
About
Music Movies & Hoops is an online community based on… well, you can imagine. We have over 20 writers, editors, and creators from around the United States bringing their unique voices, perspectives, and experiences to this space. Beyond our band/cast/team, we invite everyone to participate in the conversation. All of our posts have comment sections and we are readily accessible on social media. And to all the content makers and commentators out there looking to share your work, drop us a line.
At MMH we love passion and connecting over shared interests. If you LOVE anime, we’re here for it. If you watch every play of every Spurs game, let’s talk. If you’re in a Kinks cover band, send us your tunes! For folks passionate about one of these topics, go to the corresponding page and the pieces are filtered. If you’re passionate about two or heaven forbid—all three—of these subjects, you’ve probably just found nirvana.
MMH is committed to promoting and supporting the voices and work of people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, women, people with disabilities, and young artists. We value radical inclusion, active anti-racism, and we hold an unwavering dedication to social change, equity, and justice.
Welcome. Glad you’re here. Reach out and say hello.
Hello! My name is Sasha Klare-Ayvazian. I am a professional musician in Austin, Texas. I’m an Armenian-Jewish man originally from Western, MA. COVID-19 stripped away so much of my work, I decided to start this site and create content around three of my passions: music, movies, and hoops.
I have played music all my life and it is my career, so that one’s easy.
My Dad loves movies and got me going there. I just absolutely love going to the theater (ideally Alamo Drafthouse): the big screen, the lights go out, and you get transported for 2 hours—a big reason I love sci-fi!
And hoops…not sure how it happened. My parents aren’t sports folk (though my Mom loves LeBron—how can you not!). I do know when it happened: playing pickup at naked-hippie camp in Vermont.
When I tagged along to pickup one fateful Tuesday in the old Chevy Pickle and experienced how stupid hard it was to get that damn orange ball through that rusty rim, I just fell in love. Love playing the game. Until the pandemic, I played in the noon game at the Austin JCC—probably the thing I miss the most.
And I love the NBA (I’m not a big college guy). I’m a huge Celtics fan! Actually crazy story, the day before my wedding I met Paul Pierce—one of the most incredible things to ever happen—in the hotel we were staying. I said,
“Paul thank you so much for 2008! (Pause.) Man, I can’t believe we lost in 2010…”
“Don’t bring that up.” He responded.
Well said Paul.
My name is R. Masseo Davis. R. (as in Robert), Masseo (as in “Muh-Say-Oh”), and Davis (as in Davis).
I am an African-Filipino American man who was born in a small town in Western Massachusetts alongside lifelong friend and Music Movies & Hoops founder Sasha Klare-Ayvazian.
I was raised in a household of artists. My father is a jazz pianist and photographer and my mother is a dancer and choreographer. It feels like I was destined to love the combination of photography, storytelling, and movement which collide, for me, into making and watching movies.
By the age of 8 years old, I was already sure how I wanted to express myself artistically when I proudly stood on my family’s couch and announced, “I’m going to be a moviemaker!” I knew then I wanted to make movies in New York City and already had my sights set on NYU. In my youth before filmmaking, I followed in my mother’s footsteps, and studied dance, from
Classical Ballet to Jazz, to Capoeira and many other modern techniques… I became a professional performer and was a Spectrum in Motion, Dance Theater Ensemble company principal for 10 years. After my time as a dancer, I finally moved to New York to study, and before I put on my cap and gown, I was already fully realizing my childhood aspirations: I was making a living as a “moviemaker”, in NYC.
Now, I am an alum of New York University’s, Tisch School of the Arts with a degree in Film and Television Production. I went on to learn and understand professional filmmaking standards as a leader from within the lighting departments of the commercial entertainment industry. Gradually, I continued to work my way up the industry ladder and carved a path for myself as a Director of Photography (cinematographer), a profession I continue to practice today.
Moving forward, I hope to share my love for the diversity of stories, the cinema, and community building with those who carry the same affections for arts and inclusion that I do…
MEET Our Team
Adrian Dahlin
HEAD OF STRATEGY & GROWTH
Adrian is an entrepreneur with a background in marketing and data science. He has founded a startup, worked for startups, run marketing at a nonprofit, and been a marketing automation expert at a Fortune 100 company. He has degrees from Tufts and NYU. He prefers to be outside, where you tend not to hit your head on doorways. He’s classically trained on the piano, played college basketball, and has an IMDB profile because of a short film from 2011.
Zoe Novendstern
CHIEF EDITOR
When I was 9 years old I randomly met James Brown while I was eating a knish on the sidewalk, then passed out from the excitement of it all. Not much has changed, except my dog and I live in Brooklyn now.
Cody Tannen-Barrup
LEAD WRITER
I was the captain of a real college basketball team that lost by 70 points one time.
THULANI DAVIS
BRAND DIRECTOR
Im a biracial, Black Filipina woman, born and raised in Western Mass. I’m a professional dancer and lover of all things art, but cannot sing. I’m a student of anthropology and advocate for a more just world. Bookworm. Foodie. Educator. I belong to the Gryffindor House and definitely would have won the Triwizard Tournament.
David Haffner
MOVIE DEPT CHIEF
I am a writer, dog-lover, and podcast host living in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Check out my podcast about movies and pop culture, Better Late than Never! on Apple Podcasts.
Chris Dodson
HOOPS DEPT CHIEF
I have covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, I’ve reached the big leagues by writing about the New Orleans Pelicans.
Carl Henderson II
MUSIC DEPT CHIEF
Carl Henderson II, also known as Lito the Gawd, is a multifaceted rap-writer. Carl is born and raised in New Orleans, LA. The city molded Carl’s writing style which is very conversational. Basketball is Carl’s passion, music is his first love. They are the reason he is alive and he cannot exist without either. Carl loves to spend time with wife and is a devoted dog father to his spoiled kids.

Jenifer Simon
MEDIA RELATIONS
Nate Mondschein
EDITOR, MUSIC MOVIE & HOOPS CONTRIBUTOR
My family always wanted me to be a lawyer, so now I write and produce music. You can hear some of that music at echobaseproduction.com.
Nico Carter
MUSIC & MOVIE CONTRIBUTOR
Chicago-born writer, sag actor, composer, and comedian; repped by NV Talent (debby@nvtalent.com); @realnicocarter on Twitter; medium.com/@nicolas.j.carter; founder of the juicebox (@juiceboxtheater on Instagram); co-founder of whatthegifgame.com.
Chris Conner
HOOPS CONTRIBUTOR
Born in New Orleans, raised in Chicago. Haven’t mastered either city…..but I’ve mastered their basketball teams and fan bases.

Becca Abrams
EDITOR
Hi! I’m a Portland-based bodyworker, freelance writer and editor, lover of cats, speculative and radical sci-fiction & fantasy — and dungeons and dragons podcasts. Just your garden variety nerd who loves to dream up collaborative visions of a liberatory future.
Simon Pruitt
MOVIE & HOOPS CONTRIBUTOR
My entire 17 year life has been defined by music, movies, and hoops exclusively. I see this site as a continuation of that trend.
Chad Ebanks
MMH & SOCIAL JUSTICE
I’m a writer. Poems, songs, my opinions on pop culture and Hip-Hop.

Joseph O'Malley
PHOTOGRAPHER & MUSIC CONTRIBUTOR
Joseph O’Malley (they/she) is a photographer and interdisciplinary artist from New York. They started their career as a theater photographer and video creator, combining their backgrounds as a playwright and film producer. They’ve shot projects with numerous Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony, and Golden Globe winning artists, and their work has been featured in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, Town & Country Magazine, High Times Magazine, The Detroit Metro Times, The Seattle Stranger, and many others. Joseph now primarily works as an independent fine artist, as well as an interdisciplinary visual producer collaborating primarily with musicians. @josephomalleyarts josephomalleyarts.com

Audrey Armacost
SOCIAL MEDIA
Audrey Armacost (she/her) is a multidisciplinary artist and theatre person living in Manhattan. She grew up in Colorado Springs, attended the School of Drama at the University of Oklahoma, and currently works as a Marketing Assistant at Broadway Licensing. @audreyarmacost audreyarmacost.com

Andrea Ayvazian
MUSIC CONTRIBUTOR
I have been active in movements for social change for 50 years, ever since I was radicalized at Oberlin College during the Vietnam War. A folk songwriter and singer, I have 3 albums in circulation and continue to lead singing at movement gatherings. I am a long-time-anti-racist educator, and in 2017 founded a movement-building school that offers 100 free classes on Zoom each year (www.truthschool.org). As a pastor, I serve as a minister at Alden Baptist Church, a predominately African American Church in Springfield, MA.

Ivy Olcott
EDITOR
I’m an observer, artist, and miniature enthusiast. One time, as a camp counselor, I co-taught a class where we made an entire mini town for beans – it was called “Bean-Town” and all the tiny bean people wore hats and neckties.
Josh Motenko
HOOPS CONTRIBUTOR
Former D1 coach turned NBA Podcaster-dad. NBA draft psychic. 2-time world championship game loser as head coach of Team USA in the sport of Unicycle Basketball. Almost famous. @CoachMotenko
Eliana Carter
PHOTOGRAPHER, MUSIC CONTRIBUTOR
Hello! I’m a photographer and writer based in Brooklyn, NY. @shotbyeliana
Teresa Chiyanne Beamon
MOVIE CONTRIBUTOR
Born and raised In Mississippi. Enjoying life after graduating from XULA! Avid movie watcher. Honestly I miss the nostalgia of VCR’s, but for now I’ll settle for the “Da-Dun” every time I open Netflix.

Arbor Dahlin
EDITOR
Hammock-maker, wordsmith, up-and-coming electrician, and all around handyman, Arbor lives in Seattle with a sweet pup named Chili. As he’s one of the least pop culture and tech savvy millenials in the states, it’s anyone’s guess how he landed this gig.
Michael Corvo
MUSIC, MOVIES & HOOPS CONTRIBUTOR
Lakers reporter & podcaster for ClutchPoints. Writer about things related to sports and culture. NYC-raised, USC alum, LA resident. Always adding to my game. @michaelcorvoNBA / michaelwcorvo@gmail.com