NEPA Creative was formed in no small part to shine a light on the quantity of creative individuals in our region who create incredible work. This month’s Sunday Spotlights prove that statement true 10x over. From a new band making waves with their debut full length album to a candlemaker who takes intricate designs to the next level, we encourage you to dig deeper into our featured creatives. You’ll thank us later!
The Human Beings — Band
The Human Beings are a three-piece spacey funk-folk-blues band from NEPA who are all about getting the people dancing and bringing vibes of light.
What started as a solo project by guitarist David Uffner expanded when he moved to Pennsylvania in November 2018. There, he connected with pianist Josh Slosky and drummer Matt Simoncavage in the hopes of forming a band. David had written a twelve-song album with a diverse range of musical styles based on a Buddhist concept called the Ten Worlds, and the trio set up in Josh’s garage learning the songs over the course of the following year.
After playing a few shows and beginning to grow a local fanbase, the band decided it was time to take the next step and make a studio album. However, one week before they were scheduled to begin recording, the COVID pandemic hit and they were forced to cancel. So, after waiting a few months, they set out to record the tracks themselves and sent them to their good friend, Vito Carella, who mixed and mastered their vision into a finished product.
Says the band, “We embarked on this project to explore the essence of being human, to evoke a fresh voice, and to merge the joy of music with a desire for inner-transformation. If nothing else, we hope it slaps.”
The album, In the Ten Worlds, is currently being released in three parts on all streaming platforms.
Ahead of the release, The Human Beings shot a series of six promotional live performance videos. The first three showcase the powerful, electric side of the band, while the others feature a more intimate, acoustic setting. Filmed and edited by Sam O’Connell and Alex Manganella, you can find the videos on YouTube. To accompany the videos, two EPs, Live and Acoustic, have been released for streaming.
The Human Beings are currently hard at work promoting their debut album and actively seeking gigs. They have also begun writing new songs for their second album.
Facebook: @projecthumanbeings
Instagram: @humanbeingsband
Website: https://humanbeingsband.com
Veronica Romaelli — Candlemaker
Veronica is a recent graduate of Wilkes University, and is currently a substitute teacher at GAR Memorial Middle School. Her dream job is to be a librarian!
Veronica has always felt she had a lot of creative energy, but never knew how to express it. She comes from a very creative family, but she always struggled to find her “thing.” During the first wave of COVID-19, she quickly realized that she didn’t really have a hobby. She turned to candle making to fight the boredom.
One day, Veronica posted a picture of some of her candles on Instagram, and soon had people messaging her about buying them! She started to make container candles (candles in old tea cups, mugs, etc.) before moving on to freestanding candles that she makes with silicone molds.
Veronica likes to go with the flow when making her candles. She definitely takes her art seriously, but isn’t afraid to be a little flexible when making her candles. As long as her candles make herself and the people who are interested in them happy, she’ll continue to create them the same way she has.
Her biggest inspiration is her godson, who loves to help make candles with her (especially dinosaur-shaped ones!) Her siblings, cousins, friends, and boyfriend support her in every way and are always showing off her work.
Veronica used to think she wasn’t creative because she couldn’t draw, but now she realizes art can take so many forms. She thinks that being creative means giving your all to make something that makes you feel extraordinary.
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/#!/veronica.l.romanelli
Instagram: @v_ron.candles
If you’d like to be featured as one of our Sunday Spotlights, fill out the form at www.nepacreative.com/sunday-spotlight-form/.
If you are interested in leading a breakout session at one of our meetups in 2022, you can email info@nepacreative.com. To learn more about NEPA Creative, visit the website at www.nepacreative.com.