Grab bag

I've been going non-stop since last week, and it keeps up through next week. Always good to be busy - I have just never remembered the summer being quite this busy!

First off - join me Saturday night for a concert in Hummelstown - a benefit for the Foodbank. It's at 7pm and going to be a blast:
Paul and Hank’s Free Concert to Support Hummelstown Food-Bank
Description: Folk, country, rock favorites, and a few surprises with Paul Zavinsky, Hank Imhof and friends
Location: Schaffner Park, Hummelstown
Contact: (717) 566-2555

Also keep an eye out, I just completed my article on "New Music in Central PA" for the American Music Center's New Music Box. Here's a little preview - just some excerpts...check out the completed version here later in August.

The United States has the Department of Homeland Security, so why not a Department of Homeland Sonority? Instead of Air Marshals, the new Department of Homeland Sonority would employ Airwave Marshals to attend local concerts, and report on the modern music scene. Infractions could include sloppy program notes, and of course would include searching for new sounds.
Here in Central PA (no one around here really says Pennsylvania, the colloquial most often used is PA [not “pah”, but the letters, P, A]), the Airwave Marshal would be kept quite busy attending premieres, new music ensembles, chamber series and orchestra concerts. Let’s see what a typical season would be like if you were employed by the Department of Homeland Sonority.
At State College, you can find performances at the Performing Arts Center (http://www.cpa.psu.edu/), including Regina Carter, the Kirov Orchestra as well as Heidi Grant Murphy and Kevin Murphy join the St. Lawrence String Quartet in the world premiere of Songs from the Diaspora by Roberto Sierra. Yes, there is more than Nittany Lion Football and Joe Paterno at Penn State– and the drive is gorgeous along the Juniata River. Stop off at the Red Rabbit along Route 322 in Duncannon for a burger and milk shake, you’ll be glad you did!
Each summer pianist Awadagin Pratt visits Central PA and presents the Next Generation Festival (NGF) (http://www.nextgenerationfestival.org/) with his friends and students. Concerts take place across the region, from Annville to Selinsgrove, based at Millersville University. Last season audiences enjoyed music by Osvaldo Golijov and Dmitri Shostakovich; previously they’ve premiered works by Thomas Kraines and Theodore Shapiro. Artists at NGF vary from the Cypress String Quartet and Rachel Barton Pine to Juliette Kang and Zuill Bailey. Be sure to stick around after concerts for the “talkback” - where we have it on good authority that whoever is the current “chip leader” of their nightly poker games, has to ask or answer in some sort of dare/challenge. The NGF takes place over two weeks each June and future commissions are afoot for upcoming seasons.
If you’re in Annville hearing the Next Generation Festival, or a performance at Lebanon Valley College (another fine Liberal Arts school in the area) stop by MJ’s Coffee Shop and the Annville Theater (http://www.allentheatre.com/). They’ll have good java and often some new music – their jazz series runs October through June each year on the first Thursday of each month, and will often have all sorts of acts in between.
You can always slip away to Philadelphia for the likes of Orchestra 2001 or to Pittsburgh and their fabulous New Music Ensemble under Kevin Noe’s vision, but there are plenty of events to keep an Airwave Marshal active in Central PA. Good luck! Should you accept these venues and values as an Airwave Marshall, this message will self destruct in five, four, three, two, one…

Some helpful pronunciations in Central PA
Lancaster: LANK-kister (not Landcaster)
Lebanon: Leb-nin or Leb-eh-nin (not Leb-uh-non)

John Nasukaluk Clare is a radio broadcast professional, violinist and webmaster of ClassicallyHip.com. Winner of ASCAP’s Deems Taylor Award in 2005, he is a member of Phi Beta, the American Music Center and an ordained minister of New Music of Universal Life Church. He moved from Las Vegas to Harrisburg, PA in June of 2005.
Remember, this is a preview and draft, it will be posted here in August.


Tomorrow I'm getting my hair cut and sending to it Locks of Love.

Saturday afternoon I thought there was a wonderful event - turns out the lovely picnic with the Blue Mountain Lotus Society is actually next Saturday the 5th of August, and I can't make it!

Sunday I'm filling in at WITF and then heading to NYC for a chamber music party/going away bash for a good friend - I'll be back in H'burg Monday morning late.

Tuesday I'll meet with some good folks about a chamber music organization about their board.

Oh, I'm getting ready to move to an apartment - a little more managable than the huge house I'm in now.