Posts from — January 2009

1.29.2009 | Thurs | The 2009 Slow Food Portland Writer’s Night
Doors open at 6:00pm, readings start at 7:00pm, $25, $20 for Slow Food members, all ages

Come hear local and nationally known authors read and sample tastes of Maine ’s soil and see. Featuring Russell Libby, Executive Director of the Maine Organic Farmer’s Grower’s Association and author of Balance, A Late Pastoral, a book of poems; Sam Hayward, chef/co-owner of Fore Street, and author of “Island Sheep”, an article for The Art of Eating; Nancy Carlisle, curator for Historic New England, and author of America’s Kitchens; and Anne Mendelson, author of Milk: The Surprising Story of Milk Through the Ages.

1.31.2009 | Sat | Middle Eastern Night with Turgay Ertürk and Alhan
Doors open at 7:30pm, music starts at 8:00pm, $10, 18+
Turgay Ertürk was born and raised in Urgup, a small town in Central Anatolia, Cappadocia , Turkey . He started playing the longed neck lute saz (baglama) at the age of fifteen. A master saz player and singer, he performs Turkish village music from Anatolia, Balkins and Caucasus . Turgay also performs on the oud and yayli tanbur for Turkish folk music. And Portland-based Alhan plays classical and popular Arabic music. The members of the group are Eric LaPerna (Okbari) on riqq and darbuka, Michael Gallant on violin, Madeleine Hanna, lead vocals and Tom Kovacevic (Fire on Fire) on oud, nay and vocals.

Ouch! Love hurts! But along with the inevitable agonies, what bliss!  Portland Playback Theatre returns to Abromson to honor stories of  romantic love. Five talented actor/improvisers, through a combination  of movement, music and dialogue “play back” stories volunteered  spontaneously by members of the audience. Bring a story from any chapter of your life and experience the unique satisfaction of watching it performed! Or just come to enjoy! As always with affairs of the heart, you’ll be spellbound! Find more information about Portland Playback Theatre at www.Portlandplayback.com.

When: Thursday, February 12, 2009, 7 p.m.
Where: Hannaford Lecture Hall, Abromson Community Education Center, USM Portland Campus
Tickets: $15 general public; $10 USM students, employees and OLLI  members

Register Now! Tickets can be purchased online, usm.maine.edu/cce/evenings.htm or by phone (780-5900), or at the door.

Record an album in month just because you can! Creative music challenge turned international music phenomenon begins February 1.

The RPM Challenge is simple: Record an album in 28 days, 10 songs or 35 minutes of original material, written and recorded during the month of February.

Such a simple challenge, with such electrifying results! More than 5,000 bands from all seven continents have participated since 2006, resulting in the creation of an astonishing 16,000+ new songs, all available for streaming in an enormous online jukebox.

The fourth annual RPM (Record Production Month) returns on Feb. 1, 2009, and sign-ups are now open online at the community web site, www.rpmchallenge.com.

This is not a contest and there are no winners or prizes or entry fees. The only reward the RPM Challenge promises is that it will leave you a better musician than it found you.

Bands must postmark their RPM 2009 CDs by March 1 to the RPM Headquarters at 10 Vaughan Mall, Suite 1, Portsmouth, N.H. 03801. RPM Challenge began in the musical enclave of Portsmouth, N.H., where 500 local musicians participated in 2006 before opening it up to the global music community. For more information, to see the participating bands, or to read the whole text of the challenge, go to www.rpmchallenge.com.

Graham Wood and Drew Wilen have opened a new space, Art House Picture Frames, and to celebrate the grand opening have announced a call for small works of art to exhibit in February.

Each artist may submit 2 pieces no larger than 12 x 12 inches. Art House will take 25% commission from work sold. ALL work MUST BE FOR SALE. Work can be any medium. Contact by email if interested, arthousepictureframes@gmail.com.  The phone number is 207-272-4800.

Drop off work at Art House Picture Frames, 61 Pleasant St. by 6:00 pm, Wednesday, February 4th. The show will run from Feb. 6th through Feb. 28th.  The Grand Opening will be from 12:00 – 8:00, Feb 6th.

Business hours are Monday -Saturday, 10 – 6 pm.

The Portland Symphony Orchestra (PSO) kick off its second Kinderkonzert series of 2009 with “Brass: Blast Off!” and “Woodwinds: Song Soup”.

The PSO Brass Quintet (trumpets, French horn, trombone and tuba) will take space explorers aged 3-7 on a journey to a galaxy far, far away to explore the stars and planets through music.

The PSO Woodwind Quintet (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and born) will demonstrate their secret recipe on how melody, rhythm, harmony and instruments make great ingredients for a tasty “Song Soup.” Kids will learn how making beautiful music is quite similar to creating a delicious soup: each instrument or musical element adds its own individual richness of taste that creates the perfect final product.

Sponsored by Time Warner Cable, all Portland Symphony Orchestra Kinderkonzert tickets are $3 per person with advance reservation, $4 at the door (adult or child). For additional information, reservations and ticketing information visit www.portlandsymphony.com or call (207) 773-6128.

PSO Kinderkonzert Schedule for Brass: Blast Off!:

February 13, 2009
9:30 AM, 10:30 AM, 1:15 PM
Windham High School Auditorium
406 Gray Road , Windham

February 24, 2009
9:30 AM, 10:30 AM, 1:00 PM
Brunswick High School ’s Crooker Theater
116 Maquoit Road , Brunswick

February 25, 2009
9:30, 10:30 AM
South Portland High School Auditorium
637 Highland Avenue , South Portland

March 2, 2009
9:30, 10:30 AM
Manchester Elementary School
17 School Street , Manchester , ME

March 4, 2009
9:30, 10:30 AM
Reiche Community School
166 Brackett Street , Portland

March 5, 2009
9:00, 10:00*, 11:00 AM
Olin Arts Center , Bates College
75 Russell Street , Lewiston

March 6, 2009
9:30 AM, 10:30 AM*, 1:00 PM
C.K. Burns Elementary School
135 Middle Street , Saco

March 13, 2009
9:30 AM, 10:30 AM, 12:30 PM
Scarborough High School
20 Gorham Road , Scarborough

March 25, 2009
9:30, 10:30 AM
Waldo Theater
916 Main Street , Waldoboro , ME

* SOLD OUT

PSO Kinderkonzert Schedule for Woodwinds: Song Soup:

January 29, 2009
9:30 AM, 10:30 AM, 1:00 PM
C.K. Burns Elementary School
135 Middle Street , Saco

February 5, 2009
9:00, 10:00, 11:00 AM
Olin Arts Center , Bates College
75 Russell Street , Lewiston

March 31, 2009
9:30, 10:30 AM
Pine Tree School
183 Mill Street , Center Conway , NH

April 2, 2009
9:30, 10:30 AM
Reiche Community School
166 Brackett Street , Portland

April 7, 2009
9:30 AM, 10:30 AM, 1:00 PM
Crooker Theater, Brunswick High School
116 Maquoit Road , Brunswick

April 14, 2009
9:30, 10:30 AM
South Portland High School Auditorium
637 Highland Avenue , South Portland

May 26, 2009
9:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 1:00 PM
Carl Lamb School
233 Shaw’s Ridge Road , Springvale