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Funky and funny: Craig Robinson jams at Bonnaroo

By WTOP Staff

CHRIS TALBOTT
AP Music Writer

MANCHESTER, Tenn. (AP) — If the comedy thing doesn’t work out, Craig Robinson has an easy second career lined up: musician.

Robinson, a comedian and actor probably best known as Darryl on “The Office,” brought a smokin’ hot seven-piece band — The Nasty Delicious — to the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival on Saturday evening, and turned the comedy tent into a dance hall.

“It’s my first love,” Robinson said. “I used to play the piano as soon as I could reach it. My mother was first-chair cello in college. She was a singer, an organist. Our house, when we came up, you were going to piano lessons no matter what else you were doing, so it’s a part of me.”

The 42-year-old Chicago resident isn’t stopping at his stand-up comedy set. He’s also incorporating music into his first starring role on television. He’ll play a music teacher on his new sit-com “Mr. Robinson,” in development for NBC — the network that first introduced Robinson to a larger audience as the loveably surly warehouse foreman on “The Office.”

He also stars as Maceo in the James Brown biopic “Get On Up,” out in August.

After decades of work, Robinson finds he’s reached several of the goals he’s set for himself.

“It gets to the point where you’re living it and you want to climb the mountain, and all the sudden you get to a spot where, ‘Oh, this is nice. This is beautiful here,’ and get comfortable,” Robinson said. “And so I’m trying to make myself uncomfortable. What I mean is instead of doing my set, I’ve got this incredible band and we can go and do whatever, and they’ve got my back. Yes, I’m doing more music and less comedy, and some people be like, ‘What the hell is this,’ and whatever.”

Robinson and the Nasty Delicious use music in much the same way Brown did, building crowd excitement through high-energy musical interludes with Robinson and band members vamping to fans. At one point, he had the crowd remove the temporary seating in front of the stage to turn the area into a dance floor. He waded into the crowd and celebrated with fans for several minutes as the band cycled through hits like “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and “Thriller.”

The set was therapeutic in a lot of ways for Robinson. He was forced to cancel his first appearance Friday and postpone Saturday’s show due to the death of a close cousin. He also was in a car wreck recently when a driver went the wrong way down the freeway in Chicago.

He could easily have canceled the trip to Manchester, but decided to seek solace in the celebration.

“So it was like we’re lucky to be here, you know what I’m saying,” Robinson said. “In that respect, you don’t know when you’re going to go so you might as well enjoy yourself.”

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Online:

http://bonnaroo.com

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Follow AP Music Writer Chris Talbott: http://twitter.com/Chris_Talbott.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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