Now open: Roc Star Academy South in Geneseo
Rochester native and member of the band Daughtry, Elvio Fernandes, founded the music academy about 15 years ago as a summer camp.
Roc Star Academy South will work just like the Rochester location: school-age kids can enroll, learn from some of the best local musicians in one-on-one settings, form their own band, and get real experience playing out at clubs and festivals.
Fernandes said there is no cap on the number of students they will be admitting to Roc Star Academy South, and teased a possible partnership with the neighboring SUNY Geneseo.
'This Is Sing-Out' film showcases 30 years of community giving
Fernandes says he got his musical start in Geneseo, and here, he can show a whole new generation of musicians the ropes, like Bianca Lewey.
'I got to join a band… Nothing has changed my life more,' she said. 'I've had the opportunity to perform in front of thousands of people, without Roc Star Academy, I would have never ever gotten the chance… I would have never gotten to explore songwriting, and explore the genres I sing, and open my horizons to so much new stuff.'
'Just seeing the look on that kid's face who came in as a shy kid and leaves with this much more confidence, that's the addiction,' Fernandes said. 'I want every kid who doesn't feel like they're cool… I want to show you how cool you are.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Tom's Guide
2 days ago
- Tom's Guide
Forget Amazon Prime Day — I'm obsessed with REI's Patagonia sale right now
Here at Tom's Guide, we're tracking the best Amazon Prime Day deals, and the best anti-Amazon Prime Day deals. I'm a bit Prime'd-out myself, so when I found these awesome Patagonia REI deals, I knew I had to share them. There's no doubt about it: I'm a fiend for Patagonia. Everyone in my life will tell you the same thing. My winter jacket is Patagonia, my summer jacket is Patagonia, my hiking jacket is Patagonia, and my everyday backpack is Patagonia. My family lovingly refer to my beaten-up Patagonia Arbor Lid backpack as "that yellow bag" and often ask me if I'm going to finally throw it in the trash. No, of course I'm not. Yes, I may have had it for 7 years now, but isn't that the whole point of Patagonia? Isn't its apparel made to last? Patagonia is one of the only outdoor brands that is literally owned by the Earth, so you know your money is going to a good cause. I could wax lyrical about Patagonia until I'm blue in the face, but I won't. I'll just share my favorite Patagonia REI sale deals right now. I've got two Patagonia backpacks and my boyfriend has the Patagonia Black Hole duffel bag, so I can firsthand attest to how excellent the brand's bags are. The Black Hole Hip Pack is no different, with an impressive 4.6 rating on REI. Users report that while it's small, it can hold a surprising amount of snacks and three phones! While this t-shirt is on sale in both mauve and blue, it's only available in XL and XXL sizes — and at this awesome 25% discount, I'm not sure how long either size will last. Patagonia's "Responsibili-Tee" shirts are made from recycled cotton and polyester, so it's definitely a shirt for the eco-conscious out there. Personally, I love the pictured mauve shade, but the stormy blue shade is beautiful too. These women's shorts are perfect for running and hiking. The striking orange color will mean your hiking group will never be able to lose you on the trail — perfect for those misty days. Not only are these shorts lightweight and breathable, they also have three hidden pockets for storing snacks, keys, and your phone. The best part is that they're water repellant, too! These gorgeous bright blue shorts are available in XS and S sizes, and I'm not sure how long this stock is going to last. Considering these versatile shorts are 40% off right now, I'm going to guess not long. These shorts are made from 65% recycled nylon and spandex, so they're durable (water repellant, too), and stretchy for über comfortable trekking. I know July is a weird time to be buying a jacket, but winter's going to come whether we like it or not... so we might as well be prepared, right? The Nano Puff jacket is insulated with synthetic materials, which means even people who stay away from down can make use of this. Right now, the discount includes every color (black, white, orange, green, dark blue, light blue) and most sizes, but hurry! I'm not sure how long stock will last at this price.
New York Post
5 days ago
- New York Post
Lena Dunham slams ‘insane' obsession over the ‘shape of my body'
This girl isn't here for the online chatter. Lena Dunham is opening up about the public's unsolicited opinions on her body while she was starred on the HBO Max series 'Girls,' from 2012 to 2017. 'I expected that people would have a response to the kind of sex the show was depicting or the level of nudity, but the idea that my body, the shape of my body, would become such a hotbed for discussion? It was insane,' the actress, 39, said while speaking to The Times on Saturday. Advertisement 9 Lena Dunham attends the 'Too Much' UK Special Screening. Getty Images 'I can't say I was never rocked, but I'm lucky enough that my thing has never been looking at a picture of myself and picking myself apart or feeling tortured about how I looked—it's just not my area,' Dunham added. 'I have my own stuff I'm tortured about, but it wasn't that.' Advertisement 9 Lena Dunham at the 'Too Much' UK premiere. Getty Images 9 Luis Felber and Lena Dunham. Getty Images In 2013, Howard Stern called the Netflix star 'a little fat girl,' and a year later, the magazine Jezebel offered $10,000 for the original picture of her Vogue cover to prove it had been retouched. The writer also touched on Ozempic, a Semaglutide injection used to treat type 2 diabetes, which is now also being used for weight loss. Advertisement Dunham dubbed the current day and age an 'Ozempiced-out moment,' while asking, 'Does the body positivity movement still exist?' and noting, 'I don't know where it is.' Once 'Girls,' which followed a group of friends post-college, went off the air eight years ago, Dunham intentionally stepped out of the limelight. 9 Lena Dunham in 2022. lenadunham/Instagram 9 Lena Dunham poses in June. lenadunham/Instagram Advertisement She ended up moving to London in 2021 after her breakup with Jack Antonoff. Within six months, she met and married her husband, Luis Felber. 'Being on the 'Girls' set all the time was like living in a fake New York,' continued Dunham. 'I spent my whole twenties pretending to go out in the city and pretending to live, so I didn't actually know how to do it at all. When the show ended I didn't know what direction to move in. I wasn't young enough to be out and feeling fun and free. 'I felt fatigued, yet didn't know how to mature [in New York]. I didn't know how to grow up there. I remember my father asked, 'Can you boil an egg?' And me being like, I think so? You just put it in water?'' 9 Lena Dunham. lenadunham/Instagram She also 'felt like all the maturing and changing that had been kept at bay by the experience of being in that cocoon of ['Girls'] was suddenly happening at a speed that was overwhelming,' she confessed to the outlet. 'It was a painful metamorphosis.' Now, Dunham is back in the spotlight with 'Too Much,' an autobiographical rom-com starring Megan Stalter. Dunham stepped out for the red carpet premiere last week, stunning in a deep red gown. 9 Lena Dunham, Jemima Kirke, Zosia Mamet, and Allison Williams in 'Girls.' HBO Advertisement 9 Season 6 of 'Girls.' HBO 'What a perfect London night- at my favorite building (The Barbican) with my favorites,' the star gushed in her Instagram caption. 'So excited to share what we've made with our other favorites- you!' Dunham's latest project comes a year after she revealed she had pulled out of Mattel's 'Polly Pocket' movie. 'I'm not going to make the Polly Pocket movie,' she told the New Yorker. 'I wrote a script, and I was working on it for three years.' Advertisement 9 Lena Dunham in 'Girls.' HBO 'But I remember someone once said to me about Nancy Meyers: the thing that's the most amazing about her is that the movie she makes or the movie she would be making with or without a studio, with or without notes — that somehow her taste manages to intersect perfectly with what the world wants. What a f–king gift that is. And Nora Ephron, too, who was such a mentor to me, but always said, 'Go be weird. Don't kowtow to anyone.'' The reason why Dunham didn't cast herself as the lead in 'Too Much' was simple. 'I was not willing to have another experience like what I'd experienced around 'Girls' at this point in my life,' she said.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Meet Out's Most Eligible Bachelorettes of 2025
Chelsea Guglielmino/FilmMagic;for MPTF NextGen; RobinMaren Morris; Auli'i Cravalho; Keke Palmer It's that time of the year again! Following the list of Out's Most Eligible Bachelors of 2025, the time has come for the girls who are "for the girls." These queer women continue to inspire us, challenge us, and entertain us. Thus, meet 's 2025 list of Most Eligible Bachelorettes. Tanner Adell, can we confess we have a strawberry crush on you? You're our favorite "Trailer Park Barbie," and remind us why we love cowgirls so much. We love your sexy and fun version of pop country, and songs like "Buckle Bunny" end up on repeat at our house all the time. Your new song "Snakeskin" has been one of our favorite songs this year. We all gagged when you joined Beyoncé on "BLACKBIIRD" in an iconic moment in music history. You're forever a part of that, girl! You've been paving the way for Black women in country for years, and now that you've come out as pansexual, you're proudly representing a new community that loves you. You're also one of our favorite fashion icons right now. We're looking for some new snakeskin boots. Maybe you can show us where you get yours? Thank you, Tanner, for always being yourself and for sharing your genuine self with the world and your fans! Hi, diva! Jools, you're not like the other girls. We owe you everything for teaching us all how to be demure and mindful last year. Without your guidance, we would've been lost while doing everything from traveling, getting dressed for work, and going to job interviews. Your advice and wise words were so ubiquitous, "demure" was word of the year. You know you're that bitch when even Ralph Fiennes is quoting you. We love a femme princess, and you are internet royalty! You put the beauty in beauty influencer. You know what's cutesy, Jools? You! We also appreciate the way you represent and lift up the dolls. When you used some of your money to help your bestie get housing, you showed us how big your heart is. In your TikToks, you taught us not to do too much, so we'll end it here. We love you, Jools. Keke Palmer, you are an icon of icons and a queen of queens. From your time as a child and teen star to your successful transition into adult stardom, you always impress us. You're an actor, a singer, a dancer, a history-making Emmy-winning host, a comedian, a mother, and a Motha, and you make all of it look easy! Whatever you want to do next, we know you'll thrive, and we know we'll be there to watch. In Jordan Peele's Nope, you were the action star of our dreams, fighting for your family and looking great while doing it. One of Them Days made us wish we could spend our days with you — we can't wait for the sequel! You're our girl, Keke, and you always have been. We love the way you're always you're most authentic self, keeping it real, and inspiring us to do the same. We will always know who you are, Keke, and we will always love you. Dear Josie, we promise we would never ask you out on a hiking date! When you played Lexi on Saved by the Bell (for which you got a much-deserved Critic's Choice nomination!), we got a taste of your acting powers, giving us one of the best TV reboots ever. And we love you so much as Mabel on The Buccaneers! You bring humor and lightness, and some great lesbian spirit to the historical romantic drama based on Edith Wharton's unfinished book, and now that it's back on, we can't wait to see you in it every week. Thank you for making trans girls' wildest lesbian period romance dreams come true! We also love you when you're being yourself! Along with your fellow dolls, Dylan Mulvaney and Miss Benny, you're living the modern Sex and the City life of our queer dreams. Next up, you're starring in the horror film Faces of Death and Mike Flanagan's new adaptation of Carrie, so we can't wait to cheer you on as a new scream queen. Auli'i, you're so much more than just a Disney princess to us. Of course, we love you as a more grown-up Moana in the billion-dollar smash hit Moana 2, and we're so proud that you're lifting up your community by producing the live-action Moana and giving another actress a chance to embody the role. But it's been your work outside of that massive franchise that really got us to love you. You played cool high school characters that queer teens can totally relate to in Crush and 2024's Mean Girls. In Mean Girls, you got to make Janice the queer icon she was always meant to be! Thank you for giving the weirdos the representation they deserve. And can we talk about how great you are on stage? First, you dazzled as Eva Peron in Evita, but then you stunned us as the youngest person to play Sally Bowles on Broadway. Auli'i, your smile lights up every room you're in, and we love the way you're never afraid to be yourself. Keep on shining! Maren Morris, we'd be more than happy to meet you in the "Middle" any day! We've loved your music for a decade, and we've been inspired by you just as long. We love the way you stand up for the LGBTQ+ community, especially when you stood up to Brittany Aldean's hateful comments about trans kids, and then raised money for GLAAD. When you challenged the country music establishment in 2023, we loved the way you stood up for what you know to be right. Then, in 2024, when you came out as bisexual, you made us even more proud that you are a part of our community — and that we can look up to you whenever we want to see a proud, queer woman. You're a Grammy winner, you're a master of multiple genres, and you're just getting started. "My Church" is one of our favorite songs of all time, and as one of the Highwomen, you're a part of the greatest supergroup in Country Music. You're a legend, Maren, and we hope you feel like it! This year on The Last of Us, the whole world got to see how great you are, Isabela Merced. Just like Ellie was falling for your character Dinah, we fell in love with you while watching! You brought new dimensions to the character, and your real-life queerness added genuine heart to their dynamic, creating one of our favorite TV romances of the year. Even though you're young, you're one of our favorite pop culture Mommies thanks to your roles in The Last of Us and Alien: Romulus, where you made us jump out of our skin. Thank you for representing queer Latinas everywhere. We love how proud you are of your culture, and you help us take pride in ours. You're blowing up, and we can't wait to see you this summer in Superman as one of our favorite superheroes, Hawkgirl. You're our hero, Isabela! Catherine McCafferty, we'd love to go on a pretty gay date with you! We are huge fans of your show Pretty Gay, where you go on first dates with some of our other favorite queer and lesbian celebs and comedians. Every time you pop up on our social media feeds, we know we're going to love it. We're suckers for a good clown, and you never fail to make us cackle. But you also make us think! Not only are you one of the funniest people online, but you're shining a spotlight on critical lesbian issues like scissoring, having crushes on your friends, and how to tell if another girl is flirting with us! You're both an excellent date and an excellent interviewer — two qualities that are much rarer than you might think! In all seriousness, you're doing a great job at demystifying the world of sapphic dating, making it better and less intimidating for all of us! Thank you for giving us all great examples of how hilarious and amazing queer dating can be! This article originally appeared on Out: Meet Out's Most Eligible Bachelorettes of 2025 In 'Moana 2' and 'Cabaret,' Auliʻi Cravalho leads with Pride Meet Out's most charming, sexy & eligible bachelors of 2024 Meet Out's Most Eligible Bachelors of 2025
