Caitlin Zipfel alerted us to this video of her young cousin and her friends, all from Elba, whom she said are excited to be going to the Taylor Swift concert in Buffalo tomorrow. Caitlin said they call themselves the "Taylor Tots."
Thanks to the loyalty and support of her many voters, Lisa Barrett's song,"When You Look at Me," is now one of three finalists in the international contest for "Best Original Song."
Yes, she's made it to the sixth and final round.
Barrett, who lives in Batavia, says she's very grateful to all of the people who have gotten her this far. She submitted the following to The Batavian:
There's so much I'm feeling...an array of emotion.
I do have butterflies this time around! I also feel like I'm watching this happen to someone else.
I'm so grateful to all who have been voting and standing by me. I wouldn't be here without them.
I'm taking this all the way to #1 because it's too important to me! There's so much more I need to do on this journey.
There are so many more songs to sing and write, so many more people to heal with the music.
I will continue bringing awareness for pediatric cancer research in Austin's memory.
I also do this in memory of my dad, Sigmund Racki. I look to carry on his legacy and his love for music. He always told me and my sisters that we could do anything if we just set our minds to it. (Well dad, I did just that)
This competition has brought back so many memories of Austin, both happy and sad.
I remember one time in the hospital when Austin pointed to me. He wanted to sit with me, and then fell sound asleep.
I also remember visiting his home. I walked in and talked with my sister, Gail. Well, Austin heard my voice and came running with his arms outstretched towards me. He jumped in my arms with the biggest smile! That was in December, and it was the best Christmas gift I could have received. With so much sadness, I try to hold onto those happy moments in my heart.
Finally, it's time to put a Western New Yorker on the map!
Voting for Lisa's song will last through Monday. Here is the procedure:
1. Go to www.bestoriginalsong.com
2. Click on "Click Here to Listen"
3. Select Stage 6 - June 13th Show Date
4. Vote for and/or download "When You Look at Me"
For previous coverage, see:
Batavia singer/songwriter has high hopes for very personal song
Singer/songwriter advances to next round in world competition
Batavian Lisa Barrett moves up in international song contest
It's always fun to take pictures of musicians playing live and so with Kay McMahon, Jim Catino and Bill MacDonald laying down some countrified grooves on the patio of Larry's Steakhouse this evening, I thought I should stop by.
The trio plays an acoustic set at Larry's each Thursday through the summer.
And Bill wanted me to remind everybody that the Ramble Music and Arts Fest is coming. Mark your calendars for July 2.
Apparently, there are some strings attached to the retirement of Cindy Baldwin from Batavia City Schools.
Cello and violin strings, specifically.
A 38-year veteran of the Batavia music program, Baldwin is finally calling it quits. And she’s taking her popular and highly successful Suzuki Strings program with her. The program is based on the Suzuki method of teaching, which puts the onus on the parent to push their child to learn to play an instrument.
Baldwin is a Suzuki member teacher. But the board of education is proposing to replace her, her method, and her high level of training on string instruments, with a trio of vocal teachers. They will attempt to learn the basics of string instruments this summer, so as to teach them to students next school year.
“We are planning on having elementary strings continue,” explained John Kennedy Principal Paul Kesler. “In order to do that, there will no longer be individual lessons for students. It will be group sizes of two to three. Students will have the opportunity to begin strings at third grade.” (Currently, students as young as kindergarten can begin the strings training.)
Parents who have seen their young children excel in music are shocked, and angry.
“I don’t see how you possibly can maintain the strings program, by having other people pick up the slack,” said Terry Kolb, who has at least two grandchildren in the district. “You’re never going to replace Cindy Baldwin.”
Kolb’s 8-year-old granddaughter, Kennedy Kolb, also spoke to the board. She is in second grade.
“I just want to say: cello is the world to me,” Kennedy said. “This is my life. And you’re taking it all away.”
Mother Cheri Kolb said she’d written a letter to the board and Superintendent Margaret Puzio, with no response (Kolb forwarded the letter to The Batavian on Monday).
“The Batavia City School District, at every opportunity, publicly sings the praises of the enrichment programs they offer,” she said. “And quietly behind the scenes, every enrichment program is being whittled away, bit by bit.”
District Business Manager Scott Rozanski confirmed to WBTA News that the cuts will not change now, since they are the same cuts that would be included in a contingency budget. The only difference between the two remaining options is that the proposed budget would allow citizens to use district facilities free of penalty. Under a contingency budget, any citizen use of district facilities that constituted a cost would have to be charged for.
The contingency budget would be adopted, if the proposed budget is rejected again by voters on June 21.
At the close of the public hearing, Board President Andrew Pedro made the point that this discussion over the music program wouldn’t even be happening if the first budget had been approved.
“We had something like 960 people vote on the first budget,” Pedro said. “We have 2,500 kids in our district – if every parent showed up and voted yes, we wouldn’t be in this situation.
“We have kids in this district, too, so I hear what you’re saying. But it’s up to the parents to get out and vote.”
Photos by Geoff Redick of WBTA.
This weekend the Elba Jazz Ensemble brought home the gold from the 50th annual Gorham Pageant of Bands when they placed first in the Class C Jazz Band competition.
This was the jazz ensemble's third year participating in the pageant, having placed third and second in the past two festivals.
Elba, normally a Class DD school, was the smallest to partipate in the pageant and was therefore bumped up to the Class C level to compete against Naples, Dundee, Gananda and South Seneca.
The Elba Concert Band placed fifth in its category.
The jazz ensemble is directed by Phil Briatico. Its members are: Marissa Tomczak, Mark Hare, Dillon Hirsch, Dan Starowitz, Ann Marie Georgia, and Connor Rohan on saxophone; Emily Tomczak on clarinet; Dakota Hirsch, Alexandra Lacey and Dixie Hirsch on trumpet; Andrew Lacey, Steven Perez-Gangi, Becky Vlack and Christopher Vlack on trombone; Jenna Bird on French horn; Laura Accardi and Matt Anauo on guitar; Gretel Kauffman on keyboard; Alex Jasinski on bass guitar; and Liz White on drums.
Batavia resident Lisa Barrett is now one of six finalists to have advanced to round five in the international contest, "Best Original Song."
If she makes it through this round, she will be one of three finalists to make it to the last one. One of these three finalists will win the contest.
Voting for Lisa's song, "When You Look at Me," will start at 8 p.m. on Monday, and will continue through June 13. To vote:
1. Go to www.bestoriginalsong.com
2. Click on "Click Here to Listen"
3. Select June 6 through 13 Show Date
4. Vote for and/or download "When You Look at Me."
For previous coverage, see:
Batavia singer/songwriter has high hopes for very personal song
Singer/songwriter Lisa Barrett advances to next round in world competition
To see a story YNN did on Barrett recently, click here.
Mercy Flight Events in Batavia
On Father’s Day June 19thMercy Flight will be hosting an Open House at our Batavia Base located at the Genesee County Airport from 9:00 until 2:00. Many local emergency service agencies, such as the Sheriff’s Department (child ID’s), NY State Police (rollover simulator), Lake Plains Community Health Care and Genesee County Emergency Management will be joining us. It will be a great day to bring dad out for pancakes at the Rotary Club Fly in Breakfast and then stop over and visit with Mercy Flight and local emergency responders.
In addition to the open house Mercy Flight in partnership with The Batavia Downs will be hosting the 1stannual Cars and Guitars for Mercy Flight event on July 9th. This all day event will feature a car and motorcycle show in the infield along with four great bands, The Buffalo Roadshow, the Trolls, The coupe de Villes and Savage Cabbage. Great food will be available and all attendees (over 18) will receive $5 casino free play. Car show pre-registration is available online at www.mercyflight.org
To wrap up the summer Mercy Flight and The Batavia Downs will again be hosting the Hackers for Helicopters Golf outing. This will be the 3rdyear for the event which will include Golfing at the Batavia Country Club and dinner at the Batavia Downs.
Mercy Flight greatly appreciates all the support we receive from the community, without which we could not provide the service that we do. Mercy Flight is always grateful of donations such as raffle baskets, door prizes, gift cards etc. to use at our fund raising events. Anyone wishing to donate can contact Bill Schutt the Batavia Base Outreach Coordinator at (585) 356-2926 or wschutt@mercyflight.org
Thursday, June 30, 7-8 p.m. In this adult program you will experience the music of West Africa through authentic African Drums. It is led by Katie Zelig and registration is required. There is a $3 fee. You may call 585-768-8300 or sign up at the front desk.
Lisa Barrett, of Batavia, is very grateful to everyone who voted for her song in the international contest, "Best Original Song." Thanks to her voters, she has made it to round four and is now a top 12 finalist.
Voting for this round starts at 8 p.m. on May 23 and runs through May 30. To vote, follow these simple steps:
1. Go to www.bestoriginalsong.com
2. Click on either of the two bars on the homepage that read "Click Here to Listen."
3. Select Show #1 -- May 23rd Show Date
4. Vote for and/or download "When You Look at Me."
This information was submitted by Barrett. If she makes it to the next round, she will be one of six finalists and have only two more rounds to go before she wins the competition.
See the April 29 article, "Batavia singer/songwriter has high hopes for very personal song," for previous coverage.
Residents at Washington Towers were treated to an afternoon of music sung by Danielle DiStrefano, a classically trained soprano who performs opera, sacred songs, Broadway hits, love songs and ballads. It was part of a "Our Tribute Tea to Women" at the complex.
Batavia resident Lisa Barrett is hoping a lot of people will get online and vote for her song, "When You Look at Me," which has made it into round three of the international "Best Original Song" contest.
If she wins, she'll get her own Web page, and her song will be sent to dozens of recording companies, music labels (large and small), producers and agents.
Barrett's song was one of 100 from around the world chosen for the contest. Of those, 48 made it to round two and, you guessed it, "When You Look at Me" was one of them.
Now it's one of 24 that have made it to the third round. If Barrett makes it through this round, she'll be halfway to her goal of winning the competition.
Voting began this week and extends through Monday. In order to vote, go to www.bestoriginalsong.com and set up an account -- it's free and only takes a minute.
Barrett wrote and performed "When You Look at Me" in memory of her nephew, Austin, who lost a brave battle with cancer in February of 2000, just shy of his 2nd birthday.
"My goal is to touch people's lives with the music in Austin's memory," Barrett said. "I feel I'm doing this not only for Austin, but for all children who have lost their battles, or are still struggling with life-threatening illnesses."
She came up with the idea for the song about a year after Austin died.
"I walked by his picture, and this particular time I stopped (to look at it). My eyes met his, and I said out loud: 'I can almost feel your touch when you look at me.'"
According to Barrett, "something happened" in this instant that changed her life.
"It was like a switch went on. I heard a melody in my head, with the lyrics coming at the same time. I felt compelled to grab a pen and start writing."
It took her a few weeks, but when she finally finished the song it became, in her words, "a wonderful grieving outlet."
"After that," Barrett said, "the switch kept going on for other songs. Whenever something hit me hard emotionally -- whether it made me feel sad, happy, angry or it was funny -- I would write a song about it."
Her songs are not just about things that affect her directly. As she got further along in this new chapter of her life, she became inspired by other people's experiences as well.
In recent years, she wrote a musical called "Can't Bully Me Now," which deals with the experiences of children who are bullied in school. This song has been performed multiple times by students at St. Joseph School in Batavia, and educators from other districts have expressed interest in it as well.
The amazing thing is that prior to the composition of "When You Look at Me," Barrett had never been a songwriter.
"I didn't plan this. It's a path that has been laid before me, and I follow it, not always knowing where I'm going next."
Along the way, she has learned that "even after so much pain, the sun can shine again."
Originally recorded at Affinity Music in Nashville, Tennessee in 2005, "When You Look at Me" is part of an album with the same title. Barrett wrote and performed 10 other songs for this album, one of which -- "Share Your Light" -- was the theme song selection for Western New York's National Night Out in August 2010.
In an ironic turn of events, Barrett decided that the time had come to turn "When You Look at Me" into a music video around the same time that officials from Best Original Song contacted her. They had found her music online and were interested in having her as a contestant.
Barrett said she submitted her entire album. They chose "When You Look at Me."
"It was like everything was coming full circle. It brought back to me the reason I had done everything in the first place."
She and her husband, Kyle, filmed the music video this past winter at Genesee County Park. They were there one day, and found that the atmosphere was ideal.
"The snow was falling perfectly," Barrett recalls. "And I just said to my husband, 'We've got to do it now.'"
Shooting at the park in the winter was not easy. Barrett said her "toes were frozen" as she made this video.
But she kept going, and it was worth it in the end.
Have a look:
VOTING INSTRUCTIONS:
Once you've created an account and are logged in, click on either of the two bars on the home page that read "Live Show! Click Here to Listen," then click on "Third Stage Show #1." From there, you'll know what to do.
Remember, you only have from now through Monday to vote!
Final Note: Barrett's CD can be purchased through her Web site, www.lisabarrettcd.com. Portions of the proceeds benefit Essential Care, a pediatric home care program of Hospice Buffalo for children with life-threatening illnesses.
Top photo -- of Barrett at Affinity Music -- taken from www.lisabarrettcd.com, second photo submitted by Lisa Barrett.
March was Arts Month and it was a busy one. Here are some snapshots of Harvester Center activities, as well as arts-related activities elsewhere in Batavia.
The Batavia Players' production of Shakespeare's "The Tempest" (Friday, March 18)
Garrison Starr performance at the Harvester 56 Theater (Thursday, March 31)
Photos submitted by Loren Penman
Starr (pictured with a wool cap) socializes during the champagne reception.
OATKA School of Glass
Photos submitted by Amanda Taylor
People learn how to manipulate glass in a kiln with the help of instructor Lance Taylor (left).
A guest instructor shows people how it's done.
A sample of a student's work.
Leadership Genesee members try their hands at glass art.
For previous coverage, see OATKA School of Glass one of Batavia's best-kept secrets.
"Anything Goes: Books and More"
Proprietor Mary Holmes showed me the above space, which she acquired this past month and which will be used for auctions, craft shows, etc.
For previous coverage of "Anything Goes," click on the following links:
Batavia siblings make a good team selling 'books and more'
Local woman opens retail store in Harvester Center
Coming Soon -- The "Moon Java Café"
(Sorry about the glare.) This is the sign for "Moon Java Café," which will be opening soon in the Harvester Center.
Meanwhile...
Student artwork display -- Richmond Memorial Library Gallery Room
The following are samples of art from Batavia students in grades K-12.
'Music in Our Schools' concert at Batavia High School (Thursday, March 31)
These songs are arranged in the order presented on Thursday night. My apologies -- it was hard to get good pictures from where I was sitting at some points.
The City of Batavia Democratic Committee is proud to present GARRISON STARR, recording artist/independent musician, in concert on Thursday, March 31, 2011 at the Harvester 56 Theater, 56 Harvester Avenue, Batavia. Doors open at 7:30 PM for this one-night-only experience in an intimate setting with this extraordinary Los Angeles singer-songwriter.
Limited advance sale tickets ($20 per person) include a champagne reception and are available at the Harvester 56 Theater on Sunday, March 27 from 12:00 noon - 3:00 PM ONLY or by calling 343-8066 or emailing gstarrinbatavia@gmail.com
On Thursday, March 24 from 7:00-8:00 p.m. we will start a four session adult program hosted by Katie Selig. You will experience the tradition of music in West Africa through authentic instruments. The next sessions will continue, April 28, May 26, and June 30. You may attend one or all of the sessions. Registration is required and there is a $3.00 fee per session. Please call 585-768-8300.
A big stage perfomance is what some only dream of. For 'A Summer Scene', that dream could come true this summer, as they have a chance to make the cut to perform on stage at the Van's Warped Tour.
In January 2010, Tim Mieney, Jimmy and Shane Causyn and Jake Bliss formed the band that now is in need of your votes to get on the big stage. The tour is set to make its local appearence at Darien Lake on July 12th and with your votes A Summer Scene may be on the list.
To vote click here, create an account and then you can vote everyday to help them win the performance.
Press Release from the band:
"The band came together in January of 2010. Jimmy, Jake and Shane had been writing together for a couple months and they asked Tim to take a listen to some of the material they had come up with. It started out as nothing serious but after a few practices we all realized that we had something special and what started out as a casual jam band turned into something very important to all of us."
"We love writing music from personal experience because if we've experienced something then chances are someone else has too. And if we can help someone in any way with the music we write then that right there is a dream come true for us. We can't thank everyone enough for how much support they give us and how much everyone helps this band. Be on the lookout for our new four song EP coming out around late April!"
The third and final "Christmas in the Schools" video features students from Holy Family School (Le Roy), Batavia Middle School and St. Joseph School (I was going to go to Oakfield Elementary, but the weather prevented me -- St. Joe's was having the official holiday concert at the same time that evening, so I figured this would give me the chance to film those St. Joe's students who weren't caroling at the City Centre).
I have to warn you, the video quality is not quite as good as the other two installments. I was having some unexpected camera troubles -- some of this was my fault, some of it the fault of circumstances. But I hope that the quality of the students' performances will make up for this.
Finally, I just need to correct a quick error in the first video: "Santa's Playlist" was written by John Jacobson and Roger (not Robert) Emerson; you will notice that these two wrote one of the songs appearing in this video.
Thank you to all of the schools for allowing me to see and showcase the students' hard work and talent, and congratulations to the kids on a job well done.
My second Christmas video features the talented students of John Kennedy, Robert Morris, Alexander elementary and Pembroke Intermediate schools.
Some quick background on Pembroke Intermediate: For several years, chorus teacher Andy Clark has made a yearly tradition of reserving a spot in Pembroke Choralier Christmas concerts for "Christmas Sing-alongs," during which former choraliers are invited to come up and sing with the group. You will be able to see them up on the stage, behind all of the current choraliers, during the sing-along segments.
Stay tuned for part 3!
If you missed part 1, click here.
I'm on another trip around the county, this time for footage of school Christmas concerts.
I decided to do three or four shorter videos this time, instead of one big video with all the school concerts packed together (see Spring concerts article). This way, I can include more of the performances from each school.
The first video includes concert footage from Notre Dame High School, Dorothy B. Dunce Elementary (Pavilion), Jackson and St. Joseph schools. Jackson and St. Joe's performed at "Christmas in the City" on Friday.
My apologies to Jackson for only including a few songs. This was a shorter concert.
More to come!
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