Hello readers!
My name is Alyssa Bump, and I am the new Summer 2021 intern for the JAM!
I’m a junior journalism and public relations major at SUNY Fredonia.
I have worked with The Leader, Fredonia’s student-run newspaper, since my first year at Fredonia. I am now the editor-in-chief of the paper, and I was previously the life & arts editor for a year.
I always enjoyed writing about music for The Leader, and music itself has always been a very prevalent part of my life.
I grew up in the small town of Cuba, N.Y., which is home to about 3000 people. Cuba is pretty much like every other tiny town with one grocery store and two stop lights — boring.
My dad would always play country and folk music as well as classic rock while puttering around the yard.
I would also spend a lot of time at my uncle’s house, who has been playing guitar since he was a kid. When he would practice playing, I would always be mesmerized by the way he could move his fingers to the right chord so fast.
After noticing my interest in the instrument, he got me my own acoustic guitar for my tenth birthday. I played for a few months, but I eventually quit. I blame the calluses on my fingers for never forming.
But this summer, it’s been my new hobby to learn how to play again. So far, so good, but I’m still amazed at how fast my uncle can play — even more so now that my fingers start to cramp as I reach for the right chords.
But if you’re looking to read about someone with some better guitar skills, you can check out my first article, on Greg Klyma.
