Podcast: Musical conversation with Samantha Farrell

The following podcast and transcript feature Samantha Farrell, who is the assistant to MIT.nano director Vladimir Bulovic, as well as a professional musician. Below, she talks about how music is keeping her focused, productive, and sane, and how artists are more important than ever in difficult times like these.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) · Podcast: Musical conversation with Samantha Farrell

FULL TRANSCRIPT:

Samantha Farrell:

I've had a couple people say it gave me a vacation from my anxiety or it gave me a break just for a little moment in the day. I just kind of forgot about it and to me that's the mission accomplished, like that. I couldn't hear a better thing that someone could say about this.

Samantha Farrell:

(singing)

Samantha Farrell:

My name is Samantha Farrell. I'm a musician and I also happen to work at MIT. I'm the assistant to the Founding Director of MIT.nano, Vladimir Bulovic, and I also help manage his research group, The One Lab.

Samantha Farrell:

(singing)

Narrator:

Samantha started performing professionally in the early 2000s while still in college. Most nights you can find her out listening to music, at band rehearsal or performing live. Her and her band are regulars in the Boston music scene. However, like most of us currently, they now find themselves stuck at home, struggling to adjust to the new normal. As Samantha began to settle in and navigate through canceled gigs and working remotely, she found herself in need of something more, something creative and collaborative and fun.

Samantha Farrell:

That Monday after they asked us to not come back to work, I was feeling really sad. I was feeling really sad and lethargic and uncertain about everything. And over the course of the week I was thinking of ways, okay, how am I going to stay sane? And I knew that continuing to make music would help keep me nice and even and feeling good about things. So my boyfriend and I, he is a videographer, we were thinking okay, what can we do collaboratively? What can we do with our friends? If we're going to be isolated, let's still try to make something together. And that's how we came up with the idea of Split Screen Quarantine.

Samantha Farrell:

(singing)

Narrator:

Split Screen Quarantine is a weekly video series Samantha publishes on her YouTube channel. Each video, which she calls a transmission, feature a collaboration between herself and a different musician, performing a song of their choice. Going into this idea, Samantha says she wasn't quite sure what the end result of each collaboration would be, but what she did know was she wanted to maintain a specific aesthetic throughout each.

Samantha Farrell:

We wanted to keep that home grown shot at home found footagey kind of look, so we decided to shoot these on an iPhone or whatever cell phone that you have and we spent a long time getting the keyboard sound to the font so it would look and sound like coming from a bunker in the 80s, like in a post apocalyptic movie or something like that. We were just trying to lean into the weirdness of all of this.

Samantha Farrell:

(singing)

Samantha Farrell:

So what everyone does is that they record their footage and then everyone sends the files and then Christopher, who's the videographer and the editor of these, stitches it all together.

Samantha Farrell:

Each video takes hours to create and put together and the audio, we spend a lot of time mixing it, so big round of applause to the behind-the-scenes editing and production help from Decent Productions.

Samantha Farrell:

(singing)

Narrator:

Her collaborators consist mostly of musician friends and band members, some of whom she has worked with often and some she's never worked with at all. Her only requirement, a collaborator who is equally excited and as enthusiastic about participating as she is. One of her most recent collaborations was with an MIT alum who played not just one but four separate instruments to round it all out.

Samantha Farrell:

We just recorded a Melody Gardot song, which I love, I play with my band a lot and it's a big hit with the blues dance community, so I'm used to seeing a lot of people swaying in the aisles when we're playing this one and I recorded it with Michael Valdez, who is an MIT alum. He was class of '90, Core 16 for undergrad and then he got his masters in Aero-astro, same department in '93. I met him maybe eight years ago now. He just came up to me at a gig and he's like, I should be your piano player. And I said, okay. And that was that. But he's a multi-instrumentalist. He's a brilliant person, of course, went to MIT, so. He is playing upright bass, piano, drums and Wurlitzer on this. So I hope you enjoy.

Samantha Farrell:

(singing)

Samantha Farrell:

I'm having so much fun just collaborating with people. One of the next people that I'm doing this with is Van Morrison's ex piano player. He's coming up, coming up next on one of these. I have a friend in Amsterdam who's about to do one with me. I have a friend in Los Angeles who's going to do one with me. It's just a really fun way to reach out and just talk to people and have musical conversations with people. And what I'm finding is that I'm not receiving resistance to it. It's not like, oh, let me think about it, everyone wants to do it. I think having a creative focus and a mission, to record and record audio and then record yourself, it gives you something positive to do. And then to have every Monday having a finished product is, it was making everyone feel kind of productive.

Samantha Farrell:

(singing)

Samantha Farrell:

I feel like in times like these, this is when the arts really shine and when people's humanity can really shine. It's when musicians and filmmakers and artists are needed more than ever.

Samantha Farrell:

(singing)

Samantha Farrell:

Again, my name is Samantha Farrell and thank you so much for listening, and if you want to continue to hear Split Screen Quarantine transmissions, they'll be coming out every single Monday until MIT lets us back in, which may be awhile, but you can find them by subscribing to me on YouTube. It's just Samantha Farrell Music, or I'll be releasing them on Facebook, Samantha Farrell Music on Facebook.

Samantha Farrell:

(singing)

from MIT News https://ift.tt/3ff5QJG
via

Night burials amid Tanzania's coronavirus defiance

Some fear the East African nation is downplaying the pandemic as it seeks to protect its economy.

from BBC News - Africa https://ift.tt/2WpUcTw
via

New York mother dies of childbirth complications days after complaining of ‘dealing with incompetent doctors’

The coronavirus pandemic has dominated the national attention so much, it’s easy to overlook other health disparities that have plagued this country and communities for generations.

Such was the case for New Yorker Amber Rose Isaac, who died last month at the age of 26 after giving birth as a result of neglect and malpractice, The Guardian reports.

Isaac, a Bronx resident of Black and Purto Rican descent, received rude and unprofessional treatment from the staff of the Bronx’s Montefiore Medical Center, according to her partner Bruce McIntyre III.

“All of this was 100% preventable. All of it,” McIntyre said. “I feel like she would have got more attentive care if she was a white mother, to be completely honest with you.”

Just days prior to her death, Isaac tweeted she should consider writing a story about “dealing with incompetent doctors” at the Bronx hospital.

Can’t wait to write a tell all about my experience during my last two trimesters dealing with incompetent doctors at Montefiore

— ✨ (@Radieux_Rose) April 17, 2020

READ MORE: Distraught father sues Cedars-Sinai Hospital after his wife dies in childbirth

Isaac felt her platelet levels were down in February, but was ignored by her medical team, who she was in contact with over phone and Zoom video conference. Low platelet levels make it harder for the body to form blood clots.

She didn’t get updated blood work until she hired a midwife in response to Montefiore’s mistreatment. However, hopes of having a home birth were nixed when she was deemed too high risk and needed surgery, McIntyre said.

Isaac is another victim of the United States’ ongoing problem with Black maternity mortality. African-American women are eight times more likely to die during childbirth than white women in New York City alone. Latinas, particularly Puerto Ricans, are also more vulnerable.

“Unfortunately, what I see when I look at Amber Rose’s case is a beautiful young woman who fell through our big, gaping hole of a health-care system,” Dr. Joia Crear-Perry, founder and president of the National Birth Equity Collaborative, said.

READ MORE: Time To Deliver: Putting an end to Black women dying in childbirth is easier than you think

Now baby Elias will have to grow up with her mother.

In March, Isaac was admitted to the hospital by herself, as the COVID-19 pandemic kept both McIntyre and her mother, a 25-year Montefiore staff member no less, from being present. She developed a blood and liver pregnancy complication called HELLP, which usually isn’t fatal when treated.

Isaac was induced and rushed into an emergency C-section, and the surgeon she was assigned was not present. She died about a month later on April 21, The Guardian said.

“We know she did all that she was supposed to do, right,” Crear-Perry stated. “And she’s not the only one. That’s the story of the black maternal mortality issue across the United States.”

The post New York mother dies of childbirth complications days after complaining of ‘dealing with incompetent doctors’ appeared first on TheGrio.

from TheGrio https://ift.tt/2z5c7Hr
via

Historic D.C Restaurant Gets Approved for Coronavirus Relief Loan

The restaurant industry has been hit hard by the COVID-19, or novel coronavirus, pandemic. Due to restrictions against large gatherings, many restaurants have been forced to close or offer takeout service only. Since the roll out of the stimulus package and its various relief programs aimed toward small businesses, there has been a lot of controversy about how the loans have been distributed—including a lack of money sent to marginalized communities.

Luckily, for one historic restaurant, a coronavirus relief loan came just in time.

Ben’s Chili Bowl is a well-known historic restaurant located in Washington, D.C., that was trying to adapt to the new reality but was struggling to stay afloat. Thankfully, a loan from the Paycheck Protection Program came through. The U Street institution can stay open and continue to feed its loyal patrons.

Sage Ali, a member of the Ali family that owns the restaurant chain, says that the business’ bank informed him that the application for the loan was approved for the second round of PPPs since it was rejected the first time around.

“Things are good … and we’re very thankful for that,” Ali said in an interview with Shoppe Black.

As of right now, the chain has not received the money but Ali said that it should cover at least two months of the payroll for the four restaurants that the family owns. During the COVID-19 pandemic, only the original restaurant has remained open for takeout and delivery.

Although the loan will save the institution, Ali says adapting to the new reality will still be a challenge given the restaurant’s history as a popular gathering spot for locals. “As you know, the Chili Bowl has been a real community gathering place, and we’ve created where the community goes,” said Ali. “Even beyond the DMV, it has become a global community gathering place.”

from Black Enterprise https://ift.tt/2Su9tBV
via

Kamala Harris Unveils Legislation To Create Task Force Combating Racial Disparities Amid COVID-19

The novel coronavirus has caused the U.S. to use many of its resources to address the economic fallout brought on by the public health crisis. The viral outbreak has heightened the urgent need to address long-standing inequities in our healthcare system. Now California Sen. Kamala Harris announced on Thursday that she intends to bring forth new legislation to create a special task force to address and combat racial disparities brought on due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Harris has introduced the COVID-19 Racial and Ethnic Disparities Task Force Act to bring together healthcare and other policy experts, community-based organizations, and federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial leaders to confront the racial and ethnic disparities of the coronavirus pandemic head-on.

The bill would require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish an interagency task force of policy experts, community leaders, and government officials to make data-driven recommendations to federal agencies about directing crucial resources—like testing kits, testing supplies, and personal protective equipment (PPE)—to communities with racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 infection, hospitalization and death rates. The task force’s work would also be able to guide a more equitable government response to the COVID-19 pandemic and future public health crises.

“People of color are being infected and dying from coronavirus at astounding rates,” said Sen. Harris in a press statement. “This is in part due to persistent lack of access to healthcare, bias in our healthcare system, systematic barriers to equal pay and housing, and environmental injustice. It is critical that the federal government proactively work to right historical wrongs that have led to racial inequities for generations. The COVID-19 Racial and Ethnic Disparities Task Force Act is a necessary step to fully understand the impact of this virus in the hardest hit communities, and make targeted investments that correspond with their unique needs.”

from Black Enterprise https://ift.tt/2KWjjYU
via

How Caribbean Nations Are Combatting The COVID-19 Pandemic

The spread of COVID-19, or the novel coronavirus, has not only impacted the United States but the entire world—even the paradise of the Caribbean. Each country has been countering the pandemic differently with some being met with success and others overwhelmed by the number of patients.

The Caribbean has been of particular interest because of its climate, size, and the distance between people. Some islands have managed to eliminate their cases while others have been preparing for the worst.

Because of the Caribbean’s climate and environment, social distancing measures were easier to implement in some countries because people traditionally live further apart as compared to denser populated locations. Also, some islands were very quick to respond to the pandemic, shutting down public facilities and gatherings quickly. Countries like St. Lucia have been able to see 100% recovery within patients and other nations, like Barbados, have seen a low death toll in comparison to the United States and European nations.

The public health crisis has ended leisure travel for the foreseeable future until the virus can be contained, leaving islands dependent on tourism uncertain about the future.

Barbados has initiated a countrywide shutdown similar to those seen in cities like New York with all hotels and tourism services coming to a complete halt. The government has created programs to help companies slowly transition back once the viral outbreak has been contained. The job market has been the most impacted by the virus. In Jamaica, 160, 000 workers have lost their jobs in the country since the start of the pandemic.

“We recognize the socio-economic impact this will have on jobs and people’s livelihoods not just here but globally,” said Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, the Hon. Edmund Bartlett to BLACK ENTERPRISE in an email statement. “The island’s tourism has been significantly impacted since various countries have implemented travel restrictions; a number of airlines have significantly reduced their flights; cruises have been cancelled and a number of local attractions and hotels are scaling down their operations, with some closing.”

from Black Enterprise https://ift.tt/3c1g5PF
via

Roku Smart Soundbar Review: Great Sound, With a Roku Player Built In

This home theater upgrade comes with our favorite streaming player inside, and it makes movies and shows sound damn good.

from Wired https://ift.tt/2SvteJn
via

LockBit Is the New Ransomware for Hire

A recent infection, which managed to plunder a company's network within hours, demonstrates why the malware has become so prevalent.

from Wired https://ift.tt/2Sve4nj
via

Africans In China Say Government Is Forcing Them To Recant Stories

Africans living in China are sharing videos on social media of Chinese businesses discriminating against them due to the coronavirus. Now Chinese government officials are forcing them to recant their experiences.

According to Blavity, Kenyans, Nigerians, Ugandans, and others living in China have been attacked or refused service in Chinese cities due to unfounded claims that Africans are carrying the coronavirus.

A video posted on YouTube, showed a pregnant African woman and her partner being turned away from Nan Hua Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital in Dongguan in late March.

The couple went to the hospital for an ultrasound and were turned away because they were foreigners. When they posted the video on social media, Chinese officials quickly found them and had them record another video thanking the Chinese government for its help.

However, according to the man in the video, only known as Derrick, things went a bit differently than described in the second video.

In an interview with Atlanta Black Star, Derrick said the Chinese government contacted him after the first video went viral and brought his wife to another hospital.

He shared audio from a recording where you can hear a Chinese government official explain that they wanted the couple to shoot the second video. The shopping trip described in that video ended up being fake as well. After being brought to a mall, Derrick told Atlanta Black Star that government officials left them to pay for everything and provided no assistance.

Several days later, the Chinese government again contacted the couple and asked them to make another video to call the first video a misunderstanding.

“They first asked me to put it off the internet, which I told them not in a position to do ’cause it’s everywhere now. They then took us to another hospital and we got a free pregnancy scan,” Derrick told Atlanta Black Star. “After they ask me to thank the government and deny what happened to us previously and we just call it a misunderstanding. I refused to deny that fact so they edited the original video and turned the blame on me for not understanding what the nurse was telling me,” Derrick added.

Another Ugandan, only identified as Darasa, told Buzzfeed she was denied entry into a 7-Eleven and other businesses because she is black.

“The 7-Eleven employees locked the door as Darasa approached and began spraying disinfectants, she said, only cracking it open wide enough to spray disinfectant around her feet. The McDonald’s nearby also wouldn’t allow her inside, nor would the supermarket,” a BuzzFeed reporter wrote Wednesday.

Darasa posted about the incident on Facebook and was quickly visited by two Chinese police officers who threatened her and told her to delete the video after taking photos of her.

These aren’t the only incidents that have taken place since the coronavirus outbreak.

A McDonald’s in Guangzhou was forced to apologize after putting up a sign banning all people of African descent. The incidents have become so commonplace that Ugandan politician Bobi Wine has offered to airlift mistreated Africans back to Africa.

from Black Enterprise https://ift.tt/2ydoOQr
via

Meet the Black Woman Behind the Afrikana Film Festival in Richmond, VA

When you think of film festivals, what regions immediately come to mind? While Richmond may not be a place that’s currently on the film radar, Afrikana Film Festival founder Enjoli Moon is working to transform that image.

“The Afrikana Film Festival is a concentrated celebration of black culture that allows Richmonders a chance to come out and see people they haven’t seen in a while and have conversations that are on their minds and hearts,” says Moon. “It’s also an opportunity to introduce people to Richmond. We have filmmakers that are coming from everywhere and they have a chance to see the richness of our city and the beauty of our people. It’s a great opportunity for cultural connectivity.”

This year marks the five-year anniversary of the multi-day Afrikana Film Festival. Attendees have a chance to experience three to four days of black cinema presented throughout the Richmond downtown arts district.

“Afrikana is not like any other festival,” says Moon. “Conversations are a huge part of the festival. There’s always a conversation after a film to have an engaging dialogue with the audience about the thematics of the film. You’ll also be able to enjoy a full day of film, networking parties, and a trolley ride that takes filmmakers around the city to see historical Black Richmond.”

How did Moon come up with the idea for the Afrikana Film Festival? “The vision came out of nowhere but it was the strongest sense of clarity I ever had,” says Moon. She didn’t travel around to other film festivals because she didn’t want to be intimidated or influenced by what everyone else was doing. Moon wanted to do something that was authentic to what she represented and the historical relevance of the city she was in.

All film festivals aren’t created equally and all founders don’t have the same resume of credentials supporting their work. Moon isn’t your traditional film festival founder. She had no background in film or money at her disposal. But thinking about service over film allowed the Afrikana Film Festival to be well received.

“The skills that I brought to the film festival that has been most beneficial are my commitment to hospitality and service,” says Moon. “I think about people in a way that allows me to anticipate their needs. This has been a huge part of my success.”

In addition to making an impact through the Afrikana Film Festival, Moon is the co-host of Richmond’s elegant international sensation event, Dîner en Blanc. It’s described as a magical event that brings guests together from diverse backgrounds to “experience the beauty and value of the city’s public spaces by participating in the unexpected.”

Moon spends the majority of her time as a curator at the Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University. She also serves as the chair of the Black RVA committee—a platform designed to elevate black businesses throughout Richmond. Her goal is to make space for people who have arrived and growing connections with those who are already in Richmond.

For anyone else wanting to create something new or do something different, Moon offers these words of wisdom: “Don’t let the fact that you don’t have enough resources or a certain background stop you. Learn as you go. You become an expert by doing.”

from Black Enterprise https://ift.tt/3d9liFq
via

Fewer Wrecks, Grounded Planes, and More Car News This Week

Stay-at-home orders mean less traffic and fewer serious crashes, saving lives and money. Plus, Elon Musk does it again. 

from Wired https://ift.tt/2WjqShL
via

Mike Pence's Mask-Less Mayo Clinic Trip Tops This Week's Internet News Roundup

Last week, during a visit to the Mayo Clinic, the vice president went mask-less. Social media quickly took note.

from Wired https://ift.tt/2z7AnIF
via

22 Surprising Tips to Master 'Animal Crossing: New Horizons'

From growing hybrid flowers to catching pesky wasps, these tricks will turn you into a pro.

from Wired https://ift.tt/3aYhsxp
via

Muslim Lawmakers to Host Virtual National Iftar Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19, or the novel coronavirus, public health crisis has put a halt on all large scale events and gatherings for the foreseeable future. As Muslims around the country begin to fast for the holy month of Ramadan, lawmakers have decided to come together in a virtual event to celebrate with their fellow Muslims amid the viral outbreak.

Muslim political leaders including Rep. Ilhan Omar, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison have joined together with the Muslim Advocates for a national virtual event for Iftar on May 12. The event will also feature remarks from Imam Khalid Latif, Imam W. Deen Shareef, artist Aisha Fukushima and more.

“The unprecedented convergence of a global pandemic and Ramadan highlights all the ways American Muslims are overcoming hardship to honor their faith and their communities,” said Muslim Advocates Executive Director Farhana Khera in a press statement. “I hope that The National Iftar can provide a valuable public service to help keep us all connected and inspired during Ramadan while also staying home.”

Iftar is the evening meal that Muslims end their daily fast with at sunset. They break their fast at the time of the call to prayer and is the second meal of the day that is followed by suhur, the meal Muslims eat at pre-dawn.

“Though the pandemic has forced us to rethink how we celebrate Ramadan, I hope we can start a new tradition with this virtual National Iftar,” said Honorary Co-Chair Rep. Rashida Tlaib. “This event is an opportunity for all Americans to join us as my fellow Muslim colleagues in Congress and I observe Ramadan. We will uplift the stories of American Muslims who are working to help their communities during this pandemic and share why it is important to continue to show up for others.”

from Black Enterprise https://ift.tt/3fbNCst
via

Cheap Gear Under $20: Phone Lenses, Pocketknives, and More

Do you need a small, cheap way to improve your life? These are the affordable pick-me-ups that we can't live without.

from Wired https://ift.tt/3d8A67c
via

The Universe Is Expanding Faster Than It Should. Why?

The Hubble constant predicts how rapidly space should grow—but astronomical observations don't line up. Here are the top ideas about what might be going on.

from Wired https://ift.tt/2StsLXU
via

Tanzanian president promises to import coronavirus 'cure'

There is no scientific proof the Madagascan-made tonic is effective in treating the virus.

from BBC News - Africa https://ift.tt/2VWW07x
via

Zoom Not Cutting It for You? Try Exploring a Virtual World

If you’re craving more from your video chats, think outside the box. From Second Life to Online Town, there are plenty of places to gather while staying at home.

from Wired https://ift.tt/3aXhFkn
via

‘Let’s Save Some Lives’: A Doctor’s Journey Into the Pandemic

Andrew Ibrahim was just finishing his surgical residency in Michigan when the coronavirus surge hit. It took a lifetime’s lessons to face the challenge.

from Wired https://ift.tt/3aXscfv
via

I Can’t Stop Escaping Into Google Photos’ Nostalgia Vortex

I got the app for its easy photo backups. I didn’t realize it would become a precious window to the past—or a lifeline in a time of existential despair.

from Wired https://ift.tt/3c3CNH2
via