Hail to the Musicians

We have just learned that SF School District has initiated a program for teachers which provides an educational guide book with Jimi Hendrix gracing the cover with the following musings "Remember the first time you heard Jimi Hendrix?" "Our plan is as transformational now as his music was then!" We don't have a copy but sounds good.
For more gory details on the state of affairs in arts education.....visit our blog




A very special thanks to all the wonderful people who help bring the orchestra of music to life..... please help to keep the music alive and the arts programs in our public schools.

Just for fun- I've included a video clip of one of our personal faves....Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith talking about how he got his start in music.

Even though he does refer to yours truly as a 'naughty school girl' (must have been the pigtails) - we still love him.
Promise to get better with our camera angles next time.

Golf w/Green Day: 4/20

Help support Music in Schools Today while you enjoy a round of golf hosted by Green Day's Tres Cool.
Monday, April 20th - Sequoia Country Club

The 3rd Annual Music in Schools Today Golf Tournament, Hosted by Tré Cool will be held at the beautiful Sequoyah Country Club in the Oakland Hills on Monday, April 20, 2009. Proceeds of the event will fund Music in Schools Today's Music Integrated Learning Environment program in the Oakland Unified School District.

Register Here

This amazing event includes a full day: lunch, a round of golf at one of the Bay area's best private clubs, and dinner! Golf with Tré Cool, Mike Dirnt, Bobby Hutcherson, Lawrence Karnow, John Kessler, Tom Luce, Butch Vig, and Vinnie and Icky from RadioAlice, among many others.

Some of the Live Auction Prizes

* Radio Alice ~ Producer for a Day with Sarah & Vinnie. Value: Priceless
* Dude Ranchers Association ~ 4 nights at Rancho de los Caballeros + golf +
Southwest Airlines ~ 2 unrestricted round-trip tickets. Value: $3300
* Calistoga Ranch ~ 3 days/2 nights in Bay Forest Lodge. Value: $2000
* Reunion Resort Orlando ~ 3 days/2 nights with deluxe accomodations +
JetBlue Airways ~ 2 round-trip tickets. Value: $1500
* CordeValle ~ 2 days/1 night, plus a round of golf for two. Value: $1235

Silent Auction Prizes

* Gretsch ~ Hawaiian Guitar with Pickup & Gig Bag, Aged Natural. Value: $959
* Gretsch ~ Double Jet Guitar with Gig Bag. Value: $790
* Leedy ~ Snare Drum, donated by the Gretsch Foundation

Hope to see you there.

Beautiful Freedom

Photo Courtesy - Robert Altman
(collector editions prints of this photo available )


Mr Havens performed a very intimate show last Sat. night at the Napa Valley Opera House. Harry Manx opened - a special evening.

Havens played a 2 hour set strong, full of spirit and sweaty. The master strummer and vintage man gave us Freedom along with many other greats and closed out the evening with Cocker tune "You Are So Beautiful" and had full audience participation alternating back and forth lyric words of 'beautiful' with 'wonderful'.

Post show we quite literally ran into the legend at the elevator while exiting off the wrong floor mistakenly, which gave us a great opportunity to chat one-on-one with the man who exudes such immense warmth and kindness. One of my guests sat next to Havens in first class on a flight some 25 years ago during which the two had shared some great conversation ... some part about Haven's museum in NY for kids which he immediately recalled upon re-connecting. As the story goes, people in-flight kept coming up and kissing Haven's rings, my friend wasn't even sure who he was at that time...

We hugged and parted ways, but not before Richie graciously signed his photo in my personal copy of Robert Altman's "Sixties" book (pix above) taken by Altman in 1968 .



Generate Kindness.org

Monkey Blazes into Hollywood

Our favored race horse Mr. Monkey Jones and famed Canadian-born jockey Russell Baze -
are soon making tracks to LA.

Jockey, Baze, has made world history of Thoroughbred horse racing and is a member of the United States Racing Hall of Fame)

Look for the winning duo at Hollywood Park

Watch Baze break the world record - at 9,531 wins!

Art: you=moved

A great work of art is one that truly moves and inspires you. You yourself must be moved. Don't look at art with others' eyes. Don't listen to music with others' ears. You must react to art with your own feelings, your own heart and mind. If you allow yourself to be swayed by the opinions of others - "It must be good because everyone else likes it." "It must be bad, because no one else likes it" - your feelings, your sensibility, which should be the very core of the artistic experience, will wither and die. To enjoy art to the fullest, you must abandon all preconceived notions, leaving a blank slate. Then confront the work directly, with your entire being. If you are deeply moved, then that work is, for you, a great work of art.


Wisdom for Modern Life - Daisaku Ikeda

Beat Poets Museum

Definitely the beat poet buffs nirvana.

Found only a stones throw from Ferlinghetti's famed City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco's North Beach. Scope out some of the collection on-line The BeatMuseum.org if you can get over there for a visit and some strong coffee.

"Oh Maybe"- Exhibit 3/6-15th

What does The Ghost in the Machine look like?

Scott Kildall and Victoria Scott invite you visualize this concept as a physical object.

The Ghost in the Machine is a phrase coined by British Philosopher Gilbert Ryle to describe the separation between mind (soul) and body. Popular culture has subsequently adopted the term to refer to other ‘invisible guides’ within economic systems and machines.

This new collaborative artwork, in the form of a relational physical installation, will be premièred at the upcoming show “Oh Maybe…”.

An expert philosopher will be at the opening event to answer questions and to help viewers depict this "imaginary object" in words and images. We will integrate the results into a physical installation.

Opening party and performances - Friday March 6^th, 2009, 6 - 11pm.

Step into a recreation of Andy Warhol’s Factory and enjoy a night of art, performance and music including a Velvet Underground cover band, live silk screening, screen tests, and painting.

Admission is free.

Food and Beverage Sampling: $10 or $5 with valid student ID