Page 2, The Loafer • November 11, 2014
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November 11, 2014 • The Loafer, Page 3
Volume 28 Issue #49
Publisher - Bill Williams • Editor/Graphic Arts Director - Don Sprinkle • Office Manager - Luci Tate Cover Design - Bill May Advertising - Dave Carter, Terry Patterson Contributing Staff - Jim Kelly, Andy Ross, Ken Silvers, Mark Marquette, Jessica Gilliam Published by Tree Street Media, LLC., P.O. Box 3238, Johnson City, TN 37602 Phone: 423/283-4324 FAX - 423/283-4369 www.theloaferonline.com • info@theloaferonline.com e-mail: editorial@theloaferonline.com (editorial) adcopy@theloaferonline.com (advertising) All advertisements are accepted and published by the publisher upon the representation that the agency and/or advertiser is authorized to publish the entire contents and subject matter thereof.The agency and/or advertiser will indemnify and save the publisher harmless from any loss of expense resulting from claims or suits based upon contents of any advertisement,including claims or suits for defamation,libel,right of privacy,plagiarism,and copyright infringement.
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15th Annual
“Magical Night Of Giving” Event To Benefit Local Charities And Non-Profit Organizations It may be hard to believe, but the holiday season is quickly approaching and local non-profit organizations around the area have already starting raising funds to assist with their holiday programs. To help in their fundraising efforts, The Mall at Johnson City is excited to announce plans for the 15th Annual Magical Night of Giving. This popular holiday fundraising event will be held on Sunday, November 16 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. “We’re so excited to be holding this event again this year,” said Marsha Hammond, Marketing Director. “Its part of Glimcher’s wish to give back to the communities that are so good to us. On Sunday, November 14, we’ll close the mall at 5 p.m. and then reopen at 6 p.m. with special admission by ticket only. One hundred percent of the funds raised through ticket sales will go to local charities.” The mall will be open only to ticket holders during the time of the event. Tickets are $5 and will be sold to the general public by local non-profit and charitable organizations in the weeks leading up to the event. This three-hour extravaganza offers exclusive savings throughout the mall, plus family-oriented activities, holiday entertainment and more than $10,000 in door prizes to be given away. “This event provides a unique chance for people to get a jump start on their holiday shopping and have fun at the same time, including visiting with Santa and his special guests,” said Hammond. With the many participating store discounts and specials being offered, shoppers can save money while also raising funds for local non-profit groups. Children ages 12 and under will receive free admission when accompanied by an adult ticket holder. Any non-profit organization, including schools, churches and other groups wish-
ing to become a part of this unique fundraising opportunity will receive pre-printed tickets from the mall. The group’s members can then sell those tickets to the public for $5 each. There are no start-up costs or fees charged to the organizations that sell tickets. In addition to tickets being sold by charitable and non-profit groups, tickets will also be on sale at the mall’s Guest Services Center. Proceeds from in-mall ticket sales will benefit the United Way of Washington County, TN, Inc. “One of the best things about Magical Night of Giving is the fact that both large and small non-profit groups can be a part of this event,” said Hammond. “A large non-profit may sell several thousand tickets, which represents the potential to raise anywhere from $5,000 to $25,000 or more. A smaller organization may only sell 100 tickets but it will still have raised $500 for its cause.” Shoppers attending the event will find a wide variety of family-friendly activities and entertainment, including visits with Annabelle the Reindeer and performers throughout the mall. Magical Night of Giving will also feature the arrival of Santa Claus and his entourage, complete with treats for the kids. Photos with Santa will be available for purchase. Shoppers will also enjoy a special gift card promotion that night, Spend $200, receive a $25 free mall gift card (one per person and while supplies last). In addition, door prizes will be given away throughout the evening. A listing of door prizes will be available as the event date draws nearer. For additional information about Magical Night of Giving, contact Marsha Hammond at mhammond@glimcher.com or the mall office at 423-282-2830. Visit the mall’s website at www.mallatjohnsoncity.com for more details.
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String Theory
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featuring Jessica Miskey, Violin - presented by Johnson City Symphony Orchestra Johnson City Symphony Orchestra presents its second concert of its Energy!-themed season, String Theory, on November 15. Under the direction of Conductor Robert J. Seebacher, the music of Edward Elgar, Ralph Vaughan Williams, and Antonio Vivaldi will be featured with Jessica Miskelly, guest violinist in this concert sponsored by Carnegie Hotel. On her sixth birthday, Jessica Miskelly received her first violin and her enthusiasm for making and sharing music was born. Since then, she has had the opportunity to share her music around the world. She has been featured in concert with Mark O’Conner and toured China as a soloist with the University of Kentucky Symphony Orchestra. Miskelly has also appeared as concertmaster at Carnegie Hall with the UK Symphony. She has performed at the Brevard Music Center in North Carolina and at a music festival in Hungary. Miskelly is currently
a Chamber Music Fellow at the University of Kentucky where she is pursuing a doctorate of musical arts degree. Edward Elgar is one of the best-known English composers, largely because of the longevity of his “Enigma” Variations and the seeming omnipresence of the Pomp and Circumstance march. Largely self-taught as a composer and violinist, Elgar wrote his Serenade for Strings in E minor—on the program this evening—in 1892 for his wife, Alice, for their third wedding anniversary. An accomplished violinist, Elgar played in the orchestras in his hometown of Worcester and in Birmingham. It is this experience that probably enhanced his compositions for strings—he would have been intimately familiar with the strengths and challenges of the instrument. Ralph Vaughn Williams’ Fantasy on a Theme by Thomas Tallis combines the simple beauty of a Renaissance theme with the
power of 20th-century harmonies and dynamic contrasts to create a uniquely emotional experience. Vaughan Williams is among several 20th-century composers who wrote fantasias based on thematic material from the Renaissance and Baroque. He probably came across the theme on which this piece is based during his time as editor of The English Hymnal. The Third Psalter Tune, which is the melody of the hymn “When, rising from the bed of death,” was composed by Tallis as one of nine four-part psalms he wrote during the reign of Elizabeth I. The four concerti that comprise The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi are perhaps the most famous works of the Baroque repertoire. Even people who claim not to know or like classical music recognize these iconic works through their use in multiple non-orchestral applications, including movie scores and commercials. Parts of Vivaldi’s composition have been
interpreted in jazz, thrash metal, rock and roll, hip-hop, and rap pieces. Guest artist Jessica Miskelly is featured in two of the movements of this 300-year-old musical masterpiece, “Spring” and “Winter.” The November 15 “String Theory” concert begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Mary B. Martin Auditorium of Seeger Chapel at Milligan College. Individual concert tickets are $35, $30 for seniors (65+), and $10 for students. Season tickets are still available online at www. jcsymphony.com or by calling the symphony office at 423-926-8742. The symphony accepts Master Card, Visa, and Discover. Free bus service is available from Colonial Hill, leaving at 6:15 p.m.; Maplecrest and Appalachian Christian Village, at 6:30; and City Hall, at 6:45 p.m. Concerts are partially funded under an agreement with the Tennessee Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts.
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LampLight Theatre Ushers in the Holidays
“Home for the Holidays” Lamplight Theatre is gearing up for the holidays. Summer has come and gone, and Lamplight’s new musical, Home for the Holidays, will help you kick off the festive season. This new production is a musical revue of the 1940’s holiday classics which follows a storyline of faith and family. This nostalgic production will stir up warm memories from Christmas past. While portraying the struggles of families during wartime, this musical is a yarn of true courage and inspiration. This show is a cornucopia of holiday classics and family values. Home for the Holidays follows the tale of two young men, Randall Garrett and Clay Starnes, as they leave their families to serve in the war. Like most families during World War II, Randall’s sister and Clay’s fiance, Julie Starnes, Ran-
dall’s mother, Clara, and the rest of the family eagerly huddle around the radio for updates and wait in anticipation for their soldiers’ return. News comes of a surprise attack near the boys’ unit, later named the Battle of the Bulge. A heavy hush falls on the families of these young soldiers. The Annual Holiday Radio Show is put on in honor of the troops, and soldiers’ families are invited to be a part of the live audience. Here we are entertained with some of our Christmas favorites from talented performers of the era. Hopes are stirred and hearts are warmed at the events that take place during the radio show. We can only hope for our soldiers’ safe return Home for for the Holidays. Performances for Home for the Holidays will be held Nov. 14th thru 16th, Nov. 21st thru 22nd, and 28th thru 30th. Show times are 7:00 on Fridays and Saturdays with ad-
ditional matinee performances on Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. and on Sundays at 3:00 p.m. (Exception: there is no 2:00 p.m. performance on Nov. 22.) Doors will open one hour prior to performances. A suggested donation for each performance is $10.00 for adults, $5.00 for students, FREE for children 5 years of age and under. A love offering will be taken at each production. Reservations may be made by calling the LampLight box office at 423-343-1766, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. or online at www.lamplighttheatre.com. In honor of Veterans Day and the content of this show, we would like to give Free Admission to all veterans, active, and reserve military members and their families to any performance of Home for the Holidays. For a complete theatre schedule, visit www.lamplighthteatre.com. LampLight Theatre is located 140 Broad Street, Kingsport, TN
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Glasgow Theatre Company presents the Tony Award-Winning Comedy at JCCT
“Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike”
Glasgow Theatre Company will present the Tony Award-winning comedy “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” Nov. 13-16 at Johnson City Community Theatre. Performance dates are ThursdaySaturday, Nov. 13-15, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 16 at 2 p.m. In this comedy written by Christopher Durang, siblings Vanya and
an intoxicating mixture of rivalry, regret, and the sudden possibility of escape. The show stars Richard Lura, Joy Nagy, Elizabeth Paxton, Debbie Shoun, Dishon Smith, and Stephanie Yoder. The show is directed by Joe Smith, with Ryan Gray as stage manager and David Hyde as designer. Technical crew includes Rosemary Smith, Kaeli Gardner and April Gardner. “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” appeared on Broadway in 2013 and won the Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for “Best Play” and Sonia have never left the confines also garnered Tony nominations of their childhood home in Bucks for actors David Hyde Pierce, County, PA, while their sister Ma- Kristine Nielsen, Billy Magnussen sha has been gallivanting around and Shalita Grant. the world as a successful actress. JCCT is located on the corner A surprise visit from Masha and of Maple and Afton streets. Tickets her 20-something boy toy, Spike, are $10. The show contains adult throws the normally quiet house- themes and strong language. hold into utter upheaval as its resi- For tickets, call (423) 588-0558. dents and visitors get swept up in
Dan Martin Singer/Songwriter appearing at Acoustic Coffeehouse
Dan Martin is a singer/songwriter from Tulsa, OK. Martin however, learned to play music during his seven-year stint living in Russellville, AR. Since returning home in Fall of 2012, Martin has begun to catch the ear of folk music lovers around the Oklahoma and Arkansas region. Martin’s skill for song writing and performing with an unmistakable honesty earned him a spot on the Horton Records “New Tulsa Folks” compilation. Review for Dan Martin’s song “Father Time” from the “New Tulsa Folks” compilation, released November, 2013: “A true singer/songwriter ballad in the manner that we’ve come to know, love and expect from Tulsa’s incredible roots performers. I love the complexities in the chord variances and the unhurried grace in which the arrangement is presented. As a storyteller, Martin is right up there with the master lyricists of the genre. Though not dusty dominant by any means, Father Time nonetheless carries that
timeless, rootsy and road weary sound that just wants to step back and slip into something as comfortable as an old flannel shirt.” – Matt Cathron, Tulsa People Martin’s music rings true to the land he is from and the places he has been. He approaches his musical journey with an enthusiastic and geographically-embracive spirit. Dan will be playing at Acoustic Coffeehouse, located at 415 W. Walnut St., Johnson City on Sunday, Nov. 16th. www.facebook. com/DanMartinMusicPage
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Mystical Monks
Sand painting, dance, music to create peace-full week at ETSU
While we imagine monks working in silence and solitude over their manuscripts and meditation on a distant mountaintop, monks of Drepung Loseling monastery in India have been traveling the world performing their traditional music and masked dances and sharing their intricate mandala sand painting skills since 1988. They leave their confines and lifelong devotional efforts to “represent their monastery and share their cultural traditions on the tour, hoping that they will be able to make some small contribution toward world peace,” their website says. Each 15-month Mystical Arts of Tibet tour takes a select group of nine or 10 monks to more than 100 cities in the U.S. and other countries. The Mystical Arts of Tibet tour reaches Johnson City this week, with mandala sand painting in ETSU’s Reece Museum continuing today through a closing ceremony Thursday, Nov. 13, at 5 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, the monks’ painting process – using multi-colored sand and a slender metal funnel – will be open to public view-
ing and the monks available for questions, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Then on Friday, Nov. 14, the monks will conclude their residency at ETSU with the spectacle of extravagant costumes, ancient traditional dance and multiphonic chant in Sacred Music Sacred Dance in Martha Street Culp Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. The Washington Post calls the performance “… a universal expression of the human subconscious … It transports you.” “This is a group that I’ve wanted to bring to our community because we have an interest in not only celebrating our regional culture by hosting events like The Devault Tavern Exhibition, but we also like to bring other cultures to the area for our community to experience as well,” says Anita DeAngelis, director of event sponsor Mary B. Martin School of the Arts. Healing and peace are at the center of the traditions and monastic culture of these Tibetan monks, who have been exiled to India. “Following the legacy of Drepung Loseling Monastery, India, and with the patronage of His Holiness
the Dalai Lama, Drepung Loseling is dedicated to the study and preservation of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of wisdom and compassion …” says drepung.org website, “which today leads a fragile existence in the exiled refugee communities in India and Nepal.” A mandala, which in Sanskrit means “sacred cosmogram,” is composed of geometric shapes and ancient spiritual symbols and used to “re-consecrate the earth.” Each day of the process sees the laying of the colored sands, poured from traditional funnels called chakpurs. Mandalas are deconstructed shortly after their completion as a metaphor of the impermanence of life, says mysticalartsoftibet.org. The sands are swept up and to fulfill the function of healing, half is distributed to the audience at the mandala closing ceremony, while the remainder is carried to a nearby body of water, where it is deposited, to spread throughout the world for planetary healing. “We are trying to make the spirit
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Mystical ... Continued from previous page of water – or ‘Naga’ in Sanskrit – happy. It’s a kind of cycle of life,” said Lobsang Norbu, who is an Acharya, a master in Sanskrit and tour spokesman, in an interview with Outlook Tibet. “And through that, we can bring peace and harmony into the world at large.” The creek running between ETSU’s D.P. Culp University Center and Sherrod Library will provide this tributary. “We are at a time when there are a lot of struggles throughout the world,” DeAngelis says. “ I see the mandala closing ceremony as something that is very timely and something that should be very powerful for us to experience.” To conclude the monks’ visit, the Sacred Music Sacred Dance performance comprises selections believed to generate energies conducive to world healing. Robed in lavish, brocade costumes and playing traditional Tibetan instruments, the Loseling monks perform ancient temple music and dance for world healing. Dances will include the Dance of the Black Hat Masters, a demonstration of the tradition of Tibetan monastic inquiry, and the Dance of the Celestial Travelers in which five dancers represent the five elements and five wisdoms and bring the creative energy that inspires harmony and peace. Each piece of the Mystical Arts of Tibet performance was born centuries ago from a mystical visionary experience of a great saint or sage, the website says, and has been passed down from generation to generation in oral legacy. Musical pieces – such as the instrumental and vocal Invocation of the Forces of Goodness and A Melody to Sever the Ego Syndrome – will alternate with dance. The Drepung Loseling monks are particularly renowned for their multiphonic chanting in which each of the main chantmasters simultaneously intones three notes, thus each individually creating a complete chord. The Tibetans are the only culture on earth that cultivates this most extraordinary vocal ability, also known as “overtone singing.” Author Dr. Huston Smith, documenting this Tibetan phenomenon in his film The Mysticʼs Journey: Requiem for a Faith, referred to
multiphonic chanting as “lifting the human spirit to the level of the gods.” “I was totally moved and felt transported to a peaceful place,” said an audience member from Washington, D.C. “For the first time since Sept. 11, I can see peace ... healing is beginning for the world.” On previous tours the monks have shared the stage with artists such as Philip Glass, Paul Simon, Sheryl Crow, Patti Smith, the Grateful Deadʼs Mickey Hart and the Beastie Boys. The Mystical Arts of Tibet tour is co-produced by Richard Gere Productions and
Drepung Loseling Institute, the North American seat of Drepung Loseling Monastery, India. Endorsed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Tickets for the Mystical Arts of Tibet Sacred Music Sacred Dance performance are $5 students of all ages, $15 senior 60+ and $20 general admission. For information about the ETSU Mary B. Martin School of the Arts, call 423-439-TKTS (8587) or visit www.etsu.edu/martin. Please “Like” ETSU Mary B. Martin School of the Arts on Facebook and follow it on Twitter and Instagram @ArtsAtETSU.
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“Jazz – America’s Music” Concert Planned The VHCC Art’s Array series is pleased to announce “Jazz – America’s Music,” a Jazz Finale Concert to be held on Sunday, November 16th at 3:00 p.m. at Sinking Spring Presbyterian Church in Abingdon. Joseph Trivette, SWCC’s Gaynelle Lockhart Albert Endowed Chair of Music and Organist at Sinking Spring Presbyterian Church, states that he is very excited about the upcoming concert. “Rarely do audiences get a chance to experience live Jazz performed on this level. It is an honor for me as a pianist to perform with these musicians and I hope everyone takes advantage of this exciting musical opportunity.” The musicians Trivette is referring to include five of the finest on
the east coast. Matt Vance, saxophonist from Jacksonville, FL, has performed with Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, The Temptations, and Manhattan Transfer. Rich Willey, trumpeter from Asheville, NC, has performed as the “Jazz Chair” with Maynard Ferguson and Mel Torme. Dave Morgan, percussionist and singer from Fancy Gap, VA, has performed extensively working with Bob Hope, Guy Lombardo, and Sandy Patti. Matt Kendrick, bassist from WinstonSalem, NC, has appeared with Marian McPartland, Gene Bertoncini, and JoAnne Brackeen. Rick Simerly, trombonist from eastern Tennessee, has toured with the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra and has played in the
bands of Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey, Woody Herman, and Buddy Morrow among many others. Trivette comments “to detail the biographies and credentials of these five musicians would require a book rather than a paragraph; I will simply reiterate that there that there are no finer jazz musicians anywhere around”. Trivette further explains that this concert will trace the styles of Jazz including Dixieland from New Orleans, Swing hits like “Take the A Train” from New York, and Latin pieces from around the globe. Tickets will be 10.00 at the door for the general public. All students are admitted free. For more information please contact Mary Munsey at mmunsey@vhcc.edu.
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Albert Hash Memorial Band Program & Honaker FFA Bluegrass Band Featured at Heartwood The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail presents the Albert Hash Memorial Band Program and the Honaker FFA Bluegrass Band in concert on Thursday, November 13th from 6:30 to 8:00 PM at Heartwood in Abingdon, VA. The concert is part of The Crooked Road’s Youth Music Series. The Albert Hash Memorial Band Program, directed by Emily Spencer, is an in-school traditional music program at Grayson County High School and Grayson Highlands School in Southwest Virginia. This unique music program has its roots in the mountain music program that was started at Mt. Rogers Combined School in Whitetop, Virginia in 1982. Albert Hash was a well-known fiddler and fiddle maker and he and his daughter, Audrey, along with his brother and sister-in-law, Thornton and Emily Spencer, were instructors. After his passing in 1983, the band was named in his honor. Close to 60 students are involved
in the string band program this year, and 220 students are served through music classes. Students learn to play guitar, fiddle, bluegrass and old time banjo, mandolin, bass and dulcimer, as well as learning about traditional singing and dance. The Honaker FFA Band from Russell County features the two part harmony singing of Patricia Hale and Emily Reynolds. The two have sharpened their harmony skills singing at local churches in the area. Patricia has been singing with the band for three years and Emily has been a member for two years. Joining the band this year is Evan Elswick who plays banjo and lead guitar, and Justin Rowe who plays acoustic bass. Rounding out the band is William Monk, the Agriculture teacher at Honaker High School, who founded the band and plays mandolin. The band has recently recorded their first CD, an all gospel project. The Crooked Road Music Series features youth music per-
formers and showcases venues of the Crooked Road region. These events, along with open jams on the 1st, 3rd, (and 5th) Thursday of every month, are hosted at Heartwood. A complete schedule for the music series is available on The Crooked Road website at www.thecrookedroad.org and atwww.heartwoodvirginia.org. The music series is sponsored by The Crooked Road, Heartwood, Virginia Commission for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Heartwood: Southwest Virginia’s Artisan Gateway is located off I-81 at Exit 14 in Abingdon, VA, and features food, music, and craft of Southwest Virginia. Admission to the concert is free and donations will be accepted for Crooked Road Traditional Music Education Program (TMEP). For more information on The Crooked Road Music Series call (276) 492-2409 or email: info@ thecrookedroad.org.
Photos: The Albert Hash Memorial Band Program-Top (courtesy of Art Pittman) and the Honaker FFA Bluegrass Band-Bottom (courtesy of Leah Prater)
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The Toby Jugg Band takes Elizabethton!!
Rising South Records is pleased to announce that East Tennessee’s own, The Toby Jugg Band, is coming to Elizabethton. They will be bringing their all original, high energy, Southern rock show to The Bonnie Kate Theater, 115 S. Sycamore Street, on Saturday, November 15th, as they continue their 2014 tour. The Toby Jugg Band has opened for Molly Hatchet, The Johnny Van Zant Band (Lynyrd Skynyrd), 38-Special, Blue Oyster Cult, Goose Creek Symphony, Webb Wilder, Jackyl and The Derek Trucks Band (The Allman Brothers Band), just to name a few. The Toby Jugg Band’s show will also be a bedding drive to aid the Elizabethton / Carter County
animal shelter. Please bring old blankets, shirts, etc…to be used by dogs and cats during the cold winter months to sleep on. Canned dog and cat food will also be accepted as will dog “rawhide” chews. Money can also be donated and collected at the show or dropped off at the shelter directly. Opening the night’s entertainment will be the Kingsport band, Haven, a classic rock band. The show starts at 8 PM. Tickets are $8 in advance or can be purchased at the door on the night of the show. Visit www.TobyJuggBand.com for more information about the band, upcoming events and pictures. Don’t miss your chance to have “another sip from the Jugg!!”
Be an angel!
Help ETSU Little Bucs Families Helping Families project East Tennessee State University’s Little Buccaneers program has erected an “angel tree” to assist families using the campus child care facility, which serves children of ETSU students. The tree is in the main hallway on the first floor, outside Little Bucs in Warf-Pickel Hall. The Families Helping Families project solicits gifts and clothing for infants, toddlers and preschoolers attending Little Bucs. ETSU students who are the parents of small children often struggle financially, especially during the holiday season. “Angels” from the community are invited to select a child’s wish list from the holiday tree or call 423-439-7548 to get information about a child in need. All gifts should be returned, unwrapped, no later than Monday, Dec. 1. Donations of wrapping paper, tape and gift tags are also appreciated.
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Rocky Mount Living History Museum presents
“An Evening with Doyle Lawson”
International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame Member vocal and instrumental sound has garnered respect from musicians in several genres, as witnessed by his contributions to Paul Simon’s album, “Dazzling Blue” in 2011. We are very pleased that Doyle will be with us at the Rocky Mount Living History Museum in Piney Flats, Tennessee on Tuesday, November 18 at 7:00 p.m. to share his life experience in a program called “Stories From Life On The Road” during our annual Fall fundraiser. While many of us know Doyle through his concerts, you don’t want to miss his considerable storytelling talents as he entertains and enlightens us with accounts of life on the road and how he continues to keep the traditions of bluegrass and gospel alive in our region and throughout the world. Music is a vital and living part lin and has worked with some of This will be a rare opportunity to of our East Tennessee heritage, the very top acts in bluegrass and meet Doyle Lawson up close and and Sullivan County native Doyle gospel, including J.D. Crowe and personal, away from the concert Lawson personifies that heritage the Country Gentlemen. Wanting stage. as well as anyone. As the leader to put his personal stamp on the This special event is free, but doof Quicksilver, one of the most bluegrass tradition, Doyle formed nations to help support the various renowned bluegrass and gospel his own group in 1979, and the rest, services offered to the community groups in the world, Doyle has as they say, is history. Doyle Law- by the Rocky Mount Living Hisproduced over forty albums in a son and Quicksilver maintains a tory Museum will be appreciated. five-decade career that began with full touring schedule each year For more information, consult his banjo picking in the Jimmy and has won numerous awards, www.rockymountmuseum.com Martin and the Sunny Mountain topped by Doyle’s induction into or call (423) 538-7396 Boys band in 1963. Since that time, the International Bluegrass Music Doyle has switched to mando- Hall of Fame in 2012. His unique Photo by Sandlin Gaither at doylelawson.com
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Methane Seas and a Stinking Comet Spectacular images were released by NASA of sunlight glinting off seas of methane on Saturn’s moon Titan, while Europe’s Space Agency is preparing to land this week on a comet that stinks. The first landing by a robotic spacecraft on an active comet is suppose happen the morning of Wednesday Nov. 12 when a washing-machine sized spacecraft called Philae slowly lowers itself over seven hours to make contact with the small comet with a big name—Comet 67/P ChuryumovGerasimenko Comet lander Philae has been stowed aboard the ESA spacecraft Rosetta for the 10-year journey to Comet C-G, and the pair have been orbiting it since August 2014. The mission is already a triumph, and now begins a rare opportunity to study for months one of the pristine members of our Solar System’s creation. The bold landing mission will find Philae setting down in a smooth place on the mile long world comprised of two nucleus lobes crashed together millions of years ago. From some angles the comet looks like a bathtub rubber duck, and Philae will land on the top of the “duck’s” head. The landing site was carefully selected for safety, but the whole surface of the comet is rugged with strewn boulders everywhere. Given the name “Agilkia,” the landing site refers to an island on the Nile where ancient buildings were relocated after the island Philae flooded. If successful, Philae will tether itself to the surface with harpoons and begin photographing and analyzing the comet for at least two days worth of battery power. Hopefully the solar panels work and Philae will stay alive as Comet C-G moves closer to the Sun and heats up. Now 200 million miles from the Sun and having passed
Mars in October 2014, lander Philae will be in for one of the wildest rides in outer space as Comet C-G loops around the Sun in November 2015. A comet is made of many primordial materials that were the building blocks of our planets, moons and maybe even life on Earth. Studying a comet from the surface and in orbit as it warms up on its journey around the Sun is unprecedented. Already Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko has fissures of gas and ice erupting, And Rosetta has been sniffing the atmosphere with an instrument doing a chemical analysis. And what it smells like is horrible! A whiff of Comet C-G is like a mixture of ammonia from a cat’s litter box and rotten eggs—thoroughly stinky! This comet has plenty of formaldehyde, hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen cyanide, sulphur dioxide and carbon disulphide. Of course, smells don’t exist in the void of outer space, but if you could bring a piece of this comet aboard the atmosphere of the International Space Station—well, you might grab the barf bag as the comet’s aroma is truly disgusting. Now the question is: Do all comets stink? Probably. Comet C-G is thought to be just one of hundreds of millions comets in a zone around the Solar System called the Kuiper Belt. The Internet will be your information central on orbiter Rosetta, lander Philae and Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko. ESA will broadcast “live” data of the automated landing—the time-delay is about 30 minutes one-way for radio waves to travel the 100 million mile distance. Another out-of-this-world experience is happening on the planet-sized moon Titan where super-cold liquid methane seas and rivers create a bizarre world
planetary scientists are trying to figure out. Titan has a dense atmosphere that hides the surface, like Venus. But unlike the second planet’s toxic, sulfuric atmosphere, this moon has friendly nitrogen and hydrogen that creates global smog of hydrocarbon. Since 2004, NASA’s $2 billion observatory Cassini has been orbiting the ringed world, providing breathtaking images and a treasure trove of science data. Now Cassini has passed by Titan more than 40 times, its special radar penetrating the clouds and revealing a complex world where lakes of minus -240 degree methane and possibly ethane are filled by exotic rain that cycles between the ground and clouds.
The latest Titan views from the Saturn-orbiting spacecraft Cassini are amazing as yellow sunlight bounces off a vast complex of seas and lakes on the Southern Hemisphere. Titan is the second largest Moon in the Solar System, at 3,200 miles in diameter it is larger than planet Mercury (3,032 miles) and smaller than our Moon (2,120). Jupiter moon Ganymede nudges it out for largest by just 70 miles more in girth. For nearly 100 years it has been known that Titan has a thick atmosphere of hydrogen that completely enshrouds the globe, obscuring the surface. So enticing is the Titan atmosphere for signs of life that NASA sent Voyager 1 past Titan instead of following Voyager 2 onward
to Uranus and Neptune. Not equipped with the special, cloudpiercing equipment of Cassini, the Voyager’s 1970s imagery showed the orange, global cloud—but Titan revealed none of its secrets. When Cassini made its first pass of Titan in 2004, it released a small probe called Huygens that actually landed on the moon. Photos from the shoreline of a methane lake were amazing with rounded pebbles all over the landscape. During the years following the geology of Titan, astronomers discovered last October 2014 an island appearing out of a sea shore where there was nothing before. This dramatic geologic change is unheard of in such a short time frame and has planetary scientists baffled. The lakes of exotic super cold methane have a topography like the land of lakes regions around the American Great Lakes. Rivers are tributaries into the hundreds of bodies of methane covering the Southern Hemisphere. Oddly, the other side of the moon has no bodies of liquid, but instead may have volcanoes that build up mountains. A stinky comet and a frozen world with flowing liquids. Just a couple of the stranger-than-fiction destinations in our Solar System.
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November 11, 2014 • The Loafer, Page 17
Celestial events in the skies for the week of Nov. 11 - Nov. 17, 2014, as compiled for The Loafer by Mark D. Marquette. The great Leonid Meteor Shower is this week and you might see 10 to 20 meteors an hours around the peak on The Moon belongs to the aftermidnight scene, so there are plenty of dark skies in the evening. And how! Are you adjusted to the darkness settling in around 6:30 pm? There certainly are a lot of people yawning around supper time! But the Eastern Standard Time switch is welcomed by stargazers, who can see a few celestial sights and still get a good night’s sleep.
Tues. Nov. 11
On this 1966 date in space history NASA launched Gemini XII, the last of the two-man missions laying ground work for the Apollo Moon landings. Crucial was the success of two spacewalks by Buzz Aldrin testing the moon suit. Two and one-half years later, Aldrin would stand on the surface of the Moon with Neil Armstrong during the historic Apollo 11 conquest of the Moon.
up in Leo the Lion. Rising above the horizon together around midnight, the Moon and Jupiter make a triangle with Leo’s brightest star, Regulus. Any telescope, and some binoculars, will show the four brightest moons of Jupiter.
the next two weeks is interesting… Cassiopeia is looking like an “M” directly above Polaris, the North Pole star. Bookending Polaris are two bright stars, Vega setting in the west and Capella to the right, or east.
Bays Mt. Park’s project “StarOn this night in 1833 the LeoWatch” is tonight when amateur nid Meteor Shower rained “shootastronomers will be on hand to ing stars” like has never been seen before. Hundreds a minute, thou- answer questions and show you sands an hour streaked the skies the night sky. The free program as Earth plowed though an unusu- begins at 6 pm and lasts until 8 ally thick section of cosmic debris. pm. Don’t miss this opportunity In 1966 and then in 1999, another through November to see topsuch meteor “storm” was experi- notch amateur telescope and talk enced as the Leonids are stronger to experienced stargazers! Sun. Nov. 16 every 33 years. Looking north at around 9 pm Thurs. Nov. 13
Peak morning for the Leonid Meteor Shower, and there should be several dozen an hour to see. The best time is 3 am (Sunday night/ Monday morning) when the Earth is facing into the swarm of debris caused by Comet Tempel-Tuttle. No special equipment is needed, just some patience while scanning the skies in a lawn chair—and some warm clothing!
Wed. Nov. 12
On this 1971 date in space history NASA’s Mariner 9 became the first spacecraft to orbit Mars. And it still is, though now defunct. Mariner 9 made many discoveries, including the giant shield volcanoes and the 2,000 mile canyon that bares its name, Vallis Marineris. Today there are three active Mars orbiters, NASA’s Odyssey and Global Surveyor, and Europe’s Observer.
Fri. Nov. 14
The early morning sky has a treat of the nearly Last Quarter Moon and planet Jupiter teaming
Sat. Nov. 15
Mon. Nov. 17
Page 18, The Loafer • November 11, 2014
5th Annual Elvis Extravaganza The 5th Annual Elvis Extravaganza to benefit the Wounded Warriors Project on Saturday, November 15 at 7:00 PM at the Renaissance Center located at 1200 E. Center Street, Kingsport, TN 37660. Admission is $15.00. For reserved seats contact Missy Miller at (865) 684-6082 or tribute.entertainment@yahoo.com. Tickets may also be purchased at the door at 6:15 PM. The 5th Annual Elvis Extravaganza will feature four of the top Elvis Presley Tribute Artists in the world. Each tribute artist will perform for over twenty minutes in a stage show style performance piece as The King of Rock n Roll in his 70s jumpsuit era and many of the great songs in the genre of Elvis’ music in the 70s concerts will
be covered. The Kingsport Renaissance Center is a facility which serves the community as a center for the arts and senior citizen’s activities, and as a facility for business meetings, parties, receptions, classes, showers, and day-long seminars with breakout rooms. It is managed by the City of Kingsport’s Cultural Services Division as part of Parks and Recreation. Elvis Tribute Artist Ronnie Miller will be performing and hosting the event: starring also will be
three other multi-award winning tribute artist and performers such as Brandon E. from Athens, TN, Terry Turner from Lincoln, AL, and Bobby Hollis from Cullman, Alabama. Each Elvis Tribute Artist will be performing as Elvis Presley with a full concert style, 70s era, tribute show. A portion of the show proceeds will be donated to the Wounded Warriors Project. For more information contact Missy Miller at (865) 684-6082 or tribute.entertainment@yahoo.com.
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November 11, 2014 • The Loafer, Page 19
Dobyns Bennett High School’s DRAMAHAWKS present
“Little Shop of Horrors” So, you think Halloween is over?!! HUNGRY for a little postspooky entertainment?!! Then, “FEED” yourself to a fun filled night of “horrifying” entertainment as the award winning Dramahawks of Dobyns Bennett High School, under the direction of Laura Humphrey, present the raucously entertaining musical, “Little Shop of Horrors”. Come see what happens when a most interesting breed of plant by
the name of Audrey II brings back to life a dying little plant shop as customers flock to see this most unique specimen discovered by its owner Seymour after an eclipse of the sun. Things start getting out of hand; however, when this talking and singing plant starts desiring human blood to grow. What will become of Seymour and Mr. Mushnik’s Little Shop? You’ll need to come to the show and find out for yourself.
“Little Shop of Horrors” will be held in the Nancy Pridemore Little Theater at Dobyns Bennett High School the weekend of November 13-16th. Showtimes are on the 13th, 14th and 15th at 7PM and 2PM on the 15th and 16th. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for students and all sales go directly to support the DramaHawks theater and Forensics team.
Page 20, The Loafer • November 11, 2014
Vermont Trio plays for Jonesborough Contra Dance & Food Raiser
The Historic Jonesborough Dance Society will present a contra dance on Saturday, November 15, 2014 at the Jonesborough Visitors Center. The featured band will be Pete’s Posse with Diane Silver calling. Admission to the dance is $7, HJDS Members and students $5. No partner is necessary. All dances are taught by the caller. All dances are smoke and alcohol free. A workshop for beginning contra dancers will be led by the callers at 7:00pm. The dance will run from 7:30-10:30pm with a waltz break at 9:00pm where, once again, Klondike Bars will be served to all who attend. The Food Raiser, a month-long collection, is being organized to supply non-perishable food stuffs for the Jonesborough Area Ministerial Association Food Bank. Nationwide food bank donations continue to decline. Donor fatigue may be setting in as the economy puts more and more families at risk and unable to feed themselves. “We are asking all dancers and members of the local community to bring non-perishable food stuffs to give to those in need” adds even organizer, David Wiley. Some truly exceptional talent is coming to Jonesborough! Pete’s Posse, coming to play for us near the end of a three month coast to coast tour, has been put together by none other than the legendary
Pete Sutherland. Pete, part of the trailblazing contra band The Clayfoot Strutters, as well as great stage groups like Metamora, has been dazzling dancers for decades with his uniquely sweet, powerful and creative fiddling and thunderous piano rhythms. He has teamed up with his own fiddle protege and tunesmith and now fellow Strutter Oliver Scanlon, to bring us the amazingly tight rhythms and harmonies you’d only get from many years of working together. They are joined by Tristan Henderson (Atlantic Crossing) on guitar, mandolin and foot percussion, with dynamic rhythms and cool modern grooves. They’ve got the very best of that Vermont sound: Great creative grooves and playing with roots in brilliant tradition Nationally renowned dance caller/teacher, Diane Silver comes to call dances once again for the Jonesborough dance community. After years of environmental education, Diane is now a classroom teacher for the Asheville school system. When not in the classroom, Diane is the featured caller for many dance weekends held around the country. For more information, please contact event organizer, David Wiley at 423-534-8879, visit www. historicjonesboroughdancesociety. org. and on FACEBOOK.
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November 11, 2014 • The Loafer, Page 21
I’m Dreaming of a Smoked Brisket
In 2007, 7.5 million people lost their jobs or were forced to relocate clear across the country. East Tennessee was no exception. When faced with the predicament to uproot his family or to live out his dream, Phil Pipkin made the remarkably brave decision to cash in his savings and open a restaurant. In February of 2008, Phil opened his doors and his heart to hundreds of hungry costumers. That same year, 70% of the restaurants that opened were locally owned establishments; by 2009, 52% of them closed. The Dream Pit not only stayed open during the recession but it thrived, making profits in record time. In my experience in the food industry, you typically have slow business on a Tuesday night, but when I pulled into Phil’s Dream Pit it was hard to find a parking spot. It was clear to me that whatever Phil was doing, he was doing it right. Families and couples alike were trading in their cell phones for conversations and red baskets of delicious barbecue. I was in line before I even managed to get through the front door. By the time I stepped over the threshold, I had already fallen in love with the atmosphere: classic checkered floors, a simplistic menu, and on the far wall hung a board plastered with pictures of costumers with barbecued slathered smiles. As I made it to the counter I was greeted by Phil’s wife, Mrs. Dianna Pipkin, grinning from ear to ear, running the register herself. She was ready to hand me a full plate of food and fill me up on the spot, but I was expecting some company for dinner and wanted to meet Phil myself. I chose a seat in the far corner close to the board of photographs, to admire,
as I waited on my dinner guest to arrive. Before I knew it there were plates and plates of food in front of me as well as Phil himself, still smiling and waving to his customers and employees. As I started to taste the side
With my first bite I was taken back centuries to 1492 when Columbus not only discovered America, but barbecue as well – he found native Haitians cooking meat on a wooden stove over a giant fire. I could taste a strong smoke created by wood and charcoal that was so balanced and juicy it was hard to believe I hadn’t even tried a sauce yet. I was worried that it would take away from the flavor of the
dishes on the table, Phil explained to me the process of how he prepares the meats. I had preconceived notions on how barbecue is traditionally prepared in the area, having worked in a few local restaurants myself. You can imagine my surprise when he told me the meat was cooked on a daily basis. Meaning even though the doors shut at 7:00, work has just begun for some of Phil’s employees. The pork is put in at 11:00 pm, while everyone in the Tri-Cities is peacefully dreaming. The smoker rotates the meat, allowing the juices not to go to waste as they fall onto the next rotating line of meat, similarly to how rotisserie chicken is prepared. I wasn’t sure where to begin, so I chose the classic pulled pork.
meat itself. “I don’t like to hide behind my sauce,” Phil said as I tried every flavor ranging from his original recipe to a brand new blueberry flavor. Not a single sauce was over powering, each perfectly blended to compliment the meat’s natural flavors. His original sauce is so rich that anyone who is anyone could fall in love with it. The blueberry was revolutionary; he even had house-made mustard and vinegar. Another house classic is Sweet Fire, the taste of the original with an extra bite of flavor that manages to make your mouth water without flushing your face. The best flavor I saved for last (not by choice but because I thought I had already tasted them all.) A secret gem is kept in one bottle by
the drink machine, by customer demand. Spicier and richer than the Sweet Fire, this sauce lifted my spirits and my taste buds to a whole new level. After choosing a few of my favorite flavors, I set my sights on the brisket. Before I go to any restaurant, I ask all my friends and relatives about their experience, and the one note that resonated through every conversation was the brisket. It did no disappoint; it was so juicy and freshly cooked that it fell apart with the side of my fork. The same smoke flavor flowed throughout every bite but didn’t take away from the natural flavor of the pork. I could understand why this was a crowd favorite. I had only just begun my journey through Phil’s dreamy and carefully crafted food. From the time the plates were set in front of me, I kept eyeing one particular piece of food, what Phil so lovingly calls his Pork Wings. Looking at it would remind any cook of a mix between a chicken wing and a perfectly cleaned lamb rib. If you go to a grocery store and by a ham, you’ll see that it has a larger end and a smaller end (it gets its shape by the way it’s cut.) The part of a pig that is cut off of the ham toward the small end is known as the shank, and that is what Phil’s Pork Wings are. A juicy mix somewhere between ham and a sweet rib flavor that literally falls right off of the bone. It’s a perfect addition to any football game party and your friends will be so impressed when you walk in with a bag of these instead of regular chicken wings. A dry rub isn’t something you will find in every barbecue restaurant in our area. Luckily for us, Phil spent a majority of his career on the road and in doing so he was able to try some of the best barbeque the south has to offer. Taking his knowledge, he mastered a dry rub that not only
highlights the natural sweetness of ribs but also elevates your palate. Savory and aromatic flavors hit your tongue as you bite down to the bone and after you swallow it leaves your mouth watering for more. Just when I was ready to ask for dessert Phil brought me yet another secret surprise, a plate of smoked turkey, sliced in thick pieces so you can see yet another homemade rub all around the edges of this juicy bird. With Thanksgiving right around the corner, instead of slow roasting a ham he slow roasted a turkey that has a bright savory and garlic flavor that compliments the smokiness in a way that barbecue can’t. It has the flavor profile of a dish you would find in a fine dining restaurant. He’s even taking orders for Thanksgiving until the 21st of November. All of Phil’s deserts are made in house and are a staple in southern cuisine. My favorite and the stand out of the group was the blueberry cobbler. A dollop of vanilla ice cream stands on top of a piping hot scoop of blueberry cobbler with sweetened walnuts that makes you smile and your belly full to the brim. It’s clear to me that Phil’s Dream Pit is designed to feel like a home away from home, bringing old and new friends together over an amazing country meal. There is love and warmth put into the food and it is reflected in the surroundings as well. When you leave Phil’s, you are already planning for the next visit. Whether you are a single mom on the go or a family of eight this restaurant has everything you need and a menu that is set up for any type of customer. If you are looking for a place to bring a bit of happiness and home into your life look no further than Phil’s Dream Pit, located just off of Exit 10 on Interstate 26. A small treasure to the Tri- Cities.
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True family films are often a rare breed these days, save for the parade of animated releases that seem to bombard theaters weekly. With that said, it’s refreshing to see the live action film “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” hit theaters. The movie is based on the novel published in 1972 of the same name, and I am surprised it has taken so long to be translated to film. The story follows the misadventures of 11-year-old Alexander Cooper (Ed Oxenbould), who is simply looking forward to celebrating his upcoming birthday, but is confronted with many obstacles. The day before his twelfth birthday, Alexander wakes up and finds gum in his hair, and things go downhill from there, as poor Alex has several misfortunes at school. When he returns home to tell of his challenging day, his family, father Ben (Steve Carell), mom Kelly (Jennifer Garner), older brother Anthony (Dylan Minnette), and sister Emily (Kerris Dorsey), all have exciting news of their latest successes and basically brush off Alex. While Alex is eating a birthday sundae he created, his wishes his family could experience the same disappointments he deals with on a daily basis, and blows out a candle.Oops! When Alexander wakes up the
following morning, everyone is still asleep, meaning everyone is running late. True chaos for the family begins and never lets up for the entire day. The adults deal with near disasters regarding their employment, Anthony is confronted by a very impatient girlfriend and high strung driving instructor, Emily’s lead role in a school musical is suddenly threatened by her sudden illness, and Alexander learns a rival of his at school is planning a massive birthday party of his own the same day. When everything eventually calms down, the family Cooper realizes that bad days happen, and such days will help you better appreciate the good days. The film moves at a brisk pace, and is sweet without being saccharine. The actors are all wonderful in their roles, and make for a believable family unit. Lead actor Oxenbould really brings on the charm as the frustrated Alexander, and more than holds his own against the talents of Carell and Garner. The film is witty enough to please both kids and adults and can make for a fun time at the movies. Overall, “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day”, is a fun family film that is anything but terrible, horrible or bad. (Rated PG) B+
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November 11, 2014 • The Loafer, Page 23
Storytelling in Motion Arianna Ross to entertain, educate with tales of culture, humor
There’s nothing about Arianna Ross that is static. Even when she was a child and youth, she was in motion – taking music lessons, traveling with her pianist mother to performances and school visits, participating in music competitions and actively listening to and learning from her grandmother’s vivid stories. As an adult, she has traveled the world, performing and dancing with a troupe in India and teaching and gathering local lore throughout Southeast Asia. When nearer home, she spends most of her time and enterprise organizing her Story Tapestries network, telling stories herself and finding ways to improve education for today and tomorrow’s young people. On Nov. 16-18, Ross will focus her vast energies on Johnson City, performing “The Fastest Plane: Around the World in 45 Minutes” Sunday, Nov. 16, at 3 p.m. in Culp Auditorium; speaking and holding a workshop Monday, Nov. 17, at the annual Arts in Education Conference; and working with ETSU storytelling students on campus Tuesday, Nov. 18. “I really love it – I’m not going to lie – to get the opportunity to go into communities that need it and perform to entertain and to educate while at the same time, we help,” says Ross. As you can imagine, Ross’ performances are as full of variety as her days. “I’m an interdisciplinary storyteller, so I have music, I have movement, I have words and I also use visual arts that help bring the joy alive,” she says. “You’ll be laughing and learning. There may be moments of pause – I call them the ‘ah-ha’ thinking moments – where the very next moment you might be chuckling. My performance [at ETSU] will be a mixture of personal narrative, stories of adventure, mixed with folk tales, and it definitely fits all ages.” Ross attributes her myriad interests and talents to a rich childhood, inspired by her musical mother and wise and voluble maternal grandmother. “Mom in her shows, had a dancer … and they would get up and tell stories of music, and that was sort of my earliest memories of music and art,” she says. “And in my household, TV was not the big thing, and stories were. I was reading all the time and my mother and grandmother would tell stories all the time. My mother’s mother had a story for every moment of the day, a story for every single thing, you know
– like taking a bath.” She remained in one place long enough to earn a theater degree from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., and glean all she could from Professor Rives Collins, who was a storyteller, but after a year in Washington, D.C., schools, Ross’ future was propelled by an offer to work with a theater and dance troupe from India. “That really influenced and changed my entire approach to storytelling, because with them,” she says. “They don’t separate storytelling, theater, dance, music into different categories …” While she learned the language and culture of the country, Ross also learned her troupe director’s style of storytelling, educating and making a difference in the community. After India, Ross spent nine months traveling around Southeast Asia meeting people, learning the languages and gathering folk tales and personal narratives. “I always joke that people most know I have a sign taped to my forehead that says, ‘I love stories,’ ” Ross says. “Where I went, people would sit down, older men, older women, would sit down and tell me a story. So really, all over Asia, I collected stories. Stories are everywhere … They can be on the wall.” She brought these oral treasures and experiences back to the U.S. and from her Germantown, Md., home created a network of artists and performers she calls Story Tapestries, designing multi-faceted arts-related programs – for schools, universities, teachers, organizations and communities – to educate, enrich and entertain. While in Johnson City, Ross will do a little bit of everything – her forté. Everyone goes on the journey with her. “Listening to Arianna Ross is like taking a ride on a magic carpet,” says fellow storyteller Carrie Sue Ayvar, “an exciting, amazing journey to exotic places all the while enjoying a feeling of being enveloped in comfort and safety.” Tickets for “The Fastest Plane: Around the World in 45 Minutes” are $5 students of all ages, $10 senior 60+ and $15 general admission. For information about the ETSU Mary B. Martin School of the Arts, call 423-439-TKTS (8587) or visit www.etsu.edu/martin. Please “Like” ETSU Mary B. Martin School of the Arts on Facebook and follow it on Twitter and Instagram @ArtsAtETSU.
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Ask Andy: Thanksgiving Edition My desk is often flooded with e-mails, letters, tweets, and angry blog posts all asking for my guidance. As many of you know, I’m the nation’s foremost expert when it comes to Thanksgiving. You’ve no doubt read my book “Thanksgiving: A Guide to Surviving the Big Day without Committing a Homicide.” It’s sold well over 10s of copies. With the big day just a few weeks away, I thought now would be a good time to respond to the many questions piling up on my desk. These questions were chosen at random by a three year old on a sugar high. Our first question comes from NAME REDACTED from Erwin, NAME REDACTED asks “My family thinks that marshmallows on sweet potatoes is an essential part of any Thanksgiving meal, I personally think that marshmallows on sweet potatoes is a sign that Satan is among us. What are your thoughts on this topic?” Well, REDACTED, I’ve never felt that the lovely treat that is marshmallows has ever been a sign of a malevolent force present—unless you count Stay Puft. I enjoy a marshmallow now and then, but when it comes to Thanksgiving I feel that sweet potatoes do not need to be topped with marshmallows. I feel that you and
your family should be able to find a common ground and compromise on this situation that both satisfies them, and your fear of inviting the dark one into your home. Our next question comes to us from Kingsport, they write: “How much cooking sherry is *too* much to drink straight up, accounting for percentage of alcohol over time it takes to cook the damn bird?” Traditionally, cooking sherry’s role on Thanksgiving has been that of a cheap way to get a little knackered, fueling the suspense of which member of the family is going to tell everyone else off first. I’ve found that the best way of knowing if when you’ve imbibed too much in the cooking sherry is if you begin to feel one or two feelings. At the first sign of feeling that you want to lock yourself in the bathroom and read Oprah’s magazine all day long, stop drinking the cooking sherry. Or at the first sign that you feel you want to give your smug uncle a punch to the jaw, stop drinking the cooking sherry. Next up I have a very interesting query from Hoss of Johnson City. Hoss writes: “Is the Horn of Plenty still a relevant decoration? I feel that to the up and coming generations this is less a symbol of bringing the feast to the table and more
a stupid basket that you can’t stand up because the bottom is a point. It’s like the paper cups you get at a water cooler with a pointed bottom. Does the new generation have room in their life for a basket that won’t sit independently on a flat surface?” Fascinating question, Hoss. It does indeed seem that some of the older traditions are falling to the wayside in our new and exciting modern world. The Horn of Plenty has often been a centerpiece of many a Thanksgiving celebration, years ago you couldn’t fling a dead turkey inside a K-Mart without hitting one. The Horn of Plenty is still absolutely timely in terms of a decoration, you don’t have to bother to explain it if needed. Do you explain Uncle Harry’s strange smell? Of
course you don’t! In some circles it’s even better if you don’t explain the centerpiece to some more modern couples, the “Horn of Plenty” is also known as the name of a popular marital aid. This one comes in from Kat of Kingsport. Kat writes: “I found some canned goods of indeterminate age in the basement, should I serve them to my dinner guests? I’m mean it is good if the seal isn’t broken right?” It is wise to not make waste and use what resources we have, my grandmother used to serve the old canned goods at Thanksgiving, only she turned it into a game called “Botulism Roundtable.” Those who didn’t wind up at the hospital were given $10 and a coupon to Perkins. Use your own judgement.
I have time for just one more question, this one comes in from Sue in Jonesborough. Sue writes: “On a scale of 1 to 10, how uncomfortable is it to bring up Native Americans and ongoing marginalization of their cultures and race with extended family for this holiday?” Well, Sue, that’s a hard nut to crack. The best advice I can offer is that unless you’re related to documentarian Ken Burns, and want to get a little of that sweet public broadcasting money, you’d best not bring this line of conversation up. I’m afraid that’s all the time I have for this edition of Ask Andy. I hope I’ve helped to set your mind at ease with some of my Thanksgiving responses, and I hope it’ll help you to plan a much better holiday for you and yours. See you next week.
Page 26, The Loafer • November 11, 2014
The Science Behind Catchy Musical Lists Every year at this time we become a little too obsessed with making lists. And I’m not talking about our Santa lists, but those lists that reflect various aspects of pop culture. As we look back over the year that is about to end, we like to peruse listings of the best movies, books, TV shows, and events. Lists like this of course have dubious significance, and they certainly shouldn’t compel us to agree with them. But they do offer tantalizing slices of life and provide thoughtprovoking insights into our collective identity. This week’s foray into the wonderful world of list-making comes to us from jolly old England. According to a report from Cnet, a group of scientists from the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry has just released the results of a year long study focused on the catchiest songs of all time— you know, those songs we can’t seem to get out of our heads. The question before us is how does one go about choosing songs for this somewhat questionable list? And how can we make sure our compilation is based on legitimate research? Because this was a “scientific” endeavor, four activities were used by the Manchester team to narrow the list down, all based on their online game site, “Hooked On Music,” First, participants were asked to “hum along with the [music] track, continuing when the sound dropped out and gauging whether they were still in time when the sound resumed.” Second, the participants “had to listen to two different clips from the same song and choose which clip was catchier.” Next, the subjects “had to recognize as many songs as possible in three minutes.” And finally, the willing participants “had to recognize as many songs in a row as they could.” Sounds interesting, doesn’t it. Whether or not this is all that scientific is any-
one’s guess. Being a curious person, I was compelled to try the game for myself. So I entered the “Hooked On Music” website and played a few rounds before I got pretty frustrated with the format that asks players to choose a list based on decades (i.e. 1940s, 1950s, etc.). I chose the 1960s as my first category and correctly identified songs like “Yesterday” (The Beatles) and “Downtown” (Petula Clark) while incorrectly identifying others. I fared pretty well with the hum along session, but got impatient when I had to identify as many songs as I could within the three-minute time limit. So my fun turned to frustration and aggravation, and I concluded that the researchers would have asked me to drop out had I been chosen to participate in their research project. The Manchester research team did manage to find 12,000 people to participate in their project, and the results are being used not only to find out why some songs are catchier than others but also to discover new ways to treat dementia. According to survey designer Dr. Ashley Burgoyne, “There has already been some research that shows that if you can find the right piece of music, something that has a very strong meaning, playing that piece of music can be very therapeutic.” Dr. Burgoyne adds that “the challenge is figuring out what is the best piece of music.” And which songs made the Top 20? Based on the amount of time participants took to correctly identify each song, the list is topped by “Wannabe” by The Spice Girls (2.29 seconds) and bottomed out by Elton John’s “Candle In The Wind” (3.04 seconds). In between is a motley assortment of selections, including Lou Bega’s “Mambo No. 5,” ABBA’s “SOS,” Roy Orbison’s “Pretty Woman” (no surprise there), Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing,” El-
vis Presley’s “It’s Now Or Never” (a surprise, along with another Elvis hit, “Devil In Disguise”), “Culture Club’s “Karma Chameleon,” Britney Spears’ “Baby One More Time,” Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face,” and Hanson’s “MMMbop” (a song I was not happy to recall). You can check out the list for yourself from various online sources, including Cnet. Needless to say, this list is based on the somewhat limited group of songs available to participants in the “Hooked On Music” research project. And while I do agree that many of the songs on the list are indeed catchy, there are others I would include (something of course that can be said about any list). But I am not a scientist, just an avid listener and performer of music. If I were to devise my own “Hooked On Music” game, my selections would no doubt be a little different than the Manchester group’s Top 20. For instance, I would ask my research participants to identify things like the
organ solo from Deep Purple’s “Hush,” the opening riffs from Iron Butterfly’s “In-A-Gadda-DaVida” and Cream’s “Sunshine Of Your Love” (RIP Jack Bruce), the introductory piano solo played by Bill Evans on Mile Davis’ “So What,” “The Monkee’s Theme Song,” Neal Hefti’s “Batman” theme, the Nile Rodger’s guitar solo from Daft Punk’s “Give Life Back To Music,” Icona Pop’s “I Love It,” and the opening vocal riff from The Trashmen’s “Surfin’ Bird.” The take-away from these attempts to identify the world’s catchiest songs is that music indeed provides the soundtrack of our lives. What we choose to hum along with or permanently embed in our brains provides clues to our identify and shows how important music is to our culture, both past and present. And at this point we should ponder the following observation made by American author and music critic Ralph Ellison in his 1964 memoir, Shadow and Act: “Perhaps in the swift change
of American society in which the meanings of one’s origins are so quickly lost, one of the chief values of living with music lies in its power to give us an orientation in time. In doing so, it gives significance to all those indefinable aspects of experience which nevertheless help to make us what we are. In the swift whirl of time music is a constant, reminding us of what we were and of that toward which we aspire.” This is certainly one of the most succinct descriptions ever written (call it “catchy” if you will) about how music is intimately bound up with our history. I hope you will compile your own list of catchy songs this week as I try my best to erase the memory of Hanson’s “MMMbop.” And I plan on rewatching the Spice Girls’ movie “SpiceWorld” in tribute to the Number One song on the Manchester list. See you next week with another one of my hopefully catchy columns.
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November 11, 2014 • The Loafer, Page 27
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