The Music Academy (TMA) will participate in a book fair at Barnes & Noble in CherryVale Mall from noon to 5 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 12.

Cello, violin and flute students will perform, and demonstration classes will be held during the event.

The fair benefits TMA’s scholarship, financial aid and professional development fund.

Book fair vouchers are available from TMA at Loreen Hall, 226 S. Second St., next to First Lutheran Church, and also can be downloaded from www.MusicAcademyInRockford.com.

TMA is a not-for-profit community school of music dedicated to providing high-quality, affordable instruction and performing opportunities to students regardless of age and ability. It is the mission of TMA to inspire in students a lifelong love of music and the arts.

For more information, call (815) 986-0037.

From the Feb. 8-14, 2012, issue

Perfect your palette and hone your senses for Corks & Conversation — a wine-tasting event hosted by the Discovery Center from 4 to 7 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 12, at Ciao Bella Restaurant, 6500 E. Riverside Blvd., Loves Park.

Connoisseurs and amateurs will be pleased to sample wines from around the world and nibble an array of delectable appetizers and desserts from Ciao Bella. The event will also feature a silent auction and balloon burst. Dress is casual.

Tickets are $25 per person. Reservations can be made by calling Discovery Center at (815) 972-2839 or logging on to http://discoverycentermuseum.org/happening/corks.asp. Deadline is Friday, Feb. 10. Proceeds benefit educational programs and exhibits at Discovery Center.

Discovery Center Museum is inside Riverfront Museum Park, 711 N. Main St., Rockford. Admission is $7 adults, $7 children (ages 2-17), and free to children age 1 and younger, as well as museum members. Call (815) 963-6769 or visit www.discoverycentermuseum.org for more details.

From the Feb. 8-14, 2012, issue

Rockford’s own Carl Cole and friends will perform at Emerson House beginning at 5:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 13. (Photo provided)

Staff Report

Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center will present its next “Music on Main” concert, romantic jazz favorites by Rockford’s own Carl Cole and friends, beginning at 5:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 13. The concert will be at the historic Emerson House, 420 N. Main St., Rockford.

Concertgoers can celebrate Valentine’s Day a little early with their sweethearts, relax with a glass of wine and light refreshments, and meet the performers after the program, which is about an hour in length.

Multitalented pianist and vocalist Carl Cole, his wife Dianna Cole on vocals, son Andrew Cole on bass, and guest vocalist Dr. Kris Tumilowicz (“Dr. T”) will perform romantic jazz favorites from Carl and Dianna’s new CD, Here to Stay. Program to include “Blue Skies,” “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” “My Funny Valentine” and more.

Freewill donations will be accepted; suggested amount is $10. Proceeds will benefit the Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center and Shelter Care Ministries.

“Music on Main” is the Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center’s series of brief and intimate after-work concerts with local and regional musicians, held at the Emerson House in the heart of downtown Rockford. Performances take place 5:30-6:30 p.m. on the second Monday of the month, September to November and February to May. Doors open at 5 p.m. Seating is limited, so arrive early.

For more about Mendelssohn, visit www.mendelssohnpac.org or call (815) 964-9713.

From the Feb. 8-14, 2012, issue

Auditions for the 2012 Rockford Area Music Industry (RAMI) Youth Charity Jam will start at 5:20 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 25, at Tebala Shrine Temple, 7910 Newburg Road, Rockford.

Thirteen bands and three individuals will be auditioning for one of the top seven spots advancing to the 2012 RAMI Youth Charity Jam.

Auditioning are Tristan Bushman, Highway 90, Audio Abduction, The Uprising, Always Run Down, Conbrio, Nova Crush, Marie Ivory, Meanwhile in Germany, Shattered Picks, Carlita, Desolation Row, The Sasparillas, Daybreak, East Lincoln Avenue and Escape.

The event is open to the public and admission is $3 at the door, or free for children younger than 6. Food and beverages will be for sale from the members of the Tebala Shrine Temple as well as the event’s sponsor, Monster Energy Drink.

The 2012 RAMI Youth Charity Jam will be Friday, March 16, at Tebala Shrine Temple. Tickets may be purchased from members of the top seven performing bands, The Postal Shoppe at Edgebrook and online at ramiawards.com.

The first-place winner in the jam will receive $300, recording time through Darkhouse Productions and will be invited to perform at the 21st Annual RAMI Awards Ceremony. Second place will receive $250 and third place will receive $200. The band selling the most tickets to the event will receive $100.

All proceeds will be applied to the RAMI Youth Charity Jam Scholarship, administered by the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois.

For more information, e-mail missinglinks64@comcast.net or call (815) 847-8228.

From the Feb. 8-14, 2012, issue

Christine Swanberg

By Christine Swanberg
Author and Poet

Here is a poem for Valentine’s Day that celebrates marriage — long-term marriage.

The Rings of Saturn

After seeing the rings of Saturn through binoculars

from a balmy bluff in Indian Summer,

the Milky Way’s vast sweep of stars and nebulae,

the dusky dome where no city lights intrude,

after dreaming that we skated on the rings

of Saturn, red and black ice,

the celestial overpass, where no one honks;

in that unencumbered silence, it is enough

to wake, blue and ornery,

forget our daily affirmations,

have a second cup of hot, black coffee

out of the old, wheel-thrown ringed mug.

It is enough to iron in the cold basement,

spray starch on cotton, glide through domestic wrinkles,

your bleached white shirt which I prepare for you

like bread, over and over.

It is enough to fold white underwear,

warm and soft as dough —

this private ritual for nearly 40 years,

for better or for worse.

Well, it’s mostly better, isn’t it?

We grow old skating under Saturn,

making the most of our blue, imperfect planet.

Voyagers 1 and 2. Yet, in these rings of years

we keep the fire of a life imagined well.

The future swells like steam from coffee mugs.

Our old wedding bands with gold and silver strata

carve their callous rings around our fingers.

First published in Poetswest, then in Who Walks Among the Trees with Charity (Wind Publications) and The Red Lacquer Room.

From the Feb. 8-14, 2012, issue

By the climax of Black Pearl Sings! at the Northlight Theatre in Skokie, Ill., there is not a dry eye in the house. This magnificent play, written by Frank Higgins, is an adaptation of the work of John Avery Lomax, who in the 1930s collected the folk songs that are such a critical part of our heritage. Traveling to Louisiana, he recorded the music of Huddie Ledbetter, who became known as Lead Belly. The precious gift of all those who researched this music results in the true American genre we still hear today.

Higgins’ imaginative use of two women — E. Faye Butler as Pearl and Susan McMonagle as Susannah — is pure genius. Incorporating the prejudices of the time, their story becomes completely contemporary. Susannah comes to the Texas prison where Pearl is incarcerated to record her songs. As Butler enters the stage dragging her ball and chain, we realize how heartbreaking this story will be. Known for her glamour, the shabby prison garb identifies Pearl’s despair and hopelessness. Susannah probes her memory for the earliest songs, and it is with the greatest difficulty that they emerge.

Maggie Brown as the musical consultant has given Faye the authentic music of the Gullah people, the rare African-American traditional and folk songs, many of which are based on the memorable music of her father, Oscar Brown Jr. So much of what we hear is familiar, a result of the many fine artists of Chicago who helped preserve this music.

As Susannah battles to set Pearl free, we realize that as a woman, she faces almost insurmountable odds. By the second act, she and Pearl have traveled to New York. It is the midst of the Harlem Renaissance, and the songs become a part of that revival. Pearl’s primary goal is to find her lost daughter, and the story ends with a tragic loss. As she was singing her Gullah song and dancing an African dance, I could only think of how proud my dear Julian would be of this memorable achievement.

My friends James, Bill and I met with Faye following the performance. Our excitement filled her dressing room. She travels to Rockford every Monday to see to her grandmother, who is nearly101. Family ties run deep. Our longtime friendship has become an important part of my memories.

Black Pearl Sings! will definitely be a milestone in E. Faye Butler’s career. Closing Feb. 19, there is only a short time to see it. The Northlight Theatre is at 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie, Ill. You can get further information by calling (847) 673-6300 or by going online at northlight.org.

E. Faye’s next project is an appearance at a Chicago club in her one-woman show, and in June she will be in Regina Taylor’s Crowns at the Goodman Theatre.

From the Feb. 8-14, 2012, issue

Singer-songwriter Miles Nielsen’s “Miles Nielsen Presents The Rusted Hearts” will be available nationally at digital retailers Feb. 14 via independent label Rotown Records.

Staff Report

Singer-songwriter Miles Nielsen stirs up his own pop rock brand of Beatles-esque Cosmic Americana with his sophomore album, Miles Nielsen Presents The Rusted Hearts, available nationally at digital retailers Feb. 14 via independent label Rotown Records.

Having previously been released in a limited run at concerts and his website in the fall, the 12 tracks now make their way from the Midwest to listeners everywhere. Nielsen will continue touring throughout the area with a coast-to-coast tour kicking off in February.

The son of legendary Cheap Trick guitarist/songwriter Rick Nielsen, Miles calls Rockford home and collaborates with the area’s top talent. The end result is a meticulously arranged album with gorgeous tones and thoughtful production.

The opening shuffle, de facto theme song “Rusted Hearts” sets the scene with a Charlie Chaplin reference and wheezy organ. Waltz-time “Dear Kentucky (You’re Killing Me)” is thick with cigarette smoke, hungover daylight and regret. “Sirens” begins on a minor key New Orleans-styled woodwind part but quickly reveals a sunny “I was just waiting on the rainbow” chorus.

Lest you think the whole album is all nuance and genre work, there are ample rockers as well. “Cold War” chugs along with subtle xylophone touches; “Overrated” rolls in on a rollicking two-bar drum intro and a healthy sense of humor, and “The Grain” features a hooky, wordless chorus, chiming guitar and bright Wurlitzer piano.

Making up The Rusted Hearts are Daniel James McMahon (guitar/vocals), Micky Rosenquist (drums/percussion), Adam Plamann (horns/percussion/keys/vocals) and Andrew Scarpaci (bass/vocals). Several of the members previously played with the Wisconsin-based ensemble Cory Chisel & The Wandering Sons while some are currently performing around Rockford in a side project with Cheap Trick’s drummer Bun E. Carlos.

For more information, including tour dates, visit www.milesnielsen.com, www.twitter.com/milesnielsen, www.facebook.com/milesnielsenmusic or www.themidwestsound.com.

From the Feb. 8-14, 2012, issue

It’s mid-season, the time of year when networks unveil new series and bring back old favorites. A couple weeks ago, Alcatraz premiered on Fox and 30 Rock returned to NBC. Last week, NBC’s much-ballyhooed Smash — an ambitious and entertaining series (with more sudsy drama than you might expect in a musical) debuted, with ABC’s unique drama The River kicking off with a two-hour premiere the very next night.

Between these new shows, Fox’s recent sneak preview of Keifer Sutherland’s new show Touch, and NBC’s mind-bending series Awake (which doesn’t air until March 1), it’s a wonder why networks chose anemic shows like Whitney, Man Up and The Playboy Club to launch the 2011 fall season.

An even greater mystery is why ABC waited so unbelievably long to bring back the critically-acclaimed Cougar Town — which series creator Bill Lawrence openly admits is perhaps the worst name for a TV series, ever. The season two finale of this strong ensemble comedy aired last May. Mad Men is the only other series I can think of with such a lag time between seasons (without a writers’ or actors’ strike to be found). That was delayed because of a contract dispute, but even so, we’ve known about its upcoming March 25 return for some time now.

As far back as Thanksgiving, family members were asking me if and when Cougar Town was returning. Back then, I knew it was coming back, but rumors were it might be March before that happened. ABC only recently announced a firm date for its return. Get your penny cans ready, the unfortunately-titled but incredibly funny Cougar Town returns Tuesday, Feb. 14, like a wine-soaked Valentine for its fans.

During its lengthy absence, Lawrence and the cast and crew worked hard to keep the show in viewers’ minds, even in a subliminal way. Cast members made cameos and guest appearances on several ABC shows including Courteney Cox and Christa Miller on Private Practice, Busy Philipps on Happy Endings, Dan Byrd on Suburgatory, Josh Hopkins on Castle, Brian Van Holt on The Middle, and Ian Gomez on The Middle and Grey’s Anatomy.

Lawrence gained attention for his creative use of social media to keep Cougar Town in fans’ minds and blitz the news of the show’s return, encouraging fans to tweet and re-tweet comments about the show or help write new title cards (“Welcome to Cougartown Abbey,” for example — which I think will be the title card for episode 11). Giveaways abounded, too. Lawrence will do just about anything to let people know Cougar Town is coming back — even host viewing parties across the country where cast members mingle with fans while watching new episodes.

Just over a year ago, I talked to Lawrence for an Emmy article and even back then — when the series was actually airing on a fairly regular basis — he said he loved checking online after an episode aired to see viewer feedback. So, tune in Feb. 14 at 7:30 p.m. and tweet your support or comments to Lawrence @VDOOZER. Or, better yet, use your own social media network to let ABC know you want more episodes of Cougar Town.

Paula Hendrickson is a regular contributor to Emmy magazine and Variety, and has been published in numerous national publications, including American Bungalow, Television Week and TVGuide. Follow her on Twitter at P_Hendrickson and send your suggestions to tubetalking-paula@yahoo.com.

From the Feb. 8-14, 2012, issue

The Cody Clauson Trio will perform a Sweetheart’s Concert at the Best Western Clock Tower Resort beginning at 2 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 12.

The Cody Clauson Trio has been a featured act at a variety of venues throughout the United States. The music of the trio is very diversified but focuses mainly on early American music.

Clauson, also a talented vocalist, creates stunning arrangements of familiar as well as obscure tunes. The eclectic music of the group is continuously evolving and features a style for everyone.

This show features a variety of music from the past and present, as well as exciting routines and hilarious comedy. The show also includes many musical styles ranging from ’50s and ’60s, country/Western and bluegrass, to swing, jazz, ragtime and gospel.

The Trio features Cody Clauson, 21, on tenor banjo, guitar, piano and vocals; his sister, Brittney, 23, on string bass; and his father, Brent, on piano, steel guitar, banjo and fiddle.

Reservations are required for the concert, and tickets are available by calling toll-free at (877) 819-2252.

From the Feb. 8-14, 2012, issue

PECATONICA, Ill. — Pec Playhouse Theatre in Pecatonica, Ill., will present a new American play written by local playwright and retired Circuit Judge Dan Doyle and directed by Jamie Button.

Waste MISManagement is a gritty comedy that isn’t afraid to get down and dirty. A wacky widow is accused of planting her stockbroker husband nose down in the local landfill. Maybe she did it, maybe not, but it surely didn’t help her defense that she’d happily pumped a few shots into hubby’s prized sports car before pushing it into the river. This was payback for his harsh words about her extracurricular love life, she said.

Her attorney, J.B. Hornsby, hungry but not your model of litigational competence, tries come to her defense. After gleaning a lead from hypnotizing his client, Hornsby dodges bullets in his attempt to pin the murder on a ruthless mob loan shark and hit man. He gets tangled up with a wildly eccentric psychic, who mysteriously employs her supernatural powers to bring about an astonishing conclusion that only a glue-sniffing psychotic at the height of his most deranged hallucinations could have envisioned.

Waste MISManagement will be performed from Feb. 10-26, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $12 per person and are available by calling Pec Playhouse Theatre at (815) 239-1210 or visiting the website and orderine online at www.pecplayhouse.org. Pec Playhouse Theatre is at 314 Main St., Pecatonica, Ill.

From the Feb. 8-14, 2012, issue

PAWS Humane Society will hold its Fourth Annual Fur Ball Dinner Dance Fund-raising Gala Saturday, Feb. 11.

The event — at Giovanni’s, 610 N. Bell School Road, Rockford — will begin at 5:30 p.m. with cocktails. Dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m., and a live auction will begin at 8 p.m. with autographed memorabilia, spa services, resort trips and more. Silent auction, raffle and dancing will complete the evening.

According to Fur Ball Chairman Luan Dean, a significant announcement will also be made at the event.

“We have a BIG, BIG, BIG announcement this year that will have a BIG impact on the animal community in the Rockford and surrounding areas,” Dean said in a release. “This is one event you don’t want to miss. All proceeds from the Fur Ball event help benefit PAWS Humane Society, which is a great organization.”

For more about the Fur Ball and PAWS Humane Society, call (815) 299-PAWS (7297), or visit www.pawshs.org or www.furballrockford.com.

PAWS Humane Society is a local nonprofit animal group that does not have a shelter and is often confused with Winnebago County Animal Services on North Main Street. The main focus of the group is spay/neuter assistance, adoption, humane education to the public and schools, and emergency animal welfare relief. The group receives no government or local county funding but works merely on donations and the efforts of their own fund-raising.

From the Feb. 8-14, 2012, issue

Kantorei — The Singing Boys of Rockford, The Rockford Symphony Youth Orchestra (RSYO) and the Rock Valley Children’s Choir will present a concert titled “This Land is Your Land” Friday, Feb. 10, at the Coronado Performing Arts Center. A performance for regional students will be given at 10 a.m., followed by an evening performance at 7 p.m. for the public.

Tickets to the evening concert are $6 for students and $12 for adults. For more details, visit the Rockford Symphony Orchestra (RSO) website at www.rockfordsymphony.com or call (815) 965-0049.

“This Land is Your Land” celebrates America’s struggles and triumphs from the Great Depression to the Civil Rights era of the 1960s as seen through the eyes of iconic folk musician Woody Guthrie.

Actor, singer, songwriter Tom Mac of Rockford will portray Guthrie as narrator for the concert. 2012 is the 100th birth anniversary of Guthrie, whose music has become the voice representing the “common man” for several generations. The audience will be invited to sing “This Land is Your Land” along with the musicians at the end of the concert.

The performance includes more than 100 of the Rockford area’s finest young vocal and instrumental musicians. Kantorei — The Singing Boys of Rockford with Joel Ross, director; the RSYO with Daniel Black, conductor; and The Rock Valley Children’s Choir, with Leah Baskin, director. These ensembles provide outstanding music education and performance opportunities for students who audition annually to participate in these programs.

About the performers

Tom Mac’s accomplishments as a musician have ranged from performing Vivaldi’s “Gloria” at Carnegie Hall to being the opening act on acoustic guitar for the Beach Boys. His concert engagements throughout the years include the DuPage Opera Theatre, the Rockford Symphony Chorus, the Mendelssohn Chorale and the Beloit Symphony Chorus as well as roles in Madam Butterfly, Mozart’s Requiem, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony and La Boheme.

Since its inception in 1964, Kantorei’s mission has been to represent the finest tradition of boy choirs by offering an outstanding musical and cultural education while providing many opportunities for personal growth.

The RSO is the parent organization of the Rockford Symphony Youth Orchestra. Founded in 1965, the RSYO offers excellence in music education and performance to young musicians throughout northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin through challenging orchestral literature.

The Rock Valley Children’s Choir, a performing and educational choral organization, was established in 2002 at Rock Valley College in Rockford by Leah Baskin and Dean Durst. It is part of the music program offerings for children within the Community Education Division of the college. Beginning as one small choir, the program has grown to become four separate choruses that encompass grades 1-12.

In 2006, The Rock Valley Children’s Choir formed a partnership with the Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center in downtown Rockford. In 2012, they will become the anchor group for the new Mendelssohn Music and Movement Education Center.

From the Feb. 8-14, 2012, issue

The Rockford Symphony Orchestra (RSO) welcomes Canadian-born violinist Michele Lekas, the RSO’s concertmaster, as the guest artist for SoundBites, the lunchtime discussion series hosted by RSO Music Director Steven Larsen.

SoundBites will be held at noon, Friday, Feb. 10, at Mauh-Nah-Tee-See-Country Club, 5151 Guilford Road. The violinist will perform the Concert Fantasy on Carmen by Pablo De Sarasate with the RSO at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 11, at the Coronado Performing Arts Center as part of the Valentine Bon-bons Concert.

This seminal composition is a virtuoso showpiece in the violin repertoire. Lekas has served as concertmaster with the orchestra since 1994 and has become an audience favorite. Her elegant and engaging performances with the RSO most recently included thematic solo passages in Scheherazade, which she performed at the RSO’s January 2012 Classics concert.

SoundBites is an engaging and entertaining prelude to the RSO concert experience. The discussions begin at noon on the Friday before each RSO Classics Series concert at Mauh-Nah-Tee-See-Country Club. The SoundBites lunchtime series includes informal discussions featuring Music Director Larsen and a variety of exciting guest musicians who will perform with the RSO on concerts throughout the season.

SoundBites is free; however, reservations are strongly recommended and may be made by calling (815) 972-2939. Cash or checks only are accepted for lunch orders.

The topics for each SoundBites vary, offering a personal perspective by the particular guest musician featured at the discussion. Insights into the performers’ backgrounds and their reflections on the music they will perform with the RSO are major features of the series. There is also ample opportunity for those attending the discussions to join in with questions or comments.

For more information about other RSO events and concerts, call (815) 965-0049 or visit www.rockfordsymphony.com.

From the Feb. 8-14, 2012, issue

Gale Ketteler

By Gale Ketteler
Womanspace Program Coordinator & Marketing Specialist

Programs at Womanspace always run the gamut, and the coming weeks are no exception! Today at noon, the EarthMatters discussion group brainstorms ideas about greening our campus, and next month, Andrea Hazzard will teach us Organic Gardening.

Tomorrow, there’s an art lecture about Kandinsky, Barrie Carter Gibby leads Beat the Winter Blahs, an indoor Labyrinth Journey, and Saturday is Ancient Wisdom-Modern Science with James Frazier. All adults are welcome at this all-day experiential workshop, and it is perfect for couples to increase their understanding and communication skills. Don’t miss this exclusive opportunity to explore Jungian approaches to the King-Queen, Magician, Lover and Warrior archetypes in each of us. Register by Feb. 9, and discover how we can help ourselves and others become more emotionally mature.

Author Marci Shimoff is our special guest at the annual Spring Luncheon April 14, and we’re previewing her visit with a Book Chat about her best-seller Happy for No Reason. Read it now, and come for a discussion with Marci live via phone March 6. Then, gather to discuss Little Bee by Chris Cleve at Bookwoman March 14.

Unlock the Power of Your Dreams meets Feb. 15, and that day is also a financial empowerment Lunch and Learn titled From Scarcity to Security, sponsored by Sandra J. Slaga, Attorney at Law. Our next World Religion Lunch and Learn is March 7 about Jainism. Bring your lunch and spend a fascinating hour broadening your mind with local experts.

Did you know there’s a sexy, steamy and sometimes disturbing side of fairy tales? You may not want to tell your children the true story of Jack and Jill, but you’ll probably share it with your friends after Mother Goose for Adults with Jan Heuer Feb. 22! Then, send the kids to the Womanspace campus for some good, clean fun at Poetry Pitstop with creativity coach Chris Dunmire Feb. 25.

Have Fun with Frugality Feb. 21 in our new support group, led by Adriana Grisales. You can also learn to play Mah Jong Feb. 22. Clearing Out Your Spiritual Closet is an evening of reflection Feb. 23, and you can relive the final day of Robert F. Kennedy’s life, brilliantly told from multiple perspectives in Bobby at the Feb. 27 Supper and Film.

Art Samplers are for anyone age 9 to 90, whether artistically timid or an occasional dabbler. This is also an ideal time for parents (or grandparents) and kids to have fun together. Claywork meets Feb. 18, and Printmaking is March 3. Watercolor class starts March 6, and Raku Pottery begins March 12. Kids and adults can let creativity flow March 10 in a Pen-Ink-Paint artshop, and the March 8 Art Lecture is about Margritte.

Future Woman: Becoming opens March 2 in Gallery 1. This art exhibit depicts teens, young women and mothers tackling new ways of being and doing. It is sponsored by David Boccignone of Ameriprise Financial.

See! There’s something for everyone at Womanspace, your place.

Gale Ketteler is program coordinator and marketing specialist at Womanspace, a not-for-profit founded in 1975 and located on a 7-acre campus a half-mile west of Rock Valley College off Spring Brook and Applewood at 3333 Maria Linden Drive in Rockford. Regular office hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Thursday. Info at (815) 877-0118, info@womanspace-rockford.org, www.facebook.com/Womanspace and www.womanspace-rockford.org.

From the Feb. 8-14, 2012, issue

“The Rainbow Connection”

Staff Report

Shannon Blosser-Salisbury, as an artist, does not leave well enough alone. Normal people from vintage photos are digitally fused with her own photography to create strange and compelling images. These intriguing and improbable pictures can be seen Friday, Feb. 3, when “The Pollyanna Society,” an exhibit of new works by Blosser-Salisbury, opens in the Kortman Gallery.

Blosser-Salisbury approaches her work with a sense for the peculiar and outlandish and with a sense of humor.

“I first began torturing antique photographs in 2007,” said Blosser-Salisbury. “At first, I did it for my own amusement, but when I started showing the finished pieces to friends, I heard comments along the lines of, ‘You’re sick!’ Well, there is nothing I could do but make more.”

Her images can take between several days and weeks to complete. The result is digital collages composed of antique photos and contemporary elements that become their own little fantasy worlds.

“There’s a little bit of darkness in each of these worlds,” Blosser-Salisbury said, “but I’m a Pollyanna, so the good side always triumphs.”

According to Doc Slafkosky, gallery director, Blosser-Salisbury’s work

“Lost in Space”

is hard to describe. “You really have to see Shannon’s strange and eccentric works,” Slafkosky said. “They seem weird at first glance, but when you take a longer look at them, they become even weirder … but at the same time, lots of fun! If anything, they are highly visual, colorful and best of all, oddly entertaining.”

Opening reception for “The Pollyanna Society” exhibition will be from 5:30 to 9 p.m., Friday, Feb. 3. Admission is free. The gallery is upstairs at J.R. Kortman Center for Design, 107 N. Main St., Rockford. For more details, call (815) 968-0123 or visit www.jrkortman.com.

From the Feb. 1-7, 2012, issue

Postpunk rock group The LustKillers will kick off their 4,000-mile U.S. tour with an 8 p.m., Friday, Feb. 3, performance at Kryptonite Bar, 308 W. State St., Rockford.

The LustKillers are known for their “familiar but fresh” form of postpunk rock ’n’ roll. Their music displays a formidable, dynamic combination of musicianship and song craft while equally delivering an edgy, tight and energetic experience in the live forum.

In preparation for their forthcoming release, That Which Does Not Kill Us …, the band will be touring 20 cities and covering 4,000 miles this February. A limited-edition CD single, “Revenge,” from the album will only be available for sale on this tour.

In 2003, frontman Adam Becvare was recruited by founding member Brian James (the Damned) to replace late legendary punk Stiv Bators in Lords of the New Church.

This LustKillers February Tour runs from Chicago to California and back, and sees the addition of bassman Mike “Corsh” Cortichiato from Chicago’s very own Van Buren Boys.

For more about the band, visit www.lustkillers.com, www.reverbnation.com/thelustkillers or www.myspace.com/lustkillers.

Kryptonite Bar can be reached at (815) 965-0931.

From the Feb. 1-7, 2012, issue

Arty-Joke performers include top row, from left: Erin Koroll, Stephen F. Vrtol and Patte Armato-Lund; middle row, from left: Richard Raether, Jodi Beach and David Gingerich; and bottom row, from left: Linda Abronski, Gary Wingert and Katie Maringer. (Image provided)

Staff Report

When a group of artists bands together to put on a show with music and plenty of laughs, it’s, well, kind of an arty joke.

Arty-Joke, Artists’ Ensemble (AE) Theater’s annual benefit, takes place at 8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 4, in the Maddox Theatre at Rockford College.

The tremendous line-up of performers, all donating their time and talent, includes Jodi Beach, Patte Armato-Lund, Tim Anderson, Steve Vrtol, David Gingerich, Timm Adams, Scott Chachula, Linda Abronski, Dennis Johnson, Carolyn Cadigan, Rachel Handlin, Jim McDowell, Erin Koroll, Gary Wingert, Richard and Margaret Raether, Katie Maringer, John Chase and more.

In addition, AE will announce their 2012-2013 season at Arty-Joke.

“We have BIG surprises in store for the ’12-’13 season,” said AE Artistic Director Richard Raether. “During the evening, as each play is announced, the audience will see a short scene from each show performed by Ensemble members.”

This year’s Arty-Joke theme is “Better Together: Artists’ Ensemble & You,” and the show highlights the community outreach of AE. Friends of AE such as One Less Tenor, the Vocal Collective of Rockford College, and string players from the Music Academy will also perform.

Tickets are $30 and all proceeds benefit AE. To purchase tickets, call the AE box office at (815) 904-2277 or purchase tickets online at artistsensemble.org/.

AE is the professional theater in residence at Rockford College.

From the Feb. 1-7, 2012, issue

Currently playing at the Beloit Civic Theatre in Beloit, Wis., Lost in Yonkers is the first in Neil Simon’s trilogy of his own life growing up in New York and how he became one of the outstanding playwrights in modern theater. Lost in Yonkers is his first work and it won him more awards than any of his other plays, including the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Michael Chase directs, and his long career in theater includes performances in London, New York, Chicago, Milwaukee and Madison, Wis. His notes are a tribute to the late Josh Burton, whose last work at New Court Theatre included Simon’s Brighton Beach Memoirs and Broadway Bound. Chase appeared in both plays, and my reviews reflected the quality of the productions. He quotes Josh, saying: “He insisted that his actors say the words exactly as Simon wrote them. … ‘It’s all there for you: the cadence, the rhythm, the set-up, the punch line.’” Chase closes his comment saying: “Josh Burton was an inspiration to me and to many others in Beloit. I would like to dedicate this production to his memory.” We all agree.

Chase’s choice of cast couldn’t be better. This family, dominated by matriarch Grandma Kurnitz (Donna Balsley), represents the joys and conflicts of every relationship. Grandma’s four children, now adults, still carry the scars of their mother’s childhood experiences. In her first appearance on stage, my judgment of Bella (JoAnn King) was … “she’s the crazy one.” I couldn’t be more wrong. Her performance is one of the best in recent memory. While she is battling to achieve her own identity, her mother’s view of her as a child is the source of constant conflict. Her dramatic monologues brought ovations from the audience.

Jonathan Marko plays Eddie, the father of Jay (Larry Larys Jr.) and Arty (Joshua Wick). Teen-agers forced to live with their grandmother while their father goes on the road to pay the medical bills of their recently-deceased mother, they are the epitome of the discontent of growing up. The appearance of Louie (Michael Mugnani) and his suspected “shady” background lends a whole new aspect to this complicated family.

The Beloit Civic Theatre continues to present outstanding theatrical productions. Its long-standing history is a tribute to the entire company. Playing through Feb. 4, tickets are available by calling (608) 362-1595. Beloit Civic Theatre’s home is the Elizabeth Reinholz Theatre. It is at the south end of Beloit High School. The address is 1223 Fourth St., Beloit, Wis.

From the Feb. 1-7, 2012, issue

Rockford Art Museum (RAM) will open “Pulp and Pigment: The Realms of Roland Poska” with a members’ preview and reception Friday, Feb. 3, and a public opening Saturday, Feb. 4.

The members’ preview Feb. 3 begins with a gallery walk at 5 p.m., followed by a reception from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The public opening Feb. 4 runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and features free admission, a free gallery walk at 11 a.m., and a free children’s art activity at 11 a.m.

The exhibit will remain on display through May 6.

Rockford artist Roland Poska’s pioneering work in the field of handmade paper establishes him as an important figure throughout the Midwest and the nation. For nearly five decades, Poska’s work has explored themes of color, nature and egalitarianism on a monumental scale.

“Pulp and Pigment” showcases many of the works that helped define Poska’s career as well as the medium of paper as an art form. Rockford College art professor David Menard guest curates this exhibition.

RAM is inside Riverfront Museum Park, 711 N. Main St., Rockford, and can be reached at (815) 968-2787 or online at www.rockfordartmuseum.org. Gallery and store hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Saturday, and noon-5 p.m., Sunday. Admission is $7 for adults, $3 for seniors and students, free to members and children younger than 12, and free to everyone every Tuesday. Admission is $2 per person for groups of 10 or more.

‘Pulp and Pigment’ children’s classes

RAM will offer the following children’s classes in conjunction with the “Pulp and Pigment” exhibition:

• Pulp Painting! — Saturday, Feb. 25, 2-3:30 p.m., ages 5 and older: Learn the exciting process of pulp painting. Using tissue paper combined with water, you will deconstruct paper into pulp and sculpt it into a new piece of artwork.

• Plantable Pulp Cards — Saturday, March 24, 2-3:30 p.m., ages 5 and older: Get ready for spring in this class. Using a stencil and screen, make a shape using handmade paper. Incorporate veggie or plant seeds into the shape. When it’s dry, paint and decorate your shape and glue it to a card. Once the ground thaws, plant your card in the soil to make a beautiful garden.

• Rock, Scissors, Paper Coil Baskets! — Saturday, April 28, 2-3:30 p.m., ages 6 and older: Transform a normal everyday basket into a modern work of art. Using paper coils, build a basket in whatever shape you like. Large or small, fat or thin … no two are alike.

Children’s classes are $8 per class or $20 for all three classes. All supplies are included. To register, call Stacey Sauer, RAM education coordinator, at (815) 972-2874.

From the Feb. 1-7, 2012, issue

The Red Sea Pedestrians

Staff Report

Charlotte’s Web for the Performing Arts will kick off the month with a rousing gypsy romp featuring The Red Sea Pedestrians (RSP) from Michigan. See them at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 3, at Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center, 415 N. Church St.

A one-of-a-kind, full-blown, instrument-swapping fusion between tradition and the here-and-now, RSP encompass world-beat grooves, hypnotic laments from the earth, songs of celebration and wonder: a warped and beautiful blend of Klezmer, Greek, Gypsy, Celtic, jazz and American roots, all filtered through the band’s original vision. RSP are a melting pot of six distinct singer/songwriters, almost a self-contained variety show.

Tickets are $18 in advance, $20 at the door. Advance tickets are available at: Rockford Area Arts Council, 713 E. State, (815) 963-6765; both Postal Shoppe locations: Edgebrook Center, (815) 397-7301 and 2205 S. Perryville, (815) 484-0940; JustGoods, 201 Seventh St., (815) 965-8903; Nikki’s Café, 604 Pleasant St., Beloit, Wis., (608) 207-3101; or by mail: send a check and SASE to P.O. Box 765, Rockford, IL 61105-0765. Indicate artist or performance date on check. Credit card payment accepted only at www.charlotteswebofrockford.org via PayPal. There is a $1 ticket processing fee included. Print your receipt. Info: Call (815) 964-2238 or visit www.CharlottesWebofRockford.org.

From the Feb. 1-7, 2012, issue

Winnebago County Judge Rosemary Collins (pictured) portrays wildly eccentric, totally bizarre psychic Beulah Thistlebottom in Pec Playhouse Theatre’s production of Waste MISmanagement, written by retired Winnebago County Judge Dan Doyle. The production opens Friday, Feb. 10, and runs for three weekends through Feb. 26. For tickets and more information, visit pecplayhousetheatre.org or call (815) 239-1210. Pec Playhouse Theatre is at 314 Main St., Pecatonica, Ill. (Photo provided)

From the Feb. 1-7, 2012, issue

Rockford Dance Company will offer its modern adaptation of the classic story “Hansel and Gretel” at 2 and 4 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 28. (Image provided)

Staff Report

Rockford Dance Company (RDC) will present a modern adaptation of the classic story Hansel and Gretel at 2 and 4 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 28, at the Sullivan Center, 118 N. Main St., Rockford.

Tickets, $10, can be purchased by calling (815) 963-3341.

Hansel and Gretel is RDC’s third production under the concept of children’s dance theater. The show will last 50 to 60 minutes and will provide accessible entertainment through storytelling dance.

Robert McKee has combined music by Engelbert Humperdinck, South German Philharmonic, Paul Barnes and Edvart Grieg with intense movement and an imaginative cast of characters. Hansel, Gretel and the witch are joined by the Wood Goddess, Gingerbread Guards and Angels.

McKee, a graduate of Point Park University and former company member of Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, has had an interest in teaching and choreography since a very young age. Influenced by percussive rhythms and dynamic shapes, he finds himself always inspired to create.

McKee is on faculty at the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago, as well as teaches throughout the Chicago area. He has worked with The Giordano Project, McDonald Dance Academy, Barrington High School, Northshore School of Dance Performing Ensemble, Giordano Juniors, the Giordano on Giordano choreography showcase, Brookfield Riverside High School and Northern Illinois University.

RDC is a nonprofit pre-professional dance company. Established in 1981, the school of the RDC serves more than 600 students each year and provides a variety of dance classes year round to students ages 3 to senior citizen. The company’s offices and studios are inside Riverfront Museum Park, 711 N. Main St. Visit rockforddancecompany.com for more information.

From the Jan. 25-31, 2012, issue

Rodney Copperbottom

Staff Report

Rockford’s Discovery Center Museum will host “About Robots: The Interactive Exhibition” Jan. 28-April 29.

Based on the 20th Century Fox animated feature of the same name, Robots depicts a world populated entirely by mechanical beings, including genius inventor Rodney Copperbottom (pictured) and his friends, the Rusties, who seek to make the world a better place through innovation and determination.

The amazing characters from Robots will introduce visitors to the wonderful, real world of robotics — an exciting and ever-expanding field of science.

Robots are becoming more and more a part of our lives. The exhibition will teach visitors how that is happening and how they might become part of the excitement.

About Robots features more than 15 interactive areas offering scientific adventures that allow visitors to enter the world of robotics and explore the “reel and real” science of robotics.

In the area Robot Explorers, visitors can use a robotic probe to explore underwater, deep space or the surface of Mars.

Visitors can take a spin on the Crosstown Express, exploring robotic vehicles, both real and fictional.

Experience firsthand how robotic arms work and other Industrial Robots that have become an invaluable part of the workforce.

Robot Round Up explores robots in daily life, allowing visitors to use remotes to control various types of robots.

Visitors can even Build-a-Wonder-Bot that performs useful functions, such as helping with daily chores.

Guests will encounter the “movie star” robots C-3PO (Star Wars), Robby the Robot (Forbidden Planet) and Gort (The Day the Earth Stood Still). Also, get a glimpse of the future of robots that will re-shape our world.

Admission for the exhibit is $2 for Discovery Center members and $11 for the public. The price includes general museum admission.

Discovery Center Museum is inside Riverfront Museum Park, 711 N. Main St., Rockford, and can be reached at (815) 963-6769 or online at www.discoverycentermuseum.org.

From the Jan. 25-31, 2012, issue

Acoustic blues man Fruteland Jackson. (Photo provided)

Staff Report

Crossroads Blues Society is getting ready to celebrate its 100th Blues in the Schools (BITS) program. Their programs scheduled for Jan. 30 will be the 99th and 100th programs Crossroads has hosted since they began providing BITS programs for area schools in May 2002.

Who would be better than Fruteland Jackson to do these programs, especially since he did the first BITS program for them? Since that time, they have brought the blues to close to 30,000 students across northern Illinois.

Jan. 30 brings BITS to South Beloit, Ill., for their first visit to that school system. Riverview Elementary School will host the morning program. In the afternoon, it is back to Rockford and Martin Luther King Elementary School, which will host the 100th program.

Crossroads is proud of its efforts in helping to keep the blues alive in the Rockford area.

Funding for BITS in the past had come from the generous support of the Rockford Area Arts Council and Illinois Arts Council. Current funding comes from Crossroads’ annual Byron Crossroads Blues Festival, held the Saturday before Labor Day weekend in Byron, Ill.

Programs are held at no cost to the schools. Crossroads already has February programs scheduled for Keith School and Spring Creek Elementary School Feb. 22. More programs are being planned for the spring.

Fruteland is a singer and songwriter performing acoustic blues, from contemporary to traditional, from the blues of early field-holler songs and work songs to Delta and Piedmont Blues, as well as his own original works. Fruteland is one of a select group of Americans dedicated to gathering, preserving and performing acoustic blues in its many styles. Fruteland has performed at venues across the U.S., Europe and Russia.

BITS program costs have been maintained low and continue to average only $1 per student in attendance. Assembly attendance averages about 300 per school. Crossroads Blues Society is a nonprofit corporation staffed entirely by volunteers. They publish a bi-monthly newsletter of blues music reviews and articles in addition to their BITS work and running the annual blues festival in Byron. For more about Crossroads, visit http://crossroadsbluessociety.blogspot.com or call (779) 537-4006.

From the Jan. 25-31, 2012, issue

Obscura Antiques & Oddities, the focus of “Oddities” on Science Channel, is filled with items discovered at flea markets, auctions, antique shows, other collectors, anywhere and everywhere. (Image courtesy of http://dsc.discovery.com)

By Paula Hendrickson
Contributing Writer

One of the great things about cable TV is there is a place for virtually any kind of program you can imagine. Even on basic cable, there are plenty of captivating shows if you look hard enough.

A couple months ago, I spotted an interesting title in the electronic programming guide and decided to give it a shot. The show? Oddities, on Science Channel. (Science is part of the Discovery family.) It’s set in a small New York curiosity shop called Obscura Antiques & Oddities. Co-owners Evan Michelson and Mike Zohn and their buyer (and taxidermist) Ryan Matthew oversee an eclectic shop filled with quack medical devices, preserved specimens, even artworks made from belly button lint, fingernails and, in one case, microscopic views of dust samples taken from the shop.

The real fun of Oddities is seeing Evan, Mike and Ryan interacting with customers — some shopping for unique gifts, others trying to sell their own items (possessed ventriloquist dummy, anyone?), and occasionally performing unusual feats when negotiating a lower price. It’s also interesting to tag along when they’re hunting for specific items — like embalming equipment or side-show artifacts — for exacting clients. Less fun, for me, is watching Ryan working with skeletons and taxidermy pieces. The guy may be good at what he does, but it’s not for the faint of heart. (Speaking of hearts, they probably have a preserved heart or two in stock.)

What makes the show perfect for Science Channel is that the proprietors know historical and scientific facts about pretty much everything in the shop.

Meanwhile, on SyFy’s reality show Face Off, any cringe-inducing visions are pure artifice; contestants compete to create amazing, and perhaps occasionally gruesome, special effects make-up. They’ve turned models into sea creatures, re-imagine iconic movie characters, and pretty much blow viewers’ minds with what they can do with the tools of their trade.

As someone who has interviewed some of the industry’s top special effects make-up artists, I have some understanding of how much time, effort and artistry goes into this kind of work. On Face Off, contestants don’t have much time to design, craft and perfect their creations. Some artists thrive under the pressure, others crumble and some make lucky choices.

My sister-in-law really likes TruTV’s reality show, Lizard Lick Towing. The series follows real-life repo men (and woman) Ron and Amy Shirley and Bobby Brantley of the Lizard Lick Towing Company, located in Lizard Lick, N.C. While part of the business involves towing vehicles, they specialize in repossessing and recovering cars, trucks, boats, and construction equipment for banks and other lenders. They’ve even repo-ed an airplane or two.

When asked why she enjoys Lizard Lick Towing, my sister-in-law pointed to the drama between the Lizard Lick crew and the angry ex-owners they encounter. “It’s crazy that people will risk their lives and threaten another person’s life over a vehicle that they don’t own anymore!” she said.

Another thing viewers like about Ron and company is they have empathy for people who’ve lost their property after truly falling on hard times, so they never come across as heartless repo men.

If you run across a marathon of any of these shows, get comfy. You’ll probably get hooked.

Programming notes

Oddities airs Saturdays at 8 p.m. on Science Channel

Face Off airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on Syfy.

Lizard Lick Towing airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on TruTV

Paula Hendrickson is a regular contributor to Emmy magazine and Variety, and has been published in numerous national publications, including American Bungalow, Television Week and TVGuide. Follow her on Twitter at P_Hendrickson and send your suggestions to tubetalking-paula@yahoo.com.

From the Jan. 25-31, 2012, issue

Staff Report

Sounds of Good News (SOGN) Productions has announced the release of their Young Eagles Success (YES) Club kids’ first DVD release.

The “Piece for PEACE” is titled Fight Right! and consists of four chapters including workshops, TV news clips and the actual music video featuring the Young Eagles Soaring Inspirational Choir.

This project was released at the group’s Sixth Annual Dr. King Day Celebration at Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center. Community leaders, educators and parents are encouraged to purchase DVDs for youth as a direct intervention for the building of character excellence in children. Businesses may desire to make a charitable contribution for “gift” copies to needy students.

The product is available online at the SOGN website music store at www.soundsofgoodnews.com. For more information, contact Dianna Cole at (815) 914-1487 or e-mail MsCSOGN@aol.com.

From the Jan. 25-31, 2012, issue

BYRON, Ill. — Mister Roberts, a World War II-era play, opens Jan. 27 at Byron Civic Theatre (BCT). Productions will be staged at the Byron Middle School Theatre, 850 N. Colfax St., Byron, Ill.

Performances are Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets ($12 for adults, $10 for seniors and $6 for students) can be purchased by calling the BCT Box Office at (815) 312-3000 from 6 to 9 p.m., Monday-Thursday, or 9 a.m.- noon, Saturday; by e-mailing tickets@bctmagic.com; or by visiting www.bctmagic.com. The show runs through Feb. 5.

Mister Roberts opened on Broadway at the Alvin Theatre Feb. 18, 1948, starring Henry Fonda, David Wayne and Robert Keith. Fonda got out of a Hollywood film contract to star in the Broadway theater stage production, and won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play. The play is based on a 1946 novel by Thomas Heggen.

The novel began as a collection of short stories about Heggen’s experiences aboard the USS Virgo (AKA-20) in the South Pacific during World War II. Broadway producer Leland Hayward acquired the rights for the play and hired Heggen and Joshua Logan for the adaptation. In 1955, Fonda again starred as Lt. Douglas Roberts and joined James Cagney, Jack Lemon and William Powell in the film version of the story.

The story takes place on an American Naval cargo ship, the USS Reluctant, during the waning days of World War II. The ship’s captain, Lt. Commander Morton (Steve Walters) is proud of his spotless record supplying the U.S. fleet. His command style is heavy-handed: he refuses to let the crew remove their shirts during hot days working in the cargo hold and has not granted his men “liberty” for at least two years, despite frequent requests by his executive officer, Lt. Douglas Roberts (Dirk Palmer).

Roberts has an excellent relationship with the crew, often bending the rules to allow them some leeway. For Morton’s reputation for timely handling of cargo, an impressed admiral gave him a palm tree, which he cherishes and keeps in a dirt-filled bucket near the ship’s bridge. However, the crew despises the tree and the captain himself, and it is widely known by the crew that Roberts, not Morton, is primarily responsible for the ship’s efficiency.

The remainder of the cast for Mister Roberts includes Orv Kersten, Dave Zumdahl, Chris Palmer, Sean Sweet, Ron Harvey, Jeff Mickey, Colton Thompson, Kevin Spieden, Brian Wygant, Grant Brooks, Norm Metz, Amy Mershon, Steve Raine and Stu Thompson.

From the Jan. 25-31, 2012, issue

Hard rockers Soulicit — who have shared main stages with Buckcherry, Fuel, Flaw, Anew Revolution, Pop Evil, Texas Hippie Coalition, Twisted Sister and Styx — will perform at Rockford’s Bar 3 Jan. 26. (Photo provided)

Staff Report

Hard rockers Soulicit will be joined by Anew Revolution, Anchored, Case In Point and Marquette at Rockford’s Bar 3, 326 E. State St., beginning at 8 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 26. Tickets are $10.

Hailing from the nation’s “Air Capital” of Wichita, Kan., Soulicit brings their own American hard rock to the stage. Composed of lead vocalist/guitarist Darick Parson, lead guitarist/vocalist Dan “The Danimal” Weaver, bassist/vocalist Andrew Weaver and drummer Trent Boehner, Soulicit boasts years of main stage experience.

Together since 2002, the band has gained praise from fans all over the world through their catchy songs and straightforward guitar-driven hard rock.

Sharing festival main stages with the likes of Buckcherry, Fuel, Flaw, Anew Revolution, Pop Evil, Texas Hippie Coalition, Twisted Sister and Styx, the Soulicit sound is on a national level.

In September 2011, Soulicit inked a deal with Thermal Entertainment based out of Greenville, S.C. The work began immediately as the band just wrapped up recording their first full-length label release titled Parking Lot Rockstar, produced by Brett Hestla (Dark New Day, Creed, Virgos Merlot).

2012 has Soulicit on the road in support of the new record and bringing them to cities across the country. In December 2011, the band announced their 2012 Winter tour with Anew Revolution and Anchored. This 22-date tour will take them all over the nation in support of their new release.

For more about the band, visit www.soulicitrock.com. Bar 3 can be reached at (815) 968-9061.

From the Jan. 25-31, 2012, issue

The comedy show at Franchesco’s Ristorante in Rockford will return at 9 p.m., Friday, Jan. 27.

Hosted by Rockford’s Sky Drysdale, the show will feature Dobie Maxwell, who has appeared on Comedy Central and CBS’s The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, along with fresh, up-tempo comedian Brian Hicks.

Cover charge is $5 and guests are encouraged to call (815) 229-0800 to reserve a table.

From the Jan. 25-31, 2012, issue

Rockford College will host an exhibition by Chicago-based artist and avid draftsman Don Colley Feb. 2-March 3 in the Art Gallery at Clark Arts Center.

An opening reception for the exhibition, which is titled “Rearviewed,” will be from 5 to 7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 2. A discussion with the artist will begin at 10 a.m., Thursday, Feb. 2, in the Printmaking Studio in the Clark Arts Center.

Colley reveals his awe-inspiring and mind-bending world in this exhibition of paintings, prints, ceramic tiles, personal sketchbooks and a compelling wall installation of drawings.

Lori Waxman, Chicago free-lance art critic, said the artist’s depiction of “… evil clowns, brawling boxcar hobos and flamboyant carnie types are intensely cinematic. They’re sinister and alluring, able to suggest entire storylines within a single drawing.”

The Art Gallery is open 3-6 p.m., Tuesday-Friday, and by appointment. Admission is free and open to the public. Clark Arts Center is accessible.

For more information, contact the Rockford College Box Office at (815) 226-4100. To learn more about Colley, visit http://buttnekkiddoodles.com/about-2/.

From the Jan. 25-31, 2012, issue

Christine Swanberg

By Christine Swanberg
Author and Poet

I am pleased to announce that the Wednesday Writers, a group I have been facilitating for several years, will have their debut public reading this month. The group has been honing and expanding their poetry writing skills and have become their own little tour de force with a range of styles and content sure to engage.

Barnes & Noble at CherryVale, 7200 Harrison Ave., will host the reading at 2 p.m., Feb. 25.

Wednesday Writers will include Alice Fox, Carol Fox, Valerie Jewell, Betsy Jenkins and Bill Zartman. Special appearance with David Gecic, Chicago publisher of Puddin’head Books. The event will end with a preview reading of my forthcoming book, The Alleluia Tree, with a formal event to follow in April (TBA).

Questions, phone Sherry Zabikow at (815) 332-3069.

From the Jan. 25-31, 2012, issue

Staff Report

WOODSTOCK, Ill. — Auditions for Woodstock Musical Theatre Company’s production of Annie Get Your Gun will be Sunday and Monday, Jan. 29-30.

Auditions for children ages 10-14 are from 6 to 7 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 29; auditions for adults ages 16 and older are from 7 to 9 p.m., Sunday and Monday, Jan. 29-30, at the Woodstock Opera House, stage door entrance. All adults and children will read from the script, sing and learn a short dance routine.

Eleven performances will run April 13-15, 20-22 and 27-29, and May 4-5. Shows will be at 8 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays, and 3 p.m., Sundays. Tech week begins Monday, April 9.

Artistic Director Roger Zawacki, Vocal Director Kevin Goss and Choreographer Angie Kells need a cast of 24. Auditionees will be asked to read from the script, sing 32 bars of an up-tempo song from a musical of their choice, and dance.

No appointment is necessary, no parts are precast and no fees are required. Cast members pay a refundable deposit of $25 for their script and supply their own make-up and shoes.

Rehearsals will be in Woodstock at the Opera House or SARA three to four evenings a week. Actors are scheduled only for the days they are needed to make best use of time.

Roles needed include nine women with age ranges of 17-60, 12 men with age ranges of 17-55, and three children will approximate ages of 10, 12 and 14 who must all sing and dance, have lines and solo parts in songs.

E-mail rogerzawacki@comcast.net or kathiecomella@juno.com, or visit www.woodstocktheatre.org for more details.

Woodstock Opera House is at 121 E. Van Buren St., Woodstock, Ill.

From the Jan. 25-31, 2012, issue

Staff Report

Internet Dating: What I Learned From Over 4000 Matches, a new book by R. Thomas Vosburgh of Rockford, has been released by RoseDog Books.

Internet dating is a relatively new phenomenon in our world, and the verdict is now being written on the effectiveness of it bringing people together for love, friendship, dating and marriage. This book is about that verdict — the good, the bad and the ugly. The author had a good opportunity to assess it, given that he had a total of 4,000 matches from several dating sites.

We have all heard success stories and wonder if it could happen for us. We have also heard the horror stories and fear that we, too, could be victims if we try Internet dating.

The Internet dating sites caution their members about the dangers of meeting someone they don’t know. Vosburgh provides one good way to meet matches that removes much of the danger.

One truly remarkable thing Vosburgh discovered after he experienced online dating was how much men and women are really alike. Women as well as men can find insights in this book that will help them when dating. In fact, it will help both men and women in ways that go far beyond dating.

Tom Vosburgh has survived many crises that would have broken a lesser man. In 1964, Vosburgh graduated from Northern Illinois University with a major in psychology. He was also a member of Psy Chi honorary society for psychology majors.

He has also been the host of a television show, pastor of the Polo United Methodist Church, and a stockbroker for EF Hutton, before he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome. Within 24 hours of being admitted to the hospital, he was paralyzed from the neck down. The next four months were spent in rehab. At the end of his stay, he was released.

In 2006, Vosburgh started his own firm, Vosburgh Consulting Services.

Internet Dating: What I Learned From Over 4000 Matches is an 84-page paperback with a retail price of $13. The ISBN is 978-1-4349-8837-9. It was published by RoseDog Books of Pittsburgh. For more information or to purchase a copy, visit the online bookstore at www.rosedogbookstore.com.

From the Jan. 25-31, 2012, issue

Canadian stepdancer and fiddler April Verch is appearing in Rockford at Mendelssohn’s Emerson Auditorium Jan. 21 in support of her new album, "That’s How We Run." (Photo provided)

Staff Report

April Verch doesn’t just perform music, she exudes it! The internationally renowned Canadian fiddler, singer, songwriter and stepdancer has a passion for performing, and her goal is to touch the lives of those listening.

Charlotte’s Web for the Performing Arts will host her at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 21, at Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center, 415 N. Church St.

“The world is this amazing puzzle that we can’t fully understand, and music is the joy that pulls it all together and helps us make sense of it,” says Verch, with a dynamic excitement and confidence that validates her faith.

Multi-instrumentalist Dirk Powell says: “She’s so fluent in the language of music that she never needs to imitate. She hears the heart of it and lets that become part of her core. April’s just got that, man; she’s always speaking the language for real. She is a rare mix of all the technique and super-flashy things.”

Verch was born to flashy music, in Canada’s hard-working, hard-dancing Ottawa Valley. She was a local star at age 4, step dancing with her sister and winning awards at contests. She became the first woman in history to win both of Canada’s most prestigious fiddle championships, the Grand Masters and Canadian Open.

When Canada hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics, Verch represented her country’s music at the opening ceremonies.

Ottawa Valley music is a foot-stomping, open-minded fusion of Irish, Scottish, French, German and Polish influences, sprinkled with tangy spices of American country music. The twang of the banjo and the driving Franco-Celtic pulse of the fiddle are as ingrained in Verch as snowbound winters and Saturday dances.

“What makes the Ottawa Valley unique,” she says, “is that it’s melting-pot music. People there work hard, and when it was time to let loose, you went out and had fun together; you danced and played music.”

Verch is among the most in-demand performers in roots music today, both with her own crack three-piece band and Bowfire, with whom she occasionally tours.

The April Verch Band consists of Verch at the helm and world-class musicians Clay Ross on guitar and Cody Walters on upright-electric bass and banjo. They have toured across Canada, the U.S., the U.K., Europe, Australia and China. Together, they have established a reputation as consummate performers with boundless energy on stage that always thrills audiences.

Tickets are $18 in advance, $20 at the door. Advance tickets are available at: Rockford Area Arts Council, 713 E. State, (815) 963-6765; both Postal Shoppe locations: Edgebrook Center, (815) 397-7301 and 2205 S. Perryville, (815) 484-0940; JustGoods, 201 Seventh St., (815) 965-8903; Nikki’s Café, 604 Pleasant St., Beloit, Wis., (608) 207-3101; or by mail: send a check and SASE to P.O. Box 765, Rockford, IL 61105-0765. Indicate artist or performance date on check. Credit card payment accepted only at www.charlotteswebofrockford.org via PayPal. A $1 ticket processing fee is included. Print your receipt. Info: (815) 964-2238 or www.CharlottesWebofRockford.org.

From the Jan. 18-24, 2012, issue

The 26th Annual Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition is set for Jan. 25-28 at Sinnissippi Park, 1401 N. Second St., Rockford.

Eight teams from Illinois will compete, with the winner advancing to the 2012 National Championship in Lake Geneva, Wis. One exhibition team (the winner of last year’s Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition) will also carve a sculpture.

More than a dozen area high school teams will participate in the High School Division. The High School Division competition will run Jan. 26-28.

Sculpting will end at 10 a.m., Jan. 28, at which time judging will occur. The public is encouraged to cast their vote for People’s Choice Award between 8:30 and 11 a.m., Jan. 28. Winners will be announced that same day at the Illinois Snow Sculpting Awards Banquet at 1 p.m. in the Sinnissippi Park Maintenance Building.

Visitors have the option of either driving through the park to view the sculptures or parking outside of the park and walking.

The Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition is a free, family-friendly community winter event hosted by the Rockford Park District.

Many private and public groups cooperate to offer this event for the 50,000-plus spectators who will view the frozen works of art during the event and for many days following the competition. For more information, visit www.snowsculpting.org.

From the Jan. 18-24, 2012, issue

Rockford Art Museum (RAM) is in search of entries for the Rockford Midwestern Biennial. Deadline is Feb. 1.

The Rockford Midwestern, RAM’s 72nd juried biennial exhibition, is open to artists in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin. More than $3,500 in prizes will be awarded.

Entry forms can be downloaded at rockfordartmuseum.org. The exhibition will run May 18-Sept. 23, 2012.

RAM is inside Riverfront Museum Park, 711 N. Main St., Rockford, and can be reached at (815) 968-2787.

From the Jan. 18-24, 2012, issue

Tracy Doyle of Loves Park demonstrates a dog’s obedience and ability to answer hand signals oar visual commands following a screening of the film. (Photo by Jon McGinty)

By Jon McGinty
Free-lance Writer

Dog Jack, an independent film about a runaway slave and his dog who join the Union Army during the Civil War, was shown in Sycamore, Ill., Jan. 13-16. Encore screenings are scheduled for 5 p.m., Friday-Sunday, Jan. 20-22, at The Sycamore State Theater, 420 W. State St., Sycamore, Ill.

The movie, narrated by Louis Gossett Jr., was filmed partly in this area during the summer of 2005, using such locations as Midway Village Museum and the Apple River Fort at Elizabeth. Several local re-enactors were used as extras in the film, including Terry Dyer, Del and Phyllis Tedrick, and other members of Battery G re-enactment group.

“Jack” is played by Piglet, a 3-year-old deaf pitbull, owned and trained by Tracy Doyle of Loves Park. Doyle “rescued” Piglet from an animal shelter in Janesville, Wis., when the dog was only 8 weeks old, and began her obedience training at 6 months, using hand signals. Piglet has since become a certified therapy dog and visits patients in local hospitals and nursing homes. Doyle and her partner, Richard Zimmerman, own American Ragtime Company, in which they preserve and perform historical music from the ragtime era.

Dog Jack is scheduled for release by Screen Media films Jan. 31. It will be available on DVDs, Netflix and cable, in stores and online. Visit www.dogjackmovie.org.

From the Jan. 18-24, 2012, issue

Rockford’s Anderson Japanese Gardens will offer the rare opportunity to participate in a yukimi chakai, a traditional Japanese Snow Viewing Tea Ceremony, Saturday, Feb. 4.

The demonstration will be in Anderson Japanese Gardens’ 16th-century Sukiya-style Guest House.

Participants will gather in the Visitor Center, where they will enjoy a hot cup of genmaicha, roasted rice-flavored tea while viewing the picturesque beauty of the gardens below. Following this warm introduction, guests will be guided through the winter landscape to the Guest House.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, participants are invited back to the Visitor Center to view an extraordinary display of tea bowls and tea ceremony-related items, which will be available for purchase.

Kimiko Gunji, professor emeritus of Japanese Traditional Arts and Culture and the former director of Japan House at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, will be the host of this event.

The tea bowls are crafted by Jason Armour, one of her esteemed students. Armour’s goal is to help people “find beauty in plainness and tranquil simplicity through set naturalistic aesthetic values” — a concept derived from his interpretation of the Japanese concept of Wabi-Sabi.

Professor Gunji states: “As technology continually advances, human beings are so enraptured by its power and capability; however, through this captivation, they often succumb to surrendering the very element that makes them human: the use of their five senses. My concentration is to impart to those with whom I encounter through my teachings and my art, the significance of becoming a fine human being through the vitalization of the senses and the natural manifestation of one’s kokoro.” Kokoro can be translated into “mind, spirit and heart.”

Traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony times will be 10:30-11:10 a.m., 11:30 a.m.-12:10 p.m., 1-1:40 p.m., and 2-2:40 p.m.

Cost to participate is $25 per person. Reservations are required. Space is limited to 15 participants for each of the Tea Ceremony times. For reservations or more information about the traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony, contact Julie Pastore by phone at (815) 229-9390, ext. 10, or by e-mailing jpastore@AndersonGardens.org.

Anderson Japanese Gardens is at 318 Spring Creek Road, Rockford, and can be reached at (815) 229-9390 or online at www.andersongardens.org.

From the Jan. 18-24, 2012, issue

To start the year off on a healthy note, Rockford’s Discovery Center is hosting “Get Moving: Playing with Food” from noon to 3 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 21. Discover your plate while you play with portions, dive into dairy, get goofy with grains, pick your proteins, vary your veggies, and flip for fruit.

Learn some great ways to get moving to keep your body healthy. The Winnebago County Health Department and the University of Illinois Extension Office will help you test your knowledge of “every day” and “sometimes” foods, make a placemat and participate in other fun hands-on activities.

Children will also learn how to measure ingredients and determine proper portion sizes with help from medical students at the University of Illinois College of Medicine.

Bean Sprouts — Hip and Healthy Kids Café will be hosting a cooking class for a limited number of children age 5 and older from 2 to 2:30 p.m. and from 2:30 to 3 p.m. Great Harvest will help you taste-test grains, and Midwest Dairy will teach you a few things about cheese and let you enjoy some “cheesy” samples.

No registration is required for this event, which is included with museum admission: $7 adults, $7 children ages 2-17.

The event is part of the Get Moving! Initiative in Rockford. GetMoving! is a local community initiative to facilitate active living and healthier eating through policy and environmental changes. To learn more about Get Moving!, visit www.getmovingnow.net.

Discovery Center Museum is a nonprofit science and children’s museum with more than 200 hands-on exhibits, planetarium, special area for children younger than 6, and an outdoor science park. The museum, inside Riverfront Museum Park at 711 N. Main St., can be reached at (815) 963-6769 or online at www.discoverycentermuseum.org.

From the Jan. 18-24, 2012, issue

As a prosecutor, I once found myself, both literally and figuratively, “down in the dumps.” The murder case I was handling had some solid physical evidence, except for one rather noticeable omission — the cops couldn’t find the corpse.

Acting on an informant’s tip, we dug up half the county landfill looking for the body, but came up with nothing better than some old tractor tires, squirrel carcasses and about 4 pounds of used condoms.

Of course, it was inevitable that the defense attorney would whine about this — “You can’t prove murder without a body, blah, blah, blah.” But I’d read the cases on corpus delicti and knew that dead bodies, while highly desirable, are not always an essential ingredient of the prosecution’s case. (I’ll admit, though, that I couldn’t resist watching the door during my final argument, in fear that the alleged decedent might come bursting into the courtroom, sporting a deep tan and explaining that she’d been on an extended vacation in the Bahamas and couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about; but, then, that only happens in old Alfred Hitchcock movies.)

In the end, it all worked out fine. The defendant was convicted and, for all I know, might still be in prison.

My purpose in relating these events is not to entertain you or to overwhelm you with my grasp of corpus delicti law. Rather, it is an explanation of how I came upon the idea of writing the comedy Waste MISmanagement, a play that is currently in the cooker and will be presented at Pec Playhouse Theatre for three weekends, Feb. 10-26.

In the play, Attorney J.B. Hornsby struggles to defend his pistol-packing client against a charge of murdering her stockbroker husband and ditching his body, nose down, in the local landfill. Unfortunately, she admits gleefully firing a few bullets into Hubby’s prized Jaguar before pushing it into the river — payback for his harsh words about her extracurricular love life.

When Hornsby tries to pin the killing on a mob loan shark and hit man, the tables turn, and the lawyer becomes the target. Mugsy, Hornsby’s ambitious secretary, goes undercover to nail the mobster, but the question of the client’s guilt or innocence remains a mystery.

Beulah (Judge Rosemary Collins), a wildly eccentric psychic, holds a séance and employs her mystical powers to bring about an astonishing conclusion that only a glue-sniffing psychotic at the height of his most deranged hallucinations could have envisioned.

The show is directed by Jamie Button of courtroom security fame and also an experienced actor who has appeared in countless local productions.

Tickets go on sale Jan. 20. Visit pecplayhousetheatre.org or call (815) 239-1210 for tickets and information. Pec Playhouse Theatre is at 314 Main St., Pecatonica, Ill.

From the Jan. 18-24, 2012, issue

Rockford’s Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden has moved its Donation Day to the first Tuesday of each month. Admission is free, and donations of any amount are encouraged on Donation Days. Klehm is a 155-acre “living musuem” filled with spectacular gardens and rare trees. Leashed, friendly dogs are welcome at the arboretum.

Klehm is at 2715 S. Main St., Rockford, and can be reached at (815) 965-8146. Visit www.klehm.org for more details.

From the Jan. 18-24, 2012, issue

FREEPORT, Ill. — Freeport Art Museum’s (FAM) 20th Annual Wine, Cheese & Chocolate Tasting is set for 6-9 p.m., Friday, Feb. 3, at the museum.

The event will feature a variety of fine wines, world-class cheeses and decadent chocolates. All guests will receive a commemorative wine glass. A silent auction featuring specialty wine, cheese and chocolate gifts will also be held.

More than 250 people attended last year’s event, raising $6,000 for the museum. Proceeds from the event support FAM’s mission to promote art and culture in Freeport and northwest Illinois. The museum supports artists, exhibitions and its collection through fund-raising, special gatherings and educational events.

Tickets for the event are $20 for members; $23 for non-members; and $25 at the door. New museum members receive one free ticket to the Wine, Cheese & Chocolate Tasting. If you are already a member, you will be eligible to receive two free tickets to the event simply by giving the gift of a family or sponsor level membership to a friend.

FAM is at 121 N. Harlem Ave., Freeport, Ill., and is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday-Friday, and noon-5 p.m., Saturday. Tours may be scheduled by calling (815) 235-9755. Admission is free, although donations are accepted.

From the Jan. 18-24, 2012, issue

Mike Mangione & The Union will perform with Gina Venier and Dave Tamkin at the House Café, 263 E. Lincoln Hwy., DeKalb, Ill., beginning at 6 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 22.

This past year, Mike Mangione & The Union have been busy globetrotting across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Philippines and Europe. They are now looking forward to releasing their latest album, produced by the venerable bluesman, folkie and Grammy-nominated producer Bo Ramsey (Lucinda Williams, Greg Brown, Pieta Brown), later this year.

Meantime, Mangione & The Union will land at the House Café Jan. 22, sharing the bill with their good friend, Dave Tamkin. Gina Venier, a local favorite, is also playing.

Mike Mangione & The Union is a touring group that combines a folk-rock sound with an orchestrated string section, soulful vocals and literate sensibility. The band’s debut album, Tenebrae, received favorable press from all corners of the country, including the honor of being an All Music Guide Album Pick, while Blurt refers to their “tearstained folk, Memphis-styled gospel and bluesy-flavored pop” as “luminous.”

In 2011, Mike Mangione & The Union released Offering on their own imprint, RODZINKA Records, with sync and digital licensing by DUALTONE Records. The album and band were nominated for “best of the year” by RadioMilwaukee (88.9 FM), along with receiving other kind and warm accolades.

The House Café can be reached at (815) 787-9547 or online at www.thehousecafe.net. For more about Mike Mangione & The Union, visit http://www.mikemangione.com/.

From the Jan. 18-24, 2012, issue

Staff Report

BELOIT, Wis. — Beloit International Film Festival (BIFF) has announced the new Student Filmmaker Showcase as part of the 2012 BIFF schedule.

Presented in partnership with the Beloit Public Library, this is a unique and highly rewarding new film challenge for young adults, the results of which will be screened on the Saturday of BIFF (Feb. 18) at Beloit Public Library.

The program is for middle and high school students, grades sixth through 12th. Entries can be of any genre, must be between 3 and 5 minutes long, and will be created by the students themselves. Guidelines and submission forms, along with helpful links for filmmakers, can be found on the BIFF Student Filmmaker showcase website: http://beloitfilmfest.org/student-filmmaker-showcase/.

A day of preparation will be held at the library from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 21. This will give students the opportunity to bring in their projects for feedback or help with technical issues in the filmmaking process. Experts will be available to the students during this time to answer technical and creative questions that may have arisen during their filming.

Teens have started getting involved, and in the words of director of educational programming, Melissa Hawks: “Students are already coming up with wonderfully creative ideas. They seem to be inspired by this program, and I’ve heard them planning everything from a claymation short in the tradition of Wallace and Gromit, to an educational film on how to survive a zombie apocalypse. They’re dreaming big, which is the true purpose of this program.”

The grand prize winner will receive an award at the annual Launch and Laurels party Thursday, Feb. 16, at the Eclipse Center. Other awards will be handed out at the screening of these films Saturday, Feb. 18, at the Student Filmmaker Showcase, which will be held at the Beloit Public Library, 605 Eclipse Blvd., Beloit, Wis.

From the Jan. 18-24, 2012, issue

Jon Drake & The Shakes will perform with special guests Chaperone and Dave Green beginning at 8 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 26, at Otto’s Niteclub & Underground, 118 E. Lincoln Hwy., DeKalb, Ill. Cover is $7.

Equipped with 13 songs and a pittance of a recording budget, Jon Drake & The Shakes set out to record an album that would represent two years of hard work as a band. They started by trekking to a small cottage with no running water in Galena, Ill., in the middle of winter. There, they set out to record bass, drums, guitars and organ.

“We didn’t want to make another smooth and uber-polished recording,” Drake said. “There are enough of those. We set out to record something that sounds organic without sacrificing quality. The quality comes from the performances on the record.”

The rest of the instruments, which include violin, cello, trumpet, trombone and all eight voices, were recorded in a small studio in Chicago’s South Loop over the next several months. The result is Dear Ulysses, an 11-song album whose songs speak for themselves. Check out the lead single, “Charlie,” here: http://jondrakeandtheshakes.bandcamp.com/track/charlie.

In addition to the DeKalb show, Jon Drake & The Shakes will be performing in Woodstock, Ill., the following night, Friday, Jan. 27, at DC Cobb’s, 226 Main St. The band will be joined by special guest Ellis Seiberling. The Woodstock show will start at 10 p.m. and has a $5 cover.

Visit http://ottosdekalb.com/ for more about Otto’s and http://www.dccobbs.net/ for more about DC Cobb’s.

From the Jan. 18-24, 2012, issue

BELOIT, Wis. — The Beloit Janesville Symphony Orchestra continues its “Season of Fire and Elegance” with the debut performance of the Beloit Janesville Symphony Orchestra French Horn Quartet.

The performance, Allegro II: “A Brief History of Horn,” is set for 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 21, at Beloit College’s Eaton Chapel, 700 College St., Beloit, Wis.

Led by horn player John Wunderlin, the quartet seeks to introduce the history of the horn to audiences in a fun and informative way. A slideshow presentation will be interspersed with some of the most beautiful chamber works in the repertoire of classical music.

At the conclusion of the performance, the quartet will present an “Instrumental Petting Zoo.”

Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for students with a valid student ID. For those with a season subscription to the symphony, additional adult tickets are $10.

For ticket and season subscription information, call (608) 313-1200 or visit www.BeloitJanesvilleSymphony.org.

From the Jan. 18-24, 2012, issue

Christine Swanberg

By Christine Swanberg
Author and Poet

The new year often means resolutions or a new way of looking at life. Sometimes we look over the year to see what we may have learned. We try to discern better ways of thinking and spending our time. Sometimes, the lessons are bittersweet. Sometimes, insights are incisive. As we get older, our insights include a lifetime of observations.

About Time

Perhaps some wisdom resides

in your limitations.

If you want to be authentic,

be careful not to trade

one tribe for another. Cancer

isn’t caused by bad thoughts.

Don’t confuse pity with love

or you might spend

your life with the wrong people.

The number of calls

you receive on your cell phone

is not the measure

of your importance. Technology

is a tool, not a destination.

Jealousy serves no purpose.

Note the lousy within it.

If you don’t cultivate solitude

or court silence as a friend,

you may end up lonely

in a room full of noise.

If you haven’t seen the stars

in a while, it’s about time.

Christine Swanberg is a local author and poet. Her books include Who Walks Among the Trees with Charity (Wind Publishing, Kentucky), The Red Lacquer Room (Chiron Publishing, Kansas), The Tenderness of Memory (Plainview Press, Texas) and Slow Miracle (Lakeshore Publishing, Illinois).

From the Jan. 18-24, 2012, issue

By Ellen Larson
College Student

They are everywhere. What began as an attempt to cure disease in Argentina has grown to be the talk of the fashion world. They are seen on the feet of men, women, children, celebrities and even brides. They are worn by people in countries all over the world who can’t afford to purchase footwear for themselves. These are TOMS shoes, and their influence and popularity are far from over.

Blake Mycoskie, a 38-year-old native of Arlington, Texas, has always had a passion for adventure. While competing in The Amazing Race, Mycoskie and his sister visited Argentina. In January 2006, he decided to revisit the country for a vacation away from his current online driver education company.

While in Argentina, Mycoskie geared up for a game of rugby only to discover the field was located next to a poor village where children struggled to survive without most necessities. Mycoskie began to observe the situation and noticed there was a shoe drive taking place in attempts to supply the bare-footed children with shoes. Curious, Mycoskie began to get involved and befriended some of the village children, which grew in him a desire to make a difference in their difficult lives.

“I was sitting on a farm pondering life, and it occurred to me, ‘I’m going to start a shoe company, and for every pair that we sell, I’ll give a pair to someone who needs them,’” Mycoskie said of his initial idea for TOMS.

Many people do not realize the serious health risks that come from not wearing shoes. Mycoskie cites podoconiosis, or “mossy foot,” as the main health concern that can easily be prevented by simply wearing shoes. Podoconiosis is a debilitating disease caused by walking in silica-rich soil and affects the lymphatic system of the lower legs, causing one’s feet to swell.

In an interview with Rugby Ralph Lauren, Mycoskie remembers several people he met who were affected by podoconiosis, specifically a woman from Ethiopia.

“Her feet were the size of elephant’s feet, and she was ostracized from her community. She was so depressed that she was considering suicide,” Mycoskie explained. “Last year, she fell in love and got married — all because she sought treatment and began wearing shoes.”

Apart from diseases contracted through soil, not wearing shoes in general can make the feet extra susceptible to cuts and sores. These injuries are not only painful, but can also become dangerous if infected. Also, wearing shoes is typically a dress code requirement for children to attend school. In poor countries where shoes are not plentiful, some children are missing out on an education, which can drastically alter their futures and prevent them from living up to their potential.

Mycoskie emphasizes the chief aim of TOMS is to not only provide shoes to those who need them, but also to educate everyone about the importance of wearing shoes.

Mycoskie returned to Los Angeles after his trip to Argentina with 200 pairs of shoes in his duffel bag and the idea for a new for-profit company, TOMS Shoes. From these ideas, Mycoskie birthed the One-for-One Movement in which every time someone purchased a pair of shoes, a pair would be given to children in need of them

Since its creation, TOMS has rapidly grown in popularity and increased its area of impact beyond Argentina. During his first trip back to Argentina in 2006, Mycoskie and his team distributed 10,000 pairs of shoes. In 2007, the number climbed to 50,000, and in 2009, TOMS had donated 140,000 pairs of shoes to children in Argentina, Ethiopia, South Africa and the United States.

According to the official TOMS website, as of September 2010, TOMS has given more than 1 million pairs of shoes to children in need in 20 countries around the world. In the future, Mycoskie hopes to partner with other companies and expand this movement by including other things such as housing, water and schoolbooks so people can purchase what they need and, at the same time, provide for those in need.

The growth of distribution goes hand-in-hand with an immense growth of shoe sales. What began as the everyday footwear in small villages have drastically expanded and are now sold in more than 500 stores nationwide and internationally, including Nordstrom and Whole Foods. TOMS has recently partnered with Disney to create a special line inspired by “It’s a Small World” for infants and toddlers, and Element Skateboard to produce skate shoes, skate decks and longboards. Additionally, TOMS partnered with Ralph Lauren and sold co-branded Polo Rugby TOMS, donating a pair for every pair sold.

Because the majority of their popularity lies in the younger generation, TOMS is active in encouraging college students in particular to become involved in making a change in their communities. The TOMS website says they believe the most original ideas come from the freshest minds, and for that reason, college involvement is of utmost importance to them. They emphasize that college graduation is not a prerequisite for making a mark on the world that is desperately in need of change.

Mycoskie released his first book, titled Start Something That Matters, Sept. 6, 2011. The goal of this book is to challenge people to make a difference in whatever their area of influence may be. The book also focuses on the importance of simplicity in every area of life.

“People are addicted to stuff,” said Mycoskie in an interview. “They think they can’t live without it. But intellectually, they also understand how not having a lot of stuff to keep, and take care of, lets you lead a more free life.”

Mycoskie is not the only one making plans for the future. Millions of people continue to be inspired by his story and are volunteering with TOMS and other organizations, or are simply purchasing a pair of TOMS shoes. One man’s participation in the race of a lifetime led him to a country that gave him a lifelong passion and project. For Mycoskie, TOMS gives him, as well as millions of others, the opportunity to live out his favorite quote from Gandhi: “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

From the Jan. 18-24, 2012, issue

Corky Siegel

Staff Report

Noted blues artist Corky Siegel will offer musical and creative guidance to students at The Music Academy (TMA) at the annual Suzuki Winter Workshop Saturday, Jan. 14.

The event will be at Loreen Hall, 226 S. Second St., Rockford. A concert featuring TMA ensembles and Siegel will follow at 11:30 a.m. in the First Lutheran Church Sanctuary, 225 S. Third St. Admission is free and the public is invited.

Siegel — a composer, blues pianist, singer and songwriter — has earned an international reputation as one of the world’s greatest blues harmonica masters. He recently won the Lila Wallace/Reader’s Digest/Meet the Composer’s national award for chamber music composition and an Illinois Arts Council Fellowship Award for Music Composition.

The artist enjoys working with students, noting he has “secrets that I have stumbled upon over my 50 years of composing and performing. These secrets are revelations that really empower people, connect them to their art in very deep and effective ways, and basically make them happy, even though the revelations are simple common sense, and the techniques are simple and mechanical. All the amazing things that music does for individuals and the world are immediately heightened by these techniques.”

Siegel will share these techniques with TMA students in the morning workshop, and together they will display them at the concert to follow. His ideas and techniques also are revealed in his recently released book, Let Your Music Soar, The Emotional Connection. The book will be available for purchase at the workshop.

His professional music career began in 1964 when he met guitarist Jim Schwall at Roosevelt University in Chicago. The two became a duo, performing blues music. Eventually, the duo became a quartet, the Siegel-Schwall Band. The band toured nationally, playing large rock venues where they shared the bill with famous rock bands. Between 1966 and 1974, the band released 10 albums.

Siegel has worked on numerous musical projects, combining elements of classical, blues and jazz. In 1968, the Siegel-Schwall Band performed “Three Pieces for Blues Band and Orchestra” with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Siegel formed Chamber Clues, composed of a string quartet — two violins, a viola and a cello — along with a percussionist and Siegel playing harmonica, in 1988. The group has toured nationally and has released three albums.

TMA is a not-for-profit community school of music dedicated to providing high-quality, affordable instruction and performing opportunities to students, regardless of age and ability. It is the mission of TMA to inspire in students a lifelong love of music and the arts.

TMA is in Loreen Hall, 226 S. Second St., next to First Lutheran Church in Rockford. For more details, call (815) 986-0037 or go to www.MusicAcademyInRockford.com.

From the Jan. 11-17, 2012, issue