Janiya Beason



Projects by Janiya Beason

Journalism Story

Bonding, Brotherhood and Backyard Functions: Local college rock band reminisces on their beginnings and what their next step is.

By: Kevin Hill Brynn Schwartzman and Janiya Beason BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (April 3, 2025)-

A group of talented college students, all with different musical skills come together to create a unique sound that’s quickly gaining attention both on and off campus. The band Backyard Function is a student-run ensemble formed two years ago, and though they’ve evolved through different eras over the years, they’re proving that college bands are more than just a way to pass the time, but a way to really capture people’s attention and direct it to the local Bloomington music scene.
The band Backyard Function may be Bloomington’s hidden gem. It is composed of seven members, all trained in their craft. Members of the band consist of Aly the lead singer, Lucas the guitarist, Garrick the bassist, Peter the keyboardist, Mike the drummer, and lastly Nate the saxophonist. Each individual brings a different energy to the group that makes them a distinct bunch as a whole. From what we’ve gathered, Backyard Function is a cover band that does music anywhere from upbeat, to more of a chill vibe. So far, most of their gigs are at fraternity parties, and a local bar called Bluebird, but at times they book to play more private events as well.
This treasured band originally was founded by one of the band members’ older brother. The saxophonist Nate’s older brother originally created a band from a music club called Bloomington Delta Music Club. They formed a band and named it “Street Pennies”; this band was rooted mostly in blues influence. Years later when Nate joined the band his brother had already graduated, and the band went on to be named “Subject to Change”. They played a couple of shows together but eventually the upperclassmen that took part in that band graduated as well, and that is when Backyard Function was finally born.
We took the liberty of interviewing two members of the band, starting out with the saxophonist and one of the founders, Nate Cook. In his interview, when Nate describes how Backyard Function came together, he recounts it as some of the people he was in the previous band with, and some of his buddies that are in his fraternity had diverse musical talents like piano, guitar, singing, etc. and they thought it would be cool to mesh their talents and play music together, so they started recruiting more people.
When asked “How has the band grown?” Nate expressed his joy for how comfortable the band has gotten with working together and performing in front of crowds. He claims they have more chemistry, stronger stage presence, better scheduling habits, and that each individual in the band is getting better at their specific talents, whether it’s singing or playing an instrument. The interviewer also asked Nate if he had any hopes for the band. To which he answered, he just wants them to enjoy their time together while they’re here. Although Nate graduates soon and has plans of going on to become a lawyer, he still stated that he could absolutely see himself in a band again after college is over. “It’s been a great opportunity playing at the bird all the time. It’s been probably one of my favorite parts of college, and certainly one of my favorite parts of my musical career.” Emphasizing how meaningful music has been in his life so far. The last piece of advice Nate had to offer was how important it is to network, reach out, and meet people. Connections and socializing is crucial when it comes to anything in the music field. “… don’t be afraid to get out of your cocoon and be positive. I don’t think anyone wants to work with a negative person.”
The next band member interviewed was Will Zay, the lead guitarist and vocalist, as well as another founding member of the band. Will started out in the original band “Street Pennies” much like Nate, during his sophomore year with some friends of his. They played a couple of shows during the end of that year, but the upperclassmen went on to graduate. They continued to play as “Subject to Change” but went on to become Backyard Function.
During the interview Will was also asked “How have you seen the band grow?” Will states the biggest thing he’s noticed is people recognizing them and coming up to them saying they’ve enjoyed the show. He said they’ve just been getting a lot more recognition and praise compared to when they first started booking shows two years ago. When describing what the first gig was like, he recalls that not very many people were in attendance. They were doing an opening set for another band, and only his friends and some girls from a sorority showed up, but he still describes it as “the most memorable show” because the people who actually did attend were so energetic and encouraging. Will left us with a last piece of advice to close out the interview “Be open, there’s a lot of musicians out there, and a lot of people you can reach out to.”
Overall, for now the band remains grounded, focused on the music, and eager for what’s next. They’re enjoying this last month on campus together, booked and busy before the school year ends, and spending time together as friends before some of them graduate and go their separate ways. Backyard Function is one of the many hidden creative talents we have here at IU Bloomington, and we’re excited to see what they do next.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-YGHHUt2XvL3QruC6CmmETlMGb7mRz5f/view?usp=sharing 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yS97KIdou7XPF2f_clx0QMrsWoOf29hr/view?usp=sharing

Backyard Function bassist, Garrick Ton, soaks up the bonding moments during rehearsal. He cherishes these fun times trying to figure out their next gig.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZuIAMzqZlXevaP2b0X3T3fiR7e3H-MC_/view?usp=sharing

Backyard Function guitarist and lead singer, Will Zay, searches for a new song to perform on their upcoming set list. He suggests popular Bruce Springsteen song, Glory Days.

Public Relations Story

Apple CEO Tim Cook Announced Newest Device Live This Week

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contacts
Janiya Beason
John Doyle
Justin Hecimovich

This past week, Apple CEO, Tim Cook announced a brand-new device, the Apple watch. It was presented to a live audience during an event held at the Flint Center at De Anza College in Cupertino, California.
Apple’s latest creation is the Apple Watch, and after this report, we’re convinced this product will take the world by storm. We know Apple for their endless creativity, and innovation, as well as their consistent ways of upgrading their products. Apple is known for many different devices that have already shaken the culture. Dating back to as early as the Macintosh computer, the iMac and the iMac mini, or even as recent as the iPod, iPod touch, and the iPhone itself. This new Apple watch would just add to the already long list of revolutionary inventions Apple has produced.

Music enthusiast, Zach Elecesser, uses Apple Watch to help tune his guitar. Elecesser’s watch gets daily use as he records, creates and experiments with his musical talent in his Indianapolis home.

Now, to discuss some of the basic things the watch has to offer, starting with the simple aesthetics, the watch already has multiple different designs, as well as different colors for the bands. To get in deeper detail, the bands are made from a strong, durable, and sweat-resistant, high-performance elastic, designed with a soft quality leather for ultimate comfort. There are six different kinds of straps along with a mechanism that makes them extremely easy to change or switch out. To add on, they’re offering Apple watch designs made from gold, silver, and stainless steel. There are also completely different branches to the apple watch itself, we have the “classic” Apple watches, the “sport”, and the “edition” models. The possibilities, much like the options, are endless. It’s all up to you to decide what you’re looking for, and what you feel fits you the best. “Apple watch is the most personal device we’ve ever created, we set out to make the best watch in the world.” CEO of Apple, Tim Cook stated himself during the announcement. If that’s not proof enough of Apple’s dedication to creation, we don’t know what is.
That’s what’s so great about Apple, they understand their audience and they make sure to have a fit for everyone. Which is also why these watches come in different sizes, because Apple understands that one size does not fit all. Made for inclusivity, these watches come in smaller and larger sizes.

Middle-school teacher, Kevin Doyle, uses Apple Watch to plan his week’s schedule. Doyle uses the Apple Watch’s calendar to ensure an orderly schedule in Indianapolis.

As for the features the watch offers, the list is almost never ending. Apple knew they needed to come up with new innovations for a product this small in size, and they did not disappoint. Of course, to own an Apple watch you need to already own an iPhone because they are connected. With this you’d have access to all of the same apps a basic iPhone offers but, on your watch, as well. To list some of the apps as an example, you would have access to the camera app, photos, messages, clock, calendar, and it can even track your health and heart rate. For health or exercise purposes specifically, it can establish goals based on the tracking of your health progress; while helping you create and keep a healthy routine. “… maybe you just want to track what you’re doing during the day, or perhaps you exercise regularly, or even if you’re a very serious athlete, Apple watch helps you live a better day.” CEO of Apple, Tim Cook stated during the event. That’s just a further example of how you can personalize this watch to fit you.
Kevin Lynch, vice president of Apple also spoke at this event and gave a live demonstration of the Apple watch. He used the watch live in front of the audience and showed how it can control music, and volume, it has quick automated responses, and he even showed how this watch has access to maps, and has the ability to guide you places and tell you where to turn using vibrations so you don’t even have to look down and check the watch. It also offers new forms of communication through digital touch. This watch can only be described as a groundbreaking invention with all kinds of fresh and different ways to live your day-to-day life.
Overall, to sum it up, Apple has done it again. There’s a new cutting-edge product that Apple’s team believes will change and impact people’s lives for the better, and we are all very excited to see where the Apple watch will take us in the future. It’s set to be coming soon in early 2015, so be on the lookout for Apple’s newest and most imaginative device yet. “Apple builds great products that enrich people’s lives, and arguably we can take that to a whole new level with Apple watch.”

 Tim Cook introduces the new digital crown navigation feature coming with the Apple Watch. Along with that, the two health applications that are designed specifically for the Apple Watch to track a user’s health in their daily routine. 

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