HWS News
26 August 2024 • Alums A Musical Journey Through the Bronx By Abby Soika '25
As a production assistant, Joshua Cruz ’24 is forging his Media career working for Gary Axelbank Productions.
Working on a project to promote the musical legacy of the Bronx, Joshua Cruz ’24 is exploring each borough as a production assistant for Gary Axelbank Productions’ “The Bronx Gets Together” video series.
“The coolest part of my internship is meeting and working with famous, renowned musicians from my hometown in the Bronx, such as Bobby Sanabria, Producer Amadeus, and Producer Gabriel,” says Cruz, who majored in Media and Society and minored in Italian Studies.
As a Bronx-native, Cruz says he’s honored to be part of the series that will promote the Bronx culture “that has gifted the world with Hip Hop, Doo-wop, Latin Salsa, Jazz, and more” and the music that defines “the borough’s rich legacy of diversity,” according to the project’s website.
In his position, Cruz says he has many duties, ranging from organizing meetings to publicizing production events.
His liberal arts education—varying from work in the Media and Society program, Music Department and semester abroad in Rome, Italy—helped get him ready him for the job.
“My major in Media and Society helped prepare me for this role by providing experiences such as my Senior Seminar with Professor Leah Shafer where we created a short film festival which taught me what it takes to organize and produce meaningful content,” he says. “The music classes I took now allow me to better converse with legendary musicians.”
While at HWS, Cruz was a member of cultural, social justice and global awareness clubs, such as Kings of Power Club, a mentoring and support group for African American men. Cruz also worked in the Field House and for Student Engagement.
Top: In the photo above from Fall 2023, Joshua Cruz ’24 (right) works on a stop motion project in “Intro to Global Animation” with Assistant Professor of Media and Society Iskandar Zulkarnain.
