Home Blog Page 204

‘Star Power’ entertainment industry event set for May 1

By
Toledo Free Press
-
0

By Chase Will, Toledo Free Press Staff Writer

On May 1, The Mad Ave. Collective will host Holy Toledo: You Got That Star Power, an event that offers anyone aspiring to work in the entertainment industry the opportunity to network with local professionals.

“Holy Toledo” film poster

Throughout the five-hour event, over 30 organizations will have information tables listing upcoming casting calls and production gigs. This event will launch the Greater Toledo Film Commission.

“We’re one of the largest metropolitan areas that doesn’t have a film commission,” said Vincent LaMarr Smith, creator of the event. “I’ve been advocating for three to four years to get some energy going toward putting people interested in the industry together.”

Smith said the biggest benefit of attending the event is the human element of meeting face-to-face with professionals who live in the immediate area.

“I’ve been producing films for the Syfy channel, Lifetime channel and for theatrical releases for about eight years,” said Rich Iott, co-creator of the event. “One major benefit is realizing there are a lot of people in Toledo involved in the film industry in a big way. They live in and work from Toledo, but may be involved in projects in LA or Vancouver or wherever. There’s a guy here in Toledo currently producing a film with Salma Hayek, and a lot of people who may bump into this guy daily may not know he’s traveling back and forth to LA on a regular basis.”

Smith and Iott successfully hosted a similar gathering 18 months ago. The upcoming event, however, has been expanded to welcome all areas of the industry.

“We think Toledo could be successful at attracting larger-scale projects. It’s inexpensive, easy to navigate and we have just about any scenery you could ask for short of mountains. And everything’s within 20 minutes traveling distance,” Iott said. “There are also tons of great screenwriters in the Toledo area. Some of their work, which gets stumbled upon, has been used as a basis for production on the Lifetime channel. There’s a lot of underexposed talent in the city.”

“There will likely be many people at the event who are looking to produce or invest in new projects,” Smith said. “For a little guy who may be an actor or actress or director, you’re going to be able to mingle with these people and possibly launch your career.”

Recent success stories of Toledoans in the film industry include Glass City Films, which just acquired international distribution for an upcoming film, and Charissa Gracyk and Gillian Perdeau, cousins living in the LA area who are currently shooting “Holy Toledo,” a film about Prohibition-era Toledo.

Casting for modeling and acting jobs will also take place at the event, so headshots and résumés are recommended.

The Mad Ave. Collective is located at 1600 Madison Ave. The event will take place on the second floor beginning at 9 a.m. For more information, visit www.madisonave collective.com or contact Smith at (567) 868-2994.

Miller: Cyndi changes everything

By
Michael Miller
-
0
Cyndi Lauper circa 1983, as ‘She’s So Unusual’ began its rise on the pop charts. Photo by Annie Leibovitz / courtesy SONY Legacy

Cyndi Lauper, like so many musicians who debuted during the ’80s MTV era, could have been — should have been — a one-hit wonder.

Cyndi Lauper circa 1983, as ‘She’s So Unusual’ began its rise on the pop charts. Photo by Annie Leibovitz / courtesy SONY Legacy

Cyndi Lauper circa 1983, as ‘She’s So Unusual’ began its rise on the pop charts. Photo by Annie Leibovitz / courtesy SONY Legacy

“Girls Just Want to Have Fun” was almost too perfect a single to kick off a career. Its anthemic chorus, delivered with a vocal blend of determination, defiance and humor, could have found itself on lists beside “Come On Eileen,” “Take On Me,” “Tainted Love” and other hit singles that served as both introduction and permanent retreat for their performers.

But the New York-born Lauper was too talented a writer and too savvy a performer to gracefully fade into pop star trivia. Her debut  solo album, “She’s So Unusual,” charted five singles, including “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” the instant classic “Time After Time” and the censor-defying ode to female self-gratification, “She Bop.” “Unusual” was nominated for the Album of the Year Grammy and won Lauper that year’s Best New Artist trophy. Its stature has grown as time has passed; Rolling Stone named it one of the top 500 albums in rock history and historian Dave Marsh tapped three of its songs — “Girls Just Want to have Fun,” “Time After Time” and “Money Changes Everything” — for his book “The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made.”

To mark the 30th anniversary of “She’s So Unusual,” (which was actually released in 1983) Sony Legacy has released a deluxe remastered CD with demos, remixes and B-sides. Lauper discussed the album’s impact on her life and career during a recent interview with Toledo Free Press.

Lauper said the swagger she brought to the vocals of her debut came from her confidence in who she was as an artist.

.

.

“I was very confident going into the making of this record,” she said. “You have to remember I was 30 years old  when the album was released and I had been around.  I had been in bands and had played live for almost 10 years.  I had a record deal with my band Blue Angel before my solo deal. When I got signed to Portrait [Records] as a solo artist, I knew exactly the kind of record I wanted to make, what I wanted it to say, what I wanted it to sound like.”

While a lot of ’80s-era music is trapped in its MTV sound chamber, “She’s So Unusual” has aged well and Lauper said that is in large part due to her production choices.

“Growing up I was influenced by the blues and then by rock music and then later electronic music and then pop music  and reggae, and I think all of those influences came to bear on this album,” she said. “It wasn’t just an ’80s album, it was an album that incorporated different sounds from different periods and maybe, for that reason, it doesn’t sound dated. I never wanted to follow music trends. Because you want all of your albums to sound good 30 years later and beyond.”

Lauper said that at first, she did not react positively to the recording of “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.”

“The first time I heard ‘Girls’ I didn’t like the mastering on it. I thought at first my voice was a little buried,” she said. “In retrospect, it worked well that way because of the key it was in but I wasn’t thrilled at first. I got used to it. The spirit of the music and my voice was there. And then it became a hit.

“Not everyone was convinced ‘Girls’ should be the first single. It was important to me to have a hit with an uptempo song first because if we led with a ballad I would be known as a ballad singer only, and not a rocker. I had seen it happen with a few of my friends who never could get out of that space. I also knew going with an uptempo first would give the album longer life. Then we followed ‘Girls’ with ‘Time After Time,’ which sounded good the first time I heard it.”

One of the album’s gutsier choices was a gender-bending cover of Prince’s “When You Were Mine,” which had recently charted for Mitch Ryder in a version produced by John Mellencamp.

“I’ve never heard the [Ryder] version,” she said. “Rick Chertoff played me the Prince tune and I just really loved it. I wanted to sing it how it was written, never really thought too much about it.”

Giggling all the way

Lauper said she “giggled all the way to the top 5” when “She Bop,” an envelope-pushing song about female masturbation, became a hit.

“Eventually, of course, we were found out and the song became one of the poster songs for Tipper Gore’s Parents Music Resource Center,” Lauper said. “It’s funny, I met her a few years ago and we had a really good conversation.  I think the PMRC complaints actually helped the music become a bigger hit.”

With the whirlwind of touring, videos, magazine covers and wrestling cameos at the time, Lauper said the peaks of “She’s So Unusual” passed by in a blur.

“I did so much promotion and publicity during the life of the album that I probably was out on the road working it when [‘Time After Time’ hit No. 1],” she said. “I remember the first time I heard ‘Girls’ on the radio. I was in Boston in the car of the local label guy there. I got my first real spins in Boston on ‘Girls’ but that’s the only vivid memory I have from that time. And for ‘Time’ to be the second single off the album and go to No. 1 was gratifying because I had to fight really hard to get songs that I wrote on the album.”

“She’s So Unusual” earned six Grammy nominations, but in a year honoring Prince’s “Purple Rain,” Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” and Tina Turner’s comeback “Private Dancer,” Lauper’s debut went a painful 2-for-6.

“When the Grammy nominations came out and I got six, including best cover art (which went to Lauper’s art director Janet Perr), we were so excited because, at the time, we were the little engine that could,” Lauper said. “When the actual Grammys happened and I lost each one, including Song of the Year [to Turner’s “What’s Love Got to Do with It?”], I felt worse for the people at the label who worked so hard to make the record a hit. Just to watch their faces as each category came and went and we didn’t win. I did get Best New Artist Grammy that year. But the Grammy I really wanted to win was Song of the Year, which ‘Time After Time’ was nominated for. But 30 years later, the song is still so widely covered, that is award enough.”

Following up a legend

Despite the success and pressure of a top 5 debut album, more top 5 singles than any woman had achieved at that time, influential videos, Grammy awards, a Weird Al parody and a Rolling Stone cover, Lauper said she did not fret about a follow-up.

“I did not think about that but a lot of people kept saying that to me. I was thrilled to have so much success off of my solo debut album, but I was familiar, too, with not having success,” she said. “So yeah, of course I wanted my second solo record to be a hit, too, but I was more excited to be back in the studio than nervous about it following up ‘She’s So Unusual.’

“When we recorded that second album [‘True Colors’] it was just not a great experience because there were a lot of people around me saying exactly that and a lot of second-guessing and less creative control for me than I had on ‘She’s So Unusual.’ But I unfortunately think that is really common, that once you have a hit, everyone wants in on the next project, everyone wants to give their two cents and it can be distracting.”

Thirty years later, Lauper said she is happy with ‘She’s So Unusual’ and its legacy.

“I wouldn’t change a thing!” she said. “Listening to it again, I mean really listening to it again, after Sony approached me about the 30th anniversary, cemented that. It still sounds good to me.

“And you can hear how much fun we had making it.”

Michael S. Miller is editor in chief of Toledo Free Press and news director for 1370 WSPD. Email him at [email protected].

‘IMMORTAL’: Percussion icon Bashiri Johnson comes to Toledo with Cirque du Soleil tribute to Michael Jackson

By
Toledo Free Press
-
0
Bashiri Johnson has worked with the Rolling Stones, Madonna, Whitney Houston, Beyoncé, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Duran Duran and Michael Jackson. Photo courtesy Cirque du Soleil.

It’s a match made in pop culture heaven. The song and dance of the King of Pop merged with the beautiful performance stylings of the world-famous Canadian troupe Cirque du Soleil, creating a multimedia celebration in honor of one of music’s most enduring figures. “Michael Jackson: The IMMORTAL World Tour” has already been on the road for more than two years, playing to over 3 million people in venues across the United States and Canada. The show makes its debut in the Glass City on April 29-30 with a performance at the Huntington Center.

Bashiri Johnson has worked with the Rolling Stones, Madonna, Whitney Houston, Beyoncé, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Duran Duran and Michael Jackson. Photo courtesy Cirque du Soleil
Bashiri Johnson has worked with the Rolling Stones, Madonna, Whitney Houston, Beyoncé, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Duran Duran and Michael Jackson. Photo courtesy Cirque du Soleil.

Despite all the pageantry and spectacle, it is music at the core of “IMMORTAL” — a live performance of the songs that made Jackson one of the most celebrated performers of his era. And at the center of that sound is a man uniquely qualified to represent a connection between the performer that Jackson was and the memory that this show represents today.

For decades, Bashiri Johnson has been one of the most celebrated and sought-after percussionists in the music industry. His résumé reads like a who’s who of pop history, with names like the Rolling Stones, Madonna, Whitney Houston, Beyoncé, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Duran Duran and many, many more among his collaborators. Johnson has first-hand knowledge of how special Jackson was onstage.

“Michael Jackson, he exists in his own planetary orbit,” Johnson said in an interview with Toledo Free Press. “I mean, I’ve been very fortunate and blessed to work with a lot of great artists that are in their own orbits, as well. But Michael Jackson sort of has his own constellation, in terms of his level of talent and his level of being able to reach and touch audiences.

“I haven’t seen too many people who have that kind of power, and that kind of reach, to be able to touch so many people across so many races and creeds and ages. That’s why Michael Jackson is so loved.”

Johnson was the percussionist for Jackson’s planned farewell tour, “This is It,” in 2009. Though the production never saw an audience, Johnson clearly still has fond memories of the rehearsal experience, as captured in the celebrated documentary of the same name. It was a position, Johnson said, that he garnered through sheer force of will.

“It was an amazing process. For me, coming into that situation, when I first got the call, I had already made up my mind that this is what I was going to do. I wasn’t going to audition, I was just going to show up and start working. And that’s how it panned out for me. I showed up with a high enthusiasm, and I was prepared. And I said, I was just going to play with passion and give it my all, and see what happens.

“So for me, it was just an incredible journey to be a part of.”

Now, five years later, Johnson is getting the chance to relive those days and share the impact they had with a whole new audience. He got the call almost exactly one year ago to replace the percussionist on the “IMMORTAL” tour.

“It took me a month to totally wrap my head around my station, my rig, so to speak. I had studied and rehearsed a few weeks at home, and then when I came out I had a few weeks to prep and get myself ready to replace them and perform in the show.”

It might seem a little daunting for a musician used to a traditional rock show to adapt to a Cirque du Soleil experience — between the remarkable acrobatics and multimedia flourishes taking place, one could get the impression a Cirque production is a world apart from what even an experienced rocker like Johnson has seen. But Johnson insists that, as far as he’s concerned, the gig isn’t all that far removed from what he’s used to.

“This show, for me, is still rock ’n’ roll. I’m doing what I normally do in any rock show. I’m up there, I’m playing full out, I’m playing to packed audiences, and I’m sweating and I’m giving it my full 100 percent every night. So it is rock ’n’ roll for me. The only thing that’s different is, all the other stuff that’s going on around me. And that’s exciting for me. Every night, I have to stay focused.”

As Johnson prepares to rock the Glass City in memory of the magical performer he once shared a stage with, it’s clear he feels some of the same awe he felt then in this new production. “IMMORTAL” is more than a celebration of Jackson’s work; it’s a happening in its own right.

“Cirque du Soleil, what they’ve done is create an amazing spectacle, and an amazing display of human talent, all from the acrobatics, to the dancing, to the musicians, to the music videos, the sets, the staging —it’s really a fully immersive experience for anyone who comes to the show, and I’m proud to be a part of it.”

Jam City returns May 22 to aid Food for Thought

By
Jay Hathaway
-
0
Sam Melden is Food for Thought’s Chief Thought Officer. Toledo Free Press photo and cover photo by Joseph Herr

It’s peanut butter and jelly time.

Sam Melden is Food for Thought’s Chief Thought Officer. Toledo Free Press photo and cover photo by Joseph Herr
Sam Melden is Food for Thought’s Chief Thought Officer. Toledo Free Press photo and cover photo by Joseph Herr

Toledo nonprofit Food for Thought is hosting the second annual Jam City at the Secor Ballroom, 425 Jefferson Ave., from 6-9 p.m. May 22. Tickets are $30.

At Jam City, the classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich is given a variety of unique makeovers by some of Toledo’s top chefs to raise money to feed Toledoans in need.

Food for Thought started with a free sack lunch program, and quickly expanded to encompass an Oregon food pantry as well as two mobile pantries.  Chief Thought Officer Sam Melden explained that last year they decided to try out a new idea.

“We said, ‘What if we get a bunch of chefs together and they put their spin on the peanut butter and jelly sandwich?’” Melden said.  “The idea was born, and we ran with it.”

And so, Jam City was launched.  Twelve local restaurants were involved, and the event nearly reached its goal of raising $10,000.

“Our event sold out online before the doors even opened,” Melden said.

For its second year, Jam City boasts offerings from 16 restaurants and bars, ranging from classic American fare to Asian fusion, Mexican and Italian.

A new dessert category will be featured, as well.

Melden said the diversity offers tasters a unique experience that goes well beyond the traditional PB&J.

“[For example], last year, El Tipico did a habanero peanut butter salsa, and it was just amazing.”

In addition to the tasting, two raffle drawings will take place.  Winners will receive a $50 gift card from each restaurant involved with Jam City, an $800 value.  Tickets for the raffle are $10, and may be purchased from the Food for Thought website.  Attendance at Jam City is not required to win.

Melden added that live music is also one of the things that makes Jam City a great time.

This year’s lineup features Andrew Ellis, Dean Tartaglia (of Silent Lions) and Nathan Roberts & The New Birds.

Melden said the participation of the restaurants is what drives the success of the event, and transcends just supplying food.

“So many of our restaurants are not just in the event, but they are really partners with our organization, and I feel like there is something to be said for that.”

Tickets for the event and the raffle are available at www.feedtoledo.org/jamcity. Toledo Free Press is a media sponsor of Jam City.

Pounds: 419 days

By
Tom Pounds
-
0

It has been interesting to see two great community image efforts garner so much attention this past week. On the surface, 419 Day and the branding effort “It Matters Where You Make It” seem to be miles apart. 419 Day was a grassroots movement with no marketing budget that encompassed several locations and events. “It Matters” comes from the Toledo Region Branding Initiative, a nearly five-year, $800,000 project of the Northwest Ohio Brand Council — representatives from various public and private organizations who came together in 2009 with a common goal to promote the region.

.

.

Despite their varying resources and backing, both events show the movement of pride and enthusiasm that is crucial to a community’s identity and ability to sell itself.

As Toledo Region Brand Manager Jeff Schaaf told us recently, “When you go on a job interview, you don’t tell them your faults; you tell them your strengths. We’re trying to promote the good stuff and, as we’re finding the negative stuff, we’re trying to work on that as well. There are plenty of things we could talk about if you want to talk about problems. Those are not unique to Toledo. There are issues in every city. Our organization’s sole purpose is to promote the Toledo region and the positive assets and that’s what our focus is going to continue to be.”

John Amato, owner of JUPMODE, which offers specialty Toledo pride T-shirts, told us about his enthusiasm for 419 Day.

“It’s going to be a really important day because … it’s just a buildup of all the neat little things people have created in Toledo,” he said. “419 Day is another example of the momentum that Toledo has right now. Our city pride is growing and expanding through the region. So it is a really exciting and special time to be in Toledo.”

Toledo Free Press has been shouting that for nearly 10 years now, and it is exciting to see the momentum Amato references become daily reality. That such disparate efforts can join into one burst of civic pride is encouraging. The potential to make that excitement a national (and international) message is exhilarating.

Congrats and thanks to the people behind both efforts.

Thomas F. Pounds is president and publisher of Toledo Free Press. Contact him at [email protected].

Wurtec breaks ground on warehouse, office expansion

By
Tom Konecny
-
0

North Toledo elevator company Wurtec ceremonially broke ground on April 14 for a expansion that will more than double the size of its current facility.

“We slowed down in 2009 like everyone, and started rebounding in 2011,” said Steve Wurth, company founder and president. “We came on strong in 2012, and last year was our best yet. This year is looking to be even better. We see a lot of growth coming down, and this expansion is happening because of it.”

The addition will provide 25,000 square feet of manufacturing and warehouse space, and another 6,000 square feet of office space. Wurth said the motive was increased growth and a desire to relocate their Elevator Concepts division to Toledo – currently in Detroit suburb Riverview – and to have the operation under one roof. The move will transfer 13 employees to the area and likely create at least five more jobs.

“A lot of the opportunities we’re finding are international based,” Wurth said. “It’s probably our biggest growth sector. We’re just going through a really busy time here. It’s exciting for us as a small company to be able to do things like this.”

Wurth formed the company in 1985 after working as an engineer for a local elevator company. The business was forced to move to its current North Cross Industrial Park site in 1999 following Jeep’s relocation, but Wurtec subsequently expanded to meet a growing demand for elevator tools, components and communications. Its primary functions involve designing and manufacturing the tools, parts and products contractors use to install elevators, and building elevators for residential use.

The addition will increase manufacturing space for Wurtec’s custom design and build capabilities, expand distribution capabilities and make room for Elevator Concepts’ products. Office space has become a primary focus with 10 employees added in the past year.

Some of Wurtec’s clients include major industry leaders Otis Elevator Company, ThyssenKrupp Elevator, Kone and Schindler Elevator Corporation.

Officials expect the addition to be completed in late summer.

Kelly: Accepted assistance

By
Sid Kelly
-
0

Recently I was at the grocery store, standing at the meat counter. A guy my age was ordering a bunch of seafood and other meat. He was a really friendly guy so we started talking. I mentioned something about how great it would be to have dinner at his house because of all the awesome food he was getting. He mentioned that he was really excited about it too, and we left it at that. I went through the store and did the rest of my shopping.

.

As I went to the checkout I saw him again. I decided to get in the lane with him so I had someone to talk to. We got to chatting as his stuff was being checked out. When it came time to pay I noticed he paid with his EBT card. If you’re fortunate enough to not know what that is, it’s a debit card the state gives you to pay for your groceries. It’s the new way to give out “food stamps.”

I got really mad by letting myself think too much about what I was seeing. Before I get into why, let me tell you about another person I bounced into.

I needed to get some baby food for my 9-month-old son. As I was in the aisle going through the various forms of veggies and fruits, I noticed a mom picking out formula for her child. She had stacked nine cans of formula in her cart. At $17 a shot, you tend to take notice of people who throw that amount of money in their cart. Just in formula, there was $153 in her cart. As she stacked the formula into the basket, I noticed she was using the WIC program. I also took notice that the mom had a brand-new iPhone 5S (I could tell because we had a conversation about the phone when she asked Siri for help with directions) and she was carrying a huge Coach purse.

I want to make something extremely clear. I have no problem with people using any of the assistance programs the state and federal government make available. Those programs are there to make sure you and your children continue to survive when you’re faced with unfortunate situations.

What I do have a (big) problem with is the fact that I don’t believe these people deserved the assistance they were getting.

I found the exact purse this woman was carrying around the store. It’s from this season, and the cheapest price I could find was $338. I also looked up the price of the iPhone she had. That’s a $129 phone, and she had to have a plan for it. Since I knew the company she used, I can tell you that the cheapest plan for that phone is about $37 plus other costs. All that is if she just bought the phone and got a current price.

This woman is on assistance and carrying around a purse that she didn’t need, and a really expensive phone that she also didn’t need. Is it possible that someone gave these things to her as a present? Sure, but it’s unlikely.

Let’s go back to the crab legs guy. That guy was getting whatever amount every week so his family can eat. Do they need to eat crab legs? No, they don’t. They need to eat food that makes the most sense. Getting food that is $13 a pound is not a smart purchase. He could get 3 pounds of ground beef or 2.5 pounds of chicken.

I speak about these things from a position of knowledge. My wife and I had our first daughter in 2008. In 2009 I lost my job and 70 percent of my family’s income. We also lost health coverage and our nest egg. I didn’t have money for groceries and we chose to apply for assistance. I was OK with doing it because it was what I needed to do for my family to survive, and I knew it was temporary.

But too many people approach assistance as a vacation. They party it up by buying candy, crab legs and other things that aren’t necessary for survival. They use the money they didn’t spend on food for their kids on expensive phones, purses, nights out and alcohol. That’s not what you should do. You should save that extra money so you can get off of the assistance programs.

These situations serve another purpose: To remind us that we need to keep our lives in perspective. Just because something is there for you to use and you can do it, doesn’t mean you should take advantage of it. After all, you have to be OK with what you’ve done when you lie down at night. I know that I’m OK with what I did while I accepted assistance.

Would you be?

Sid Kelly is host of “The Morning Rush,” weekday mornings on 92.5 KISS FM.

Ledisi to bring her upbeat show to Stranahan Theater

By
Vicki Kroll
-
0

On her new disc, Ledisi sings, “Give me a mic and I’ll rock it.”

Or give her a phone. The R&B star’s enthusiasm is contagious, almost as catchy as her songs on “The Truth.”

She took a break from tour rehearsal in Atlanta to talk about the CD released March 11.

photo courtesy The Chamber Group

photo courtesy The Chamber Group

“I had to let go of a big relationship, and instead of feeling bad about it — I went through that stage — I felt really good because I felt renewed, like I had a new person I was finding out about and doing things I had never done. So instead of singing sad, slow love songs about letting go, I wanted everything to be upbeat,” Ledisi said.

“Then I started noticing that I was getting the love I deserve from people and just even people noticing me. I didn’t know that I let myself feel so low, then I got higher because I started paying attention to me.”

Songwriters and producers Claude Kelly and Chuck Harmony noticed.

“When I started working on the song that became ‘I Blame You’ with Claude Kelly and Chuck Harmony, Claude said, ‘You look good! What is going on with you?’ ” Ledisi recalled and laughed. “I’m just happier. The fact that he could tell, I said, ‘I think we should write a song about blaming someone else for that happiness.’ ”

The exuberant hit, “I Blame You,” opens the disc and includes a nod to Lionel Richie, name-dropping “Dancing on the Ceiling” in the chorus.

“Rock With You” pays tribute to Dionne Warwick and Aretha Franklin with Ledisi singing, “I say a little prayer for you.”

“I like to keep the spirituality throughout and sneak it in. It’s a big part of it for me, and having fun and referencing the people before me,” she said.

Empowering women also is high on the list for the soul singer.

“I just want women to feel lifted, that they can actually say what’s wrong or what’s right, for the man to give the love they deserve, yes, all the time. Or just be brave and just live and work hard for that happiness. Nothing is perfect, but always exude that confidence of wanting the best and acquiring it for yourself and others around you.

“I’m very direct and fun and sassy and playful,” Ledisi said. “And it doesn’t matter which size or curves, hairstyle — none of that matters. It’s about how you stand for yourself. And I can’t wait to show that on stage.”

Since releasing her 2000 debut, New Orleans native Ledisi Anibade Young has shown up on the charts with “Alright,” “In the Morning,” “Goin’ Thru Changes,” “Pieces of Me” and “Stay Together.”

And the Grammy-nominated artist has scored high-profile fans, performing six times at the White House for Barack and Michelle Obama.

“Every time I see them, I’m amazed and I come outside of my body sometimes, like, oh my God, this is the president of the United States, the first lady, you’re talking to casually about music, what’s the best Stevie Wonder song? I mean, literally, we’re sitting here talking and it’s so surreal. But they’re really just so down to earth that you forget sometimes and then you remember as you’re leaving,” she said and laughed.

Ledisi will bring “The Truth Tour” with special guest the Robert Glasper Experiment to Stranahan Theater at 7:30 p.m. April 22. Tickets range from $29.50 to $49.50.

Local recording studio to offer kids summer camps

By
Kevin Moore
-
0
Christopher Stoll, owner of Audioflare Recording Studio (formerly Zeta Recording) has 30 years of recording and education experience on his résumé. Toledo Free Press photo by Joseph Herr

Christopher Stoll, owner of Audioflare Recording Studio (formerly Zeta Recording), has 30 years of recording and education experience in his résumé. This summer, he intends to use his passion for music and teaching to provide hands-on summer camps for teenagers and young adults interested in music recording, vocals and songwriting.

“I’m starting these summer recording camps for younger people who have never seen the recording process or have been able to participate with it hands-on,” said Stoll, who studied percussion at the University of Toledo and earned his master’s degree in music composition from Bowling Green State University. “I want them to see things for themselves and see how sound works. It’s not going to be real intensive, just laid-back.”

The week-long summer camps will meet at Audioflare Recording Studio from 9 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday. There will be several camps throughout the summer and the cost to participate is $250 for the week. A list of offerings can be found at www.audioflare.com. On Friday, parents are invited to come see what their children have learned.

“These are geared toward beginners in junior high, high school or maybe early college. Like everything else, if you have no experience with it, music can get overwhelming. I’ve been teaching a long time, and I think I can keep the lessons relevant and real for young musicians,” said Stoll, who taught various music and recording technique courses at Owens Community College for 10 years.

Stoll will head up the recording and songwriting camps, and the vocal camps will be taught by local vocalist and Owens choir professor Jodi Jobuck. Stoll also offers more in depth evening classes for adults. The camps will give attendees a chance to write songs, play instruments, experiment with stacking and explore new voices and sounds.

“My experience with kids and teaching has shown me there really isn’t anything like this in the area,” Stoll said. “I asked around when I was coming up with the idea, and a lot of musicians told me ‘I wish there was something like that when I was growing up.’ There certainly wasn’t anything like this when I was starting out, but recording was just starting to make its way into music education back when I was in college. I enjoy music so much, and I want to help others enjoy it too.”

For more information visit www.audioflare.com or call (419) 360-2800.

April 19 benefit dinner to aid murder victim’s six children

By
Toledo Free Press
-
0

Friends and family of  Brandi Gonyer-Boaston will host a spaghetti dinner April 19 to raise money for  her six children.

Gonyer-Boaston, 28, was found dead Feb. 15 and her ex-husband, Ronald Boaston, 41, is accused of killing her.

Brandi Gonyer-Boaston

Some of the money raised will cover funeral costs, but the majority will go toward supporting the couple’s blended family, said April Reidling, a friend of the family. The kids are currently staying with family, Reidling said. They range in age from 6 years old to teens.

“We’re hoping to get a lot of support to help the kids and take care of the kids and get them what they need in their lives and that is what Brandi has done — she’s done for the kids,” Reidling said. “And we want to keep that going even if she’s not here in name.”

Hunters found Gonyer-Boaston’s body in a running vehicle parked in a Fulton County field. She had died of asphyxiation.

Boaston, of 1126 Amanda Circle, is accused of strangling his ex-wife at the Amanda Circle residence on Feb. 14.

“Various forms of forensic evidence implicate the defendant,” according to court documents.

Boaston was arraigned this month and bond set at $1 million. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 21.

The spaghetti dinner costs $8 and will take place at Holland Gardens Banquet Hall, 6530 Angola Road, Holland. Doors open at 3 p.m and dinner is at 4 p.m.

Donations can be dropped off at the banquet hall from noon to 3 p.m.

A silent auction will take place from 4-7 p.m and a live auction starts at 6 p.m.

Gonyer-Boaston was a registered nurse with Arbors at Waterville. She loved to read, according to her obituary, but the loves of her life were her children, Reidling said.

“Her kids were her life,” she said. “All six of them. Everything she did she did for her kids.”

“It’s a shocking situation. [The family is] doing the best that they can in the situation. The big question is ‘Why?’ That’s the big question.”

Donations can be made to the Brandi Gonyer-Boaston Benefit Account at any PNC Bank branch.

1...203204205...297Page 204 of 297