#watnwed

[beyondrock]

Where Are They Now Wednesdays: Kim Foxen

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I'm 20 years old and I'm a musician. I dabble in guitar, piano, and ukulele, but my favorite instrument is my voice :) I love singing and playing all types of music like Jazz, R&B/Soul, Opera, and Folk.

Who are your biggest musical influences?

Oh man, way too many! Lauryn Hill, Ella Fitzgerald, Donny Hathaway, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Jeff Buckley, Billie Holiday, Otis Redding, Claude Debussy, John Coltrane, Mavis Staples, Laura Marling, Lianne La Havas and Mirella Freni.

How many years did you attend Beyond Rock?

5 years...feels like forever.

What did you love most about camp? 

Besides everything...the staff. Not only were they all incredible musicians, but beautiful human beings as well. I learned so much from them.

Share a favorite memory from your time at camp.

Performing "One" by U2 with my best friends, Melissa, Tara, and Alanna in 2008 would have to be my favorite memory. Doing what you love with the people you love is the best feeling in the world.

How has your time at Beyond Rock impacted you?

In so many ways! It's the reason why I chose to pursue music in college and beyond. Beyond Rock helped me find my voice both as a musician and performer.

What do you think makes Beyond Rock different from other programs?

Beyond Rock is such a unique program in that it allows you to grow both as a musician and performer. It really encourages you to let your individuality shine.

What reasons would you give a new person for coming to Beyond Rock? 

At Beyond Rock, you will get the chance to step out of your comfort zone and try things you've never done before. It might be scary at first, but trust me when I say it will be one of the most rewarding experiences you will ever have.

What are you up to now? 

For the past two years, I've been attending Manhattan School of Music as a classical voice major but am now looking to pursue Jazz and combine it with my classical studies.

Any upcoming performances?

Hopefully some open mics soon... I'll keep you posted!

Any YouTube videos? 

The performance of "One" from the BR concert in 2008.

[beyondrock]

"Where Are They Now" Wednesday: Eric Leonardis

Tell us a bit about yourself. 

I was around since year 1 of Beyond Rock. I was a stubborn child who declared I would play only guitar. Through my years at Beyond Rock, I grew openminded and learned to play drums, bass, and keyboard. Although now I am more focused on other things, I am the type of person who likes to integrate all of the lessons I have learned from one thing to another. The lessons I have learned from Beyond Rock are priceless and can be applied in many places in my life.

Who are your biggest musical influences?

My biggest musical influences lie somewhere between Iron Maiden, J. S. Bach, and the Wu Tang Clan.

How many years did you attend Beyond Rock?

6 years.

What did you love most about camp? 

The camp has a tight community of passionate individuals that are some of the best teachers around. Being able to spend time and learn from so many versatile musicians is a rewarding opportunity. Not only is the music education top notch, but all of the supplementary recreational activities and theater games are fantastic. The camp is an environment that inspires creativity, while also developing a child's social skills. This is a place where all types of expression are encouraged, and that is something that's hard to find.

Share a favorite memory from your time at camp.

It would be unfair to isolate one memory from 6 years of Beyond Rock. The memories that I look back on are the one-on-one conversations I shared with the staff members. At school, adults treat you like children. At Beyond Rock, adults treated me like an equal and cared about what I had to say. I would talk not only about music, but all sorts of topics. There was a feeling that the staff truly cared about you and what you had to say, and that is significant for a teenager. This supportive feeling is the common theme in all of my favorite BR memories. 

How has your time at Beyond Rock impacted you?

I believe Beyond Rock has given me the capability to learn whatever I put my mind to. It not only has taught me to believe in myself, but it as given me countless evidence to suggest that I CAN and WILL learn whatever I put my mind to. This is not just an inflated sense of abilities; this is the result of working with people who believe in you and provide results to support it. 

What do you think makes Beyond Rock different from other programs?

Beyond Rock integrates all different types of knowledge and understanding in a fun way. The passion is overflowing and the staff are experts in their field. This is not something that you find at any rock camp, as I had attended more than one originally. Beyond Rock was my camp of choice because of the individual nature of its focus, while emphasizing team work at the same time. BR accomplishes the type of education that is ideal for most scenarios.

What reasons would you give a new person for coming to Beyond Rock? 

Someone who wants to play their instrument better, someone who wants to learn how to play in a band, or someone who wants to get over their social anxieties could come to Beyond Rock. The best reason to come is primarily to learn that you can overcome any challenge put in front of you by working hard, but also using the help and insights of others in order to better yourself. These are life lessons that one doesn't learn by watching, and Beyond Rock enables you to DO your best and improve on it. 

What are you up to now? 

Although I have not been focusing on my musical abilities as of late, I have been doing a whole lot of other things. I am a junior at Hofstra University and I am working towards a triple major in Psychology, History, and Chinese Studies (Language and Culture). In a few months, I will be applying for PhD programs in Cognitive Science and Neuroscience. I am currently in the process of conducting research in the History of Science, Philosophy of Cognitive Science, and Cognitive Psychology. 

[beyondrock]

"Where Are They Now" Wednesday: Nick Pitman

Tell us a bit about yourself.

 Hey! I'm Nick. I'm a musician and audio engineer and a lot of other things. I enjoy a good microphone preamp.

Who are your biggest musical influences?

It changes all the time, but lately Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), Weezer, LCD Soundsystem, The World is a Beautiful Place & I am No Longer Afraid to Die, Sufjan Stevens, and Kanye West.

How many years did you attend Beyond Rock?

4 (+1 as a volunteer counselor)

What did you love most about camp? 

The staff at Beyond Rock are some of the most genuine and real people I've gotten the opportunity to come across. To me, the people involved are always what made Beyond Rock so enjoyable.

Share a favorite memory from your time at camp.

My favorite memory would probably have to be nearly anything from my third year of camp, but one specific example would have to be seeing all of the counselors put on a pretty impromptu performance of "25 or 6 to 4" one morning. They were having the most fun performing out of any group I've ever seen. Also, the year that everybody started playing soccer at every free moment they got was a ton of fun.

How has your time at Beyond Rock impacted you?

Beyond Rock gave me the most experience in a recording studio that I was abe to find before college, and it really helped me to find a major in Music Technology.

What do you think makes Beyond Rock different from other programs?

I think that the benefit of Beyond Rock is how much each instructor cares for the campers. It's smaller than a lot of other summer music camps, and I think that everyone benefits from that. 

What reasons would you give a new person for coming to Beyond Rock? 

You'll meet a ton of people who like the same music that you do, your ability as a musician will make huge steps forward in just two weeks, and you'll be able to learn a thing or two and get up on a stage to perform at the end.

What are you up to now? 

I'm in my third year of NYU's Music Technology program, where I'm pursuing a bachelor's and a masters degree in an accelerated program. Outside of school, I write and play in a band called For Everest, and we just put out our first EP about a week ago. It's up for free on bandcamp. 

Any upcoming performances? 

We'll be on a short tour around the tri-state area and Philadelphia over Memorial Day weekend (venues still TBD), with another full-week tour in August. We also play around downtown NYC and Brooklyn pretty frequently.

Any Youtube videos? 

This is from a show back at the studio at Webster Hall last year.

For more on Nick and his band, For Everest, check out bandcamp, Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram and Twitter.