Tag Archives: the arts

Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull on Thick As A Brick 2 Tour

logo Jethro TullIan Anderson takes a moment to discuss what ever happened to Gerald Bostock, the Thick As A Brick Tour and Prostate Cancer

Ian took a moment to talk to us while on a small rest period between dates. Continue reading

Music of Joe Deninzon of Stratospheerius To Be Played by OSU Honors Orchestra

The music of Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius Performed by (High School) Honors Orchestra at Oklahoma State University, January 26th.

On Purpose Magazine recently did a wonderful interview with famed electric violin player Joe Deninzon titled Joe Deninzon on Stratospheerius’ New Album The Next World.  Here is an update into what is going on with Joe and his music. – JW

Joe Deninzon will be playing electric violin when he joins the best young orchestra (violin, viola, cello, bass) students in Oklahoma as they include orchestral versions of his compositions, most of which appear as rock songs on THE NEXT WORLD (Joe’s most recent album with his rock band Stratospheerius). Continue reading

Joe Deninzon on Stratospheerius’ New Album The Next World

Joe Deninzon Violinist, Composer, Arranger, Singer, Mandolinist, Educator and  Founder of the Band Stratospheerius,

Talks to us about the band and the new album, The Next World…

I was recently asked to check out a band I hadn’t heard of, but I really like the violin and jazz like Noel Pointer, Jean Luc Ponty and Jerry Goodman (Mahavishnu Orchestra).

I received a CD from Joe’s PR firm and took a long listen. I was not let down. Joe is brilliant and his band is exceptional. I really love instrumental and there are three great ones on this album (yes I said album).

Joe was a great interview. We got to talk at length about his early influences, the various musicians he played with on this album and on others. If you are a fan of rock, fusion, jazz and just good music, you need to take a listen to the the CD The Next World. If you already like Stratospheerius then you will appreciate the interview if you do not know the music or the band listen to both. You will not be sorry. – JW

Note: Watch their video on KickStarter. Stratospheerius is looking to fund the production of a very cool video to spotlight their music. You can help, but you can also watch the killer video they put on KickStarter. If this video is an indication of what id to come… this should be very cool. [To Watch CLICK Here]

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Joe Deninzon StratospheeriusJoe Deninzon

Joseph Deninzon has established himself as a versatile, on-demand electric and acoustic violinist, mandolinist, guitarist, singer and composer. A musician who transcends many genres, he has recorded and performed with a variety of artists including Sheryl Crow, Everclear, Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple, Smokey Robinson, Johnny Matthis, Les Paul, Phoebe Snow, Jane Monheit, and recently with Bruce Springsteen at Madison Square Garden. Joe is also the co-creator and musical director for the off-Broadway hit show, “Spider Dance” with renowned percussionist, Alessandra Belloni. He has made repeat appearances at the Grand Canyon Music Festival with Harmonica virtuoso Robert Bonfiglio. Joe was a winner of the John Lennon International Songwriting Competition with a song he contributed to the soundtrack for the film, What’s Up Scarlet (open City Entertainment). He has been featured in publications such as Jazziz, Downbeat, and Relix magazine, among others. An 11-time BMI Composer’s grant recipient, Joe’s music has been featured on CMT, VH1, ABC, Comedy Central, the Travel Channel, History Channel, Food network, and National Geographic.

Critics have hailed Mr. Deninzon as “The Jimi Hendrix of the Violin”, because of his innovative style on the electric seven-string violin and his compositions combining jazz and rock with Gypsy influences. In addition to his work as a sideman, Joe is the lead singer and electric violinist with the band, Stratospheerius. The group has released four CD’s to international acclaim, and were named “Best Jam Band” in the Musician’s Atlas Independent Music Awards. The group has toured extensively; sharing stages with Mickey Hart, John Scofield, Tim Reynolds, and Mike Stern among others, and has developed a reputation for their explosive live performances. Currently, Stratospheerius is mixing their new CD, due out next year.

Joe can be heard on over a hundred recordings as a violinist and string arranger, most recent of which include The Kin with legendary producer Jack Douglas, Erika Rose, and Sevenwiser. In addition to his many diverse projects, Joe Deninzon has recently made his debut with the New York City Ballet performing “Red Angels”, based on “Maxwell’s Demon”; a piece for solo electric violin and dancers written by Richard Einhorn. He has also performed at Symphony Space in New York with legendary percussionists Jamie Hadaad (Paul Simon, Dave Liebman), Gordon Gottleib (Steely Dan, Miles Davis), and bansuri flutist Steve Gorn (Paul Simon, Ravi Shankar).

Joe’s most recent original projects include “Headspace”, the  Stratospheerius CD, which has been described by critics as “…A spirited journey into outrageous creativity.” He new jazz trio with guitarist Steve Benson and bassist Bob Bowen has just released their debut CD, “Exuberance”, which combines original music influenced by the Gypsy jazz of Stephane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt with covers by Radiohead, Chopin, Steely Dan, and Alice in Chains.

In addition to being an active performer, Joe has taught privately since the age of 13, and has given clinics addressing string improvisation and using effects for electric strings at Berklee College of Music, The New School University, and the International Association of Jazz Educators Conference, for which he received an award for “Outstanding contribution in Jazz Education”. He has been on the staff at The New School, International Studio of Music in NYC, and as director of the Advanced Jazz Ensemble at the Dwight School, which has performed at Carnegie Hall. In the summer of 2010, he will be the new Rock Violin instructor at Marc O’Connor’s renowned String Camp in New York City. He is also currently working on a book, CD, and DVD for Mel Bay Publications, due out next year, which will address improvisation techniques for the violin in the genres of jazz, blues, rock, and funk, and also talks about electric violins, amplification, and working with effects.

The son of classical musicians, Joe was born in St. Petersburg, Russia. His family emigrated to the United states when he was 4 years old and settled in Cleveland, OH, where his father took a job as a violinist with the Cleveland Orchestra. Crowing up in Cleveland, Joe studied classical violin with his father and at the Cleveland Institute of Music. At age 12, he was seduced by rock n roll, and started listening to bands like Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Queen, U2, Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, and Steve Vai. Joe taught himself guitar and bass, and started playing and singing with various bands in the Cleveland area.

At age 16, Joe saw Miles Davis on his final tour and was inspired to study jazz. His life was transformed when he first heard recordings of Stephane Grappelli Jean-Luc Ponty, and especially, Jerry Goodman of the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Around this time, local singer/songwriter Michael Stanley had seen Joe perform and asked him to join him onstage the legendary Front Row Theatre in Cleveland. Having only improvised on guitar and bass while keeping a strictly classical repertoire on the violin, Joe found that translating the musical language of jazz and rock to the violin came easy to him. The concert was a critically acclaimed success, and set him on his path in life.

Joe received a Bachelor’s Degree in Jazz and Classical violin at Indiana University, where he studied with the legendary violinist, Josef Gingold and jazz guru David Baker, and met his future wife Yulia Ziskel, who is currently a member of the New York Philharmonic.

In 1997, Joe moved to New York to pursue a Masters degree in Jazz at Manhattan School of Music. He currently lives right outside of NYC in Dumont, New Jersey with his wife and their son, Max, and keeps a busy schedule teaching, composing, recording, and performing worldwide.

“As at home in the world of Grappelli and O’Connor as he is in the world of Steve Vai and Jimi Hendrix, Joe Deninzon may very well be our next national violin treasure.” -Jedd Beaudoin (seaoftranquility.com)

Stratospheerius

Led by electric violinist/vocalist Joe Deninzon (www.joedeninzon.com), who has been called “The Jimi Hendrix of the violin,” Stratospheerius has showcased their  “frenzied mélange of alt-bluegrass, progressive rock, jazz fusion and funkabilly” throughout the world. The New York-based group has opened for Tim Reynolds, Mickey Hart, and John Scofield, among many others. Their live performances are filled with funky dance grooves, rip-roaring guitar/violin jams, and hooks that mix jazz, funk, rock with Gypsy influences. Stratospheerius was a winner of the John Lennon International Songwriting Competition, and was named “Best Jam Band” in the Musician’s Atlas Independent Music Awards. They have been featured in Relix, Downbeat, and Jazziz, among other publications. The group has just completed their fifth CD, “The Next World…”  on Steve Vai’s Digital Nations label.

“…Violinist/singer Joe Deninzon presents us with this gift of hot songs from his rockin’ live shows. Think a bit of Zappa, the Dixie Dregs or Blues Traveler, with the violin being the focal point. Joe’s talents are flat out phenomenal, and the progressive rock tapestry he weaves around himself is carried out to perfection by his amazing band.”

www.musicmorsels.com

“Deninzon shows how he has earned the nickname the “Jimi Hendrix of violin” as he tears threw a distortion heavy solo that points more in the direction of Guns N Roses’ Slash than Yo Yo Ma.”

-Justin Scro www.cashboxmagazine.com

“Memorable hooks, gravity-defying instrumental prowess and a kitchen sink move toward rock… If Bela Fleck and Frank Zappa had a love child in outer space, they might grow up to sound like these guys do.”

-David Budin, www.coolcleveland.com

Stratospheerius Discography

stratospheerius the next world

The Next World..

Stratospheerius unleash their latest effort, “The Next World…” Fierce rock to heighten your senses and power your imagination, fueled by electric violinist Joe Deninzon and combining virtuoso musicianship with memorable hooks and intricate arrangements.
This CD is full of great jazz, rock, fusion, pop and country instrumentals with Joe Denizon’s impeccable violin playing and smooth vocals.
Super tight between the bass and percussion with precision guitar and violin seemlessly poured over the top and pulled together with great lead and background vocals make this a very enjoyable  CD to listen to from start to finish.
LISTEN TO A FEW TRACKS…
[bandcamp track=696836974 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=venti][bandcamp track=2274794909  bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=venti][bandcamp track=4273448539 bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=venti]

credits

Released 29 May 2012
Joe Deninzon-electric violin/vocals/mandolin
Aurelien Budynek-guitars/vocals
Jamie Bishop-bass/vocals
Lucianna Padmore-drums
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Headspace

Lead by electric violinist/vocalist/mandolinist Joe Denninzon, Stratospheerius unleashes their fourth collection of songs onto the world. Hot on the heals of their acclaimed CD, “Live Wires”, “Headspace” brings their live energy into the studio. Vocal rock anthems like “New Material, “Old Ghosts”, and “Today is Tommorrow”, shout alongside ripping instrumentals.
From the bluegrass punk of “Gutterpunk Blues”, to the psychedelic roller coaster ride of “Mental Floss”, and the bigger and louder sequel to the Heavy Metal Hora “Heavy Shtettle II”. The disc also features a unique cover of The Police “Driven to Tears”. This CD is filled with memorable hooks alongside the death-defying instrumental jams the group has built its reputation on. Influences range from Zappa and Zeppelin, to Dave Matthews, to Radiohead, to Jeff Beck, to Beck. Go ahead. Take the ride….

credits

released 02 March 2007
Joe Deninzon-electric violin/vocals/mandolin
Mack Price-guitar/vocals
Bob Bowen-bass/vocals
Lucianna Padmore-drums
Benny Koonyebsky-percussion

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Live Wires

Stratospheerius is the bastard child of Dave Matthews, Frank Zappa, Bela Fleck and Medeski, Martin and Wood. Lead by electric violinist/vocalist/mandolinist Joe Deninzon, Stratospheerius has showcased their “psychojazz trip funk” at colleges, festivals, and clubs throughout the US. Often referred to as the ‘Jimi Hendrix of the violin”.
Joe has worked with artists ranging from Sheryl Crow, Ritchie Blackmore from Deep Purple, Everclear, and Smokey Robinson. The New York-based group has been heavily involved in the jam band scene, sharing bills with groups like The Slip, Ekoostik Hookah, and John Scofield. Their live performances are filled with funky dance grooves, rip-roaring guitar/violin jams, and hooks that melt the paint off of walls; while jazz, funk, hip hop, and world music are mixed to create a “stratospheric” musical experience. Having received heavy radio airplay and critical acclaim all over the US, Canada, South America, Japan, and Europe, they have just released “Live Wires”, which captures the energy of their explosive live shows!

credits

released 02 June 2004
Joe Deninzon-electric violin/vocals
Lucianna Padmore-drums
Ron Baron-bass
Jake Ezra-guitar
Alex Skolnick-guitar

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Links

Stratospheerius Site
Jon Deninzon Site
KickStarter Link

Publicity: Anne Leighton: 718-881-8183
Email: leightonmedia@aol.com

Contact: D-Zone Entertainment
917-648-8071
email: info@joedeninzon.com

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Wouter Kellerman 2010 SAMA Winner Tours America

Wouter Kellerman may not be a name you have heard of, but if you like great music you should.

Wouter Kellerman two time winner of the South African Music Awards (SAMA) including 2010 best instrumental DVD Jazz/Classical/Pop.  The SAMA is their equivalent of our Grammy Award.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pV3zufUvksQ]

Wouter’s music has so many flavors, but is all wonderful, from slowly haunting tunes, African beats, Island grooves, Irish Marches and even urban rapping…

I had to drive Los Angeles traffic after hearing one tune by Wouter (pronounced Voter). I like music so I was happy to cover a musician, but was I in for a surprise. The venue was the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood, CA. Very small and very Hollywood.

The concert was very intimate and Wouter was way too big for that room. His band tore up the stage. It started slow and he just kept it growing and growing and I was taken back to Ian Anderson, John Mayal scatting, and more and more..

Wouter and his band hung out afterwords and I got a chance to meet with them. If I was on the road with a band.. These would be the people I would choose. Nice, easy and talented. Thank you Wouter for taking the time to interview with me as I know you had another appointment to get to… . – JW

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Wouter Kellerman

Wouter Kellerman’s new album ‘Two Voices’ won the 2011 SAMA (South African Music Award, the SA equivalent of the Grammy) for ‘Best Instrumental Album’,  and reinforces his status as one of South Africa’s foremost flautists. A true crossover artist, he thrives on experimenting with the shades, textures and colours that his magic flute is capable of painting, and creatively blending this with other instrumentation and vocal sounds.

Watch Wouter Kellerman Music Videos 

The SAMA-winning flute wizard, who performed at the 2010 FIFA World Cup Closing Ceremony to a global television audience of 700-million people, has spent the past couple of years cooking up several potent compositions with an array of top South African and African artists – and ‘Two Voices’ is the result.

His debut album, ‘Colour’, enjoyed rave reviews, topped the charts and was nominated for a 2008 South African Music Awards for ‘Best Instrumental Album’.

His show ‘Kellerman Colour Live’ won the 2010 SAMA (South African Music Award) for ‘Best Jazz/Instrumental/Popular Classical DVD’.

Kellerman demonstrates in his shows why he is regarded as one of the country’s most musically adventurous world-music proponents, who keeps his sound fresh and progressive by incorporating a fusion of influences and styles into his music with vocalists, instrumentalists and dancers to create a fresh and exhilarating performance. He has been travelling extensively over the last two years, performing all over the world in places like Berlin, Shanghai, New York and Sydney.

2010 highlights include performing at the opening of MIDEM in Cannes, France. MIDEM is the world’s biggest music conference and festival and Kellerman was part of a Department of Arts and Culture delegation, representing South Africa. In March he travelled to the USA to perform at the South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival in Austin, in Texas. SXSW is the biggest music festival in the USA.

In July Kellerman performed at the 2010 FIFA World Cup Closing Ceremony. Concerts in the last few months included performing at the 2010 Standard Bank Joy of Jazz festival in Johannesburg and two performances at the Shanghai World Expo 2010, China.

Wouter’s flute-playing can be heard on the soundtrack of the Emmy Award-winning film ‘Eye of the Leopard’. His albums ‘Colour’ and ‘Two Voices’ were mixed in Los Angeles by Grammy-winning engineer Husky Hoskulds.

Passionate about teaching and empowering young people, Kellerman has sponsored the living expenses of 10 children in the SOS Children’s Village in Ennerdale for the past 14 years, and has also financed the building of a house in the SOS Children’s Village in Rustenburg. For his continued efforts in helping give these children a better life, Kellerman was nominated by the SOS Children’s Villages for the Inyathelo Special Recognition Award for Philanthropy. He continues to facilitate the teaching of young dance and music students.

Wouter Kellerman started playing the flute at the age of 10, and in 1981 appeared as a soloist with the Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra. He went on to feature in several South African orchestras, scooping musical accolades along the way. Among these was winning the Perrenoud Foundation Prize during the 1997 Vienna International Music Competition.

Using his classical training as a foundation, Kellerman focused his attention on world music, exploring the versatility of the instrument and fusing classical and contemporary sounds, resulting in a potent and thrilling musical encounter. Kellerman is taking his crossover world music to a global audience, having gained a solid following in South Africa. He has already released the album in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and most recently in Australia, where he combined his release with a nationwide tour, which included a support slot on Johnny Clegg’s Down Under tour.

Wouter Kellerman Discography

Two Voices

Wouter Kellerman’s new album ‘Two Voices’ won the 2011 SAMA (South African Music Award, the SA equivalent of the Grammy) for ‘Best Instrumental Album’,  and reinforces his status as one of South Africa’s foremost flautists. A true crossover artist, he thrives on experimenting with the shades, textures and colours that his magic flute is capable of painting, and creatively blending this with other instrumentation and vocal sounds.

The SAMA-winning flute wizard, who performed at the 2010 FIFA World Cup Closing Ceremony to a global television audience of 700-million people, has spent the past couple of years cooking up several potent compositions with an array of top South African and African artists – and ‘Two Voices’ is the result.

His debut album, ‘Colour’, enjoyed rave reviews, topped the charts and was nominated for a 2008 South African Music Awards for ‘Best Instrumental Album’.

His show ‘Kellerman Colour Live’ won the 2010 SAMA (South African Music Award) for ‘Best Jazz/Instrumental/Popular Classical DVD’.

Kellerman demonstrates in his shows why he is regarded as one of the country’s most musically adventurous world-music proponents, who keeps his sound fresh and progressive by incorporating a fusion of influences and styles into his music with vocalists,

Colour

From Harmonious Living Reviewed by Ceri Balston

wouter kellerman Colour

South Africa’s premier flautist Kellerman (aka Wouter Kellerman) brings us his long awaited debut album, ‘Colour’. From the very first note this is one of those CDs that you just know will be glued to your CD player for months to come. Relaxing, fun, soulful and joyful throughout ‘Colour’ is destined to be a timeless classic.

You can tell that one of Kellerman’s passions, apart from music, is for the vibrant and diverse cultures that cover our world. Throughout the album he joyfully explores his own South African heritage (and Akrikaans roots in the final track ‘Al Le Die Berge’), as well as delving into the rich and passionate world of the Argentinean Tango, whilst Spanish and Irish themes also abound.

Highlight tracks include the beautifully seductive and sultry tango ‘Vuelvo al Sur’ which just oozes with South American passion, ‘Told U So’ a lively and cheeky South African number and ‘Quisas, quisas, quisas’ the Lila Downs song made popular by the film Tortilla Soup. Having chosen those tracks I do have to say that every time I listen to ‘Colour’ I keep changing my mind about my favourites, the CD is just that good with tracks appropriate for all times and moods.

SOS Children’s Village

What They Do

At SOS Children’s Villages we believe that children can only develop to their full potential if they have a supportive and protective family environment.  We work to make this a reality. 

At the centre of our SOS Children’s Villages programme is the individual child. We encourage children to actively take part in the making of decisions that affect their lives.

Preventing crisis leading to family separation

We work with disadvantaged families in order to prevent crises that can lead to family separation. We offer various forms of support to strengthen and stabilise families as much as possible so that children can grow up in their own families. The aim is always to build the skills and capacities of carers and of their communities so that children can enjoy positive and caring relationships.

Strengthening SOS families and foster families

We also strengthen SOS families and foster families, which provide stable and consistent care to children who cannot remain in their family of origin, and for whom family-based care is considered the best option. Short-term solutions may be offered in crisis situations.

Whether located all together or dispersed within a community, SOS families provide individualised care and promote the development, education and health of each child. We work together with communities to develop and improve local education and health infrastructure. In some cases SOS Children’s Villages runs kindergartens, day-care centres, schools and vocational training centres, as well as medical centres.

A leading voice for children

Building on our experience, we are also a leading voice for children who have lost their parent or whose parents cannot care for them.  We aim to make a change that will improve the lives and living conditions of all these children, their families and their communities.

SOS Children’s Villages is active in 133 countries and territories. The variety of this international work is brought together by the umbrella organisation SOS Children’s Villages International, which unites all of the autonomous national associations.

In all countries where SOS Children’s Villages operates, the aim is to form a national association which is its own legal entity, with its own statutes and Board of Directors. Common for all of them is membership of the international umbrella association and the fact that their Board of Directors work on an honorary basis. Each member association is obliged to comply with the international statute of the organisation. Practices in relation to education, child-care, financ and administration are also common to all member associations.

Each national association is registered and organised as a foundation, trust, association, non-profit company or society. As a full member of SOS Children’s Villages International, they have the right to apply for funding through the umbrella association and request services from the General Secretariat.

Links

Wouter Kellerman Website
SOS Childrens Village

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Wouter Kellerman Talks to On Purpose Magazine

Shameless Star Shanola Hampton on The Art of Elysium

Actress Shanola Hampton of Shameless Supports The Art of Elysiumg

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9PULxmzsvw]

Shanola was soooo fun to talk with and to meet. I really love the show Shameless on Showtime and was excited to get to speak with her about one of her passions. – JW

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Shanola Hampton

Shanola Hampton

From IMDB

Shanola Hampton was born May 27 in Long Island, NY, to a Car Salesman and an IRS agent.

She was raised in Summerville, South Carolina with her four sisters.

In college she earned a degree in Theater, with emphasis in Performance from Winthrop University along with a Masters Degree in Fine Arts from University of Illinois.

She moved to Los Angeles in 2001, and began appearing in commercials. Later, she made her first guest appearance in Ryan Murphy’s “Popular.” Her hobbies include, traveling back to South Carolina to spend time with family, Pilates, and swimming. Her hope is to one day open a Performing Arts School.

From Wikipedia

Hampton has appeared in several television series, such as: Reba, Popular, Scrubs, Related, and Miami Medical. She has also had roles in the movies: The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green, The Hanged Man, and You Again.[1]

She has face modeled for the videogame Left 4 Dead 2.[citation needed]

She is a graduate of Winthrop University (with a degree in Theater), and also holds a Masters Degree in Fine Arts from the University of Illinois.

Shameless

In Summer 2010, Hampton was cast as a series regular on the Showtime dramedy Shameless as Veronica Fisher, a role for which she has received critical acclaim. The second season premiered January 8, 2012, with Hampton remaining part of the main cast.[2]

The Art of Elysium

MISSION

The Art of Elysium, a non-profit 501(c) (3) organization founded in 1997, encourages working actors, artists and musicians to voluntarily dedicate their time and talent to children who are battling serious medical conditions. We provide artistic workshops in the following disciplines: acting, art, comedy, fashion, music, radio, songwriting and creative writing.

VISION

The Art of Elysium is dedicated to enriching the lives of artists and critically ill children. We believe that there is a powerful and mutual exchange of hope and appreciation that occurs when artists share their time and talent with children battling serious medical conditions.

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The lives of these children are largely filled with suffering, loneliness, fear and regimen. Artists have the unique ability to help children in need find a creative

vision2.jpg

voice and discover a sense of individuality and self-efficacy, even in the midst of overwhelmingly difficult circumstances.

In return, those same artists, who have been taken outside of their normal scope of work, are stretched and enriched in ways they never imagined.

Through this inimitable exchange between artist and child, the artist experiences the power of giving and the child experiences the power of their own artistic journey.

GOALS

• Create The Art of Elysium Center, a place where children can learn and artists can showcase their work. During the day, the center will be open for children in need to be taught acting, art processes, comedy and music. In the evening, the facility will be used for participating artists to present their creative work.

• Provide musical instruments, compact discs, videotape, art supplies and makeup for various pediatric facilities we serve.
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• Fulfill special requests for medically challenged youth, including but not limited to providing individual, continuing lessons in the arts after discharge from the hospital.

• Now that The Art of Elysium has opened in New York, further expansion into additional cities such as Memphis and/or Nashville.

ABOUT THE FOUNDER

Born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, JENNIFER HOWELL landed in Los Angeles shortly after graduating Emerson College with a B.S. in Mass Communications/Film Focus. It was Jennifer’s love for film making that brought her to Hollywood but it was her deeper love for children that led her to her mission: The Art Of Elysium.

howell1.jpgIn the middle of December 1996, Jennifer’s close friend, Stephen Hatten, was in the midst of one his worst bouts with the Leukemia he’d been diagnosed with years earlier.

Stephen shared with Jennifer the story of a young boy he had recently met at a treatment center.

A young boy who was by himself for the majority of his time spent there, on his own because both of his parents had jobs that they could not abandon.

Although one could interpret Stephen’s story as well, just a story, Jennifer heard his message loud and clear. And the message Jennifer heard was this: No child should ever be alone during treatment.

And so it was. Jennifer started by gathering some friends, getting clearance from the children’s hospital and bringing her world into their world.

With her Southern lilt and a spirit that was and is boundless, Jennifer and her friends brought the kids a respite from their reality, a little bit of laughter and a smile that found its form more quickly each time.

Jennifer’s friend Stephen passed away in 1998, but his story turned message turned mission has caught on. Along with her team, Jennifer’s The Art of Elysium continues to bring singers, artists, actors and writers into children’s hospitals and pediatric care facilities where they bring their talents, and of course their hearts, to the kids.

What was once Jennifer and a few friends is now a community of people who share the idea that no child should go through medical treatment alone.

Site: http://www.theartofelysium.org/
Twitter: @theartofelysium

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Thanks to GBK Events – Gavin and his great staff. As always you host the best.