The Jewish Music Festival celebrates the art of the Holocaust created by both Jews and non-Jews

Through out my life, I often think about the fact that if it were not for Adolph Hitler, I would not be here. Plain and simple: my grandmother would probably still be in Germany and my Grandfather would have married another pretty Jewish lady in Los Angeles.

If it were not for the Holocaust, we would also not have any of the beautiful and inspirational art and music featured in They Left a Light: Masterpieces from Nazi Prison Camps at the East Bay Jewish Community Center on Sunday evening, October 18th.

This performance will be an educational experience with narration and a multimedia production performed by some of the Bay Area’s top classical musicians, including Susan Waterfall, piano and narrator; Jeremy Cohen, violin; Burke Schuchmann, cello, and Erin Neff, soprano.

By nature, human beings find ways to make beauty out of the darkness. Olivier Messiaen, composer of The Quartet for the End of Time, Sunday evening's featured piece, was a Catholic French composer who lived in the Theresienstadt (Terezin) concentration camp during the Holocaust as a prisoner of war...

READ MORE OF MY ARTICLE HERE

videos my friends posted on facebook today

Thanks Lauren!



Thanks Aaron!

I really do have stuff to do. But this is so much fun!

New York Mix

This is a second version of a mix I made over the summer when visiting friends in New York. This time I opened up the track list to songs about the city (while maybe not mentioning it in the title) and the individual burroughs. I have to say, I'm pretty happy with this one. I listen to it all the time!

I collaged the cover as well back in August. It's cute.

Note: I only bought two of these songs from itunes especially for this: the Sinatra and the Busta Rhymes. SO, if you have any complaints here, blame it on the mp3 collection.

1. "New York S**t" - Busta Rhymes & Swizz Beatz
2. "N.Y." - Doves
3. "Spanish Harlem" - Aretha Franklin
4. "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)" - Simon & Garfunkel
5. "Manhattan" - Ella Fitzgerald
6. "New York City" - John Lennon & Yoko Ono
7. "Brooklyn" - Mos Def
8. "New York State of Mind Billy Joel" - Billy Joel
9. "Talkin' New York" - Bob Dylan
10. "Englishman In New York" - Sting
11. "There's a Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon for New York" - Louis Armstrong
12. "An Open Letter To NYC" - The Beastie Boys
13. "Autumn in New York" - Billie Holiday
14. "Angel of Harlem" - U2
15. "Manhattan"- Kings Of Leon
16. "Morning in Manhattan" - Raya Yarbrough
17. "Fairytale of New York "- The Pogues
18. "New York, New York" - Frank Sinatra

Almost made the list but cds aren't long enough:

- "What New York Couples Fight About" Feat. Kurt Wagner - Morcheeba
- "The Only Living Boy in New York" - Simon & Garfunkel
- "I Can't See New York" - Tori Amos
- "New York J-D Blues" - Pete Seeger
- "New York" - Sex Pistols

What would you put on your list? I know I asked this a couple months ago, but feel free to share again.

President Obama declares October National Arts and Humanities Month: celebrating music education

Like February is African American History Month and March is Women's History Month, President Obama has declared October National Arts and Humanities Month. There are events planned all over the country this month to celebrate.

According to the National Agency of State Arts Agencies, National Arts and Humanities Month's four primary goals are to:

- Create a national, state and local focus on the arts and humanities through the media (which is where I come in)

- Encourage the active participation of individuals, as well as arts, humanities and other interested organizations nationwide (keep on reading... there's a list of my favorite music organizations, please comment below and tell us what yours is!)

- Provide an opportunity for federal, state and local business, government and civic leaders to declare their support for the arts and humanities

- Establish a highly visible vehicle for raising public awareness about the arts and humanities

The proclamation by President Obama states:

"Every American deserves an opportunity to study, understand, and contribute to the arts and humanities. This must begin in our schools, where children may have their first and most important exposure to these disciplines."

I'm glad to see the federal government at least showing some kind of public support for the arts and humanities. We can talk all day about how we need to put arts education back into our schools, but until the cash shows up, that's all it is: talk. And until schools start seeing this money, we have arts organizations to help take the place of music and art education.

To read more of my article click here

Lady Gaga on SNL

Lady Gaga's awesome hair bow

I really like Lady Gaga. I don't like ALL of her songs, but I'm impressed by her talent and her crazy weirdness. It's interesting to see what she's going to wear next.

As far as pop stars go, I wish they were more like her. Along with women like Alicia Keys, she writes her own songs (she was discovered while she was a songwriter for Pussycat Dolls, Britney and Fergie) and plays piano.

I know she says all these ridiculous things, but I think at this point she says them just to see what the reaction will be. The media must be fun to manipulate once to realize it's all bs anyway.

Anyway, this is a cool performance from SNL last week. I love this weird hoop thing she's got going on. And I LOVE the alternate version of "Pokerface" with the alternate "New York" lyrics.

Enjoy.

Who are these people and when are they going to hire me?

I love watching the guy climb behind his computer and the chick who doesn't want to be involved.

“How to Survive the Apocalypse” a Burning Man Opera for Burners and Burner-curious

Much like an actual visit to Burning Man, “How to Survive the Apocalypse” is a musical production with no obvious plan: you must experience what’s in front of you as it presents itself and just go with it. There is beauty you will be transfixed by and ugliness you will want to turn your attention away from. Sometimes you might not sure what’s going on, but it’s sure fun to watch.

A Burning Man blog describes it best:

The rock opera is a little bit Hair in that it tries to capture the zeitgeist of a movement, and a little bit Rent in the joyful exuberance that sometimes comes along with incredible hardship, and maybe a little bit Jesus Christ, Superstar in the way it touches your spiritual buttons."

My favorite line: "when we stop consuming, we create."

To read more and see more photos click here

Los Angeles, California Mix

Made this for my Australian and English cousins that will be cruising across my home city and state for the next month. Enjoy guys!

Happy to make any of you a copy. Let me know!

1. California - Low

2. Hollywood Freaks - Beck
3. Old School Hollywood -System Of A Down

4. Hotel California - Gipsy Kings

5. California Girls - The Beach Boys

6. Back To California - Carole King

7. Hollywood Babylon - The Misfits

8. California - Frank Sinatra

9. Going to California - Led Zeppelin

10. California Dreaming - Mamas and the Papas

11. I Remember California - R.E.M.

12. Hollywood Love - Raya Yarbrough

13. Hollywood Swinging - Kool & The Gang

14. Say Goodbye To Hollywood - Billy Joel

15. California - Joni Mitchell 16. Hollywood Kids - The Thrills

17. Under The Bridge - The Red Hot Chili Peppers

18. Santa Monica - Bedouin Sound Clash

19. Free Fallin' - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

Made some changes to the New York Mix, it's MUCH better now. I'll post it soon.