Bamboozled: Asbury Park Rocks

Seven stages scattered throughout Asbury Park's North Beach were taken down this week after a three day music festival along the shore. Bamboozle 2012 headlined a variety of musical acts providing something for everyone on May 19, 20, and 21. Incubus, Skrillex, the Foo Fighters, and Bon Jovi were just a few of the artists to entertain the mass crowd that took over Asbury Park, NJ for the weekend.

Using wristbands instead of a classic ticket, patrons of the music festival entered on the boardwalk through Convention Hall after waiting on the massive line. 

Vendors were set up throughout the festival in addition to the large ferris wheel which people could take a quick ride on in between sets. 

Bamboozle, which is usually held in the Medowlands (MetLife Stadium), mixed it up for its 10th year by returning to its origins. In addition to returning where the festival was originally held, Bamboozle made sure to include many New Jersey born artists in its venue. Bon Jovi, a native New Jerseyian, talked of his time in the state and even became nostalgic when talking of Asbury Park on Sunday. 

"I wanted to come back and remember all the times I just wanted to play Convention Hall," said Jovi while up on the main stage at the festival. 

The Gaslight Anthem, another Jersey native band, also highlighted the idea of locality in Sunday's venue. 

Friday's line-up was less rock and more dub. New artists such as Skrillex and other electro-dj's were featured attracting the younger crowd to the shore.

Saturday was the most crowded of all the days with over 30,000 people in attendance. The Foo Fighters were the big act of the night playing a full two hour set before jetting off to NYC to play with Mick Jagger on SNL. 

Dave Grohl - Lead Singer of the Foo Fighters

Other artists on Saturday's venue included the All-American Rejects, Jimmy Eat World, and even Jersey Shore's DJ Pauly D.

Although most traces of the festival are now gone from the shoreline, many people are still tweeting about the amazing time they had at the concert. Follow @thebamboozle to see more reviews from people who cannot stop talking about it. Still, despite the great response from the spectators it has yet to be determined if the festival will be returning to Asbury Park in 2013. 

Stir Crazy - Crazy Good

            Located inside the Palisades Mall in West Nyack, NY there are a slew of restaurants to go to eat. Stir Crazy Fresh Asian Grille is just one of the many options, but has the curb appeal to draw in a crowd. The décor of bright reds and golds with accents in black and Asian inspired cultural artwork drew me and my dinner guest to the entrance.

At the entrance there was a hostess ready at the post to seat me and my guest. There was no wait and we were seated in the dining area quickly, but it was fairly early for dinner. The ambiance in the dining area would be considered bustling. Even at the off hour of 4:30, there was a small crowd in the restaurant creating a decent noise level. The stir fry station with four su chefs was visible behind a clear barrier to the restaurant goers so that some could watch as their meal was prepared.

The atmosphere inside the restaurant made one forget that they were actually eating inside a mall. The interior design was very intriguing with all of the Asian cultural influences in the design. One noticeable aspect was the overhanging artwork of the modern enlargement of chopsticks. The dining area certaintly was visually entertaining.

The waiter came by our table quickly and asked if we had ever eaten at Stir Crazy. When we responded no, he gave us a detailed description of a unique feature at Stir Crazy called the Market Bar. The Market Bar is a create your own stir fry station where you choose the fresh ingredients to be incorporated into a stir fry.

The waiter was a knowledgeable resource on other fronts as well. When asked to explain the Szechwan Chicken, the waiter was able to explain that szechwan was a type of spicy sauce made of chili peppers and other bold flavorings. He was also able to explain that a spring roll and rice came with the Sweet and Spicy Chicken when asked what else came with the dish.

After our questions were answered, we ordered one appetizer and two entrees. The appetizer was the Chicken Pot Stickers ($6) and arrived under 10 minutes.  The presentation was clean and simple using a simple white rectangular dish and garnish. The pot stickers came with two different types of dipping sauce placed on either side of the dish with the six pot stickers lined between; one was sweet with a tang to it while the other was a more classic soy sauce flavor. The pot stickers themselves were cooked well, hot, and had a nice flavor. They had a nice crunch and combined with the sauces were delicious.

After the appetizer was cleared, it took roughly around 15/20 minutes for the entrees to arrive. One of the entrees was the Seared Miso Sea Scallops ($14). Once again, the presentation was nice in a clean white dish. The dish was armotic, especially the garlic spinach which was atop of brown rice. The miso broth and rice were rich in flavor from the red peppers and the shitake mushrooms.

The scallops were cooked well and were not rubbery, but there was a lack of uniformity between them, meaning there was a noticeable difference in size between a few. The real shining part of this dish would definitely be the spinach. Not only did it smell amazing, but it was tender and juicy to eat.

The second entrée was the Sweet and Spicy Chicken ($9.88) also served in a pleasant and clean presentation style. The chicken was crunchy and covered in a deliciously sweet chili sauce. The rice was cooked well and the spring roll contained a mix of vegetables and came with a duck sauce for dipping.

After the main courses, my dinner guest and I ordered a dessert, or actually desserts. Stir Crazy offers Just Right Bites ($2 ea. or $6 for all three) which can come in a sampler platter. The three mini desserts included in the sampler are Good Fortune Ice Cream, Asian Apple Pear Crisps, and Mango Crème Brulee. As the others before, the presentation was unique and clean. The simple white dish really made the colors of the strawberry sauce and the rich chocolate sauce stand out vividly on the plate.

The Apple Pear Crisps was the highlight of the sampler. The warm tart apples and cinnamon in the dish mixed with the brown sugar on top was a wonderful experience to taste. The Crème Brulee was also quite a good twist on the original with the fresh, sweet mango as nice touch. Finally, the Good Fortune Ice Cream, which is a vanilla ice cream rolled in almonds and crushed fortune cookies and baked, was also a nice treat. It was interesting to eat a type of “fried” ice cream.

In all, the meal at Stir Crazy was found to be quite delectable and the service was well-mannered and knowledgeable about the menu. Plates were served in a timely fashion and the silverware and platware were both clean. No problems were found with any of the orders and other people in the restaurant seemed pleased with their meals. Each dish was tasty and unique and I would return again since I had a pleasant experience at Stir Crazy.

To find a Stir Crazy near you, visit there website www.stircrazy.com. 

A Lesson in Music - STAC House Band

Music. It is everywhere. From the morning commute, to eating lunch in the cafeteria, to personal devices at home, music infiltrates a person’s life every day.  It seems so commonplace that people have seem to forgotten its importance in society and it shows with recent cuts of music programs on all levels of education throughout the country.

For the past two years, schools have been looking to cut costs and have been placing the burden onto their music programs. In 2011, the Jordan-Elbridge High School located in Jordan, NY faced a 41 percent cut in the band budget reducing it from $59,000 to $24,000. According to ABC News, the athletic program also took a cut, but at 28 percent instead. However, the athletic program started at $500,000 instead of $59,000.

Not only are high schools and middle schools dealing with cuts in music programs, but colleges are as well. The University of West Georgia decided to cancel music classes due to the budget cuts. A college located on the west coast, Orange Coast College, cut courses such as guitar and piano classes and jazz ensemble to help manage costs.

According to U.S. News, Mark Camphouse, interim chair of George Mason University’s music department claims,  “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a more troubling situation” for college music students across the country.

Students, parents, and teachers alike have growing concerns with the lack of arts available in an educational setting. Not only are the cuts taking away an outlet for students to express themselves, it is taking away a valuable resource for students to expand their learning and achievement capabilities.

Many studies have been conducted to see how music programs affect students. In a study by James Catteral entitled “Doing Well and Doing Good by Doing Art,” he explored the relationship between arts involvement and academic achievement. Catterall found after 12 years of research that “students who were highly involved with the arts outperformed their less involved peers.”

In another study conducted in 2009, the Psychology of Music Journal published a study which gave similar results.  An excerpt from the article reveals that “ children to a multi-year programme of music tuition…display superior cognitive performance in reading skills compared with their non-musically trained peers.”

Music programs also show an impact on a student’s mathematical capabilities. A study conducted by UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies in 1999 shows a correlation between involvement in music and proficiency in math. Maintaining a level of music study or performance at all levels of education is considered important among many for these beneficial reasons.

St. Thomas Aquinas College maintains a few courses in the field of music study. Such classes as guitar performance, music fundamentals, and development of jazz are offered to students who wish to be more immersed in music. While STAC does not offer any major dealing with music, there is a Performing Arts Minor.

There are music courses scattered throughout the curriculum at STAC; however, there was not many opportunities for students to perform various types of music at least until a few years ago. It was three years ago that the STAC Houseband was created changing the musical dynamic at the college.

The House Band allows for students as well as faculty and alumni to play and sing a wide arrangement of rock, pop, and alternative songs. Kathleen Roepken, a “founder,” a vocalist, and the outgoing president of the organization shared on how the House Band has been flourishing since its creation.

Kathleen, or Katie as she prefers, had a lot of support from the faculty with the creation of House Band. Dr. Craig Martin a professor as well as a guitarist in the band, was extremely helpful in the process of forming House Band according to Katie.

Dr. Martin supports the band because of his belief that “musicians should be creating and performing when possible.” He finds that performing live on stage enriches a musicians experience and gives students “unforgettable memories.”

A musical organization such as House Band gives student musicians a sense of belonging according to Dr. Martin. He also thinks that being in the House Band can help students improve their playing skills.

“We pretty much only play covers, and that's a really good way for musicians to develop their skills,” said Dr. Martin, “When you play a cover, you almost always have to learn something new---a new lick, a new technique, or something new about your own equipment or instrument. Performing more and more new covers constantly pushes musicians to develop their abilities.”

Dr. Martin is not the only member of the faculty who is involved with House Band. Another professor, Dr. Robert Trawick, plays guitar with the band as well. Faculty also helped in other ways according to Katie.

“We also got a lot of help from Dr. Matthews who helped us begin this by singing at the Faculty Holiday Party in the fall semester,” said Katie, “We have also gotten a lot of support from the President of the college, she comes to our shows and loves watching us perform!”

Currently, the House Band performs two shows throughout the year. One takes place during the fall semester and the other occurs during the spring semester. House Band also participates in other such events on campus as Open Mic Night. However, Katie hopes that the group can expand to do more shows.

“I would love to see more shows done, however time does not usually allow for more than one a semester.”

Katie thinks that another way the group can grow in other ways as well. Playing an outside show is something that Katie looks “forward to for the remaining band members.”

Many students have had a positive reaction to being able to participate with the House Band on campus. Kaitlin Blumberg, a sophomore, joined the House Band this year after open auditions were held to find vocal talent.

“House Band is extremely beneficial to my experience at STAC,” said Kaitlin, “I love singing, and House Band has provided me with the opportunity to perform with an extremely talented group of people.”

Kaitlin also commented on how important music is in her life and how the absent of it would really affect her.

“I truly believe that it keeps me sane. It allows me to express myself in ways that I couldn't through other mediums. …,” said Kaitlin, “Without the soaring melodies, intriguing harmonies, and enchanting rhythms of music, I feel that I would be a lesser version of myself.”

Anthony Capuano, one of the group’s bassist, has been with the House Band since its formulation. He also finds the House Band to be extremely beneficial resource on campus.

“My whole week is filled with papers, and assignments and responsibilities,” said Anthony, “But for four hours a week I can escape from all of that because of the STAC House Band.”

Anthony also talked about how the House Band contributes to the school in other ways besides being a musical outlet for students on campus.  

“I believe that the House Band has created a strong sense of school spirit. It is something that student (or the fans) can support and cheer for.”

And the fans certainly do support the House Band. Many students come out to watch the two shows and cheer on their student performers. An attendee of the most recent House Band concert, sophomore Kristine Falkowski, found the show to be entertaining.

“The concert was a lot of fun,” said Kristine, “The song choices were electric and interesting!”

The House Band is not the only organization on the STAC campus that provides students with musical entertainment or an outlet to hone their musical capabilities. Other such organizations include STAC Singers and the chance to audition for the Spring Musical presented by Laetare Players.

            Since STAC has the unique House Band, it provides student musicians with more of an opportunity to perform a genre of music not ordinarily available to them. This is just one way college students are keeping music alive throughout education. 

Treble at Princeton University: Burne Holiday

           Princeton University is known for their intense academic program making it number one on U.S. News and World Report 2012 college rankings. However, Princeton students are not just spending their time studying in the library. On the contrary, these students manage to find time to participate in a wide range of activities including starting their own band. Burne Holiday, an alternative rock band, is a group of Princeton students who balance a rigorous academic schedule with being in a band.

            Before starting their own band, Joey Edelmann, Cory Furlong, Nathan Tyrell, and Javier Masis met when they performed together with the Princeton University Rock Ensemble (PURE). PURE is musical group sponsored by the university, but these few musical artists decided to take that idea one step further.  

Cory Furlong, guitarist and vocalist, tells how PURE brought the group together.

“We played together in that [PURE] format for a while,” said Cory, “Once we became friends, collaboration along original dimensions was kind of inevitable. As a musician, there is always a desire to write your own music, and it’s a lot easier to do when you have skilled musicians to do it with.”

The group has been gaining momentum since its conceptualization back in spring 2011. This past year has been especially productive since they started booking venues on campus and on Princeton’s fabled eating club circuit.

When asked to share the best show that Burne Holiday has performed, Joey Edelmann, was excited to share his experience at playing in on campus event this past February.

 “Definitely ‘This Is Princeton,’ which was a student showcase event for alumni weekend at the Richardson Auditorium….,” said Joey, another vocalist and guitarist in the group, “We performed two of our original songs (“Static” and “Rero”) to our largest crowd yet, and everyone was extremely receptive to us, which is great. It was a moment of validation and encouragement for all the work we had put into writing the songs."

Check out Burne Holiday playing at "This Is Princeton" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHt2St7EdjE.

Not only does the group participate in on campus events, but they have also been performing on Princeton’s fabled eating club circuit. Burne Holiday has performed at such locations as Princeton Charter Club, Princeton Quadrangle Club, and has recently been invited to play at Princeton Art Museum.

 

While the group has been able to get some bookings, they still do find difficulty competing with other performances according to Javier Masis, drummer. 

“The clubs are not very receptive to live music, and as of late tend to prefer student DJs playing top 40 hits,” said Javier, “That’s not to say that students wouldn’t like to see live bands–we’ve had lots of heart-warming support from students we know and don’t know…”

While Burne Holiday has been booking a few shows over the year, the group has really been focusing on writing original songs to perform and record. Joey and Cory claim that the band has big plans for the upcoming summer and next year now the recording has been accomplished.

“We’ve been doing a good deal of recording lately, mostly centered around the original songs we have written and performed extensively,” said Joey and Cory, “But our upcoming agenda is to continue writing and book as many shows in different venues as possible. Over the summer, we hope to construct an EP or something like it.”

While the members of Burne Holiday love their music and love progressing as a band, they are still students at an Ivy League institution. Nathan Tyrell, the bass player of the group, explained what it was like balancing the life of musician as well as the life of a student. 

            "It’s super easy. Just kidding, it’s quite difficult," said Nathan, "But it really just comes down to dedication. If you really want to maintain both the band and your grades, you can and you will."

           Being a student also factors into how the group practices. Javier shared that the group doesn't have a daily practice schedule, but that they practice when they can. He also discussed that helping each other out is essential to being able to practice, play shows, and perform academically. 

           "One thing is for sure, we maximize our ability to practice and play live by helping each other out," said Javier, "If we have a show the day before one of us has an exam, the rest of us take care of set-up and take-down with no complaint, and we mold our own schedules around that of the one who’s in the toughest academic spot at that moment."

          There is no doubt that this group is highly dedicated to their music and each other. Students at Princeton University as well as others in the area should keep an eye out on this upcoming band. To learn more about Burne Holiday and when their next event is to take place "like" them on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Burne-Holiday/212782375455300. 

Dr. Jon Roberts: A Remembrance

Below is an article on a professor at my college whom passed recently. This article will appear in my school's newspaper as well, but I felt as if it deserved a broader audience.

Dr. Roberts Remembered

Within the month of April, there was a loss of a great life at St. Thomas Aquinas College in Sparkill, NY. Dr. Jon Roberts, a beloved professor and co-worker, passed suddenly over the weekend of the 13^th at the age of 51. A man of high intellect and humor that not only taught on campus, but truly mentored students and co-workers alike for 17 years will be greatly missed.

Jon I. Roberts, or Jack as he was known among his friends and family. As a child, Roberts was always curious and inquisitive about the world around him. Roberts became an Eagle Scout in his youth, a fact that he thought would surprise many of his colleagues and students.

 Roberts attended the University of Chicago to obtain his undergraduate degree in Chemistry. However, after leaving his undergraduate career and seeking a graduate education, Roberts made the switch from sciences to humanities, even after being accepted into medical school. Roberts always had a passion for writing and English, so he pursued a MA and Ph.D. in that field at Rutgers University. 

As Roberts continued his education and professional career, he also took time to write and translate poetry. Roberts translated many Hungarian poems into English in addition to writing his own poems. Many of his poems appeared in publications such as Sites, Boulevard, Tar River Poetry Review, and the Occupation Wall Street Poetry Anthology. He also had a poem, "Dream Fox" featured on http://www.versedaily.org/2007/dreamfox.shtml. His poem “The New Reform” was even selected to appear in Best American Poetry 1991.

Roberts joined the faculty of STAC just a few years later in 1995. He taught a variety of classes at the college, but his specialization encompassed work in the English Elizabethan Age. Roberts was an avid admirer of Shakespeare and considered his works among his favorites in an interview held a few months prior to his passing.

Other notable classes that Roberts taught on campus included his class on Chaucer, English Honors courses, and literary courses. Roberts found great joy in teaching and even brought that attitude overseas; Roberts was a Fulbright Scholar to Hungry. Roberts held his students in the highest esteem. Many students are sure to miss such an intelligent professor, but will always keep his memory alive. Students will especially always remember the funny quips, known as Robertisms, which he would say during class.

For the past few years, Roberts was working on expanding his fiction writing in addition to teaching. His short story “The Watchman” won a prize from the Mendocino Coast Writers Conference. Roberts was currently working on a novel before his passing.

A memorial was be held at St. Thomas Aquinas College on April 24^th at 2:45 in the library. The memorial was a celebration of Roberts’ life and honored the great impact that he had on many of his students. Both faculty and students reflected upon Dr. Roberts' life.   

Throughout his life, Roberts achieved many great honors which he will be remembered by. He was a musician, a playwright, a teacher, a novelist, a poet, and a friend. Roberts may no longer be found around the STAC campus, but his memory is sure to live on within the community

Newsie Update

Hello All!

Just wanted to apologize for not keeping up daily with the blog, but it will be running again as of now!

Keep reading :)

Newsie Update

Hello!

Sorry that I have not been posting lately but be sure to check out the other articles!

I am doing my school musical this weekend, but I'll try to have stories up before the weekends out!

Thanks,
TNN

4/9/2012 Top Celebrity News - Lohan on Battery Charges

           Lindsay Lohan allegedly got into an altercation with a woman at a club this past Thursday. Lohan, who has only been on probation for two weeks now, has had an incident report filed against her at the West Hollywood Sheriff's depart according to TMZ. The report claims that Lohan shoved the woman. Lohan's agent denies the claim.

          Country star, Jake Owen, surprised girlfriend Lucy Buchanan with an egagement on Saturday night. Owen took Buchanan out on the stage at the Citrus Bowl at Vergo Beach High while singing "Don't Think I Can't Love You" and stopped in the middle of the song to get down on one knee and propose in front of the audience. Buchanan accepted of course.

           The world of broadcast media lost a great journalist over this past weekend. Mike Wallace, who worked on CBS "60 Minutes" for 38 years before retirng in 2006, died on Saturday night at the age of 93. Wallace was a legendary journalist with 21 Emmy awards, five DuPont-Columbia journalism awards, and five Peabody awards. He will be missed, but his work will be remembered.

Newsie Update

Hello!

Would just like to say Happy Easter to anyone who happens upon my blog tonight! And if you don't celebrate Easter than Happy Sunday!

To come within the next week, there should be two band interviews. One is with City Blue, a band competing in Bamboozle's Break Contest. The other is a band out in Princeton, NJ called Burne Holiday!

Please follow and comment and read!

Thanks!
TNN

4/7/2012 Top Celebrity News - Nickelodeon Star Arrested

       Early Friday morning, April 6, actress Amanda Bynes was arrested for a DUI in West Hollywood at 3:00 a.m. (PT). The star, known for her roles on the kid's network Nickelodeon, was held in the jail cell with bail set at $5,000. According to TMZ, Bynes side-swiped a police before being pulled over. She was released from prison at 10:30 a.m.

          Heidi Klum has made it official.  Although the two have been separated for about two months, Klum filed the divorce papers to end her marriage of seven years with Seal. According to PEOPLE, she is requesting joint legal custody of their four children and to have her maiden name restored. Klum legally took Seal's last name Samuel, but she still uses her maiden name for professional purposes.

        Britney Spears is going to have another conservator join her team. But, this time it is her fiance! Jason Trawick is set to become co-conservator of Brit. The pop star's father, Jamie Spears, who is currently her conservator says that he is "thrilled" to have Trawick make this move according to TMZ.

4/5/2012 Top Celebrity News - Kim and Kanye?

       According to TMZ, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are officially dating. Last night, the two were spotted catching the hit movie The Hunger Games together in NYC. It looks like Kanye was just waiting to score a date with the reality T.V. star. His feelings can be seen in his song "Theraflu" when he comments on Kim's relationship with basketball player Kris Humphries.

      In other reality star news, it turns out the Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino is now leaving rehab center Cirque Lodge in Utah. The "Jersey Shore" star checked in a few weeks ago for substance abuse, but is now flying back east. The star is still scheduled to be filmed in the next season of "Jersey Shore."

     

Newsie Update

Hey guys!

Keep checking out the blog! Another band interview will be posted soon! This time rock band City Blue will be featured about their time competing in the Bamboozle Break Contest.

The band has made the finals and will be playing at the Stone Pony, Asbury Park NJ on April 14th.

4/3/2012 Top Celebrity News - Levine Reveals Secret

        Looks like Adam Levine is not letting his burnt out relationship with model Anne V. keep him down. Levine confirmed rumors today that he will be appearing in the next season of American Horror Story on FX. Although The Voice judge could not divulge to much information about the upcoming spooky series, he did reveal that he will be playing one half of a couple known as "the lovers" according to E! reports.

       Tonight, two of the other The Voice judges were faced with some heavy decisions on who to save from elimination. On Team Blake, America voted to keep  Erin Willet, Jermaine Paul, and RaeLynn. Blake chose to save out of the remaining on his team Jordis Unga. On Team Christina, America voted to keep Jesse Campbell, Lindsey Pavao and Chris Mann. Christina chose to save 17 year old Ashley De La Rose from elimination. All of these contestants will be back next week to sing on The Voice.

      In other celeb news, PEOPLE magazine got some of the scoop on Justine Timberlake and Jessica Biel's wedding plans. While their engagement has been quiet, it seems like the two are planning a blowout wedding come this summer. Details such as Biel's wedding dress have yet to be released, but both her and her future hubby are busy planning away.

     And lastly, the royals are in NYC! In wax form, that is. William and Kate will now be featured at Madame Taussauds in the city along with an incredible collection of other wax figures!

   

     

Newsie's News

Hello!

Be sure to check out my articles from the past few days! More celebrity news will be posted tonight!

Thanks for reading
TNN

"Feel Good Music" Artist Quincy Mumford and The Reason Why

      Everyone has memories of their prom including me. Yet, for me, one stands out. It's of young man up on stage playing guitar and singing a song he wrote which was chosen by the Ocean Township class of 2010 as the prom song. Since then, this young man has been making a name for himself in music. With 3 albums released and performing over 300 shows, Quincy Mumford has been forwarding his music career with every passing year.
             
         Quincy Mumford, a New Jersey native, has been working towards becoming a professional musician for some time now. By the age of 16, Quincy knew that he wanted music to be his life.
         
         "I just released my first record, with no experience in the music world," said Quincy,"but I knew that it felt right, and that music was my passion. Plus, every time I would get on stage, I never got nervous. It only made sense for me to continue."
        
           Since releasing his first album back in May 2008, Quincy has released two more. "South Edgemere" was released in October 2009 and his most recent album "Speak" was released in April 2011. 

           While "Speak" is the most recent album released, it may also be considered the album with the most distinct sound. 


           " 'Speak', in my opinion is far beyond my past 2 records," said Quincy, "This record is a lot more upbeat, driven, and passionate. The songs itself have become more mature and more thoughtful when written." 


           Much of the music found throughout his albums including "Speak" would technically be considered pop/rock. However, this music category may be too narrow to fully encircle all that Quincy's music encompasses. It has influences of soul, funk, reggae, pop, groove, and folk. "We like to call it 'Feel Good Music'" said Quincy.  


          Growing up living near the beaches of the Jersey Shore also give Quincy's sound a unique quality. 

        "...being close to the shore naturally got me into beach influenced music, Jack Johnson, G.Love, Ben Harper, Marley, and various reggae artists," said Quincy, "I found inspiration to write a lot of songs from my surroundings. Friends, family, strangers, nature, all became ideas for songs."

        Quincy and his band, The Reason Why are currently on tour around the country playing these "Feel Good" tunes. 

       "We are on and off tour every month, whether its a few dates or a ton, we love being on the road," said Quincy. "We are all very close, and a bit crazy, so we warn people before they get into our van....We do practice safe driving though!"

        Despite the craziness involved with touring, Quincy cannot get enough of being out there on the road with his band playing at different venues. 

        "We love to play music, all of us. We just want to play all of the time and entertain people, and make them feel good and excited. When we are not playing I spend my time doing the business side of music, I would rather play any day, that's why I love touring so much."

        While out there playing at so many different venues, Quincy has experienced many memorable shows, but playing as the opening to Rusted Root is definitely one that will always stick in his mind. 

       "It was a venue called the 9:30 Club in Washington D.C. First off, the venue treated us like royalty!" said Quincy. "They carried all of our equipment set it up, and gave us our own private menu so we could eat in the comfort of our spacious dressing room. It was amazing!! The place got packed with people, and we played a killer show!"

    Although Quincy is on the road for tours much of the time and is away from home, his parents are 100% supportive of his career. 

     " As long as I take it serious and work my ass off everyday, they will support me," said Quincy, "My father even co-manages me, and does a killer job. I have the most amazing parents in the world!"

       Quincy has much in store for this upcoming year including more tour dates which can be found at www.quincymumford.com. Also, there is a live album and DVD to be released on May 25th. After finishing a tour over the summer, Quincy plans on heading back to the recording studio with The Reason Why to record a fourth album. 

      

4/1/2012 Top Celebrity News

      Oh boy, college girls better prepare themselves. It turns out that the winner of the tenth season of American Idol, Scotty McCreery, has announced that he will be choosing a college to attend in the fall. The country-singer heartthrob told PEOPLE magazine that he looks forward to attending school, but will also be making time to head out on the road to share his music. With the help of his family, he will choose a school, although he already seems to have some places in mind, "I grew up rooting for NC State, and that's where my dad went. But also, there are schools in Nashville that have been really great."


      In other music news, Katy Perry revealed last night on the orange carpet at Nickolodeon's 25th Annual Kid's Choice Awards, that she will be releasing a 3D concert movie. Katy Perry: Part of Me can be expected to be seen in theaters this upcoming summer over July Fourth weekend. 


     Also seen last night at the Kid's Choice Awards was Justin Bieber, Halle Berry, Chris Colfer, Taylor Lautner, and so many others. Some surprising wins were seen last night including Tim Tebow taking the title of Favorite Male Athlete and Big Time Rush with a win in Favorite Music Group. Hosted by Will Smith, the night was one filled with laughs and of course the classic "sliming."




      

Newsie's News

Hey everyone!

I would just like to say that I will be putting up some more articles dealing with celeb news soon!

Also, I have landed an interview with Quincy Mumford and the Reason Why, a funky New Jersey based band currently on tour around the country. So for those looking for a new genre of music to get you in the mood for summer be sure to read my article and check them out www.quincymumford.com

Thanks for reading!

The New Newsie

3/30/12 Top Celebrity News

            "It's a Girl!" Actress Maggie Gyllenhaal and her husband, actor Peter Sarsgaard have finally revealed that they will be welcoming a second daughter into the world sometime this spring. Although Gyllenhaal still remains silent on the due date, pink will be in the air as the couple prepare for the new addition to the family. 

             Across the pond in England, Queen Elizabeth is a Great Grandmother to a new addition to the family. Her grandson, Peter Phillips and his wife Autumn welcomed their second daughter into the world on Thursday. Isla Elizabeth Phillips will now be the 13th in line for the British thrown behind her 15 month older sister, Savannah.  

           Mirror, Mirror opens today starring Lily White as Snow White, Julia Roberts as the Queen, and Armie Hammer as Prince Alcott. This fractured fairy tale, a take off of  Snow White, directed by Tarsem Singh should entertain all ages. Although Mirror, Mirror is looking at competition in the box-office this weekend, especially from The Hunger Games, the light-hearted comedy contains some phenomenal acting and gorgeous costumes. 

         In other movie news, it seems as if Will Ferrell will be returning to one of his most famous roles as Ron Burgundy in Anchorman 2. The sequel to the hit movie Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy which came out back in 2004 was announced on Conan O'Brien's TBS talk show. Ferrell and his director and one of his producers,  Adam McKay are still thinking up ideas and script writing for the movie.

     

Vaempires Author: Raising the Dead and Rising Above

           Thomas Winship looks like any other average professor at St. Thomas Aquinas College in Sparkill, NY with his black sweater and clean-cut look. He works as an adjunct for the school within the business and humanities departments teaching speech communications and a few classes in lower level English. In addition to working at STAC, Winship also worked in corporate America at a pharmaceutical company in training and organizational development. So, it may be surprising to learn that such a white-collared man is also the author a fantasy vampire series.

            Vaempires: Revolution and the prequel Vaempires: White Christmas are the creation of this man’s imagination. While the vampire craze is at all time high, Winship made it a point to make his series unique and stand out amongst the rest.

            “In many ways, my vampires are no different than stereotypical, mainstream vampires,” said Winship, “Until they mutate. The vaempires are very different. They are warm-blooded, their hearts beat, they feed on vampire blood. They are subject to secondary mutations….super vampires if you will.”

            It is these mutated super vampires that cause a rebellion disrupting the peace between vampires and humans in a post-apocalyptic world. While the story centers on two teenage vampires, Princess Cassandra and her boyfriend Daniel, battling their way through the rebellion, Winship says that “it is not a YA novel.”

            The novel contains some intense fighting and killing scenes that may be inappropriate for younger teens. However, this does not mean he does not want young readers. Winship attempts the straddle the line between adult and young adult in a genre called New Adult fiction.

            Since Winship’s novel is not the only one on the shelves about vampire fiction, it is imperative that his story is unique and unlike anything else. He has read many of the popular vampire series including the House of Knight Series and the Twilight Series.  

“It’s weird because when people find out, especially your family members, that you write vampire novels all the sudden all your Christmas gifts are vampire novels,” said Winship. 

He has also read the story which started it all, Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Although he has kept up with the world of vampire fiction, Winship does not let these other stories influence his works.

            “I wouldn’t characterize myself as a vampire lover…I like my vampires,” said Winship,
“I like my world far more than anything else I’ve come across before.”

            The world that Winship creates in Vaempires has been many years in the making. It was not even until later, in his 30s, that he gained a passion for writing stories. He dabbled in writing short stories for a time, but did not begin writing his series until 2010.

            A few years earlier, Winship was working at a global company as an HR executive before it was bought by an even larger pharmaceutical corporation.

            “As a part of any acquisition or integration, there are going to be a lot of lost positions,” said Winship, “I survived for a couple years…However, at the end of 2010, I was approached with a choice to make.”     

            Winship was told by the company that he would either have to re-locate to keep on his job or take a severance package with the end of his employment at the company. He decided to take the package and leave his job of 15 years because he saw it as an opportunity for Vaempires.

            “In an economy where…so many people are taking a loss of job or career in a negative way,” said Winship, “I chose to look at it in a positive way and I will, in fact, look at it as an opportunity to try to fulfill, not necessarily, a lifelong dream, but a dream that’s been around for now well- more than a decade.”

            Of course, Winship does not hesitate to say that losing a career that was spent moving up the ranks from a low-level production position to a corporate executive was difficult.

 “To have that pulled out from under you, in many ways, is the single most discouraging thing that could ever happen,” said Winship.

Despite this discouragement and the loss of this “wonderful” job, Winship was determined to not let these factors bring him down.

            “It’s counterproductive. It can’t lead to anything positive because its counterproductive,” Winship said, “Every minute that you waste feeling bad about yourself is a minute that you’re not moving forward and moving towards something good.”

            Winship began to move towards something good rather quickly. After leaving the company, Winship only took 19 days to complete the first draft of Vaempires: Revolution. It took about three more months of editing and drafting to complete the novel.

            His next book, the novella Vaempires: White Christmas, was released a few months later at the end in 2011. Winship plans on continuing the series and even creating parallel stories to compliment the novels.

            While Winship is turning out books for the series, it should be noted that he is doing it without the help of a publishing house. Winship is currently a self-published author and is glad he made this choice for many reasons. “The traditional publishing business is a mess,” said Winship. Winship talked about how many publishing companies are going out of business and the industry is not looking to invest in many new authors.

            Winship also chose self-publication because the book would be able to be released faster.  At a large publishing house, it would take about 18 months of working with editors before the work would be released.

            “You’re looking at about a 2 year process,” said Winship about the time frame of writing the book to publishing with a major publishing house. Besides the speed found in self-publishing, Winship was also intrigued by how much control he had in the editing process.

“I really don’t like people messing with my world,” said Winship. At a publishing house, Winship would have been forced to work with their editors and “making them happy.”

Although not being signed with a publishing house allows for much more freedom, Winship does have to also advertise for himself. His agent and wife, Elaine Winship, and he focus on using social marketing as a tool to get the book known.

Winship is currently running a “blog tour” for his novel and novella which means he will be featured different blogs over the course of a month. He also uses social marketing to further advertise for his books. Winship can be found on FaceBook as well as Twitter. To learn more about the books, author, and what is in store for the Vaempires Series visit www.vaempires.com.

Sources:

Interview with Thomas Winship 3/26/2012