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YCA Community Members Share Their Favorites
*Updated Regularly*
Heather Roberts’ (YCA Education Director) Top 5 Books:
- Kindred by Octavia Butler
- Against Which by Ross Gay
- Generations by Lucille Clifton
- Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes
- For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf by Ntozake Shange
“All of these books create possibility, authenticity, and new worlds for Black people.”
C. Lofty Bolling’s (YCA Teaching Artist) Top 5 Albums:
- Greatest Hits by Amber London
- Elephant in the Room by Mick Jenkins
- Master by Mariah The Scientist
- DS4ever by GUNNA
- Mad Love by Infinity Song
“I love these albums because between them all, they all have so much range in their respective sounds and easily live on repeat no matter the playlist or vibe. From great singing in Mariah The Scientist to thorough rapping from chicago raised Mick Jenkins, to black folk sounds of Infinity Song and really sick 90’s esc inspired hip hop of Amber London. These top 5 are, a solid 5!”
Robin Reid Drake’s (YCA Teaching Artist) Top 5 Albums to Work, Read or Write to:
- Merzbuddha by Merzbow
- Frame of a Fauna by Ouri
- Anima Beat by Anima & Susumu Yokota
- When Worlds Collide by 187 (Aka Jordana)
- Neptune’s Lair by Drexciya
“From noise mega star, Merzbow, to Detroit legends, Drexciya, and trans electronic pioneer 187 (aka Jordana), these are 5 of my favorite (mostly) lyric-less albums to help me tune out the world and tune into my writing. **BEST HEARD ON HEADPHONES AT A (RESPONSIBLY) LOUD VOLUME**”
Alondra Apuli’s (YCA Development Coordinator) Top 5 Books & Authors:
- The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
- The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
- Ishmael by Daniel Quinn
- Once I Was You by Maria Hinojosa
- Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
“I’ve been on a journey of self-discovery for the last few years. These books have played a role in this journey: from wisdom, personal growth, and exploration of my humanity through culture, identity and society.”
Scott Schenke’s (YCA Technology Manager) Top 5 Music Creation Apps:
“As a musician/performer/producer I love these apps because they’re inexpensive (or in the case of BandLab/Cakewalk, free) yet high-quality, capable of professional output and they make the process of music creation easier and/or more fun than other software I’ve tried. Especially Bias FX, which sounds & feels so great that it has replaced my custom-built tube amp & pedals; between the amazing & endless variety of sounds and the simplicity of use it literally inspires me to play more often!”
E’mon Lauren’s (YCA Program Manager) Top 5 Poems:
- “Ego-Tripping” by Nikki Giovanni
- “Ode to Kool-Aid” by Marcus Jackson
- “We Real Cool” by Gwendolyn Brooks
- “Daddy Dozens” by Jamila Woods
- “COMMANDO” by E’mon Lauren
“These poems and pieces of work creates my archives of fundamental poems, open to all, at any level of experience. From odes, to portraits, anyone can create a poem inspired by these templates.”
Resources to Explore Art Outside of Writing
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- The Light Seer’s Tarot – “A Journey of Shadows and Sunshine” (Printable Tarot Deck)
- The Sacred Creators Oracle – “The compact guidebook is small yet mighty, and does a deep dive on the meaning of each card, includes links to online material (audio tracks, guided meditations, etc.) and includes journal prompts with each card to help you find your way forward.”
- Who Sampled? – “Explore the samples in your favorite songs.”
- Chakra Healing Frequencies – “Listen to this when you need to clear and calm your brain.”
- Breathe it In by Beautiful Chorus – “Listen to this when you need to calm your brain and release any anxiety.”
- SongVersation Podcast with India Arie
- Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Online Catalog – “The Prints and Photographs Online Catalog (contains catalog records and digital images representing a rich cross-section of still pictures held by the Prints & Photographs Division and, in some cases, other units of the Library of Congress.”
- Black Film Archive – “Black Film Archive is a living register of Black films. In its current iteration, it showcases Black films made from 1915 to 1979 currently streaming.”
- Alvin Ailey Free Online Dance Classes – “Free on-demand classes with Alvin Ailey instructors.”