In a world dominated by pop, country and autotune, the rock genre is slowly growing, getting louder and louder, and the world is going to find it impossible to ignore. Especially when the volume was just turned up to 11!
Right before the beat drops and you hear that signature phrase, you know you are in for an exciting performance. Tha Beast Lani is the stage name for aspiring Flint rapper Milan Reaves and for her, the past year has been a busy one. She has been recording, writing songs and performing in local venues and as far away as Atlanta, GA. She has released seven singles and as many music videos. She has thousands of followers on Instagram and TikTok and fans throughout the U.S. Oh, and she’s only ten years old – so she’s got school, to boot. “I like school because it’s fun being with the other kids, but this year I’ve been learning from home,” she says.
Even at age five, Miko Marks was evoking strong emotions with her voice.
The year was 1995 and the once-proud city of Flint was stagnating. The mighty factories were shutting down. Citizens were fleeing to the suburbs. Schools were closing, buildings crumbling. While the city’s adults lamented a glorious past, its youth, in a valiant search for hope, desperately clung to one of the only things vibrant left in the city – its music. The Flint music scene never faltered, never flagged in the down years. In music, Flint was still relevant, still special and yet, a piece was missing. It was good, not great. Something was needed to put Flint music over the top. But, what or who? Then, from the east, with the speed of a lightning bolt a man appeared. His weapon was punk rock, his style was ridiculous, his mind warped. His name was Jim Fourniadis and with great purpose and energy, he quickly formed a band – Rats of Unusual Size. For six years, the Rats rocked the area, bringing Flint punk to its apex while instilling love for the city in a generation of adolescents, and then, just as suddenly as he appeared, Fourniadis vanished – disappeared without a trace. The Rats were no more and the people mourned.
Surrounded by state-of-the-art recording equipment, Marshall Block sits in his studio at Real II Reel Productions listening to a new track he recently mastered for a new band called The Fruits. “They are fantastic musicians, a great singer and great players. Most importantly, they are putting in the work to make it in today’s music world,” he says. “A lot has changed in the years that I have been doing this.” The Fruits have surpassed 500,000 streams on (digital music service) Spotify and are hitting the rest of the social media world hard. “That’s what it’s all about nowadays,” adds Block.
The pure sound of the violin is versatile – it can be melodious, soft and sweet or it can be dark, muted and haunting. No matter the music being played, the violin’s sound is one of the world’s most beautiful.
First, there was Breed – Flint’s hip-hop pioneer whose work resulted in a new musical sub-genre that put Flint on the map for rap talent. In the early 80s, rap or hip-hop was gaining a hold on the country. When the Sugar Hill Gang released “Rapper’s Delight” in 1980 to a national audience, the song got the world’s attention and young people began to embrace the sound. In 1984, Run D.M.C. released their self-titled debut, LL Cool J released his debut “Radio” in ’85 and the genre exploded. Street corners were full of youngsters and adults showing off their newfound talents or engaging in good-natured “rap battles.” DJs started working crowds in every major city. Despite the increasing interest in hip-hop throughout the country, artists and players on all of the major labels hailed from the East and West Coasts with L.A. and New York at the forefront; but in 1991, a man from the Midwest broke out with a new style and sound that would pave the way for a region and a city. That man was MC Breed and his story, along with that of fellow Flint artist, Ira “Bootleg” Dorsey, is the focus of Michigan State University’s “Rap on Flint” project.
New Century Chorale has been selected for the 2020 Best of Grand Blanc Award in the Business Services category by the Grand Blanc Award Program. Each year, the Grand Blanc Award Program identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and the community. These exceptional companies help make the Grand Blanc area a great place to live, work and play.
On Saturday, March 7, the annual William C. Byrd Young Artist Competition will take place at the Flint Institute of Music with the five finalists performing beginning at 7pm. The performance is free for all those interested. This year’s category is “strings”. A reception will follow the evening program.
This Sunday, February 23, the Flint Symphonic Wind Ensemble will perform at the Mayfair Bible Church located at 5339 W. Pierson Rd. in Flushing. The music will start at 3pm. Admission to the show is FREE.
Fall in love with the Fenton Community Orchestra this Valentine’s Day. The orchestra is celebrating its 10th anniversary of being part of the Fenton community. They are celebrating the occasion with a Valentine’s Day Concert on Friday, February 14 at 8pm. Visit the Fenton High School Ruby Zima Auditorium, for an evening of classical and movie music. There will be door prizes cake, cookies, a gift for each attendee and more!
The room was silent. Everyone sat in anticipation as the record album was pulled from its sleeve. The vinyl disc was lovingly brushed and carefully placed on the turntable, the tonearm lifted and gently set. After a slight hiss and a few crackles, the soft piano tones and thumping guitar of “Death on Two Legs,” the first song of Queen’s 1975 album, A Night at the Opera came pulsing through the speakers. The group of music aficionados closed their eyes and were transported.
