Bollywood Comes To Birmingham!

"The Bollywood Experience" is coming to the Alys Stephens Center on Saturday, November 13 for 2 shows at 10 am and 11:30 am. The show is a family oriented perfomance and is part of the ASC Kid's Club, but interested people of all ages are encouraged to come and be a part of this fascinating presentation.

I had a chance to interview the star of this show, Parul Kapoor, who shared with me some interesting things about herself and "The Bollywood Experience".

ASC: Parul can you tell us a little about yourself!

Parul: I am 21 years old, I am a senior at UAB, studying Marketing and Psychology. I am from India, I moved to Buffalo, NY when I was about 10 years old. I have been dancing since the age of 3, and since then have performed in various shows.

ASC: What inspired you to pursue dance?

Parul: My parents registered me for classical Indian dance classes when I was very young, and ever since I just fell in love with dancing and decided to continue. I completed four years of Kathak (One of the classical Indian dance form) training before moving to the United States. Here in United states I continued to perform in various shows and further enhanced my dancing skills through Bollywood movies.

ASC: What led you to pursue Indian dance and did you study formally?

Parul: I have my parents to thank for this, as they are the ones who recognized my interest and talent in dance and encouraged me to pursuit it at an early age. Yes, I have formal training in an Indian dance form called Kathak, I compeleted a four years course in Kathak.

ASC: What can people who come to your performance expect to see/hear?

Parul: People coming to the Bollywood Experience show can expect to see very graceful and traditional performances from 8 different dancers, see extravagant and glamorous costumes and jewelry Inspired by Bollywood movies, and get a taste of different styles of dance music from India.

ASC: How would you define what "Bollywood" is to someone who is not familiar with the term?

Parul: Bollywood is the name of the Indian movie industry at Bombay, that makes almost 500 movies per year. Dances and music is an important and esential part of Bollywood movies. I plan to give the audience a taste of music and dances of Bollywood. All the performances in the show are inspired by Bollywood movies.

ASC: What do you want the audience to leave with after your performance?

Parul: The audience will experience a variety of performances ranging from epic tales to friendship, family and love and tradition, the show will certainly be an enjoyable new experience for the audience, and it will leave them wanting to see more in the future!

ASC Celebrates the Diversity of the World

ASC Celebrates the Diversity of the World
By SHERMIKA DUNNER

One thing about the Alys Stephens Center is that there is always SOMETHING going on! Prepare yourself for November 8-14th 2010 where music and dance from around the world will entice and enliven. The World on Stage Festival combines a variety of musical performers, and celebrates diversity. Make plans to buy your tickets now!

Take part in the Mandala Sand Painting where a Tibetan monk constructs a painting in the ASC's Grand Lobby—this is truly living art. Come dance to the hypnotic rhythms of Poncho Sanchez and his Latin Orchestra. Bring the kids to The Bollywood Experience where local dancers are sure to fascinate you and your family. Listen to the African Children’s Choir and you are sure to leave inspired.

Have I convinced you yet? The Alys Stephens Center has a plethora of programs that you do not want to miss out on. Hope to see you at ALL the shows. Please view the website as some events, and lectures are FREE. Let’s celebrate the world together one note or step at a time. http://alysstephens.uab.edu/events/?id=118

ArtPlay, New ASC Education & Outreach Center

Everyone here at the ASC is excited about its newest addition, ArtPlay!

Growing a Love of the Arts
Thanks to Jane Stephens Comer's generous donation to UAB's Alys Stephens Center, a brand new arts education initiative called ArtPlay will open its doors to the public in early 2011. This beautiful Victorian house, located in the heart of Southside only blocks away from the Alys Stephens Center, will be home to ASC's expanded education and outreach program. The house is being renovated to provide quality art programming for every generation of aspiring artist, a community venue with an array of programming for creative learning, and a beautiful setting for special events. Arts classes will be available for all ages in dance, music, visual arts, film, and theatre from local arts organizations and individual teachers. Classes will be announced and registration will begin this November.

Our Mission
ArtPlay, the education and outreach initiative of UAB's Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center, endeavors to educate, inspire, and nurture creative growth and self-expression in people of all ages by providing innovative arts education programming in a collaborative and holistic environment.

Our Vision
ArtPlay Believes:
In the creative potential of every human being regardless of age or social background.

*That everyone benefits from being actively engaged and inspired by the arts and having an opportunity to express themselves creatively on the most basic level.

*That an arts learning center should serve as a classroom, laboratory, greenhouse, incubator, and town hall for the entire community.

*Involvement in creative endeavors encourages self-awareness, teaches discipline, and encourages communication between people of all backgrounds.

*The arts are an essential component of the learning and development process in building a comprehensive educational foundation.

Come and be a part of the ASC as we grow! http://www.alysstephens.uab.edu/education/artplay.php

Seth Meyers Trivia

Seth Meyers, a longtime member of the cast of "Saturday Night Live" who delivers the "Weekend Update" each week, will perform at the University of Alabama at Birmingham on November 2. Meyers will perform at 7 p.m. at UAB's Alys Stephens Center. It will be UAB's first-ever Homecoming Comedy show.

Here are a few things you may not know about Seth:

After graduating from Manchester West High School in Manchester, New Hampshire, he earned a degree from Northwestern University, then he took his act on the road. He worked with the traveling troupe of a group called Boom Chicago.
While his dad, Larry Meyers, works with GE Trade Finance, his mom, Hilary Meyers, is a legendary French teacher at McKelvie Middle School in Bedford, New Hampshire, who is known almost universally throughout the town as Madame Meyers.
He sees three distinct Windows of Rejection, which refers to the fact that ideas on SNL have three different opportunities to get rejected before being aired.
He commutes to "Saturday Night Live" (1975) by subway from his apartment in the West Village. Once he gets there, it's hard to leave. There is a constant, break-neck pace to producing a live, weekly television show. Seth has already found that necks are not the only thing that can be broken--your spirit is also on the line every day.
Eventually, the road took him to Amsterdam, where he was the writer and co-star of a two-person comedy show called "Pick-ups and Hiccups" that he and Jill Benjamin staged five nights a week in a 200-seat theater. With Amsterdam as his home base, he did versions of the show in London and Edinburgh--even Singapore--but it was during a brief run at the Chicago Improv Festival that he caught the eye of a "Saturday Night Live" (1975) casting director. He was invited to New York for a try-out, then a follow-up, and then he was hired.
Brother of Josh Meyers, a cast member of "MADtv" (1995).
Promoted to full cast member status of "Saturday Night Live" (1975) in August 2003 along with Jeff Richards and Will Forte.
An avid Boston Red Sox fan, he donated his Celebrity Poker Showdown winnings to the Jimmy Fund. The Jimmy Fund is a Boston area charity specializing in children's cancer treatment. The Jimmy Fund has been associated with the Red Sox for over 50 years.
Seth did the introduction for WMUR's Friday Night Football broadcast on September 24, 2004.
In 2006, he was promoted to Weekend Update co-anchor on "Saturday Night Live" (1975) with Amy Poehler.
Personal Quotes
About Madonna: "She's the reason I asked my parents what the word 'virgin' meant. I've been fantasizing about her for so long, I feel like she's entitled to half my earnings." (In Style magazine, Sept/2006)

Tickets for the performance are $15 for students and $25 for the general public. Call 975-2787 or go to http://alysstephens.uab.edu/ to buy tickets or for more information.

Small Steps, Big Benefits

As you have probably noticed, we are no longer producing program books for ASC Presents performances. Instead we have invested in updating our website and making more materials available online. The response we have received to this “greening of the ASC” has been tremendous! Thank you for your support and enthusiasm on this topic. Have more ideas on how we can be more efficient and eco-minded? Share your ideas with us in the comment section!

Birmingham's funniest comes home!

Rickey Smiley, the former host of BET'S Comic View was born in Birmingham, Alabama. He has taken his humorous gags to some of the most popular comedy clubs in the country. Rickey was the host of BET'S Comic View for the 2000-2001 seasons and led the show to its highest jump in ratings in the show's ten-year history. BET then quickly signed Rickey to host "The Way We Do It" during the 2001-2002 season, and that show went on to become one of the top five shows on the network.

Rickey studied at Tuskegee University and is a 1992 graduate of Alabama State University, where he earned a Bachelor's degree in English. He began his career at small, amateur comedy clubs in Birmingham and is known for his characters, impressions and “Southern” sense of humor. Rickey takes everyday situations and turns them into everyday humor with the help of a few imaginary friends like 90-year-old church lady, Ms. Bernice Jenkins, along with Lil Daryl, a character that gained much notoriety on BET's "Live from L.A." He is a seasoned veteran who established himself as a “clean” comic, in that his material is appropriate for all ages.

From his daily syndicated radio show and intimate comedy club performances, to sold-out crowds at Madison Square Garden, the Universal Amphitheater and the Lincoln Center, Rickey's unique style of humor resonates with his audiences unlike any other comic on the road today.

UAB's Alys Stephens Center will present comedian Rickey Smiley at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29, 2010, in the center, 1200 10th Ave. South. Tickets are $62, $52, $39; $20 for student tickets. Call 205-975-2787 or go to http://www.alysstephens.org/.

Greatest Song Ever List!

Congratulations to Lee Welden! He is the winner of our
"Greatest Song Ever Contest"! His pick was George Jones', He Stopped Loving Her Today.

Here are the songs you picked as the Greatest Ever! There were several duplictate entries for Country Road, Ring Of Fire and I'll Always Love You... Thanks to everyone who entered!

Take these Chains from my Heart - Hank Williams


Yesterday - Lennon/McCartney


Rosanne Cash - Seven Year Ache


A Day in the Life- The Beatles


Over the Rainbow- Judy Garland


Wild World by Cat Stevens


The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot


Carry on my Wayward Son by Kansas


Sea of Heartbreak


I'll be Seeing You


Salisbury Hill by Peter Gabriel


Ring of fire by Johnny & June Cash and Merle Kilgore


I Will Always Love You written by Dolly Parton


Sunshine on My Shoulders by John Denver


Take Me Home, Country Road - John Denver


Come Sail Away by Styx


Ooh Child by The Five Stair Steps


Blowin in the Wind by Bob Dylan


Boots of Spanish Leather by Bob Dylan


Bless this Broken Road by Rascal Flatts


500 Miles


Rocky Mountain High by John Denver


Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell


Where Have All the Flowers Gone? by Pete Seiger


This Land is My Land by Woody Guthrie


You never even called me by my name


Moon River


Cyndi Lauper - Time after Time


Crying by Roy Orbison


George Jones - He stopped loving her Today


Unchained Melody


The Man Comes Around


The City of new Orleans


I Walk the Line by Johnny Cash


May the Circle Be Unbroken


Son of a Preacher Man


Elvis Presley's version of How Great Thou Art


You Don't Have to Call Me Darlin', Darlin by David Allen Coe


She's Got You


He Stopped Loving Her Today by George Jones


God Only Knows by The Beach Boys


Bury Me Under The Weeping Willow


I'm Movin On


Stand By Your Man


Heartaches by the Numbers

STAR TREK LIVE BLASTS OFF AT THE ASC!

The ASC presents Star Trek Live on Sunday, October 24, 2010 at 3 PM in the Jemison Theater.

Based on the popular science-fiction franchise, the show takes audiences on an exhilarating journey offering an unforgettable live theatrical experience for fans of all ages.

About STAR TREK LIVE:

Audience members join Starfleet Academy only to be unexpectedly whisked into an adventure steeped in the grand tradition of Star Trek. STAR TREK LIVE combines cutting-edge special effects, unmatched audience interaction, cool science and on-screen appearances from Captain Kirk and Spock themselves to create an exhilarating and unforgettable theatrical experience. Eager to learn from Starfleet’s best and brightest, our cadets assemble, anxious to prepare for their first day at the Academy. As we are introduced to the Academy, the Earth itself comes under attack from a renegade Romulan, leaving the fate of the future itself in the hands of our cadets. Our cadets will have to quickly learn the intricacies of living and working in space, modern space travel and the latest in communication and technology as they draw on the achievements of science in the 21st century. It will require all our knowledge, ingenuity, logic and an exploration of science to discover what is happening and how to set things right before it’s too late!

STAR TREK LIVE is a thrilling journey for audiences of all ages! Awesome special effects, unrivalled audience interaction and an exploration of real space-age technology take everyone on an unforgettable journey through the Star Trek universe. Join STAR TREK LIVE and boldly go where no one has gone before! http://alysstephens.uab.edu/events/?id=93

"Bollywood" in Birmingham!

Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes several regional film industries sorted by language. Bollywood is the largest film producer in India and one of the largest centers of film production in the world.

Bollywood is formally referred to as Hindi cinema, but there has been a growing presence of Indian English in dialogue and songs as well. It is common to see films that feature dialogue with English words phrases, or even whole sentences.

With the growing interest and popularity of Bollywood, the ASC is proud to host "The Bollywood Experience" Saturday, November 13 for two shows at 10 AM and 11:30 AM. From classical indian dance inspired by ancient texts to modern dance as seen in the Bollywood films of today, dancer Parul Kapoor will take you on a magical journey through time. You won't want to miss this performance that's enhanced by traditional indian costumes and great music! Part of the World on Stage Festival. http://alysstephens.uab.edu/events/?id=96

Come see THE MYSTICAL ARTS OF TIBET at the ASC!

Drepung Loseling is dedicated to the study and preservation of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of wisdom and compassion. A center for the cultivation of both heart and intellect, it provides a sanctuary for the nurturance of inner peace and kindness, community understanding, and global healing.

In implementing this vision, Drepung Loseling has two main objectives:
To contribute to North American culture by providing theoretical knowledge and practical training in Tibetan Buddhist scholarly traditions for Western students, scholars and the general public; and
To help preserve the endangered Tibetan culture, which today leads a fragile existence in the exiled refugee communities in India and Nepal.http://www.drepung.org/About.cfm

Witness the famed monks from Tibet's Drepung Loseling Monastery as they perform traditional temple music and mystical masked dances at the ASC during the World On Stage festival on November 11 at 7 PM. http://alysstephens.uab.edu/events/?id=73 This extraordinary Dalai Lama endorsed performance features elaborate costumes, traditional instruments, and unique multiphonic singing - where the monks simultaneously intone three notes of a chord. Hear the inviting tones of traditional instruments like the 10-foot dung-chen horns, drums, bells, cymbals, and gyaling trumpets. And you'll also experience the rich brocade of costumes and masked dances, such as the Dance of the Sacred Snow Lion.

Also not to be missed are the daily viewing of the monks as the create a beautiful Mandala Sand Painting in the lobby of the ASC. Public viewings start on November 8 with an opening ceremony at 1 pm and every day after from 10 AM - 6 PM with a closing ceremony on November 12 at 1 PM.

ASC presents THE WORLD ON STAGE!

The Alys Stephens Center is proud to present the World on Stage. Throughout this festival, you'll witness a sampling of diverse performers that represent unique cultures and artistic expression from around the globe. Festival Events Include:

The Mystical Arts of Tibet

Witness the famed monks from Tibet's Drepung Loseling Monastery as they perform traditional temple music and mystical masked dances. Starting November 9, the public is invited to observe as they create a beautiful Mandala Sand Painting in the lobby of the ASC everyday from 10 AM to 6 PM. November 11 is the ASC performance at 7 PM.

Poncho Sanchez & His Latin Orchestra

Come to a Poncho Sanchez show and you'll hear fragments of Latin jazz, swing, bebop, salsa, and other infectious grooves colliding and churning. His over 20-year relationship with Concord Records has yielded more than two dozen recordings, a Grammy Award and several Grammy nominations. This promises to be a show you don't want to miss! November 12 at 8 PM.

"The Bollywood Experience"

From classical indian dance inspired by ancient texts to modern dance as seen in the Bollywood films of today, dancer Parul Kapoor will take you on a magical journey through time. You won't want to miss this performance that's enhanced by traditional indian costumes and great music! November 13 at 10 PM and 11:30 PM.

African Children's Choir

No other show title has described an artistic endeavor more aptly than African Children's Choir "Journey of Hope." Through glorious performances the choir raises funds to send the members to school, provide housing, and continued leadership training. We hope you will join us in welcoming these amazing artists to the ASC and experience this joyful celebration of the power of hope, compassion, and the arts. November 14 at 3 PM.

Bill Frisell's Beautiful Dreamers

"It's hard to find a more fruitful meditation on American music than
in the compositions of guitarist Bill Frisell. Mixing rock and
country with jazz and blues, he's found what connects them:
improvisation and a sense of play. Unlike other pastichists, who
tend to duck passion, Mr. Frisell plays up the pleasure in the music
and also takes on another often-avoided subject, tenderness." - The
New York Times

Born in Baltimore, Bill Frisell played clarinet throughout his childhood in
Denver, Colorado. His interest in guitar began with his exposure to pop
music on the radio. Soon, the Chicago Blues became a passion through the
work of Otis Rush, B.B. King, Paul Butterfield and Buddy Guy. In high
school, he played in bands covering pop and soul classics, James Brown
and other dance material. Later, Bill studied music at the University of
Northern Colorado before attending Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Over the years, Frisell has contributed to the work of such collaborators as Paul Motian, John Zorn, Elvis Costello, Ginger Baker, The Los Angeles Philharmonic, Suzanne Vega, Loudon Wainwright III, Van Dyke
Parks, Vic Chesnutt, Rickie, Lee Jones, Ron Sexsmith, Vinicius Cantuaria, Marc Johnson (in "Bass Desires"),
Ronald Shannon Jackson and Melvin Gibbs (in "Power Tools"), Marianne Faithful, John Scofield, Jan
Garbarek, Lyle Mays, Vernon Reid, Julius Hemphill, Paul Bley, Wayne Horvitz, Hal Willner, Robin Holcomb,
Rinde Eckert, The Frankfurt Ballet, film director Gus Van Sant, David Sanborn, David Sylvian, Petra Haden
and numerous others, including Bono, Brian Eno, Jon Hassell and Daniel Lanois on the soundtrack for Wim
Wenders’ film Million Dollar Hotel.
This work has established Frisell as one of the most sought-after guitar voices in contemporary music. The
breadth of such performing and recording situations is a testament not only to his singular guitar conception, but
his musical versatility as well. This, however, is old news by now. In recent years, it is Frisell's role as
composer and band leader which has garnered him increasing notoriety.

Bill Frisell brings a rich palette of colors and textures to the ASC on Friday, November 5 at 7:30 PM in the 350 seat Sirote Theater. Tickets will go fast so get yours today at the box office. http://alysstephens.uab.edu/events/?id=81

Greatest Songs Ever!!

Wow! The response to our contest to win tickets for Rosanne Cash has been overwhelming! So many of you have shared your "Greatest Song Ever" with us and that's all it takes to enter. Join the fun and give us your pick for a chance to win at: http://alysstephens.uab.edu/events/?id=79

My 'current' personal favorite is "Call Me" by Al Green.

Here is just a a sample of some of your responses:

Cyndi Lauper's "Time after Time"
"Crying" by Roy Orbison
George Jones, "He Stopped Loving Her Today"
"Unchained Melody""Seven Year Ache"
"The Man Comes Around"
"I Walk the Line" by Johnny Cash
John Denver's "Take Me Home Country Road"
"May the Circle Be Unbroken"
"Son of a Preacher Man"
Elvis Presley's version of "How Great Thou Art"
"You Don't Have to Call Me Darlin', Darlin" by David Allen Coe
"She's Got You"
"God Only Knows" by The Beach Boys
"Bury Me Under The Weeping Willow"
There were many more and the entire list will be posted on the blog on October 15 when the contest ends!
In the meantime, see if one of yours made this list at squido.com!
http://www.squidoo.com/100songs

ASC screens documentary, Burning In The Sun!

26-year-old charmer Daniel Dembele is equal parts West African and European, and looking to make his mark on the world. Seizing the moment at a crossroads in his life, Daniel decides to return to his homeland in Mali and start a local business building solar panels – the first of its kind in the sun drenched nation. Daniel’s goal is to electrify the households of rural communities, 99% of which live without power. BURNING IN THE SUN tells the story of Daniel’s journey growing the budding idea into a viable company, and of the business’ impact on Daniel’s first customers in the tiny village of Banko. Taking controversial stances on climate change, poverty, and African self-sufficiency, the film explores what it means to grow up as a man, and what it takes to prosper as a nation.

http://alysstephens.uab.edu/events/?id=106

African Children's Choir's Journey Of Hope

In 1984, in the midst of Uganda’s bloody civil war, human rights activist Ray Barnett was called on to help the many thousands of orphaned and starving children, abandoned and helpless to feed and protect themselves.
Realizing the enormity of the task Ray and his team came up with a unique approach. The only way to make a meaningful difference was to impact the lives of these children, one child at a time.
Inspired by the singing of one small boy, he formed the first African Children’s Choir to show the world that Africa’s most vulnerable children have beauty, dignity and unlimited ability.

They immediately impressed audiences with their vibrancy and outstanding musical talent and quickly became a mouthpiece for the plight of the many thousands of vulnerable children like them in Uganda. The funds they earned through donations provided for their own support and education and more!
The proceeds of the first African Children’s Choir tour also funded the building of an orphanage back in Kampala from which a second African Children’s Choir was selected.

In the early years they would tour principally in United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. The proceeds of their tours and the sponsorship support they would attract funded a growing program of establishing literacy schools to enable the very neediest children to get a foot up into proper education.
Meanwhile, the continuing care, education and development of returning Choir children was assured through the proceeds of Choir tours and the generosity of sponsors and donors.

The African Children's Choir comes to the ASC on Sunday, November 14 for an exciting performance in the Jemison Theater and a Meet-The-Artist show on November 15 for area students! http://alysstephens.uab.edu/events/?id=75

Poncho Sanchez and HIS LATIN ORCHESTRA come to the ASC!

If music were about pictures, percussionist Poncho Sanchez's music would best be described as a kaleidoscopic swirl of some of the hottest colors and brightest lights to emerge from either side of the border. At any given show, on any given record, fragments of Latin jazz, swing, bebop, salsa and other infectious grooves collide and churn in a fiery swirl, with results that are no less than dazzling.

Although born in Laredo, Texas, in 1951 to a large Mexican-American family, Sanchez grew up in a suburb of L.A., where he was raised on an unusual cross section of sounds that included straightahead jazz, Latin jazz and American soul. By his teen years, his musical consciousness had been solidified by the likes of John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Cal Tjader, Mongo Santamaria, Wilson Pickett and James Brown. Along the way, he taught himself to play guitar, flute, drums and timbales, but eventually settled on the congas.

Whether it's salsa, straightahead jazz, Latin jazz, or even elements of soul and blues, the mesmerizing array of sounds and colors from Poncho Sanchez's youth have telegraphed across the decades and continue to inform his creative sensibilities to this day. "There's room for a lot of different sounds in our music," he says. "I think people have come to know that that's what Poncho Sanchez is all about. We put it all together in a pot, boil it together and come out with a big stew. This isn't some marketing strategy to sell records. These are the sounds I grew up with. So when I play this music, I'm not telling a lie. I'm telling my story. This is the real thing."

Poncho brings his distinctive sound to the ASC on Friday, November 12 at 8 PM. Tickets are on sale now at the ASC box office. http://alysstephens.uab.edu/events/?id=74

Rosanne Cash sings from "The List"!

Her last name recalls a towering American cultural icon, but Rosanne Cash has carved out a distinctive career on her own as an innovative and idiosyncratic songwriter.
From the three years she spent after high school graduation on tour with her father -- from handling the tour‟s laundry duties to her promotion as a backup singer -- the daughter of Johnny Cash and his first wife, Vivian Liberto, has forged her own place in American music.
She was nominated for a 2010 Grammy Award for "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals" for "Sea of Heartbreak," a duet with Bruce Springsteen that appears on her critically acclaimed album The List - her ninth career nomination.

And this in a career that spans 12 albums, two of which went to No. 1 on the Billboard charts. Her records spawned 10 No. 1 Billboard singles and 21 Top 40 singles-- and earned her a Grammy in 1985.
But it wasn‟t until now that she was able to record "The List," a deeply personal album that Rolling Stone has awarded 3½ stars--a paean to her father.

Produced with her Grammy-nominated husband John Leventhal, "The List" includes tunes by Bob Dylan ("Girl From the North Country"); Jimmie Rodgers ("Miss the Mississippi"); Patsy Cline ("She‟s Got You"); Merle Haggard ("Silver Wings); and, of course, the Carter Family‟s "Bury Me Under The Weeping Willow." The last was her most personal; June was her stepmother, and Maybelle and Helen taught her to play guitar and proved heavy influences on her as a songwriter.

The new CD is garnering critical raves: American Songwriter says the album is "imbued with tremendous life force." Rolling Stone says, "These imaginative interpretations would make Papa proud."

Rosanne performs in an intimate duo setting at the ASC on Friday, October 22 at 8 PM. Tickets are onsale now at the box office!

http://alysstephens.uab.edu/events/?id=79

What is Pat Metheny's Orchestrion?

Pat Metheny has already worked with most of the world’s most talented musicians, so his newest collaboration project had to branch out a little – he’s making sweet music with robots. The famous jazz guitarist has assembled a remarkable robotic orchestra composed of a room full of solenoid and pneumatically driven instruments. Dubbed The Orchestrion Project, the robot ensemble represents a unique attempt to expand musicality into both automated and directed machines. Each instrument follows input from Metheny, allowing him to improvise with his own unique musical style. Metheny has already produced a record using his robot orchestra and is launching a world tour this month. Check out the delightful press video for The Orchestrion Project by clicking on this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsYEOUKS4Yk

The Orchestrion Project gets its name, and its creative origins, from the mechanically automated orchestras created since the late 1700s. Those early orchestrions expanded on the concept of a player piano allowing for the automated playing of music across multiple instruments. Metheny was inspired by these mechanical ensembles and by the advancing promise of technology. This is a musician who regularly refers to the concepts of Ray Kurzweil to help explain his own work. The creation of mechanical acoustic devices has continued right into the present, but Metheny has taken the idea into a different direction. Rather than simply arrange a musical composition to be played across multiple instruments, he organically builds the voice of each instrument using his improvisational riffs on the guitar. In a sense he’s created a live version of an elaborate over-dubbing studio session wherein he is playing and responding to his improvisation as it is expressed in other instruments. Looks complicated, sounds amazing:
As Metheny describes in related videos on his website, it took a large team of inventors to provide all of the automated instruments in his Orchestrion Project. There’s a Yamaha Disklavier, a bottle ensemble created by the Peterson Company, an electric bass by Ken Caulkins, and many more. Each instrument is acoustic or acoustic-electric, providing for a rich and full sound that synthesizers would be unable to fully mimic in a concert environment.

See it in action at the ASC Friday, October 1 at 8 PM. Tickets are available at the box office. http://alysstephens.uab.edu/events/?id=100

Orchestrion is HERE at the ASC!

World renowned guitarist/composer Pat Metheny has won an extraordinary 17 Grammy Awards and has been nominated 33 times in 12 different categories, more than any other performer in Grammy history. On his new tour, which begins in Birmingham, Pat moves from brilliant solo guitar improvisations to the introduction of a totally new technology for the presentation of an acoustically driven "solo ensemble" music he is dubbing Orchestrionics.

Pat's crew has been here at the ASC since the early morning hours today putting this monstrous instrument together and the finished product is indeed impressive. This is truly a show you don't want to miss as Pat singlehandedly controls the Orchestrion without a band. It is a project that is far and away more innovative than anything he has tackled onstage in previous tours, but the results are awe inspiring!

Tickets are still available at the ASC box office. The show starts at 8 PM Friday, October 1. Don't forget the FREE Q&A session with Pat on Thursday, September 30 at noon in the Jemison Theater here at the ASC! http://alysstephens.uab.edu/events/?id=100

Not Your Typical Dumpster Diving

Are you familiar with dumpster diving? You hear about people sifting through dumpsters for valuables and unfound treasures, but what about dumpster diving for your next meal?

The award-winning film DIVE! looks further into this rising trend. This movie, part of the Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers, seeks to explain the phenomenon of grocery stores throwing away perfectly edible food. The apparent contradiction asks the question of why good food is being thrown away when countless people are hungry.

Filmmaker Jeremy Seifert goes on a dumpster diving adventure to discover why food is being trashed versus being given away. This film is sure to involve politics, humorous moments, and a revolutionary approach to an age old problem.

Come out and learn how food waste impacts communities. You may even get motivated enough to make your own film and question common wasteful tactics. And, the filmmaker will be at the film for a Q&A session.

When? Tonight at 7 PM in Reynolds-Kirschbaum Recital Hall. Tickets are $12.

By SHERMIKA DUNNER