Asbury Park Film, Hip-Hop Artist D.S. Sense, DSO In-Person

Originally posted on June 14, 2021

This Week on One Detroit, Arts & Culture

Detroit Filmmaker’s ‘Asbury Park’ Tells the Story of Inner City Struggles

Asbury Park is more than just a street on Detroit’s west side. It’s also the title of a new movie created by Detroit-based filmmaker Ken “Legend” Williams, who grew up on the inner city street himself. Williams drew inspiration for his film “Asbury Park” from the real struggles he faced as a child in Detroit, and wanted to show the struggles today’s inner-city children live with through their perspective.

American Black Journal host and One Detroit contributor Stephen Henderson sat down with Williams to discuss the prevalent issues today’s inner city children face — police brutality, mental health, etc. — and how Williams’ believes parents should address these issues with their children. For those living outside of the environments Williams’ film depicts, he hopes his films makes them curious enough to understand and help create change.

Detroit Hip-Hop Artist’s Quarantine Concerts Inspire Hope in Lonely Times

For the last 20 years or more, veteran Detroit hip-hop artist Deidre Smith, also known as D.S. Sense, has been crafting lyrical poetry on Detroit’s east side, but as the pandemic shut down the city, it forced her, like many others, to look inside. In search of herself amidst solitude from others, Smith created her Quarantine Concert Series, which she also paired with her latest project “Cooper St. Chrysalis,” drawing inspiration from the street of her childhood home.

The three-part concert series, starting with the song “A Walk in the Park,” were created, Smith said, with the hopes that people would be reminded to get up and go outside, even if they were alone. She hoped it helped people see the silver-linings of the pandemic and find strength in their own vulnerability. One Detroit’s Will Glover catches up with D.S. Sense for a exploratory conversation around music, passion and perseverance.

Detroit Symphony Orchestra Declares Plans to Reopen, Welcome Audiences In-Person

When the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, like many other artistic organizations, had to cancel performances and close its doors to audiences and performers. Now, more than a year later, One Detroit’s Christy McDonald sits down with DSO President and CEO Erik Ronmark about the orchestra’s new plan to reopen its doors and invite audiences back into the orchestra hall for the 2021-2022 season.

Ronmark also discusses what the DSO’s new music director, Jader Bignamini, will bring to the concert stage, and the role that diversity has played in choosing the music for the upcoming season. He said the pandemic has allowed artistic organizations, like the DSO, to take a step back and involve more diverse voices in conversations, and be represented in the works they perform.

Violinist Amaryn Olmeda Performs Mozart’s ‘Concerto for Violin No. 3’

The close out the episode, Sphinx Performance junior division winner and violinist Amaryn Olmeda performs Mozart’s Concerto for Violin No. 3 in G major, titled “Strassburg.”