Both artists were so complimentary of the jazz programs in both schools and look forward to more clinics of this nature in our area.

Lynne Arriale instructing the musicians in the North Hall High School Jazz Band.

The very enthusiastic, attentive, and talented musicians in the North Hall High School Jazz Band.

Lynne teaching them the importance of the rhythm section in a jazz band.

Lynne was very impressed by the students talent and eagerness to learn.

The North Hall High School Jazz Band with their talented teacher Kevin Carwile, Lynne Arriale, Principal Joe Gheesling, and  Chair of the Arts in Schools Committee for the Arts Council,Vicki Hough.

Evan Christopher presenting valuable instruction to the musicians of Chestatee Academy of Inquiry and Talent Development.

An attentive group of Chestatee musicians!

Evan’s jazz style pays homage to the earliest creators of jazz. Armstrong and Bichet used to listen to opera for inspiration. They saw their instruments as the voice in opera. Here Evan demonstrates the clarinet singing an aria from La Traviata. The children were mesmerized!

 The jazz musicians of Chestatee Academy of Inquiry and Talent Development.

Evan Christopher performing for Chestatee jazz musicians! We thank Terry Sleister, band director for Chestatee, for being such a wonderful leader to these future stars!

Thank you to both Lynne and Evan for giving such wonderful clinics! And thank you to the teachers, band directors, and students at both schools for allowing The Arts Council and these awesome musicians time in your classrooms! As always we strive to keep the arts vibrantly alive in Northeast Georgia.

Livingston Taylor, James Taylors brother, is coming HERE March 15!

Some little known facts about the artist:

Livingston is the fourth child born into the very musical Taylor family, including; Alex, James, Kate, and Hugh.

He has had top 40 hits recorded by his brother James like “Going Round One More Time”.

Livingston has toured with major artists such as, Linda Ronstadt, Jimmy Buffett, and Jethro Tull.

He hosted a nationally syndicated television show called This Week’s Music.

His single, “I Will be in Love With You”, reached #30 on the Billboard Charts.

He recorded a duet with his brother James, called “City Lights” in the late 80′s.

“I got the early attention,” James Taylor said, “but there is no real reason that it couldn’t have been Liv. We could easily have swapped. Our sense of the world is informed by each other.” 

He has been a full professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston since 1989 where he teaches Stage Performance to aspiring artists.

We are beside ourselves with excitement as we anticipate the arrival of Livingston Taylor!

Purchase tickets today for his show March 15, 2012, 8pm at Pearce Auditorium by calling The Arts Council, (770) 534-2787, or go online!

PS-We heard he is bringing a special guest with him!! 

Evan Christopher is a refreshingly bright light on the national and international jazz scene. He combines virtuosity, immaculate taste and the youthful resources of energy and enthusiasm with a deep commitment to capturing the full range of musical possibilities that come from having strong roots in the idioms of early Jazz and the Creole clarinet style. Christopher was born in Long Beach, California and began his musical training on clarinet at the age of 11. In high school, he was a recipient of the Louis Armstrong National Jazz Award and was one of the first graduates of the prestigious Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts. He continued his studies at the University of Southern California on music scholarships and graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in music from California State University, Long Beach.

After working, touring and recording with various bands and artists in California, Christopher moved to New Orleans where he rapidly made a name for himself. He became in great demand, appearing with top musicians as stylistically varied as veterans of Preservation Hall and Al Hirt to funk and brass bands like the Nightcrawlers and Galactic, but, in 1996, he accepted an offer to join the renowned Jim Cullum Jazz Band in San Antonio, Texas. During his three year stint with this band, he made regular national radio broadcasts as their featured clarinetist on their National Public Radio show: Riverwalk: Live from the Landing and accompanied artists such as Dick Hyman, William Warfield, and Topsy Chapman. This Side of Evan (1998) is among the many CD’s he has recorded under his own name and also as a guest artist for bands in New Orleans, Texas and California.

Having returned to New Orleans in 2001, Christopher has established himself as an important part of the Crescent City music scene. He has had research on the New Orleans clarinet style published and appears frequently with New Orleans musicians in the U.S. and Europe. In 2002, New Orleans Magazine included him among their annual “Jazz All-Stars” as an artist to watch.

As an improviser, Christopher has lots of tools — equal facility in the full range of his instrument, switching in and out of triplet phrasing, storytelling and theme building. But what impresses you most about his solos is their immediacy. He has a thick tone with a hoarse edge, and he’ll often play a simple phrase with complicated emotion rather than vice versa; he’s not glib or lighthearted. It’s strong stuff.  When asked why he chose the clarinet, Christopher says, “I blame Artie Shaw. I read his autobiography, and I knew I wanted to grow up to be a grumpy old man.”

Christopher’s approach builds on these antecedents by adding an even stronger Creole flavor to the mix, redolent of Jelly Roll Morton’s “Spanish tinge” and making use of the “Habanera” rhythm. His group also adds rhythmic elements from Cuba, the Caribbean and even Brazil. The result is a vibrant music that appeals to contemporary audiences. Christopher’s sound is thoroughly organic, unforced and natural.

The Evan Christopher Trio will perform SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18 at 8:00pm. Tickets are $30.00 each. For tickets call  770-534-2787 or visit www.theartscouncil.net

Have you ever wondered what The Arts Council thinks about its upcoming performers? Or why they choose to bring certain acts to Gainesville? Gain some insight from two Arts Council insiders!

NAIRIKA

1. What’s all the buzz about Stringfever? 

What started out as 4 young men with a passion for music is today becoming an international sensation! These men are talented, innovative, humorous… AND have British accents! Could we really ask for more??? They have proven themselves on the European continent and are now crossing the pond to showcase their brilliantly honed classical skills with twists that make them whacky, whimsical and completely watchable!! A guaranteed visual and aural treat!

I ask, who will NOT appreciate Stringfever? This group plays everything from Bach to Beyonce; boisterous and sensual;  emotional and serene; impulsive and choreographed; tender and aggressive…

I cannot wait to hear and see the history of music in FIVE minutes. Does anyone see a link between Beethoven’s 5th and Stayin’ Alive??? They do and I want to hear it!

At the outset, it’s a band of 3 brothers and a cousin, remarkably talented and funny.  When many generation X-ers lamented the possible demise of classical music fans, Stringfever has reinvented the wheel. They have turned Lady Gaga fans into their own; they have made 20 year olds tap to their tunes; and they consistently leave their audiences begging for more!

The Arts Council brings to Northeast Georgia a variety of artistic entertainment for all ages. Gladys (Artistic Director) saw this group perform in the Baltics and knew immediately she had to bring them to Gainesville. Our audiences are savvy, appreciative and enthusiastic. Like Stringfever, what’s not to love about Northeast Georgia?(!) We want to give these British boys a warm Southern welcome with a SOLD OUT SHOW!!!

GINNA

1. What’s all the buzz about Stringfever?

Stringfever is all the rage in London, and as we all know once you’ve made it big there, it’s time for a move across the pond! They aren’t a boring quartet that solely plays classical music, they play anything from Bach to Beyonce-and everything in between. They are the WORLDS FIRST genetically modified string quartet and even have a beat-boxer! If I could sum Stringfever up with one word it would be ENERGY.

2. Who, according to you, will most appreciate Stringfever?

EVERYONE! From our most educated, cultured patrons to the youngest of ears! If you love music, concerts, excitement, and having a great time then this show is for you!

3. What do you think/hope you’re going to hear?

I hope to hear their rendition of Bolero-I’ve seen it on Youtube and am really hoping that it is a regular piece they perform. I would also love to hear some modern pieces by Lady Gaga or Madonna.

4. What do you find most unique about Stringfever?

Besides obviously being the one and only group  of their kind, their uniqueness comes from more than just their electronic instruments. The group is made up of 3 brothers and a cousin that couldn’t be more original spunky, or fun if they tried! Each member of the group brings a certain something to the performance to elevate a song you may have heard a thousand times, to an entirely new level.

5. What brings them to Gainesville?

Gainesville is fortunate enough to be Stringfever’s 2nd stop in their 2012 US Tour! Gainesville is growing demographically, geographically, and culturally everyday-why not have an up and coming British sensation knock our socks off on an otherwise stagnant Friday night?

The show is this friday night, Feb. 10, at 8pm at Pearce Auditorium

Call (770) 534-2787 or go online today to get tickets!

They’re a little bit classical… they’re a little bit rock n’ roll… they’re also humorous… a little bit manic and a whole lot entertaining! STRINGFEVER simply dazzles!!! The Broadbent family quartet, which consists of Giles, Ralph and Neal, plus Cousin Graham, plays five and six stringed violins, a viola and cello, all of which are electric – as is their performance.

Giles Broadbent, the oldest brother and dubbed “Leader of the Pack”, is a gypsy violin demon. You name the song and he’ll play it-the faster the better!

Ralph Broadbent, the middle brother, is the MC and chief arranger for the group. Ralph plays the 6 string Violectra.

Neal Broadbent, the youngest brother, provides bass and live beatbox-making him Stringfever’s one man rhythm section.

Graham Broadbent, the cousin, is described as a gentle, jolly giant, and the “heavyweight viola champion of the world”.

Classically trained musicians, this British group will show its roots with haunting performances of classical pieces. The quartet then quickly sheds its slightly menacing “Ladykillers” film aura and leaps aboard a heady switchback of musical experiences. Even with the classics Stringfever has fun. Not too often is Ravel’s Bolero played by four impeccable pairs of hands on ONE (remarkably stoic) instrument, nor is the horizontal the customary angle for performing Hungarian dances, but such is the norm in this parallel universe. Dozens of TV signature tunes and movie themes will speed past, unannounced, like minor stations on a high-speed rail track and perhaps a famous movie line will help reduce your tease fatigue. Somewhere during the performance will come a compilation of James Bond themes that would undoubtedly make 007 proud and will leave you shaken and stirred.

The group’s standard finale, a compilation piece called The History of Music…in 5 Minutes, takes the audience on a frantic musical tour that goes from classical to rock. The entire history of sound is turned into an appreciation for every hour spent behind every created note. The conclusion is guaranteed to be thunderous applause and calls for encores. No mainstream event audiences will be having more fun or better served by performers, promises The Arts Council. This is brilliant, breathless stuff, spot on classically honed musicianship wrapped in style and humor, making this performance one of reverence for the classic, wild, wacky and wholly entertaining!

Stringfever Friday, February 10, 8pm at  Brenau University’s Pearce Auditorium

Go the The Arts Council’s website to see more Stringfever videos and buy your tickets today!

]]> http://theartscouncilblog.wordpress.com/2012/01/30/the-british-are-coming/feed/ 0 theartscouncilsmithgallartscenter stringfever Giles Ralph Neal Graham http://theartscouncilblog.wordpress.com/2012/01/23/spontaneous-combustion/ http://theartscouncilblog.wordpress.com/2012/01/23/spontaneous-combustion/#comments Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:23:47 +0000 The Arts Council: BLOG http://theartscouncilblog.wordpress.com/?p=650 Continue reading →]]>

1.   The building blocks of a jazz solo and how basic melodic ideas, which may sound as simple as nursery rhymes, make up the improvisation.

2.   An example of using these basic melodic ideas in a solo, so that the audience can clearly identify where these ideas or ‘building blocks’ are present.

 3.   How any tune can be played in different styles, such as Bebop, blues, Brazilian, waltz, funk and various tempos which change the entire character of the piece.

4.   Audience participation in a Q & A session to make jazz a listener-friendly art form. 

Hope to see you all this saturday night at 7:30! 

Coffee, cookies, and salty snacks provided byThe Arts Council. You are welcome to bring your beverage and snack/food of choice!

The Arts Council is proud to be participating in the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce “Buy Local Business Expo”.  The expo is Hall County’s premier business networking event, featuring dozens of businesses and non-profits. This event is FREE and open to the public, so why wouldn’t you come? It will be a great way to make new business connections, support Hall County, and meet new people!

The Expo is this Thursday, January 19, from 1-6pm at the Georgia Mountains Center.

As a local non-profit, The Arts Council not only provides quality entertainment to Hall County, but also advocates the arts in our schools,  helps preserve the integrity of historic downtown Gainesville, and gives back to the local community through the arts!

Stop by our booth for information on our upcoming events. We are jumping into 2012 head first! You have 11 opportunities to experience art at its best in the next 3 months. We have something for the art afficianado and the art neuvo. There is no greater feeling than the anticipation of witnessing something great about to happen when the lights in a theater dim.

We are honored to join efforts with  70 other esteemed Hall County businesses, hoping to make this expo the best one yet. We can reverse our economic trend with local investment. Commerce is growing in Hall County – we encourage you to help it grow faster. Our local purchases benefit county schools, parks and other vital areas. Spending elsewhere sends our assets elsewhere! Plain and simple!

THIS IS THE LARGEST NETWORKING EVENT IN HALL COUNTY!

“Absolutely, the future is bright,” says Kit Dunlap, Greater Hall County Chamber President.

A shout out to new businesses investing in Hall County!

Olive Garden and Cheddars on Dawsonville Hwy

ZF Industries    

Chef Albert Luna has opened a NEW RESTAURANT called AVACADOES on the Gainesville Square.

See you Thursday!

Last night the Golden Globes were a wonderful tribute to a section of society that honors individuals based solely on talent. Here are highlights from last nights Golden Globe Awards where talent and beauty are synonymous:

The Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award went to the most deserving actor Morgan Freeman, who is now in the company Cary Grant, Sophia Loren, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Sydney Poitier, Sean Connery…

Talent, good looks, and humor brought attention to Sofia Vergara who gave her acceptance speech in Spanish. Modern Family, winner of Best TV Comedy, has shown that it takes diversity and humor to sustain American audiences season after season.

A woman who year after year, movie after movie, has made us laugh, cry, think,and scream with the wonderful portrayal of diverse characters. We are talking of none other than the inimitable Meryl Streep with 27 Golden Globe Award nominations and her overall 8th win for The Iron Lady, 2012.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television winner Peter Dinklage, was born with Achondroplasia which causes dwarfism. Peter has overcome many physical obstacles, always championing human ability in the face of disability.

The audience gave a standing ovation to crowd favorite, Octavia Spencer who won Best Supporting Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, with her stunning performance in The Help. In her acceptance speech she said, ”With regard to domestics in this country, now and then, I think Dr. King said it best: ‘All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance.’ And I thank you for recognizing that with our film.”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture is known to us all-the young, the middle aged, and the octogenarian! Christopher Plummer thrilled us as Captain Von Trapp in The Sound of Music  as he does as Hal Fields in Beginners. For those who have missed this, it is a must see!

The Arts Council consciously brings great talent to Northeast Georgia. Our offerings this year are nothing short of diverse, spectacular, award worthy…

Our website offers an in depth look into the greatness that is to visit soon!

]]> http://theartscouncilblog.wordpress.com/2012/01/16/the-golden-globes-resonate-diversity/feed/ 2 theartscouncilsmithgallartscenter images original Sofia-Vergara-Vera-Wang-Dress-Pictures-Golden-Globes-2012 modern_family_press_room_a_l-1 images images-1 images images-1 images-3 images-4 images-1 images-2 http://theartscouncilblog.wordpress.com/2012/01/13/feature-friday-personal-tastes/ http://theartscouncilblog.wordpress.com/2012/01/13/feature-friday-personal-tastes/#comments Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:57:13 +0000 The Arts Council: BLOG http://theartscouncilblog.wordpress.com/?p=597 Continue reading →]]> Every Friday we are going to try and give you a little insight into US— those working at The Arts Council. Currently, we are all revved up about our upcoming Evenings of Intimate Jazz Series and The Arts Council Pearce Series. Needless to say, performances and artists are on our mind! We have come up with a set of questions we will each answer individually, hoping to reveal a little bit of ourselves. Maybe this will help you get an insight in to the passion that drives this organization. Many see an organization/company as a faceless entity. We assure you our organization has soul, fire, passion, drive…!

GINNA JOHNSON (INTERN):

 1. Of all the performances/events you have attended at The Arts Council, which has been your favorite and why?

That would definitely have to be Louder Than a Bomb! Louder Than a Bomb was the second movie in our Southern Tour of Independent Films Series, I was looking forward to it the most and it did not disappoint! The film was funny,  dramatic, heart-wrenching, and very REAL, something that attracts me most. It was so good in fact that THE Oprah Winfrey played it all day on repeat on her new OWN, Oprah Winfrey Network! But remember, we brought it to you first

 2. What upcoming event are you most looking forward to and why?

This question is a tie for me! I am looking forward to Lynne Arriale, the first performer in our Evenings of Intimate Jazz lineup, and Livingston Taylor, the second performer in The Arts Council Pearce Series. I don’t listen to a lot of jazz so I am excited to hear one of the best jazz instrumentalists of our time, Lynne Arriale. Growing up, my parent listened to A LOT of James Taylor turning my sister and I into fans as well, so naturally I can’t wait to hear his brother Livingston who writes songs for him!

 3. Which artist/group would you like to see at The Arts Council?

I would like to see The Fiddleheads. The Fiddleheads are an eclectic band that play bluegrass instruments to pop songs and original music. They are from the Dahlonega/Gainesville area and were on the last season of America’s Got Talent. I went to college with them and have seen them perform numerous times and it’s always a great show!

 4.  Which piece of visual art, at The Arts Council, is your favorite?

My favorite piece of art here is Untitled by Ferdinand Rosa. It is hanging in the stairwell and I love passing it every time I  come and go from the building! I have always been drawn to abstract, modern art and I particularly love the colors he’s used!

 5.  If you could befriend one artist, who would it be and why?

Kim Kardashian…..just kidding! No doubt it would have to be fashion designer Amy Smilovic. Amy Smilovic is thecreator of Tibi, my favorite women’s clothing line. I interned for two summers with Tibi in college and had a couple of star-struck moments with Amy, but I would love to really get to know her and be able to pick her brain on the genius that I think is Tibi!

NAIRIKA CORNETT(EMPLOYEE)

 1.  Of all the performances/events you have attended at The Arts Council, which has been your favorite and why? 

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra! This performance takes place outdoors each year under the moonlight. The setting is perfect and the music splendid. Whether it is Tchaikovsky, Rossini, Wagner, Reznicek or Mozart, the smooth and flawless string sound and liquid brass and percussion sections, so immaculately realized, have never let me down. It is a glamorous amalgam of silk, silver and steel. Besides, I get to sip a little wine and share these moments with my hubby and dearest of friends!

 2.  What upcoming event are you most looking forward to and why?

Stringfever! Four British guys – one a model, ALL funny, playing unbelievable music on classical instruments turned electronic…what more can a girl ask for? Besides, who else can give me The History of Music in FIVE minutes?

 3.  Which artist/group would you like to see at The Arts Council?

Alvin Ailey! My hubby and I go each year to The Fox Theatre to watch this splendid group. It is time they came toNortheast Georgia. A finer display of American Modern Dance by magical bodies is never to be seen. Flawless dance technique and unmatched rhythm should be enough but…each dancer insists on laying in front of you that most vulnerable part of his soul… I simply cannot get enough. Dance is my absolute drug of choice.

 4.  Which piece of visual art, at The Arts Council, is your favorite?

The Tibetan man by Li Ming Shun that hangs in the arts gallery. I can never walk by this picture without it evoking an emotional response from me. The furrows on his face speak of a wisdom that is only gained from a life hardened with pain—the necessity to cultivate virtues that we the privileged don’t feel. Every aching bone in his body is now at peace and the burdens of past have found solace in his being.

 5. If you could befriend one artist, who would it be and why?

Salvador Filipe Jacinto Dali I Domenech. He was highly imaginative, severely talented, extremely passionate, had an affinity for partaking in unusual and grandiose behavior, was eccentric, was classical and avant garde at the same time, a mathematician… a CONTRADICTION! His work is hauntingly beautiful and his personality an enigma.

Salvador Dali “The Christ of St. John of the Cross”

The depot is historically significant to Gainesville as it is the only building in the central business district to have served as a transportation center and it with stood the devastating tornado of 1936 that wiped out half of Gainesville.

Upon The Arts Council purchase of the historic building, extensive renovations were completed. The historic downtown space was transformed into an indoor/outdoor performing arts space, an art gallery, sculpture garden, and great wedding/party location, making it Northeast Georgia’s premiere event venue.

 The Arts Council Smithgall Arts Center has been used for countless parties, weddings, meetings, etc. To find out more about The Arts Council, our venues, rates, and reservations go online here or call The Arts Council!