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Category Archives: Musical Theater
Embrace the Chaos, wherever you may wind up: Gypsy George discusses biculturalism, entrepreneurship and how music has brought him to Brooklyn
Like many bilingual professionals, Gypsy George, a Brooklyn-based musician whose real name is George Mihalopoulos, has learned to manage two lifestyles simultaneously. You might have guessed that his family is from Greece. Though he was born in the U.S., George says he is "firmly rooted in Greek culture." He describes to me his every day.
"My day to day is quite active and busy. Recently, I've added importing olive oil from Greece with my Dad to the mix of things I do. A few years ago, he and I were trying to find ways to bring money back to Greece, due to the financial crisis. My grandfather used to press this fantastic olive oil in our hometown of Nafpaktos, and later, we discovered that everyone in the area just pressed their own oil and never sold it. We met with a local miller there, developed a relationship, and now we exclusively bottle our single varietal (Athinoelia) Premium 'Agouraleio' Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Nafpaktos under the brand name 10δεκα.
"So, that has been taking up most of my weekday mornings. After I finish with Olive Oil stuff, I usually move onto music-related matters – responding to emails, organizing shows and working in the studio. It varies from week to week but generally, my daily life has been 'Olive Oil & Music.'"
Aside from participating in a business partnership with his father, George also founded a publishing company in 2003, Always Already.
"I started this company mainly so I could start receiving royalties on a movie I contributed music to, 'The Maldonado Miracle' produced and directed by Salma Hayek. From there, I started to build it around music licensing and composing. Today, I have expanded it to include a record label. It is a boutique music company that pretty much offers all music related services – recording, producing, publishing, licensing, composing, and more."
He adds, "I run the company very grass roots, family-style, encouraging all the artists I'm producing to be as involved with their projects as possible. I do try to teach them about the business end of things, so they are better armed to tackle the ever-changing universe of music."
Speaking of an "ever-changing universe," an entrepreneur and musician who runs multiple businesses might describe the road to their success as unpredictable and messy. At least, that's how I would describe it as I reflect on countless interviews with musicians, informal interviews with NYC student entrepreneurs, and my professional development.
Like many entrepreneurs, George has learned to 'embrace the chaos.' He also incorporates this motto into his definition of a gypsy: "One who lets life happen – the good and the bad – and welcomes it; who can adapt to their surroundings with ease and pleasure; who is unafraid to take risks, be self-critical and make changes."
While I certainly find this definition of a gypsy inspiring in a creative and artistic sense, I know that in an ethnic and practical definition, it needs more refining. For George, Gypsy is his stage name, one he more or less picked up while being on the road, spontaneously traveling America's mid-west for his musical inspiration and his identity. Further, George's affinity to the open road also influenced the name of his band, Gypsy George and the Open Road Love Affair. The band creates what one might describe as Americana music with spurts of Greek flair. The band's repertoire of music has opened doors to new projects and possibilities. Gypsy George shares his story right here on Music Historian.
Gypsy George received his name from his insatiable desire to randomly hop in a car – without a map – and travel the depths of America. The artist had mentioned that during this time, he was trying to figure out whether he was Greek or American (National Herald 2011). I asked him exactly what fueled this desire.
"A few things contributed to my desire for exploration and travel," explained George. "Firstly, I moved around a lot when I was younger, eight times in the first six years of my life. So, that clearly laid the foundation. Secondly, it was my family origin. My sister, my cousins, and I are the first generation born in the states. The rest of my family was born in Greece, including my parents. I was raised bi-culturally. I frequently travel to Greece, and I am fluent in the language and culture.
"Initially, my drive to explore America was to experience all the regions that Blues artists had lived in or traveled. I wanted to find the places where Muddy Waters, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Willie Dixon, and Leadbelly had been before me. I wanted to see and feel what inspired them, and this led me up and down the Mississippi River for many years. Since I lived mostly in big cities and urban environments, it was mind blowing to see these places up close and play guitar on the banks of the mighty river. I fell in love with the countryside; it opened my eyes to the true beauty and freedom of this great experiment known as the United States."
After some time, Gypsy George decided he was 50/50 Greek-American (National Herald 2011). Then, came my next question – where in his music does George's Greek heritage shine most?
"My music is filled with my Greek heritage," he begins. "I've always felt that my music truly is a culmination of American Blues and Greek music sprinkled with the Lennon's and Dylan's of the world. Some specific examples are the songs "Door County Nights", a blues structure over a 9/8 Zeibekiko time signature; the 'bouzouki' style mandolin on "Everyday"; the solo section of "Maude On The Run"; and the list goes on."
"Door County Nights" is the title track to Gypsy George's 2003 debut. This album conveyed the artist's stylistic versatility incorporating Americana, country, honky-tonk, and some funk. At the time this album was recorded (in Los Angeles), George worked as a music supervisor and composer at a music company that had recording studios. The owner encouraged the employees to use the studios and learn how to record during off hours.
"I figured, 'if I'm going to learn how to record, I might as well record an album of my stuff.' It was a learning experience, to say the least," admits George. "It is always interesting when you record your first album; expectations are so high, yet your ability is in its infant stages. Additionally, I worked with an engineer who was even newer to recording than I was. That combination of hope mixed with a lack of experience can be an exciting, frightful adventure. We had a blast though, and I think we pulled it off – at least for our first effort."
Another song on this debut, a honky-tonk, and a country-influenced number is titled "Open Road Love Affair." I wondered whether this song inspired the name of Gypsy George's group. I just happened to be right.
"The band name did, in fact, come from the song title. When I was trying to come up with a band name, I spent months bouncing around ideas. I wanted a name that would convey the ideology of the 'Plastic Ono Band'[i] with the controlled chaos of a road trip. Also, I did not want it to sound forced. One day, I was barbecuing with some friends, and I complained about how hard it was to come up with a band name. Finally, my friend Stacy blurted, 'why don't you call it Open Road Love Affair?' Everyone, instantaneously, had that moment of 'uh, why didn't I think of that?' And that, folks, is how the band name came about."
The song "Everyday" comes from his 2011 release The Loneliest Man in New York. In this track, Gypsy's inner-Greek comes out on a mandolin that plays hints of tremolos. He says that when it comes to arrangements, he pushes the envelope. George explains "I like to take chances and treat instruments differently from their basic intended purpose. Sometimes, this fails. However, I'd rather go for broke than be conventional. With a song like "Everyday," I was very influenced by Pet Sounds (an album by The Beach Boys); particularly the songs "That's Not Me" and "I'm Waiting for the Day." The drum part," which exaggerates the downbeats within the measures, "was me trying to be Brian Wilson."
Lyrically, George is influenced by Lennon, Dylan, Beat poetry and Kazantzakis. Occasionally, he writes in an obscure referential way or inside jokes. "Sometimes, "I like to use words to create a feeling or imagery. Sometimes, I just like the way words fit together regardless of meaning. It depends on the moment, the mood." One such song like this is "Couplet Gun" a song about love which starts with a very distinct verse – I find a little Marxist red war paint/ And, I don't want to pray it/ I don't want to say it/ I just want to step in right next to you. The second chorus includes this rhyme I shoot the stars with asphalt bars/ I creep along a familiar song/ I find a way to stick my nose in the dirt…
"'A little Marxist red war paint' was a strange way of me referring the lady of the song, who is a redhead. The second set of lyrics was written to convey the heavy, deep pain and loneliest I felt at the time, hence, trying to shoot starts with asphalt bars, sticking my nose in the dirt. I attempted to convey my truest, deepest thoughts and emotions at that very juncture in my life."
The Loneliest Man in New York included a band of six musicians, including Jamey 'Brother' Hamm on vocals, who also appeared on the 2014 album 30 Songs in 30 Days. Between these two albums, George experienced a professional and personal development that was initially brought on by an impulsive decision. When he started recording Loneliest Man, George had just moved to NYC without knowing a single person.
"I wound up in NYC by accident: I was fed up with L.A. and left town. I just started driving due East to get as far away from the West Coast as possible. I lived in various spots throughout the country; toyed with the idea of going back to Chicago (where he lived throughout most of his life). Eventually, I came to Brooklyn and figured I'd try it out.
"My girlfriend at the time abruptly ended things, and I thought she was THE ONE – at least at the time. Dealing with a deep heartache – combined with living in NYC without any friends – led me to the only therapist I knew – music. I spent a month and a half in my apartment – which at the time, had no furniture or music equipment and hefty bags filled with clothes – and just wrote songs after songs.
"When it was all said and done, I had written around 100 tunes. From there, I began tracking the album. As I went through this process, I met a bunch of musicians at Roots Café in South Slope on an open mic night. After that, I just immersed myself in music and met more talented folks. Eventually, I asked a few of these insanely gifted people to play on the record. What started as my 'breakup album' turned into this colossal musical effort."
"I had a very ambitious plan with 30 Songs in 30 Days," continues George. "Having accumulated a wealth of songs I had written, I finally decided to release a double album. I also wanted to tap into all the different styles of music that have influenced me over the course of my career. Initially, my plan was to recreate the Beatles' White Album. Rather than interpret the album song by song, I wanted to capture the general feel and weirdness of the album. As I developed the concept, it turned into the one thing I detest in art – pretentiousness. I felt I was forcing songs on this sort of strict creative platform. What I then decided to do was release 30 songs in 30 days. For the month of October in 2014, I released a song a day for 30 days. It was a maddening, yet rewarding experience.
"A lot of the material I recorded [involved] mixing and mastering on the fly. It was a very curious project that lent to quick, creative decision making as opposed to past albums where I had all the time in the world to figure out whether I liked this, that or the other. It was a fun release and one I am proud of accomplishing. Although I did play the majority of the instruments on the album, I did have some outside vocalists and musicians."
Aside from Jamey 'Brother' Hamm, the musicians who played with George on 30 Songs in 30 Days included Emily Trask and Justin 'That Moon' Kilburn. George says that while it is always difficult to gauge what people fundamentally think about his work, he was happy with the 'all-over-the-map' reaction from listeners.
"I like to add humor and silliness to my songs. At the end of the day, I just try to have fun and enjoy life. Obviously, there are serious moments, but I'd much rather poke fun at myself and not take it too seriously. I think that silly and loose atmosphere of my music is what people grab onto at first."
"Charlton Heston" and "Maude On The Run" are some of the songs on 30 Songs in 30 Days that stood out the most to me. According to George, the political themes within these tracks were overlooked in the States but resonated more in Europe. Whether or not a listener can pick up on the political themes naturally is purely left up to opinion. I was curious as to how George incorporate politics into this song. A perfect example is his 2007 record, Joe's Beginning, which he recorded while living in Los Angeles. George also recorded this album while in an interesting place in his life.
"I had ended a relationship, felt upset with the administration [at the time], and faced a crossroads with my career. I got my feelings out in music. I locked myself in the studio for six months recording the album, and it was the first record where I did everything, including the engineering.
"Thematically, I based the record on [the story of] "Romeo and Juliet." I interpreted the couple's fight for love as obstructed by socio-political circumstances as opposed to warring families. I chose [the title] 'Joe's Beginning' as homage to the 'Average Joe.' I wanted to make a political statement without being pedantic. Whether I pulled that off with the album is a different story."
My conversation with Gypsy George so far has helped me notice that emotional events like a heartache, an abrupt move, and the challenges of being your boss – which for this artist, involves getting songs out on schedule – drives him to create music. Also, he has managed to put his talent out in a robust artistic city. Although he has become known for getting up and moving from place to place, Gypsy George has lived in Brooklyn for seven years now. As far as I know, he has no leaving plans.
"I love living in Brooklyn. I have lived in South Slope, and it has been a true home for me, a first for me in my adult life. Brooklyn and NYC have a great energy and a wonderful mix of gifted and talented artists. It is a city that lays the foundation for a creative atmosphere.
"Out in L.A., I felt that it was all about who you know or how you look, but the quality of the music did not matter [so much]. In NY, you have to be pretty good to survive in the music scene. Chicago has a great art and music scene, but it remains a bit more underground."
This year will mark the second time Gypsy George has been invited to perform at the Northside Festival. He will perform as part of a lineup hosted by Whatever Blog at The Gutter in Williamsburg. Afterward George will return to producing his second record with Justin 'That Moon' Kilburn, with the hopes of releasing it in July. Also, George is in the process of remixing and re-mastering 30 Songs in 30 Days and officially release it as Politics, Ex-Girlfriends & the Ayn Rand Shuffle. He hopes to have this record out in the Fall. Finally, he is also the Music Director and Composer for South Brooklyn Shakespeare, a theater company founded by Paul and Dee-Byrd Molnar. This year, the company will perform "Much Ado About Nothing" on July 25th, August 1st, and August 15th.
Whether or not George chooses to stay in this city or relocate wherever his passion for the open road takes him, he will embrace the change, whatever it maybe, and channel it into his music. Whatever life throws his way, especially if it brings him into a rougher moment in his career, George will center his focus on the fact that he has felt blessed enough to continue doing music.
"My Dad told me a long time ago, that wherever you are, whatever you wind up doing in life, no one can ever take away your ability to create and play music. To me, every moment is a proud moment. I always view myself as an artist first and that everything I do is part of a larger dialog beyond myself.
"The music industry has turned a blind eye to creativity and has focused on profit. I mean [the need] has always been there, but I don't believe a band like The Beatles could ever make it in today's music business structure. This is why Independent Artists are more vital than ever. While I might sound critical, I am very hopeful for the future of music and where it will wind up."
[i] Gypsy George says he "sort of stole a page from John Lennon & Yoko Ono's concept for the 'Plastic Ono Band.' They had a philosophy that 'anyone' can be a member of the band, and were adamant that there was no 'set' lineup (G. Mihalopoulos, personal communications, June 9, 2015)."
"In the Spotlight: Gypsy George – Musician" (2011). National Herald. Retrieved from http://www.gypsygeorge.com/uploads/9/0/3/2/9032999/national_herald.pdf
1 Comment Posted in Americana, Art & Music, Artist Interview, Blues, Brooklyn, Chicago, Classic Rock, Entrepreneurship, Folk music, Funk, Greece, Honky Tonk, Independent Music, Living internationally, Los Angeles, Multicultural, Musical Theater, New York City, Northside Festival, Popular Music, Rock 'n' roll, Self-produced music, songwriting, Southern Rock, Storytelling Tagged Agouraleio, Always Already, Definition of Gypsy, George Mihalopoulos, Greek American, Greek Heritage, Gypsy George, Open Road Love Affair, South Brooklyn Shakespeare
Right Now for Now: Casey Dinkin Lets Go of Fear to Pursue her Music Making Dream
Music was always a large part of upstate New York-native Casey Dinkin's life. Yet like many talented and passionate singer songwriters, Casey searched for a reason not to pursue music, up until now.
"I knew what I wanted to do with my life," she explains. "I've always wanted to be a singer songwriter, have a band and tour around and make albums, but I never thought it would happen."
So what changed the mind of this singer and guitarist who lyrically and musically sounds like a distant cousin of Norah Jones? In my interview with Casey Dinkin for Music Historian's full-length feature for July, I learned that self-reflection, relocating to New York City, and raising money through Kickstarter.com to put her songs on a record helped her take the necessary steps towards making her dream of being a recording artist a reality. The result for all of Casey's efforts is the release her debut record later this month, Right Now for Now.
"I love this independent music"
Music surrounded Casey all her life. She says that both her parents loved folk songs from the sixties. Her mother played music from Joan Baez's songbook as well Judy Collins, and her father favored Motown and soul. Meanwhile, Casey's musical tastes included The Beatles and The Grateful Dead.
Casey and her mother would sing tunes from musicals together. At fourteen years old, Casey picked up guitar, and she participated in musical theater and school choirs. During this time, her admiration for the independent singer songwriter blossomed.
"I remember in High School," says Casey, "I watched people get up on a stage with a guitar and sing. They would sing a song they wrote at the coffee house. I thought that was so cool, and I wished that I could be that amazing."
College opened up new performance opportunities for Casey and led to more experiences, some successful and some challenging. She explains:
"In college, I started singing with jazz bands. After college, I sang with a rock and roll cover band, which built a following and played many gigs. At this point, I became more confident with performing. I started to think "I really love this independent music."
"Then I started collaborating on songs with one of the members in the band, and that was the first time I had really shared my songs with someone. When we performed them in public, people responded positively; they thought my songs were enjoyable.
"Unfortunately though, that band broke up, and I was on my own for a while. I found more opportunities as I looked for other bands. At this time, I also worked for an anti-hunger non-profit."
Casey enumerates that at this moment, having a job and handling her own performance promotion and booking made her think twice about pursuing music. So she put music aside to focus on her non-profit work which eventually led her to Washington, DC.
Putting Music on the Backburner: Casey's Self Reflection
"I got a job in DC working at a national anti-hunger research and action center. While I was there, I realized that I wanted to do something entrepreneurial where I could set my own path. Since I'm an artistic person by nature, I wanted to be involved in the arts.
"I found myself having conversations with people trying to figure out what I wanted to do. Then one day I was talking to my friend Beth who told me that she made a cork board to help her figure out what she wanted to do. She thought of every possible career and put it up on this board, anything she could think of, and then she told me that the goal she really wanted to pursue, which was to write a book, she didn't have the guts to put up there. I then realized I had the same thing."
Although Casey tried to put music aside, she never stopped writing songs. She claims to have written about 100 songs by the time she left DC.
"I started to realize that putting music on the backburner was just a response to fear. I was also learning to be a yoga teacher at the same time, and some of the studies included letting go of fear and being your authentic self," reflects Casey. "I feared that I was not going to make it, or it [music] was not important enough. Instead of letting go of this fear and being a songwriter, I worried about my ego."
Recognizing this worry was Casey's first stepping stone in overcoming her fear. Her next stepping stone validated why pursuing the dream of singing and songwriting mattered. Casey enumerates:
"In the middle of this self-reflection, I realized I had always written songs. I never stopped. Every day that I walked to my job, I wrote songs in my head. Then, one night before I went to sleep, as my head hit the pillow, I realized "If I died tonight, in my sleep, then my songs would die with me because I had not done anything with them."
In this moment, Casey realized her songs counted as a "real body of work" and from there she decided to change her life. This included leaving the nation's capital and moving to a city she always wanted to live in, New York City.
"At the same time, the funding for the project I was working on in DC was ending. I called someone I knew at an anti-hunger organization in New York City. He happened to have a position that just opened. So, I made the decision to move to New York."
The Move to New York City
In one of her songs on her record, "The Light of NYC," Casey described Washington DC as "the city of all smarm and no charm." Firstly, I wondered what this lyric meant. Secondly, I wondered whether Casey felt like the only individual she knew in DC that was torn between choosing either a life in public policy or the arts. Casey explains:
"I made up a phrase one day "a city of all smarm and no charm." One of my former colleagues described this lobbyist we worked with as someone who was "so smarmy, it made her skin crawl." Smarmy refers to a charming but manipulative person that cannot be trusted.
"One day, I was walking outside and said to myself, "This is the city of all smarm and no charm."
Casey adds, "Of course, there are a lot of very charming things about DC, and not everybody is smarmy."
She continues, "I thought DC was where I could be, but when I got to DC, it was clear that I wanted to be in New York City. I think if you want to live in DC in the long-term, you must want that long-term career in policy and government. I thought I actually wanted that, but when I arrived there, I realized I truly wanted music.
"Although I could do music in DC, New York is where I have more access to great people to work with in music. I feel like there are so many people here that pursue creative things. In DC, I sometimes felt like the weirdest person. But here [in New York] I feel it's normal to be [both] a musician and something else. I'm never the weirdest person in the room. It's so refreshing."
One of the most important contacts Casey made when she came to New York City is her producer Dan Siegler.
"When I looked for a producer, I wanted somebody that did not see my music as just another project. I wanted somebody who genuinely likes my music; plays keyboard well; and thought about the lyrics I write. I wanted someone that would think holistically about my songs, understand what I was trying to say and guide that.
"Then I met Dan Siegler who is a gifted keyboard player. He understands my songs in ways I couldn't even understand them. Of Course, at this point, he has probably listened to my songs 50,000 times."
Casey talks about her first experience producing a record.
"The process involved the following," begins Casey, "I would go and play 30 songs for Dan, and he would go through them and say "this song yes, this song no, this song maybe but it might need another verse or a bridge." Then we would talk about how the song should sound, musically, and start putting together the instrumentation.
"It was a very interesting learning process to see how that happens and see how a song is built piece by piece."
In order to support this essential step of putting her songs on an album, Casey decided she would raise the necessary funds.
Funding Her Dreams of Making a Record
"Two days after I decided I was going to make an album," explains Casey, "I received an email from someone I knew asking me to contribute money for their band's upcoming tour on Kickstarter.com. That's when I researched Kickstarter and thought "this was how I was going to make my album.""
"I raised about $11,000 in 30 days," continues Casey. "People came through in incredible ways."
According to Casey, she and Dan have dedicated a tremendous amount of time figuring out each component of every song – for example, what type of bass line, or if the song needed a violin part – and the delivery, making sure every note has the right intonation and falls on the right beat.
Though she did spend time reworking lyrics for certain songs on the album, Casey feels that the lyrics in her songs, as a whole, seem to come out naturally and effortlessly. Casey claims she feels blessed to gain inspiration and constantly write.
"I've been thinking a lot about appreciating that gift. I think right now, I'm very fortunate that life seems to give me these thoughts that turn themselves into songs. Very rarely do I sit down and say "I'm going to write a song." Usually, an idea pops into my head while I walk down the street, especially if I am experiencing distress, and I don't know what to do. So I think "I'm going to write a song about it," and that helps me through the process."
The best example of a song that represents this is her title track "Right Now for Now." This song, throughout Casey's experiences as an artist, takes on multiple meanings.
"That's the song I wrote while my first band after college was breaking up. I wrote that song when I needed to tell myself that everything would be okay," reflects Casey.
"When I wrote that song, I was not into Yoga," she adds. "Then when I studied Yoga and listened to leaders that talked about being in the present moment and recognizing each moment as precious and event as temporary, I [now] think that song also talks about living in the moment, understanding that troubles will pass, as well as letting go and forgiving yourself. That's every point in my life."
The Album Release Party at Rockwood Music Hall
While Casey searches for inner peace through her music and works to achieve her dream of doing music professionally a celebration follows – the album release party for Right Now for Now at Rockwood Music Hall on Sunday, July 28th.
"I really look forward to celebrating everything I have been working for over the past two years and longer. This is the absolute pinnacle; the longest-term, truest thing I have ever accomplished.
"It will be the first time releasing an album, playing at Rockwood Music Hall, and performing my album songs live with a full band," Casey joyfully claims.
The icing on the cake for Casey's album release party might be the reunion with people that have supported the new artist through her journey.
"I have people coming from all over the country which is super exciting. My upstate NY friends and family are coming, and people from North Carolina and DC.
"They followed my progress and my many updates along the way. They were a part of my Kickstarter campaign…, and this is the finish line."
Every Present Moment Counts
As we conclude our conversation, Casey mentions that releasing an album has taken longer than she initially expected. This makes me think that whenever a musician has available time between live performances, recording a song, producing or promoting their record; they dedicated it to writing a new song, rehearsing, or completing a second job. Casey reminds me that every present moment counts.
In addition, even during her years in DC and Albany, not pursuing music, every moment Casey experienced included a lesson that prepared her for now. Learning yoga helped Casey see that her previous habit of putting music on the backburner was a response to fear. Moving to Washington DC slowly fueled Casey's desire to move to New York City. Finally, Casey's experience with non-profits taught her how to run a successful fundraising campaign – one that would help support her dreams of releasing an album of her beautifully constructed, charming and earnest songs to the public.
Right Now for Now will help listeners who are native or have become well-integrated into the New York City landscape, view this city from a refreshing outsider's lens. Having also been to Rockwood Music Hall several times, I can attest that Casey's album release party on July 28th will be the perfect setting to enhance this listening experience.
In the time that Casey prepares for this big event, she is also looking to the future.
"The next thing that follows is expanding my fan base. It would be great to hit the road. I would also love to start recording another album after this one is released," explains Casey.
The most important long-term goal for this smart, talented and ambitious artist is to become better at everything, from songwriting, to learning more instruments, and honing in on her arrangement skills.
"I'm trying not to get too descriptive about the future because I think there is no longer a cookie-cutter model of how the road to success in the music industry should look," she adds.
And of course, Casey is right. So let's enjoy right now, for now.
1 Comment Posted in Band Interview, Choir Music, Independent Music, jazz, Musical Performance, Musical Theater, New York City, Non-Profits, Theater Tagged anti-hunger non-profits, Casey Dinkin album release, Casey Dinkin singer songwriter, independent singer songwriter, Joan Baez songbook, Kickstarter.com, producer Dan Siegler, pursue creative things, rock and roll cover band, Rockwood Music Hall, Washington DC long-term
Apollo Run's "Here Be Dragons" Saga: Bass player Jeff Kerestes Shares the story from start to finish
The most successful bands establish a memorable sound, the one that encourages listeners to return to performances and purchase the group's music. In the process, artists might find that the music they create does not fit a label. Jeff Kerestes, a professional bassist of the Brooklyn-based band Apollo Run, briefly explains this experience.
"When we changed the band's name to Apollo Run we did not know how to categorize the music. It was all new to us, the three part harmonies, the bass, the drums… We were wondering "what's here?" Let's explore it."
It was at this moment the band decided to name this phase of their musical development "Here Be Dragons."
"In the old maps," explains Jeff, referring to maps of the globe dating as far back as the 1500's, "signs that read "here be dragons" were drawn to represent uncharted territories. The music was uncharted territory for us."
In Music Historian's full-length band interview for May, Jeff talks about how Apollo Run's "Here Be Dragons" exploration started; where the course has taken them; the possible conclusions of their journey; and what awaits the band in the near future. It is my pleasure to welcome Jeff to Hear; Don't Listen.
The Beginning: John McGrew and the Sit Backs
One night in 2007, the Arizona-native with a jazz degree from Arizona State University, was celebrating his one year anniversary of living in New York City. Through the husband of a friend, Jeff learned of a band that was looking for a bass player – John McGrew and the Sit Backs. Jeff joined this group in December of that year. Here, he met singer John McGrew and drummer Graham Fisk.
"John and Graham hit it off right away," recalls Jeff. "The band also had another bass player, a guitarist and keyboard player.
"In this group, all the songs were fully-written by John and the members of the band would play these songs and perform under the moniker John McGrew and the Sit Backs. At that time, John was working a day job just to pay the band. In New York, there is almost nobody that will play another person's song for free.
"Eventually though, paying the band became expensive, and John decided to leave his day job and do music full-time. Since John McGrew and the Sit Backs was the best experience I had at the time, I decided to stay, and so did Graham.
"Afterwards, John decided he wanted to change the name of the band because all three of us would be writing songs, not just him. We were ready to create a new sound."
At this point, it was 2009, and John, Jeff and Graham decided they wanted to bring a new approach to music making – one in which all three members could use their ability and talent to the fullest and tie it together into a series of songs.
The Middle: Developing Ideas and Completing Songs Together
"One of the most exciting parts about Apollo Run is that we all write, and we will bring different ideas to each other.
"For example, John and Graham were both in a Cappella groups in their college years. Sometimes, John will have a great a Cappella line, and we'll develop a song from there or, he will come to us with a song that is almost finished, and we'll complete it together.
"Graham also writes songs on piano, and sometimes he will come in with a song that he has not finished, and we will hone out the rest of the parts – the vocal harmonies, the bass line, drums and the key board."
Jeff enumerates on this example through a few stories about some of the songs on "Here Be Dragons" vol. III.
"One of the songs on our last record, "Sirens," we wrote while we were on tour. I was playing chords on a ukulele during the car ride. In this time, we created the hooks of the song. Then, when we halted for rest stops, we would refine the lyrics and the vocal lines.
"For "Desire," Graham came in with a partially developed idea for the song. We composed fifty to sixty percent of it in the studio. By the time we finished the other songs for the third volume; we had to complete "Desire."
"This was one instance in which we were putting too much thought into how a song is "supposed to sound." When this happens, it becomes very difficult to complete the song. Once we played the song several times through though, it came out right. We played ["Desire"] until it felt right."
Naming the Band: "Many names can put you in a box and we did not want that"
Prior to recording any of the "Here Be Dragons" records, the band applied the same intuitive effort behind finding the band's new name.
"Naming the band was difficult," recalled Jeff. "We really wanted our music to dictate the name and not the other way around. For example, when you hear the name Led Zeppelin or Pearl Jam, you think about the music of the band, not their name. The words don't mean much on their own until you define them with music."
"We did not feel we could categorize our sound," adds Jeff. "Many names can put you in a box, and we wanted to avoid that."
Listeners will have a difficult time putting Apollo Run's music neatly in a category. One might feel that the opening piano melodies to "Autumn Song" that paid homage to art songs from the Romantic period; or that the doo-wop-feel of "That's How it Felt" belongs more to pop; or that the "Devil in Disguise" makes a slight nod to the swing-jazz genre.
The eclectic sounds of each "Here Be Dragons" album might also make listeners wonder what made the band chose the name Apollo Run. For this simple reason: it felt right.
According to Jeff, all the members liked the mythology behind the Greco-Roman God Apollo, who ruled music, poetry, and light. In addition, John who is also an astronomy enthusiast repeated the phrase "Apollo Run" to himself several times. The more he heard it, the more confident and comfortable he felt with the name.
The Music: "You never know where your inspiration is going to come from…"
As my conversation with Jeff continued, I became curious about what influenced the lyrics behind their songs. I learned that for these three musicians, "influence comes from everywhere."
"You never know where your inspiration is going to come from; it can be from literature to what's going on politically. A couple of our songs are inspired the book series The Game of Thrones. Sometimes John will come to us and say, "I wrote a new song, it is inspired by The Game of Thrones," says Jeff jokingly.
Then, some of the inspirations for Apollo Run's songs come simply from gazing up at a clear night sky.
"Our song "Stars" is basically John's take on what he hears from looking at the stars. As they twinkle back and forth, John hears they are singing "oh-way-oh,"" explains Jeff.
Apollo Run plays on romantic imagery while celebrating the union of many musical ideas. In addition, fans' responses to the band's music have been supportive and unusually phenomenal.
This brings me to what might be the beginning of the end to a great expedition, a possible musical theater production of "Here Be Dragons."
The End: A Theatrical Reception?
During the summers, John, who has a background in musical theater, works at a drama camp in Oakland, Maine called Acting Manitou. Every year, John helps students put on a play. According to Jeff, "the kids really liked Apollo Run's music" and they wanted to make a play using the band's songs.
"Last year, the kids asked whether they could put on a play using Apollo Run's music, and they did," enumerates Jeff. "Graham and I went to perform the music for the production. The result was amazing.
"The play takes place in a dystopia. In the story, a ruler is overthrown and then another ruler takes over. The replacement, however, turns out to be much worse than the initial leader. During this story, there is a love story taking place between two characters. The play references the many faults and issues within our society."
"After the experience, we decided to bring the play down to New York City and invited Broadway actors for a reading."
At the moment, the musical has only developed to a reading of the play by professional actors. John says "I do not know where it will go from there."
Beyond the Saga: A Fourth Album with a New Focus
If the "Here Be Dragons" saga does not end with a big bang, then fans can look forward to a fourth album in the near future. Jeff says the band is in the process of creating a new record that will focus on this idea: now that the territory has been explored, it is no longer uncharted.
"We are currently in the writing stage," he explains. "The songs are very exciting right now.
"The album's title will depend on the shapes the songs will take."
In the meantime, the band continues to receive a positive reception from fans all over the country. Jeff recalls Apollo Run's first national tour from November, which was to promote their third volume and first full-length album "Here Be Dragons" vol. III, as a career milestone for the group.
"That was pretty big for us," enumerates Jeff. "We started on the west coast in San Francisco, then drove all over the country for a month. We traveled to my hometown in Arizona, then to San Diego, and several other places before concluding the tour in Maine.
"Our fans traveled great distances to come see us perform, and it was rewarding to see them enjoy our music.
"We love what we're doing and taking that everywhere with us is great."
Jeff also invites fans to watch Apollo Run's music videos for the following songs on "Here Be Dragons" vol. III that just premiered today on their website – "Devil in Disguise," "Bending the Light," and "Act IV."
Apollo Run reminds listeners that while establishing a solid sound is a necessary component for a successful band, creating music is not about fitting neatly into a category. Reflecting on my interview with Jeff, I realize that a band's potential relies on their ability to explore new musical territory despite the uncertainties or possible dangers. Apollo Run's exploration helped them arrive to the destination they sought – a definition of their sound. In addition, their expedition contributed greatly to their artistic development. The result is the complete "Here Be Dragons" trilogy.
What awaits Apollo Run fans after the HBD saga remains a mystery, but it is one that listeners will look forward to discovering. One thing is certain. The band will apply the same virtuosity, dedication and meticulousness to each song and its various components. As Jeff says, "Many bands are known for doing one thing really well in their music. We work to making everything sound well."
Leave a comment Posted in Acting, Band Interview, Independent Music, Literature, Musical Performance, Musical Theater, New York City, Play Writing, Popular Music, Rock 'n' roll, Romantic Period, Theater Tagged Acting Manitou Maine, Apollo Run Bowery Electric, Apollo Run music videos, Arizona State University, Game of Thrones, Greco-Roman God Apollo, Here Be Dragons Saga, Here Be Dragons trilogy, John McGrew and the Sit Backs, Led Zeppelin, New York City
Musical Theater Today with Mallory Berlin: The Lead of A Doll's Life Shares Her Experiences, Thoughts and Advice for Young Performers
Posted by musichistorian on March 15, 2012
As a musician who played classical piano and sung in several women choir groups, I truly love to sing. However; being a professional vocalist is not in my future, mainly because I cannot master the skill that all classical and opera singers need for a successful performing career– acting.
Mallory Berlin*
I have known actress and casting director for The Beautiful Soup Theater Collective, Mallory Berlin for years, and she can attest that the most prevalent career roles for professional singers in the performance world are either in musicals or operas. Mallory fills me in on some of the tougher realities for individuals looking to make it as a singer and actor.
"Before I started working with The Beautiful Soup Theater Collective, I would go to auditions for several different productions. As an actor or actress, you are required to wait for long periods of times outside of studios or theaters, and even then, you might not even be seen by the casting crew. Usually, many non-equity performers arrive at 4:00am and stay until 5:00pm, just to sing an 8-bar song."
Further in our conversation, Mallory also talked about additional ways a professionally trained actor or actress can gain the experience they need so that they are not just investing their time in waiting for a call back from an audition. In our conversation for Music Historian's Hear; Don't Listen, Mallory talks specifically from experience. She graciously shares stories from her journey in musical theater, and how she found opportunities in the most unexpected places.
Specializing in a popular style can work against young actors and actresses
Mallory's professional training as a performer didn't start in the theater, but in the music school at Ithaca College. She says, "When I got to college, I knew I wanted to perform, act and sing, but I wasn't sure if I wanted a degree in musical theater. I did know that I wanted to continue singing, so I auditioned for singing lessons at the music school.
"I passed the auditions, and one of the professors, Jennifer Haywood, suggested that I should sing opera. This was something that I had no idea I could do; and she thought I would be great. So, I decided to audition for a spot in the music school.
"Once I was admitted, my advisor said to me, "We loved your audition, and we think you'd make a great music teacher." I had never thought of myself as a teacher, and I was excited by the idea.
"From then on, the bulk of my college career entailed education and vocal training. By my junior and senior year, I realized I could be a cross-over artist and perform in a variety of mediums including opera, musical theater, and regular theater."
Being a cross-over artist is a great professional strength for Mallory. Here is why:
"The most popular type of singing today includes belting pop and rock and roll," explains Mallory. "While this type of voice is in demand, most actors and actresses who specialize in this style have to compete with other performers that sound the same."
Specializing in a popular style can work against young actors and actresses, especially when they are the 50th person in line for an audition and have to perform the same monologue or 8-bar song that previous auditionees presented. Having a different sound though will not guarantee an actor or actress better chances for being cast.
To help myself, I had to make my own acting opportunities
"In classical music, I am a lyric mezzo- soprano. I have sung roles of little boys, children and occasionally men in opera. In the musical theater world, I am considered a soprano only because I do not have that belting pop voice.
"In purely theatrical roles, I am a character actor. Most people who fall into this category are typically cast to play comical roles. In my case though, my style of singing and acting doesn't satisfy many casting directors in other theaters because character roles are usually assigned to women that can belt.
"Currently, nobody is producing plays for character actors that have classical voices. So, to help myself, I had to make my own acting opportunities."
Networking is the key to making it in this industry
Mallory received a lot of sound career advice from experts in the performing arts during her studies at Ithaca College. One of the most important pieces of career advice was "always network." Mallory enumerates:
"The most important thing I learned is that networking is the key to making it in this industry. Meeting people, making a good first impression and getting involved with different projects will help you in the weirdest of times.
"In my career orientation course at Ithaca College, a professor told all of us, "Look to the person on your left, and now look to the person on your right. One of these people will be in the position to help you find a job in the future.""
One of these individuals that helped Mallory tremendously did not sit on either side of her in the lecture hall but instead, shared a stage with her in Daniel Guyton's original production, Where's Julie?
The Beautiful Soup Theater Collective Icon*
"I was very fortunate to meet actor and playwright, Steven McCasland. We first met at the Author's Playhouse in Bay Shore in the summer of 2006 during the production of Where's Julie? From that point forward, we started talking and got to know one another. Then, we lost contact for a while.
"About a year after I graduated from Ithaca College, Steven asked me to sing in the benefit for the new theater company he was creating called The Beautiful Soup Theater Collective. He also asked me to audition for the role of Viola in his upcoming production of Twelfth Night. After I got the part for Viola and sang in the benefit concert; Steven recognized my credibility and then cast me as the Queen of Hearts in play he wrote of Alice in Wonderland.
"That summer, he asked me if I would consider joining the Executive Board. The position that interested me, and one I thought I was well-suited for, was the Talent Director. So, I started at Beautiful Soup as an actor, and then became a part of the Executive Board.
The Official Poster of Alice in Wonderland by the Beautiful Soup*
"Who would have known that meeting somebody at a low-budget theater would have lead to opportunities that made a huge difference in my career path? It's been a great adventure so far, and Steven has really given me a lot of great opportunities that I wouldn't have had anywhere else. I cannot thank him enough."
Nora in A Doll's Life: the Defining Role for a Character Actor and Classical Singer
Aside from working the business-end of the Beautiful Soup Theater Collective, Mallory's opportunities ranged from playing Viola (Twelfth Night) to the Queen of Hearts (Alice in Wonderland). Her most recent role was Nora in A Doll's Life.
A Doll's Life is a musical with a book and lyrics written by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, with music by Larry Grossman. The musical is based on a play by Henrik Ibsen, A Doll's House. It originally premiered in 1982 and it was a flop. In 1994, The York Theater re-premiered a slightly different version of the play. The Beautiful Soup Theater Collective is the third theater to have produced this play since its premier.
"For the Beautiful Soup's production, Steven wanted to firstly create a version of the musical that only focused on Nora leaving her husband and finding herself. Secondly, he wanted to combine both ending scenes from the 1982 and 1994 productions.
"We made sure to get permission from the play's composer, Larry Grossman and Adolph Green's wife, Phyllis Newman to create this new ending."
The Beautiful Soup's Production of A Doll's Life*
Since Steven decided to narrow the focus of A Doll's Life strictly on Nora's journey, Mallory adopted the same attitude as she prepared to act the part.
"When I researched Nora's part, I was struck by the humanity in her character. She was raised her entire life to do what men asked of her, but has no knowledge of what she likes until she ventures into the world to find herself.
"Nora also wants to teach her children something genuine about life, and she does not want to return home until she feels she really knows what it is like to work, have power, start a business, and more.
"She makes several mistakes in her journey, and she learns from them. I really tried to live in the moment of that."
I saw Mallory perform the role of Nora in A Doll's Life back in February, and her performance was impeccable. She has found the perfect theatrical character that can facilitate all of her different talents. The character of the lead role is dramatic, and sings like a soprano. As a character, Nora is ambitious, subtly manipulative and innocently sexy for a woman who was once raised to live like a doll.
Mallory Berlin (Nora) and Alex Pagels (Eric) at The New Ohio Theater*
As I thought about more about Nora, I realized she is a timeless character. We have all experienced a time in our lives when we were programmed and taught to operate in a single structural manner, only to get out into the real world and see that in fact the only rules we need to follow are the ones we make ourselves.
In addition, some of the plays we consider timeless are performed by character actors and classical singers. Musicals with these actors and singers include My Fair Lady and A West Side Story. In addition, Mallory also taught me that what is popular isn't always timeless.
What Musical Theater Experts Have to Say
"Although there is a large demand for singers who can belt out pop and rock vocal styles; many musical theater experts say that this style will be dated in 20 years, especially since musical theater changes through the generations.
"In the 1950's, Rodgers and Hammerstein's musicals were popular, and my voice is considered very appropriate for their work. During the years between the 1980's and now, Andrew Lloyd Weber's work became popular – and his works included that belting pop, rock voice that has since become the norm.
"I do know however, that the musical theater sound will change because if you look at audition tapes from the 80's they are far different from those in the 90's and even from those after the year 2000."
Mallory's Final Suggestion: Be Nice!
Several artists can attest that the popular demand for certain musical theater works, vocal styles and actors will change in later years. Although the industry will change, the landscape for all performers, actors and opera singers will still be competitive. Here is what Mallory suggests to all young actors:
"When you're in school, you don't have to be friends with everybody or like everyone, but you should be nice to them. And I can say this is relevant in the job world in so many ways.
"As the talent director for the Beautiful Soup Theater Collective, I do occasionally contact individuals I went to school with regarding auditions. If I remember things about a respective individual that I feel didn't help them, for example, they didn't treat me with respect, then I ask myself, what will make them treat me with respect now? Or what will make them treat the director with respect?
"When I do meet individuals who I went to school with that were nice to me, and I like their audition, I can put in a good word for them, and hopefully help them out in a small way, like recommend that they come in a second time."
*All photos were published with permission*
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Traditionally, American presidents have encouraged diplomacy and peace through treaties and international agreements before resorting to threats or violence, as that is one of the most significant shared values demonstrated by democracies (regardless of whether the state being dealt with is also a democracy.) However, American foreign policy has experienced a powerful and incredibly dangerous shift away from this established practice since the inauguration of President Trump. Although Trump's foreign policy endeavors have often remained unexplained and sporadic, one focus of his has proved consistent throughout his 8 months in office: his habit of retreat, which runs contrary to America's historical precedent for international affairs. This switch in America's approach to foreign policy is incredibly harmful. From his abandonment of peaceful dispute resolution frameworks to his withdrawal from previously established international treaties, agreements, and organizations, Trump is actively weakening the United States and its position as a global hegemon.
To justify his international approach, Trump claims that Americans need to reclaim American jobs and set the example that America must put itself first. He discredits the notion that the United States has some sort of moral responsibility to help other, less fortunate states (which are often in their position due to toxic Western imperialist endeavors), mostly relying on the argument that American innovation and economic advancement is hindered by international interference.
Firstly, prematurely retracting from diplomatic means and resulting to threats and eventual violence posits significant economic consequences. Not only is war incredibly costly, but international isolation and protectionist policies are also economically harmful to the United States considering how heavily we rely on necessary resources (including human capital) from other states to fuel our own economy as well as provide raw materials and final goods to American companies. The current international world order is remarkably characterized by state-to-state dependency and one state's reliance on another for economic means is not as zero sum as Trump would like to argue. The more the United States presents itself as unwilling to compromise with other states and promote peaceful decision-making, the less other countries are going to commit to economic partnerships that benefit the American economy.
In addition to economic considerations, Trump's foreign policy agenda of retreat also demonstrates severe political repercussions. His complete dismissal of participating in any method of international cooperation that does not directly impact the United States in a positive manner has cut important strategic political allies and will continue to do so. As the United States has historically served as an exemplar of democracy and diplomacy, other states will soon begin to mock the U.S.'s new approach of disruptive behavior and political discord which can potentially become the new norm, resulting in little urgency to promote cooperation. The loss of life due to war and intrastate disagreements over politics is just one of the many severe consequences of states pursuing policies purely according to their own interests. At its worst, this tactic can lead to a dystopian disregard of state autonomy. At its best, it leads to a superiority complex and ignores the desperate need of assistance for states victim to extreme poverty, violence, and turmoil. Although cooperation and the prospect of peace through diplomatic means is one of the core tenets of liberalism, pro-Trump realists should also discover the need to eschew support for Trump's routine abandonment, as mediation and partnership increasingly become a matter vital to state security and survival, and as Trump's retreat has often allowed for other countries to gain economically and politically.
Trump's policy of retreat is also socially harmful. His persistence in building a wall along the US-Mexico border, blocking US travel from Middle Eastern citizens, and rejecting DACA have demonstrated his disregard for foreigners, especially those who can offer little to the United States and who have historically been discriminated against. This sort of retreat has caused especially harmful relations regarding race and citizenship status throughout the United States. Whether he intended a negative impact or not, his desertion within this realm of foreign policy has caused severe domestic issues aimed toward normalizing harmful behaviors toward immigrants and minorities, especially those connected in some way to the countries he attempts to distance from the United States.
The arguments put forth by Trump and his supporters that foreigners and international involvement are hindering the U.S. economy are simply untrue. Not only do immigrants complete a significant portion of jobs within the United States economy deemed as unwanted by Americans, but they also (unfortunately) provide this work for lower wages than American citizens, allowing companies to benefit from larger profits which ultimately supports our overall GDP. Additionally, as was discovered after the disturbance ensued by Trump's desire to alter the HB1 visa provision (predominantly from tech companies that chiefly rely on the minds of foreign engineers and innovators), the American economy is greatly dependent on foreign employment for our own success and technological advancement over other states. Ultimately, Trump's tendency to retreat from the global community actually does not in fact put "America First," but rather it weakens our stance within the global community while providing economic, political, and social consequences.
The Fragile State of U.S. Cybersecurity Policy: Is it enough?
Google the word "hack" these days and thousands of hits come up regarding large, multinational companies being hit by attacks that you think shouldn't have happened in the first place. In the current media frenzy focusing on the North Korean missile crisis, hurricanes and natural disasters, and humanitarian crises, cybersecurity threats and attacks fly relatively under the radar. Only when the attack threatens an election or millions of identity thefts does the news of a detrimental hack make headlines. Most recently, the Equifax hack released the private information of 143 million of Americans that resulted in many having their identity stolen and leaving their credit ruined. The United States has been the subject of thousands and thousands of cybersecurity threats, and yet the policy (both domestic and foreign) regulating them is relatively undeveloped. The investigation into Russian cyber-meddling in the 2016 Presidential election seems as though it has stalled at best. At worst, it has been completely forgotten in the sidetracking hearings of former F.B.I. Director James Comey. What should have been a hallmark case in foreign cyber attacks turned into a political tête-à-tête.
Cyber attacks are nearly impossible to predict, and even harder to prosecute after the fact, as there are no fingerprints or DNA evidence left behind in a purely digital invasion. Thus, the policy surrounding cybersecurity is notably lacking in specificity, especially with regards to foreign entities performing the attacks. Often times, the attacks are a result of pure human error, which makes policy formulation that much harder. For example, in the Russian hack into the DNC emails, Hillary Clinton's campaign manager John Podesta clicked a link to reset his password that he thought was sent by "the Gmail team". This very basic phishing email gave Russian hackers full access to Podesta's emails and sent the final months of the 2016 presidential campaign into a frenzy that included the word "emails" being exhausted in every debate. By the time the breach was even discovered, the irreparable damage had already been done.
Thirty-nine states have found evidence of invasions by Russian hackers into software systems and voter databases, using this data to attempt to delete or alter votes. While this is clearly an extreme situation, little has been done to our relationship with Russia to ensure this doesn't happen again, or to at least show that we are taking this as seriously as we should be. The implications of Russia hacking into the election are far-reaching. If they are able to alter voter data to alter to outcome of the election, then the entire integrity of the American political system is at danger. It is as though the fears of the Red Scare and the anti-communism nightmares of the mid-twentieth century are being realized as technology has made them an available possibility. Currently, the Department of Homeland Security has a "Framework" for private sector businesses to investigate and respond to cyber threats. Most multi-national corporations have an information security department that handles these matters as well. However, the United States' body of foreign policy is lacking specific measures to identify and stop or respond to attacks from foreign nations that have malicious intentions. These attacks are especially dangerous when the attacks are backed by the government, as is suspected in the Russian election intrusion.
While I argue that Homeland Security should develop a similar framework with more specific details on how the United States' public and private sectors should respond to foreign attacks, it is understandable how this goal can be significantly roadblocked by gaps in capabilities and detection. For obvious reasons, government entities are not quick to lay claim to an attack, especially when it impacts the political integrity of another country or hundreds of millions of Americans. DHS is making positive strides in identifying potential threats. Most recently, they identified a Russian cybersecurity firm, Kaspersky Lab, as using antivirus software to spy on the government. The firm likely has ties to the Kremlin. Though these are steps in the right direction, these incidences are still found when it is likely too late. In the case of Kaspersky, their ties to the Kremlin should have been an automatic red flag and disallowed business in or with the United States. Cybersecurity threats by foreign nations have been proven to have irreparable and unthinkable damage on the core of the United States, whether it be a presidential election or the credit of half the country.
Author globalvuPosted on October 20, 2017 Categories OpinionTags Author: Sarah TaylorLeave a comment on The Fragile State of U.S. Cybersecurity Policy: Is it enough?
July 1st marked a very important milestone in Canadian history, the 150th anniversary of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Canada becoming a confederation. Every year, millions of Canadians gather in towns and cities to celebrate this anniversary, now commonly called Canada Day. The signing of the North America Act in 1867 put the then British colony on the path to becoming the prosperous nation that it is today. This piece of legislation not only created Canada as a nation, but also gave Canadians greater control over their internal affairs, although it was not until 1982 that Canada became fully independent from England.
Although a relatively young nation, a lot of change has happened in Canada in the past century and a half. Once a colony, Canada is now one of the world's most successful countries and is ranked 10th on the United Nation's Human Development Index. Thousands of brave Canadians fought and died alongside American soldiers in the First and Second World Wars, playing their part to help combat fascism and totalitarianism. When the world was anticipating a nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union, Canada was one of the founding members of NATO in order to preserve peace. As nations around the globe descended into civil war and anarchy, the Canadian Government ended nearly a century of racially discriminatory entrance requirements with the passage of the Immigration Act in 1976. Ending years of quotas and exclusionary policies, this law opened the gate for non-Western Europeans to enter the country. Hungarians fleeing communism, Iranians escaping the Ayatollah, and Chileans seeking freedom from Pinochet found refuge on Canadian soil. The Immigration Act and the subsequent revisions have helped the lives of thousands and have transformed Canadian society into the diverse and pluralistic country that exists today.
This is not to say that the nation has been without problems. Canada's history with its indigenous population is shameful and the relationship between the government and the First Nations is still rocky. A legacy of discrimination, land theft, and boarding schools has caused many aboriginals to associate Canada Day with white supremacy and injustice. Things have been only slightly better with the French population over the issue of sovereignty and the place of the French language in society. During the 1970s, things had gotten so bad that Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau had to enact martial law in Quebec following the murder of a government official by Quebecois separatists. Today, there is less unrest, and with the passage of the Multicultural Act of 1971, the Canadian government has officially recognized French as one of its two official languages.
I had the privilege to witness the Canada Day celebrations this year in the Canadian capital of Ottawa during a mission trip with friends it was truly remarkable. It was a vibrant display of the history and culture of the young nation, with the pomp of a formal event. Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, were there, along with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to celebrate the occasion. Millions of people descended upon Parliament hill to hear speeches, eat food, and enjoy live performances from U2, Alessia Cara, and Ruth B. While there I asked friends two questions: What does it mean to be a Canadian, and what makes Canada great?
What makes Canada stand out as a nation? Is it its wealth, the Charter of Rights of Freedoms, poutine, or free healthcare? Yes all of these things are key things that many Canadians love and enjoy. However after 150 years the one thing that truly makes Canada great is the people whose efforts have helped build a successful and vibrant society.
In the past few months, the United States has become increasingly entangled in Yemen's conflict. Since March of 2015, the U.S. has been providing a Saudi-led and largely Sunni-supported military coalition with aid through arms sales and American intelligence. This coalition has been fighting Yemen's Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, who ousted Yemen's government in January of 2015. The Houthi rebels seized the presidential palace and several important military installations, resulting in the dissolution of parliament and forcing the president, Abed Mansour Hadi, to flee to Saudi Arabia. The war has now killed an estimated 10,000 people, nearly half of them civilians, according to the United Nations.
Last week, the U.S. went from being tangentially involved in the conflict to being directly involved. On October 13th, an American warship stationed off the coast of Yemen fired cruise missiles at radar installations that American intelligence believed were used by Houthi rebels to target another American warship in two missile attacks the previous week. The Pentagon has characterized the strikes as "self-defense strikes" which were conducted to protect American personnel and freedom of navigation for American ships. This situation has the potential to draw the U.S. into another protracted conflict in the Middle East.
Already, the civil war in Yemen has caused a humanitarian catastrophe and fueled extremism among the country's citizens. With the U.S. being a vital part of the coalition fighting the rebels, the U.S. bears partial responsibility for the terror and death caused by the Saudi-led coalition. Thousands of civilians have died during their involvement in Yemen's civil war, with a recent incident being the bombing of the funeral of a prominent rebel leader that killed almost 150 civilians. Human Rights Watch called it an "apparent war crime." Previously, the coalition also bombed a hospital served by Doctors Without Borders, killing 15 people and destroying the Emergency department of the hospital.
The coalition either does not know how to hit their targets successfully or does not care about killing civilians. Either option is unconscionable. Despite Saudi Arabia's disregard for human rights, one assumes that they would not intentionally target civilians, meaning that they are killing thousands of civilians accidentally. If the coalition cannot avoid killing thousands of civilians even with the help of American intelligence, the coalition should cease airstrikes immediately. A recent UN report blames 60% of Yemeni children's death and injuries on bombings and military action taken by the coalition.
In a region so unstable and so prone to fueling extremism, the worst possibility for the U.S. would be to continue to be entangled in a never-ending conflict. Saudi Arabia and the U.S. went into Yemen in hopes of getting the country back after the rebels took over, however, at this point Yemen is near total collapse with 80% of the country in need of some sort of humanitarian aid and extremist groups becoming more radicalized and gaining more followers. This war was started to help the people of Yemen, however, the longer it goes on, the harder it will be to finish it.
The U.S. should not be complicit in these atrocities and should not implicitly condone them by continuing to support Saudi Arabia's efforts. Arms sales should be stopped until Saudi Arabia is able to wage war without killing civilians and until they commit to negotiating peace in Yemen. Those arms sales make the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen possible, however, they also provide firepower for other military actions Saudi Arabia takes. For a country with such a terrible human rights record, it does not make sense for the U.S. to be supporting them with military power and intelligence. The United States should not support a nation which does not share our values regarding the value of human life and basic rights.
The conflict in Yemen is difficult and becomes more complicated by the day as more bombs are dropped and more citizens become radicalized. This is especially true with the development of US involvement, which began with Houthi rebels firing on American warships and the Americans responding destroying three radar installations. While retaliatory and justifiable, the US Navy's response was still the first direct action taken by the U.S. military in this conflict. In addition, becoming further entangled in this conflict in the Middle East runs the risk of forcing the U.S. into several more decades of direct military engagement in the Middle East, just as the U.S. military is slowly beginning to be pulled out.
With a rising civilian death toll and deteriorating living conditions in Yemen, some would say it is logical that the United States should intervene more than it has. But it would be foolish for the United States to become involved directly in a war in Yemen and, following a lengthy and unpopular conflict in Iraq, there would not be support for it among the American people. Given rising extremism and unstable conditions created by the humanitarian crisis, it would be risky for the US to get entangled in yet another conflict in the Middle East. If provided U.S. intelligence made it possible for the coalition to successfully combat the rebels, then that support should be continued, however, even with that intelligence, civilian targets continue to be hit. The U.S.'s involvement has not helped the humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen and it is time the administration ceased its support to Saudi Arabia and considered other options.
The Ugly Alliance: Can we justify US/Saudi relations?
For 70 years, our country has maintained an alliance with Saudi Arabia built on oil and security, but is that enough to justify our relationship? It has often been said that Saudi Arabia is one of our few friends in the Middle East and that they are a key partner in the war on terror, however, we need to reduce the support we give them, and stop supplying them with so much political and military aid. We can't continue to support a regime that exports radical ideologies, oppresses their citizens, and works against our interests in the region.
The U.S has placed several nations under economic sanctions because of human rights violations. Cuba, North Korea, and Burma are all countries that are currently paying the price for their discriminatory domestic policies. One must wonder why Saudi Arabia isn't also reprimanded by the U.S. for how they treat their citizens. The kingdom of Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy that is governed by a strict interpretation of Sharia law. There are no formal democratic institutions in the country since political parties are forbidden, and until last year women weren't allowed to vote. Torture and arbitrary arrests are common and many people are held in custody for long periods of time before trial. This is a country where one can be beheaded for homosexuality, apostasy, armed robbery, adultery, and even sorcery. Stoning and death by firing squad are other means of execution, and most are held in public. It's entirely hypocritical for the U.S. to keep turning a blind eye to this barbarism when other countries are punished for the same behavior.
Despite horrid domestic laws, Saudi Arabia's foreign policies are no better, and we suffer because of many of their policy decisions. The Saudis spend millions of dollars on the creation of religious schools in order to spread fundamentalist Wahhabi Islam throughout the world. These schools tend to be vehemently anti-western/anti-American and many of their graduates become recruits for radical Islamic terror groups. Organizations like Al-Haramain and Al Waqf Al-Islami are examples of Saudi "charities" which finance the spread of radical Islam and support imams that preach this strict interpretation of Islam. The effect of these schools can especially be seen in traditionally moderate Kosovo, which has become a pipeline for jihadists following a large influx of Saudi funded mosques and imams. Many EU countries have made the connection between the spread of Wahhabism with extremism yet our government has made no efforts to pressure the Saudis to reconsider their missionary work.
Furthermore, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia's capital, has not been a valuable asset in the current conflict against ISIS and has actually done much to destabilize the region. The U.S. and the Saudis agree that President Assad must step down in order to for Syria to transition towards peace. However, we have different goals and objectives in the region. Our main priority is defeating the Islamic State through an aerial campaign and by supporting "moderate" rebels with training and weaponry. Although ISIS is seen as a threat by many western nations including the U.S., one would think that the Saudis would contribute more to the campaign due to their geographic proximity. The Saudis have a defense budget of about 46 billion dollars and are the top buyer of U.S. weaponry, meaning they are equipped to be a key partner in the coalition. Despite this, they have contributed virtually nothing in the air campaign. On the ground, Saudi Arabia finances a great deal of the training programs for rebel groups, but they also support Islamist groups like Al-Nusra who we deem terrorists. While we are conducting the majority of combat operations against ISIS, Saudi Arabia is currently engaged in Yemen against Houthi Rebels. This intervention has not produced any positive results but has destabilized the region and created a foothold for Al-Qaeda. To make matters worse it hurts our nation's reputation abroad when someone is indiscriminately bombing civilians with American hardware. All this does is fuel the fire for a community already resentful of the United States and helps provide the propaganda extremists thrive on, that America is a tyrant that supports oppressive regimes.
There is a lot of money to be made from our alliance with the Saudis, as they are the number one importer of American weapons, providing an economic angle to the partnership. Though a Saudi U.S. alliance is certainly profitable, can we continue to justify our support for them purely because it's good for business? Our nation has supported some very questionable governments but it's time for us to reevaluate our strategies for the region and whether or not the Saudis should play a role in our policies in the Middle East. Instead of being a symbiotic and positive relationship, ours is a parasitic one with Saudi Arabia. We don't need to maintain a close partnership with the Saudis when can work with other states in the area such as Egypt, the UAE, Qatar, and Israel. These states may not all be ideal western democracies, but they are in strategic locations and for the most part work well with U.S. interests. Three of these states are Sunni, and all buy large amounts of American weaponry, which serves in the interests of those in the defense industry. Also, current trends in the oil market have lowered the price of crude oil to the point that we no longer need to depend on Saudi Arabia for energy. We can attempt to develop or improve relationships with the other members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (especially those in Latin America) and free ourselves from the potential entanglements of Saudi energy dependency. It's time for our nation to reevaluate who we consider our friends and not allow the past to dictate how we handle future and present events in this ever changing world.
Author globalvuPosted on October 11, 2016 Categories Middle East, OpinionLeave a comment on The Ugly Alliance: Can we justify US/Saudi relations?
Do you all remember Arthur the Aardvark? The eight-year-old who cruised around with his friends through the streets of Elwood City navigating the struggles of being a third-grader? If you have no idea what I'm talking about, just take comfort that Arthur has been lauded as one of the finest examples of children's television programming in the last decade, as well as being "just straight up awesome" (Sivakumar et al., 2006).
However, I'd like to turn your attention to one particular episode of this show. "Prove It," episode four from the fourth season of Arthur, which concerned Arthur's wonderful sister D.W. and her attempt to get her brother to take her to a science museum. In order to do so, she starts a museum in her own backyard, promoting theories such as the H in H2O stands for hose, and the ocean is created by sand moving so fast it turns into liquid. Annoyed and terrified about the effect D.W.'s "science" is having on the impressionable neighborhood children, Arthur takes her to the museum to show her how science actually works, thereby fulfilling her ulterior motives.
When I first watched this show as a young child, I have to admit, I was angry. How could D.W. promote such bogus science? How could people believe her? She had turned her back on reasoning and the very pillars of the discipline she claimed to espouse, all in order to achieve a mischievous end goal. No one would actually do that in real life, right?
Fast-forward a decade later to June 23, 2016. As the votes for Britain's decision to leave the European Union (E.U.) came towards a close, I experienced many of the same emotions as I did when I was in elementary school after that Arthur episode. How could the "Leave" campaign promote such grand anti-immigration sentiment? How could the British believe them? Why did they not follow the advice of countless organizations, foreign governments, and heads of state to stay for their own economic security? Was the attempt to bring Europe together after World War II all for nothing?
In both instances, I never realized the magnitude of the inequality that led to these drastic actions. For the children in Arthur, they had not been educated about all the intricacies of science, causing them to find some sort of refuge in D.W.'s explanations. In Britain, analysis showed that the town that had the most percentage of residents in favor of leaving the European Union, Boston, earned low incomes and had only 1 in 3 people carry formal qualifications. Leaving the European Union was not a large loss for these voters, as they had failed to see the benefits of European integration. In the town of Lambeth, where voters chose overwhelmingly to stay in the E.U. , incomes were more than 10,000 pounds more than the average voter in Boston, and there were twice as many professionals. These results indicate a widespread gap in socioeconomic status and education, a gap that in turn has affected how people respond to political commentary.
And that, folks, speaks volumes.
This statement elucidates a large factor in the majority of the U.K. rejecting the overtures of U.S. President Barack Obama, Prime Minister David Cameron, Opposition Leader Jeremy Corbyn, and other seemingly respected individuals and institutions: anti-intellectualism. The establishment commonly uses academia and intellectualism to support their claims, which may or may not lead to good results. The establishment might use scientific data to push forward claims of global warming or the efficacy of vaccines, but those opposed to the establishment conflate these scientific positions into a larger establishment narrative, and therefore reject them in alarming numbers. That being said, academia and government do not always have a beneficial goal in mind. The theory of eugenics pushed in intellectual circles in the early 20th century can be regarded as a driving factor for the implementation of the discriminatory Immigration Act of 1924 in the United States.
Additionally, socioeconomic gaps exist worldwide and have manifested in similar ways politically, mainly in a distaste for the establishment and for experts. In the Philippines, this led to the election of Rodrigo Duterte, whose campaign was based on his anti-crime campaign to purge the nation of criminals in any manner possible, implying the reintroduction of vigilante death squads that he oversaw as mayor of the city of Davao. Disgusted with crime and perceived inaction by establishment parties, voters swept Duterte into office, despite calls to stop him from the incumbent government and human rights organizations concerned with his previous record of extrajudicial killings. In Austria, a far-right candidate who proclaimed "Islam has no place in Austria," lost the presidential election by 0.6%, a movement attributed to anti-immigration sentiment in the wake of the influx of refugees into the European Union; his opposing candidate, also an outsider was backed by the chancellor of Austria, as well as the supporters of the two major parties in the country. In fact, an Austrian constitutional court has just invalidated the election results, leading to another potential grab for power for the aforementioned candidate.
These actions have dire consequences, especially in light of how the UKIP, the major party in favor of leaving the European Union, convinced many voters to chose to leave the EU by primarily emphasizing fears of immigration. Nigel Farage, the leader of UKIP, stated in response to a question about the similarity of his campaign and that of Donald Trump that "The problem you've got in the U.S. is illegal immigration. Our problem is legal immigration to half a billion people." Compounded with posters proclaiming refugees as undesirable, many voters choosing Brexit did say their decision was influenced by immigration, a sentiment that certainly reverberates across the Atlantic. By using scapegoating instead of educated, well-reasoned arguments, political forces are able to tap into inner prejudices and divisions between different groups (evidenced by the uptick in hate crimes against minorities and immigrants across the U.K. after votes were counted), and therefore using them to achieve a political goal.
Education is a privilege. Our best goal and hope for this generation and the broken political world is to prevent academia from being distorted and being derided, a hope that can only be accomplished with discarding a sense of elitism, recognizing our privilege, and attempting to have thoughtful, civil, and educational debates with others concerning issues surrounding politics and other disciplines. The longer we disregard populist sentiments, the easier it is for groups and individuals to exploit divides within communities, causing false information being fed not only to the innocent neighborhood children of Arthur, but also to vast segments of our population, leading to life-changing moments like that in Britain.


Bell's palsy is named for Sir Charles Bell, a 19th century Scottish surgeon who described the facial nerve and its connection to the condition. The disorder, which is not related to stroke, is the most common cause of facial paralysis. Research has discovered that most cases can be traced to herpes simplex 1, the virus that causes cold sores. The virus infects the seventh cranial (facial) nerve, which helps to control the muscles associated with facial expression. The facial nerve swells and becomes inflamed in reaction to the infection, resulting in facial weakness and paralysis. Bell's palsy has also been associated with influenza, headaches, chronic middle ear infection, high blood pressure, diabetes, sarcoidosis, tumors, Lyme disease, as well as trauma such as skull fracture or facial injury. Bell's palsy affects men and women equally and can occur at any age, but it is less common before age 15 or after age 60.
Acupuncture is a health practice and component of Traditional Chinese Medicine; a health care system approach to treating and preventing disease. Practiced for thousands of years, acupuncture has been used to assist in Bell's Palsy recovery. Recently, acupuncture has gained more attention as an alternative and complementary treatment choice in western culture. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, facial paralysis is known as 'deviated mouth' and ascribes this condition to "External Wind-Cold attacking the channels of the face". One of the main implications of this condition is an underlying qi (a person's inherent energy) deficiency.
Acupuncture treatment for Bell's palsy involves the insertion of fine needles into specific points on the facial skin; or by applying various other techniques to the acupuncture points, bringing about natural healing and to promote physical and emotional well-being. Acupuncture effectively spreads qi through the channels of the face to promote blood and lymph circulation on the side with facial paralysis. This treatment is believed to stimulate the nervous system by influencing the production of hormones and neurotransmitters; ultimately reducing inflammation of the cranial nerve while releasing fascia tissue and tight muscles.
These images support the effectiveness of treating Bell's palsy with acupuncture. This patient received a series of seven treatments over a three week period. As a result, the patient has regained nearly all muscle function and facial expression.


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N'Kob é uma vila do sul de Marrocos, que faz parte da província de Zagora  e da região de Sous-Massa-Drâa.

A par de Tazzarine, é a maior povoação da região montanhosa do Jbel Saghro, uma área habitada pela tribo berbere . Ocupa um oásis coberto de palmeiras,  na estrada que liga o Tafilalt (Arfoud e Rissani) ao vale do Drá e Ouarzazate, 70 km a leste de Agdz, 140 km a leste de Ouarzazate, 105 km a norte de Zagora, 36 km a oeste de Tazzarine, 190 km a sudoeste de Rissani e 340 km a sudeste de Marraquexe.

É uma povoação tipicamente berbere, muito pitoresca pelos seus inúmeros casbás (habitações fortificadas) de taipa e pela paisagem, dominada pelas escarpas do Jbel Saghro. Diz-se que é a localidade com mais casbás de Marrocos (52), alguns em muito bom estado. Apesar de estar fora dos roteiros turísticos mais comuns, tem bastante oferta de alojamentos e é procurada sobretudo por praticantes de caminhada que percorrem o Jbel Saghro.

Ligações externas

Comunas de Marrocos
Aldeias e vilas de Marrocos
Localidades de Souss-Massa-Drâa
Oásis de Marrocos
Saara marroquino

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Home › Al Green - Green is Blues (50th Anniversary Edition)
Al Green - Green is Blues (50th Anniversary Edition)
Al Green's first release for Hi Records, celebrating its 50th anniversary with a special split green/blue 180g vinyl release, with liner notes and a tip-on jacket. Available first at record stores for Record Store Day 2020.
1. "One Woman" 2. "Talk To Me" 3. "My Girl" 4. "The Letter" 5. "I Stand Accused" 6. "Gotta Find A New World" 7. "What Am I Gonna Do with Myself?" 8. "Tomorrow's Dream" 9. "Get Back Baby" 10. "Get Back" 11. "Summertime"
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Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. feat. Geoff Leigh - Reverse of Rebirth Reprise
Adnan Othman - Bershukor: A Retrospective of Hits by a Malaysian Pop Yeh Yeh Legend
Various Artists - Afrikan Blood (RSD Black Friday 2020)
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