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Bruce Kirkwood talks no regrets, music and his debut album

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Glendale Star Executive Editor

Bruce Kirkwood studied accounting at the University of Southern Mississippi, but something else was tugging at his heartstrings.

Music.

“It was hard to pass up my passion,” Kirkwood said about pursuing a music career. “I knew I’d have a lot of regrets if I chose accounting.”

A professional violinist, the North Phoenix resident released an EP, “Valley Vibes.”

The Chicago native, who was raised in Gulfport, Mississippi, is experienced in playing a variety of styles and presenting a fusion of a classical and contemporary sounds. Thanks to his talents, he has performed for various prestigious organizations and events such as the Houston Rockets, Iyanla Vanzant, Archdiocese of New York, National Urban League, Mayo Clinic, Essence Festival and Oprah Winfrey Network. With a collective social media following of over 100,000 people, he commits to using his global presence to motivate, empower and bring hope to the world.

He does so through his weekly Facebook Live performances and motivational content on social media.

“This window of time is set aside weekly as an opportunity for people to step away from the negativity of social media and join a personable environment where positive energy and motivation is generated and transferred freely throughout those present,” Kirkwood said.

Kirkwood moved to Arizona to pursue his dream.

“My reason for choosing Phoenix was because it had become my second home after making over a dozen trips to perform here during a two-year span,” he said.

“It was a great choice, too, because the Valley is a better market for business and was near other great markets, like Vegas and LA. My agent/manager lives here, and that was a tremendous incentive.”

His manager is Marion Kelly, the Mayo Clinic’s director of community engagement, department of public relations, and the co-founder of the Diversity Leadership Alliance.

“We met in November 2018 at a conference in Mobile, Alabama,” Kirkwood said. “He was there representing the Mayo Clinic and I was there performing.”

Kelly invited Kirkwood to perform in Phoenix, and the violinist fell in love with the desert, mountains and music scene. The pandemic and his subsequent slower schedule allowed him to pull off the move to Phoenix.

“Coming from Biloxi, there are far more resources and connections here,” he said. “It was about time for me to move. COVID was slow, so it allowed me to go ahead and make that move. I have no regrets.”

He still has ties to the South, however. He recently held a virtual benefi t for New Orleans after it was hit by Hurricane Ida. Kirkwood wanted to “meet a need and be a part of the solution.”

“So many people sit back, see it as entertainment or something to look at and say, ‘Wow,’” said Kirkwood, a Hurricane Katrina survivor. New Orleans is an hour from where he was raised.

“Many people don’t take that next step and help people rebuild and recover. We’re raising funds for the Greater New Orleans Foundation. My heart goes out to the devastated residents of the birthplace of jazz, who are once again forced to rebuild their communities.”

He’s still collecting money through GoFundMe, and all funds will be donated directly to the Greater New Orleans Foundation and allocated for purposes such as erecting temporary shelters, distributing food and water, providing medical care to the more than 4 million residents without power, and other necessities.

A violinist for about 20 years, Kirkwood is looking to Phoenix and Kelly to “catapult” him to where he wants to go. He yearns to continue to grow and make more connections.

“I love the musician community around here,” Kirkwood said. “There are great musicians and quality music opportunities at a very high level here. It’s new to me to have that locally. I’m really getting plugged in and making those connections to take things to the next level. That’s happening so quickly.”

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Bruce Kirkwood, who grew up in Gulfport, Mississippi, is raising money to help those suffering from the aftereffects of Hurricane Ida. Kirkwood survived Hurricane Katrina. (Photo courtesy of Bruce Kirkwood)

Bruce Kirkwood

Carol Brook: You can’t use up creativity

BY SHEA STANFIELD Glendale Star Contributing Writer

The poet Maya Angelou observed, “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”

Artist Carol Brook discovered this phenomenon as a youngster growing up in small-town Nebraska. Brook discovered “art” when she created doll clothes, which, in turn, led to her designing her own wardrobe.

“In high school, I based my clothing designs on photos I saw in magazines,” Brook said.

“We could not get the latest styles from off the rack where we lived.”

Brook gained a reputation among her peers for creating anything she saw or imagined. She graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a degree in teaching and photojournalism.

Following her creative intuition, she launched a career in the hospitality industry in Nebraska and crisscrossed the United States several times, working for major hotel companies and independent resorts.

“I found a variety of opportunities during this time to push my limits on creativity in business and personal projects, as well as assisting with enrichment events at my son’s school,” Brook said.

In 1992, she moved to Scottsdale, where she found a vibrant community of creatives and ample opportunities to attend arts-related events.

The turning point came via a fortune cookie message just before her 2019 retirement.

“Reclining Lady” “Whispers in the Dark”

“A ship in the harbor is safe, but that’s not why ships are built,” Brook said.

She pivoted and spent her time working with leather and fiber arts in her second career.

“Today, I work with a variety of leathers and fiber in designing my artwork,

SEE BROOK PAGE 21

October 28, 2021

Association bonds friends, prepares kart pros

BY NICK ZELLER-SINGH Cronkite News

On any given day, high-end motorhomes sit in the parking lot next to rusted pickup trucks. Parents tugging the hands of eager kids mesh with seasoned drivers looking to hone their craft.

That’s the appeal of the sprawling asphalt track facility that is home to the Phoenix Kart Racing Association. It’s both an ideal entry-level spot for the next NASCAR driver in Arizona and a nonprofit club for those interested in racing go-karts in a friendly atmosphere.

“It’s extremely polite and family oriented,” said Brad Jacks, a PKRA executive board member. “My oldest daughter was in competitive gymnastics, which is super cutthroat. But when we came to PKRA, it was a welcome change.”

Jacks and his daughter Riley started at PKRA after arranging an arriveand-drive at the Glendale track. An arrive-and-drive is similar to walking into a restaurant without a reservation, showing up on a first-come, firstserved basis, and racing around the track.

The Jacks aren’t the only father-child combo competing at the track. David Hilburn competes at the master’s level while his son competes alongside his friends.

“It’s awesome to compete with my son, because he has been racing since he was 5,” Hilburn said. “It is both the most amazing and terrifying thing as a parent. When they go around the corner three-wide, you go like, ‘Oh, my gosh!’ And then they make a pass and it is the most exciting thing to cheer your little one for.”

With several families bonding at the track, the friendly atmosphere is omnipresent. Third-generation driver Micah Hendricks said the environment was similar to kids playing in their neighborhoods.

“The atmosphere is like what I hear about the old days where you come home from school and you go play until the lights came on,” Hendricks said. “Everyone will help each other out. One of my main competitors, I helped him with a setup change on his kart before the championship race. It is just a really good family environment.”

The atmosphere attracts all types of racers. For adults, it is a perfect spot to get their feet wet. PKRA is open six days a week, Monday through Friday for arrive-and-drives and practicing, and Saturdays for official races. The racing groups range from Junior Novice to Masters.

Although tempers can flare in the higher competitions, the lower competitions are a perfect fit for novices.

“We just got the track surface redone. It makes a world of difference,” Hilburn said. “PKRA also has dedicated days for novices to come in and get an atmosphere that is safer for them. Plus, if you ask anyone a question, they are friendly enough to answer it.”

As for the younger competitors, PKRA provides the closest thing to a little league racing experience. It is the easiest and cheapest entry into the racing scene, Jacks and Hilburn said. However, if the child is ready to make the leap into the top-tier racing leagues, PKRA offers that, too.

Karting is often a steppingstone to the higher ranks of NASCAR and Formula One. Some of the best-known NASCAR drivers, including Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon and Danica Patrick, started that way. So did Arizona drivers Alex Bowman and J.J. Yeley.

Kris Hendricks, Micah’s father, has observed all types of racers flocking to PKRA’s track.

“It can be fun or competitive because you have people who just started and others who are at the national level,” he said. “On race days, you see the whole pendulum. You have guys with their half-million-dollar motorhomes and then others showing up with a 1994 Ford Ranger.”

Whether the competitor comes in a customized go-kart or shows up with a rental, everyone is treated the same. From age 5 to first-generation racers, PKRA provides the environment to spend time with friends and family, even while going three-wide around the corner.

For more stories from Cronkite News, visit cronkitenews.azpbs.org.

After a long day at school, children often head to the Phoenix Kart Racing Association track to compete with their friends in go-kart racing. This is the same way many NASCAR and Formula One drivers started. (Photo courtesy of Aimee Sarchett)

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BROOK FROM PAGE 19 but my passion is sculpted free-form leather vessels,” she said.

Her pieces are created from vegetable-tanned leather.

“The leather has the longevity and beauty only an artisan-created product can sustain,” she said. “The original fi bers of the animal hide add to its character, making each piece a unique individual with the addition of dyes, stains and paints.”

Brook is a member of the Sonoran Arts League and exhibits several times a year in league-sponsored shows and events. She and her husband, Mel, also an artist, work from their Scottsdale home studio, known as Brook Art Studio.

They are participating in the annu-

“Peaceful Night” al Hidden in the Hills Studio Tour in November. For more information, visit sonoranartsleague.org.

Brook’s artwork may be viewed on Facebook @BrookArtStudio.

Brook Art Studio accepts private viewing appointments. For more information, email Brook at carol. melbrook@gmail.com.

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