I shouldn't even have taken the time to post this. We're less than two days to the Festival and all I have to say is ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Back to work!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Sunday, March 23, 2008
I'm in the Newspaper and on TV
Don't worry, I didn't do anything illegal: A news reporter interviewed me for this jazz festival we are putting on next weekend, and so I got quoted in the newspaper (a bunch of times). See the story below. (Can you find the misquote? There's one that I think is sort of obvious. Oh, and the typos? Maybe I should apply to be a copy editor for their paper. They look like they could use the help.)
Passing it on the next generation Jazz Fest seeks to keep community support
Meghan Vogel For the Times-Standard
Article Launched: 03/20/2008 09:21:29 AM PDT
Since 1991, Redwood Coast Music Festival's Jazz Fest has invested nearly half-a-million dollars into local senior and youth programs. But as 2008's bleak national economic forecast looms over the 18th annual Redwood Coast Jazz Fest, promoters are keeping their fingers crossed the event will continue to be a success.
”We're a little slow on ticket sales this year, because the economy's not so good and gas prices are high, but it's still hard to know how it's going to turn out”" said Naomi Clark, assistant director of the Redwood Coast Music Festivals. “We're hoping last-minute ticket buyers will come through for us.”
Originally co-founded as a nonprofit organization to raise funds for area senior programs by Humboldt County Supervisor Bonnie Neely and Assemblymember Patty Berg, the festival has donated more than $300,000 to local senior programs in its 17 years of existence. In 1996, Blues By the Bay was added to the events held by Redwood Coast Music Festivals, and the organization's mission expanded to include support of programs benefiting youth music education.
Over the years, dozens of local groups have reaped the benefit of the Redwood Coast Music Festivals' generosity. In the senior category, there's Humboldt Home Health, Northcoast Advocacy Services, Redwood Community Action Agency, Food For People, the Healy Senior Center and the Area Agency on Aging. And that's just naming a few. On the youth side, the festival has raised money to purchase new musical instruments for local schools, as well has funded concert productions and music clinics.
Festival volunteer Billie Lau noted how the Jazz Fest pumps money into the local economy. As a destination tourist event, she said, local restaurants and motels can count on the Jazz Fest to shine their coffers.
Before moving to the area to be closer to her son and her two grandchildren, Lau said she would attend the Jazz Fest every year from Corpus Christi, Texas. She moved here five years ago and has been volunteering with the festival ever since.
”It's really great because you feel like you're getting to help the community,” she said.
This year, the festival will add two new venues at Redwood Acres, Franceschi Hall and the Vickers Building. Clark said there will be art and craft vendors on hand, and that Franceschi Hall's 1,000-square foot dance floor should be perfect for swing dancing.
”We have some professional swing dancers coming, and we're really focusing on having more dancing this year,” she said. “We're trying to bring the younger generation out.”
On Saturday, March 29, the Eureka Muni is host to a dance party extravaganza featuring the saucy sounds of Lavay Smith and her Red Hot Skillet Lickers, the hard-hitting blues of JC Smith and a group CNN Showbiz labeled as “at the forefront of the swing revival,” Steve Lucky and the Rhumba Bums. During the festival, the Skillet Lickers will also be participating in a Q&A feedback sessions, or “jazz clinic,” for local high school music students.
The Friday before the dance party will also be geared toward a younger sort of crowd, Clark said. Don't worry Jazz Fests traditionalists- your favorite regulars from festivals past will still be in town jazzin' it up as well.
”Friday night will be a new modern jazz concert at the Arkley Center with The Brubeck Brothers, the sons of Dave Brubeck, and Incendio, a jazz fusion band. We hope to get the HSU crowd out that night,” Clark said.
Throughout the Jazz Fest, which runs March 27 through 30, you can catch any number of bands at the at the festival's venues of the Arkley Center, the Adorni Center, the Red Lion, the Eureka Muni and Redwood Acres. Returning artists include Cornet Chop Suey, Gator Beat and Titan Hot 7.
”We have to pass this kind of music down to the next generation,” Clark said. “They should come out and give this a try. It's an educational process too. I'm in my early 20s, but I'm really enjoying this music. And most of this music is where modern American music came from."
Ticket prices for the Redwood Coast Jazz Festival vary. For more information, visit www.redwoodjazz.org or call Festival Headquarters at 445-3378.
Click HERE to link to the article on times-standard.com.
I was also in a TV commercial, but I only have a copy in DVD format and haven't had time to figure out how to post that. It's sort of cool/annoying that Humboldt is so small, because now I walk around and get recognized. People say "I saw you on TV." And then they quote me: "In the spirit of the north coast!" (That's the last line I say in the ad.) It's not really what I had expected to happen in my life, so it's sort of disconcerting in a way. But also sort of fun. I'll take my 30 seconds of "fame". It's gotta be better than infamy, right?
P.S. I never said I was in my early 20's. I swear I said mid-20's. Mike was more than happy to point out that I'm about to turn 27 and even saying mid-20's is pushing it a little. Thanks, Mike. Also, Incendio is a LATIN JAZZ FUSION band, not just a jazz fusion band. Leaving the Latin out of that sort of made using the word fusion not as effective, in my opinion.
Passing it on the next generation Jazz Fest seeks to keep community support
Meghan Vogel For the Times-Standard
Article Launched: 03/20/2008 09:21:29 AM PDT
Since 1991, Redwood Coast Music Festival's Jazz Fest has invested nearly half-a-million dollars into local senior and youth programs. But as 2008's bleak national economic forecast looms over the 18th annual Redwood Coast Jazz Fest, promoters are keeping their fingers crossed the event will continue to be a success.
”We're a little slow on ticket sales this year, because the economy's not so good and gas prices are high, but it's still hard to know how it's going to turn out”" said Naomi Clark, assistant director of the Redwood Coast Music Festivals. “We're hoping last-minute ticket buyers will come through for us.”
Originally co-founded as a nonprofit organization to raise funds for area senior programs by Humboldt County Supervisor Bonnie Neely and Assemblymember Patty Berg, the festival has donated more than $300,000 to local senior programs in its 17 years of existence. In 1996, Blues By the Bay was added to the events held by Redwood Coast Music Festivals, and the organization's mission expanded to include support of programs benefiting youth music education.
Over the years, dozens of local groups have reaped the benefit of the Redwood Coast Music Festivals' generosity. In the senior category, there's Humboldt Home Health, Northcoast Advocacy Services, Redwood Community Action Agency, Food For People, the Healy Senior Center and the Area Agency on Aging. And that's just naming a few. On the youth side, the festival has raised money to purchase new musical instruments for local schools, as well has funded concert productions and music clinics.
Festival volunteer Billie Lau noted how the Jazz Fest pumps money into the local economy. As a destination tourist event, she said, local restaurants and motels can count on the Jazz Fest to shine their coffers.
Before moving to the area to be closer to her son and her two grandchildren, Lau said she would attend the Jazz Fest every year from Corpus Christi, Texas. She moved here five years ago and has been volunteering with the festival ever since.
”It's really great because you feel like you're getting to help the community,” she said.
This year, the festival will add two new venues at Redwood Acres, Franceschi Hall and the Vickers Building. Clark said there will be art and craft vendors on hand, and that Franceschi Hall's 1,000-square foot dance floor should be perfect for swing dancing.
”We have some professional swing dancers coming, and we're really focusing on having more dancing this year,” she said. “We're trying to bring the younger generation out.”
On Saturday, March 29, the Eureka Muni is host to a dance party extravaganza featuring the saucy sounds of Lavay Smith and her Red Hot Skillet Lickers, the hard-hitting blues of JC Smith and a group CNN Showbiz labeled as “at the forefront of the swing revival,” Steve Lucky and the Rhumba Bums. During the festival, the Skillet Lickers will also be participating in a Q&A feedback sessions, or “jazz clinic,” for local high school music students.
The Friday before the dance party will also be geared toward a younger sort of crowd, Clark said. Don't worry Jazz Fests traditionalists- your favorite regulars from festivals past will still be in town jazzin' it up as well.
”Friday night will be a new modern jazz concert at the Arkley Center with The Brubeck Brothers, the sons of Dave Brubeck, and Incendio, a jazz fusion band. We hope to get the HSU crowd out that night,” Clark said.
Throughout the Jazz Fest, which runs March 27 through 30, you can catch any number of bands at the at the festival's venues of the Arkley Center, the Adorni Center, the Red Lion, the Eureka Muni and Redwood Acres. Returning artists include Cornet Chop Suey, Gator Beat and Titan Hot 7.
”We have to pass this kind of music down to the next generation,” Clark said. “They should come out and give this a try. It's an educational process too. I'm in my early 20s, but I'm really enjoying this music. And most of this music is where modern American music came from."
Ticket prices for the Redwood Coast Jazz Festival vary. For more information, visit www.redwoodjazz.org or call Festival Headquarters at 445-3378.
Click HERE to link to the article on times-standard.com.
I was also in a TV commercial, but I only have a copy in DVD format and haven't had time to figure out how to post that. It's sort of cool/annoying that Humboldt is so small, because now I walk around and get recognized. People say "I saw you on TV." And then they quote me: "In the spirit of the north coast!" (That's the last line I say in the ad.) It's not really what I had expected to happen in my life, so it's sort of disconcerting in a way. But also sort of fun. I'll take my 30 seconds of "fame". It's gotta be better than infamy, right?
P.S. I never said I was in my early 20's. I swear I said mid-20's. Mike was more than happy to point out that I'm about to turn 27 and even saying mid-20's is pushing it a little. Thanks, Mike. Also, Incendio is a LATIN JAZZ FUSION band, not just a jazz fusion band. Leaving the Latin out of that sort of made using the word fusion not as effective, in my opinion.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
My California Anniversary
So I've been here a year (as of March 12, actually). So, that's some kind of accomplishment. The year's been rough, I would have to say, but now it's behind me, and I think there's some downhill in sight for a while.
It's less than two weeks until the jazz festival. (Six venues, over 100 shows, four days, just me, the director, and volunteers to run this thing - so yeah, you could say things are a bit hectic at the moment. But no worries, I'm rockin' it. Finally feeling like I am really good at my job. So, that's always nice.) I've been working 7 days a week, 12-14 hours a day. I'm looking forward to having other pursuits again.
After this is over, I think I'll take a trip back home. After that, I'm not sure what I'll do. There is this other festival coming up, Blues by the Bay, in August this year. I have some other ideas too. So we'll see where my second year in Humboldt County takes me. Hopefully much farther than the first.
The weather's been pretty nice. Spring is here, everything is in bloom. The sun is out. It's a new day.
It's less than two weeks until the jazz festival. (Six venues, over 100 shows, four days, just me, the director, and volunteers to run this thing - so yeah, you could say things are a bit hectic at the moment. But no worries, I'm rockin' it. Finally feeling like I am really good at my job. So, that's always nice.) I've been working 7 days a week, 12-14 hours a day. I'm looking forward to having other pursuits again.
After this is over, I think I'll take a trip back home. After that, I'm not sure what I'll do. There is this other festival coming up, Blues by the Bay, in August this year. I have some other ideas too. So we'll see where my second year in Humboldt County takes me. Hopefully much farther than the first.
The weather's been pretty nice. Spring is here, everything is in bloom. The sun is out. It's a new day.
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