Rilan would take his mother’s Walkman and listen to Madonna and David Bowie for hours when he was a child back in New Orleans. The 21-year-old singer now lives in Los Angeles, but his passion for synth-pop and glam-rock has not faded. Read more...
Photo: Los Angeles-based pop artist Rilan uses his synth-pop- and glam rock-influenced music and his distinct sense of style to express his inner personality. (Daniel Leibowitz/Daily Bruin)
Movie soundtracks sometimes fall into the background for movie viewers, but for Jonathan Beard they’re all he can focus on. Beard, a lecturer in the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, helps create soundtracks for films and television shows. Read more...
Photo: Music lecturer Jonathan Beard has played different roles in creating music for films such as “Frank vs. God” and “Despicable Me 3.” As a composer, Beard collaborates with directors to generate a soundtrack; when he orchestrates a piece, he transfers detailed cues from the composer to an orchestra. (Hannah Johnson/Daily Bruin)
Music inspires the soul and allows listeners to feel joyful and free, and behind every piece of inspirational music lies a songwriter and a story. Throughout spring quarter, columnist Kaitlyn Peterson will sit down over tea with UCLA singer-songwriters to explore their musical goals, personal inspirations and what makes their songs so special. Read more...
Photo: Sixth-year history student Drew Drysdale released her 10-song album, “Into the Grey” on SoundCloud in January 2017. The music recounts her experiences with depression and reflects on how far she has come in life. (Chengcheng Zhang/Daily Bruin)
Adam Friedman learned how to play guitar on a miniature electric Fender Stratocaster from Guitar Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona. But it was an acoustic Olympia guitar that inspired Friedman to pursue songwriting around the age of 12. Read more...
Photo: Pop singer-songwriter Adam Friedman released his debut EP “Green” this year. Though he moved to the West Coast to work as a technical assistant at a studio, he began professionally pursuing music after his song “Glorious” featured as the theme song of the film “Rock Dog.” (Miriam Bribiesca/Photo editor)
Will Hammer doesn’t like to describe his music – he prefers to have listeners draw their own conclusions about the music’s sound, as he draws inspiration from an assortment of different genres and sounds. Read more...
Photo: Second-year undeclared student Will Hammer produces “Live Session” videos in which his friends film him performing his songs. He has released three films so far on his YouTube channel GARLYN. (Axel Lopez/Daily Bruin)
The smell of barbecue ribs and the sound of reggae pop remixes wafted through the air Monday at UCLA’s JazzReggae Festival. Concertgoers filed through the gates of the Sunset Canyon Recreation Center, sporting multicolored tinted glasses, crop tops and brightly patterned flannels. Read more...
Photo: Reggae singer Oje Ken Ollivierre performed under his stage name Protoje at the 31st annual JazzReggae Festival hosted by Cultural Affairs Commission in Sunset Recreation. He took the stage with funky keyboard tunes and an electric guitar, and featured two female vocalists on “Rasta Love.” In between two of his songs, he encouraged the crowd to live in the moment. (Stella Huang/Daily Bruin)
Music inspires the soul and allows listeners to feel joyful and free, and behind every piece of inspirational music lie a songwriter and a story. Throughout spring quarter, columnist Kaitlyn Peterson will sit down over tea with UCLA singer-songwriters to explore their musical goals, personal inspirations and what makes their songs so special. Read more...
Photo: Third-year anthropology student Justin Loera is working on his fourth album after making his own progressive rock music in January 2016. He released his first album “Untitled Album” last year and his most recent album “Faded Dream” in January. (Stella Huang/Daily Bruin)
