On September 24th and 25th, 2009, award-winning children's music artist Dr. Noize will be appearing in Chico and Redding in collaboration with the North State Symphony, in two special concerts geared for youth. North State Symphony Executive Director Keith Herritt encourages all parents to attend this fun musical experience with their children.

Dr. Noize (Cory Cullinan) performs across the country in family-oriented shows, sharing music in all its varieties with young audiences. He was raised and began his career in the San Francisco Bay Area, and more recently moved to Colorado with his wife and two young daughters.

Cullinan began composing music in junior high school, and fell in love with classical and orchestral music while attending Stanford University. Since then he has created and recorded numerous music releases, and taught many aspects of music composition and production to youth. He's led an award-winning youth choir (winners of Disneyland's huge Music in the Park competition) and his music has appeared in television shows, movies and documentaries.

While attending Stanford, Cullinan met Kyle Wiley Pickett, now Music Director and Conductor of the North State Symphony. The two hit it off and became friends. They sang in the Stanford Chamber Chorale together, and performed together in operas for Bay Area school kids. They've kept in touch and have followed each other's careers over the years...now both fathers, they are excited to be coming together again to blend their musical talents in this very special show for kids.

In 2007, Cullinan created his Dr. Noize character and began devoting himself to music for children and families. He released both a recording and book called The Ballad Of Phineas McBoof (the recording features the Grammy-nominated string quartet "Quartet San Francisco"). Within two months, the track Banana had become a national #1 hit on XM Kids Radio. Word quickly spread from kids to parents to college music professors, and Dr. Noize won awards ranging from the Parents Choice Award to being named one of Dr. Toy's 100 Best Children's Products.

He's probably the most accessible great composer ever. His music is both deep and instantly approachable. It's hard to find someone of any age who's not instantly riveted by the opening of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, which we're performing at the concert. (I use the term "we're" very loosely in the previous sentence...) Also, he wrote what may be the greatest symphony ever written (his Ninth) when he was deaf. I think he did this to make all future musicians look like hacks.

Actually, yes. And not just because of Kyle's "concert night cologne," which is smashing. When I was a senior at Stanford, I had a giant stack of graduate school applications in music composition. In one of the few practical decisions I've ever made in my life, I decided not to apply to grad school in composition. Of all the great composition professors I knew of, almost none of them had any orchestras playing their stuff. I decided to go in directions that ensured I could personally get my music played and recorded. So it is both exciting and ironic that I am now able to perform with and compose for a fine orchestra through Doctor Noize. I am grateful for the opportunity; Kyle, the orchestra and I are going to do something truly unique in the world of family orchestra concerts.

One of the songs we are playing is an orchestral/operetta version of my hit song "Banana." It has recitative and aria sections, but it's played for laughs, of course. In the concert, it will be performed by the North State Symphony and sung by... Kyle and me!!! This version of the song will be included on my next cd, and the recording will feature the vocals of opera superstar Nathan Gunn, who I befriended rather fortuitously several years back. I wonder if he will sound as good as Kyle and me?

Kids are open to anything that is presented correctly to them. Classical, rock, jazz, John Tesh... Kids are fearless with their energy and focus. Adults are more complicated, trained by experience to always try to figure out what they SHOULD do or like; kids can still respond to their curiosity without bias. So actually, in some ways the best part about playing family music concerts is watching the kids loosen up the adults' inhibitions, and then the next thing you know I've got some formerly macho dad up onstage with me singing "Mr. Roboto" (this has happened at a Dr. Noize show). Everybody has fun together.

The upcoming concerts with North State Symphony.

They LOVE them, which is great because they were my inspiration to start Dr. Noize in the first place. As anyone with a Pixar DVD and a kid knows, kids love repetition; my kids go to tons of Dr. Noize shows and always want to go to more. The nice thing about the shows, as compared to a movie or recording, is that each one is a little different. I loop-record songs live on the spot at my shows, adding various instruments and bringing members of the audience up to record things into the loop. My daughters are always clamoring to get up onstage and do that.

I'm playing this show, and lots of others. I'm guest hosting on the XM/Sirius "Kids Place Live!" channel. That will be a blast. I'm releasing the next Doctor Noize recording and book next year. And I'm launching an ostrich farm on the moon. (One of those claims is false.)

Follow their lead and don't squelch it. Let your kids open your minds to new things. Don't be afraid to be ridiculous. Don't think certain musical genres are too deep or serious for your child, they're not. Remember that your child has a greater capacity for learning than us old people do, but we can get some of it back with our kids' help.

Charice Pempengco
Her first single release: Note to God
Charice performing the song (vid at YouTube) with David Foster, orchestra & choir:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4Xd435coD4&feature=related

If you've been following her story over the past couple years as I have, this is a touching moment from her journey, and includes some backstory:

Charice, Oprah, David Foster, Celine convergence. 

..
Charice on Oprah - Part 3

Considering it special to have been watching Phillip Chbeeb (PacMan)
since first noticing him a  number of years ago
(time flies, can't pin-point, I think three).

Am loving this choreography "Plane" by Phillip and Brandon Harrell (747). 

Go Robin!

Guitar legend Robin Trower talks about the gear he is using on his US tour 2009.



Robin's website: www.trowerpower.com

One of my favorite violinists.

I'm a fan!

Bakhid was eight years old when he saw his village being attacked and burned
by Janjaweed forces on horse back and Sudanese forces in vehicles and tanks.

This picture by Mohamat shows another village attack.
Next to eachcivilian who has been shot is the word "Morts",
which means dead people in French.


Adam, 15, shows shot civilians' bodies being tossed into the river. On
the back of the drawing, he wrote: "Look at these pictures carefully,
and you will see what happened in Darfur. Thank you."

Now, three internationals—a Canadian nurse, an Italian doctor and a French
coordinator—have been kidnapped by armed gunmen in a government-controlled area of north Darfur. While the identities of the gunmen are unknown, the effect is
chilling: MSF-Belgium, the kidnapped workers’ employers and one of the
organizations not expelled, announced its decision to withdraw all but a
skeleton staff (to follow the case of their abducted colleagues) from Darfur.
And now the UN Peacekeepers are being targeted; four were shot and wounded when their convoy came under fire Tuesday.

Soon, there will be no outsiders left to tell the stories of the slow
suffering on a massive scale—such as the slow starvation of the 1.1 million not
receiving food rations, or the people dying of thirst in 115 degree heat as the
water has run out in their camps. Or tell the story of the Darfuris forced to
demonstrate against the International Criminal Court’s decision so that the
Government could show that on TV.

Imagine the entire population of Dallas, Texas, having no food, no water,
no medical care and no security.  IMAGINE.

For six years, we, the international community, have allowed the situation in
Darfur to continue—consoling ourselves with the fact that we have been funding
humanitarian assistance. Now that capacity to take care of these exiled people
is growing weaker by the day.
The key to getting President Bashir to change his mind and allow aid groups
to resume activities are his allies, the Chinese (email),
the Russians (email), and the
members of the African Union and Arab League.  They are the only ones who
have clout.  Write to them and tell them to ask President Bashir to allow the
expelled aid groups to return to Darfur.  Thank you.  [DarfuriWomen.org]
###

Posted March 6th, 2009 DarfuriWomen.org

Vanessa Mae: Fantasy on a theme from Caravans
(Caravans by Mike Batt)

Love this. 

Zoe Keating & Paul Mercer, Live- Mad Hatter Tea Party-Portland, Or.



Zoe Keating; www.zoekeating.com
www.myspace.com/zoecello



'09 March 13 note: Zoe's played with Imogen Heap, had a great youtube vid of Imogen looping live here, but was removed.

Angélique Kidjo – Enough Energy, Passion & Focus to Influence the World

Sept 7th 2007 MoBoogie interview of Jason Hann recorded at the
MoBoogie Loft in Denver, CO. www.moboogie.net

Pt. 1 of 3: Jason talks about composing music
and how he became a member of the band
String Cheese Incident.




Pt. 2 of 3: How EOTO got started,
what the name means and where it comes from,
the different instruments EOTO plays
and how they mix it up live.




Pt. 3 of 3: Jason about playing with Steve Kimock
and other guest musicians, which electronica artists
influence them, tour, and their new album.