Ashtin Hyde, Staff Writer
Photo submitted by Joel Norman

Senior music major and Spanish minor Joel Norman and his childhood friend Isaac George of Woodstock, Ga are gradually moving into the music spotlight as the talented duo, “Isaac and Joel.” Although they do not necessarily have a certain genre of music that they try to stick to, the guys are typically described as having an Indie pop vibe. They have been working together as a duo for a couple of years now and plan to have many more years ahead of them.

Norman and George first met in middle school after their older brothers played basketball together. After meeting they established a friendship that lasted throughout middle and high school and that revealed to them a common passion; music. “We joke that we first joined together as a band in eighth grade,” said Norman. “We started making music together then just by using a guitar and my laptop. We officially joined together though in 2013, after my sophomore year, and we would upload our songs onto YouTube for people to hear us.”

Although these talented guys still strive to upload a YouTube video every month, they have gone from just producing YouTube videos to holding live performances in front of over a hundred people. Within their busy school and work schedules, Norman and George make every effort to hold a show once or twice a month. “Booking a show is actually pretty easy,” said Norman. “We try talking to someone who we know is putting on a lot of shows and we ask them if we can open up for them. We have a lot of connections in Auburn so we perform there quite a bit and then we just send our music to different people in hopes that they will like us.” Performing in places like Auburn and Woodstock, the guys have not gotten to perform in Rome yet, other than at our Homecoming. They have been trying to work out a date with The Brewhouse downtown and they have a show coming up in Kennesaw on April 29th that they hope many Shorter students will be able to attend.

At their performances, they will play many live cover songs, as well as songs that they have written together. In regards to the process of writing a song, Norman said it can be a very simple or complex experience. “We start by coming up with a cool melody and then we put some chords with it. After that we establish a phrase that we like and then we form all of our lyrics off of that phrase.” According to Norman, some songs take a couple of hours to write and others take weeks. “Sometimes if we are struggling with writing one we just have to put it down and come back to it later.”

One of their favorite songs that they have written will be released within the next few weeks and is titled “When We Were Kids.” “This song really hits home because it came from real life experiences that we would like to relive,” said Norman. “It is about the freedom of being a kid and not having any real life issues to worry about. It is our best song musically and it is upbeat where you can dance to it if you want or just listen.”

After being friends and performing together for so long Norman and George have come to rely on each other both musically and individually and have been able to create many memories. Within their band they both sing and they both play instruments. They constantly try to tradeoff singing so there is no lead singer. “We work really well together because Isaac always comes up with cool instrumental parts, but he never can finish them. I jump in and help out and before you know it we just came up with a three minute song together,” said Norman. “My favorite memory I can think of with Isaac would be in 2013 when we decided to take a trip to Los Angeles to do a show. When we got there it ended up being in front of only about six or seven people but we said ‘hey, let’s have an awesome time performing in front of these people.’ It was a great experience and we really grew as friends and as a duo because we had no inhibitions, and we were completely confident.”

“Isaac and Joel” are a successful duo which will continue to progress over the years. According to Norman they started out awkward and nervous at times and did not know how to control and engage an audience. Today though, they are confident and cannot wait to step out in front of the crowd each time they have a performance. Both Norman and George have the ultimate goal of being able to live off of music. “We do not care about being famous, but we care about being successful enough to support ourselves through music. Everything else would just be icing on the cake,” Norman said.

From the looks of things now, this goal appears to be reachable. Recently the guys have been meeting with someone from a good size label who seems to be very interested in helping them achieve what they have always wanted. With the determination and talent that both Norman and George have, “Isaac and Joel” is definitely a group to keep your eye on. To remain updated on performances that they have coming up, be sure to follow them on Twitter at @isaacandjoel and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/isaacandjoel.

Edith Avila

Staff writer

Why is this young generation so in love with big headphones, particularly the new Dr. Dre Beats? Ask any person who owns a pair, and they say it’s because they’re stylish and help you experience music like never before. In fact, some “big” headphone owners claim the bigger devices are a must for any music lover.

One of the more popular big headphones are the Dr. Dre Beats, which are known for literally closing one’s surroundings in a way that the listener can focus purely on the beat and rhythm of the music and not outside distractions. Students describe wearing the headphones as an out-of-body experience where they can forget everything and enter a new world when the headphones are on.

Sophomore undecided major Darion Hatten paid $300 online for a pair of big headphones. He wanted headphones that could keep up with the quality of his phone. He says Dre Beats are the only way to listen to high quality music.

“When I have my beats on, I’m in my own zone. I feel like I’m in the studio,” Hatten said.

According to Brian Ensnimger, a local electronics store manager, the big headphones have become extremely popular within the last few months. From November until now, they have sold 173 Solo Beats, black and white, alone. Dre Beats vary in colors, prices and sound performance.

The way the big headphones are being used are as varied as the students who use them. Some use beats as they are studying for tests. Others use them before a big game. Many use them to forget about their worries and relax their minds. The intensity of the music the headphones produce makes students feel relaxed.

Jonathon Parham, junior vocal performance major, paid $200 his big headphones and says they’re worth every penny. He uses them to listen to every genre of music, except for hard and classic rock.

According to Parham, the headphones give him the highest quality of that can be found in any headphone today. For him, the experience is like being in the studio along with the artists – something regular headphones can’t make you feel.

Dr. Dre, inventor of Dre Beats, developed the headphones to give everyday music lovers the same kind of experience as some of the artists with whom he has worked, according to his website (beatsbydre.com). According to the website, the new headphones provide listeners with a “complete” experience … “with Beats, people are going to hear what the artists hear, and listen to the music the way they should: the way I do.”

 Ablawa Reine Akpovo

Staff writer

Rome’s Own Musical Ensembles (R.O.M.E.) is bringing new sounds to Rome.

This year, “Across the Big Pond XII: Gael Force WINDS” will take place on Saturday, April 14, at 7:30 p.m., at the Rome Forum with free admission.

“This year’s Big Pond show will be a bit more international,” said Sam Baltzer, artistic director and conductor.

R.O.M.E is a non-profit organization created in 2001 to showcase musical groups and produce an annual concert series. Baltzer said that guests vary each year. This year, he is presenting performers such as a concert band, some Irish dancers, one or two bagpipe bands, Trey Smagur (a Shorter senior vocal performance major) as an Irish tenor and the upper grades class from The Montessori School of Rome.

Every year since 1999, R.O.M.E has presented a concert called “Across the Big Pond,” which became a popular event. The concert moved from the Rome City Auditorium to a bigger location, the Rome Forum. Baltzer said that the original programs showcased music from the United Kingdom but now focus on Celtic music.

He decided to include some African music in this year’s repertoire after he saw the Montessori students perform some African folk songs during their Christmas concert last December.

“I was very impressed with the music so I invited them to perform,” he said.

Baltzer said bringing variety into the Big Pond show is in line with the tradition of the Edinburgh Military Tattoo show; both now feature multiple talents from around the world.

Shemi Kumar, principal of The Montessori School of Rome, is excited to see her students participate in this concert. She said her students will perform some sets of African play songs from Benin, Kenya, as well as other parts of Africa.

Kumar is grateful to have an African music specialist who is also a Shorter student who volunteers her free time to work with her students and help them learn about various African cultures.

Kumar said building a relationship with professional musicians will help enhance the students’ talents.

“It will give them confidence and strengthen their performance skills. My students have so many talents and there is so much more they can do.”

According to Baltzer, there is a difference between listening to music on radio or devices and experiencing it live. He encourages all students to come enjoy this fun and moving music, and he invites them to go beyond their own expectations by trying out these new styles of music.

“I think some people spend so much time social networking that they have no time left for actual socializing,” said Baltzer. “I recommend turning off your electronics, calling up friends and coming out to one of our concerts. Across the Big Pond is a great place to start!”

For more information about the concert, contact Baltzer at sbaltzer@ shorter.edu.

Chris Cauley is performing at Berry   College at 9 p.m.  A “scrappy kid with a guitar,” Chris Cauley will be playing   music filled with his own experiences, thoughts and fears.  For more information, call 706-232-5374 or   visit http://www.berry.edu/.

Rome, GA

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