http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLSvdEUA2wI

The biography will be published at the beginning of July in the Netherlands, and later this year in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy and Spain.

You can hear more about upcoming summer reading at 11am on Friday’s All Sides Weekend, featuring WOSU FM Classical Music Host Christopher Purdy, with WOSU book critic Kassie Rose, book critic Bill Eichenberger, and Capital University English Professor and poet Kevin Griffith.

On Thursday, June 17, 2010 – 7:00pm – 8:00pm, Marotta Hour, Columbus composer Rocco Di Pietro presents his piece Body Trap at the OSU Urban Arts Space. The piece explores the interconnections between music and physical healing, featuring acupuncturist Dr. Linda Chun along with an ensemble of live musicians. It premiered in 2009 by the Wired Sound ensemble with Chris Chafe, Pauline Oliveros, and Chryssie Nanou, at Stanford University’s Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics where Di Pietro was a visiting artist.

Rocco Di Pietro’s works explore the intersection of music and social concerns. Renowned 20th century music figures Lukas Foss and Bruno Maderna are among Di Pietro’s teachers. He toured California prisons as an artist-in-residence, and his four years of interviews with Pierre Boulez resulted in the book Dialogues with Boulez. Di Pietro’s works have been performed by Kronos String Quartet, Gunther Schuller, the Brooklyn Philharmonic, and the Bavarian Radio Orchestra.

For more information, please visit Rocco Di Pietro’s website and the Stanford University Arts Initiative website.

I love art. Though I admit, in regards to technique and style, I’m not very knowledgeable. But, I have a deep appreciation for art and for those who create it. There’s something about an artistic atmosphere, (museums, galleries, festivals) that just makes you feel good and cultured. Simply looking at a piece of art can have an effect on your mood. The mood may not be so cheery though, depending on the style, but nevertheless, art makes you think.

I had never been to the Columbus Arts festival before, and I had a great time just wandering and enjoying the sights and smells. One artist that caught my attention right away was Bill Secunda of Butler, PA. It’s hard to miss his display of giant animals made entirely of nails. His exhibit is located on Washington Ave. The picture to the right shows a bear from his collection.

The festival not only includes paintings, photos and sculptures from over 200 artists, but also food vendors and live music. During Ann Fisher’s broadcast and interview with Columbus musician Arnett Howard, Howard mentioned that an art festival wouldn’t be complete without music. I second this statement but also believe that food plays just as an important part. Schmidt’s cream puffs and Jeni’s ice cream are true examples of culinary art.

The festival offers face painting and hands on activities for kids. It is also free to attend, though you may have to pay for parking. It lasts until 10:00pm today, runs from 11:30am-10:00pm tomorrow, and then wraps up Sunday with the hours being 11:30am – 6:00pm.

It was a beautiful day today and will hopefully remain nice throughout the weekend. I would highly suggest stopping by the festival, especially if you don’t have weekend plans.

-Laura Kelly (WOSU Intern)

WOSU Public Media is looking for original music to be part of the soundtrack for our new TV documentary series, Columbus Neighborhoods.

We’re interested in all styles of music, from rock to classical, blues to jazz, rap to alternative, and much more. You name it and we’d like to hear it. Both instrumental and lyrical music submissions are welcome. Music should be original due to copyright issues (i.e., no covers, please)

Local musicians who would like volunteer their time and music for this ground breaking project will be recognize their efforts in the program credits.

Columbus Neighborhoods is a series of six documentaries being produced before the end of 2012. Columbus Neighborhoods investigates the history of our historic neighborhoods, including the areas of Downtown and Franklinton, The Short North (already finished!), German Village, Olde Towne East, King-Lincoln, and the University District. All programs will air on WOSU TV, Central and Southern Ohio’s Public Television Station.

If interested in being part of this historic documentary series, send your music CDs and/or contact information to:

Mary Rathke
rathke@wosu.org
WOSU Public Media
2400 Olentangy River Road
Columbus, Ohio 43210

In case you missed it, here’s the list of local musicians (plus cuts) that aired during the Short North documentary:

1. The Cabdrivers – In the Wealth of Perfect Company
2. John Garratt – The June in Bloom
3. Jakob Freely – Radio… See More
4. Jakob Freely – Ava
5. Jeff Dalrymple – The Race Back Home
6. City Folk – 2640 Fair Avenue
7. Team Smile and Nod – So Damn Good
8. Gipson & Fitz Trio – Old Krauss Pond
9. The Westsylvanians– Winter’s Dead (Instrumental)
10. Grace Adele – Crossing Paths
11. Cheli Turner – Fallin’
12. Joey Hebdo – Where is the Love
13. Hilda Doyle/Toria Brown – Stop the Rain
14. Gipson & Fitz Trio – Rail Car
15. Heartbreak Orchestra – 15 Minutes of Fame
16. RJ Cowdery – Hold On
17. Team Smile and Nod – Not about the Weather
18. Isle of Pines (Mark Spurgeon) – Debris Field
19. Michael Coleman – Take it to your Grave
20. RJ Cowdery – These Ties that Bind
21. Hope Vitellas – Picture Frame
22. Grace Adele –As Far As
23. John Garratt – Circle Breaker
24. County Line Junction – Real Love
25. Cheli Turner – Kiss
26. Grace Adel – Silent Romance
27. Stratos – Sonik Dissolutions
28. Team Smile and Nod – Still Suck
29. Stratos – In the Shadows of Coruscant
30. Hilda Doyle – No Time
31. Rob Rock Mock – What I’m Looking For
32. Jared Mahone – Somebody Knows
33. Allan Luchenitser –Merle Hop
34. Stone Johnson and the Shooters – Lonely Side of Town
35. City Folk – Further From Here than Yesterday
36. Joey Hebdo – Behind Sight
37. County Line Junction – Fad
38. Artie Kegler – Walking
39. Artie Kegler – Babylon
40. Jason Quicksall – Wiser Side
41. Team Smile and Nod – Even Tho
42. Jakob Freely and the Mixtape Bandits – Dogfarm
43. Keith Novicki and Ryan Shafer– Improvised Performance 2008
44. Ukulele Man – I love You and You Love Me
45. Eileen Motok & Intuit – Matthew
46. Andy Harrison – Flores
47. Jakob Freely and the Mixtape Bandits – Lunacy
48. The Vague – Helluva Guy
49. The Slang – Bleed Me
50. Kelly Warner – Columbus Neighborhoods Theme

The Jazz Arts Group of Columbus (JAG) presented the music of Louis Armstrong’s famous Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings through a series of concerts and educational activities in February 2010 to coincide with Black History Month and the rebirth of the Lincoln Theatre. WOSU Public Media was there to capture every note and will broadcast Louis Armstrong’s Hot Fives / Hot Sevens Revisited on Wednesday, March 24 at 9 PM on WOSU TV.

The music of the Hot Five and the Hot Seven is considered by most critics to be among the finest recordings in jazz history. “Louis Armstrong provided jazz with its quantum leap forward – his Hot Five and Hot Seven group recordings were the culmination of all he had accomplished in music to that point,” cites All About Jazz. The Hot Fives began in 1925 and the instrumentation included trumpet, clarinet, trombone, piano and guitar/banjo with the addition of drums and tuba in 1927 to make the Hot Sevens.

“With each single that Armstrong released during this era, musicians would wait with baited breath to hear what he was going to do, and then they’d try to emulate the style,” describes Byron Stripling, Artistic Director of the Columbus Jazz Orchestra. “He forever altered American music in three ways – rhythmically, melodically, and harmonically… and Armstrong was the first great soloist, with the trumpet being the lead voice in an ensemble… This era was truly Armstrong’s most creative.”

Jazz Arts Group’s own interpretation of the Hot Fives / Hot Sevens performed February 19 – 20 as part of the Lincoln Theatre’s Inside Track series and featured Byron Stripling, trumpet; Bob Breithaupt, drums; Mark Flugge, piano; Don Vappie, banjo/guitar; Wycliffe Gordon, trombone; Allan Vache, clarinet; Tony Zilincik, tuba; and Larry Cook, bass. In conjunction with the performances, a series of educational activities also took place at the Jazz Academy including: a keynote address entitled Louis Armstrong: American Icon from John E. Hasse, Curator of American Music from the Smithsonian Institution; plus Louis Armstrong Solo Improvisation with Mark C. Gridley; and The Banjo and its Influence on American Music with Don Vappie.

It will be showing at the Arena Grand Theater, March 5-7. There will be four shows daily 1:30, 4:30, 7:15 and 10:10. Levy will be doing Q & A’s after the 7:15 Friday, all the Saturday shows, and the matinees on Sunday.

I met Levy last night at the Arena Grand, and I was impressed with his attitude, marketing savvy, and knowledge of film. His budget was undoubtedly tiny, which makes it even more essential that he is traveling with his film, spreading word-of-mouth. I’m intrigued enough to watch it this weekend, and happy that I can give a young, passionate artist a chance to be heard.

From the film’s web site:

STRONGMAN is a cinema verité documentary about Stanless Steel, The Strongest Man in the World at Bending Steel and Metal.

Told with the kind of intimacy that can only be achieved with years of filming, STRONGMAN follows the dreams and heartbreaking humanity of Stanless Steel—the only man alive who can bend a penny with his fingers—as he struggles to gain control of a world that seems constantly out of his grasp.

STRONGMAN is a film about faith, about believing in yourself and a film about never giving up. It is a film about weakness and a film about strength.

A display highlighting Ohio Historical Society milestones from 1885 to 2010 will greet visitors entering the building. Uncommon Ohio tours will feature Ohio’s Garden Path at noon and 2 p.m. and Echoes in Time Theatre will present “Saints Preserve Us! The Irish in America” at 1 and 3 p.m.

In the galleries with the permanent exhibitions, Nature of Ohio and Ohio: Centuries of Change, visitors will encounter people from the society’s past played by costumed interpreters. Among them will be archaeologist William C. Mills, who discovered the Adena pipe in 1901, and U.S. Ambassador to Egypt J. Morton Howell, who donated the mummy known as Nasi-Khonsou-Pa-Khrodou, familiarly known as Nibit-Pi, meaning “the Mistress of the House,” and her sarcophagus to the Ohio Historical Society collections.

What’s a celebration without cake? Stop by for a piece in honor of Ohio’s history starting at 1:30 p.m.

Keep an eye out for future 125th celebrations by visiting the Ohio History calendar.

The Ohio Historical Center, located at I-71 and 17th Avenue in Columbus, is one of 58 sites and museums administered by the Ohio Historical Society, a nonprofit organization that serves as the state’s partner in preserving and interpreting Ohio’s history, natural history, archaeology and historic places.

He’s the director and cinematographer of Out of Place, described as a “portrait of surfing in Cleveland, Ohio.” It’s got some major buzz to it, including a mention in the NY Times. I haven’t seen it, but the grittiness of the trailer gets my attention.

Check it out, esp. if you’re in the Cleveland area in late March.

“Out of Place” has three showings at the Cleveland International Film Festival: Fri. March 19-9:35pm; Sun., March 1-9:20am; Mon., March 22-5:00pm.

What may be even more important about Emerson Burkhart to us here in Columbus than how his artwork ranks among that by other artists of his day, is the personal legacy he left this city. He got to know many people in town, one of whom was “The Grumpy Gourmet” Doral Chenoweth, who followed him around with a tape recorder for a while back in the 1950s and ’60s capturing the artist’s unbridled opinions. When Burkhart died of an aneurysm in November 1969, Chenoweth set to work transcribing those tapes and from his transcripts created the script for his one-man play I, Emerson Burkhart. I had a chance to record Chenoweth’s own recollections about Burkhart, which you can hear with snippets from Chenoweth’s play in this audio feature.

I know there are many others out there who knew Burkhart personally. Maybe you knew him well, or maybe you just took the opportunity to attend one of the famous open houses at his home on Woodland Avenue. Please write in with your recollections of the painter who called Columbus home.

– Jennifer Hambrick, WOSU Radio

Celebrating Cunningham (who passed away last year) and his legacy, the program features two works spanning different stages of his career. Other events include a pre-concert talk at 7 p.m. featuring Ohio State dance professors who worked with Cunningham, and a post-performance Q&A session with company members.

Read more: http://www.wexarts.org/pa/index.php?eventid=4319