For the Miami-born musical artist known as Knowbodhi, music has always been much more than mere entertainment. “Even before I started writing,” he says, “music I listened to was integral in helping me grow and develop and understand myself and the world around me.” But it wasn’t until Knowbodhi moved to Sarasota that he made the jump from poet-performer to full-fledged hip hop artist, setting his words to music and performing in venues across the city, developing his craft bit by bit and assembling material song by song. And those years of work came to fruition earlier this month with the release of his debut album—Questionable Existence.

Coming in at a lean 10 tracks, Questionable Existence showcases the artist’s literary talents and underlying philosophy with an aggressive, spitfire delivery belying lyrics brimming with compassion. “That’s one of the things that’s incredibly lacking in music in general,” he says, “especially with hip hop and rap.” Songs such as “Bruce Wayne” and “Zero” supply the obligatory “rowdy, party tracks,” but the vast majority of the album speaks to the artist’s own struggles in life, with each song serving almost a therapeutic purpose for a man looking to change himself for the better. “Literally every other track was meant to help me grow as a person,” he says.

A song like “Idiot Box,” with its insistent refrain that pleads with the listener to “turn off the TV,” reflects Knowbodhi’s own struggle to escape the video games and television shows that left him “completely enraptured, and wasting all of my time.” Others, such as “Enduring Love” speak to something more general, but no less important to the artist. “The whole point is to accept and love yourself,” he says. “Everything else comes from that.”

But while he holds out hope that some listeners out there will find something within the album that resonates with them the way his favorite artists resonated with him and helped him, he remains circumspect about adopting any sort of “hero complex.” The moniker helps. “It’s a reminder that if I ever happen to get lucky and I do reach some kind of serious success, to remember that I’m nobody,” he says. “I’m just another person who had to fight and struggle to keep going.

But I hope that I can pay it forward.”

Questionable Existence is currently available on iTunes, Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play and YouTube. Knowbodhi can often be found performing live on Tuesday nights at The Mable. 

Pictured: Knowbodhi released his debut album this month. Photo by Lesa Silvermore.

Vanhunks Boarding Co. is no stranger to kayaking, but now the kayak creator and retailer has turned up the hype with two brand new products. One of the latest innovations in kayak technology is its first kayak/SUP hybrid, the Amberjack. The max capacity of 500lbs and the EPS foam core makes it ideal for those looking for a solution to handle the heavier weight loads. The notably cool part is being able to sit down or stand up as you please on the 12’6″ platform. Fully-loaded with two swivel rod holders flanking the front of the deck, anglers can chill in their adjustable aluminum seat or be up on their feet on the padded deck, depending how they prefer to throw a line out on the lake, reel in a trout in Lido mangroves or simply paddle along the bay. This dynamic toy makes an all-round great adventure craft for the watersport lover looking to capitalize on multiple activities with a single vessel. 

Additionally, a pedal drive kayak will be added to the collection soon. Beyond the freedom of hands-free propulsion, to grant riders the ability to fish, take photos and snack while cycling along the water, “What makes ours different,” explains Tyrone Cochrane of Vanhunks, “is that you can link two together to make a tandem kayak.” Unlike a single-person vessel or even a two-person kayak, this allows you the company of a passenger to be positioned in front of or behind you, with the challenge to work together as a team navigating concurrently. While this type of tandem still requires in-sync pedaling and paddling, it’s positively a more fun activity with the 360 degree swivel seat to either face the same direction or eachother when fishing or chilling—swell for family bonding, a date with your SO, or an entangled adventure with a mate.  

Photo courtesy of Tyrone Cochrane.

Vanhunks Boarding Co., 6227 North Washington Blvd., Sarasota, 941-218-9095, @vanhunksboarding.

DreamLarge, local changemaking organization and the first benefit corporation in the Gulf Coast, has announced the inaugural DreamLarge Weekends. A new initiative consisting of a weekend-long experience that empowers the next generation to ideate and prototype solutions to meaningful challenges Sarasota’s nonprofit community is facing, DreamLarge is recruiting interested students grades 8-11, mentors, and nonprofits to sign up and participate. Presented by Ringling College of Art + Design, the weekend will be held at the campus’ Academic Center on October 11-13.

Sponsored by Gulf Coast Community Foundation, the DreamLarge Weekends is a hands-on program that connects students with mentors, and encourages them to work together to dissect community challenges and form actionable solutions. This collaborative experience is designed to spark imagination, problem-solving, critical thinking and divergent thinking practices to the younger generation while allowing them to help the community they live in.

Over the course of the weekend, teams of students and mentors will have spent time analyzing and exploring a chosen issue through a creative lens, honed in to a single solution and prototyped into a plan that creates social impact. At the end of the weekend, students will be pitching their ideas to a panel of judges comprised of local community leaders, including executives, business professionals, and philanthropic influencers.

Potential students, mentors, or nonprofits interested in being a part of this collaborative and innovative weekend can register online at the website below. 

DreamLarge Weekends

The Hermitage Artist Retreat and the Aspen Music Festival and School (AMFS) have announced that Chelsea Komschlies, a composition student at the Susan and Ford Schumann Center for Composition Studies at the AMFS, has been awarded the 2019 Hermitage Prize. She receives a six-week residency at the Hermitage, along with a $1,000 stipend for travel and food expenses. Komschlies was selected by a jury that included Alan Fletcher, AMFS president and CEO of the AMFS; Robert Spano, music director at the AMFS and the Atlanta Symphony; and Chris Theofanidis, a composition faculty member at AMFS. All three are Hermitage fellows. First awarded in 2013, the Hermitage Prize is given to a promising composer who is enrolled as a composition student at AMFS. The residency is the only one the Hermitage grants to an artist who is just embarking on his or her career. 

Hermitage Artist Retreat

The Players Studio has announced its new Studio Director: Jennifer Bushinger Ortiz. Ortiz has nearly two decades of professional theatre experience ranging from acting in two national tours and costume designing Connecticut Free Shakespeare to directing nearly 100 productions across the Tri-State area. Relocating from Manhattan, she brings a wealth of industry experience, as well as nonprofit leadership, to The Players Studio.

The Players Studio offers classes in all styles of dance, singing, and acting, as well as multiple workshops from perfecting the monologue to playwriting. This season the studio expanded its curriculum by adding more classes for the homeschooled student as well as Mommy & Me classes. Studio class discount packages are now available. 

Players Centre for Performing Arts