The Hoover Dam Collective was formed by a group of students from the arts conservatories at Purchase College, SUNY in New York State. We are students of world-renowned arts conservatories – including programs in theater, visual arts, dance, film, and music – who are particularly interested in interdisciplinary work.

We were awarded a grant through the state of New York to put on a collaborative sh...ow highlighting the value of art in today’s society. We based the show off of a series of interviews with professionals in the art world, as well as the general public. We were interested in the role, if any, that art plays in peoples’ lives. The show took place in March 2010 on the Purchase College campus, and was a huge success. So much so that we are continuing to create work and produce events in New York City, as well as in and around the tri-state area.

Casey Black was born and raised in Nashville, where his father, Charlie Black, is an NSAI Hall of Fame songwriter and writer of many #1 country hits. Endowed there with a dark lyrical particularity, as well as a respect and knack for craft, Casey moved out to Los Angeles at 21, where he recorded two records, 'Vacations' and 'The Glass is Half,' both of which are available on iTunes, and include songs featured on such shows as Army Wives and Greek. Trisha Halloran (of Los Angeles' KCRW), who put Vacations in her top 10 Records of 2004 said of Casey that he restored her faith in the "art of damn fine songwriting." After seven years in Los Angeles Casey moved to New York to complete a degree in Creative Writing at Columbia University. Now an educated man, Casey Black is establishing himself in a rich musical scene in Brooklyn, and has released his third record, It Shapes Me As It Goes, to much acclaim. Michael Carr of Cork, Ireland's 96FM says that Casey is "one of the most engaging and intelligent songwriters to play live on The Green Room in years. His album 'It Shapes Me As It Goes' is one of our albums of 2011." And the video for the first single off that record, 'The Sarge, recently placed second in the Astoria/Long Island Film Festival. Casey's lyrics are direct and dark, and his music is melodious and conversational. He is widely recognized as the greatest songwriter in the world.