Education News

Ballet Studio Transports Urban Kids to Another World

Source: Michael Ricci
January 8, 2009

The City of Angels Ballet offers free classical ballet training to hundreds of children from some of Los Angeles' toughest neighborhoods.

The Sugarplum Fairy, sweat glistening on her brow, performed the same sequence of steps over and over across the polished wood floor, looking by turns euphoric and miserable. Sprawled next to the piano stretching their legs, the Garcia sisters watched and waited for their chance to dance. The four girls, ages 6 to 15, make the long car trek ...

Continue Reading

Daily D.I.Y. - Be a Student of the Music Business

Source: HypeBot
January 6, 2009

This new daily Hypebot feature will be 90% practical and less than 10% philosophical. Enough people have already told you as artists, indie label staffers and new music industry professionals that “it's time for a new paradigm" and “remember the fan is king".

This five day a week column will profile free and affordable artist services, offer actionable suggestions and solve problems suggested by readers. But this first installment is a bit philosophical and yet infinitely practical. It's a philosophy ...

Continue Reading

A Destination, Never an Arrival: Essay by Steve Khan

Source: All About Jazz
January 5, 2009

A few days ago, I had just finished saying “Adios!" to my houseguests, who came to visit for a night in New York. During their time here, we had a wonderful and long conversation that embraced so many areas of life. As we three are all musicians, of course, the conversation, at some point, turned to musical issues. But more than that, we spoke of the philosophical notions related to having and maintaining a creative life in the arts.

I ...

Continue Reading

Hollywood's Musicians Institute Teaches the Endangered Art of A & R

Source: Michael Ricci
January 5, 2009

In the troubled music industry, many labels have cut or eliminated their artists-and- repertoire staff. But instructors at MI are determined to teach the skill of making a musical connection.

Once upon a time, A&R were the sexiest letters in the music industry's alphabet.

Executives in the artists-and-repertoire division of every major record label were charged with discovering and nurturing new acts, setting them on the path toward gold and platinum albums and Grammy Awards. These high-powered talent brokers would ...

Continue Reading

"The Jazz Pianists: Eighty Years in Review" at Mira Costa High School (Manhattan Beach) in January and February

Source: All About Jazz
January 4, 2009

A Multimedia Educational/Entertainment Experience of the South Bay Adult School Robert Bragonier, MD, PhD Retired Physician Educator and Administrator Jazz Reviewer and Educator--Lifelong Jazz Enthusiast Mira Costa High School 701 S. Peck Ave. Manhattan Beach, CA (Peck Ave. at Artesia Blvd.) Room 41 Five Tuesday Evening Sessions: January 6, 13, 20, 27 February 3, 2009, 7-9:30 PM $74 Special Off-Site Opportunity on ...

Continue Reading

Theater, Jazz Venues Officially Historic

Source: All About Jazz
December 30, 2008

A theater on Baronne Street, an eight-story former telephone company building on Poydras Street and a group of small commercial buildings on South Rampart Street -- structures without a lot in common except that they are New Orleans' newest officially designated landmarks. The Central Business District panel of the Historic District Landmarks Commission voted recently to designate as local landmarks the former Civic Theatre, a former BellSouth building and a group of buildings that played important roles in the early ...

Continue Reading

Victorville Scholar Brings Order to Dyslexia

Source: All About Jazz
December 30, 2008

When Eric Atkinson was growing up in Victorville, some of his teachers told him he was stupid. “You get told something so many times in so many ways and it starts to get to you," he said. “I almost didn't graduate from high school because of this, my low self-esteem." He is not stupid. Far from it. But he is dyslexic, living with an impairment in his brain's system of translating information that can strike people of any intelligence. Atkinson ...

Continue Reading

Musicians Give Back

Source: All About Jazz
December 28, 2008

We are very excited to share with you what Rhythmworkz was involved up in Reno last week. An opportunity was made available for Larry Washington, Joe Alessandro, Mike Sims and Kevin Flournoy to lead some clinics & classes, and perform at assemblies in two schools in the Washoe County School District in Reno.

The initial contact was developed by Traner Middle School Arts teacher Cynthia Ford, who arranged a meeting for us with the principals of both Traner and Hug ...

Continue Reading