Fundamentals of Interactive Journalism

By Maya Pope-Chappell

Photo by Maya Pope-Chappell

Crisp snare drums bring the rain and the bass drums-they bring the thunder.  The nervous silence that once whisked through the air is interrupted by the clash, thump and pound of the Approaching Storm marching band.

Created as an alternative to street gangs, drugs and violence, Approaching Storm showcases the talent of youth from East New York and Brownsville.  Ranked one of the leading bands in New York City, the southern-style band has won 22 straight competitions.

“In the beginning, it was hard to compete in New York because our different style, our format and of course the people that could not accept what we were doing to their bands,” said a boastful Sergio Carter, director of the Approaching Storm marching band.

Carter birthed the band three years ago with no funding.

“We had no drums, no nothing,” Carter said.  “We was beating on encyclopedias, practicing out in the rain, we really didn’t have no housing.  And they expected these kids to quit.”

Slowly, the band raised funds for drums and uniforms by performing on streets like Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn and asking for donations.

“We hustle for an hour and a half and we play for an hour and a half,” said 16-year-old tenor drum player Luis Figueroa of the routine.

Now 40 members strong, the band has weathered the storm, performing across New York, Virginia, and the Carolina’s.

The community-based band made up of boys and girls age 10 to 19 is full of personality and character.

“Nobody’s really the same,” Carter said.  They all come from East New York or Brownsville, so when it was time for me to teach, I had a rough group of kids.  And that’s what it comes out to be.  Hard work.  Tough kids.  Tough attitudes.  Tough playing then tough winning.”

Carter’s guidance and influence on band members have had a lasting effect.  As a result, Carter’s tough love often blurs the lines between director, mentor, and father.

Five former members of Approaching Storm have moved on, each obtaining a band scholarship for universities across the country including Clark Atlanta, Virginia State, and Morgan State.

“I eventually hope that me being a dancer in the Approaching Storm marching band will lead me to being a dancer in a HBCU [Historically Black Colleges and Universities] college band,” said Tuesday Hawkins, 18, who will graduate next year.

This January, the band hopes to be performing before thousands in the 56th Inaugural Parade in Washington D.C. for President-elect Barack Obama.

“If they do not get chosen, I would take them for the experience,” Carter said.  “Then at least they have a chance to be a part of the process.  To see the visual of it.  The aura.  For these kids, just seeing the magnitude of people will incite excitement in the child.”

In February, the band will host their second annual competition, “Battle of the Elements,” at the Brownsville Recreation Center.

By Maya J. Pope-Chappell

Prior to 1997, the Brownsville Recreation Center was plagued by violence. However, after the arrival of Greg “Jocko” Jackson, former NBA player and Brownsville, Brooklyn native, the rec center became a safe haven in the community.

By Maya J. Pope-Chappell

Trash can along Brooklyn Bridge

When I first moved to New York, I was told by a native New Yorker to stay out of area code 11212.  This area code was home to a section of Brooklyn called Brownsville.  I probably would have taken that advice, but that changed when I switched my community district to Brownsville.

Marked by high rates of unemployment, violent crime and poverty, Brownsville carries a stigma of being one, if not the worst part of New York.  This stigma is so deeply rooted, many write the area off as a hopeless dump of lost, violent, uneducated, and senseless individuals.  However, if you take a closer look, you will find that this is not the case.  Yes the violence and poverty exists, but that is not what defines this area.

When given an assignment in my interactive class to come up with a photo story, I was stumped.  I decided to go to the Brooklyn Bridge and what surfaced were photos of trashcans that outlined the walkway of the bridge.  At the time I didn’t realize, but once I started reviewing the photos, I thought, “This relates to my CD.”  Although Brownsville is considered a dump of negativity, when you get close enough, you begin to see its beauty.

What do you see?