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(10/10/11 11:56pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Brett Dennen says he never planned on being a professional musician. It just happened.The popular folk musician will hit the stage at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Bluebird Nightclub.A California native, Dennen started in a college jam band playing mandolin. A few years later, Dennen left the group.“I felt I was more of a songwriter,” he said. At the time, Dennen had worked for a non-profit organization and continued with his life, not necessarily without musical aspirations in mind. “I always liked music and being in a band,” he said. “But I mean, I never had the dream to be in a band.”Through some small projects, however, his music started to become a more prominent part of his life. He started to dabble in songwriting and established himself as an artist slowly while working. He released his first album in 2004 and has taken the folk world by storm ever since, releasing four albums in the past seven years. Dennen said he owes his musical momentum to Van Morrison, his greatest inspiration in songwriting.“I like a lot of folks, but I think Van Morrison is my all-time favorite,” he said. “His music is without compromise, and his voice is amazing.” This artistic inspiration can be heard in much of his work, including his new album, “Loverboy.” In addition to being a musician, Dennen is also involved with charities. Klean Kanteen water bottles are sold on his website. According to the site, if you purchase one of the water bottles, $5 will be donated to the Mosaic Project, an organization that sends “low income students to attend our unique human relations outdoor school,” where students in 4th and 5th grade get a unique educational experience outdoors.Dennen’s style is a folk-rock blend that has landed him on tour with artists like Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz and John Mayer. Dennen said he enjoys the tours for what they are: showcases of music.“The best part (of touring) is playing gigs every night,” he said. “Being on the road forces you to always be around music. When I’m home around my house, I might not always be playing.”Dennen said he is excited to be back in Bloomington and spoke fondly of the town and its people.“I love your small town,” he said. “It’s a great small town with a worldly feel. There are a lot of hippies there and lots of college students. It’s one of my favorite small towns in America.”— Brittany Tempest
(09/29/11 5:06am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>What do Casting Crowns and cantor Gideon Zelermyer have in common? On Sept. 18, the Jerusalem Post noted a development in the world of Apple Inc.: The songs of Jewish cantors and other Hasidic music were listed under the Christian and Gospel genre on iTunes.Though listeners have to be looking for it to find it, the error was still there as of Sunday, despite reports and criticisms of the classification.Some examples of Jewish artists found in the Christian and Gospel section include Mordechai ben David and Avraham Fried, musicians who are both popular in the Orthodox Jewish community.But this classification is not universal. Other Jewish artists are classified in a variety of categories. The musicians of pop-style band The Groggers are Orthodox Jews and sing primarily about Jewish culture, but the group is classified as rock. Relient K, a pop-style band with many secular tunes gracing the charts, is placed in the Christian and Gospel category.Professor Judah M. Cohen of the Jewish Studies Program and the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology explained the classification of The Groggers as rock.“Sometimes the musical genre determines the category, rather than the subject matter,” Cohen said. In other words, the musical style rather than lyrics and subject determined the classification of the music in question. In the case of Relient K, who is very similar in sound to The Groggers, this is the case. Though Relient K does not sing about predominantly religious topics, its style is reminiscent of other artists in the Gospel and Christian category. “Gospel isn’t just a genre of Christian music. It can also be seen as a general type of spiritual music,” Cohen said. “iTunes probably just put it in there because it’s easier to find in that location.” And though the title “Christian” doesn’t fit the Jewish artists listed, it could potentially lead those looking for Christian music into a whole new style. “So, for example, what if a musician who considers themselves a Jewish artist was discovered by someone looking for Christian music?” Cohen asked.He said the artist and the people behind iTunes have different perspectives about the subject, and the categorization isn’t necessarily as negative as it may seem. “When you’re talking about things on the scale of Jewish music, there are two ways to look at it,” he said. “One is from the perspective of the artist, who would probably want their music represented in a Jewish category. But that category that would probably be really small. If there was a Jewish music category, people couldn’t stumble upon it as easily. It would be interesting to look at this from the perspective of popular music artists in the Muslim or Hindu world.”Students, however, had clear ideas of where Jewish music should belong.Junior Alex Fox said he understands iTunes’ logic, even if he doesn’t necessarily agree with it.“I think in one respect I can understand why iTunes did it, just because of the amount of Jewish music out there,” he said. “I understand that it’s a practicality issue. But I don’t think Christian and Gospel is the right place for it. It should probably be under World Music.”Senior Anthony Smith said he feels category size has little to do with the issue and was defiant in his opinion about making a space for a new genre on iTunes.“I think Jewish music should have its own section in iTunes,” Smith said. “I mean, if Christianity gets one, Jewish music should. There are tons of categories that are extremely abstract. There’s even categories like Acid Jazz. Jewish music could have its own.”As far as the classification as a whole, Cohen broadened the spectrum even further.“It’s a really interesting question,” he said. “It leads to other interesting questions. What is really leading to this kind of classification? Is it the artists? Is it the market? Is it similar in other music services? What’s driving it?”
(09/21/11 2:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>They’re the new kids on the block, but they’re hardly at a disadvantage.The Indiana Hoosierettes is a new pom-style dance team on campus. According to its official statement to the IU Athletic Department, the Hoosierettes formed in 2010 with its first group of girls coming together in the 2011 spring semester. Senior and team captain Brittney Little began the team, which had a low turnout in the first season, boasting only six dancers by the end of the year.According to Little, the other 11 schools in the Big Ten Conference have a pom-style team.“(Brittney) did a lot of research and met with people from the athletic department,” senior Hope Collins said. “The biggest issue that year was funding, and the athletic department was not able to provide funds for the team. Some local businesses were willing to sponsor, but unfortunately it was not enough to order uniforms and poms for an entire team.”The girls’ junior year, last spring, was the first year enough funds were raised.Team members said they are willing to work to be recognized as an official athletic team. They sent a petition and mission statement to the athletic department this fall, emphasizing that they can coexist peacefully and well with other dance groups on campus.Though they have yet to hear back from the athletic department this year, Little and Collins said they are not discouraged.This year they had nearly 100 interested girls at the student involvement fair. More than 40 girls showed up for the informational call-out meeting and 37 auditioned. Though they did not enjoy making cuts to the team, members said it was a promising luxury that showed how much the team had grown. Collins explained how they raised interest and awareness of the group.“We set up a spot at the student involvement fair,” she said. “We went around with sidewalk chalk, writing information for anyone who missed us at the fair.” Sophomore Kendall Smith said she discovered the group through her desire to be involved on campus and show school spirit.“I didn’t have any dance experience, so I was really nervous for tryouts,” Smith admitted. “But Brittney (Little) really encouraged me. I went, and it seemed really fun.” The Hoosierettes practice Mondays and Wednesdays from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. in the racquetball courts in the School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation. They have performed and will perform at events such as the Homecoming Parade, the Bloomington Farmer’s Market, club sporting events and charity events. This year they will have a tailgate for the IU vs. Purdue game. “For the most part, I want to emphasize that we are not trying to step on any toes,” Little said. “When this team goes to events, we cheer on not only the sports or people in the events, but the cheerleaders and Redsteppers that take so much time out of their week to support our teams.”Collins was adamant in her belief that they must gain recognition.“We have a great group of girls this year, and I am so excited to see them perform. The Hoosierettes needed to prove that they are serious, and they have done just that,” Collins said. “This is an opportunity for the athletic department to do something new and exciting because IU does not have a team like this. The athletic department can no longer ignore the Indiana University Hoosierettes."
(09/20/11 2:03am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Almost a part of the landscape, the Buskirk-Chumley Theater’s marquee looms on the western horizon of Kirkwood Avenue. But it wasn’t always that way. Here’s the history behind the theater’s sign:Theater for the localsThe Buskirk-Chulmey Theater opened in 1922 as the “Indiana Theater” and was soon coined simply “The Indiana” by locals. The theater was first opened by the Vonderschmitt family as a silent movie theater, complete with an organ to accompany films and a bandstand for live shows. Famed composer and band leader Hoagy Carmichael is said to have performed there several times between 1925 and 1928 with his band.Fire forces remodelIn 1933, the theater was gutted by a fire, and subsequent restoration brought a new look to the interior. The Vonderschmitts diligently restored the theater to its former glory, with a few new additions. The forced remodel gave the theater the historic “dogbone-style” marquee that graces the face of the theater today. The sign still boasts the original name of the theater, lit in bright blues, pinks and yellows. “Indiana” shines high above Kirkwood as a symbol of the area’s rich past.Changing handsThe theater was purchased by Kerasotes Theaters, Inc. in 1975. It used the theater almost exclusively for films, going so far as to install an upstairs screen for the films. After 20 years, Kerasotes donated the theater to the community through the Bloomington Area Arts Council. The theater was then renamed “The Buskirk-Chumley Theater” in honor of the family who made the donation possible. Visitors can tour a museum dedicated to the history of the Buskirk-Chumley and its famous sign by entering through the box office 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, said Danielle McClelland, director of the Buskirk-Chumley Theater.The sign today“There are close to 200 public events per year, all of which are advertised on our marquee,” McClelland said. “It takes the janitorial staff an hour to change the marquee for the next show, and light bulb replacement is constant.”Senior Amy Taylor said she views the sign as a Kirkwood icon.“It draws attention to the area by adding to the aesthetics of Kirkwood,” she said.Junior Brad Domash agreed and put it quite simply.“It rocks.”
(09/14/11 3:53am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“He’s so well-rounded. He knows as much about music as he does everything else.”Junior Brice Brookshire had nothing but great things to say about Matt Crozier, the new principal trombone of the IU Philharmonic Orchestra. Brookshire met Crozier his freshman year at IU in the Marching Hundred trombone section. “He’s just a genuinely good person,” Brookshire continued. “His passion for music is refreshing.”Crozier, a junior from Harrison, N.Y., is one of the philharmonic’s youngest principal trombonists. He is also one of the few that is a music education major, rather than a music performance major. He said he began playing trombone in sixth grade band. With this musical longevity in his arsenal, Crozier took his brass horn a step further this year.Anyone can audition for the orchestra, from freshmen to doctoral students. And Crozier auditioned for trombone against masters students. The auditions repertoire was posted a few weeks prior to their date and included four different song excerpts and scales. The audition process is blind, meaning the person auditioning sits behind a curtain, shielded from the three professors who are judging. The professors then assign a number to the musician’s playing, ranging from one to three — one being the best and three being the worst. After taking his turn behind the curtain, Crozier received all “one”s from the professors.“It’s unusual that underclassmen even make the orchestra,” he said. “Let alone the principal spot.”Crozier said he never really chose music as a career.“Well, music was always easy for me, so I always just assumed I’d do it,” Crozier said. “Both my parents are musicians, so I didn’t really think anyone did anything else.”When Crozier first came to the Jacobs School of Music, instead of feeling burnt out or intimidated as many students do, he felt energized by the environment and all it had to offer.“I was always good at trombone,” he said. “And then I got here and thought ‘Woah. I love this.’ It’s usually the opposite for people.”When making the decision of where to attend school, Crozier said he could have stayed closer to home and chosen New York’s famed Julliard. Choosing IU over Julliard came fairly easy for Crozier, he said. His father studied there pre-college. But when Crozier visited Julliard, he knew it wasn’t what he was looking for in a university.“My grandpa suggested IU,” Crozier explained. “I checked it out and loved it. It’s the best of both worlds, for music and the big school atmosphere.” Crozier said that he likes the big school spirit with football and the feel of the campus. Crozier has worked with many teachers through the years, including M. Dee Stewart, Peter Ellefson, Carl Lenthe and Joe Alessi, principal trombone of the New York Philharmonic.This past summer, Crozier studied with Alessi at his seminar in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Alessi, famous for his very direct and critical teaching methods, had almost nothing to correct in Crozier’s playing.“He’s famous for being very direct. If you’re out of tune, he will point and tell you you’re out of tune,” Crozier said. “When I played for him, he said ‘I really don’t have much to say. You played that piece really well.’” This musician’s interests don’t solely lie with orchestral trombone music, however. He also dabbles in drums, guitar, piano and euphonium. Along with orchestral music, Crozier enjoys jazz, funk, and classic rock. “There is nothing out there that I don’t like. During the day there is a mood for every moment, and the song that fits can be any different genre. Afro-Cuban music is so hip,” Crozier said.Will Peterson, third-year doctoral student in wind conducting and associate instructor of the Marching Hundred sousaphone section, thinks Crozier is a great fit to be a music educator.“I think that Matt really exemplifies the all-around good, not only musician, but person that you want to see in a music educator,” Peterson said of Crozier. “He’s balanced himself really well and involved himself in many different areas. He’s the complete package.”This story was corrected on Sept. 14.
(09/09/11 2:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Janette Fishell began playing piano at age five.While most children were still learning their ABCs, Fishell was beginning her musical career. But she remembers music being a part of her life before then.“I began studying the piano at the age of five, but my first memories involved listening to and singing hymns in church. So I can’t remember a time when music was not part of my life,” Fishell said via email.Fishell now works as a professor in the Jacobs School of Music. She recently embarked upon a 21-concert, three-year project, “The Seasons of Sebastian,” in which she performed the complete organ works of J. S. Bach for the first time on campus and in the Bloomington community. But Fishell plays more than the piano and organ. In her adolescence, she dabbled playing several instruments for the school band.“I play the harpsichord and conducted on a somewhat serious level,” Fishell said. “I also played in the school band. (I played) trumpet, French horn and baritone because my older sister played the trumpet and I wanted to be like her.”Fishell doesn’t remember choosing music for her career, but she says it felt like a natural choice. “I don’t remember making that decision. The knowledge that I would be a musician was just always part of me,” Fishell said. “I certainly never made the decision to do this for a living, because I just followed my star and thought, probably very naively, that if I worked hard and long enough, I would make enough money at it to make a living.”Fishell’s music choices vary greatly, from Bach to The Police. “I could not imagine a world without Johann Sebastian Bach. I also love the Impressionists — French, American and British — and to unwind I love English choral music sung by great choirs who really know how to create a beautiful, blended sound. My own compositions are always a pale version of Ralph Vaughan Williams and Herbert Howells, so I channel them subconsciously.”When Fishell was a teenager, she said she listened to Cat Stephens, James Taylor, Carole King and Dan Fogelberg. She also listens to jazz and blues and said her guilty pleasure is “really good bluegrass music.”“I love its Celtic origins, and the singers really zone in on the center of the pitch by singing with a straighter tone that is very satisfying,” Fishell said.When she was younger, Fishell also traveled with her sister as part of the musical duo the Fishell Sisters, with Janette on piano and another sister, Julia, singing. “It was a wonderful way to give great music to small churches and a very formative experience for us,” Fishell said. Another great experience, Fishell said, was touring all over the world with her husband Colin Andrews playing organ recitals, including a grand tour of six weeks in the USSR right before the coup.
(09/09/11 2:01am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Opera and Ballet Theater Production Director Tim Stebbins said he is confident everyone can find something to enjoy this season, from comedies to dramas.“There’s going to be a little bit of something for everyone this season,” Stebbins said.Favorites like “The Nutcracker” and “Candide” will be joined by new productions such as “The Sleeping Beauty” and “Der Rosenkavalier”.“IU Opera and Ballet is considered the best of its kind internationally,” said Alain Barker, director of marketing and publicity. “It is by far the best collegiate program.”The opera and ballet program is home to top notch performances in a state-of-the-art facility, the Musical Arts Center. The interior of the Musical Arts Center, or MAC, is nearly an exact replica of the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. It is home to a three-wagon system used to haul sets for scene changes in various productions. The MAC is the only opera house, apart from the Metropolitan, with this system. “We just installed a new million-dollar drive system for the wagons, and it is computerized,” Stebbins said. “We just installed new carpeting in the lobby and new window coverings. So, the MAC is getting quite the face lift.”Professor Michael Vernon, chair of the ballet department, said he is excited about the upcoming season. When asked about his favorite of this year’s productions, Vernon said it is difficult for him to choose a favorite since he choreographed both “The Nutcracker” and “The Sleeping Beauty.”“This is the most contrasting program I’ve put together so far,” Vernon said. He said the three productions are incredibly different. Vernon said “The Sleeping Beauty” was originally choreographed in the 1890s by a French man named Marius Petipa. Petipa also choreographed the original “Nutcracker” and “Swan Lake.” Back then, steps were passed down from ballerina to prodigy repeatedly, and some steps have been changed or lost with time. Vernon has choreographed the production with the original steps and some new choreography to fill in the blanks created by time.Production for “The Sleeping Beauty” begins in October for the March shows. Rehearsals for “The Nutcracker” range from five to six months, but Vernon said because the same production has been presented for the last five years, it takes less time to prepare than newer shows.“I think everyone will want to take dance lessons after (this season),” Vernon said with a laugh.As for the fall lineup for the opera, the season provides a look into several types of productions.Designer David Higgins, who designed sets and costumes for “Cosi fan Tutte”, “La Boheme” and “Candide,” said he is most excited for the first performance this season. “I am most excited about ‘Cosi fan Tutte,’ the season opener, because it is a new design,” Higgins said via email. Two of the six operas presented this fall have special footnotes. “A View from the Bridge” is a modern story set in New York City. The bridge referred to is the Brooklyn Bridge. Its special footnote is that IU presented the collegiate premiere.“Der Rosenkavalier” is an enormous undertaking lasting four hours. It is so long that rather than beginning at the usual time of 8 p.m., the production will begin at 7 p.m. The last time it was performed at IU was in 1966.The season wraps up with “Candide,” an opera by Leonard Bernstein, who recently visited IU. Student prices for most productions in some areas of the Musical Arts Center go for as little as $10. There’s a production sampler available and group rates are available, as well. For freshmen, there is a new project with RPS and the Office of First Year Experience Programs called “FreshmenGo!” that makes it easy for freshmen to attend an opera and ballet performance with their Resident Assistant. Andrew Porter wrote about IU’s opera productions in The New Yorker a few years ago.“Just about the most serious and consistently satisfying of all American opera companies,” he said.
(09/08/11 3:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>On Sept. 16, musician Mason Jennings will perform at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater during the first week of his tour, which is expected to run through February. This tour comes on the wake of his latest album, “Minnesota,” which will be available Sept. 13.Jennings, a folk rock musician who said his biggest influence is Johnny Cash, grew up with music in his life. He said his mother played records when he was growing up.“I loved it all my life, you know?” Jennings said. He wrote his first song at age 14 and has been writing and performing music ever since. Jennings has released more than 15 EPs and albums and one DVD, along with two songs featured on the soundtrack to the film “I’m Not There.” For the soundtrack, Jennings covered two Bob Dylan songs — “The Times They Are a-Changin’” and “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll.” In 2009, Jennings released his album “Blood of Man” on both CD and vinyl. When asked why he chose to dually release in vinyl, Jennings laughed.“I like to see how it looks,” he said. Jennings explained that a lot of fans requested that particular format. His newest album will also be released on clear vinyl.“For me, every night I play is exciting,” he said. And with that in mind, Jennings said he does not have a favorite venue or city to play in. He said he does, however, enjoy recording in his studio, located in the woods just outside of Minneapolis. Jennings said nature has a large impact on his music. Jennings also said his music is inspired by different relationships with people. Jennings said his upcoming tour will vary state by state. Every show will have a different feel as he brings new instruments to the mix in each place.
(09/06/11 4:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In the words of the popular Food Network show “Iron Chef,” “Bang a gong, we are on!”Sunday marked the Chef’s Challenge at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater.The competition, sponsored by the Monroe County Community Kitchen, is in its fifth year. “You in the community voted. Over 1,000 votes came in to select these three chefs,” Emcee Brad Wilhelm, a comic from the Comedy Attic, said to the crowd.The three local chefs had an hour to create a dish using a secret local ingredient announced at the start of the competition. This year’s ingredient was squash. “In the past, we’ve had things like apples, sweet potatoes . . . of course, last year it was earthworms. Sorry, I mean cheese, cheese!” Wilhelm kept the crowd rolling with laughter as the chefs labored over their dishes. Beyond entertaining the crowd, Wilhelm ran this year’s trivia for prizes, ranging from gift cards to T-shirts. He also facilitated the live auction. Assisting Wilhelm were David Coonce, chef and kitchen manager at Bloomington Cooperative Services, and Gregg Rago, chef at Nick’s English Hut.After the ingredient was announced, a bit of information on the food was given.“Every part of a squash can be eaten,” judge Lynn Schwartzberg explained. “From the stem, to the seeds, to the flower.” She added that the flexibility and different types of squash would aid the contestants greatly.Luke Hubbard, the sous chef at Uptown Café, was one of the competitors in the challenge. He has eight years of culinary experience, having completed an apprenticeship in Lake Tahoe. Hubbard’s soup was appreciated as the better of his two options, with a Cajun-style kick the judges said they loved.Another local chef, Erika Yochum, participated this year as the first female chef in the contest. Yochum is the chef and owner of Feast Bakery Café and has 15 years of culinary experience. Unlike her counterparts in the challenge, she is self taught. With the secret ingredient, she created an elaborate meal including an appetizer-style dish, a trout entrée, a pineapple dessert and a cocktail.The only chef who works on campus was Damian Esposito, the executive chef from the Indiana Memorial Union. Rather than selecting a sous chef, Esposito brought along Michael Craig, a pastry chef, as his partner. Esposito has 17 years of culinary experience. Before the secret ingredient was announced, Esposito told the crowd what he was hoping for.“We’re hoping it might be peaches and not something savory like, say, squash,” he said.The audience laughed at the coincidence. Esposito created a imple meal with the squash, including a palate-cleansing element.The Monroe County Community Kitchen reported $12,000 raised at the competition this year from tickets sold and the live auction. Among the items auctioned were a carrot for $40, a guest judge seat for $250, two seats in the Bistro seating section to sample the food for $525 and three different dishes created by the chefs, ranging in price from $85 to $115. The chefs were judged by a panel of local celebrity judges, and the winner chosen by them was awarded the coveted Golden Spatula. This year’s local celebrity judges were Schwartzberg, David Tallent and Charlotte Zietlow.In the end, Esposito came out victorious and claimed the Golden Spatula. The People’s Choice Award was given to Yochum, and the Bistro Seating pick went to Esposito. With a smile, Esposito turned and handed his new spatula to Craig.“I really owe this to this guy,” Esposito said. “He has been one of my best hires. He can make amazing pastries and wedding cakes, even cakes on a stick — people love those.”
(08/29/11 3:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Looking for a way to be involved in a performing arts group on campus? The African American Arts Institute has several ensembles to choose from, and auditions are coming up quickly. The African American Arts Institute is committed to preserving black culture “through performance, education, creative activity, research and outreach,” according to their website.Dancers looking to perform have the first opportunity to become involved. The African American Dance Company will start auditions at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center in room A217.
(06/06/11 7:46pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Jacobs School of Music Professor of Music (Viola da gamba) Wendy Gillespie has been named the winner of the Thomas Binkley Award from Early Music America, the national service organization for the field of early music. The award recognizes outstanding achievement in performance and scholarship by the director of a university or college early music ensemble. It is named for lutenist and educator Thomas Binkley, who taught at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis and served as founding director of the Early Music Institute at Indiana University from 1979 to 1995. In addition to this award, Gillespie will receive an Alumnae Achievement Award from Wellesley College in February 2012. The award is the highest honor given to alumnae for excellence and distinction in their field and has been presented annually since 1970. Previous winners include Hillary Clinton, Madeleine Albright, Phyllis Curtin, Nora Ephron, Judith Martin and Diane Sawyer.Gillespie began playing violin in third grade with the encouragement of her maternal grandfather and her mother, who were both music lovers. She had been asked to participate in orchestras and chamber music from very early on, so it was very natural for her. “My parents were both lawyers, and I think they hoped that one of their children would do law,” Gillespie said. “Luckily I have a brother who has done that.”Gillespie has been a faculty member of the Early Music Institute at the Jacobs School since 1985. She teaches early bowed strings, performance studies and reading from early notation.Gillespie was interested in many things throughout childhood and early adulthood, but stayed with music throughout. “I was a child of the 1960s, when one could aspire to anything,” Gillespie said. “I chose to go to a liberal arts college and not a music conservatory because there were lots of things about which I was curious. But even in college, people were paying me to play music, and not so much anything else, so I more or less fell into it.”
(05/09/11 12:47am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Three years ago, the shipwreck Quedagh Merchant, which was abandoned by the scandalous 17th century pirate Captain William Kidd, was discovered. This summer, the underwater site will be dedicated as a “Living Museum of the Sea” by IU researcher and archaeologist Charles Beeker and the government of the Dominican Republic.The dedication will take place off the shore of Catalina Island in the Dominican Republic on May 23. The date was selected because it is the 310th anniversary of Kidd’s hanging in London for his ‘crimes of piracy.’The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) awarded IU $200,000 to turn the Captain Kidd shipwreck site and two nearby existing underwater preserves into “Living Museums of the Sea.” Here, cultural discoveries protect precious corals and other threatened sea life in the surrounding reef systems under the supervision and support of the Dominican Republic’s Oficina Nacional de Patrimonio Cultural Subacuático (ONPCS). The Underwater Science team from the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, led by Beeker, has been working to preserve, analyze and document the Kidd shipwreck since its discovery, which made worldwide headlines. This museum, resting in less than 10 feet of water and just 70 feet from shore, will give divers the opportunity to explore the ship remains, including several anchors and dozens of cannons. Many different types of sea life have made the shipwreck their home. Several more traditional museums will benefit from artifacts that are on loan to IU by the Dominican government, according to the press release from HPER.The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis has brought this underwater mystery to visitors in its new permanent exhibit, National Geographic Treasures of the Earth.Dominican Republic authorities authorized Beeker to bring the only cannon recovered from the shipwreck to the Children’s Museum for five years of study and conservation. Together, the Children’s Museum and Beeker received a $1 million grant from Eli Lilly and Company Foundation to support this project and to search for and recover artifacts from other historically significant ships that are believed to be in the Caribbean.“Lilly Foundation will provide five years of archaeological field investigations on three sites: the Quedagh Merchant, the 1725 Spanish Galleon Begoña and, most importantly, the 1495 Lost Fleet of Columbus,” Beeker stated in an e-mail sent from the Dominican Republic.Historians disagree on whether Kidd was actually a pirate or the opposite: a privateer — someone who captured pirates. “Captain Kidd captured the Armenian-owned Quedagh Merchant, which today is the only discovered pirate ship in the Caribbean, but more importantly my archaeological investigations document this as a unique example of 17th century ship-building technology from West India with hull construction described by Kidd in 1701, and documented by IU on the remains of the site,” Beeker said.“The archival records and the scientific archaeological investigations match and make this one of the most significant discoveries for this time period.” Kidd was convicted of piracy and murder and charged in a sensational London trial, according to the History Channel website. He was hanged and his body was ‘gibbeted’ — left to hang in an iron cage — over the River Thames for 20 years as a warning to other pirates.While the jury is still out on whether or not Captain Kidd was a pirate or a pirate hunter, the discovery and dedication of the ship is a great step forward in the preservation of the history of the pirates of the Caribbean.
(03/31/11 3:25am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, spoke at the IU Auditorium on Wednesday about everything from meeting lifelong friend and business partner Ben Cohen in seventh-grade gym class to battling Pillsbury for a distributor.Greenfield spoke fondly of Cohen.“We met on the track because we were the two fattest, slowest guys in the class,” Greenfield said, laughing. The duo kept in touch throughout college, he said. When it became apparent that neither was reaching his life goals, they decided to start a business together.“We both love food, so we decided on ice cream,” he said.The duo opened their first Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Inc. in May 1978 in Burlington, Vt. He said they knew they wanted a college town, and they thought they wanted somewhere warm. But too many established ice cream parlors were in place, so they ended up in Vermont. The winters, which were frequented with many days in subzero temperatures, were difficult.Through creative marketing strategies, they ended up with a major distributor. The distributor threatened to drop them because Häagen-Dazs-owned Pillsbury felt threatened. They felt Häagen-Dazs was wrong in the way it was trapping the distributor into dropping Ben and Jerry’s.“I thought, OK, we’ll sue Pillsbury. That’ll be fun,” Greenfield said.The battle began when Häagen-Dazs threatened to pull its product from its distributor if the distributor continued to carry Ben & Jerry’s. This launched a campaign with the slogan “What’s the doughboy afraid of?” to battle against Pillsbury.Greenfield and Cohen realized they were turning into businessmen and almost threw in the towel.“Business is essentially single-minded. It focuses on profit,” Greenfield said. “If the problems are how we measure our success, why don’t we just change how we measure it?” Greenfield said they wanted to set their focus to giving more than just ice cream to the community.“Ben & Jerry’s realized there is a spiritual aspect to business. The more you give, the more you receive,” Greenfield said. Ben & Jerry’s set out to give back, including starting the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation. In addition, 14 of its storefronts are run by social groups that provide job training to at-risk youth. They began a social report as well as a financial report to encourage their social and community outreach.Their social outreach continues to set them apart.“If you give, you will receive. If you help, you will be helped. Just because it is written in the Bible rather than a business textbook doesn’t make it any less viable.”
(03/30/11 3:51am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Jerry Greenfield, who with long-time friend Ben Cohen helped to build a $300 million ice cream empire, will speak today at IU.His presentation, “An Evening of Entrepreneurial Spirit, Social Responsibility & Radical Business Philosophy,” begins at 7 p.m. at the IU Auditorium. The event is being presented by the Kelley Institute for Social Impact. It is free and open to the public.“Jerry Greenfield’s presentation will show the audience how every person can make an impact — whether you want to start a socially responsible business or simply buy products that support the environment and community development,” said Molly Barwick, one of KISI’s co-directors, in a press release. Cohen and Greenfield, friends since junior high school, started Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Inc. in May 1978. They opened their first parlor in Burlingon, Vt.The duo soon became known throughout Vermont for their rich, unusual flavors, such as Cherry Garcia and Chunky Monkey, as well as their community-oriented approach to doing business. Greenfield and Cohen are now a model for the American business and have been recognized for fostering their company’s commitment to social responsibility by the Council on Economic Priorities, which awarded them the Corporate Giving Award in 1988 for donating 7.5 percent of their pre-tax profits to nonprofit organizations.The U.S. Small Business Administration named them Small Business Persons of the Year in 1988.Ben & Jerry’s continues to be operated independently and keeps strong to its guiding principles toward employees, philanthropy and use of Vermont, growth hormone free milk. Greenfield is co-author with Cohen of the 1997 best-selling book “Ben & Jerry’s Double Dip: Lead With Your Values and Make Money” (Simon & Schuster) as well as the 1987 book “Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book” (Workman Publishing Co.).
(03/22/11 3:54am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>All across campus IU students are competing against each other — and themselves.Tomorrow marks the fifth running of IU’s Energy Challenge.Beginning March 23 and lasting through April 20, the Energy Challenge will again aim to conserve energy and water.In fall 2008, its first season, the challenge included 10 residence halls. In 2009, the competition expanded to include 18 greek houses. In 2010, the first eight academic buildings joined the challenge. In the Fall Energy Challenge this past semester, the Energy Challenge grew further with 19 academic buildings competing. For the fifth running this spring, 19 academic buildings, 17 greek houses and all 12 residence halls will participate.In the fall 2010 challenge, the winners in each category were Alpha Omicron Pi for the greek houses, using 23 percent less energy than expected; Willkie Quad for the residence halls, using 24 percent less power than expected and the School of Public and Environmental Affairs for academic buildings, using 24 percent less than expected.The contest is measured using new usage baselines that have been figured for each academic building, residence hall and greek house. Baselines are an average of each building’s water and electricity usage during the past three years. This means that residence halls, greek houses and academic buildings are competing against their previous records for the best percentage, said sophomore Will McHenry, the Energy Challenge coordinator.“Buildings are competing to see who can reduce the most,” McHenry said. “So a newer residence hall like Union Street, which is pursuing LEED Silver certification, can still compete with, say, Collins, which is the oldest residence hall on campus, because students are competing against their own energy records from the past.”McHenry was recently appointed as Energy Challenge coordinator by the Office of Sustainability. He replaced Mckenzie Beverage, who coordinated the Spring 2009, Spring 2010 and Fall 2010 Energy Challenges. Beverage graduated in December from the Master of Public Affairs program in SPEA.The Fall Energy Challenge has proven to have a lasting impact on students and faculty.“Data suggests that the Energy Challenge has had an impact on student and faculty habits towards more sustainable living patterns,” McHenry said.Usage data from November 2010 and February 2011 have been recorded and compared to average usage data for these time periods during the last three years. On average, academic buildings and residence halls consumed below these baselines. This suggests that the challenge alters the behavior of students and faculty. In total, the four Energy Challenge competitions since 2008 have conserved 541,206 kwh of electricity and 1,286,199 gallons of water. This is enough electricity to power 541 average American homes for one month and enough water to fill at least two Olympic-sized swimming pools. Approximately 842,166 pounds of CO2 emissions have been avoided and $199,469 in utility savings has been achieved, according to the Energy Challenge website.The important thing about the Energy Challenge is that students and faculty carry the habits they gained during the challenge on through life, McHenry said. He said it teaches students and faculty about how their energy usage compares to others’ and exactly how much energy they are consuming and its impact.“This prepares students and faculty for a more sustainable lifestyle in the future.”
(03/11/11 4:28am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU Jacobs School of Music is working with music career specialist and author Angela Beeching and the Kelley School of Business’ Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation on a revolutionary student-driven program to assist music students in entrepreneurship and career development.Beeching, from Boston, is the project leader and is advising students through the program.“This whole thing was started by the Jacobs School inviting in guest speakers to talk about careers in music and entrepreneurship,” Beeching said. “I was one of them.”The program consists of four to six workshops and several advising sessions to help students develop career skills.“This is really about building a framework for the future,” Beeching said. “It’s more of a pilot program.“The program focuses on what students want to learn and uses surveys to determine which workshops will be available and plays a part in which speakers are selected.”Beeching said she thinks the program is great for giving student options.“This has been great. We’re all about showing the students what their options are for careers and in entrepreneurship,” she said. “I’ve been having a blast with it.” The program is open to all ages and has seen everyone from freshmen to doctorate students.Sophomore music education major and flutist Lauren Raby said she finds the preparation to be a helpful tool, especially for performance majors.“Jacobs is making us the best musicians possible and Project Jumpstart is helping with the business aspects of getting a job,” Raby said.Beeching said Project Jumpstart is different from entrepreneurial programs at other schools.“What’s so important about this program and what sets it apart from other schools is the fact that it’s really student-driven,” Beeching said. “There are four student leaders involved in this project.”The student leaders are senior Clair Studdard, who is an oboe player working toward a bachelor’s degree in music performance with an outside field in business and a minor in psychology; Angela Kloc, a second year graduate vocal student; Marie-Elise McNeeley, who is pursuing a master of music degree in early music as a student of Stanley Ritchie. Also a student leader is Peter Thoresen, who recently completed his coursework toward the doctor of music degree in voice and vocal literature and is a graduate team leader, according to the Jacobs School of Music website.Alain Barker, director of marketing and publicity for the Jacobs School of Music, completes the team as the project mentor.Beeching and this team meet via Skype once a week. Beeching is here for eight weeks total and often only one week at a time. She said she is incredibly dedicated to Project Jumpstart and emphasizes the importance of the students.“Without the students, this wouldn’t be happening at all,” Beeching said. “It’s really all about the students.”
(03/01/11 2:02am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The cost of housing and caring for prison inmates in the U.S. accounts for more than $52 billion in expenses per year. Gov. Mitch Daniels said he plans to make Indiana’s contribution to that number a little less daunting.On Feb. 22, Gov. Daniels’ Criminal Justice Reform Bill passed the Senate. The Senate approved the bill 46-3. It will now advance to the House of Representatives but not without a few revisions and more expected to come.Gov. Daniels’ approach revolves around sentencing and parole. The proposed bill would focus on correctional institutions such as rehabilitation centers and county corrections rather than long-term stays in state prisons.This plan focuses on those imprisoned for substance abuse rather than violent felons. The former would not be set free without rehabilitation or substance abuse help classes.The bill originally proposed a 1,000-foot reduction in drug-free zones around the state. Drug-free zones are areas around schools and parks that demand harsher punishment when violated. Researchers’ analyses suggest sentencing would be greatly reduced if the drug-free zones shrunk. However, Indiana prosecutors nixed this proposed reduction.Lawmakers have added a provision to help low-level felons rejoin society. Prosecutors, however, expect to target that provision for elimination.After the first round of revisions, however, many of the provisions of the original bill aimed at diverting low-level drug offenders to treatment and community corrections rather than large prisons remained intact.Prosecutors have persuaded lawmakers to add a provision so that serious violent felons serve at least 85 percent of their sentences. Offenders often serve only half their sentences because they earn a day of credit for each day of good behavior.Chief Media Officer for the Indiana Department of Corrections Doug Garrison said despite lowering crime rates, Indiana is still incarcerating more people than other states.“We have to ask, ‘Are we being smart about who we incarcerate? Are we incarcerating who we really should be?’” Garrison said.Gov. Daniels said in his blog on nationalreview.com on Jan. 19 that during his transition to service in December 2004, he was told Indiana would need to build at least one new prison a year starting immediately. He said with the state low on funds, they needed to find an alternative.Six years later, Indiana is housing 38 percent more prisoners without having built any additional cells at all, Daniels said in his blog post.But the lawmakers are out of capacity utilization ideas.“The hope is to get a grip on the population (of the prisons) and on the cost for the taxpayers,” Garrison said.
(02/15/11 5:07am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Indiana colleges say they need about $700 million for new buildings and other projects. The Indiana Commission for Higher Education has a different amount in mind: nothing.For the first time ever, the commission has recommended no spending on university capital projects in the next two-year state budget. Rep. Dave Cheatham, R-69th District, said this is due to the struggling economy and a decrease in revenue.“We were hoping that revenue would pick up,” Cheatham said. “We’re getting better, but we’re not back where we were.”That does not necessarily mean that the CHE’s budget will pass any further than the committee level. It needs to pass the Ways and Means Committee. The Ways and Means Committee is the chief tax writing committee of the House of Representatives. Without its support, the CHE’s budget will not move.For that reason, IU spokesman Larry MacIntyre said it’s important not to make any assumptions of it passing or not. Jason Dudich, associate commissioner and chief financial officer for the CHE, said it is important to realize that there are projects that will still make the cut, such as projects funded federally and privately. The CHE has allotted funding for repairs and rehabilitation, but it does not recommend any new projects. What does this mean for the Briscoe renovations that began this school year?Dudich said residence halls are funded primarily by student fees. When IU students pay to live in a residence hall that money goes toward many things, including renovations.So what does this affect? Academic buildings. Dudich said Indiana University has requested $57 million for the renovation of the Crescent Buildings. The Crescent Buildings are the buildings closest to Kirkwood and Indiana avenues. These buildings are part of the original Indiana University campus and date back to the late 1800s.While the University might not receive all $57 million it requested, it will receive some of the money to put toward repairs and renovations that are needed to restore these older buildings. But other projects will need to be placed on hold.“We understand there is a need for these projects,” Dudich said. He recommends IU find private donors and outside sources, which, according to the Council for Aid to Education, do not seem to be in short supply to IU.In 2010, IU jumped to first place among public universities in the nation in the amount of support it received from the private sector. Nationally among all universities — including such schools as Yale and Harvard — IU is ranked 10th. IU and its satellite campuses received $342.8 million from gifts through the IU Foundation and Riley Children’s Foundation. IU also received money from nongovernmental research grants. This is a 38.9 percent increase over 2009.But, as MacIntyre said, “At this point we’re not making any assumptions.”