The Arts

The Berlin Arts Collective Goes Global, Locally

Posted by Jenna on Jan 16, 2013 in Art, Washington D.C. | 0 comments

“Local” is the trending buzzword of the day, particularly in the D.C. area. Restaurants built on the premise of sourcing locally; local food festivals; local wine movements; and events like Small Business Saturday. Even local music proponents are hopping on board. Such hyper-focused emphasis on buying local products and living, breathing and embodying a local identity

Going Sustainable: Loudoun’s Farm-to-Catering Path [Loudoun Magazine Feature Backstory]

Posted by Jenna on Oct 9, 2012 in Sustainability, Virginia, Voices of Virginia | 0 comments

“We started with 36 trees.” David Weinschel tugged at the nearest overhanging branch, ripe with apples, and handed it to me. “Now we are close to 100.”

Though 100 apple trees sounded like a lot to me, the amount of actual space (and fruit-yielding potential) the orchard takes up on its 50-acre property is pretty minuscule, relatively. But it’s

Collaborative Arts: An Interview with DC Fringe Festival Composer Michael Oberhauser

Posted by Jenna on Jul 25, 2012 in Music, Opera | 0 comments

The 2012 Capital Fringe Festival, DC’s major open-access contemporary arts festival, has been underway since July 12. I recently had the chance to speak with composer Michael Oberhauser about his trio of miniature operas premiering at this year’s festival and about his new arts collective

Melodic Rhythms, and Rhythmic Melodies: Azerbaijani Music in DC

Posted by Jenna on Jul 9, 2012 in Music | 1 comment

The temperature was close to 100 degrees. It was probably even hotter on stage. I shifted, the backs of my thighs peeling off the seat of the metallic folding chair, which had been baking in the afternoon sun. The audience around me fidgeted, fanning themselves with the program.

Once the music started, though, I stopped noticing the extreme heat. It took me a few

American Balalaika Symphony Performs in Northern Virginia

Posted by Jenna on Jun 28, 2012 in Music | 0 comments

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “balalaika”?

The first image I see in my mind is the body of the triangle-shaped instrument. Then I hear a random melody, made distinct by tremolo. Then I leap to the association of Dr. Zhivago, whose soundtrack represents the first time I’d consciously heard a balalaika.

A Musical Marriage: Klezmer, Funk and Hip Hop

Posted by Jenna on Jun 18, 2012 in Music | 0 comments

I had the opportunity to interview David Krakauer and Fred Wesley after their recent performance at Strathmore in Maryland. The full article was published with DC Life Magazine.

The sounds coming out of the solo clarinet on stage were more than music. The rich and vibrant tones defied the instrument’s pitch range; so lucid that they shape-shifted into images in my mind