CCC’s music program flourishes

BY AARON RILEY

STAFF WRITER

The Cumberland County College Music Program began as a meager couplet of classes before evolving into a highlight of the Arts and Humanities Division.  The change, which has enabled students to receive more thorough musical training and encounter a more fulfilling exhibition of the history and culture surrounding music, is thanks to a number of talented professors.

Dave Anderson teaches Piano, the Music Theory and Music History classes, and Ear Training and Sight Singing. Brian Betz teaches the Small Ensemble classes, World Music, Guitar and Jazz Composition.  Lauren Canna teaches the College Chorus classes.  Sheila Lowe teaches Gospel Choir.  James Piccone, in addition to being the Dean of the Arts and Humanities Division, teaches Music Appreciation and has been readily involved in the Music Program for years. Joe Akinskas is the conductor of the two bigger bands, the Jazz Band and the Wind Symphony. The jazz band is a 19-piece orchestra while the Wind Symphony ensemble has 50 players. According to Piccone, “We don’t have enough enrolled music majors to fill the 50 seats in the Wind ensemble so we bring in people from the outside. Music is a highlight of the Arts and Humanities Division in the sense that it brings students and members of the community together [to fill that quota].” The theater and music programs have both grown in recent years, sometimes in tandem, as both theater and music are irrevocably linked. The band members play in the pit orchestra for the spring musicals; this spring they will lend their talent to the score for “Fiddler on the Roof.” The bands are heavily involved in extracurricular activities and community interaction.

They play every year at a venue in Baltimore or New York City, in nursing and Veterans Affairs homes, from local parks to as far as the Cape May boardwalk in the summer. The bands and chorus have taken part in many activities over the years, such as Music on the Mall.  The Cumberland Mall website describes the former Music on the Mall events as the “collaboration of the Cumberland County College Music Department and Cumberland Mall to provide the community with an ongoing series of light repertoire concerts showcasing local musical talent.” The Bay-Atlantic Symphony frequently uses the college facilities to rehearse, in exchange offering four concert performances a year. On Saturday, March 24th at 8:00 PM in the Frank Guaracini Jr. Fine & Performing Arts Center, Hong Kong-born pianist and composer Lee Pui Ming will be performing her own work, She Comes to Shore: concerto for improvised piano and orchestra. The epic night will be capped off with the finale of Jean Sibelius’ “Symphony No. 2.” Piccone, looking back at its history, summates the benefits of the Music Program: “When I came here to teach as an adjunct in 1997, we only had Fundamentals of Music and Music Appreciation. From that it has grown into a full-blown program.  We have applied music lessons.  There are five ensembles for students to choose from. It has become a pretty elaborate program that’s very transferable to a four-year college.”

Vineland’s very own Bring the Music festival ’09

By AARON RILEY

Staff Writer

The music is being brought on June 24th, 2009 at Vineland, New Jersey, courtesy of the 2nd Annual Bring the Music festival. Boasting moderately unknown bands, many from the tri-state area, infixed into the smaller and more intimate (at least relative to most venues) setting of the U-Sell Flea Market, the Bring the Music festival has been a successful new concert. Beginning in 2008, the Bring the Music festival has spotlighted lesser-known bands with strong local and online followings, many of which you wouldn’t see at Coachella or the Pitchfork Music festival.

These bands’ vital lifelines of fan support have been achieved primarily though the Internet. In the age of Myspace and Facebook, a striking portion of the problems facing local and regional bands has been thankfully eradicated, leading, for many of them, to record deals. There are still however, bands that continue to be independent, either by choice or by as of yet remaining undiscovered. With that information in mind, festivals like this are important for establishing fanbases for many unrecognized talents.

Bands performing at the festival this year are You, Me, and Everyone We Know, The Morning Of, Go Crash Audio, The Lives of Famous Men, Raccoon Fighter, Where the Ocean Meets the Sky, Losing Ground, A’s Rage, Liam and Me, Eyes on the Prize, Van Atta High, I Know the Struggle, The Crosstown Rivalry, Cheezy and the Crackers, and Cassonova Brown. Expect to see more bands perform that will be announced in the coming weeks. Last year’s Bring the Music festival was held on June 25th, 2008, and included headliners Houston Calls, Person L, and Socratic.

The Bring the Music festival is being held on June 24th, 12:00 PM Noon, at the U-Sell Flea Market, 2896 S. Delsea Dr., Vineland, N.J. 08360. The tickets cost $15 presale and $20 at the door.

The Soloist

 

Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr. paint an intricate portrait of the developing friendship between L.A. Times journalist, Steve Lopez, and fragile musical genius Nathaniel Ayers.

 

 

By Saul Rosa
Staff Reporter

 

The Soloist is a film, all puns intended, for the heartstrings. It focuses on the development of the two main characters and their relationship rather than an intense plot with twists and turns. The journalistic style of Steve Lopez is present in the film, as it seems to be a series of events tied together with strong transitions, each being only a segment of the whole story. 

 The story opens with an introduction of the life and career as a news columnist for the L.A. Times of Steve Lopez, played by Robert Downey Jr.

 Lopez, searching for a subject for a new column, discovers a homeless man at Beethoven Square playing a violin that is missing all but two strings.

 Struck by the quality of the sound on such a poor instrument, Lopez addresses the homeless man as a potential news column. Mr. Lopez soon discovers that the homeless man is actually Nathaniel Ayres, played by Jamie Foxx, a dropout from the Juilliard School of Music.

 Intent on continuing his news columns, Lopez begins to help Nathaniel and the transition from news subject to friend begins.

 The scene changes tend to be followed by either a monologue by Steve Lopez or a piece of classical music.

 Nathaniel has a second chance at music, the one passion that keeps his mind stable, he was overcome many obstacles with the help of Lopez. Through his friendship with Nathaniel, Lopez rediscovers his passion for writing and reconnects with his family.

 Ultimately, the story of Nathaniel and Lopez is not an intensely driven story but a story of a series of events and how through these events a friendship emerged.

Is Chinese Democracy worth the hype?

 

Axl Rose lead singer of Guns N' Roses

 

 

By BRITTANY WALDER

Staff Writer

 

After 14 years, numerous lineup changes, does Guns N’ Roses’ sixth studio album Chinese Democracy live up to nearly two decades of anticipation?

When Guns N’ Roses came roaring onto the scene in the late 1980s, they were a raw, militant force in the industry, representing rock in its crudest form. 

Between 1987 and 2008, Guns N’ Roses saw a complete overhaul.  One of the last remaining members from the group’s golden age, Slash, was fired in 1996.

The album finally hit stores on November 23, 2008 after a purported $13 million in the making. Sales have been remarkably low, but critics have been generally positive.

“A few songs” do hold a genuine appeal, but when it comes down to it, Chinese Democracy sounds so eerily familiar and remarkably bland.  The album is a montage of whiny industrial rock, the sole force on the album resting in the irony of the title track.  The lyrics ring with the reverberations of a melodrama that has become a staple in modern music, and which, not surprisingly has long since lost its appeal.  Rose attempts to perform with the same rowdy angst that  is evident he no longer feels.

The effects are dismal, and when compared with the band’s heyday and the ridiculously long wait for the album’s release, is also really sad.

These faults might have been forgivable if Democracy was released even 10 years ago, thrown together amidst the destruction of the original band, when Rose opted to swap every iconic member for some less celebrated musician who would succeed only in stripping Guns N’ Roses’ style down to the bare essentials—music, riffs, discontent, and generic rock.

Nearly two decades of work should have theoretically produced something beyond mediocre.  Axl Rose’s vocals are mellow when compared to his performance  on earlier compositions.  He sounds like someone who is desperately trying to have fun doing something that no longer gives him a sense of satisfaction.

Overall, Guns N’ Roses doesn’t have the magnetism to pull in new listeners with Democracy.  If anything, it will, however, strike a nostalgic chord with longtime fans.  It is unlikely that like its predecessor, Chinese Democracy will be hailed for years to come.

The Bottom Line: 2 out of 5

Bob Dylan: The greatest poet a musician?

 

Admirers catch a glimpse of Bob Dylan through his window

 

By KRISTEN TANTILLO

Staff Writer

“I consider myself a poet first and a musician second. I live like a poet and I’ll die like a poet.”

- Bob Dylan

This is the man who has single handedly impacted the past few generations while influencing aspiring musicians. Bob Dylan is one of the world’s most popular and acclaimed songwriters and musicians, having sold more than 110 million albums, written more than 550 songs and performed thousands of shows around the world. According to BobDylan.com, Dylan’s songs have been covered more than three thousand times in the past forty-six years. 

He began a new folk-rock genre influenced by the likes of Woody Guthrie and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott. Bob Dylan’s lyrics are poetic and every song he writes is meaningful and lyrically poignant. This legendary songwriter was called the greatest poet of the second half of the 20th century by Allen Ginsberg and was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature from 1997 to 2002. 

In April 2008 he was awarded a special Pulitzer Prize for “his profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions  of extraordinary poetic power.” Being able to express his thoughts while having such an  influence on millions for forty-six years and going strong is quite an accomplishment.

“May your hands always be busy,


 May your feet always be swift,


 May you have a strong foundation


 When the winds of changes shift.


 May your heart always be joyful,


 May your song always be sung,


 May you stay forever young.” 

Those lyrics are from his famous song, “Forever Young.” That is just one example of Dylan’s musical poetry. 

It is undeniable that Bob Dylan set the standards for musicians everywhere. He took folk music and added the social consciousness of the protest era, bridging the gap between the 20th century and the electric era pioneered by groups like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. 

Dylan’s latest  release, Tell Tale Signs, is a compilation album made up of unreleased songs recorded between 1989 and 2006. “Tell Tale Signs is often stunning in the subtle beauty of its musicality and heart-rending in the delivery of its lyric poetry,” said AVRev.com reviewer Charles Andrews.

Bob Dylan has been on the scene for nearly five decades, and it’s unlikely the next five decades will see another Bob Dylan.

Third Friday is Millville’s premiere event

By AARON RILEY

Staff Writer

    

Live music at the Vintage Rose Tea Room

 

 

 

Jim Penland works on his painting

 

The early 21st Century has seen the development of the formerly desolate High St. in Millville, N.J. into a booming arts district. The terrace of communal markets and galleries officially known as Glasstown was designated a Main Street Community in 2004 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The title is fitting, especially given the historicity of the downtown area. The ornamentation of the stores in the area is eclectic, including such styles as Victorian, Second Empire, Italianate, and Gothic Revival. In 1908 William Wrifford, best known as the architect of the Westmont Theatre, designed the vaudevillian Levoy Theatre on High Street. High Street’s status as a polestar of history and culture is a certainty. 

Nevertheless, onward into the 90’s the downtown area had been economically destitute with no investment into its maintenance or development. “Millville’s downtown had only a 50 percent storefront occupancy rate at the time,” according to an article by Millville Mayor James F. Quinn. That was until the city legislated an arts district stretching a 12-square-block area. “The revitalization of downtown Millville found its catalyst in the summer of 1999. After a great deal of research, surveys and target group interviews, it was determined that the “arts” would be that catalyst. Currently, storefront occupancy levels are over 90 percent with a total of 147 businesses/employment entities. Since 2000, 123 new businesses have opened. The net increase is 89 new businesses in Millville’s downtown. Market rate property values have nearly tripled on small to mid-size buildings, and doubled on large buildings,” stated Marianne Lods, Executive Director of Millville Development Corporation, as compiled by the New Jersey State League of Municipalities.

Today, Third Friday is a pivotal feature of the Glasstown Arts District. On the third Friday of every month, the stores and galleries are open late, work from local up-and-coming artists is exhibited and restaurants feature live music. Just about every store offers something unique on Third Friday. 

The Vintage Rose Tea Room, located on 132 N. High Street, is open until 9:00 p.m. on Third Friday. Dessert and tea is offered without reservation, and the evening tea w/food is offered with reservation only. Meanwhile, a different classical musician is invited each month to play soothing, nocturnal music to accompany the meals. Third Fridays at Bogart’s Books & Coffee Bar, located on 210 N. High Street, are exceptionally busy. Crowds of people of all ages shop for books and gather to listen to festive live bands playing genres ranging from country to jazz to folk at literally the smallest venue imaginable. The surprising attendance count is explained by co-manager Jaime Leigh Boobar, “A lot of people come here because it’s fairly cheap reading instead of paying $10 to go to the movies. And here it’s not like a library. You can come in and you can talk, and there’s live music Friday and Saturday nights.” She continued, “There’s usually many different ages here. Older people come to read as do younger people; teens come here with their friends as a place to hang out.” Gail Chiovari, manager of the Vintage Rose Tea Room, mentioned, “It is nice business on Third Fridays, especially when the weather is warmer. On Third Fridays in the spring and summer we offer lemonade, iced tea and bubble tea.”Third Friday is not the only time to catch special events from Glasstown stores. The Vintage Rose Tea Room alone has around six special events coming up. “We have the monthly Read to Me tea for children ages 4-10, which includes a different themed storybook reading each month. The event is pre-paid, and is $15 including tax and gratuity. The children get sandwiches, scones, dessert and tea. April’s theme is the ‘Princess Tea’. On the second Wednesday of every month we have Tea Time Bingo. It lasts from 7 to 9 p.m. and is also pre-paid and costs $15. We offer unlimited tea, a full-plated dish dessert with three smaller dish desserts, and the winners of the game receive prizes. There is a Tea Seminar on March 14th from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The event is pre-paid and costs $38. Lecturer Ann Latrello from “Everything Tea” will talk about the history and origin of tea, will educate people on the different kinds of tea such as black, white, oolong and green, and will reveal tips on how to make the perfect tea. In either late May or early June will be the Titanic Tea. Local author May Kent will spotlight her historical fiction novel about the Titanic. Customers will get a 5-course meal and an evening tea. Periodically we have Murder Mystery Teas, where a theatrical group performs a mystery play in the tea room. It’s a great night out for couples,” divulges Chiovari.   

Furthermore, High Street stores are faring well despite the U.S. recession. “We are fortunate that there has been no decline. There’s been no negative effect from the recession, though the early part of the year is usually slower than the rest of the year, except for Valentine’s week. It gets better in the spring, as is true for most retail businesses,” elaborated the tea room’s Chiovari. Regarding the effects of the recession on Bogart’s Books, Boobar said, “The only thing that really hit us is online sales.”

Roaming High Street, whether  on Third Friday or a weekday afternoon is always satisfying for aficionados of art and culture. Jim Penland of the Artist Consortium, located on 127 N. High Street, and J.B. and M.E., located on 129 N. High Street, is an artist and an art enthusiast along with Jenny Klein of the Artists House. From the almost hallucinatory stories of being a trumpet player for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus at the age of 15 to the airiness, Penland fills the role of the piquant bohemian perfectly. Artists like Penland can be found at shops such as the Amethyst Gallery, the Brush in Hand Gallery, the Full Spectrum, Green Boot Studio, Isabelle’s Studio at 135, La Bottega of Art and the Riverfront Renaissance Center. Surely, it is the characters who inhabit and own the shops in Glasstown that are as much a success story as the Glasstown community itself.