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Welcome to Zombicon 2012: The Galactic Infection!

The southwest city of Fort Myers invites you to Zombicon, the city’s annual tribute to George Romero’s 1985 cult classic, Day of the Dead.  Originating in 2007, Zombicon began with a gathering of artists and performers in historic downtown Fort Myers celebrating the melting of art and zombie culture.  These local artists have since incorporated as Pushing Daizies, Inc., a non-profit organization that supports the arts, art education and culture.  …more…

You can often hear the organ.

Klais-organ in Kleve, Germany, Photographer: Fabian Zohren

This morning, in preparation for teaching a piano class, I was flipping through a [very old] piano method book. I have a thing about old music books.  A line from one of the pages of this book served to suggest its ancientness even more than the copyright date or the retro formatting:

“You have often heard the organ played at church…”

As if it’s a …more…

Brews and Blues Festival at the Springs Preserve

When summer sets in and the temperatures in Vegas maintain a steady triple digits there are are few things that can get you to commit to an outdoor event better than live music and beer.  The Springs Preserve is hosting its third annual Brews and Blues Festival.  Last years event sold out with over 2,500 people coming out for a afternoon of beer tasting and live Blues.

Starting at 3:00 for Springs Preserve …more…

Beauty Awake: May 22 variety vocal concert in Hopkins

Have you ever heard a song that makes your tummy do a little flip just because the music is so lovely? And the pearly tones of the voices meld in a harmony so sweet and warm that you fear for the melting sensation down the back of your spine?

Have you ever heard a song that expresses ideas, pains, longings that seem to be pulling directly from your own …more…

Have Snow Will Sing: Another Writer Looks at Minnesota’s Thriving Art Scene

I love Minnesota. Really I do.  Despite the first couple years of my life having been in sunny Puerto Rico, I somehow ended up developing a tolerance for our bitter cold weather. Granted, I am writing this in the middle of a gorgeous spring afternoon, so it’s easy to talk kindly of our climate at the moment.

It has crossed my mind in the past that our state’s frigidity is the very …more…

Wish You Were Here at Buffalo’s Albright-Knox Art Gallery

The Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, New York has an established track record of presenting thoughtfully curated and thoroughly engaging exhibitions. Highlights include Amedeo Modigliani & the Artists of Montparnasse in 2002 and 2003—at the time, the first American exhibition featuring the intriguing Italian artist in over 40 years—as well as its ongoing series Spotlight on the Collection—Artists In Depth which has showcased such renowned artists as Pablo Picasso, Georges …more…

Las Vegas: Spring Preserve

Located just a few minutes away from the Las Vegas Strip the Spring Preserve feels like a completely different world offering a secluded peaceful oasis from all the glitz and glam.  This educational and environmentally conscious facility boast many different types of entertainment for adults and children alike.

Planning began for The Springs Preserve in the late 90’s and finally began construction in 2005.  It has been welcoming visitors since 2007.  …more…

Minnesota – a Choral Mecca

I have known for some time that the Twin Cities is a strong incubator of arts and culture. ...more...

Ultra Music Festival XIV serves up an electronic music feast to Miami – March 23, 24, 25, 2012

All eyes are focused on the upcoming ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL, one of the nation’s largest electronic music festivals. The fest returns to Miami’s downtown Bayfront Park area and will be happening from March 23 – 25, 2012 as part of Music Week in Miami. The lineup for Miami’s annual Ultra Musical Festival promises to be an absolutely stacked affair.

Aficionados de la música electrónica y festivales artísticos esperan ansiosamente por el …more…

A Midsummer Night’s Opera: Pagliacci in the Ruins of a Flour Mill

South 2nd Street and Chicago Avenue is already a great destination for those seeking cultural enrichment and a top notch entertaining time in downtown Minneapolis.  Guthrie Theater, Sea Change Restaurant, Mill City Museum – take your pick. But if you’re planning an outing for mid-July of 2012, be sure to factor in a new attraction: Mill City Summer Opera. ...more...

Saving Humanity One Dance At A Time

Pablo Malco, choreographer and director of The Hip Hop Symphony, the dance performance extravaganza hosted by the Broward Center for the Performing Arts on January 29, 2012, tells us about how he got into dance, the making of The Hip Hop Symphony and the dance company turned foundation (www.pablomalcofoundation.org) that brings the art of dance into the community. ...more...

Omaha Entertainment & Arts Awards Feb 12th

The Omaha Entertainment & Arts Awards will take place at the North Downtown Hilton on Sunday, February 12th at 7:00 PM. If you are active in the arts community around here, there is a good chance you’ve heard about this event and have probably already purchased your tickets. If you haven’t heard about this event and you don’t yet have your tickets, what are you waiting for?

Tickets are on sale …more…

Chinese New Year: The Year Of The Dragon

The Chinese New Year celebrations are cascading across the city.  Las Vegas has several annual Chinese New Year celebrations; tour any of the large casinos in late January and early February, and one can expect to see a wealth of traditional symbols such as red lanterns, bamboo shoots, fruit-bearing trees and the animals from the zodiac.   This is the Year of the Dragon, representative of those born in the …more…

Jazz Pirates?

Arrrr! Thar she blows the saxophone! (via http://www.cindyvallar.com/pirates.html)

I know, I know. You’ve probably heard more than enough about SOPA and PIPA this week. I won’t drag my opinion about the whole matter into this blog (and being a songwriter and working musician myself, my opinions on the issue are complicated). I do, however, want to put forth a thought for the jazz community.

In my (ever so humble) opinion, the …more…

Identical Twins Jazz Up San Diego

Photo courtesy of Andrew Paynter

Identical twin jazz duo, the Mattson 2, have been taking the San Diego jazz scene by storm with their contemporary take on the genre. The pair, namely Jonathan and Jared Mattson, are crossing boundaries with their distinct sound and even more distinct fashion sense.

The duo has been on the jazz scene for a few years now under the Indie label, Galaxia …more…

Jazz at Jacks Brings Soul to the Heart of Downtown Denver

Whether you are a visiting tourist or a Denver native, you’d be hard pressed to find a more accessible jazz venue than ‘Jazz @ Jacks,’ conveniently located in the center of Downtown Denver, in the Denver Pavilions on the bustling 16th Street Mall. ...more...

Blue Man Group at Omaha’s Orpheum Theater Jan 17-22

If you haven’t yet purchased your tickets for one of Blue Man’s Group’s January performances at the Orpheum theater, you better put it on your to-do list. This is a show you just don’t want to miss.

I saw Blue Man Group years ago in Las Vegas, and later tried to explain what I saw to friends. I managed to explain that there were people catching marshmallows in their mouths and …more…