YB Faves: Top 5 Podcasts in Yellowbrick’s Rotation

If podcasting is something you’ve always wanted to get into, today (well, tomorrow) is the perfect time to start. While blogs and digital publications have flourished, podcasts have become a really cool alternative to sharing content. There are so many to choose from and it is easy to get hooked. When going back and forth to work was a thing, podcasts helped make the commute time a little less tedious. You could listen on the walk to the train, on the train, and on the walk to the office at the push of a button. 

Podcasts are a great way to tell a story and provide detailed information on a variety of topics. The Yellowbrick student, faculty, and industry expert community is stacked with people who are the voices of quite a few podcasts in rotation. Some of Yellowbrick grads, current students, and university faculty are lending their ideas and conversations to some very popular podcasts. Since International Podcast Day is coming up, September 30th, we took some time to compile a list of our favorites below. Each podcast comes with a description with links on where and how you can access them. All of the episodes featured in this post can be listened to at the bottom of the page.

The Complex Sneaker Podcast co-hosted by Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty engage in heavy sneaker conversation. The trio are no strangers to sneakers nor our audience as they are seen as industry experts in the Sneaker Essentials sneaker course. Their latest episode includes an in-depth convo with Gary Aspden, the adidas OG. He talks about meeting Kanye and what it took to create the Spezial. Aside from this latest episode, they have a solid archive of conversations to choose from. Click here to listen. 

Find Your Dream Job podcast by Mac Prichard is a great way to get some solid career advice. If trying to find the job of your dreams is something you have been trying to achieve, this is the podcast for you. This weekly podcast is all about sharing insider hiring info and tips on the job search that could prove to be helpful in any career. His latest episode, How to dine the Side Door at HR features Dana Pratt, the founder of DCP Training and Talent Development. Her company is the go to to help employers with performance consulting, leadership development, and talent management. Click here to listen.

Renaissance Soul podcast hosted by Kelly “K-Fresh” Frazier is the home for all things Detroit hip-hop and music. What launched as a digital hip-hop website back in 2001, is now an audio podcast with the same content just a different output. The pod recently re-launched in August and led with Detroit’s own Dan Charnas, NYU professor and music journalist who is the go-to for all things Detroit/J-Dilla related. To check out the pod and Dan’s episode, click here.

How to Share podcast is a hospitality focused podcast that discusses storytelling, travel, and marketing in the travel industry. Host Amy Draheim is a marketing maven in the hotel industry and presents new and innovative ways to market hotels and travel destinations. Drahiem also owns and creates content for The Traveler’s Journey, which provides blogging tips, trip storytelling, and how to make the most of your IG feed when traveling. She recently sat down with Moniqua Lane to discuss how she started in hospitality, her efforts to create one-of-a-kind guest experiences, and her efforts to keep her property open despite the current vibe of the country. Click here to listen.

Unravel is a weekly podcast operated by Dana Goodin, Jasmine Helm and Joy Davis. The trio create content that is geared towards educating people about the importance of fashion in the history and current culture of the world. One of their goals is to encourage conversation about these topics within their digital platform community. They are women with a plethora of scholarly knowledge and do a great job of presenting it to their audience. Their goals are to, “collaborate with experts, in their field, to expand the conversation, speak beyond the canon of traditional fashion media and history, and be on the “frontline” of solidifying fashion history as a serious subject to study and learn”. Click here to listen.

Yellowbrick Highlights Student Entrepreneurs for Hispanic Heritage Month

The Yellowbrick student community is a great place to find budding talent. Our diverse community is a solid blend of students looking to find their place in a career that they love and others who are looking to grow their skillset. Yellowbrick programs are designed to give students the foundation they need to start building towards a career they are passionate about.

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we are highlighting the websites and businesses of our Latinx student community. We’ve created a space to highlight some of the businesses that were founded by students in our courses. The landing page for these brands can be found here and when you click on the select squares, you can visit the pages and engage in their services. These businesses offer everything from t-shirts to hoodies to recording studios to makeup. This landing page was created to amplify the Hispanic/Lainx businesses and services in our Yellowbrick community.
Please take the time to visit the page and take a look at what some of these brands have to offer. There is also a main student businesses page and we will be adding to that list as the year progresses. Be sure to check back in from time to time.

BTS: Bringing Korean Pop to the West and Changing Perceptions

Written by Music Industry Essentials student Lauren O’Donnell

The first time many Western listeners ever heard of the term “K-Pop,” was in 2012 when they came upon the catchy, dance driven hit “Gangnam Style” by South Korean singer Psy. This song got K-Pop’s foot in the door, but this one time hit failed to provide the momentum to boost K-Pop into the U.S. music scene.

K-Pop or Korean pop music is not technically a genre of music. It is more of a music style or culture. Its sound is characterized by a combination of pop, EDM, hip-hop, R&B and other genres. K-Pop singers or “Idols” as they are called in Korea, perform difficult choreography and are styled to fit particular concepts in their performances. “Gangnam Style” and its success was both a blessing and curse for K-Pop in the West. It was a hit song performed in the Korean language that brought an artist from that region fame in America. But its humorous nature led to misconceptions and caused Western critics and media to see K-Pop as “bubblegum” pop music that could not be taken seriously. For years K-Pop had virtually disappeared in the West until…BTS.

BTS (방탄소년단)
BTS is a seven member boy group formed in Seoul by Big Hit Entertainment. They debuted in 2013 with the song “No More Dream,” and since then have sold millions of albums, performed to sold-out stadiums worldwide and have changed perceptions surrounding K-Pop.

BTS Music Style and Message
BTS is comprised of three rappers (RM, J-Hope, SUGA) and four vocalists (Jin, V, Jimin, Jungkook). This combination allows for interesting song arrangements, musical styles and variations in vocal ranges. BTS has a very wide range when it comes to genres and sounds in their music. They have incorporated emo rap, latin pop, hip-hop, African drums, traditional Korean instruments, and are never afraid to experiment with genres or different elements in their music.

The messages in their music are very personal to young people and to BTS themselves. The members are involved in the concepts, songwriting and producing of their music. They have discussed topics like mental health, societal expectations, self-love and being true to yourself.

Success in the West
BTS has become successful in the Western market and around the world because they create great music, have a strong relationship with their fans known as the ARMY and they established their fan base before attempting to break into the market. Some K-Pop groups today make appearances in the U.S. before their fanbase is established organically and this does not typically work for the group’s long-term success.

BTS has achieved four #1 albums on the Billboard 200 chart, three top ten hits on the Hot 100 and for the last few years has been one of the best selling artists in the world. With each new album release, they sell more copies and top charts in global markets. Their success has opened doors for other K-Pop artists in the U.S. BTS has also made appearances and performed on Carpool Karaoke, SNL, the BBMAs and The Tonight Show to name a few.

Changing Perceptions
BTS has begun to change K-Pop’s perception in the West and has proven that no language barrier, cultural difference or prejudice can prevent them from conquering the global music scene and being able to open doors for K-Pop artists and Korean/Asian artists in general. BTS has received critical praise for their music from respected critics and are now members of the Recording Academy. They have won awards at the BBMAs, AMAs and various Western award shows in addition to their Asian music award shows. Besides the emotional impact their music has on their fans, their sales and awards further prove that BTS and Korean music can be successful in America and the audience is here. BTS’s achievements do not guarantee the success of other Korean artists, but they have set a high standard for what Korean pop music can be and the world is listening.

BTS Impact and Love Myself Campaign
Along with their Love Yourself series of albums, BTS partnered with UNICEF for their Love Myself Campaign to work to end violence against children. To date, over two million dollars has been raised for this global campaign. BTS spoke at the United Nations to talk about their campaign and their message, and were featured on the cover of TIME Magazine’s Next Generation Leaders issue. Their impact on not just music, but the world is a testament to their message and their genuine desire to make the world a better place.

“No matter who you are, where you’re from, your skin color, your gender identity, just speak yourself.” – KIM NAMJOON (RM of BTS). Excerpt from United Nations Speech

Sources:

https://www.vulture.com/2018/06/a-deeper-look-at-why-bts-has-thrived-in-america.html | https://www.love-myself.org/eng/campaign-list

To experience BTS and other KPOP artists, click on the playlists below.

Kick Back With a Book on National Book Lovers Day

For some people, books are a great way to escape the confines of reality. Sitting with a good title and immersing yourself in its words can be a great way to relax, relate and release. With so many titles to choose from, there is no shortage of options. Books have become more popular these past few months and stumbling across new reading options is always a good thing. Whether fiction, non-fiction, a memoir or a reference title, books have always been the go-to for entertainment and education. Reading is a favorite pastime for many and right now, a popular way to level up skills and knowledge. Sunday, August 9th is National Book Lovers Day and we thought it would be a good idea to highlight some of our favorite reads across the Yellowbrick courses. In addition to taking the courses, these books are great ways to level up your knowledge in areas like Streetwear, Fashion, Beauty, Sneakers, Hospitality, Gaming, Sports, and Music. 

Some of the books we’ve selected are popular titles written by some of our very own course Professors and Industry Experts. Aside from being at the top of their game in the lessons, their books provide a deeper dive into their areas of expertise. Authors like Elaine Welteroth, Kathy Iandoli, Dan Charnas, Jeffrey Rabhan, and April Walker have added to the culture of their respective industries with titles that provide historical insight, personal narrative, and helpful information. 

Celebrating books and all things literary is something that can be done on National Book Lovers Day, or any day. With summer in session and fall on the horizon, reading a book is the perfect way to spend the day outdoors. Simply grab the title of your choice, find a socially-distant compliant area and immerse yourself in all it has to offer.

Swipe through the gallery above to see our picks and for more information on how you can apply for any of our courses, visit yellowbrick.co.

MARTKD Series | Celebrating Artists like Athletes

Webinar Series: Celebrating Artists Like Athletes (Episodes 1-6)

REGISTER TO GET ALL THE EPISODE REPLAYS

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Trying to stay motivated and focused is a major key during the Pandemic of 2020. With limited movement, the Internet has become a major  source for information and motivation. The Martk’d Webinar Series was carefully crafted to give you access to the information and the tools you need to stay sharp.  

This six episode series is hosted by Yellowbrick’s own Dion Walcott and includes heavy hitters like Dr. D’Wayne Edwards, Alexander John, Dee Wells, Sean Williams, Treis Hill, Katrinaa Lopes, Jayscale, Mac, Cheresse Thornhill, and Liz Connelly. 

Episode 6, has been rescheduled and a new date will be announced shortly. You can check back for update information or follow the Yellowbrick social channels for more information. In the meantime, you can register for access to the recap playlist of episodes 1-5 by adding your email to the “Register Now” field above.