A Different Kind Of Mash Up...

I don't remember exactly how I stumbled upon Pogo, but I have to say that I'm really happy I did. Pogo is an artist who takes bits and pieces of sound clips from popular films and edits them together into catchy, electro tunes (I think they might be classified as some sort of trip hop, although wikipedia wasn't entirely explicit. Haha). I feel that Pogo is worth mentioning on this blog as further proof that it's possible to find music anywhere, and with so much technology at our fingertips more people are finding new and exciting ways of expressing themselves through art. Check it out!

For more information about Pogo, including his history, North American tour dates, and brand new Lord of the Rings Remix ("Murmurs of Middle Earth"), go to pogomix.net.

Occidental-Caltech Symphony Orchestra

This past week, Occidental and Caltech were in the news for a very embarrassing upset in men's basketball. Embarrassing for Oxy that is. The Caltech men's basketball team had not won a game in 26 years, yet beat Oxy 46-45 on Tuesday, February 22nd. For more information, please visit http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2011/02/caltech-basketball-snaps-310-game-conference-losing-streak.html.

However, both schools will put all competition aside and come together for two concerts this weekend. The Occidental-Caltech Symphony Orchestra is directed by Oxy's own Professor Allen Gross, and includes students from both schools. The concerts will feature student solo violinist Misha Raffiee, the winner of a student concerto competition.

The Saturday concert will be held at Occidental at 7:30 pm and the Sunday concert will be held at Caltech at 3:30 pm. Two opportunities to see a great performance, but the best part is that they are both free.

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra Saturday

The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra Presents

French Connection

This Saturday, February 26th at Alex Theater (just two blocks from the Americana)

The program will include:

• Ravel Pavane pour une infante défunte (“Pavane for a Dead Princess”)
• Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 22
• Beethoven Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36

Featuring conductor Louis Langrée, and the LACO debut of French Pianist Lise de la Salle

The concert begins at 8 pm. Check out the student discount on select seats. For tickets and more information, visit the event page on the LACO website.


Lisa De Salle

LYKKE LI @ EL REY THEATRE & THE WILTERN

If you aren't familiar with Lykke Li, you are missing out on some GOOD music. Lykke Li is a Swedish indie artist, mostly known for her debut album 'Youth Novels' which she released in 2008. She has a very original style and is incredibly talented. However, her second album 'Wounded Rhymes' is due to be released next week in (2 March 2011) in Sweden. Her new album was actually written and recorded for the majority in Echo Park, LA! It promises to be a great one.. and even better than that, she is coming to LA to perform! The first time I heard her (probably about a year ago) I thought: 'she has a weird voice', but listening to her more I really started to get attached to her songs and her overall output is just fantastic. She will be performing at the El Rey Theatre on the 9th of March with Johnossi, a popular Swedish rock duo that have just completed their third album, and on the 31st of May she will be headlining The Wiltern in Los Angeles. Don't miss it!

FREE TICKETS WOOOOO!

The Music Department has 10 tickets to donate to you for the Colburn
Orchestra on Saturday, March 5, at 8 p.m. The concert includes music by Stravinsky, Brahms, and Berlioz, and the performers are college-age conservatory students from the acclaimed Colburn School downtown. The Ambassador Auditorium is just down the road in Pasadena:

http://theambassadorauditorium.org/ for information and directions.

Just come by the Music Department and ask for Colburn Orchestra tickets.

Changing Music Industry!

I came upon this article the other day and thought it was interesting:

http://seekingalpha.com/article/238741-how-the-music-industry-s-transformation-is-paving-the-way-for-monetization-opportunities


According to the article, CD's replaced cassette tapes twenty or so years ago. The technology brought about concerns from record label companies, mostly about piracy. Today, we are witnessing another shift: from the use of physical to digital media.

While revenue from CD sales may be down, more people are exposed to music. It is not all that bad for the record label companies. There is a greater fan base and more concert ticket sales.

On the other hand, with websites like Youtube exposing artists to a wide audience, music artists no longer need to be signed by record companies in order to be successful musicians or to be well known.

That being said, people are the ones who have greater power in determining who becomes famous. In the past, record companies had more of a say.

How the tides have turned!


(credit to http://us.music-jobs.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/broken-cd.jpg and http://blogs.wyomingnews.com/blogs/backstagepass/files/2009/09/youtube_logo.jpg for images.)

27th Annual Waltz Night

On behalf of the Occidental Folk and Historical Dance Troupe,
I would like to invite you to our 27th Annual

Viennese Waltz Night

Saturday, February 19


Samuelson Pavillion

Doors open at 8 pm
Grand March at 8:15 pm
Performance at 9 pm
Last Waltz at 11 pm

This is an occasion to dress up -- but NO HIGH HEELS please.
(In this style of dance, they are hazardous to the dancer and her partner alike.)

The evening will feature ...

Waltz and Polka clinics -- brush up your steps, or learn for the first time!

A performance by the Folk and Historical Dance Troupe, dancing to "The Beautiful Blue Danube," by Johann Strauss, Jr.

General dancing to waltzes and polkas played by the Occidental-Caltech Orchestra.

Light refreshments will be provided.

Admission is free, but donations are welcomed.

Please direct any questions to Alan Knoerr (knoerr@oxy.edu or (626) 533-8131).

BONNAROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

The Bonnaroo lineup was recently announced and it looks even more sicknasty than Coachella and Sasquatch COMBINED!!! Seriously, this is probably every band I've wanted to see in the last 2 years and more. Looks like I'm going to Tennesse.

Watch this silly video of Conan (who did a set at Bonnaroo last year) announcing the lineup, plus some really amazing/headachey graphics that fully convey the magnitude of this event.

Plus go here for the full lineup: http://www.bonnaroo.com/artists.aspx

The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra presents French Connection.

Featuring *Ravel, Saint-Saens, and Beethoven.*

At 8pm on Feb 26 at the Alex Theater in Glendale.
It is a beautiful theater that is only 2 blocks away from the Americana.

Follow this link for more information and program notes
http://www.laco.org/performances/148/
As students we get great discounts from LACO http://www.laco.org/college/
Email sittig@oxy.edu or the Box Office (tickets@laco.org) with
questions.

Halcyon Trio - Feb. 15, 2011

Sasquatch Lineup!!

Did you miss out on getting Coachella tickets? (I know I did, one week and sold out was CRAZZZYYYY!) Have no fear, Sasquatch is here! and the lineup is looking pretty fearsome. CH-ch-checkitout.

21 by Adele

If you have not yet had the pleasure of listening to the unique, sultry, powerful vocals of Adele it is really time for you to correct this situation. Winning her the 2009 Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, her debut album 19 reached the top of British charts and sold over 2.2 million copies worldwide by 2009. Overflowing with soul, Adele's voice should not be missed.

For those of us who have already fell for Adele, her second album could not come soon enough. Finally the wait is almost over- the English singer/songwriter's newest album 21 will be dropping February 22nd. Until then, check out the 21 Days of Adele page on her website where new content will be available each day until the release. Currently, the page contains interviews, videos of live performances, sweepstakes, and even a full streaming of 21. Thank you, Adele.

If 21's first single "Rolling in the Deep" is any indication, we have a lot to look forward to. Take a look at the music video, a perfect match to this beautiful yet brooding song.




Now here is the best part. Adele will be kicking of a 23 day tour on March 12th, rolling into to LA on the 9th of June. Tickets go on sale tomorrow. For more info check out adele.tv.

Tour Dates:
05/12 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
05/13 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
05/15 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues
05/16 – Montreal, QC @ Olympia Theater
05/18 – Toronto, ON @ Kool Haus
05/19 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
05/23 – Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
05/24 – Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theater
05/26 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
05/28 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
05/29 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
05/31 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
05/31 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
06/01 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox at the Market
06/03 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
06/04 – San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield Theatre
06/08 – San Diego, CA @ Humphreys Concerts by the Bay
06/09 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
06/12 – Austin, TX @ Stubbs Waller Creek
06/15 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
06/17 – Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
06/18 – Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
06/20 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium

Synchromy This Saturday

Esperanza Spalding

While browsing around the internet in search of some new inspiration, my eye came across this new young artist, only 24 years of age and already running for a Grammy Award this year in the category Best New Artist. From the land of Portland, Oregan, she brings to the scene something very unique and controversial. She is a prodigy on the double bass, and accompanies this (rather than the other way round) with her hypnotizing voice. She has already been made part of the faculty at Berklee School of Music and explores many variations surround the style of Jazz.

Either way, she is well worth checking out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15M62OtLrBQ

(YouTube is always a good place to start!)

Free Sanata Cecilia Orchestra Concert Feb 13

Santa Cecilia Orchestra
Sonia Marie De León de Vega, conductor

February 13th, Sunday, 4 p.m. at Thorne Hall. All Occidental students, faculty and staff may attend *free* with Oxy ID to receive
*one free ticket *

..

In this concert, audience members will enjoy the individual talents of SCO musicians in repertoire ranging from the virtuosity of Vivaldi to the genius of Bach and the passion of tango master Astor Piazzolla.

Music director and conductor Sonia Marie De León de Vega will lead the orchestra performing Concerto for 2 Violins Op. 3 No.2 by Antonio Vivaldi, J.S. Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 and Concerto for Violin and Oboe, Suite Argentina by Alberto Williams and Astor Piazzolla’s Libertango. Featured soloists include Salpy Kerkorian, Melissa Phelps, Yi-Huan Zhao, Anna Kostyushek and Alexander Kalman. SCO also welcomes back the celebrated
radiance of its special guest artist, pianist Natasha Marin.

There will be one performance only of this program, which will take place at Occidental College’s Thorne Hall, on Sunday February 13, 2010 at 4:00 p.m

..

More information can be found at www.scorchestra.org.

Fascinating Stuff of the Day

Video excerpt from Howard Hughes Medical Institute

This is a short excerpt about a man name Clive Wearing, a renowned composer from the 1980s who got a virus that destroyed the part of his brain that allows him to create memories. Somewhat like a real-life version of the film Memento, Clive Wearing has a short-term memory span of about 30 seconds. He does, however, still remember (and love) his wife, and, interestingly enough, the ability to play piano and conduct. Yet another indicator of the importance of music on the brain.

For more information about Mr. Wearing and his highly unusual condition, check out the wikipedia article.

Eagle Rock Music Studio

I have always enjoyed music. However, I am far from being a musician. I took Suzuki-style piano lessons for a long period of time, yet retained almost nothing. I try to place the blame on moving to college but with pianos in every dorm and piano labs down the hill, I have no one to blame but myself.

During an outing to Auntie Em's to grab a sandwich to go (I would recommend the A.C.S.), I saw a flyer for music lessons at Eagle Rock Music Studio. I have lived in Eagle Rock for the past three years and have explored the area regularly but have never seen the Music Studio. Upon visiting their website, I was pleasantly surprised by the array of music lessons they offer. Classes include ukelele, guitar, piano, accordion, and much more. The instructors have all attended prestigious music schools, including Julliard and the National Conservatory of Music in Buenos Aires, Argentina. With a huge selection of classes and talented teachers, even the most musically-challenged can find some rhythm.

For more information, please visit http://www.eaglerockmusicstudio.com/default.asp

The White Stripes are Over

As you may have heard, the White Stripes are official done. Not that it's really much of a surprise, they haven't made a record in quite some time, and Jack White has been busy with the Raconteurs and his most recent project, The Dead Weather (consisting of that crazy chick from The Knife and 2 guys from Queens of the Stone Age, they are totally and completely BADASS. Seriously, check out this music video where they do nothing but shoot at each other...but in a really awesome kind of way: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7QSkI6My1g).

Here's the official announcement to pull on your heartstrings:

"The White Stripes would like to announce that today, February 2nd, 2011, their band has officially ended and will make no further new recordings or perform live.

The reason is not due to artistic differences or lack of wanting to continue, nor any health issues as both Meg and Jack are feeling fine and in good health.

It is for a myriad of reasons, but mostly to preserve What is beautiful and special about the band and have it stay that way.

Meg and Jack want to thank every one of their fans and admirers for the incredible support they have given throughout the 13 plus years of the White Stripes' intense and incredible career.

Third Man Records will continue to put out unreleased live and studio recordings from The White Stripes in their Vault Subscription record club, as well as through regular channels.

Both Meg and Jack hope this decision isn't met with sorrow by their fans but that it is seen as a positive move done out of respect for the art and music that the band has created. It is also done with the utmost respect to those fans who've shared in those creations, with their feelings considered greatly.

With that in mind the band have this to say:

"The White Stripes do not belong to Meg and Jack anymore. The White Stripes belong to you now and you can do with it whatever you want. The beauty of art and music is that it can last forever if people want it to. Thank you for sharing this experience. Your involvement will never be lost on us and we are truly grateful."

Sincerely,
Meg and Jack White
The White Stripes"

MOFA's baaaaaack!

First Fridays

When: Friday February 4; 5:30 - 10:00 pm

Where: National History Museum, Los Angeles

What: Live Music and Discussion Series with:

- talk by Jonathan Weiner

- live music by the Miguel Atwood-Ferguson Ensemble

- DJ Anthony Valadez and special guest Aaron Byrd

Legendary Film Composer Passes Away

One of the world's most valuable film composers of our time, namely John Barry, sadly passed away this weekend at the age of 77. John Barry was mostly known for his extensive contribution to the James Bond movies, having composed music for 12 of them. His most awarded works however are found amongst films such as Dances with Wolves, Born Free, and Out of America, for which he won Oscars. Barry composed soundtracks to over a hundred movies throughout his lifetime, amongst many other works for television series, musicals, and artists. Having acquired five Academy Awards, four Grammy Awards, and two Lifetime Achievement Awards, he has left a trace on this earth far greater than suspected. R.I.P. John Barry.