< Previous20 AZFOOTHILLS.COM The Gift of Good Music: Local Record Label Keeping WRI TTE N BY DE VO N YA NC EY Though concerts are canceled, and music venues are closed until some- time in 2021. Vinyl records sales are booming! Local music label Renais- sance Records was founded back in 1993 by John Edwards to reissue classic rock LPs onto a CD for the first time. Now in 2020, Renaissance Records is coming full circle and reissuing classic rock albums onto vinyl for the first time in their history. ALIVE VINYL , ’’S“In September 2020, vinyl sales surpassed CD sales in the United States for the first time since the 1980s.” John Edwards, owner of Renaissance Records, states. “This officially makes vinyl records the dominant physical medium when it comes to music.” On October 1st, 2020, they kicked off their vinyl launch with the release of the album Anthology – 45 Years by the Canadian rock band, Prism. This limited edition 180g LP album has been put together with deluxe incentives. This includes the original band members’ trading cards, restored liner notes, a poster, bumper sticker, and lyric sheets. “Each vinyl release will come with these extra incentives.” Edwards nostalgically continues. “I want each vinyl release to be like how it was back when I was a kid. Every vinyl album used to come with extra goodies like a t-shirt or poster.” Renaissance Records will continue to release vinyl albums from Shooting Star, Shania Twain, Planet P Project, New England, Wetton Manzanera, and many more to be announced. “The main goal now is to keep putting classic albums onto vinyl.” Devon Yancey, Marketing Director for Renaissance Records, says. “It’s a special medium in the age of digital streaming. Digital streaming undeniably took away ownership from the listener. Vinyl is something you can physically touch, display, and pass down.” “Having a physical medium to pass down is important in keeping good music alive.” Yancey continues. Additional information on upcoming releases is available at www.RenaissanceRecordsUS.com. Limited edition vinyl is available to purchase on their online store. @azfoothills #azfoothills 21 S22 AZFOOTHILLS.COM Written by Tyler Hollis Photography by Emily V ance THE MASKED PORTRAIT PROJECT BY EMILY VANCE SEASON OF GIVING SERIES@azfoothills #azfoothills 23 With the current state of the world, Emily Vance, an Arizona State Uni- versity online student and digital photography major, used her talents and passion for photog- raphy. To spread the word, or images in this case, and unite other photographers together to raise money for the Nav- ajo Nation COVID-19 Relief Fund. #TheMaskedPortraitProject24 AZFOOTHILLS.COM For information about the Masked Portrait Project, please visit: www.themaskedportraitproject.com To donate to the Navajo Nation COVID-19 Relief Fund, visit: www.gofundme.com/f/official-navajo-nation-covid19-relief-fund Follow the Masked Portrait Project on Facebook: www.facebook.com/themaskedportraitproject/?modal=admin_todo_tour Follow the Masked Portrait Project on Instagram: www.instagram.com/themaskedportraitproject 1 2 3 4 SEASON OF GIVING SERIES@azfoothills #azfoothills 25 VANCE SAT DOWN WITH AZ FOOTHILLS MAGAZINE FOR AN INTERVIEW ABOUT THIS UNIQUE FUNDRAISER. Hi, Emily, so how did the Masked Portrait Project come to be? I was actually in an online class for my digital photography major at ASU Online. I really wanted to do a project that reflected the times and the current world situation. I came up with the Masked Portrait Project, I was in Portland at the time, and I started talk- ing to an ASU alumnus, a teacher now, and she does tons of work with children in the Navajo Nation. So we started brainstorming, and we decided to have funds be raised for the Navajo Nation COVID-19 Relief Fund on GoFundMe. I mainly did not want to profit off this, and it’s just become a labor of love. Why is wearing a face mask such a passion of yours? In the early days of COVID, I lost a few of my central photogra- phy contracts, so I had to get a job at a grocery store. I would just hear so many individuals complain about wearing a face mask for the 10 to 15 minutes that they were inside. It just bugged me for some reason, so I wanted to tell a story through this project about wearing face masks. It was all about spreading love and not germs! I am a healthy 28-year-old; I don’t need to wear a mask be- cause I’m sure I will be fine. However, it’s just a sign of respect for those who have compromised immune systems. Wearing a mask is like wearing a seatbelt in today’s world. It’s merely for the protec- tion of yourself and myself. Many of us know about the coronaviruses’ impact on the Navajo Nation, but is there any particular reason you chose the Navajo Nation COVID-19 Relief Fund to fundraise for? Well, it was really just what I was called to donate to when I was brainstorming with ASU alumni Paige. I just wanted to help as many people as I could and with the GoFundMe account. I know exactly where the money is going, and that is helping individuals through this crisis. But this project has grown so much, and I’ve been able to work with so many mask foundations, like Tempe Mask Makers, who make masks for individuals who can’t afford one. The Navajo Nation Relief Fund is just one of the organiza- tions I have gotten to work with through this entire process. Lastly, just explain the process of how someone can donate or get involved with the Masked Por- trait Project. Right now, people can message me on Facebook, Instagram, or through the website, and it’s just “pay what you can.” If I can’t do the photoshoot myself, we have many volunteer photographers who can do the shoot for me here in the Valley. We just ask that you send us confirmation from your donation before scheduling the shoot. However, we don’t ask for contributions from photo- shoots across the country or around the globe. We just ask that you use the hashtag #TheMaskedPortraitProject, to spread the word about the project. Spread kindness, and not germs! Emily VanceWritten by cierra luna Nick Lowery, nick- named Nick the Kick, is a former placekicker. The successor to legen- dary Jan Stenerud, Lowery lived up to the Chiefs’ pressure from 1980 to 1993. NICK LOWERY INTERVIEW SEASON OF GIVING SERIES 26 AZFOOTHILLS.COM@azfoothills #azfoothills 27 He became the Chiefs’ all-time leading scorer with 1,466 points, and his 329 field goals are the most in team history. At the time of his retire- ment after the 1996 season, he was the most ac- curate kicker in NFL history in making 80 percent of his attempts. He also had the most field goals in NFL history and is 12th among the NFL’s all-time scoring leaders with 1,711 points. In Lowery, the Chiefs not only had a winner on the field but a winner in life. With several charitable organizations working with the home- less, youth sports, veterans’ mental health con- cerns, and Native American communities in Arizona, Lowerys’ contributions on and off the field are par none. So, Nick, many know you for your 18-season career as a kicker for the NFL. Can you tell me a little bit about your NFL career? An 18-season ca- reer in the NFL is certainly not some- thing the organization sees every day. “I had a dream to play pro football - had been dreaming about it my whole life. The key was to find a way to endure through 11 rejections by 8 NFL teams! I just knew that the role of the kicker is the most pressure-packed in sports. You are in front of 80,000 screaming fans, the ball is snapped back, caught, put down, and kicked in 1.25 seconds over 11 huge, angry opponents eight yards away that are paid millions to block your kick – now that’s pressure! The kicker is not on the field all the time. Like many of us, he has to wait his turn on the sidelines, never knowing when it’s time to deliver, always vigilant and ready, and having to come through with all eyes watching. Everyone sees if you make or miss it…there is no “almost.” You either get it done or not: it teaches you powerful lessons of discipline, focus, and not making ex- cuses.” 28 AZFOOTHILLS.COM The nomination for the Pro Football Hall of Fame is a significant success; how does it feel? “There are only two other kickers in the Hall of Fame, and to have a better percentage than them by quite a bit is both inspiring and hum- bling. It is tough to make it to the Hall of Fame as a kicker, so you just pray that those things out of your control work out. But it is indeed an amazing feeling.” What are some other significant achievements that came out of your NFL career? Any Failures? As I look back on my career, I love Rafael Nadal’s quote: ‘Stay hungry and humble.’ Don’t allow one achievement to be some sign- post that you have arrived because you will lose that hunger and passion. You never have ar- rived - there is always some way to get better. That is what I always focused on. So I had the best years of my career after 34…I kicked an unprecedented level of 89% in the early ’90s.” Having been cut by eight teams 11 times, I had to beat out my idol and future Hall of Famer Jan Stenerud to finally make it. Then a year later, when I made it to the Pro-bowl, I kicked the game-winning field goal, with 17 fu- ture NFL Hall of Famers watching, including my holder Steve Largent; that was surreal. Today, in addition to my community serv- ice work, I serve as the national spokesperson for Kannaway and now the host of Kannaway Champions – s peaking with Champions about overcoming adversity in even the worst of cir- cumstances. Athletes don’t always admit the consid- erable toll the game on their bodies, especially concussions. I have hosted “Future of Football” events with Banner, Barrows, and the CACTIS Foundation, focusing on preventing concus- sions. Even as a kicker, I’ve had a partial knee replacement and total ankle replacement, and two shoulder replacements! Imagine what other position players have been through! It’s gratify- ing to find sleep relief and healing through var- ious CBD products. Many fans don’t know you went to The Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University after you re- tired from the NFL. What made you desire a graduate degree? “I grew up in Washington D.C. with a father who was head of station for the CIA in Lon- don, and my next-door neighbor was legendary Supreme Court Justice Byron White (who was best friends with JFK and Bobby Kennedy). My parents made higher education an essential part of my upbringing. Football was a passion and a dream come true, but I knew to prepare for life after football. I spent most of my off seasons training for the NFL and working in the Federal govern- ment because I was always passionate about na- tional service. I know you’re originally a D.C. native. What made you decide to make Arizona your home? The Super Bowl in 1996 was in Phoenix, so the NFL flew me out to make some appearances, and I had about five friends from Kansas City move out here, so I thought maybe I should start looking. After the second day of being here in Arizona, I was hooked. At the end of the week, I had purchased a house, and I have lived here ever since. It’s been years since your last game in the NFL, but you’ve done a lot of charitable work within com- munities. Why is philanthropy so important to you? My Aunt Margaret was born with cerebral palsy, and I admired her for her abilities and ac- SEASON OF GIVING SERIES “For me, it built a voracious appe- tite for service. When I saw how we could change the narrative from disabilities to abilities, it made me hungry to do more.”@azfoothills #azfoothills 29 complishments. My “Kick with Nick” for the cerebral palsy program was the longest-running player fundraising program of its kind in the NFL and ended up raising over a million dol- lars. It served as a prototype for other player fundraising programs across the league. For me, it built a voracious appetite for service. When I saw how we could change the narrative from disabilities to abilities, it made me hungry to do more. It opened the door for my involvement in founding and leading other programs like Native Vision and Champions for the Homeless. Tell me more about the Nick Lowery Youth Foundation and your current programs, like Champions for the Homeless. What compels you to choose a community need or initia- tive to support? Champions for the Homeless started 15 years ago, with only 15 to 20 volunteers making Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter especially meaningful. Now we serve over 1000 homeless individuals and now have up to 500 volunteers. The Nick Lowery Youth Foundation (NLYF) evolved from the work I was doing in Kansas City. My focus went beyond “Kick with Nick for United Cerebral Palsy” to inner-city mentoring programs for youth, the Homeless, and Veteran mental health programs. You have also done charitable work within Native American com- munities. Can you speak a little about that? My best friend’s wife had just taken over as the program director for Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health. At their wedding, she asked me if I would help them start a football camp for Native Americans because they wanted to develop relationships with more depth with youth sports in the community. I got the NFL Players Association involved, and to- gether with NLYF and Johns Hopkins, we founded Native Vision with our first camp on the Navajo reservation in Chinle. I developed the Nation Building for Native Youth during my Fellowship at Harvard and have conducted 20 leadership training conferences to raise the significant leadership capacity of America’s most under-appreciated population. What is a lesson or e xperience you took from your impressive 18-sea- son career in the NFL, and how do you apply it to the charity work you do now? We have a stage as athletes to bring light to the shadows of life. We all have to have a BIG ‘why’ - that is the first lesson; the second is to do what you absolutely love. Never give up and stick with it as long as you can. Take a great idea and make it real: stay creative and stick with it through thick and thin for 20 years, and you will see and abso- lutely know you have changed the world, one person at a time. Next >