Raisin Brahms, Van Goghgurt & Creativity
May 31, 2008
Americans for the Arts (AFTA) recently released wonderful new TV commercials promoting the importance of the arts. Click here to view them. The big message … the ‘arts’ inspire creativity and many other very beneficial things. For those who don’t consider themselves artistically inclined, please know … it’s not about being or becoming an ‘artist’. It’s about being inspired to be CREATIVE. ‘Artists’ (or those claiming to be artists) do not have a monopoly on creativity. The nurse, the accountant, the sales person, the plumber, the fisherman, the city planner, the volunteer, the management consultant, the business developer, the spouse, the dentist, the attorney, the school teacher, etc. are all capable of meaningful and important creativity too.
The folks at the Harvard Business Review hopped on the bandwagon a few years ago. Click here to visit Harvard Business Online and read the latest posting on this subject.
Whatever you do … keep your ‘Muse’ with you. EVERYONE can be CREATIVE and MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
AFTA … You Rock. And we salute you!
Straight from Paris, Clotilde Dusolier’s BLOG about food and cooking, Chocolate & Zucchini (C&Z), is for all who appreciate the culinary arts at its Big Wild best. C&Z is so bold and cool, Clotilde MUST have some ALASKAN blood flowing through her veins. Before you visit the site, open your ‘favorites’ tab … C&Z really is THAT GOOD! Click here to visit the site.
C&Z … You Rock. And we salute you!
In anticipation of AO’s upcoming ‘blow the house COMPLETELY down’ season, The Passions of Spain, this is the first in a series of BLOG’s about that fabulous part our planet known as the Kingdom of Spain (or España – pronounced ‘Espahnyah’)
Women bullfighters (Toreras) have been achieving celebrity status for more than 100yrs. One of the most popular Spanish Toreras of modern times is Cristina Sanchez (pictured above). In 1999 Sanchez retired, complaining that male attitudes against her were so strong she was unable to get top billings. In fact, some male bullfighters publicly declared they would not fight on the same billing as a woman. Let us hope they work this out.
For all you proud Americans, here’s a very interesting side note … more than 50yrs ago, Patricia McCormick was the first woman bullfighter in the Unites States. McCormick wrote a book about her experience entitled Lady Bullfighter. Click here to see the historic video of McCormick in the ring (don’t worry … fortunately, the ‘killing’ part of the ritual is deleted).
Reflecting deeper … some would say that women take ‘bull’ from men out of the ‘ring’ too. With that in mind … maybe every woman is a Torera!
Torera … whoever you are, wherever you are …You Rock. And we salute you!
AO’s Torer ‘o’ for its upcoming ‘take no prisoners’ production of Carmen is the OUTSTANDING Anton Bevlov. Anton appeared as Count di Luna in AO’s recent production of Il Trovatore.
He brings them to tears in 40 seconds!
May 16, 2008
Paul Potts’ amazing audition for Britain’s Got Talent (The British version of American Idol). Paul blows them away! YOU MUST SEE THIS!! Click here to see the video.
Paul Potts … You Rock. And we salute you!
Yesterday, Russia celebrated its annual Victory Day, in honor of the 63rd anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany in 1945. 27 million Russians were killed in WWII. Also yesterday, in America, specifically Big Wild Anchorage, something equally impressive happened. The Russian American Colony Singers (RACS), a creative vocal ensemble led by Zlata Lund, presented Echoes of WWII in honor of American veterans of war.
Kudos to RACS for a heartfelt and highly entertaining multimedia presentation. Echoes of WWII was brilliantly narrated by Colonel Suellen Wright Novak, USAF, retired of the Alaska Veterans Memorial Museum. Cheers to the featured guests Wade Hampton-Miller, the Russian folk dance group Sudarushki, Jean Sanders, accompanist Janet Carr-Campell, and the vocal ensemble and soloists (Justin Birchell, Tim Fosket, Gunnar Knapp, Leo Grinberg). RACS … You Rock. And we salute you!
To learn more about RACS click here or on the link in our Blogroll
Click here to listen to RACS singing O Magnum Mysterium.
