Sonic Spotlight 2023: Meet The Bands!

Sonic Spotlight Finalist Showcase is coming up on December 13th at Washington’s at 7pm!

Tickets are on sale now

Come check out these young rippers on the rise and cheer on your hometown heroes!

 Learn all about this year’s finalist in the bios below. See you there!

autumnal

autumnal is a fuzz folk band from Fort Collins and Denver, Colorado. They combine the
storytelling of folk songwriting with the tones and pedals of shoegaze to create a unique
sound they’ve dubbed ‘fuzz folk’. autumnal is fronted by childhood best friends Annalee
Knies on guitar and vocals and Geneva Hein on synth and vocals. They are rounded
out by Justice Murray on bass and Nina Dorighi on drums. Their lyrics detail the lives of
twenty-somethings navigating the world; writing about everything from queerness to
climate change. They strive to make the music scene a move inclusive space for
anyone who wants to get involved, starting with their own shows.

clementine

This quintet, freshly squeezed out of Fort Collins, CO, consists of bright guitar riffs
juxtaposed with heavy-hitting drums and lyrics. With an alternative rock, punk, and
soulful grip on the music they write and perform, clementine offers something unique
and diverse. Their energy is over-the-top intense, and their sharp, in-your-face
presentation is something you just have to see.

Stone Jackals

Stone Jackals is a Colorado rock band formed by high school friends in 2018. We play
many types of music from indie rock to heavier garage rock. We have recently played
shows with acts like The Orwells and Zella Day and want to continue to increase our
presence in Colorado and elsewhere.
“Chemical Canopy holds the fort down as part of the new wave of indie
rock-inspired, neo-psychedelic style. It’s steady bouncing bass with simple but
effective guitar riffs and low, smooth vocals that pleasantly reverberate in your head. It’s
funkadelic rock with a dash of dopamine to ease a tired mind after a long week.”
– Andrew Venegas, 303 Magazine

 

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School Day Out Workshops

School Day Out at the Museum! Join us on October 20th and again on November 10th for a series of fun, interactive engineering-based workshops for kids ages 8 and up. Each group will be led by CSU College of Engineering students and will focus on creative problem-solving for some of today’s most fascinating challenges.

 

Participants will discover solutions to engineering challenges by exploring five disciplines: mechanical, electrical, civil, biomedical, and chemical engineering through hands-on activities designed to simulate a collaborative lab environment and spark their imaginations.

 

The groups are limited to 15 people per each 90-minute session. Registration is required and can be accessed HERE

 

October 20

12:00-1:30 Chemical Engineering – Discover the best way to make slime

1:30-3:00 Biomedical Engineering – Build lower limb prosthetics

3:00-4:30 Civil Engineering – Fabricate spaghetti bridges

 

November 10

12:00-1:30 Electrical Engineering – Design and build saltwater circuits

1:30-3:00 Mechanical Engineering – Create “Mars Rover Egg Landers”

 

This is a great opportunity for another adventure in Discovery!

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FCMoD Squad Application Date Extended!!!

Got a passion for music, museums, people and fun? Joining the FCMoD Squad might be just what you’ve been looking for. If you’re between the ages of 15 and 19 – this is an amazing opportunity to meet great people, gain experience and learn about the music and museum industries. The FCMoD Squad provides hands-on experience working with the local music community in a safe, friendly environment. Mod Squaders review and judge entries for local music events where they might even get on stage and emcee. They tour world-class music studios and attend college level discussions while representing the voice and vision of our emerging youth at the museum and beyond. Applications are now closed! Please check back next summer if you missed this year’s application deadline.

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FCMoD Squad: Year Three Applications are Open

We are just finishing up our second year of FCMoD Squad. Over their tenure, FCMoD Squad members worked with our FCMoD Squad Leadership Team to get involved in the music community.

We are starting our third year this summer, and we’d love for individuals between 15 and 19 years old to consider taking part.

If you love music, and want skills in leadership, public speaking, and collaborating with like-minded folks, fill out this application up until July 31st. Jam sessions are highly encouraged.

Read on to learn more about FCMoD Squad.

So, what is FCMoD Squad?

One of the best things in town. Really.

The FCMoD Squad is a youth advisory board consisting of individuals from across the Front Range. The FCMoD Squad ranges in ages from 15-19 and meets twice a month at the museum for a one-year period. In that time, they actively engage the community in a variety of ways, including reviewing and judging entries for local music competitions and events, touring world-class studios, participating in college level presentations and discussions, emceeing stages at concerts, and much more.

The purpose of FCMoD Squad is to provide hands on experience and education pertaining to the local music community as well as represent the voice and influence of our emerging youth.

Who are the FCMod Squad?

The FCMoD Squad are individuals between the ages of 15 and 19 who are interested in becoming more involved within Fort Collins Museum of Discovery and their community.  By participating in FCMoD Squad, you are dedicated, open to learn, and participate fairly. Most of all, you are open to positive new experiences to learn from and pass on.

FCMoD Squad members will: 

  • Actively provide insight into current and future museum exhibits, programs, and events
  • Participate in outings with other community groups and organizations
  • Work behind the scenes in music events such as Sonic Spotlight and FoCoMX
  • Members will serve a total of one year starting in August, with a maximum of two terms

Responsibilities of a FCMoD Squad Member:  

  • You’ll attend meetings 2-3 times monthly from 6 – 8 p.m. at Fort Collins Museum of Discovery
  • You’ll work on monthly activities guided by our FCMoD Squad Leadership Team
  • You’ll actively engage and contribute in meetings and activities
  • You’ll embody Fort Collins Museum of Discovery’s Mission and Vision
    • Mission: The museum creates meaningful opportunities to learn, reflect, and have fun through hands-on and collections-based explorations in science and culture
    • Vision: To inspire inquisitive thinkers and encourage responsible stewardship of the future 

How do I apply?
Go right here.

Questions?
Email Nick Duarte our Senior Manager, Museum Engagement.

Thank you for considering FCMoD Squad.

We can’t wait to get started.

Please note all times and dates listed are subject to change.

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FCMoD Squad: Year Three Applications are Open

We are just finishing up our second year of FCMoD Squad. Over their tenure, FCMoD Squad members worked with our FCMoD Squad Leadership Team to get involved in the music community.

We are starting our third year this summer, and we’d love for individuals between 15 and 19 years old to consider taking part.

If you love music, and want skills in leadership, public speaking, and collaborating with like-minded folks, fill out this application up until July 31st. Jam sessions are highly encouraged.

Read on to learn more about FCMoD Squad.

So, what is FCMoD Squad?

One of the best things in town. Really.

The FCMoD Squad is a youth advisory board consisting of individuals from across the Front Range. The FCMoD Squad ranges in ages from 15-19 and meets twice a month at the museum for a one-year period. In that time, they actively engage the community in a variety of ways, including reviewing and judging entries for local music competitions and events, touring world-class studios, participating in college level presentations and discussions, emceeing stages at concerts, and much more.

The purpose of FCMoD Squad is to provide hands on experience and education pertaining to the local music community as well as represent the voice and influence of our emerging youth.

Who are the FCMod Squad?

The FCMoD Squad are individuals between the ages of 15 and 19 who are interested in becoming more involved within Fort Collins Museum of Discovery and their community.  By participating in FCMoD Squad, you are dedicated, open to learn, and participate fairly. Most of all, you are open to positive new experiences to learn from and pass on.

FCMoD Squad members will: 

  • Actively provide insight into current and future museum exhibits, programs, and events
  • Participate in outings with other community groups and organizations
  • Work behind the scenes in music events such as Sonic Spotlight and FoCoMX
  • Members will serve a total of one year starting in August, with a maximum of two terms

Responsibilities of a FCMoD Squad Member:  

  • You’ll attend meetings 2-3 times monthly from 6 – 8 p.m. at Fort Collins Museum of Discovery
  • You’ll work on monthly activities guided by our FCMoD Squad Leadership Team
  • You’ll actively engage and contribute in meetings and activities
  • You’ll embody Fort Collins Museum of Discovery’s Mission and Vision
    • Mission: The museum creates meaningful opportunities to learn, reflect, and have fun through hands-on and collections-based explorations in science and culture
    • Vision: To inspire inquisitive thinkers and encourage responsible stewardship of the future 

How do I apply?
Go right here.

Questions?
Email Nick Duarte our Senior Manager, Museum Engagement.

Thank you for considering FCMoD Squad.

We can’t wait to get started.

Please note all times and dates listed are subject to change.

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FCMoD Squad Applications Now Open!

Do you love music? Do you love engaging with your community? Join us and go behind the scenes of the local front range music community. The Fort Collins Museum of Discovery is excited to announce the first year of the FCMoD Squad!  

What it means to be in the FCMoD Squad:  

The FCMoD Squad are individuals between the ages of 15 and 19 who are interested in becoming more involved within The Fort Collins Museum of Discovery, the Fort Collins music scene, and their community.  

Squad members will: 

  • Work behind the scenes in music events such as Sonic Spotlight https://www.sonicspotlight.org/, FoCoMX https://focomx.focoma.org/, and more. 
  • Actively provide insight into current and future museum exhibits, programs, and events.
  • Participate in outings to other community groups and organizations.  

Responsibilities of a FCMoD Squad Member:  

  • Attend meetings on the 2nd Thursday from 6:00pm- 8:00pm at FCMoD and at least one monthly activity/tour.
  • Actively engage and contribute in meetings and activities. 
  • Inform the Squad through email, text, or call if unable to attend a meeting with valid reason such as an illness, extracurricular activity, school event, or other circumstance.  
  • Embody the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery Mission and Vision. 
    • Mission: The museum creates meaningful opportunities to learn, reflect, and have fun through hands-on and collections-based explorations in science and culture. 
    • Vision: To inspire inquisitive thinkers and encourage responsible stewardship of the future. 

To Apply:

Applications are open to Fort Collins/Front Range residents ages 15-19. Submissions will open July 12th ending on August 1st, with interviews to follow. Members will serve a total of nine months from August to April, with a maximum of two terms. 

Visit www.fcmod.org/fcmod-squad to apply! Questions? Email Nick Duarte, Curator of the Music & Sound Lab, at nduarte@fcmod.org.

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Animal Love Languages

Animal Love Languages

Love is in the air, and humans aren’t the only romantics in the world. Today we’re looking at the courtship rituals of the animal kingdom!

Do you know what your love language is? Is it words of affirmation like a sweet letter, quality time like a romantic night in, receiving gifts of flowers and jewelry, acts of service, or physical touch like a hug or a cuddle? Humans have different ways of showing affection, and so do animals. But instead of things like poetry, romantic getaways, and chocolates, animals have their own unique love languages. Which animal love language do you relate the most with?

The Singer
Much like the romantic poet, some animals like to shout their love from the rooftops. Frogs, birds, crickets, and even whales use their songs to attract mates, constantly trying to out-do their competition with the loudest and most attractive voice. Frogs even have regional dialects – members of the same species may have different croaks if they have originated from different places where their local songs are slightly different. And in places where there are several different species of frogs all singing at once – like in Florida, where the invasive Cuban tree frog has been introduced into the territory of native American green tree frogs – the frogs will purposefully alter their croaks to differentiate between species and avoid confusion.

The Dancer
But maybe you’re more of a visual person. There are plenty of animals whose main courtship rituals involve elaborate dances and displays of beautiful fur and feathers. But some animals forget the flashy outfits and just focus on their moves. Hirtodrosophila mycetophaga is a species of australian fly which performs mating displays on shelf mushrooms. The males wave their wings around and perform a dance – but only on lighter-colored fungi, as these mushrooms act as a better backdrop for their performances. On darker fungi, they blend in too well, and females pass them by!

The Show-off
Not to be outdone, some animals go all in, with song, dance and color! Take the peacock spider: while you may be familiar with this small jumping spider’s namesake and its colorful plumage, this arachnid goes a step further and incorporates sound and movement into its mating display.

While displaying their brightly-colored abdomen, they wave their legs in an elaborate dance and create deep rumbling vibrations while they perform. The males who put the most effort into their displays, including both the dancing and vibrating, are more likely to get the girl.

The Collector
Some animals speak the love language of gift-giving. Native to New Guinea and Australia, bowerbirds build elaborate ‘bowers’ from nature to attract mates. First, the male Bowerbird gathers sticks and arranges them into an upright structure, often in the shape of an arch or an avenue. Then, he populates his bower with brightly-colored objects. These can be shells, flowers, even pieces of plastic and metal that he finds. Some bowerbirds even have favorite colors, and will collect only pieces that fit into their preferred color scheme! When she’s ready to find a mate, the female bowerbird tours the bowers of all the local males, and chooses the bird with the best crib to be her mate.

The True Romantic
But maybe you’re a real classical romantic. You want long walks on the beach, hand-holding, and slow-dancing. Don’t worry. Not everything is about flashy displays. Some animals like to take it slow, and build up deep bonds with their mates. Seahorses have an elaborate courtship process, with each step of the ritual being repeated again and again, often over the course of days. First, they meet and change colors, brightening in turns at each other. Then they grab hold of the same anchor-point and spin around each other in an elaborate dance with many distinct moves and steps, including leaning away, pointing, quivering and spinning. Finally, they end their dance by floating up through the water column together. While they might only be fish, seahorses are quite the romantics – they mate for life, and their specialized tails, used to anchor themselves to coral and seaweed, also allow them to “hold hands” with their significant other.

Happy Valentine’s Day from all of us at FCMoD!

Post written by Willow Sedam, Live Animal Husbandry Team Member

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#ArchivesBlackEducation

#ArchivesBlackEducation

Every month Fort Collins Museum of Discovery participates in a themed #ArchivesHashtagParty on Twitter. This month’s theme is #ArchivesBlackEducation in honor of Black History Month.

What is an #ArchivesHashtagParty you ask? That’s a great question! This article from the New York Times, The Record Keepers’ Rave, helps explain just that. Started by The National Archives and Records Administration of the United States, participating archives, museums, and libraries tune in to share a treasure trove of photos, stories, collections, and more.

For #ArchivesBlackEducation, the museum shared the following on Twitter (@focomod) of our local history from the Archive & Collections at FCMoD.

Let’s get started, shall we?

This #ArchivesHashtagParty we’re exploring local African American history with #ArchivesBlackEducation. Pictured here is Ella Mae Cook, Fort Collins Resident from about 1931 to 1944.

Grafton St. Clair Norman was the first Black student to attend and graduate from CSU, then Colorado Agricultural College. He became the 2nd lieutenant in the Army and teacher in Kentucky. This photo appeared in the 1896 CAC yearbook.

Charley Clay arrived in Colorado in 1864. By the early 1900s, the Clay home was a center of Black social life in Larimer County, hosting groups such as the local chapter of the Paul Laurence Dunbar Literary Society.

William Clay, son of Charley Clay, served with the Fort Collins Volunteer Fire Department in the 1890s and was a member of the State Champion Hose Team in 1897.

As a child, Academy Award winning film star Hattie McDaniel briefly lived in this home on Cherry Street in Fort Collins and attended Franklin School. She would later move to Denver on her way to Hollywood.

In March of 1939, Mattie Lyle sued the owner of the State Theater in Fort Collins for discrimination and won damager. Her daughter Joyce, pictured here, served as a witness to her mother’s testimony.

During the 1920s, ’30s, and ’40s, Charles and Mamie Birdwhitle’s home on Oak Street in Fort Collins was a gathering spot for Black gospel groups, jazz orchestras, and scholars visiting Northern Colorado.

Virgil Thomas was a star left tackle – and the only Black player – for the Fort Collins High School Lambkins in the late 1930s.

In 1969, members of the Mexican-American Committee for Equality & the Black Student Assn. demanded more recruitment of minority students and faculty. Shown here is a protest they held at the home of college president William Morgan.

That wraps up this month’s #ArchivesHashtagParty! Explore more Black history with a walking tour from our friends at the Fort Collins History Preservation Department.

Thanks for tuning in! We’ll share next month’s #ArchivesHashtagParty content with you back here on the blog.

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Mindful Mondays: Understanding and Expressing Emotions

Mindful Mondays: Understanding and Expressing Emotions

This activity is recommended for ages 3-7.

Happiness, fear, frustration… let’s get to know our emotions! Make your own paper plate emotion face and see how our faces help convey how we are feeling.

Supplies:

  • Paper plate 
  • Construction paper, all colors
  • 6 brass fasteners
  • Scissors 

Instructions:

  1. Take a paper plate to use as your face. Use the crayons to color the plate however you like!
  2. Using construction paper, cut out eyes, eyebrows, a nose and a mouth for your face. If you need a guide, use a pencil to draw the shapes before you cut them out.
  3. Use 6 brass fasteners to attach the facial features to your plate.
  4. Try it out! Move the facial features to create different emotions. Ask another per-son to guess what the face is expressing, or challenge another person to create that expression.

 

Each mind matters. Taking care of our mental health is important to all of us – everywhere and always. Learn more by visiting FCMoD’s special exhibition Mental Health: Mind Matters, open through January 10th.

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Mindful Mondays: Changing Minds

Post written by Brian Ferrans, Manager with Behavioral Health Strategy and Implementation Community Impact Team Health District of Northern Larimer County

Mindful Mondays: Changing Minds

Let’s talk about addiction. Addiction doesn’t discriminate. One in 10 of our neighbors lives with drug and/or alcohol addiction in Larimer County. It’s not a choice — it’s a disease that changes the brain, and it can happen to anyone. Understanding how substances re-wire our brains is essential in helping us to get rid of negative stigma and stereotypes about those experiencing an addiction, which can encourage more people to seek out treatment. Watch our 5-minute video to learn more about how addiction changes the brain.

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