Listen to the Playlist That Influenced Artist Bakpak Durden’s Playground Detroit Exhibition
In The Groove is CultureShift’s award-winning series that talks with creatives from all walks of life about the music that has...
Ryan Patrick Hooper is the award-winning host of "In the Groove" on 101.9 WDET-FM Detroit’s NPR station. Hooper has covered stories for the New York Times, NPR, Detroit Free Press, Hour Detroit, SPIN and Paste magazine.
Hooper grew up reading the Sunday paper with his dad. That’s where he learned the basics of writing while dreaming of one day writing the stories himself. At 16, he knocked on the door of his hometown paper and asked for a job as a reporter. Since then, he's written extensively for the Detroit Free Press -- the same paper he grew up reading.
Since joining WDET in 2017, Hooper has expanded the station’s arts and culture coverage and received numerous awards from the Michigan Association of Broadcasting along the way. Nationally, Hooper was awarded a 2020 RTDNA Regional Edward R. Murrow award for feature reporting for his story “Would You Rent a Stray Dog From the City of Detroit?“ In 2018, Hooper was named the Associated Press Michigan Editors Broadcast Rising Star in broadcast journalism. He received the prestigious Crain’s Detroit Business “20 In Their 20s” award in 2014. His commitment to volunteerism was recognized by the State of Michigan in 2007.
His juggalo-inspired I.C.Pizza costume was selected by the Huffington Post as one of the best Halloween costumes of 2014.
Director Mike Mills Brings Detroit Students to Big Screen in “C’mon C’mon”
Julieta Cervantes Before heading off to Los Angeles, New York and New Orleans, director Mike Mills (“Beginners,” “20th Century Women”)...
One Man’s Journey to Make the Tuba Cool
Adam Fenster Richard Antoine White is the first African American to ever earn a doctorate in music for tuba performance....
What Happened at the Astroworld Festival in Houston?
The Astroworld music festival in Houston, Texas left eight dead and hundreds injured. A fatal crowd surge happened while rapper Travis...
From Bullied to Beatbox, Stevie Soul Shares His Story and Performs Live on WDET
Growing up in Redford, performer and producer Stevie Soul was bullied for his stutter. It didn’t take him long, however,...
Who Has Better Taste in Content: Your Friend or the Algorithm?
Did you discover your new favorite band on your own -- or did an online algorithm plant it in front of...
“Arriving Today” Tracks a Single Product Across the Globe to Explore Consumerism, Global Supply
It might take us a single click to buy an item on Amazon, but that item could travel up to...
Artists Like David Opdyke Are Using Their Paintbrushes To Visualize Climate Change
Visual artist David Opdyke has spent the past few years using his artwork to start a conversation about climate change,...
“Black Is Beautiful” Exhibition at Detroit Institute of Arts Highlights 1960s Cultural Movement
The large-scale photography of Kwame Brathwaite is now on display at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA). The “Black Is...
Senior Citizens Take Center Stage in New Comedy Special “Good Timing with Jo Firestone”
It’s never too late to give something new a try. That’s the message in “Good Timing with Jo Firestone,” a...
Art-Meets-Architecture Installation in Detroit Celebrates the Black Church
Sal Rodriguez Architect and educator Aaron Jones wanted to find a way to celebrate the Black churches in Detroit. “They’re...
The Art of Texting: Health Educator Justine Ang Fonte on Leaving Stress, Anxiety Behind
Sending that perfect text doesn’t have to be so stressful. That’s according to intersectional health educator Justine Ang Fonte. “It’s...