Wednesday, March 28, 2007

save the internet!


Save the Net



Rock the Net (Neutrality)

March 27th, 2007 by Jhoward

The Future of Music Coalition today launched Rock the Net — a nationwide coalition of musicians and labels that support Net Neutrality — at a press conference that featured Congressman Ed Markey (D-Mass.), musician Ted Leo and CD Baby founder Derek Sivers.

“Four years ago we got 4,000 musicians to sign on to the battle against radio consolidation,” says Jenny Toomey of the Future of Music, a charter member of the SavetheInternet.com Coalition. “With Rock the Net, we intend to get thousands of the nation’s musicians, independent labels and music services to become part of the effort to keep a ‘payola’ system from being established on the Internet. This will be the largest coalition of musicians for Net Neutrality in the country.”

There are more than two-dozen founding members of the Rock the Net Coalition including the Kronos Quartet, R.E.M., Sarah McLachlan, The Wrens, OK Go, Death Cab for Cutie and the Barenaked Ladies. These musicians will help recruit thousands of artists to support the fight for Net Neutrality.

The Rock the Net Coalition already has 124 bands and 24 labels signed on, and 24 shows scheduled. Bands and fans can track Rock the Net events around the country with their interactive map.

Musicians, indie labels, online music stores and others that want to join the Rock the Net Coalition can sign up and schedule events on the Rock the Net

Monday, March 19, 2007

Tosca

Tosca- by Giacomo Puccini after a play by Sardou. Tosca is a story of overwhelming passion amidst the perils of war. Set in Rome, in 1800 at the time of Napoleon�’s advance on the city, the opera opens with the flight of Angelotti, an escaped political prisoner. He seeks refuge in a church where he is protected by Mario Cavaradossi, a local artist who is also the lover of the famous singer, Floria Tosca. The young painter acts suspiciously while protecting his friend and Tosca thinks jealous thoughts, believing him unfaithful. The evil and venal chief of police, Baron Scarpia, plays upon Tosca’s jealousy to snare the two men. Mario is arrested and tortured and Angelotti takes his own life rather then be held prisoner. Tosca desperately begs Scarpia to spare Mario, but Scarpia demands her affections in exchange for Marios’s life. After securing a note saving her lover from his death sentence, she stabs Scarpia and hurries off to be with Mario who is awaiting his execution. Soon, Tosca finds she has been tricked, and she makes one final decision.

O'Carolan, the blind harper

Turlough Carolan was born in 1670 in Nobber, co. Westmeath, Ireland. He was taken under the patronage of Mrs. MacDermott Roe of Alderford to be educated. However at the age of 18 he was blinded by smallpox, and so his patron stopped his education and instead had him sent to be trained as a harper for three years. Upon his finishing his musical training at the age of 21 she provided him with a horse, a guide and some money, to start him on his career as an itinerant harper.

Carolan built a succesful career as a harper, winning many patrons both Irish and English, Protestant and Catholic. He himself was Catholic and composed music for the church. (the early Irish harp was often used to provide church music). however only one of his sacred pieces is known to have survived, "The Elevation".

Carolan married Mary Maguire from Fermanagh; they had six daughters and one son. Mary died in 1733 and Turlough died in Alderford in 1738.

O'Carolan's Music...

Carolan is known today for instrumental music, but most of the tunes attributed to him do or did have words. Many of his tunes are actually older tunes, which he re-set for his songs. He also composed variations on some older tunes, an example being his variations on the Scottish Jacobite song "Cock up your Beaver". [you can't make this stuff up!]

Carolan's music is notable for combining different influences. As an Irish harper in the 18th century he had been trained in the old Gaelic bardic tradition of harp playing and composing. He also is said to have had a fascination with the latest Italian music that was the height of fashion in Dublin. And there is an element of folk-song in his music as the old Gaelic order, which maintained harpers and poets as high-status artists, was collapsing, and like the other 18th century harpers he had to find work where he could.

Carolan composed instrumental music as well as songs for his patrons. He is said to have composed "Carolan's Concerto" when staying with an Italian composer at the house of an Irish nobleman. But its other title, "Mrs Poer" suggests that it may just have been composed for a patron, Elizabeth Power (nee Keating) of Coorheen.

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Dinner @ Passim before show and...

Join us for dinner at Veggie Planet
@
Passim before show ?
and... I am thinking maybe some
Guiness after the show?

Norah

more on Sublime...MAR 19th @ Passim


Ridiculous & Sublime
Norah Dooley
with Bill McGowan, bass and Susan Miron, harp

@ Club Passim MARCH 19 @ 8PM


The tunes of 18th century blind harper, Turlough O’Carolan are combined with legend and folktales from the vast store of Irish whimsy and tradition. These nontraditional tellings are the products of this storyteller’s boiling brain combined with more standard versions of the lore.

A set of Irish legends and folktales and stories accompanied tunes of 18th century blind harper, O’Carolan Susan Miron, harp

Ridiculous & Sublime MAR 19 @ Passim


Ridiculous & Sublime
Norah Dooley
with
Bill McGowan, bass
Susan Miron, harp

@ Club Passim MARCH 19 @ 8PM

A set of stories about growing up and absurd adventures will be accompanied on bass by Bill McGowan.