It’s the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, and this strange parade of pilgrims can mean only one thing – Bread and Words. For the last 15 years, the University’s languages and literature department has hosted the benefit reading and dinner, showcasing the school’s literary talent while raising money for the local Loaves and Fishes soup kitchen.

The readers at this year’s 15th Annual Bread and Words Benefit are (from left) Chris Burawa, director of the APSU Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts, Barry Kitterman, APSU professor, Ashley Wakefield, graduate student, Bethany Ann Cooper, undergraduate student, and William Boakes, graduate student. (Photo By Charles Booth/APSU Public Relations and Marketing)

This year’s Bread and Words event begins at 6 p.m. on Nov. 24 with a dinner of soup, artisan bread and a few desserts provided by Lovin’ Spoonful and Silke’s. An hour later, APSU faculty and students head to the front of the ballroom to read from their work. This year’s readers include Barry Kitterman, an APSU professor and novelist; Chris Burawa, an award-winning poet and director of the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts; graduate students Ashley Wakefield and William Boakes; and undergraduate student Bethany Ann Cooper.

Guitarist Chuck Emery and saxophonist Tony Greaves will also provide music during the evening. The languages and literature department is seeking only a $5 donation for admission into Bread and Words, with all proceeds going to Loaves and Fishes.

For more information, contact Susan Wallace at or 221-7031.

So begins the story of Pippin, a young man seeking his way in the world. This young man just happens to be the son of Emperor Charlemagne. Pippin knows with all his heart that there are great things in store for his life, but he has a hard time figuring out just what they may be. So he sets off to figure out the purpose of his life. Along the way Pippin is manipulated into a variety of situations by the mysterious Leading Player. Intrigue, plots to bring disaster! Humor, handled by a master! Romance, sex presented pastorally! Illusion, fantasy to study! Battles, barbarous and bloody!

The leading player is being played by Chris Hardin an assistant professor of voice and movement at APSU. He brings an intensity to the role worthy of Ben Vereen from the 1973 Broadway Production.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Lead Player, and Pippin

Pippin is played by Daniel Rye. Daniel gives the audience the sense of the whimsical nature that you would expect from the title character. He also projects clear vocals and is pleasant to listen to. For the ladies, he is not hard to look at either!

Russell Qualls plays the Emperor Charlemagne, he is a hard ruler, but cares deeply about his sons. Russell did an admirable job bringing a regal bearing to his role.

The Emperor Charlemagne, Pippin, the Lead Player, and Lewis

Lewis and Fastrada

Lewis (Edward Garcia) is Pippin’s half-brother, together with his mother Fastrada (Jennifer Whitcomb-Olivia) brings the intrigue to the musical. Edward has a definite flair to his acting and I have no doubt you will see big things from him in the future. Jennifer is a very talented dancer, and brings humor to her role.

Catherine (Elizabeth Hadden) is a widow with a young son named Theo (Nathan Brown). Pippin makes his way to her farm to deliver on the romance. It is during his time with her that Pippin finds his way in life. And it is a way that isn’t what the leading player had intended. Elizabeth’s character had several less than pleasant interactions with the leading player and you empathized with her, when she found her courage to stand her ground you could almost cheer. Nathan’s dealing with Pippin was endearing, and I have no doubt in the end, it was because of him that Pippin escaped the clutches of the leading player.

The Lead Player, Theo, Pippin, and Catherine

I saved Berthe (Alaina Runions), Pippin’s Grandmother for last all told hers was one of my favorite roles from the show.  She started out old and decrepit, but ended up quite alluring. She has a fun character!

There is an amazing support cast on this performance which features Dillon Biemesderfer, Riley Braem, Raven Cooper, Humberto Figueroa, Cinthya Griffith, Sarilda Mayberry, Heather Nicholas, Octavious Padgett, Sara Schichtel, L’Oreal Terry, Darius Walls, and Cody Furline. Without their contribution to the performance the leading actors couldn’t have shone nearly as bright.

Berthe and some of the supporting players

The music by Stephen Schwartz is upbeat and catchy. You will want to sing, and that is a good thing because at times during the audience is encouraged to sing along with the actors. I enjoyed the music so much, that after seeing the performance, I went home and purchased the soundtrack which is available both on Apple iTunes, and Amazon.com. In fact, I listened to it as I wrote this review. The quality of the vocals and music from this APSU production at time exceeds those from the Broadway version.

The play is being presented by the APSU Theatre and Dance, along with the APSU Center of Excellence in the Creative Arts. It runs from November 18th-22nd. 7:30pm Wednesday – Saturday. 2:00pm on Sundays.

Ticket prices are very reasonable. $10 for adults, $5 for students and members of the military. If you have any questions about the performance, you can get in touch with the Box Office via phone at (931) 221-7370.

This was a great performance, and if they don’t mind me coming back without a camera, I wouldn’t mind seeing it again! I applaud them all!

Program

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When a group of wind musicians approached Richard Strauss in the early 1940s about writing them some music, the German composer apparently created one of the “most difficult pieces ever written for wind instruments.”

The Gateway Chamber Ensemble

The Sonatina in F, known informally as “From an Invalid’s Workshop,” is so challenging, professional orchestras and college wind ensembles typically stay away from it.

“It’s never played,” Gregory Wolynec, APSU professor of music, said. “I have it in my office. It’s a rental, and the last date the score was rented out was 1982.”

But then one night earlier this year, Wolynec and several friends huddled around a table at a nearby restaurant, discussing complicated wind arrangements. The group consisted of APSU faculty members and professional musicians from around the region, who, for the last year, have performed together as the Gateway Chamber Ensemble.

Their conversation that evening soon turned into a contest on who could find the most difficult wind piece available. When it was all over, they had committed themselves to performing a wind serenade concert at APSU featuring Strauss’ notorious “From an Invalid’s Workshop.”

“It’s ridiculously hard, and we’re going to do it on two rehearsals,” he said. “Not one member of the ensemble has ever played the piece. Not one member of the ensemble has ever heard the piece live.”

But this is nothing new for the group. For the last year, they have located difficult, rarely heard works, and after studying and rehearsing the music in their own time, the members come together to successfully present these pieces to the local community. And on Monday evening, the Strauss work will be one of three demanding compositions the audience will hear. The ensemble also intends to tackle an overture by Rossini and Dvorak’s Serenade in D minor for winds.

“It’s a program of three very challenging, but approachable works,” Wolynec said. “The great thing about the ensemble is everyone’s prepared, everyone shows up wanting to play literature they don’t get to play anywhere else and we put on a world-class performance.”

Monday’s concert offers Clarksville residents an opportunity to hear top musicians perform rarely heard masterworks. The show is free for APSU students, $8 for adults, $5 for students and senior citizens and $20 for a family of four. For more information, contact Wolynec at 221-7642 or .

The inside has that newly renovated odor of fresh paint and clean floors. It’s only a mile or less from the main campus, but the new gallery is strategically located in the heart of Clarksville’s growing art district. On the first Thursday of every month, this area’s many galleries open their doors to crowds of art enthusiasts.

“We’re going to add to what’s going on around here,” Gregg Schlanger, APSU professor of art, said.

The building was leased a few months ago by the APSU Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts to provide gallery space for APSU alumni and faculty. After some intense refurbishing, it’s set to open on Nov. 5 to correspond with that month’s First Thursday Art Walk.

“It’s a way to help our alumni who are out there trying to build their careers,” Schlanger said. “It gives them a line on their resume and allows us to brag about our program.”

The gallery opens with “Whatever,” a show of work by APSU art alumni. Artists featured in this exhibit include hip Boles, Marc Pewitt, Miranda Herrick, Betsy Wynkoop, Kelly Kerrigan, Ally Reeves, Bill Eilliot, Scotty Peek, Young Kim, Donna Stack, Travis Childers and Melody Shipley.

“They’re all alumni, and it’s going to be a great group show,” Schlanger said.

“Whatever” opens with a reception from 5 to 8 p.m. that Thursday evening. The exhibit runs through Nov. 28.

The gallery will be open from noon to 4 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays, but it will be closed this Thanksgiving.

For more information, contact Schlanger at 931-221-7789 or .

Patricia Halbeck playing the Noble and Sentimental Waltzes by Maurice Ravel

The first set featured Maurice Ravel’s Noble and Sentimental Waltzes, which were a look back at a France that could no longer exist after that city passed through the maelstrom of the first world war.

Patricia Halbeck takes her seat and The piano starts to play a series of almost harsh and somewhat discordant notes with an upbeat refrain hinting at that innocence that was lost never to be found again.

Stanley Yates playing the Twelve Études for Guitar by Heitor Villa-Lobos

She was followed by Stanley Yates who played a selection from Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, his Twelve Études for Guitar which was written in 1928. In his playing You could hear the intertwining of European and Latin sounds and rhythms.

“To some degree, his guitar works also pay homage to Chopin, whose piano etudes were clearly the model for Villa-Lobos’s Estudos for Guitar. These are true concert Études for the guitar and, like the Chopin works, are meant for the stage; they are not limited to the status of mere pedagogical tools. Villa-Lobos’s Estudos also represent an attempt, consciously or subconsciously, to legitimatize the guitar as a concert instrument and raise it to the level of the piano…”

- Choro: a social history by Tamara Elena Livingston-Isenhour and Thomas George Caracas Garcia

Emily Hanna Crane and Jeffery Wood play The Sonata for Violin and Piano by Maurice Ravel

A duet by Emily Hanna Crane on the Violin, and Jeffery Wood on the Piano followed. They returned to Maurice Revel’s works and performed his Sonata for Violin and Piano.

“The Sonata for Violin and Piano was a rather late composition in Ravel’s life. The work progressed slowly as a result of ill health and took four years (1923-1927) to complete.”

Emily Crane has a magnificent ability to pluck emotion with the same ease as she could pluck her strings. Jeffery Wood’s ability on the piano meshed nicely resulting in a seamless flow to the melody.

Lisa Vanarsdel playing Flute Players op. 27 by Albert Roussel, with Jeffery Wood accompanying her on the Piano

For the next set Jeffery Wood remained on the piano, where he was joined by Lisa Vanarsdel playing flute. Together they gave the audience a peek at Albert Roussel’s Flute Players, Op. 27. While playing together their instruments almost leaped through the musical notes, cavorting together with a pure joy.

The final set featured the complete Gateway Chamber Ensemble, which is based around Austin Peay State University’s outstanding faculty, and includes many of the area’s leading professional musicians. They will be featured in the Community Concert Series  on Feburary 22nd, and I am looking forward to seeing them there! The 13 member group is conducted by Gregory Wolynec.

The Gateway Chamber Ensemble's conductor Gregory Wolynec

He had this to say about last night’s program:

“Essentially what we had, was this hotbed of activity going that on in Paris between the wars, especially in the 20’s. We had this combination of Europeans; French but also Germans, Swiss, & Americans; from all disciplines whether it’s music, visual arts, or dance, sorta intermingling and creating just a really amazing numbers of possibilities. So we heard a little bit of Jazz, which was sorta the new thing coming from the US. Which was great,  because it’s the only truly American musical form. We combine that with people like Ravel, who were just getting back to the careers they had (before the war). That makes this just a really exciting program.”

Last night they enabled the audience to experience the Creation of the World, op 8ia (1922-23) by Darius Milhaud. The melody is as Chaotic and jumbled as the creation of the world really must have been, if only we had been there to witness it. Slowly the Gateway Chamber Ensemble managed to pull order from the chaos, and through them the true beauty of Milhaud’s magnificent creation shone through.

The Gateway Chamber Ensemble

The next concert scheduled at the Center for Excellence for the Creative Arts is part of the Community Concert Series on October 8th. Featuring the exceptional Gabriela Montero, whose visionary interpretations and unique improvisational gifts have won her a quickly expanding audience and a devoted following around the world. Born in Caracas Venezuela, Gabriela gave her first public performance at the age of five. She performed at the inauguration for President Obama. In both recital and after performing a concerto, Gabriela often invites her audience to participate in asking for a melody for improvisations. They ask for themes from a Mozart Symphony to Star Wars. Gabriela says, “Because improvisation is such a huge part of who I am, it is the most natural and spontaneous way I can express myself. I have been improvising since my hands first touched the keyboard, but for many years I kept this aspect of my playing secret.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

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The great figures of all artistic genres came and worked in the city. But what inspired them? Maybe it was the music, created by other artists seeking the inspiration provided by Paris.

That eclectic blend of music will be the focus of the next Dimensions New Music Series Concert, “Paris Between the Wars: 1919 – 1939.” The free concert, which begins at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 14 in the APSU Concert Hall, will feature works by a wide range of musicians swept up by the city’s creativity.

The APSU Concert Hall

Jeffrey Wood, APSU professor of music

“Paris rebounded from World War I with frenetic jubilation and a burst of artistic creativity,” Jeffrey Wood, APSU professor of music, said. “Young composers like Darius Milhaud, as well as more established names such as Maurice Ravel, were heavily influenced by the rise of American jazz.

“Other composers were experimenting with new harmonies and melodies in their music, and the juxtaposition of French composers with composers from the United States and as far away as Brazil made for a tremendously exciting and lively musical environment.”

The evening’s program will include music by Albert Roussel and Heitor Villa-Lobos, as well as major, jazz-inspired works by Ravel and Milhaud.

“The concert will feature APSU professors Emily Hanna Crane, violin, Lisa Vanarsdel, flute, Stanley Yates, guitar, pianists Patricia Halbeck and Jeffrey Wood, and the Gateway Chamber Ensemble performing Milhaud’s ground breaking jazz ballet score ‘The Creation of the World’ under the direction of Gregory Wolynec,” Wood said.

The Gateway Chamber Ensemble

The concert is free and open to the public. The Dimensions New Music Series, sponsored by the APSU Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts, has brought free performances of contemporary and world music to the Clarksville area since 1980.

For information on the concert, contact Wood at 931-221-7819 or .

The Todd Hill Orchestra has been entertaining for twenty-four years. The Orchestra has been featured at a number of venues, ranging from Mississippi Casinos to upscale Concert Halls. The vast majority of the musicians in the Orchestra have been members for more than fifteen years, eight members have served over twenty years.

The Todd Hill Orchestra

The musical numbers they played were upbeat, with that crisp clean sound that is the signature of the Big Band Era. The Brass Section raised the roof on the concert hall, at least once or twice during the evening. Director Todd Hill played the Piano, and for most of the evening provided vocals when needed. Derek Jones provided the vocals for one number, during the rest of the evening he played either the Alto Sax or the Clarinet, he also had several outstanding sax solos.

A number of the Orchestra members were former Austin Peay students, and one lead trumpet player Richard Steffen is a faculty member in the APSU Music Department.

If you missed the show last night, the Todd Hill Orchestra graciously allowed me to provide the following video of them performing Dizzy Gillespie’s A Night in Tunisia.

Click here to view the embedded video.

They also have a CD available at their web site, http://toddhillorchestra.com/Home.html

The show was the first of a series of five outstanding concerts that are being brought to town by the Clarksville Community Concert Association (CCCA)

The CCCA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to presenting musical performances of high merit to Clarksville-Montgomery County. The CCCA receives funding by the APSU Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts, series subscriptions, corporate donors, private contributions, and ticket sales.

Gabriela Montero

The next concert in the series is set for October 8th at 7:30 p.m., and features the lovely and talented pianist Gabriela Montero. She along with Cellist Yo-Yo Ma, violinist Itzhak Perlman, and clarinetist Anthony McGill played at the Obama inauguration. The song by John Williams was pre-recorded due to the extremely cold weather.

Montero frequently interacts with the audience during her performances, to the point of asking them to suggest a melody, then improvising the song for them. “When improvising,” Gabriela says, “I connect to my audience in a completely unique way – and they connect with me. Because improvisation is such a huge part of who I am, it is the most natural and spontaneous way I can express myself. I have been improvising since my hands first touched the keyboard, but for many years I kept this aspect of my playing secret. Then Martha Argerich overheard me improvising one day and was ecstatic. In fact, it was Martha who persuaded me that it was possible to combine my career as a serious ‘classical’ artist with the side of me that is rather unique.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

I hope to see you there!

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The Orchestra, which has been performing throughout the mid-south for the last 24 years, takes the stage at 7:30 p.m., Aug. 31 in the APSU Music/Mass Communication Building. Once the lights go down, the up-tempo and nostalgic sounds of 1930s and 1940s America will ring through the auditorium as they perform classic arrangements from great bandleaders such as Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Benny Goodman.

The Todd Hill Orchestra

Monday’s show, however, is only the first in a series of five outstanding concerts coming to town thanks to the Clarksville Community Concert Association. The CCCA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to presenting musical performances of high merit to Clarksville-Montgomery County. The CCCA is partially funded by the APSU Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts.

On Oct. 8, the series will bring pianist Gabriela Montero to town. The Venezuela native previously performed at the inauguration of President Barack Obama.

This Jan. 10, 2010, Nikolai Massenkoff, star of the Massenkoff Russian Folk Festival will bring his unique vocal talents to APSU.

A little more than a month later, on Feb. 22, the Gateway Chamber Ensemble, made up of many of the area’s leading musicians, will perform a program consisting of milestone works of both the past and present.

The series comes to a close on April 10, when the Joel Frahm Jazz Quartet stops by APSU. Frahm was recently selected in DownBeat Magazine’s Critics Poll as a “Rising Star” in the category of tenor saxophone.

Tickets to Monday’s performance by the Todd Hill Orchestra are free for APSU students, $12 for all other students and $25 for everyone else.

Information about the concert series is available online at www.clarksvillemusic.org.

The series kicks off at 7:30 p.m., on Monday, August 31st in the Music/Mass Communication Building Concert Hall with the Todd Hill Orchestra. Also appearing this year is Gabriela Montero, The Massenkoff Russian Folk Festival, The Gateway Chamber Ensemble, and closing out this years series in April 2010 is the Joel Frahm Jazz Quartet.

The Todd Hill Orchestra

The Todd Hill Orchestra presents the absolute best music of the Swing Era with original arrangements of the great bands such as Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Benny Goodman, along with more modern interpretations of standards from the great American “songbook,” and the contrasting swinging and romantic vocals by the leader.

When: 7:30 p.m., Monday, August 31, 2009

Gabriela Montero

Gabriela Montero’s visionary interpretations and unique improvisational gifts have won her a quickly expanding audience and devoted following around the world. Born in Caracas Venezuela, Gabriela gave her first public performance at the age of five. She performed at the inauguration for President Obama. In both recital and after performing a concerto, Gabriela often invites her audience to participate in asking for a melody for improvisations. They ask for themes from a Mozart Symphony to Star Wars. Gabriela says, “Because improvisation is such a huge part of who I am, it is the most natural and spontaneous way I can express myself. I have been improvising since my hands first touched the keyboard, but for many years I kept this aspect of my playing secret.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

When: 7:30 p.m., Thursday, October 8, 2009

Massenkoff Russian Folk Festival

Nikolai Massenkoff, Star of the MASSENKOFF RUSSIAN FOLK FESTIVAL was born in the White Russian community in Shanghai, China. He escaped Communism, and at the age of three, he was placed in St. Tichon’s Orphanage, founded by St. John of Shanghai Russian Orthodox Orphanage. It was there he had his first musical experience, singing and chanting. He went on to culminate a B.A. in Music (Voice), Drama and Speech. Nikolai studied with operatic greats from Juilliard, Villa Schifania, American Institute of Music and participated in the Tchaikovsky International Voice Competition in Moscow, Russia. In 1975, Nikolai founded the MASSENKOFF RUSSIAN FOLK FESTIVAL, a festival of Russian music song and dance because of love for his Russian heritage.

Click here to view the embedded video.

When: 3 p.m., Sunday, January 24, 2010

Gateway Chamber Ensemble

The Gateway Chamber Ensemble is a new and exciting ensemble providing the Clarksville and University communities with professional level performances of milestone works of both the past and future. Making use of a flexible instrumentation, the ensemble is based around Austin Peay State University’s outstanding faculty and includes many of the area’s leading professional musicians.

When: 7:30 p.m., Monday, February 22, 2010

Joel Frahm Jazz Quartet

Born in Racine, WI in 1969, Frahm attended the Mason Gross School for the Arts and earned his B.A. in Jazz Performance at Manhattan School of Music. He Released three highly regarded CDs on Palmetto: “The Navigator”, “Don’t Explain” (with Brad Mehldau), and “Sorry No Decaf.” “Don’t Explain,” his latest, was the number one jazz release for radio in the United States for two consecutive weeks in 2004, according to jazzweek.com. Joel was also recently selected in DownBeat Magazine’s Critics Poll as Rising Star in the category of tenor saxophone.

Click here to view the embedded video.

When: 7:30 p.m., Saturday, April 10, 2010

Become a member

Yearly Membership

A Value Subscription Package consisting of tickets to each of the five concerts (Purchased on or before August 31, 2009)

• Family: (includes up to four children) $300
• Adult: $100
• Youth: (18 and younger or *non-APSU student with ID) $50

Individual tickets to the concerts *

• Adult: $25
• Youth: (18 and younger or *non-APSU student with ID) $12

*APSU students with valid ID admitted free to series concerts

About the Clarksville Community Concert Association

The Clarksville Community Concert Association under the auspices of Mid-Cumberland Arts League, is a nonprofit 501 (c-3) organization dedicated to presenting musical performances of high artistic merit in Clarksville-Montgomery County and promoting interest in and enjoyment of live concerts through community outreach and education.

The goals of the CCCA are achieved with support from the Austin Peay State University Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts, subscriptions, corporate donors, private contributors, as well as ticket sales.

The organization is operated by an all-volunteer board of directors and officers consisting of subscribing members from the community.

Tick leads the show with three dancers clad in green, Laquimah van Dunk, Alaina Runions, and Caitlin Proctor to the sounds of Tashweesh (interference) by Kronos Quartet.

Followed by the lovely Brittany Hardaway performing a ballet called Gentle Lullaby to the sounds of Se Ymnumen by George Skaroulis. Many of the dancers held neutral expressions on their faces when they performed not so with Brittany. You could see her love and passion for dance etched on her face with every leap and pirouette.

Gentle Lullaby performed by Brittany Hardaway

Requiem for a Black Girl performed by Laquimah Van Dunk and Breanna Mandolene held an almost violent feel. To the background of Two women bound together by a cord barely seen. Lifting and pulling until they were free. At points hands were bound, Laquimah is strangled both with the cord, and bare hands. Eventually the performance ends with the two women laying on the floor like the dead.

Searching performed by Caitlin Proctor and Abby Ramsey

Searching choreographed by Alaina Runions was one of my favorite numbers. Performed by two identically dressed lovely young women Caitlin Proctor and Abby Ramsey, who could have almost been sisters. Their dance was a dance of passion, almost that of two lovers.

Untitled: Work in Progress was the first dance of the evening to feature a male dancer Walter Riley Braem, he was assisted in this number by the Jennifer Whitcomb-Oliva and Breanna Mandolene. The thing that sticks out about this dance to me was the intricate hand movements and the runner who circled the other two dancers at times a male and at other times a female.

This was followed up by Rising Flame featuring Laquimah Van Dunk. In this sensual dance she indeed lit up the stage.

To forgive but not forget was the next number choreographed by Laquimah Van Dunk. Her sensuality again shined through the dancers. This number featured Walter again but he seemed to almost be shunned by the other dancers, outshone even. The ladies including Alaina, Jennifer, Abby Ramsey, Brittany, and Arlene Reed exhibited an almost feminist power to their dance ending up with the women flexing in poses of aggression as Walter lay on the ground.

To Forgive but Not Forget

Day was a performance by the other male in the program, Kevin Loveland. The sensation I felt was of an individual attempting to deal with depression and while they almost succeeded, they were eventually pulled down again.

Untitled

Untitled which was choreographed by Walter Riley Braem Jr. and was the runner up for my favorite number. Danced by Caitlin, Abby, Alaine, Brittany, and Laquimah, the dance was graceful and full of energy. The five women ran, leaped, spun, and seemingly flew through the air.

In the soloist I got the impression of a soldier coming home after making the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Others may have taken something else but from the way she carried the guitar on her shoulder like a pall bearer, the stickers (War is not the answer, A Red, White, and Blue peace sign, and John Lennon featuring Imagine all the people living life in peace) on the guitar, and the lyrics that’s the impression I received. Any way as a Veteran, I liked it. Too often people forget the true cost of war. Thanks Alaina for reminding us!

MangO was the next number, choreographed by Jennifer, and performed by her and Caitlin. The number was also very sensual, and would have quite possibly been in my list of favorite numbers if it was not for the lack of emotion displayed on Jennifer’s face during this performance. I really hate to give bad reviews but if you don’t know it’s broke, you can’t fix it. You have the technical side down pat, but you got to put your heart into your dance and let the audience see either from the emotion or intensity on your face, that you really feel it.

The final number was Red Light. Featuring the upbeat song Roxanne by the Police. Danced by Abby, Alaina, and Laquimah. These women really can strut their stuff!! They put a lot of energy into this dance, and it paid off for them.

Red Light

This was a great performance, and I really enjoyed it. You should definitely try to make the final show tomorrow night!

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The Junior Govs is a recreational-based summer camp that gets kids active in sports and games, but on several occasions, campers found their way into the APSU Woodward Library. That’s where they met instruction team librarians Christina Chester-Fangman, Philenese Slaughter, Inga Filippo, Nancy Gibson and Sharon Johnson. Over the last few weeks, the professors conducted enrichment activities for the campers, such as story times and lessons on research with the “age-appropriate” database Kids InfoBits, provided by Tennessee Electronic Library or TEL.

When the camp ended last Friday, the librarians decided to offer a special farewell to the children they’d come to know. That’s why they contacted the Clarksville Arts and Heritage Development Council and the APSU Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts about providing free books to each camper.

“The two organizations agreed to fund the project,” Chester-Fangman said. “With that money, $1,000, we were able to order 75 age-appropriate books.”

The librarians handed out those books on Friday afternoon. The children, ages 5 through 8, were hesitant at first. They reached their small hands forward and picked up hardbound copies of “The Ugly Duckling” or “The Boy Raised by Librarians.”

After a few minutes, when they realized it was safe, the stacks of books quickly disappeared. The 9-12 year-olds were more confident when it was their turn to choose between “Tracking Trash: Flotsam, Jetsam, and the Science of Ocean Motion” or the “National Geographic Kids Almanac 2010.” The campers then sat on the floor or ran over to their friends to flip through the pages together.

Inside the front cover, they found a custom bookplate commemorating the Junior Govs Summer Camp 2009 and the two sponsors of the book giveaway.

“We thought it was a nice opportunity to introduce the children to the Woodward Library, and we had such a great time doing it. We hope we will be asked to participate again in the future,” Chester-Fangman said.

For more information on the book distribution, please contact Chester-Fangman at 931-221-1267 or chester-.

They’ll be coming to campus that week for the Tennessee Young Writers Workshop, an annual event co-hosted by Humanities Tennessee and the APSU Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts, to learn more about writing from some of the top names in that field.

“It’s basically designed to help kids delve deeper into the craft of writing,” Lacey Cook, program officer with Humanities Tennessee, said. “They’ll spend most of their time in workshop classes in fiction, songwriting, creative non-fiction and poetry, but each night, we’ll have entertaining activities with the visiting writers.”

About 40 students, ranging in age from seventh graders to seniors in high school, will travel from across the state to attend the weeklong workshop. They’ll live on campus, get time to write, share their work at events such as open mike nights and receive advice from some of the area’s best writers. They’ll even get the opportunity to meet and learn from this year’s visiting writer, acclaimed novelist William Gay. Gay, recipient of the 1999 James A. Michener Memorial Prize, has written four novels and two short-story collections, each receiving high critical recognition.

The students will also get to work with a diverse faculty of award-winning writers, including novelist and poet Darnell Arnoult, poet and APSU professor Blas Falconer, author and APSU professor Dwonna Goldstone and songwriter Belinda Smith.

The workshop is open to all students between grades 7-12, and applications are still being accepted through the end of this month. Tuition is $650 and includes room and board, all class materials, any field trip expenses, a workshop T-shirt and access to the Young Writers e-mail discussion list and online anthology.

For more information on the workshop or to register, go to www.humanitiesTennessee.org/youngwriters or contact Cook at 615-770-0006 ext. 19.

ARTifacts, 124 Strawberry Alley, will feature Kate Johnson, Elizabeth Klein and Jo Rhodes.

Kate Johnson has always loved art, but has not always been an artist.  After graduating from West Point in 2000, she served five years in the Army as a member of the Signal Corps spending most of her Army time at Fort Campbell with the 101st Airborne division.  Specializing in wall murals and portrait art, Kate has carved a niche for herself in the Clarksville community.  She can create paintings/murals on canvas so you can take the art with you where ever you may go!

Elizabeth Klein creates her art with yarn.  She states she enjoys creating heirloom quality baby items; afghans and lab robes; scarves and hats (both “fancy” and “fun”); handbags; and jewelry.  Says Klein, “I believe in using my God-given talents to try to reach others about the gospel, so all the items I sell include a tag that encourages the purchaser to seek the truth for themselves.”
Elizabeth Klein has been antiquing for many y ears and has many fascinating and hard to find pieces in her booth at ARTifacts.  Did you know that the E-911 system was invented here in Clarksville?  Well, Jo has documentation on this story along with bird drawing prints from the man who did it.  He was an inventor and a nature lover on the side.  Come see what other really unique things Jo has found in her booth.

National Youth Art Month

In conjunction with the DCA 1st Thursday and the National Youth Art Month the Downtown Artists Co-op will working with the Clarksville/Montgomery County School System to host an exhibit of art works by local high school students.  Art teacher Leo Adames will be coordinating the event for the school system.  There will be an opening reception from 5-8 p.m. on Thursday, March 5th, at the DAC gallery located at 96 Franklin St.  This will be an opportunity for local art students to exhibit their work in a public forum.  For many of them it will be their first exhibit outside the school system.  In addition to the public showing of their work the students will be learning the importance of presentation and the many details of preparing for and coordinating an exhibition.  The reception is open to the public and, as usual,  DAC expects an overflow crowd of interested art enthusiasts to attend.

The Roxy Regional Theatre’s Peg Harvill Gallery will host a new show by Billy Renkl. This mixed media show is inspired by William Shakespeare’s MACBETH, will open on Friday March 6.  Billy traditionally creates works to compliment the annual Shakespeare productions at The Roxy.  This is an all new show!

Betty’s Antiques will be offering a 20% sale on all purchases over $100.00. We will also be featuring an artist and a photographer. Our artist, Al Clark, does oil on canvas. Our photographer, Jenny Gilman, does portraits, weddings, lifestyle photography, and maternity and pet pics.

Visions Metaphysical Boutique will host several artists this month.  Deborah Raleigh-Chandler, oils–landscape, still-life; Afton Chandler, acrylics–modern, surreal; Amanda Harrison, acrylics–modern, abstract; Samantha Stephens, acrylics–surreal; Linda Cain, handcrafted sterling silver/ gold gemstone & crystal jewelry.

Hodgepodge will feature “Architectural Images” by Tammy Dohner.

Tammy enjoys studying architecture and states she especially love older architecture and the craftsmanship involved in the decorative elements. “In 1989, when first learning how to use a 35 mm camera, I began photographing architecture. Unlike people, buildings didn’t become impatient with me if I was taking too long fiddling with the equipment before I took the picture. Stonework never seemed to mind if I was waiting for the light to change and I never felt compelled to explain a delay to a staircase.”

Architecture continues to be one of my favorite photographic subjects.

Coming Events…

The Art Walk in April bears mentioning now, as the public may wish to participate in one or two of the events.

The 2009 Open Exhibition is sponsored by USBANK and the APSU Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts.  The Downtown Artist Co-op hosts this event. Proceeds from the exhibit (the entry fees and a percentage of sales from work from the show) go to fund an annual $1000 scholarship for an art major at APSU. The recipient of the scholarship is selected by the Art Department. faculty each year. The recipient is recognized at a reception at the DAC.

The Exhibit is open to all artists in Montgomery and surrounding counties. Artists can submit one piece for a $10 entry fee. All submitted work is in the exhibit (often 100 pieces or more). A juror is brought in to select the award winners (up to $1000 in awards are given in both amateur and professional divisions).  The entry forms should be available during Art Walk at the DAC and along Franklin Street. Also they well be available at the US Bank Downtown Office.

The Roxy is also accepting registrations for the first annual Sidewalk Art Walk, which will be held on Thursday April 2, as part of the Art Walk.   Teams (of no more than 10) from all elementary, middle and high school art departments are asked to select a picture of their choice and re-create it on the sidewalk on the date from 2:30 until 5:00. The winner will receive a pizza party and a night at the upcoming musical CATS. Call Tom or Katie at the theatre for more info.

Art Walk is one of the many monthly events taking place in the downtown area.  Visit www.historicdowntownclarksville.org for more information about this event and all downtown happenings.

Paul Guest

The Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts at APSU invites you to the Paul Guest Poetry Reading on Tuesday, February 24th, at 4:00 pm, in the Morgan University Center, room 303.  A reception will follow the reading.

Paul Guest is the author of three collections of poems, most recently, My Index of Slightly Horrifying Knowledge (Ecco, Nov 2008). He is also the author of The Resurrection of the Body and the Ruin of the World, winner of the 2002 New Issues Prize, and Notes for My Body Double, winner of the 2006 Prairie Schooner Book Prize.

Guest was awarded the Whiting Writers’ Award in 2007 for his first book of poems. In 2010, Ecco (an imprint of HarperCollins) will publish his memoir, One More Theory About Happiness. He is a visiting professor of English at the University of West Georgia.

The times for the performance are 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 4 through Saturday, Dec. 6 at the Trahern Building Theatre. Ticket prices are $10 for adults and $5 for students and military.

“Phantasos, a Nutcracker Story” is a modern ballet that puts a contemporary twist on the original “Nutcracker Suite” by Tchaikovsky.

APSU undergraduate student Jennifer Whitcomb-Oliva choreographed and directed the performance. Whitcomb-Oliva is the recipient of the 2008-09 Presidential Research Scholarship and is mentored by Marcus Hayes, assistant professor of dance.

The research and creative activity for the project entailed tracing the original “Nutcracker” tale, reinventing the story and choreographing movement to communicate the new story.  The APSU Department of Theatre and Dance decided to provide additional support to this production by adding “Phantasos” to the fall season.

“Phantasos, a Nutcracker Story,” features 32 student performers and 17 student technicians.  The theatrical design elements are led by Leni Dyer, associate professor of costume design and David Brandon, assistant professor of scenic design.

For more information, contact the APSU Department of Theatre and Dance, (931) 221-7333.