SHEEPSHEAD BAY'S ONLY INDEPENDENT NEWS BLOG

George Frideric Handel’s “Messiah,” written in Beethoven’s handwriting; “Beethoven so admired Handel’s work that he wrote it out so as to get the ‘feeling of its intricacies’ and ‘to unravel its complexities’.” Source: Rain.org

The 17th annual “Music from Good Shepherd” chamber music series kicks off October 7 with a performance by clarinetist Thomas Piercy.

The series of concerts, under the leadership of Musical Director Michael Fontana, will take place over the course of 11 consecutive Sundays at 6:00 p.m. in Good Shepherd Church, Avenue S at Brown Street, in Marine Park.

The series’ concluding concert will be a rousing performance of George Frideric Händel’s “Messiah,” December 16, featuring a full orchestra, choir and soloists.

Admission is free and open to the public. Donations for the performers, however, are encouraged and greatly appreciated.

For information, call (718) 998-2800 or email mforgan@aol.com.

The complete concert schedule is below:

OCTOBER

October 7: Thomas Piercy, clarinet

October 14: Brooklyn Baroque, flute, cello, harpsichord

October 21: Joseph Brent, mandolin

October 28: The Brandy String Trio

NOVEMBER

November 4: Daniel Lippel, classical guitar

November 11: Eight Strings and a Whistle, violin, cello, flute

November 18: Gregory Harrington, violin

November 25: Orlando Cela, flute

DECEMBER

December 2: The Vento Trio, bassoon, clarinet, flute

December 9: Duo Cantabile, soprano, guitar

December 16: George Frideric Händel’s “Messiah” (Part 1) Choir, soloists and orchestra, Michael Fontana, director

Entrance to the Bruce Springsteen exhibit at the National Constitution Center.

BETWEEN THE LINES: Numerous artists and performers have been honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award. None of them, however, or any performer for that matter, has ever had the distinction of having an extensive exhibit at the National Constitution Center (NCC).

After almost three years at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, when it was heralded as a “must see” for his fans, “From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen” debuted last winter at the Constitution Center on Independence Mall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where it ended a nearly seven month run earlier this month.

A Springsteen fan a decade before he achieved superstardom, I intended to see the exhibit that featured scores of artifacts and memorabilia from the New Jersey rocker’s four decade career, but I never made the trip to Cleveland. My regret was assuaged when it was announced, about a year ago, that at the Constitution Center would host the exhibit. I finally saw it last month, accompanied by one of my oldest friends — in longevity and years — in my inaugural visit to the center.

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Sheepshead Nursing and Rehabilitation Center (2840 Knapp Street) is putting together a nice little event tonight, opening its doors to neighbors for a fun evening of live entertainment, dancing, raffles and refreshments. Above is the flier, and below is what the center sent us:

Sheepshead Nursing and Rehabilitation Center cherishes its place in the community, and  would like to invite its friends and neighbors to a free international concert and dancing under the stars to celebrate the end of summer.

There will be live music by several performers, a magician and mind reader, refreshments and raffles for exciting giveaways. There will be fun for all ages.

We value the opportunity to bring healing and comfort to our neighbors and their loved ones and hope they will join us in this celebration of community and friendship.

Source: AVRO via Wikimedia Commons

Multi-Grammy winning musician, children’s storybook author and former Brighton Beach resident Neil Sedaka has never forgotten his roots. With his second children’s book, Dinosaur Pet, Sedaka employs his family to help him tell the story.

The book is co-written by Sedaka and his son, Marc. It also comes with a CD of songs recorded by Sedaka and his three grandchildren.

His creative work has become a family affair.  This is no surprise to Sedaka, who states that his childhood greatly shaped him as an artist.

Sedaka lived in a two-bedroom apartment with several generations of his immediate family. He said that the apartment was “filled with 10 other people: my mother, father, my grandparents, my older sister Ronnie and my five aunts. To say this experience shaped me as an artist would be an understatement.”

As for his adult life, he was never far from the ones he loved. He lived across the street from his parents and took his children on the road with him whenever he went on tour.

“My son Marc used to introduce me at concerts; most notably at my comeback show at The Troubadour in Los Angeles in 1974. My daughter Dara and I scored one of the few father and daughter-hit singles with ‘Should’ve Never Let You Go’ in 1980,” he said. It all draws on his experiences growing up in a tight-knit family in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn.

Sedaka’s colorful childhood in Brighton Beach filled with his close-knit family left an indelible mark on the man as an artist. Now, he’s glad to pass that on to his own family.

“I’m very proud attending their art shows and their recitals. Sitting in the audience, surrounded by all the other doting grandparents, I’m no longer singer or songwriter Neil Sedaka. I’m just ‘Papa Neil.’ And that’s when I’m the happiest,” he said.

The banderia, a traditional Filipino instrument. (Source: famenyc.org)

Traditional Filipino music is alive and well in Brooklyn, provided long-term care by a duo of Marine Park nurses working at Beth Israel Brooklyn Hospital at 3201 Kings Highway.

Maria Bella Soriano-Locsin and Ruth Manligoy formed the Filipino Arts and Music Ensemble (FAME) in 2003 and recruited family members to take part in the rondalla – which is a group of musicians playing stringed instruments. For that, the pair and their work were profiled by the Daily News.

The group took off in Brooklyn’s Filipino community and has grown to include more than 60 musicians and dancers who meet weekly for practice sessions at Our Lady Help of Christians Church, at 1315 East 28th Street in Midwood.

“The Friday sessions have become a family thing,” Manligoy said. “Everyone brings food and we eat together. Family is very important in our community.”

Soriano-Locsin and Manligoy came to Brooklyn after being recruited by officials from Beth Israel Medical Center (then known as Kings Highway Hospital). They joined a Queens-based Filipino music group, and realized the younger generation of Filipinos in New York were not exposed to traditional music.

“The old people may still be playing traditional music in the Philippines, but the young people are not hearing it. We saw it was important because this music, even in the Philippines, is a dying art form,” Manligoy told the paper. “Once we played for a Filipino dignitary who said he has only heard a rondalla in New York City.”

The group has branched out not only across the five boroughs but to places like Boston and Connecticut, performing traditional Filipino songs as well as modern music, including their own Lady Gaga/Katy Perry medley. Soriano-Locsin’s husband, a patient-escort at Beth Israel, serves as choreographer. Though the group has expanded, the emphasis remains on family. At least half of the group’s members are children of Beth Israel employees.

“By starting FAME, our children and Filipino children in this country have started to learn about their heritage,” Manligoy said. “So we can safeguard this part of our culture and preserve it here, in this country.”

To book a performance or donate to the group, see the website, www.FAMENYC.org.

Source: Library of Congress via Wikimedia Commons

Saturday, July 14 visitors to Coney Island may have been having too much fun on the Cyclone or eating Nathan’s to notice the motley crew of seven that came there for a very special purpose. Perhaps, this is what they wanted, an unnoticed and intimate gathering to celebrate the 100th birthday of their father, grandfather, great-grandfather and musical icon, American folk legend Woody Guthrie.

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The spectacular evening view from Baron DeKalb's pier (Photo by Joe Comperiati)

This is a sponsored announcement from Baron DeKalb – Knights of Columbus:

Looking for a fun, cheap activity to fill your Sunday afternoons?

Baron DeKalb – Knights of Columbus will be hosting a weekly “Back From the Beach Barbecue” every Sunday throughout August, beginning this Sunday, July 15.

The event is being held on the Baron’s pier, jutting out over Sheepshead Bay’s waters – the same place Sheepshead Bites held its birthday party. It offers one-of-a-kind views of the Bay for you to enjoy while you kick back with the bar’s low-priced drinks.

Back From the Beach will run from 3 p.m. until 8 p.m, featuring DJ-spun music, while food and drinks are served.

Admission to the event is $5 for members, and $10 for non-members. This price includes one hamburger, one hot dog, and a choice of a soft drink or beer.

For more details and information, call (718) 743-6626.

The above is a sponsored announcement by the Baron DeKalb – Knights of Columbus. Sheepshead Bites has not verified the claims made in this advertisement. If you represent a business or organization and would like to make an announcement to tens of thousands of locals, e-mail us at advertising [at] sheepsheadbites [dot] com.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

It’s impossible for teachers to know which of their students over the years will go on and do great things, but sometimes a teenager’s character stands out so strongly they make an impression.

Such was the case with Adam Yauch, also known as MCA of the legendary Beastie Boys. Yauch was a Murrow High School student (1600 Avenue L) – a quiet one, at that – but he made a lasting impression with at least one instructor.

Judith List taught English at Murrow from 1978 to 2007. Yauch was in her class, and upon hearing of his death last week, she broke out into tears.

Thirty years after seeing him last, List penned a recollection of her time with Yauch for Murrow’s website, inspired by MCA’s lesson to her about all students. “We can never know which of our students will bring about the next revolution or create the next new idea and inspire a generation,” she wrote. “Therefore we must passionately believe that every student will surely be the next one to move us all forward and bring us that unwavering message of hope.”

In the piece, she remembers Yauch as a sweet, quiet boy – not the best student, she says, but a very human one.

Adam was my student in Writer’s Workshop. I can still remember where he sat, near the window in the front of the class in 210A. He was thin and so his jeans and sweaters always seemed big on him. That year Adam seemed to grow much taller, and his face became more masculine and less of a boy’s face. He was quiet and unassuming, but always a presence in the class. Was he an angel and an ideal student? No. But then, I never did favor those angelic types!! But I’ll tell you what he was: Adam Yauch was a regular kid, who sometimes needed to be pushed to do his homework—but not always, and sometimes came late—but not often, and who ultimately worked and learned some stuff about reading and writing in my class. He liked his fellow students, he enjoyed a good laugh, and he had depth and humanity, even then. When we discussed biographies for book reports, Adam read and wrote about Tony Hawk, the superstar skateboarder. Thirty years later I still remember it for its unbridled admiration of Hawk’s talents, and for his respect for Hawk’s philanthropy and good character. It never surprised me that Adam himself became a man of prodigious talent and who was concerned with people and philanthropy.

Often Adam and I would ride the subway together, as we lived on the same Brooklyn street. On those rides home from school, he spoke about his band and the gigs they were starting to get. One day he excitedly told me that his band would soon be getting a record contract. I really liked this kid, and so I cautioned him about not being too disappointed if it didn’t work out, and that he sure had plenty of time to find success. Oh boy, was I wrong! Adam and the Beastie Boys became, well… you know how great and influential they were.

… I still see Adam’s sweet face in the classroom, at the age of 16 or so, writing from the heart whenever possible.

Read the full piece.

A set of about a half dozen bands will be rocking out at the Sheepshead Bay Yacht Club this Saturday for the 19th Annual Holiday Reunion.

The show is put together every first Saturday after New Years by Sheepshead Bay native and BCAT producer Ralph Favilla. The concerts are a big hit with the community, hosting several bands including Favilla’s “The Resstock Review.” All of the bands come from Brooklyn.

It’s a great bargain for a good show; $5 cover and the booze are served at club prices, about $3 to $4 a pop.

The show is open to the public, and tickets can be bought at the door. The club is at 3076 Emmons Avenue, and you can call (718) 891-0991 ‎ahead of time for more information.

A web video from a Sheepshead Bay rapper is circulating over the web, in which the auteur hopes to educate youth on the importance of Occupy Wall Street, reports the Medical Daily.

The rapper told former Sheepshead Bites writer Angelina Tala that he was inspired by the “change” to do the video and that he supports the protesters’ cause.

“I was inspired by the people, the fact that they came together to fight for change in this country,” said Rew York, whose real name is Andrew Febbraro. “It is a beautiful thing because it has been a very long time since we’ve seen the people come together trying to enforce change.”

The video was filmed two weeks ago at Zuccotti Park, the site of the protest for the past two months. The name of the video is “Run (The Occupy Movement Endures)”, featuring Dakota McLeod. In one part of the video it shows an image of a tombstone with “Middle Class’ engraved, which is what many protesters believe has happened in American society.

York is targeting his message at the younger generation who he feels doesn’t fully understand what is going on.