Who Are Walkney? | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

Who Are Walkney?

Here is why you should care about this amazing up-and-coming band.

415
Who Are Walkney?
Walkney

From 2009 to 2015, The Big Time from Altoona, PA tore up the pop punk music scene. From small, hometown shows to opening for All Time Low and Mayday Parade, they made a name for themselves. They had a reputation for putting on high-energy shows and being extremely interactive with their crowds. If you ever saw them live, even if you weren’t necessarily there to see them, you probably left with an album and merchandise of theirs and spoke to frontman Derek Mrdjenovich (or maybe that’s just me…).

However, change has come to The Big Time. After rotating band members in and out, they decided to change their direction by giving up their name. Instead, they now go by Walkney. They, very eloquently, explained this change in a video they posted to their website (which you can watch below). Basically, they want to make a bigger impact on the music industry by being as inclusive as possible and exploring new outlets, while honoring Mrdjenovich’s mother’s legacy. His mother was Karen Walkney-Mrdjenovich, and she was deaf but never let it stop her. She was the University of Pittsburg’s first deaf graduate, and eventually became a professor there. Walkney-Mrdjenovich also led an organization called Beautiful Hands, where she taught students how to sign along to popular songs. She passed away in 2010, shortly after The Big Time had formed.


In her memory, Walkney is making strides to encourage the deaf and hearing impaired to participate in musical activities. In April, they performed in their hometown of Altoona with sign language interpreters who translated their words into American Sign Language. They're music has taken such a powerful turn since they've changed their name, and they are making amazing things happen to be as inclusive as possible for everyone.

This summer, Walkney is doing their very first tour with The Millenium, Time Atlas, and Royal Street. You can catch them on The Sleepless Summer Tour, which will be hitting 10 states and 11 cities from June 13 to the 26th. Go see them live, support the causes they stand for, and have a great time. If you can't make the tour, check out their music on iTunes. You won't regret it.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
girl with santa hat
Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

'Tis the season to be jolly folks, and if you're anything like me, then at the stroke of midnight on Halloween your home went from wicked to winter

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

5 Things To Do That Are Better Than Writing A Paper

Don't waste your time trying to write that paper when there are so many more interesting things you could be doing.

11202
computer keyboard
Unsplash

Writing a paper is never fun and is rarely rewarding. The writer's block, the page requirement, be specific, but don’t summarize, make sure you fixed any grammatical errors, did you even use spellcheck? and analyze, analyze, analyze.

Papers can be a major pain. They take up so much time and effort that by the end of the process you hate yourself and you hate the professor for making life so difficult. Questions of your existence start roaming in your mind. Am I even cut out for college if I can’t write a single paper? Am I even capable of taking care of myself if I lack the energy to open my laptop and start typing?

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

10 Reasons Why Sisters Are The Best

Who could be a better friend than your own sister?

6734
sisters
Taylor Hooper

I can barely remember back when I was the only child. Most would say it’s because it is extremely difficult to remember things as a toddler but I would say it's because I was bored until my sister came along. My mother always says how important the "sister bond" is and with every year that passes I realize how right she is. Instead of writing a novel about all of the wonderful things there are about having a sister I decided to list a few of them instead.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

How To Adult

You're gonna make it after all.

6807
how to adult
Twitter

It is the time of our lives that we are beginning to enter the adult world and most of us, if not all of us, have no idea what we are doing. It's like starting a video game, but skipping the tutorial. We're all just running around aimlessly hoping we accidentally do something right that moves us along the right path. Now that graduation has just happened, or is right around the corner for some of us, it's time to start thinking about how we are going to take care of ourselves once we are on our own.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

7 Signs You're A Starbucks Addict

I'll be the first one to admit I'm addicted to Starbucks.

4335
drinking coffee
Tumblr

If you’re anything like me, you love a good cup of coffee. My coffee always comes from Starbucks; I refuse to drink it from anywhere else. Over the years, it’s become one of my biggest addictions. So, if you are aware that you’re a Starbucks addict as well, or maybe you need to check to see if you’re an addict, here are seven ways to tell.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments