Culture Cauldron: Behind the scenes with Grace Krichbaum

By Katie Hopsicker

Photos by Nick Peta

Rich fall foliage contrasts a bright blue, cloudless sky. A white Volkswagen bug sits in the middle of an empty field. Ladybugs fly around a team of graduate students setting up a generator, cameras, and sound recording equipment. Grace Krichbaum sits on the car, smiling and strumming a sweet melody on her guitar. This is the scene of Culture Cauldron's Sunday shoot.

Culture Cauldron is a sound and video production team created by Syracuse University graduate students. Nick Peta, Culture Cauldron's creative director, said the team is unique because not only do they highlight local talent and prioritize diversity of their artists' identities and music styles, but they also tailor the shoot location to match the vibe of each artist. From a backyard garden, to a rock quarry, to a laundromat, the team is known for their teamwork, creativity, and professionalism.

And they truly are professionals. The team works together seamlessly, with each member handling a specific role. Every other weekend they post the video and audio recording to social media, including an artist interview.

"The DIY culture at Syracuse is incredible," said Krichbaum. "It's so cool to partake in it as a viewer, and then it's even more rewarding somehow to put on a show."

Krichbaum sang two songs for her set, a cover of "Last Kiss" by Taylor Swift and an original song called "Girls at Parties." The lyrics describe Krichbaum's experience at college house parties - like sharing gossip, stories, and fun conversation with random girls in the bathroom. The SU alum wrote the song during the pandemic, when she missed connecting with both her friends and strangers.

"I realized that that was an important part of my social interactions, just talking with strangers and connecting with random people," she said.

Krichbaum's sweet, open, and sincere personality comes across clearly in her music. Check out her performance for Culture Cauldron here.