July 2020
An Avenue for Expression
Teacher Patricia Moore is a Grammy quarterfinalist
Need-to-Know
BASIS
Something Special
Dr. Eric Cornidez thinks about the patient first
Tucson nonprofits seek the public’s help Broken Strings
Dr. Immanuel Abraham found his calling
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Taking It to the Parking Lot
Teacher Patricia Moore is a Grammy quarterfinalist
Grants help artists pivot to new reality
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Do You Have Pain/Numbness/Tingling in the Feet/Legs??? A doctor has moved to Tucson that treats neuropathy (nerve problems), and his name is Dr Trent Freeman DC (Dr T). He has been treating Neuropathy for the last 10 years. Maybe you have seen him interviewed on CBS by Steve Ochoa or during the Dr Oz show, maybe you saw him on NBC. He has brought this new treatment to persons suffering from neuropathy in Tucson. He uses two kinds of Light to stimulate the nerves to function better. He uses pulsed infrared technology that helps reduce the pain, and FDA approved cold lasers that help the cells function better. He offers his consultation for FREE. He looks at the interview time as a time for him to see if you have the type of neuropathy that he treats but more importantly, for you to interview him and see if he is someone that you would like to work with. His clinic is certified with the Neuropathy Treatment Centers of America and he has received advanced training in the treatment of neuropathy. There are fewer than 100 doctors in America that have received this advanced training in this type of therapy. Dr T looks at neuropathy as a thief that comes to your life and starts to steal from you. If you allow neuropathy to continue, it will steal your independence (driving, walking, balance) As Dr T says “Everyday we are having more success relieving neuropathy pain, WHY NOT YOU?” Give his office a call and schedule the FREE consultation and see if you qualify for this new therapy 520-445-6784.
Tucson nonprofits seek the public’s help
Tucson theaters socially distance during tribute shows
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Broken Strings
Dr. Immanuel Abraham found his calling with a damaged violin
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Casino Del Sol lays low for its birthday
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Upfront An Avenue for Expression Teacher Patricia Moore is a Grammy quarterfinalist BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI As a Canyon View Elementary School music teacher, Patricia Moore says her goal isn’t to create musicians. It’s to give students a passion for music. “I want them to see how it can fit into their lives,” Moore says. “It’s not just playing or singing or composing. It’s about being an audience member. Music gives you an avenue for expression.” She was one of 216 teachers from 199 cities who were named quarterfinalists for the Music Educator Award. Nearly 2,000 initial nominations were submitted. The semifinalists will be announced in September. “The first step was to nominate me,” she says. “I don’t know who nominated me. Once I had the nomination, I had to answer a few basic questions about my philosophy and what I feel is important in the field of music education. They wanted to know how my program has made a difference, too. “My students can use music to express themselves when they leave my program; maybe pick up the guitar here and there. If they do that, I consider that a win. We talk about the meaning behind songs a lot.” The Music Educator Award was established to recognize current educators (kindergarten through college, public and private schools) who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and who demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in the schools. The honor is a joint partnership and presentation of the Recording Academy and Grammy Museum. The recipient will be recognized during Grammy Week 2021. The award is open to current U.S. music teachers, and anyone can nominate a teacher—students, parents, friends, colleagues, community members, school deans and administrators. Teachers are also able to nominate themselves, and nominated teachers are notified and invited to fill out an application. www.LovinLife.com
after high school went to Ohio’s Youngstown State University, which has a cutting-edge music program. She and her husband couldn’t find jobs in Ohio, so they applied everywhere else to work in teaching. “A job popped up in Yuma,” says Moore, who’s married to Dean Moore, the Tucson High School band director. “I applied for it. The principal called. The school was still being built, so they hired me over the phone. I said, ‘We’re moving to Yuma.’ We were in Yuma for eight years. We loved it there. I adopted my daughter, and her birth family is in Tucson. We were Patricia Moore was one of 216 teachers from 199 cities who were named ready for a change quarterfinalists for the Music Educator Award. (Photo courtesy Patricia Moore) anyway. We moved to Tucson.” Each year, one recipient is selected At Canyon View, Moore doesn’t fofrom 10 finalists and recognized for their remarkable impact on students’ lives. cus on one genre. She wants to share all The eighth annual honoree will be flown types of music with her students. “It’s hard to call my job ‘work,’” she to Los Angeles to attend the 63rd annual Grammy Awards and a range of Grammy says. “Obviously teaching is work, but it’s Week events. The nine additional final- my passion. I love making music with the ists will receive a $1,000 honorarium, and kids. I teach them that it’s not just singing the schools of all 10 finalists will receive and playing an instrument. Several of my students have gone on to compose and matching grants. Fifteen semifinalists will receive a create their own music. “I love the composition projects. The $500 honorarium with matching school grants. The matching grants provided kids come up with amazing things. I’m to the schools are made possible by the amazed when the kids come up with generosity and support of the Grammy something.” Info: grammymusicteacher.com Museum’s Education Champion Ford Motor Company Fund. In addition, the American Choral Directors Association, National Association for Music Education, NAMM Foundation and National Education Association support this program through outreach to their constituencies. Moore was born in West Virginia and
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Creative Conversions Grants help artists pivot to new reality BY BRIDGETTE M. REDMAN Since arts organizations shut down due to COVID-19, funders have been stepping up to try to help these nonprofits and artists survive until the curtains can open again. The Arts Foundation of Tucson and Southern Arizona (AFTSA) designated $25,000 to go toward a state fund that would do just that. It didn’t stop there. They went a step further and came up with additional money for artists to thrive. The Pivot Grants, whose winners were announced the last week of May, were established to inspire artists to create art in the time of coronavirus—art that can be done safely while its participants are socially distant. Shortly after AFTSA opened applications for those grants, the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona announced it would match that grant. It created a fund of $50,000 that was given to 24 grants of $500 to $1,000 to individual artists and 15 grants of $1,000 to $2,500 for nonprofit arts organizations. “Being able to double the impact of the Pivot Grant through such generosity from the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona is a much-welcome bright spot at a time when the need for direct financial relief is immense,” says Adriana Gallego, AFTSA’s executive director. Gallego started her job as executive director on April 7, literally days after the board decided to create this grant. The Pivot Grants further fueled the artists’ creative thinking during the pandemic. “It is a showcase of the resiliency embedded in our community values and community practices,” Gallego says. “Our board and staff were intimately familiar with the way artists were already starting to think differently about their programs, about their offerings, that would still give the community access to the work they were producing in response to the community needs. They were rethinking the ways the arts could still be accessible to the public at a time when they were being asked to self-isolate.” The Pivot Grant honored those efforts, and artists responded. Gallegos says in a typical grant cycle, they receive 40 to 50 applications. For the Pivot Grant, they re-
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ceived more than 100. Organizations winning grants ranged from museums, cultural centers and theater companies to radio stations and studios. Individuals winning awards submitted such projects as cultural meals, barrio stories, art instruction, a writing workshop, photography masterclasses, online music series, troubadour theater, project puppet and a violin studio. “The beauty of it is that everyone was so open to the possibilities because we were walking into an unknown,” Gallego says. “Just as this is an unprecedented pandemic for our generation, this was an opportunity for the arts foundation to understand how people are thinking differently and pivoting and creating and finding ways in which we can invest in and incentivize those efforts. This was a way for us to learn about all those different practices.”
Being open minded From the beginning, Gallego says they planned to be open minded about the projects they would fund. They wanted to see new and creative arts experiences that aligned with social distancing, but they didn’t want to limit it to online programming only. “That is the go-to right now—to produce experiences online,” Gallego says. “We also wanted to leave it open to alternate ways for them to provide their services and products.” One of the grantees, the Scoundrels and Scamps Theatre Company, is online and offline with its project, “Storytelling in the Virtual Realm: Stories for Scoundrels and Scamps.” Each week, it produces two stories— one for scoundrels (older audience) and one for scamps (all ages). The stories are presented as radio plays, interviews or storytelling. The scoundrels are enjoying engaging content. The scamps’ stories are based in folktales, like Russian stories featuring Baba Yaga. The offline content is educational, and parents can share it with their kids. For example, says Bryan Falcon, the artistic director, the first folk tale was about a soldier who outwits death and the consequences of that. For kids, they provided a recipe, artwork, map-making activities
Bill Epstein and Kathleen Cannon of Scoundrels and Scamps Theatre tell the story of Eurydice in the Pivot Grant-winning “Storytelling in the Virtual Realm: Stories for Scoundrels and Scamps.” (Submitted photo)
and new definitions. “Depending on what your child is interested in, there are a lot of different hooks to engage them in new ways,” Falcon says. The theater company has undergone the pivot that the grant is recognizing and supporting. He says the first few weeks were spent shutting down and contacting their audiences and artists. They also secured their space. Then there was a week of quiet, wondering what would happen next, how long the pandemic would last and what it would mean for them. “Is there a possibility of normal for us in the future?” Falcon says. “We realized this is not a sprint but a marathon. How do we connect with our audiences at a time in which we all need each other? We started talking about adopting new platforms and engaging our artist community in new ways. It’s been exciting.” They asked their artists if they could tell a story that they could record and produce. When they put it on their website, their traffic quadrupled. “People came back because they are hungry for stories,” Falcon says. “It was fun to watch that grow.”
Variety of groups The organizations that applied for the grants were matched by the variety of the projects they submitted, according to Gallego. In a few weeks, artists were finding new ways of doing things and creating the necessary infrastructure on the fly. “Everyone was really adapting to their
own art forms and offerings,” Gallego says. “The impact was real and deep with every application. The breadth and actual execution were exquisitely unique to that artist and organization. They were all so inspiring.” Groups like Southwest Folklife Alliance adapted programs they already had in motion. The TMY Culture Kitchen is a tradition at Tucson’s Meet Yourself Festival, which showcases food and culture through tastings, talks, demonstrations and recipe sharing. This year, they’re inviting chefs to cook together with the community through an online interface. They hope it will bring the festival to people’s kitchens. Sadie Shaw received an award. She’s collecting oral histories from people in Sugar Hill, a historically black neighborhood that has been threatened by encroaching gentrification. She’s been recording stories and songs and capturing pictures, many of which are available online. The diversity of the projects recognizes how integral arts are to the community and the need for them to be accessible to all and not just to a niche population. It was part of what drew the community foundation to match the funds in the first place. “The Community Foundation for Southern Arizona is proud to partner with the Arts Foundation to support local artists and nonprofit arts organizations affected by COVID-19,” says Kelly Huber, director of Community Investments at CFSA. Grants...continues on page 8 www.LovinLife.com
Taking It to the Parking Lot Tucson theaters socially distance during tribute shows BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Heather Stricker-DeBenedetti likes to say she wears a lot of hats at The Gaslight Theatre and The Gaslight Music Hall. This month, she’ll be donning a cowboy hat. Stricker-DeBenedetti will be among a cast of ladies in “All-American Girls: A Celebration of Women in Country” on Thursday, July 30. “My friend, Mike Yarema, and I started a production company called Every Era Entertainment,” Stricker-DeBenedetti says. “Last year, we decided we wanted to do a show that highlighted some really awesome female country singers. Our main focus is on the Dixie Chicks’ music. Last year, we did more of a Dixie Chicks tribute concert. “We’ve since changed it a little bit to include others. This is the first time we’re doing it with this new title, ‘All-American Girls.’” Stricker-DeBenedetti sings the Dixie Chicks’ music with Chelsee Hicks and Brianna Barnhart, the latter of whom stud-
ied vocal performance/opera at the University of Arizona. “All-American Girls” features music by Carrie Underwood, Alison Krauss, Trisha Yearwood and a little bit of Garth Brooks. “It’s really fun,” she says. “It’s one of those shows that has so much energy right off the top of the show.” A Sabino High School alumna, Stricker-DeBenedetti also went to the University of Arizona to study opera for undergrad and master’s degree. “This seemed a little strange,” she says with a laugh. “At first, it was very difficult. I started trying to make my voice adjust to different styles in the early 2000s. But country is natural. After working at the Gaslight for so many years, I’ve performed in different styles and country has become one of my favorites. “I love the energy of a live audience and hearing the immediate appreciation for the music that you’re offering. Plus, getting to sing with my best friends on stage is a huge bonus.” The concert will be a drive-in show, con-
Heather Stricker-DeBenedetti sings the Dixie Chicks’ music with Chelsee Hicks and Brianna Barnhart. (Photo courtesy Heather Stricker-DeBenedetti)
tinuing a series that started in June. Other July performers include Little House of Funk Band (July 8); Backroads Country Band (July 9); Vinyl Tap Band (July 15) and Santana Tribute with FLG (July 16). “We’re doing this full, outdoor drive-in concert series through the whole summer,” Stricker-DeBenedetti says. “It was a hard decision to make, but we needed to keep everyone safe. We moved it all outside.” The shows feature 100 parking spots, and fans can sit in the bed of the truck or
Something Special
Dr. Eric Cornidez of the Pain Institute of Southern Arizona trained at the Mayo Clinic, Phoenix. (Photo courtesy Pain Institute of Southern Arizona)
Pain Institute specialists think about the patient first BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Dr. Eric Cornidez remembers vividly the day his father was in a mine shaft accident. His dad survived, but a few discs in his back did not. “He ended up losing his job, and I had very little resources from a financial perspective,” Cornidez says. “We lost our health insurance. We’d have to drive to Nogales, where health care was affordable. That made an impact on my father and my entire family. We were anxious and uneasy.” While the trips to Nogales eased the burden, they instilled something in Cornidez: a wish to become a doctor. He earned his medical degree at Stanford University and returned temporarily to Tucson to do his surgical internship at the University of Arizona. He then pursued his anesthesia specialty at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, where he became the first chief resident in aneswww.LovinLife.com
thesiology and further subspecialized in interventional pain management. Born with an entrepreneurial spirit, Cornidez is now the chief medical officer and a managing partner at Pain Institute of Southern Arizona, which has offices in Tucson, Oro Valley, Green Valley, Safford and Benson. He serves as a consultant, investigator and instructor on advanced pain management techniques such as neuromodulation. “I’ve been with the practice for eight years, going on nine,” Cornidez says. “My goal coming into the practice was to basically find a very reputable place with good customer service and a wonderful reputation. My ultimate goal is to provide better medical resources, and my goal was to get the best training possible.” After starting his own practice, he joined PISA and vowed to expand it. When he started, there were three doctors and 15 employees in one clinic. Now
in lawn chairs. “They can order pizza packages with soda,” she says. “They get to sit and enjoy live music in the beautiful Arizona night. Once the sun goes down, it’s absolutely lovely. Anybody who doesn’t feel like they want to sit outside can sit in their vehicles. We have an FM transmitter that brings the live music feed from the stage to the radio. It’s really amazing what they can do.” Info: thegaslighttheatre.com or gaslightmusichall.com.
it boasts 100 employees, seven doctors, seven nurse practitioners and two physicians’ assistants in six clinics. “My mentor always told me if you’re going to be a specialist, do something special,” he says. “That being said, I feel like here at the Pain Institute of Southern Arizona, we do that.” To enrich his administrative impact on
the success of PISA, he completed the executive MBA program through the Eller College of Business at the UA. Like Cornidez, PISA’s doctors have been trained at world-class institutions like the Mayo Clinic, Stanford and Harvard. They treat a variety of pain conditions like sciatica, arthritis, neuropathy, spinal stenosis and degenerative disc disease. With dedicated X-ray guided fluoroscopy machines, PISA can perform all evidence-based procedures. “We treat our patients like we would a family member,” he says. PISA is known as a practice that has other physicians and their family members as patients. It’s a conservative clinic that doesn’t regularly prescribe high-dose narcotics. Those who are on high-dose narcotics, he says, become used to them, and their bodies create pain and increase the need for more medication. “They’re doing a lot more harm than Cornidez...continues on page 8 JULY 2020
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Need-to-Know Basis
The cactus and succulent garden at the Tucson Botanical Gardens, which has struggled since the pandemic closed the destination spot.
Tucson nonprofits seek the public’s help BY VALERIE VINYARD In mid-March, the emails started. True tug-at-your-heartstrings emails. They were signed by Michelle Conklin, executive director of Tucson Botanical Gardens. She knew that when the gardens— and essentially Tucson—closed down in March because of the coronavirus that her organization was in trouble. “It was a struggle,” Conklin says. “Our projected loss during our highest point of the season, it was devastating. Hence the emails. “We had never done aggressive online fundraising before, but I thought it was my responsibility to protect my organization,” Conklin says. To do that, she sent out a number of emails to Tucsonans and included a letter on the gardens’ website. “Never in my dreams did I imagine leading the gardens through a time like this,” Conklin writes. “On March 17, the garden was forced to temporarily close due to the communitywide response to the COVID-19 virus. “The loss of income from admission tickets, meetings, classes and weddings, as well as the proceeds from the Home and Garden Tour, are devastating to the organization,” she continues. “I am quickly realizing that this temporary closure could outlast the gardens’ financial capability to survive. We need your help now more than ever.” Those emails—and their subsequent donations—helped keep the gardens running through June, Conklin says. The Botanical Gardens is only one of many Tucson nonprofits that are struggling since the pandemic hit. Though the public isn’t able to enjoy most local museums and organizations in person right now, the plants still need to be watered. Animals need to be fed. And employees need mental and financial help. Normally, memberships and admissions to nonprofit organizations contribute a large chunk to their operating budget. But because most organizations are either temporarily closed or just starting to open, that money hasn’t been coming in. Fortunately, the CARES Act has created
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an incentive for philanthropists to give to their favorite nonprofit this year. Taxpayers who donate $300 to nonprofits in 2020 will receive a dollar-for-dollar credit when they do their taxes in 2021. That means if you donate $300 to a local nonprofit, even if you don’t itemize your taxes, you will receive the $300 back in your federal tax return. This differs from the state’s $400 per-person dollar-for-dollar credit for donating to the working poor, which also is available. Local nonprofits are hoping Tucsonans take advantage of the tax break to help them. Even though it seems the effects of the pandemic are starting to ebb, many Tucson nonprofits say their needs are just as dire today. For example, the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum lost $2.5 million by being closed from mid-March to May. That’s out of a $10 million yearly operating budget. Admissions and ancillary revenue— think classes, the restaurant and the gift shop—make up about 30% of the museum’s budget each year, according to Lynnae Wenker, the museum’s associate director of philanthropy. Every day the museum is closed hurts its bottom line. “We just want to remind people how special the Desert Museum is for our region,” says Wenker, noting it costs $29,000 a day to run the museum. “We appreciate all the support we can get; donations about 10%. The way that our donors have stepped up and been supporting the DM all this time has been pretty inspirational.” Here are three nonprofit organizations that would appreciate financial help.
Arizona Sonora Desert Museum 2021 N. Kinney Road, desertmuseum.org
Lynnae Wenker says the Desert Museum has “worked really, really hard to keep everyone employed” during this time. The museum employs about 140 and has about 600 docents and volunteers. “We couldn’t just lock the doors and come back later,” Wenker says. “The animals are still receiving the top-quality care that they always have, but they don’t have any visitors.” That includes taking care of fan favorite Cruz, a mountain lion, or keeping the
(Photo by Dominic Bonuccelli)
hummingbirds satisfied with sugar water. “The museum did a really big fundraising push,” she says. “We’re letting people know how much we need them.” Wenker says a few donors have stepped up with large donations, such as a private family foundation giving $500,000, which inspired other donations. Another six-figure donation from a “lovely couple” has helped the museum raise about $1.1 million, but the museum still needs help. “We do have some concerns about the future,” Wenker says. “Predictions show that tourism is going to be down.” Plus, the animals are missing the crowds. “Our living collections curators have certainly noticed that they miss visitors,” Wenker says. “We encourage essential workers to wander around. They do enrichment activities regularly for all of the animal residents.” Recently, staff made a birthday cake out of ice for one of the bighorn sheep. “They had a lot of fun with that,” says Wenker, noting it will be a modified experience for visitors when the museum opens. “The biggest thing that we recognize with this pandemic is the only thing that’s constant is change.” Wenker says the easiest way to donate is to go to desertmuseum.org/donate.
Community Food Bank
3003 S. Country Club Road, communityfoodbank.org The Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona already serves 200,000 people a year across five counties. In fact, in 2018, the food bank was awarded Food Bank of the Year by Feeding America, a network of 200 of the larg-
est food banks in the nation. When the pandemic hit, the food bank was ready. “In March, we saw demand double,” says Norma Cable, public relations and marketing specialist of the Community Food Bank. “What we saw in Tucson at our Country Club location was just a big spike. A lot of people who needed food for the first time.” In May, Cable says operations had to move about 1.5 miles away to Kino Sports Complex at 2500 E. Ajo Way to make it safer and more efficient. From 7 to 10 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, Cable says 600 to 1,000 families are served in the complex’s parking lot. Instead of volunteers, the National Guard is helping distribute food and direct traffic. “It completely changed what it looks like to get food,” says Cable, noting that operations pivoted to a drive-thru location in the parking lot at Kino. “We can serve more people in a quicker manner.” The Food Bank isn’t using its volunteers now, as many are seniors and in a vulnerable age group. However, Cable says the 140 Food Bank staff members are all working, either at home or to help staff the food bank’s six locations. To get food, you can sign up online at communityfoodbank.org to see a list of locations, or people can go to the emergency food distribution at Kino from 7 to 10 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. To help the food bank, financial donations always are appreciated. Before the pandemic, Cable says $1 could provide four meals to needy residents. A dollar doesn’t stretch that far nowadays, she notes. “The financial donations are important to us because it allows us to purchase www.LovinLife.com
The Arizona Sonora Desert Museum is barely making it by with donations. The facility has been closed for some time due to the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine. (Photos courtesy the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum)
food and keep our doors open,” Cable says. “It’s a generous community, and I think people want to see it succeed. Like everybody, we don’t know what’s ahead.”
Tucson Botanical Gardens 2150 N. Alvernon Way, tucsonbotanical.org
After the Botanical Gardens’ email campaign, Executive Director Michelle Conklin says it received contributions from a large percentage of people who had never given before. That included one person who drove up and handed a $200 check to a gardener in the gardens’ parking lot. “They had never even been to the Gardens before,” she says. “One woman wrote us and said you’ve gotten me through two divorces, a couple of bouts of cancer, a myriad of friends who have passed away. I will wait with bated breath until the gardens can reopen,” Conklin says. The shutdown couldn’t have come at a worse time, Conklin says. Of its estimated 150,000 visitors a year, the gardens’ April tally usually totals 15,000 to 20,000. So the contributions were needed. Over these past three months, even running a bare-bones operation cost $400,000 for water, plantings, upkeep of the buildings, and labor, Conklin says. “The community was incredibly generous,” she says. “This outpouring of appreciation showed me how much of the community values the Botanical Gardens. It brought me to tears almost daily.” Conklin notes there’s still uncertainty, especially because there isn’t a firm reopening date. “We’re taking it week by week,” she says, noting that its 5 acres are small compared to other botanical gardens. www.LovinLife.com
Though no visitors are permitted right now, a small staff must take care of the plants and animals on the grounds. One person takes six hours to water the plants; others tend to the butterflies, insects, fish and chickens. During her weekly visits, Conklin noticed interesting changes at the gardens. “It was almost like nature was taking over,” she says. “The vines were covering pathways; the birds moved in. A garden is a very different place when people aren’t
there.” Conklin says the gardens are moving forward with planning outdoor sculpture exhibits in September. All indoor exhibits have been closed for the rest of the year. As Conklin says: “We absolutely must find a way to guarantee that there is a garden to reopen. Without your support, we face the inability to keep on staff the very people who care for the plant collection and animals on the property—like the horticultural manager and the but-
terfly curator. Without our team, TBG’s existence is under threat.” Conklin says donations/contributions make up 30% of its budget, with the rest being admissions, facility rentals, a percentage from the café and ticketed events. Even a $5 contribution will help, Conklin says. Or she encouraged people to join the 5,200 to 5,400 households that already are members of the gardens. Go to tucsonbotanical.org to donate.
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Grants...continued from page 4 “The arts play a critical role in sustaining the health and vibrancy of our diverse Southern Arizona communities by offering both inspiration and insight.” Even as Arizona reopened, the programs that these Pivot Grants fund will continue. “We’re going to see a lot of shifts based on the art forms,” Gallego says. “There are some art forms that lend themselves more easily to social distancing and there are others that require a little more proximity, like, say, in a theater experiencing a full production. We’re going to see some organizations able to open up earlier than others. Others may have to take some time to think how it is they pivot their practices into the future.” Falcon says audience members have spoken to him about different ways they can experience the Scoundrels and Scamps offerings. They are not eager to be back in crowds where they have to risk exposure to disease. He says he wants their organization to be resilient and innovative but also one that looks out for the audience’s and staff’s health. “For the foreseeable future, the work
we are doing now does serve a purpose for our larger vision of creating accessible art,” Falcon says. “We now have the tools set up inhouse to produce these works even as we reopen. We anticipate we will continue to release content. I don’t know if it will be every week, but it will be on a regular basis.” Gallegos praised the creative work forces found in the Southern Arizona communities and their ability to improvise. They are confident they will produce a different kind of experience while holding on to the same value that has always driven their work. When the pandemic ends, she hopes artists will be “valued and recognized for the way in which they enrich our lives and our quality of life. Those 10,000 hours they’ve clocked in in fine tuning their task and the craft of thinking outside the box, that will be valued. That Southern Arizona saw and embraced artists, and that’s why we were able to come out a better and different version of ourselves as a community.” Info: artsfoundtucson.org/grant/ pivot-grant
Cornidez...continued from page 5 good,” he says. “We help them decrease the use so if you do have to use a moderate dose, they actually work.” Cornidez has worked as a clinical assistant professor at the University of Arizona and as an executive board member for the United Way Southern Arizona and Tucson Metro Chamber. He participates with Make-A-Wish Arizona and the Knights of Columbus and is actively involved in professional organizations, including the Arizona Society of Anesthesiologists, the Arizona Medical Association, and the Arizona Society of Interventional Pain Physicians, where he holds the state-level board position as director at large. “We are very, very heavily involved in the community of Tucson,” he says. “If you’re going to be a part of this community, be a part of this community. We are involved to improve the community beyond medicine.” “At PISA, we also talk about innovation,” he says. “We grow the practice to involve a research department that participates in three different research projects. We received our first notice that our
My mentor always told me if you’re going to be a specialist, do something special. – Dr. Eric Cornidez work was published in a world-renowned medical journal.” On a recent weekend, Cornidez was readying to implant a small device in a patient to relieve symptoms related to spinal stenosis. “It’s real safe and effective,” he says. As for compassion, the practice teaches everyone from administrators and physicians to front-desk employees to treat patients kindly. “The field of pain management is scarred somewhat,” Cornidez says. “The image is that we just do drugs. There’s a lot more to good pain management than the narcotics. We help people get off narcotics, as opposed to get them on. We give every patient who walks in individual care. We get the right diagnosis and then put them on a treatment plan.”
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News Briefs BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI
See’s Candies reopens with contact-free pickup As part of its ongoing commitment to the health and safety of its employees and customers, California-based See’s Candies has reopened with its “Click– Pick–Go!” service—a contact-free pickup service that allows customers to safely and conveniently enjoy chocolates and treats. The launch of “Click–Pick–Go!” follows a temporary closing of select See’s Candies stores in March. In its 99-year history, See’s Candies has only had one other interruption in its ability to share American-made candy during WWII due to rationing. This service is completed in three steps and supports safe social distancing for employees and guests. Visit pickup.sees.com to find the nearest store and its hours of business by ZIP code. Browse, select and place order for contact-free pick up. A confirmation email will be sent to communicate the time that order will be ready for pickup. Customers can call the store to confirm arrival, and orders will be placed in the contact-free area outside the store once its doors have closed. Stores include 235 W. Wetmore Road, Oracle, in the Wetmore Shopping Center, and 5770 E. Broadway Boulevard.
Ex-Tucson man pleads guilty to voting twice Randy Allen Jumper, 62, of Incline Village, Nevada, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted illegal voting before Judge Christopher Browning in Pima County Superior Court, according to Attorney General Mark Brnovich. A state grand jury indicted the former Tucson resident in July 2019 for voting twice in the 2016 General Election— once in Pima County and once in Washoe County, Nevada. Jumper was also charged for making a false declaration by signing a statement under penalty of perjury that read: “…I have not voted and will not vote in this election in any other county or state…” Jumper’s plea agreement, signed on June 15, resolves these charges. As a part of the plea agreement, Jumper has agreed to pay a fine of $5,000 plus www.LovinLife.com
court-ordered fees and surcharges. As a part of his sentencing, the court will revoke his right to vote in Arizona and he will not be allowed to re-register while he is on probation.
CVS Pharmacy recently added two testing sites in Tucson. At the site, a CVS Pharmacy team member will observe the self-swab process to ensure it is done properly. (Photo courtesy CVS Pharmacy)
CVS Health expands COVID testing capabilities To help slow the spread of coronavirus, CVS Health expanded its testing program by adding 15 more sites at select CVS Pharmacy drive-thru locations across Arizona. The opening of additional test sites on Friday, June 26, adds to the 49 locations previously opened in Arizona. “One of our greatest strengths as a company is our local presence in communities across the country, which enables us to uniquely expand people’s access to safe and effective COVID-19 testing options and respond to a need for increased testing capacity,” says Larry J. Merlo, president and CEO, CVS Health. “We continue to be grateful for the commitment of our front-line colleagues who make these testing sites possible and whose dedication has allowed us to keep our stores open for customers seeking supplies and patients who need care.” Nearly 60% of the company’s 1,400 test sites across the country, including all sites in Arizona, are in counties that serve communities with the greatest need for support, as measured by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Social Vulnerability Index. The index tracks a variety of census variables—including poverty, lack of access to transportation, and crowded housing—that may weaken a community’s ability to prepare for and recover from hazardous events like natural disasters and disease outbreaks.
Self-swab tests will be available to individuals meeting CDC criteria, in addition to state and age guidelines. Patients must register in advance at CVS.com. Patients will be required to stay in their cars and will be directed to the pharmacy drive-thru window or a location in the parking lot at a few stores, where they will be provided with a test kit and given instructions, and a CVS Pharmacy team member will observe the self-swab process to ensure it is done properly. Tests will be sent to an independent, third-party lab for processing, and the results will be available in approximately three days. Testing will not take place inside any retail locations, and CVS Pharmacy, HealthHUB and MinuteClinic will continue to serve customers and patients. The additional new testing sites in Arizona include 7740 N. Cortaro Road and 1900 W. Valencia Road.
PACC gets $150,000 to create resource center Spring Point Partners is awarding Pima Animal Care Center a $150,000 grant. The funds will be dedicated to further expanding the shelter’s foster program, creating a system to reduce pets’ length of stay in shelter and get them to foster and adoptive homes more quickly. The grant has been donated to Friends of Pima Animal Care Center, PACC’s official nonprofit partner. “The goal is to provide better, faster service to our community and to more quickly get pets from the shelter to foster homes,” says Kristen Hassen, the director of animal services. “Even though we have one of the best shelters when it comes to care and enrichment, the kennel environment is still stressful on cats and dogs. This will help us get them into loving homes faster until they find their permanent homes.” There have been several studies that show pets in foster care are healthier and happier. In February, one of PACC’s staff members spent a week in a kennel, learning first-hand just how stressful and loud it can be in the shelter. PACC is housing 608 pets in foster homes and has already increased the percentage of animals being housed in foster to reduce the number of peo-
ple gathering at PACC and to prevent the spread of COVID-19. “Throughout the pandemic, we have taken in 25 to 45 pets every single day,” Hassen says. “We expect that number to increase as the busy puppy and kitten summer season continues. Our incredible foster community is helping us to save lives and keep people safe during this unprecedented time.” With the funds from this grant, Friends of PACC will hire a program manager to oversee the intake-to-foster program. They will aim to send most pets to foster homes within 72 hours of arriving at PACC and will work to increase the number of volunteers who help make the foster program a success. The funds will also fund a One Health Research Coordinator. This position will work hand in hand with the University of Arizona’s College of Public Health One Health Program to develop and direct students to answer critical research questions related to foster care and animal welfare and will study the impacts of increased community engagement. “Students in the One Health program have worked with PACC for over two years on a variety of projects,” says Kristen Pogreba-Brown, Ph.D., MPH faculty lead of the One Health Master of Public Health Program at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health. “However, our ability to conduct additional research or program evaluation has been hampered by everyone simply being so busy doing their primary jobs. The position will improve students’ access to data and, more importantly, embed someone who will know the daily challenges PACC faces and what research questions are of highest priority to the organization.” The remaining grant will allow Friends of Pima Animal Care Center to cover foster supplies, training support and medical care for foster pets. Info: friendsofpacc.org or pima.gov/animalcare
Noodle is the first pet to be fostered as part of the “intake-to-foster” model. (Photo courtesy PACC)
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Casinos Celebrating 26 Years
Sports
Casino Del Sol lays low for its birthday
Former Duke University pitcher Bryce Jarvis says he was fine with the lack of pre-draft ceremonies that college and high school players have become accustomed to. He’s just excited about his future with the D-backs, who chose him as their No. 1 draft pick in June. (Photo courtesy Duke University)
Like the pool and buffets, the AVA Amphitheater at Casino Del Sol added sanitization crews. (Photo courtesy Casino Del Sol)
BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI This month, Casino Del Sol will celebrate 26 years as Tucson’s premier entertainment destination. The award-winning hotel and casino offer guests worldclass customer service, resort luxuries, countless dining options and spacious outdoor amenities. It all began when the Pascua Yaqui Tribe opened Tucson’s first casino, Casino of the Sun, in 1994. Since then, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe’s hospitality and entertainment enterprise has grown. Casino Del Sol and AVA Amphitheater were completed in 2001; Del Sol Marketplace was added in 2005; the Resort, Spa and Conference Center at Casino Del Sol opened in 2011; Sewailo Golf Club was completed in 2013; and Estrella at Casino Del Sol, the Casino Del Sol RV Park and the Sunset Room at Casino of the Sun opened in 2019. Due to the current health crisis, Casino Del Sol’s anniversary fireworks show will not take place, nor will any live entertainment performances. Casino Del Sol is encouraging social distancing at all of its properties to keep guests and employees safe, which would not be possible at such events. “We’re doing a lot of things internally, like giveaways, food and beverage specials—things that are different than the normal,” says Casino Del Sol CEO Kimberly Van Amburg. “We generally do one or two really big concerts toward the end of June, and in the beginning of July we do fireworks and a great barbecue for our players. All those things we have enjoyed doing over
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the years are not available to us this year. It’s much more low key.” Casino Del Sol, Casino of the Sun and Estrella at Casino Del Sol reopened to the public on June 3 with strict cleaning and safety protocols in place. The Pascua Yaqui Tribe and Casino Del Sol are continuing to closely monitor developments, adhere to guidance from public health experts and local government officials and remain flexible as the situation develops. “We worked with the tribal council and looked at the CDC guidelines and decided really early on we were going to temperature check everyone going in the building,” she says. “All guests and team members should be wearing masks. I’m happy to say that was the right decision. The other thing I’ve noticed when I go out to the grocery store, car dealership or gym is the enforcement of masks. If you’re not actively walking around enforcing it, people are going to try not to do it. That’s our observation on that side of it.” The restaurants are open; however, the buffets are not. The casino also added sanitization crews to three shifts of the day. “People are walking through the casino throughout the day and night sanitizing slot machines and chairs and kiosks. We added plexiglass in different locations. That’s been really great. Obviously, there’s constant education, too. Overall, very, very few guests have a problem or give us attitude. Most guests are thankful, frankly, that we’ve required it and recognized we did it because we care.” Info: casinodelsol.com
Family Affair
D-backs’ Bryce Jarvis is following in his dad’s footsteps BY ERIC NEWMAN The Arizona Diamondbacks looked to bolster their pitching staff with the selection of Bryce Jarvis in the first round of June’s Major League Baseball draft. The 22-year-old right-hander was selected with the 18th overall pick, having pitched a short but tremendous career for Duke University’s baseball team. In his junior year, Jarvis was named to the Collegiate Baseball All-American First Team as a junior before the college baseball season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Jarvis, who was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 37th round in 2019 but did not sign, is excited about both selections. “I was thrilled. It’s been a day I’ve been looking forward to for a long time,” Jarvis says. “Obviously, it was awesome to be surrounded by friends and family and longtime supporters. So, definitely very validating.” He was off to an excellent start in his 2020 season, ranked third in the nation in WHIP with a mark of 0.48 and first in the ACC in walks allowed per nine innings (0.67). He even pitched a perfect game on February 21 in a win against Cornell. Even still, there was a lot of baseball left on the table taken away by the pandemic. While excited for Jarvis’ future and
their projection of him as a great player down the line, D-backs management did admit any draft choice would be made without seeing the players perform for a significant amount of time. “We probably got four or five starts out of them this year. So it was enough,” says Mike Hazen, the D-backs’ general manager. “Obviously, we had scouted them. We’d seen them a few times each and we had history with them. But it’s a lot less than we used to. And I think that was probably the most challenging thing.” What Jarvis boasts, even with less of a 2020 season, is a lifetime full of baseball experiences and memories with his family. Jarvis is the son of MLB veteran player and scout Keith Jarvis. Thus, the new Diamondbacks prospect saw first-hand that a pro career could be more than just a dream given the right effort. “I think it gave me a very unique insight into baseball as a profession and not just a hobby or a sport you like to play after school,” Jarvis says. “And I was able to take those experiences into how I went about developing myself as a player and how I set my goals on attaining the same status. I think it definitely helped me become the player I am today.
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Jarvis...continued from page 10 “The last couple of years, he took a step away from baseball to be a full-time fan and follow my career. I’m very thankful that he’s been in the situation to be able to do that and be at a lot of games. He was at the Cornell game this past season when I threw a perfect game, and that was a special moment to have him there and my mom there as well and be able to share that with them.” Jarvis adds depth to the Diamondbacks’ stable of pitching prospects, something Hazen says the team wanted. The top end of the draft, Hazen says, was heavy with quality pitchers, and Jarvis was high on the team’s board of potential picks but fell to them at the 18th spot. While excited for their new draftee, the Diamondbacks, like other organizations, will have to onload their incoming players in an unprecedented way. While Major League Baseball is in disarray over contracts and the length of its 2020 season, there is no set minor league to guide the development of new players into the system. Hazen says he is unsure exactly what the future holds for draft picks but is optimistic that there will be a chance for Jarvis and other acquisitions to get to know the team. “I’m hopeful that there will be something that we will be able to engage with them this year, whatever form or fashion that may take. But right now I don’t really have one,” Hazen says. “And then, even if there’s nothing to connect us on a field here in Arizona or wherever, we can certainly start the integration and the education into the system. But I just don’t have that answer right now.” Even in the current situation—baseball games outside of South Korea have been on a long-term hiatus since the outbreak of the pandemic—and the lack of predraft ceremonies that the players and staffs have become accustomed to, Jarvis is excited for his future with the franchise. “It’s definitely still sinking in. I think it’ll take a couple of days, if not weeks, to fully grasp what happened tonight. But I’m looking forward to the time it takes to set in. And like I said, it’s really special to be able to share it with my family,” Jarvis says. “I know circumstances aren’t normal at all, but you’ve got to look at the bright side, and that’s just being able to spend it with my family.” www.LovinLife.com
Baseball’s Back Torey Lovullo: We’re bringing incredible happiness to fans BY DAVE HOGG Mike Hazen and Torey Lovullo were more than happy to talk about baseball again. The only problem for the Arizona Diamondbacks general manager and manager? They had no idea how to answer any of the questions posed by the media. There’s never been anything like the 2020 baseball season—on and off the field. In a pair of Zoom conference Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo and player David Percalls, Hazen and Lovullo used alta slap high five during a previous year’s game against the Pirates. (Photo by Sarah Sachs/Arizona Diamondbacks) several different versions of “We don’t really know that—We’re going to be “I think of him the same as Zack Greinke. trying to figure it out as we go.” Zack’s a great pitcher, but he impacted Even something as simple as lineup con- games with his offense. Having an extra struction will be complicated in 2020. For bat in your lineup like Zack and Madison is the first time in its 144-year history, the Na- a great, great edge.” Lovullo knows Bumgarner will be lobtional League will be using the designated hitter this season. Do they turn Carson bying for pinch-hitting opportunities but Kelly into a full-time DH, or do they want thinks his ace will have to wait a year. him to catch as much as possible? Putting “Madison is going to be one of our five him behind the plate could improve his de- starters, and I want him to focus on that fense for a 2021 season when pitchers will right now,” he says. “As far as his hitting, I hit again. The other option is to use more think we might have to compartmentalize players at the position, giving them a rare that for a little while. I don’t want to take break in a season with 60 games in 66 days. anything off the table, because that guy “Don’t hold me to this, because every- can bang the baseball, but I think we can thing is changing, but I would imagine we think about that again in 2021.” will start with some kind of rotation at DH, Bumgarner might still have a role in given the way our roster is constructed,” games that go deep into the night, but anHazen says. “There’s obviously a chance other rule change will eliminate almost all that we could end up with a full-time DH if of the sport’s marathons. Teams will start somebody really steps up and does a great each extra inning with a runner on second job at the position, but we’ve got a great base—the hitter who made the final out of deal of versatility on our roster. I imagine the previous inning—so scoring should be we’re going to use that to walk into the sea- commonplace. son with some kind of rotation. “It is a whole different realm of strategy “Whether that’s based on matchups or than we’ve ever seen in this league,” Hazen something else, I don’t know.” says. “There’s been some experimentation Of course, with the DH being used in all with it in the minors. We’ve seen it internagames this season, Madison Bumgarner tionally, but it is certainly something that’s won’t be a part of the offense. While he going to get a lot of our attention because doesn’t hit like a position player—a .177 you’ve instantly got a runner on second. batting average wouldn’t keep anyone in What are you going to do about him?” the majors for long—it’s a significant addiThe change will end games as quickly as tional talent. His 19 home runs in 594 ca- possible, but Hazen thinks it will be fun for reer at-bats mean opposing pitchers can’t the fans. afford to lose focus against him. “Any time you add strategy into our “I’d love to get rid of the DH and play by game, I think it adds something fascinating National League rules every time Madison to the sport,” he says. “I understand why Bumgarner pitches, because his bat gives some people don’t like it—it isn’t a tradius an incredible advantage over every oth- tional part of the game—but I think fans er team in the major leagues,” Lovullo says. enjoy new things in some cases.”
There’s a lot more Hazen and Lovullo have to deal with—the lack of a minor-league season means they will be limited to a pool of 60 players, most of whom won’t have any games to play. However, none of it matters unless they can put together a healthy roster to start the season. The Diamondbacks have been lucky thus far, with only two positive COVID-19 tests and none at their Salt River Spring Training complex. That could change in a hurry with Arizona’s struggles against the virus. “I am hopeful we are going to be able to pull this off, but we all understand that we are in a unique time and place that’s not like anything we’ve ever faced before,” Hazen says. “Believe me, the protocols we’ve received from Major League Baseball are very restrictive in many ways, because we need to find ways to minimize the spread of the virus.” Lovullo and Hazen are going to make sure the players and support staff realize precisely what is on the line. “This virus doesn’t miss anybody, so I’m going to make sure I diligently work through my messages to the coaching staff, the players and the traveling party,” the manager says. “There’s a system in place, and if we do what we’re supposed to do, we can tame this beast and play baseball for our fans. Hopefully, we can bring them some incredible happiness—there hasn’t been much of that lately.” That will be a challenge for every Major League team, but Lovullo is painfully aware of the coronavirus’ impact on Arizona. “There have been spikes lately, and I don’t know the exact numbers, but we’re aware of people testing positive in our organization and our industry,” he says. “That should be a warning to everyone, but this doesn’t miss. If you don’t do exactly what you are supposed to do, whether it is wearing a mask or washing your hands, it will catch up with you. “We have to respect and make sure we don’t make Arizona another statistic by having players down after testing positive.” However, if everything works out, Hazen will finally get to see the results of a winter’s work. “The hardest part of all this is I think we put together a pretty good team in the offseason and we haven’t gotten to see it compete,” he says. “I’m glad we’re going to be able to do that and bring baseball back for all of the fans.” JULY 2020
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Music Broken Strings Dr. Immanuel Abraham found his calling with a damaged violin BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI
ny with a full symphony. That was a life-changing experience for me.” He began music studies under former Chicago Civic Orchestra concertmaster Professor Guillaume Combet through the Merit School of Music Conservatory. In three years, he became concertmaster of several youth ensembles, including the Merit Symphony Orchestra, and assistant concertmaster of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra during the
Dr. Immanuel Abraham questioned everything throughout his troubled childhood. However, when he obtained his first violin from the Salvation Army, his life had purpose. Tucson resident Dr. Immanuel Abraham worked as “hard as humanly possible” to master the violin. The instrument was broken, like him. It (Photos courtesy Dr. Immanuel Abraham) only had three strings and was stored in “To this day, I don’t think I ever learned versity of Michigan under Naumberg a pillowcase. There wasn’t even a sound anything as thoroughly as those audi- award winner Andrew Jennings. That’s post. tion excerpts. Impossibly good things when he explored the electric violin. He “The violin wasn’t in a condition that seemed to happen. I got out returned to Blue Lake to teach violin and made it possible to play,” Abraof the projects. I slept in a bed. took a job with the Sphinx Organization, ham says. This was a chance for me to a Detroit-based national organization He took advantage of an offer have a totally different life. Mu- dedicated to transforming lives through for free lessons at the Chicago sic opened those doors. I used the power of diversity in the arts. nonprofit Merit School of Music, “They’re a really, really remarkable orto think I hated classical music.” which eventually loaned him a Abraham says he used to ganization,” he says. violin in much better condition. Abraham then accepted an offer from make fun of classical music beThe teacher said she liked cause he believed it didn’t have UA to teach music, jazz history, pop muhis attitude. Abraham recalls sic history, counterpoint music theory a beat. him being “musically illiterate. “I thought I knew what a beat and the history of American pop music in I couldn’t read music.” Still, he was,” he says. “But I didn’t. It exchange for tuition. studied five to six hours a day. “In the words of ‘The Godfather,’ it was wasn’t groovy. It was only for elHis life was devoted to the inan offer I could not refuse,” he says with evators. I had no idea. Now, evstrument. ery performance lights my body a laugh. “In that time, the teacher said His first year in Arizona, he won the up with goosebumps in ways I if I kept up that attitude and UA 2015 Concerto Competition with the never experienced before.” progress, she would be happy to After graduating high school Brahms Violin Concerto premiering his keep teaching me for free. It was in Chicago, he headed to the own cadenzas. He graduated from UA the first time I felt safe and not University of Michigan, a de- summa cum laude with a doctorate in afraid,” says the Tucson resident. cision that made him a bit violin performance. To this day, he’s still Recently, Abraham earned his enthralled with the violin. self-conscious. doctorate in violin performance “Everyone thinks the violin is some“I didn’t have a computer or a at the UA. He’s been twice feacellphone that I could rely on,” thing that stayed the same for a half tured on PBS Arizona, and he he says. “At the UM that year a millennium,” he says. “It has not. It’s was concertmaster of the ArizoDr. Immanuel Abraham of Tucson has traveled the world, thanks to his (2009), they were ranked on par 2,000 years old. It originated in Mongona Symphony Orchestra, the Arskills on the violin. with Juilliard. I didn’t know that lia. The Stradivari family was inspired by izona Contemporary Ensemble a Middle Eastern instrument that later when I went there. and the Arizona Theater Compa“At that point, I had gotten to a bit of a became a violin. ny. He’s the resident composer and music Chicago Festival of Youth in Music. The “A Baroque violin is as different from director for Miraval Resort and Scoundrel festival was conducted by the world-re- cocky point in my musical development. The first day of school, I saw the level a modern violin as a harpsicord is from nowned Gustavo Dudamel. & Scamp Theater company. Abraham became the first high school- of the students who were there. They a modern concert grand. My thesis was Abraham came from a near-homeless family in inner-city Chicago, where he er to serve as youth symphony concert- were child prodigies. It was immediately based upon an object analysis of Bach’s violin work and hypothesizing what he was subject to violence and injury. He master at Blue Lake, with whom he spent stressful and dampened my ego.” He recalls he thought to himself, “I would have written had he had access began playing music in 2005 and start- two months touring Europe. “I wanted that more than anything worked as hard as humanly possible, to the modern violin. To this day, I’m obed touring the world—even though he I ever wanted before,” he says. “When only to be the worst. The discipline that sessed.” picked up the violin at age 14. “Quickly, the violin became my best I got the music for the audition at the was required, I didn’t go to a single party. friend,” he says. “Within a year of picking camp, I not only learned the music but I I knew I couldn’t screw this up.” Dr. Immanuel Abraham Graduating with highest honors, Abrait up, I went to arts camp in (Blue Lake) committed two hours of repertoire comimmanuelabraham.com ham continued violin studies at the UniMichigan and I played my first sympho- pletely to memory.
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Wanted Man
Ratt’s Jordan Ziff has gone round (and round) the Valley music scene BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Wearing a white vintage MTV T-shirt, Ratt guitarist Jordan Ziff shrugs and says it’s no surprise the hair metal band is back on the charts. Fueled by Ratt’s appearance in a Geico commercial, the move is frustrating because the clip was set up to support the band’s massive summer tour with Cinderella’s Tom Keifer, Skid Row and Slaughter. “It would have helped the tour for sure,” says Ziff, who attended Horizon High School. “I mean, the tour is going to be fine. I’m not worried about the tour. People are totally going to go, and they’re stoked to see us. The commercial has created awareness of the band again, and it’s become a household name again. It’s all good.” Ziff, 28, is well known around Valley music circles. He’s the longtime guitarist for MetalHead, a cover band that plays, well, metal. He joined Ratt two years ago on the recommendation of a mutual friend. He started playing guitar at age 7—when he heard “Smooth” by Rob Thomas and Carlos Santana for the first time. “I wanted to play guitar even before I was 7, but my parents didn’t really take me seriously,” Ziff says. “The catalyst was that song ‘Smooth’ by Santana. I thought that was the coolest guitar sound I ever heard. I remember thinking, ‘Wow, this is amazing. I need to get a guitar.’” Ziff’s parents rented a “terrible guitar,” and he played for six hours a day before he took his first lesson. “I didn’t even know what I was doing,” he says. “I was just making noise on it. My parents loved it. They have a fireplace and I would just stand up there and pretend I was playing a concert. As a student at Horizon High School, he and his brother performed in Age of Evil. When Ziff was 15, they recorded their first album and toured Europe after they were featured in a German music magazine. “We were invited to play a festival called Bang Your Head Festival in Stuttgart, Germany,” he says. “The night before the festival, they had a warmup show at a club. “So they invited us to play that show, and we did, and they loved us so much they invited us to play the main stage at 10 in the morning the next day.” www.LovinLife.com
The reception was so overwhelming that organizers asked Age of Evil to return the following year. “That’s how I got my start in music,” Ziff says. “I was a total degenerate. When I was that age in Europe, I could drink at bars.” Ziff says Age of Evil went through a musical metamorphosis. “We were little kids growing up together,” he says. “I’ve known all of them since I was 3 or 4. We were all brothers. There was a point where the Backstreet Boys were the biggest deal. I mean, we liked Backstreet Boys, so we wanted to be a boy band. “Then we wanted to be a punk band because Blink-182 was huge then. Eventually, we wanted to be a thrash metal band, and that morphed into a rock band.” Ziff performed in Age of Evil until he was 19. After that, he moved on to Waxy Sugar, a band that was “inspired by the sounds of British pop royalty.” “It was the Beatles meets Queen,” Ziff says. “We went from thrash metal to that genre. We were always all connected in the same way.”
Trapped Ziff joined Ratt in 2018, replacing Warren DeMartini. Performing with the band is fun because he can share his personality while respecting the music that was written before his tenure. “I love playing those songs,” Ziff says with a smile. “When I was in high school, I listened to that stuff. It’s interesting to be able to come into a band that had a guitar player I really respect and be in his position to do his stuff.” “I will never play songs 100% note for note. It’s just not what I do. Even if I’m playing a cover song, I want to somehow make it y own song. That’s what I do. If I was playing in a band where it was unacceptable for me to be myself, I wouldn’t want to be a part of it.” Ziff also performs with Marty Friedman, formerly of Megadeth. “Marty was one of my favorite guitar play-
SWITCH TO AT&T AND GET A $250 AT&T VISA® REWARD CARD* ers all throughout high school,” Ziff says. “It’s fun to play in a band with one of my favorite guitar players ever, and then play in a band where I get to be in the position of one of my favorite guitar players ever. It’s like the best of everything.” Inspired by Randy Rhoads and John Sykes, Ziff spent the quarantine learning production and writing a solo record that he’s planning to release this year. It will be followed by solo gigs and short tours. A bit of an introvert, Ziff says he uses the guitar to speak for him. “I like to use the guitar as my voice,” Ziff says. “I’m a good backup singer, but I’m not a great lead singer. Guitar happens to be the thing that I’m best at. “I use it as my voice, I suppose. It just feels good to do it.” Ratt—which also includes singer Stephen Pearcy, bassist Juan Croucier and drummer Pete Holmes—is considering performing as soon as late August, but the shows will be spot dates, as opposed to a full tour. “Hopefully, we can wrangle 30 dates for the year,” he says. “But who knows. “It’s a weird situation for promoters. Whatever we end up doing is cool with me. We’ll have a chance to write music together.” Ziff has been recognized from the Geico commercial, during which a couple talk about a “rat” problem in their new home. The camera then pans to the basement, where Ratt is performing “Round and Round.” “I have absolutely no idea how they recognize me,” Ziff says with a laugh. “I wouldn’t remember a TV commercial.”
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tal to help prepare for childbirth and deal with the aches and pains that come with the body’s major changes during pregnancy,” Mason says. “Additionally, postnatal pelvic floor physical therapy is important to help the body recover from the stresses the body undergoes during childbirth and the loads the body is expected to take on shortly after with having an infant.” Signs and symptoms such as pain with intercourse, urinary or fecal urgency, frequency and incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, irritable bowel syndrome, constipation and pain with prolonged sitting can clue you in to thinking there may be a pelvic floor muscle involvement contributing to symptoms. Pelvic floor physical therapy treatments may include: • Pain education. • Breathing techniques. • Strengthening and flexibility exercises. • Biofeedback. • Soft tissue massage. • Myofascial release. • Scar-tissue mobilization. • Dry needling. • Taping. • Functional movement and postural training. • Stress-reduction techniques. Call TMC Outpatient Therapy at 3247005 to learn more. Our recently opened facility provides occupational, physical and speech therapy, along with nutritional services for patients age 14 and up. For more than 75 years, your health and safety have been central to what we do at TMC HealthCare. Now, more than ever, as we deal with a historic pandemic, we want you to know that we are here to handle all your health care needs. We are committed to creating a safe and compassionate health care environment in our hospital, clinics, and specialty and primary care centers.
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