Correspondent: Brandon Samuel

Correspondent: Aquilla Reid

Imagine being the personal computer of a thirty-five year old writer and mother of two boys that just so happen to be named after an animal and a television icon of the eighties.  Would it mean that the writer herself lives somewhere between the wild of imagination and the wit of a sly yet observant being that always gets its prey?  Maybe, or perhaps it just means that since birth, she was chosen to be a great storyteller/teacher of her time, with only the most bizarre experiences to use as parables and lesson plans to all who will listen and read.  I am speaking of Ms. Aquilla M. Reid, known to some as Q, and to most as a simple enigma that can never discerned no matter how close you get.

I’m sure you all want to know what she did before my introduction of her at this moment, and how she came to Magazine33, but alas, I’ve said too much already.   Let’s just say that she has been a fluent writer since the age of eleven, a singer since the early age of ten (also the early church days), and a magical creature of creativeness and wit since birth.  Aquilla has done so many things in such a short period of time, and no matter what, she has always had time for love of everything good, and compassion for those things that had none or anyone to get it from.  She is the flower child who was born in the wrong year, so she has sown and watered two beautiful flower seeds to help her carry it on - her beautiful boys Panther-Madison and RhocForde.  Though they are only two and ten, the boys keep Aquilla’s eyes young and ever-changing for the better.  It won’t be hard to get to know about Aquilla, all you have to do is read.

Correspondent: Chris Thurley

(shown here in center) Hailing from Rochester, NY, at 5'8'' and 155 lbs., the once dubbed "Hurricane Thurley" now resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, to get his M.A. in Engish Literature.  An alum from High Point University and the biggest 311 fan you've ever met is now getting to write about the local music in Charlotte.  Anyone that has ever had a car ride with this man knows that this is the right job for this singing maniac.  Either he's reading about Shakespeare, checking 311's tweets, rocking out in his room, or researching new bands that he'll inevitably talk about constantly for a couple of weeks. 

He currently has a paper in the process of being published on his favorite author, Anthony Burgess, and intends on writing and speaking about him much more in the future as well.

Correspondent: David Young

Born and raised in State College, Pennsylvania, David moved to Waynesville, North Carolina in 2004, bringing his love of local music with him.  In nearby Asheville, he discovered a thriving local music scene that reminded him of the days before large venues and corporate bands killed the scene in his hometown.  After completing a degree in Philosophy at Western Carolina University in 2010, David began pursuing his love of writing with various freelance and personal projects.  When Magazine33 offered him the opportunity to combine his passion for writing with his love of local music, he jumped at the chance.  David hopes to help put the Asheville scene, and local music in general, on the map with his work for Magazine33!

Correspondent: Erika Logan

Erika Logan is a freelance writer and voiceover artist living and working in Charlotte, North Carolina.  She has written for regional journals and e-zines about music, wine, and relationships.  As a devotee of the fine arts, she has a special affection for jazz and its wayward, wonderful descendants.  Erika has learned to believe the true definition of culture is being pleased with the best … and actually knowing why.

Correspondent: Heather Hutcheson

Heather has enjoyed life in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Boone, North Carolina, for the past 21 years.  Born and raised on Long Island, New York, living and traveling up and down the west coast, across the Gulf Coast and along the East Coast, Heather chose to settle in Boone, home of Appalachian State University and a thriving musical community.

Over the last two decades she has watched the music scene here grow, season, and mature.  From April through October there is a huge cornucopia of music festivals featuring blues, bluegrass, jazz, Celtic and classical.  Real Americana style of music.  She loves it all and wants to let other know how musically unique the High Country is.

Heather currently shares her home with her two fat fur puddles, Sunny and Mia, and for nine out of twelve months of the year she can be found organic gardening, kayaking, and mountain biking.  The rest of her time Heather writes for a regional publication, while coordinating outdoor events and weddings.

For fun, Heather heads to Asheville to give her batteries a good jolt of inspiration and see what the rest of the population is doing and listening to.  But if home is where the heart is, then Boone will always be home, and the music scene in the High Country is rapidly making a serious name for itself, and Heather is here to tell everyone about it.

Correspondent: John Winn

Born in an age of legwarmers, boomboxes, and MTV, John Winn still remembers a time when mixtapes were cool.  The product of a musical family, from an early age he showed a precocious interest in rock 'n' roll.  Finding the world of an ink-stained wretch much cooler, John traded his Fender guitar for a Bic pen, traveling the world interviewing musicians and non-musicians alike.  His work has been featured in Racket magazine, Times Square.com, and Buzzy Multimedia, among others.

Correspondent: Kerri Killion

Correspondent: Logan White

Originally from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Logan has been a lover of music since she can remember her own existence.  Finally, realizing a dream of joining a touring band and seeing most of the world from 2001-2006, Logan has experienced the live music scene from the inside out.  With a B.A. in English Literature from the University of North Carolina Asheville, Logan is also a lover of the written word.  Favorite activities include reading a good book and blasting her car stereo to unhealthy volumes while singing along to her current musical obsessions.

Correspondent: Nathan Zellers

Nathan is currently a student attending UNC Charlotte studying Mass Media Communications and Journalism.  He has been a resident of multiple parts of North Carolina (north and south Charlotte, Raleigh, and Cary) for the past 17 years.  He listens to and enjoys most all forms of music, but is most interested in newer incarnations of rock (including post-rock and math rock).  He has owned a “I listen to bands that don’t even exist yet” bumper sticker since before they were even being made.

Correspondent: Ryan Gertz

Ryan grew up a Navy Brat, traveling all over the world before finally settling in Raleigh, North Carolina (at least for the time being).  His mother is an artist, so the creative streak flows in his blood.  Music has become a part of his life (his first musical memory being Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror” playing in the car), and his soundtrack would have to include a little Bob Marley, Dave Matthews, Tom Petty, and Britney Spears - don’t judge.  He started honing his photography skills in high school and has since shot in a variety of places and many subjects, both overseas and in the U.S.  Currently finishing at NC State with a degree in English Lit, he looks forward to incorporating writing and photography into his professional life.  

Correspondent: Ryan Wallace

Ryan Wallace is native of Charlotte, North Carolina, who has been enthralled with the area's local music scene for as long as he can remember.  He has written many words, played in many bands, and dabbled in many other things.  He has a B.A. in Philosophy from UNCC.

Correspondent: Sarah Freiseis

Editor-in-Chief and Correspondent: Andrew Lutwin

Andrew is originally from Boston, but has spent equal time in Richmond and considers both home.  He recently graduated VCU with a B.A. in English and looks forward to seeing if his degree will be worth a damn.  While attending Northeastern University, Andrew began covering music for the Zig-Zag Live website and tour campaign, which won him the undying affection of Bostonians because of his access to free rolling papers.  He is fortunate enough to have parents with great taste in music and owes much of his musical sensibilities to them.  Some of his favorites include the Beatles, the Clash, My Morning Jacket, Mastodon, Mission of Burma, all 70’s R&B, and anything that can be considered “outlaw.”  Other hobbies include food, guitar, whiskey, hiking, Boston sports, and maintaining his beginner-level fish tank.     

Illustrator/Cartoonist: Christine Stoddard

Christine Stoddard is a writer and interdisciplinary artist who employs her words in the realms of poetry, prose, film, theatre, collage, and comics.  Her art and writing have been published in multiple venues, including literary journals from Grinnell College, Howard University, Virginia Commonwealth University, George Mason University, and the University of Arkansas, as well as in books by Candlewick Press and Sabella Press.  Christine has also won recognition from USA Today, the Poetry Society of Virginia, The Washington Post, the Virginia Cable Telecommunications Association, the International Cinematographer's Guild, and other companies and organizations.  Her 'zines also appear in the permanent collections of Barnard College and DePaul University.  Previously, Christine has interned for several arts and media companies, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum and The Washington Post.  Christine is also the founder of the Greater Washington Indie Arts Festival (formerly the Neo-Indie Arts Festival).  Currently she is studying Cinema (film studies and production) and English with minors in Creative Writing and French at VCU Arts in Richmond, Virginia.  To learn more about Christine and her creative projects, visit ChristineStoddard.com.

Illustrator/Cartoonist: Jason Nocera

Cartoonist Jason Nocera had his first comic strip published in his weekly hometown paper when he was only 15 years old.  Now over 20 years later, he has seen his work published in national and international magazines, newspapers and websites. In addition to comic strips, Jason designs cartoon logos, cartoons for packaging, humorous spot illustration and more.

Before becoming a full-time cartoonist, Jason worked on corporate design materials for 11 years and for a gag gift and novelty company for 4 years.  You can see more of Jay's artistry at NicheCartoons.com.

Photographer: David Gaertner

David is a photographer who likes to find a fresh take on subjects. Sometimes that means laying in the street before a bride in uptown Charlotte or hoisting the camera on a monopod above a dance floor for a bird's eye view (note: look for ceiling fans before trying this!). It also means pushing people in directions that may make them feel silly or uncomfortable until they see the results, then they usually run to that edge of what used to be their bounds.

When David is not photographing clients, he likes to watch MMA, politics, and see how fast he can drive around a clover intersection in his 13 year old Civic (57mph is the record... so far). All three venues occupy the most stimulating place in the human experience, the edge of control and chaos.

David is also a husband to a wife who has developed a phobia of highway intersections and a father of three kids that can tell the difference between a rear naked choke hold and the guillotine submission. He is the eighth out of nine children so being the center of attention is not only unwanted but down right unbearable. Curiosity is his greatest weakness as well as asset. It has driven him to open closed doors and go through boldly. It has also been the root of why he has been locked outside by mistake.  You can view his work at GaertnerPhotography.com or on the Gaertner Photography Facebook page.

Photographer: Julie Steinberg

Photographer: Cameron Yeager

Cameron photographs what she loves best, that being her family and friends, nature, and live music.  Since moving from Charlotte to the beautiful mountains of Asheville in spring of 2009, her photography has gained more recognition within the community with photos chosen for local gallery exhibits.  She has captured many of Asheville's finest musicians over the past two years and is eager to cover more live shows and festivals as part of the Magazine33 team.

Photographer: Carly Deyton

Carly moved to Asheville to start a new chapter in her life filled with hiking, disc golfing, running, yoga-ing and photographing.  She graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2008 with a degree in Photography and Writing and has been looking for artistic adventure ever since.  Carly tried her hand as a musician when she took piano lessons as a kid, and after conquering the level two masterpiece “Beside Porter Creek” and discovering that she had absolutely no rhythm, she decided it would be better to admire than to suck.  Just because she can’t tap a beat doesn’t mean that she isn’t fascinated by those who can.  She has been photographing shows since her first concert (the very gifted, very ostentatious Celine Dion) in sixth grade.  Clearly, Carly is not pretentious about her musical taste and can roll with just about anything from the Beatles to Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.  She is eager to document as many musical escapades as Asheville can uncover.

Photographer: Chad Macy

A native North Carolinian, born and raised in Kernersville, Chad is a Christian husband and father.  His angle on being a man is best described as "new wisdom meeting old school."  Faith and Family are truly first with the Macy’s.  Chad takes his family role as seriously as your grandfather did in the depression, yet approaches guiding his family with a 21^st century style.  Constant humor, copious amounts of love, lots of structure, endless teaching, and a strong faith meld into this retro yet hip dad.  To his beautiful wife, Meghan, Chad is a dependable solid rock with a slightly quirky roll. 

Chad Macy lives his life from a different angle, so it is fitting that his passion, photography, is branded “from a different angle.”  Chad was drawn behind the lens to capture his view of the ordinary, the superficially mundane.  His unique vision draws in observers to experience the common horizontal and vertical world from his unique angle.  Find more of his work at ChadMacyPhotography.com.

Photographer: Jana Tasich

Jana grew up in the heart and soul of the Midwest in Detroit, Michigan.  In the midst of Motown, she was exposed to some of the greatest music of today and yesterday on both the national and local level.  Living in the Triad for the past four years, she's expanded her music repetoire to live theater and has been a photojournalist for CommunityArtsCafe.com for the past year.  She is also a graduate student at NC A&T in downtown Greensboro.

Photographer: Stan Chambers, Jr.

When it comes to photography, Stan Chambers believes he has found the portal to his creative soul.

He fell in love with the camera after a high school photojournalism internship with the New York Daily News.  Since then, Stan has combined his photography and writing skills into a professional journalism career that has spanned nearly 10 years.

Stan’s photography experience spans a number of disciplines, including live music, weddings, fashion and breaking news.  His pictures have been published in The News & Observer and other media outlets.

A Brooklyn native, Stan currently lives in Durham, North Carolina.  He earned a B.A. in Communications from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2001.

Check out his work at StanChambersJr.com.

Photography Editor and Photojournalist: Jeremiah Greer

Jeremiah Greer is jack of all trades.  From internet radio personality to writer, graphic designer to editor, it's all to feed his creative drive. Currently, Jeremiah resides near Asheville, North Carolina, enjoying the up-and-coming music scene.  He has hosted and produced over 200 radio shows interviewing more than 250 different guests on topics from music to alien abductions.  He has a huge passion for life and the experiences that come with it.  You can listen and even join in to his weekly radio show at TencityRadio.com and also at JeremiahGreerLive.com.  Jeremiah is "The Uncensored Voice!"

Photojournalist: Bill Barbour

Bill was born too long ago and had wandered far and wide when he met his future, now former, wife; had a son, and grew some roots in Boone, North Carolina.  Time flies when you’re having fun, they say.  He has started, written for, edited, laid out and sold ads for a variety of newspapers and magazines in Colorado, New York, and North Carolina over the years; and owned a few successful and not-so-successful businesses along the way.  Now Bill sells cable television advertising around the High Country and always keeps one of too many cameras within reach.  He likes to hike and bike and camp and drive and fly fish in no particular order, and catch him some bluegrass music live whenever and where ever he can.

Photojournalist: Jaclyn Davidson

Jaclyn Davidson was born in June 1986 in New York.  She spent her childhood and teen years growing up in Manhattan and Princeton, New Jersey.  As a young adult she enjoys a variety of interests:  journaling, politics, boxing, marksmanship, cooking, photography, modeling, reading, running around with her two beloved rescue pets, and studying to continue her education in the field of ALS First Aid Response and Rescue.  She attended college at American University in D.C., where she studied Political Science.  Jaclyn moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, in late December of 2006, and she has also had the privilege of taking classes at the Chapel Hill University.  This beautiful, young, artistic, military-minded, liberal reporter is a welcome and exciting addition to Magazine33‘s team!

Photojournalist: Josh Parker

Josh is a self-taught photographer operating out of Wilmington, and despite what his photo may suggest, he is not, in fact, a cyborg.  After graduating with a B.A. in Theatre from NC State in '07, and suffering a severe case of "I don't want to live in a small box in NYC", Josh turned to photography to find a fresh creative outlet and to show the world his own unique vision.  What started as a simple hobby has become his greatest passion, and now Josh dedicates all his time to perfecting his craft.  A lifetime of listening to any music he can get his paws on - often the stranger the better - inspired Josh to contact Magazine33 and a beautiful partnership was born!  Despite this, he still lives in a box, but at least it is in North Carolina.  His favorite musicians include Amanda Palmer, the Dresden Dolls, Zoe Keating, and Andy McKee.  His work can be found at: Flickr.com/JoshParkerPhoto.

Videographer: Micah Lorick

Micah is the owner of LorEnt Productions.  He started with photography back in 2004 and moved to videography in 2006.  He is a freelancer that shoots models, movies, weddings, interviews and various events.