You may have skimmed our lists of 30 things to do before you turn 30. See the complete list all at once and learn more about each item, with additional resources, links and photos. Read the rest of this entry »
For the Love: Six young adults get professional about their passions
What is the American dream today? A half-century ago it was a white picket fence, 2.5 kids and a secure job to support them. Today it encompasses the hopes of a constantly changing America, and what constitutes a successful life is a definition that’s just as volatile. Ask five young people what they hope to accomplish as adults, and you’ll likely get five very different answers.
Urban Desi Radio
Get ready to jive to the beat of tablas while rocking out to hard metal. That is, only if you live in the Bay Area.
Since Aug. 12, South Asians in the Silicon Valley have been able to tune into KLOK 1170 AM every Wednesday from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. for Urban Desi Radio. The show features music from around the world, with a South Asian focus, and plans for guest speakers and discussion topics on entertainment and lifestyle are in the works. Read the rest of this entry »
This Muslim-American life: Allah and the Arts
With bold, messages on contemporary religious, social and political issues, young Muslim-Americans are stepping onto the stage and into the studio. Read the rest of this entry »
This Muslim-American life: Sharing their stories
The Inner-City Muslim Action Network, a community organizing group based on Chicago’s South Side, brings together Muslims across races and backgrounds several times a year with Community Café, an event where Muslims (and non-Muslims, as well) are given a place to gather together and connect with one another.
Read the rest of this entry »
Been skydiving lately? 30 Things Before 30, Part Two
Part two of our list of things you might consider doing before turning 30 includes, once again, a healthy mix of adventure and “real adult” stuff. If you missed Part One, read it here. Read the rest of this entry »
30 Before 30 List: Part One
Here is the first installment of the 30 things everyone should do – or at least consider – before they turn 30. Our list, of course, is just a jumping off point, culled from lists we found online, talking to twenty-somethings and thinking about our own goals. We’ve included some alternatives too: if you don’t want to write a book, maybe you’ll make a short film? If you don’t head to Everest, maybe Kilimanjaro? But there appears no alternative to creating a budget.
See which of these inspire you, and which simply inspire other creative ideas.
Children of the 80s: Have you stopped believin’?
Either coming out as atheists or living in church limbo, many adults in their 20s (dare I make another rock reference? YES.) are “losing their religion.”
Happy Independence Day, India
In honor of tomorrow, here’s a little something for today.
I’ll be attending the South Asian Carnival this weekend at the Rosemont Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill (also in Houston at Reliant Park this weekend). If you haven’t heard, it’s the first-ever carnival of its kind, featuring Bollywood celebs like Shah Rukh Khan and Bipasha Basu. There’s also a fashion show, wedding expo, food booths, jewelry bazaar and more!
Sing it loud, Shift!
We’re doing some pretty sick stuff over here at Shift, so it’s no surprise that we approach reporting and crafting stories in new and unique ways. Sure, we’ve got attention-grabbing photos, stellar video and kickass text, but throw in a theme song written and recorded by a reporter and her band, and you’ve got the unique experience that is Shift.
I play bass and sing in a Chicago-based band called Grammar, and we spent one week this summer writing, recording, mixing and mastering a tune that incorporates some of the central themes of our work here at Shift: Entering adulthood, trying new things and being independent. It was a stressful week – we had two separate documentary filmmakers following us, we spent 26 hours of our weekend in a studio and we drank way, way too much caffeine to be healthy. But it was also a lot of fun, full of inside jokes, delicious Mexican food and talented friends willing to lend a hand.
Without further ado, we present our musical take on being young, educated and diverse in America. Keep reading after the jump for goofy session pics and shout outs to everyone who made this possible.
Punk and pious: Muslim-American rockers’ unconventional Islam
The notion of Muslim punk rock may seem like a mishmash of cultures. Profanity-laden lyrics come after the religion’s traditional greeting, “Salaam aleikum.” Melodic Middle Eastern strumming punctuates noisy guitar feedback. Muslims style their purple- and red-dyed hair into mohawks and show off Arabic-scripted tattoos.
But for the second-generation Americans leading this contemporary cultural movement, Muslim punk isn’t just an irreverent juxtaposition. Read the rest of this entry »
Hindi lyrics + Western jazz = A love song
Gaurav Venkateswar has been writing music since he was 13 years old. He began playing the keyboard at 6. In the third grade he started piano lessons, and in the fourth he started singing. “I really didn’t want to learn to sing,” Gaurav, now 27, said. “I was very shy. I was kind of pushed into doing it and didn’t really resist.”
Blending Bollywood songs with Billboard hits
Sorry, white guys in blue blazers: Indian-Americans are now the hottest thing in college a cappella.
I’d like to teach the world to sing
Besides sore feet, blisters and serious case of photographer’s twitchy eye, here’s the main thing I took away from this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival: It’s trendy to inject your diet of lily white rock ‘n’ roll with global rhythms, instrumentation and language. Read the rest of this entry »
