East River Band is composed of Joel Cymerman, Blake Thatcher, Corwin Leber, and Sebastian Melendez bringing the public a multifaceted, traveling jam band. Started back in 2021, they've grown into this 4 man crew all about connecting through their music. We dive deep into their journey—how they hustle for gigs, make up their tunes, and bring down the house when they perform. Check out their stuff and peep their upcoming shows on EastRiverBand.com

From being part of Bad Seed Rising-the youngest band signed to Roadrunner Records, toured throughout the U.S.A, and featured in a major film, Francheska Pastor has accomplished plenty so far in her lifetime. Pastor is a musician and photographer born in the Philippines, raised in Frederick, Maryland. Starting at age 10, they began to learn guitar. As the hobby turned into a serious passion at 12 years old, they began attending Let There Be Rock School of Frederick and with some time and practice transitioned into being a young professional musician. As she moved forward from Bad Seed Rising, her 16 years of undying love for music is now continued on as a teacher at the Rock School. They love to see the light of their students’ shine while still keeping up with her own musical and photography projects. You can find them and their next steps on Instagram @FrancheskaPastor and @DigiCamFran.

Downtown Frederick Partnership is key to the enrichment of Downtown Frederick, anything from hosting and organizing events, cultivating a community, and providing support and attraction within the area. Kara Norman, Leeann Crews, Jade Dunhour, and Brittany Himber, the team behind the Partnership, join us in this episode to talk about the past, present, and future of their nonprofit organization. You can find more information about the Partnership on their website downtownfrederick.org.

MAD Dance presents “Intentional Terrarium”, a month-long series of performances hosted at the MAD Studio in the Y Arts Center. This episode features an interview with Kitty Clark and Ray C. Shaw, the duo behind MAD Dance. “Intentional Terrarium” displays a portable greenhouse as its main feature. Different performers, including co-directors Clark and Shaw, add movement, audio and natural visuals creating a collaborative, involving piece. The performance is scheduled each Saturday of April 2024 (6th, 13th, 20th, 27th).

What would you get if you crossed nature, theater, art work, and sustainability? You'd get: Sky Stage. In the outskirts of the heart of Downtown Frederick, sits a living, growing art installation with an open-air theater. In this episode of The Y Arts Podcast, we cover the Sky Stage by attending their last Comedy Show of 2023 hosted by Stacey Axler. We got to talk with Stacy and included some of her jokes and a quick interview. Louise Kennelly, Frederick Arts Council's (FAC) executive director, came into the studio and chatted with us about her experience of being a part of the project since the beginning. To this day, FAC continues to manage Sky Stage's entertainment. Thank you for listening!

Rebecca Hargreaves is a self-taught tufting artist who creates fanciful rugs. With a background in fashion and textiles, she has found a true calling towards designing and making your-not-so-average rugs. From teaching yoga at Yogamour, to being a single mom, to working in her garden, Hargreaves continues to live her artistic life. Though it took her a few months to start tufting, she took a step out of her comfort zone and simply just started. Hargreaves has now exhibited her rugs in local shows in Frederick and is working to present an exhibition for bigger art galleries.

Even in her 50’s, Lisa May Bennett is chasing her dreams. Bennett has led a successful life, with wonderful friends and family, and even has worked for nonprofit business, National Organization for Women-yet, something about her life felt stagnant. Then one day, Bennett decided to give up drinking and in turn be committed to her writing career. In the last six and a half years of sobriety, Bennett has accomplished her goal to self-publish her first book, My Unfurling, and is on the journey towards her second book. 

Dylan Hyman tackles on both the visual and audio side of life when it comes to creating. In their past, they have produced Keith Haring-inspired black and white digital post cards, focusing on bringing light into the darkness of their work. As a musician, they collaborate with Spencer — forming duo, tee.vee. They talk about their journey with their art, finding their avenues in life, and nostalgic creations.