music

Members of the Genesee Symphony Orchestra are busy getting their act together for the GSO's concert Feb. 16 at St. James Episcopal Church in Batavia.

Tonight, the orchestra rehearsed at the First Presbyterian Church in Batavia.

Raffaele Ponti is the conductor and music director for the show, which will feature soloists Holly Bewley, a soprano, and pianist Isabelle Aubin (who were not part of tonight's rehearsal).

The program includes works by Leonard Bernstein, Mozart, Annunzio Montovani, Leroy Anderson, Schubert and John Williams.

Tickets are available at geneseesymphony.com as well as GO ART!, Roxy's Music and the Batavia Senior Center and in Le Roy at the Bank of Castile.

Top photo: Lynn Eberhardt, of Scottsville, on bass.

A violin in the hands of Jill Babinski.

Dave Funston, of Batavia, on drums.

Conductor and music director Raffaele Ponti.

Dave Porter, trombone

Rick Fleming will conduct the Genesee Symphony Orchestra in a holiday concert Sunday at St. Mary's.

The program features compositions by Leroy Anderson, Mozart, Bach and David Rose as well as a performance by the Oakfield-Alabama Elementary School Chorus, directed by Danielle Mileham.

The concert begins at 4 p.m.

Fleming is an associate professor of music and director of bands at Buffalo State. He is founding conductor of the Erie County Chamber Winds and conductor of the Buffalo Silver Brass Band.

These photos were taken at the orchestra's Friday night rehearsal.

Since 1971, the Genesee Chorale has been making beautiful music for the people of WNY. That tradition continues this month with two holiday concerts.

First, the Chorale performs a show entitled "Hail the Star" starting at 7 p.m., Friday, at Le Roy Jr./Sr. High School, 9300 South St.

Two days later, on Sunday at 3 p.m., the group performs in Albion at the First Presbyterian Church.

The 70 or so people who comprise the chorale have been traveling weekly to Batavia from the seven area counties of WNY to prepare for these concerts.

"We come from a lot of rural communities," said chorale president Maureen Degolyer. "Coming from a rural community, like I am from Castile, you have to be willing to travel a distance to do any quality music, and that's what we do here."

The Chorale is dedicated, she said, to providing audiences with the highest quality performance they could possibly hear.

"Our expectations are high and we don't do anything that isn't quality because nobody could stand it," Degolyer said. "We aim for quality and it is wonderful stuff."

The concert is a blend of traditional and contemporary songs.

A few of the selections are: “Jesus Loves Me,” which has a jazz influence and will be feature Dan Jones on the alto saxophone; “What Strangers Are These,” featuring Fran Woodworth on flute and Mike Teeling on acoustic guitar; and, a unique arrangement of “Jingle Bells” as made popular by Barbra Streisand.

For more information and tickets, visit www.GeneseeChorale.com. Tickets will also be available at the door.

Top photo, conductor Ric Jones.

Fran Woodworth

Maureen Degolyer

Mike Teeling

Bob Holley

Jones conducting, Woodworth on flute.

The chorale's rehearsal at St. James Episcopal Church in the community room.

GO ART! presented its annual Community Arts Awards Saturday at Terry Hills.

Above, The Humans, presented with a Community Arts Award for "making an indelible mark on music history in Orleans County and Western New York."

Here's a video of their song "Warning." 

[videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-4qHr-9MXI]

Barb Toal receives a Community Arts Award from Diana Kasten on behalf of the Friends of the Batavia Peace Garden. The award was for "dedication, drive and leadership in developing a unique cultural asset in the community."

Laura Gardner, owner of A lily & A Sparrow in Medina, with her award for "opening up new avenues of personal expression and creating a unique cultural experience in Medina."

Carol "Kay" McMahon, with Bill McDonald, who presented her award for "sharing musical and performing arts talent and encouraging the love of music in others." McMahon and McDonald then performed a song with their band The Old Hippies, which was also the house band for the night.

Mary Pat Hancock, chair of the County Legislature, was presented with a Special Recognition Award for her patronage and recognition of art and culture in Genesee County.

New this year is the Linda L. Blanchet Award, which consists of an award and a $500 scholarship for an artist from Orleans or Genesee county to assist the artist in the ongoing pursuit in art as a profession. The first winner was Joe Waszak, a fine art photographer from Orleans County. Examples of Waszak's work can be found on the Oak Orchard Review.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley was the emcee for the evening.

Not pictured, Howard Owens, publisher of The Batavian, who was presented with a Community Arts Award for "promoting the arts and cultural life in Batavia and integrating artistic visual imagery in reporting."

Taikoza, a group of musicians playing traditional Japanese music, with an emphasis on large drums, performed in GCC's Forum today as part of an "Experience Japan" program this quarter at the college.

Besides the music today, students and faculty could enjoy a lunch of sushi.

GCC attracts international students every year and this year, like previous years, there are a number of Japanese attending the college.

Batavia residents Will Jakes II and Julio Morales were outside the Pok-A-Dot this afternoon belting out a few tunes. It was a beautiful day. There's a bench outside the restaurant, so it seemed to them like a good place to hang out and jam.

BTW: Jakes recently welcomed his grandson into the world, Will Jakes IV.

Press release and photos submitted by Douglas R Mellentine:

The "Ghost Riders Drum & Bugle Corps" based in Batavia, NY, took home the coveted "1st Place World Title" in the "Mini Corps" competition. The Drum Corps Associates World Championships were held at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium this past Labor Day weekend in Annapolis, Md.    

The "Ghost Riders" were formed in 1996 to compete in the "DCA World Championships." This is the 18th consecutive appearance for the "Ghost Riders" -- a record that may never be broken by anyone else. They own two 1st Place titles, the first in 2000 and now again 2013.  

Many hours of preparation went into achieving this goal. They defeated the reigning Champion "Star United" from Indianapolis, an undefeated corps, who has held the title for the past six years. This year was no exception for them, "Star United" was on their game as well.

Special mention must go to the following for their contributions to this achievement. 

First, a Huge Thank You to the membership who have worked so hard to make this a reality.

Second, special thanks to The Salvation Army of Batavia, who allow us to use their facility for winter rehearsals. 

Third, Thank You to Donny Allen our music arranger and instructor, who painstakingly gets us to a level we need to be, in order to achieve such a lofty goal. 

And finally, thanks to the neighborhood near Clinton Street and Grandview Terrace, who through the summer months, hear the sounds of music coming from GRC (Ghost Riders Central) in the backyard at 63 Clinton St.

As director and founder of "Ghost Riders Drum & Bugle Corps," I could not be happier.  Not only to win this title, but to observe the friendships and camaraderie this fine group of individuals has developed throughout the years. As we always say "GO GHOST"!!!

About 150 barbershop singers were at the YWCA on Monday night to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Barbershop Harmony Society.

The singers came from five area chapters -- Rochester, Buffalo, East Aurora, Geneva, Warsaw, Batavia.  The chapters are part of the Seneca Land District of the society, and Batavia resident Eric Saile, who acted as host for last night's event, is president of the district.

The event included lots of signing, of course, but also pauses to watch videos of barbershop singers in TV shows and movies from over the decades.

Our photos include the chorus, the Friends of Harmony Singers, singing "Singin' in the Rain."

The two young men in the bottom pictures are Rocco, 12, and Blaise, 10, Lucciano, of Clarence. Blaise became the youngest member of the society and was given a membership proclamation and a label pin. Rocco became the youngest member ever to be awarded the "Man of Note" pin. The "Man of Note" is a person who recruits a new member. The awards were presented by Mac Sabol, choir director for the Friends of Harmony Singers.

For more on the society, visit the Seneca Land District's home page. The Batavia chapter always welcomes new members, Sabol said.

They call it Jam at the Ridge and on Saturday night, the two acts topping the bill fulfilled the promise of that title, cranking out hot tunes and kicking up some heels.

The headliner was Jerrod Neimann, who found a crowd ready to rock after The Farm put on a show that was as much party as concert.

And there was a lot to celebrate for The Farm, with Krista Marie, a native of Alexander, playing her first big-time show in Genesee County.

The amphitheater was packed with friends and family -- so many who lined up for autographs and pictures after the set that security guards were trying to hurry the line along before Niemann took the stage.

Previously: Hometown girl brings big time act to Frost Ridge

As a little girl Krista Marie Robusto would watch her mom in Rotary shows and think, "Oh, gosh, I want to do that someday."

About 10 years ago, Krista was the lead of the Batavia Rotary's production of the "Wizard of Oz."

Now, Krista Marie -- just Krista Marie to her fans -- is living in Nashville and hitched to a rising star.

Tonight, her band, The Farm, plays at Frost Ridge Campground in Le Roy.

Krista Marie, Nick Hoffman and Damien Horne were friends in Nashville, all working professionally -- Krista pursuing a solo career and Hoffman toured with Kenny Chesney and Horne with John Legend. The three young artists decided to try writing some songs together.

Soon, their songwriting projects evolved into putting some serious thought into forming a band.

"When we finally decided to be a group we looked at each other and said, 'OK, we've got to be all in,' " Krista said. "We said, 'we're going to be betting the farm.' That was the little bell that went off and we said, 'OK, betting the farm,' and that's it, The Farm."

The Farm was signed with Warner Brothers and they were off and running. The first song the trio wrote together, "Home, Sweet Home," became the band's first hit single.

The last three years have been filled with nearly nonstop touring, and though The Farm has played two gigs in Rochester, tonight is The Farm's first shows "inside the county lines," as Krista put it.

"I'm super excited," she said.

"Every time I come home I absolutely remember how lucky and how grateful I am to be from Western New York," Krista said. "The people are great. The food's amazing and it's just really awesome. I'm really, really proud to be a hometown girl from Upstate New York."

Krista grew up in Alexander and attended Alexander Central School through 10th grade before starting home school. Her mother and father owned and operated Pat's Meat Market in Batavia. They were both musicians and performers and Krista's father was an internationally acclaimed accordian player.

All of those influences -- along with the Rotary shows, singing in church, dance lessons at That Dancing Place -- all pointed her in the direction she wanted to go, which is performing country music.

"If you're from here you know how country we are," Krista said. "I grew up riding and in 4-H and my dad was a butcher. I grew up riding horses, got into four-wheelers and motorcycles, and we have beautiful farmland up here. It's as country as it gets. I live in Nashville, Tennesee now and I'm always bragging on what awesome country we've got up here."

Krista is feeling pretty good about the trajectory of her career -- a career that started playing country music locally with Richard Fink and Johnny Cummings, including a series of summer-long gigs at Darien Lake Theme Park (she hopes The Farm can play there as soon as next summer) that helped her earn the money to buy her first motorcycle.

She said she's very grateful for Genesee County making her into the hometown girl she still is, even on any stage anywhere in America.

"I grew up with the Rotary shows and I grew up singing in church and I grew up riding and showing horses at the Genesee County Fair," Krista said. "I raced mini-stocks at the Genesee County Fairgrounds, so all of this is who I've become and it's a big part of who I am today."

The Farm takes the stage at Frost Ridge at 7 p.m., opening for Jerrod Niemann.

Krista Marie and her mother, Barb Galliford, with a school bell that was once belonged to Krista's grandfather (it may have been a school bell for a school in Batavia originally). It was a gift to Krista today from her family. Barb said, "Of course I'm proud of her, and my thing is whatever you do, try to do it well and with all your heart, and she's done that."

Today Darien Lake Theme Park hosted the “Fiesta Latino Americana." The event was an all day festival of Latino music and dancing, including dance lessons for guests.

Unfortunately, my schedule didn't allow me to be there but for a short time today. I did drop in to see the Victor Antonetti Band.

The turnout for the Uproar Festival at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center was moderate -- something over 6,000 paying customers, but those who did make their way to the venue surely weren't disappointed. There was plenty of quality music for the punk/grunge/heavy rock fan.

There were also activities and merchant booths to amuse concertgoers between acts.

While some might think all the of the action was on the main stage, the secondary change may actually have been more entertaining. The bands there were Cry to the Blind, the Chuck Shaffer Picture Show, Dead Daisies, Middle Class Rut, New Politics and Walking Papers.

The Dead Daises are an interesting act -- kind of a super group, though most fans would readily recognize the names of band members, they've all performed on hit records. The Dead Daisies are billed on the band's Web site as a project of former Guns and Roses guitarist Slash, but performing on lead guitar in Darien on Sunday was Richard Fortus, who has also taken on lead guitar duties with Guns and Roses.

Walking Papers was another experienced, tight band that knows how to put on a live show.

Definately in the up-and-coming category is the Chuck Shaffer Picture Show. 

New Politics was entertaining, to say the least, and has a bit of an old-school British Punk vibe to their music.

On the main stage there was Circa Survive, Coheed & Cambria, Jane's Addiction and Alice in Chains.

Great performances all the way around, of course, but it was something special to see Dave Navarro (guitarist, Jane's Addiction, top photo) perform live.

You won't see photos of Alice in Chains here. The band's management insists on pre-publication approval of photos. I won't sign such an agreement. My deal is, I won't tell you what songs to play and you don't tell me what photos to shoot.

Perry Farrell, Jane's Addiction.

Adam Gilbert, drummer with the Chuck Shaffer Picture show.

Richard Fortus, lead guitar, Dead Daisies.

Middle Class Rut

Søren Hansen, guitarist, New Politics.

Anthony Green, Circa Survive.

Claudio Sanchez, Coheed & Cambria.

Claudio Sanchez, Coheed & Cambria.