We couldn’t be more proud that one of our alum, Angela Watson, made her debut on the company roster of the San Francisco Ballet.

An Oakland native, Angela kicked off her season by first appearing as a VIP guest performer (courtesy of SF Ballet, Tamara Rojo Artistic Director) for the Misty Copeland Flower Film Oakland premiere, hosted by Oakland Ballet Company.

Angela’s performances this season included representing one of the only Black Ballerina Dolls in the Nutcracker, which she also performed in as her first role with the San Francisco Ballet in 2016. She also performed in Swan Lake to close out the season.

Let’s all congratulate Angela and cheer her on to further success! Brava!

Oakland School for the Arts is pleased to welcome home 2018 graduate Satya who will perform at the Metamorphosis Pre-Party on April 29.

Satya came out with 2 EPs, Deep Blue in 2022 and Flourish Against Fracture in 2019, and her forthcoming debut album is called Yellow Horse.

"Oakland-born singer Satya fuses R&B with folk influences for a soulful sound that is wholly unique." - San Francisco Chronicle

"Impeccable vocal delivery on her slow, soothing and soulful offerings." - San Jose Mercury News

"A neo-soul singer/songwriter with boundless promise." - KQED

Metamorphosis Pre-Party
Monday, April 29 @ 5 pm -The Den at The Fox Theater

Metamorphosis All-School Performance
Monday, April 29 @ 7pm - The Fox Theater

Shout out to @satsatmusic. Welcome home!

 

 

 

Photo by @misstaylorhunter
Styled by @sassfiend

 

We're in the final days of ticket sales! Tickets for both are available at oakarts.org.

Today we celebrate Vocal Music alumni, August Lee Stevens! @augustleestevens

August is a singer-songwriter musician based out of Hercules, California. While attending OSA, she started as a pianist in the Instrumental Music Pathway and later moved on to the Vocal Music Pathway to study voice and songwriting.

August's original music has dynamic sound that merges the lyrical rawness and simplicity of Folk songs with the melodies and vocals of Neo Soul. A lover of storytelling, August uses music to paint a landscape in which she embodies authentic expression. Her music showcases the strength that comes from vulnerability and through the process of writing hopes to gain a deeper understanding of herself with each written lyric.

This past summer August completed recording her debut EP with Women’s Audio Mission (WAM), as part of the Local Sirens series. The project is to be released 2024. Her latest single and music video ‘In the Dark' is out now and available everywhere.

August was recently featured in an article written by KQED and also opened up for Oakland's own Mara Hruby at the New Parish last week.

August, we wish you continued success in your career!

Today we celebrate Literary Arts alumni, Chloe Xtina, who is a 2023 Sundance Ignite X Adobe Fellow!

Chloe wrote and directed the short films GHOST OF YOU (2023 Sundance Ignite Selection, special screening 2024 Sundance Film Festival) and THE FIRST TASTE (2020 NoBudge Film of the Year).

Her work has been featured in New York Magazine, Variety, Vulture, and TimeOut. Her play 'Joan of Arc in a Supermarket in California' had its Off-Broadway debut this summer in a Brooklyn bodega with a sold-out run and a subsequent sold-out extension. She completed a BA in playwriting from UCLA in 2021. Chloe is based in Brooklyn.

To learn more about "Ghost of You," visit: chloextina.com/Ghost-of-you

 

Congrats on all of your creative work Chloe!

Congrats to Alumni Miles Quale, one of the founding members of the bluegrass band, Crying Uncle!

Miles (who graduated from OSA in 2022) and his brother Teo (currently in the 12th grade at OSA) founded the band together in 2016 and it initially started as a duo. In 2017 they expand into a four person group and are joined by two other outstanding musicians, Andrew Osborn and Ian Ly.

Crying Uncle is set to have their debut show at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee on February 9th. That show will be followed by a Japan and Korea tour in March 2024.

 

The band has played at venues such as IBMA’s World of Bluegrass Festival, CBA’s Father's Day Bluegrass Festival, Strawberry Music Festival, SF’s Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Delfest, and Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival.

Internationally, the band toured in Japan in 2023 and in 2022, they headlined at Bluegrass in La Roche, France. In 2019, they toured throughout Finland, culminating at Kaustinen Folk Music Festival. In 2018, the band was featured on a TEDTalk by Nashville-based singer/songwriter Phoebe Hunt. Miles was also a proud recipient of the Whippoorwill Arts Fellowship in 2022.

We are so proud of you Miles and Teo!

Today we celebrate OSA Literary Arts alumni, Magdalena O'Neal!

 

Magdalena was born and raised in Oakland, California and has always had a unique passion for expressing herself through culinary and literary outlets. The summer of her freshman year of high school she interned at Chez Panisse in their pastry department and it ignited her curiosities in the kitchen. After high school she left Oakland to attend the University of Illinois at their Chicago campus and studied English with a focus on media and professional writing with a minor in social justice and art history.

 

In 2020 she joined the team at Sunset magazine, one of the oldest print publications still in distribution in the United States, as assistant editor. Throughout her year and a half on staff she spearheaded the writing and production of their weekly food and drink newsletter, various print features, and digital stories spanning multiple topics regarding lifestyle and culture.

 

She has since lived in Los Angeles, New York, and Mexico City working as a freelance editor, chef, content creator, and model. In the beginning of 2024 she will be launching a weekly column covering topics of travels, culture, food, fashion, and beyond on the NYC-based website madeintheURL.

Congrats on all of your successes, Magdalena!