Modernist Ballet

Modernist Ballet

While Igor Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite may not be typically thought of as a traditional ballet, the traditional aspects of the Firebird Suite highlight the modernist elements of Stravinsky’s magnum opus, the Rite of Spring. While the pieces only premiered four years apart, Stravinsky’s attitude as an artist shifted immensely. Both pieces were intended to exploit a Western European fascination with Russian culture. In the Firebird Suite, Stravinsky attempted to display Russian folklore in a high…

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Jazz: A Stolen Music

Jazz: A Stolen Music

Billie Holiday & Louis Armstrong circa 1946 Deep in the heart of New Orleans, King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band was in the second chorus of Louis Armstrong’s riveting cornet solo. In the back of the club, Nick LaRocca, a young, white jazz cornetist from the Big Easy watched Satchmo in amazement, hoping one day to sound like him. Later on, LaRocca got his wish, and went on to become one of the founders of The…

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The Evolution of a Friendship Most Unlikely

The Evolution of a Friendship Most Unlikely

It is human nature to create and maintain a connection with another human being, no matter who the person is or what the circumstances are that surround him. In the novel The Soloist, author/journalist Steve Lopez recounts the story of an “unlikely friendship which results from his attempts to befriend a homeless, schizophrenic musician named Nathaniel Ayers. Nathaniel, who has been homeless since his 20’s, plays in the tunnels and on the streets of Downtown…

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