing Memories.” Through his work, he shared a meaningful message behind his inspiration: his symbolic memories of his family.  

Photo by Jaime Herriott

     Meg Griffiths, a photography professor at the University of South Carolina, shared her journey to Cuba with a very moving series called “Casa de fruta y pan.” Griffith’s motivation for the series came from her grandmother, who gave her the inspiration to travel to Cuba and capture what she called “private meets public”. 

     Everyone in the room followed every word that Betancourt had to say about his childhood journey. He shared how he came to America on a freedom flight from Cuba, and most importantly about the trunk of photos that he found in his aunt's attic. He came to the U.S. at the age of 5 and has always wanted to return to his native country. Creating this series was his way of bringing his heritage to life.  

     Betancourt’s form of art was not through the lens of a camera, His works feature collages of family photos and cyanotypes that he created through his emotional attachment towards each subject and how it connected to him in his life. Each piece had an artistic touch to it, from cyanotypes being stitched together to using his daughter in a photo to reconnect with himself as a child.  

Photo by Jaime Herriott

       “I made this collage of faces, of people I knew from my past to help me put together my childhood and show who I am,” said Betancourt as he spoke highly about his piece called “Identity”. 

     Griffith’s work spoke for itself. She began with photos of her grandmother from 1946 and added in famous quotes from influences such as Dorothea Lange. Her research and love of the Cuban country took her on a trip with 200 rolls of 120-film where she spent months shooting the everyday life of those that surrounded her.  

     “I love to photograph everyday life, in people's homes of what we ate and where we would sleep; Griffiths said. "Cuba was stuck in the 1950’s.”  

Photo by Jaime Herriott

     
     Tom Jimison, a photography professor at MTSU and the curator for the Baldwin Photographic Gallery, brought in Betancourt and Griffiths for this remarkable night had by all with a reception to follow. To obtain more information about the exhibition and the artists future endeavors go to www.theleadingedgemtsu.com. 

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