Youth Media Project
Re(imagine) Media
We'd like to say a BIG thank you to everyone who came out for Re(imagiNATION) 2013! The winners of the festival were The Options in the band category and Dan Winter for art. Don't miss the Re(imagiNATION) Showcase on Sunday, June 9 from 4 to 6 p.m. as part of the Three Rivers Arts Festival.
A special thank you to our judges: Carrie Battle, Brian McLeod, Luqmon Abdus-Salaam, Diego Byrnes, Pierce Marratto, and Jody Shell.
We appreciate the musicians for coming out: The Options, Dustin Carpenter, The Actions, and Basement Party.
And a thanks to the artists as well: Dan Winter, Alisa Pugacheva, Dennis Doyle, Shelby Hueber, Alicia Mastroianni, Kayla Jade Keefer, Gianna Caparelli, Sarah Trobee, Katherin Mills, and Hannah Shoemaker.
Read the Q&A to get to know the Re(imagiNATION) winners.
The Options--Band
WYEP: When did you start creating playing together? What brought you together?
The Options: Jake and Zack have been playing together since grade school when they formed their first band, "JEZ". They met Matt in Middle School and added him to the band and changed the name to "Skeeter John". They met Shannon in 2009 at a summer rock school and added her. And in 2012 they changed the name to "The Options".
WYEP: Why do you all like playing music?
The Options: We feel it's a simple yet effective way to express ourselves.
WYEP: How would you describe your music style?
The Options: Many different forms of rock.
WYEP: Where does your inspiration com from?
The Options: We have four main influences: Zack likes punk, Shea likes alternative, Matt likes '90s and '00s underground, and Jake likes psychedelic rock.
WYEP: Which musicians do you look up to?
The Options: Zack: Fat Mike of NOFX and Bradley Nowel of Sublime, Shea: Skylar Grey, Matt: Bono and Sufjan Stevens, Jake: Keith Moon and John Lennon.
Check out The Options' Facebook for information and music from the band.
Dan Winter--Artist
WYEP: When did you start creating art?
Dan: I started shooting photography at the end of my junior year in high school.
WYEP: Why do you like making art?
Dan: For me it's really just fun going to all these different places and seeing all kinds of different things and capturing and putting my own twist on it.
WYEP: What is your style?
Dan: I feel like I have a really different perspective on society and the world and I try to express this through a lot of my photography.
WYEP: Where does your inspiration com from?
Dan: Everywhere, but I would say a good majority of it comes from the city and urban culture. I'm always going on adventures to places off the beaten path, places that you don't see everyday and I get to see some really crazy and cool stuff which really inspires my work.
WYEP: Which artists do you look up to?
Dan: As far as photography goes I would say Henri Cartier-Bresson for the extremely unique moments he has captured. But, I also really look up to street artists such as Banksy, Shepard Fairey, Neck Face, and Invader.
See Dan's work on Flickr or follow him on Twitter @DanSWinter.
Re(imagine) Media is a teen-led program centered on media creation and advocacy. We want to empower teens to become a voice for today's youth, so participants in Re(imagine) Media hone their leadership skills as they speak out about issues that are important to them. To view some of their work visit the Re(imagine) Media blog. Each participant contributes ideas for projects and how to do them. Previous projects have included an investigation into teen dating violence and interviews with people at Occupy Pittsburgh. /TSpotlightLogo_Alpha.png)
This year our participants are working on a project called Teen Spotlight. They'll interview local teens with unique independent projects--be it a business, newspaper, album, or anything. We want to bring these accomplishments to light and showcase these teens and their awesome work. Another big project for our Re(imaginers) is Re(imagiNATION), a high school band competition. Five bands are chosen as winners to compete live in Schenley Plaza. The winners also receive a personalized press kit (courtesy of Point Park University), mentorship with a local band, as well as chances to perform at the Carnegie Science Center and this December's Holiday Hootenany.
Attention Potential Re(imaginers)!
Does media creation and advocacy appeal to you? Join the Re(imagine) team and find a place where you can explore different forms of media to highlight the issues that you care about. We are accepting applications this fall to join the Re(Imagine) Media team. Check out what Re(imagine) Media has accomplished and plans to accomplish in our newsletter. Fill out the application if you would like to be involved! Email your finished application to alexa@wyep.org.
Newest Re(imagine) Content
The Re(imaginers) are working hard creating film and audio content. One Re(imaginer) made a public service announcement for homeless youth awareness.
A few other Re(imaginers) interviewed volunteers from the Obama staging area in the South Side and Romney's Greensburg Victory Center. On election day, they conducted exit polls in the South Side. The audio from these interviews were transformed into an election coverage piece.
