iAwake´s pioneering catalog consists of powerful sound sessions combining the latest advances in psychoacoustics and energy medicine. All of our products have been carefully engineered and tested to make sure that they increase our body-mind coherence, gently taking our emotions and consciousness towards better functioning states.
iAwake's unique approaches to session design entrain both our nervous and our subtle energy systems, by combining traditional entrainment methods with newer applications based on the power of resonance. In addition to increasing intelligence, creativity, flow, and skillfulness in practically any activity that requires the human body-mind, with iAwake Technologies, we enter into deep healing brainwave states almost immediately while listening to these audio tracks.
We are living in the golden age of understanding the human brain: neuroscience has learned more about the human brain in the last few years than in the previous 5,000. We now understand that the brain is an incredibly evolutionary and dynamic living system that is truly the most complex and wondrous organism in the known universe. We have discovered that the brain is capable of growth and transformation throughout our lives and has the capacity to keep functioning at ever-higher levels.
In this 11-minute video, Dr Juan Acost-Urquidi, PhD, QEEGT reports back to the iAwake team about his QEEG findings. He tested 4 subjects who listen to Profound Meditation 3.0 Tier 2, Track 2. In the beginning of the video he talks about the electrical brain, then about the instruments he uses for testing and his protocols, and then goes into his findings.
And this is the link to the individual reports.
Learn more about the science of iAwake Technologies . . .
As you read this text, billions of brain cells are generating measurable electrical activity across your brain. Extensive scientific research has revealed how all our mind states (relaxation, focus, anxiety, sleep, meditation...) correspond to specific brainwave patterns. All the feelings, thoughts, and actions we engage in on a daily basis are somehow electrochemically rooted in neuron-to-neuron communication and so reflected in our ever-changing brainwave states.
Due to the tendency of our brains to synchronize with external stimuli, it is possible to use sound to influence the amplitude of our various brainwave frequencies. For example, as you listen to an alpha brainwave track, certain areas of your brain want to quite literally follow the rhythm and get synchronized to the speed of alpha waves. When that happens, you might feel the calm and open focus that is associated with alpha rhythms.
Thanks to neuroplasticity (the brain's endless and amazing capacity to change, adapt, and reorganize itself), the more frequently you enter a state, the easier you are able to go back to it. Brainwave entrainment lets your brain calm down or speed up, depending on your needs. Let's look at the various brainwave frequencies and states.
Delta brainwaves are predominant during dreamless sleep, the phase of the dream cycle also known as "deep wave sleep." Deep wave sleep is all about growth and preservation of health: the immune system gets strengthened and muscles and tissues are mended. So, too little time spent in this state can be damaging, as the body refills its energy reservoir during this phase. Trained meditators and healers often display stronger delta waves than the standard population during sessions, and often report states of no sensation (even awareness of our bodies can disappear) and deep spiritual connection. Delta brainwaves are also considered our connection to intuition and the "seat" of all unconscious processes. If they naturally abound while we are awake, they can make us really empathetic as well as interfere with our cognitive tasks and emotional processing.
Theta brainwaves are naturally occurring during the hypnagogic state (pre-sleep), REM sleep, and often predominate during deep meditation and healing states of visualization, hypnosis, trance, and psychonautic exploration. This brainwave bandwidth is typical when awareness of the information coming in through our physical senses decreases, as we turn our attention inwards and our body rhythms (heart and breathing rates) slow down. It's the gate to our buried memories, unresolved issues, and emotional trauma, and reviewing this material can sometimes be unpleasant as we might access and feel our raw emotion (previously supressed). Even though REM sleep already serves that purpose, it is important to include deep relaxation exercises in our routines, so healing and restoration of mind can occur. Theta brainwaves are related to insight, visualization, and deep states of meditation, although they can also make you drowsy and be responsible for distractibility, moodiness, and lack of focus.
Gamma brainwaves are fascinating. First because they disappear during anesthesia, suggesting an intrinsic relationship to consciousness itself, but also because they abound in the brains of Tibetan monks, who are long-term loving kindness meditators. So gamma waves seem to be central to harmony— perhaps even the brainwave signature of compassion itself. Gamma arises while processing all that comes in through our senses, as if they are the glue that helps us have a coherent picture of all the sensory data we receive moment to moment. They've been found to be linked to heightened perception, extremely creative states of high performance, focus, and clarity, as well as to high intellectual comprehension and acute self-awareness and spiritual insight.
Serotonin is released in higher quantities during alpha brainwave states, so there's a feel-good effect to them—our bodies and minds relax and our emotions are in balance. They are considered a reliable marker for cognitive efficiency and often decrease with aging, which is why they're tackled in most brain-brightening neurofeedback protocols. Their amplitude naturally increases when we go idle, close our eyes, watch a film, or daydream, so they are associated with states of relaxed awareness and light meditation. Alpha waves are also prominent in peak performance states and are even said to be "the artist brainwaves," so alpha states are usually associated with a mix of creativity and presence. We're in alpha when our imagination sparks, when we can enjoy our attention being placed on the inner and outer worlds at once, find alternatives and solutions to problems old and new, even experience a sense of increased capacity, deep belonging, and flow. Plus we need a strong alpha in order to remember what happens during states of trance, deep meditation, and dream sleep, so they're fundamental to our spiritual growth. However, having too many of them can also make you spacey, inattentive, even depressed.
Beta brainwaves are produced when we focus our attention on the external world, feel more positive, energetic, goal-oriented, or are immersed in tasks needing our intellect and linear cognitive abilities, such as reading and analyzing this text, categorizing, or planning. Beta states makes us feel more social and witty (they're related to high speed thinking and processing), and are all about physical and mental readiness, logic, concentration, and focus. Spending time in beta can lead to a really enjoyable mix of anticipation and determination, but it's also where our busyness and critical self arise. High beta frequencies are as related to excitement as they are to body tension, high arousal, nervousness, rumination, insomnia, addiction, fear, and post traumatic stress disorder.
Consciousness researcher Dr. Jeffrey Thompson altered conventional EEG equipment to study the extraordinary states of consciousness of seasoned meditators and yogis. He later decided to call one of the uncommon states of consciousness he discovered "Epsilon"—a brainwave pattern even slower than delta. Dr. Thompson measured the range of this pattern to be from below 0.5 Hz (or cycles per second) to as low as one quarter cycle every ten seconds. He also discovered properties of this pattern that led him to believe it to be a carrier wave for the ultra-fast brainwave patterns he observed in other expert meditators, patterns as fast as 200 Hz or more, suggesting a curious circular relationship between the fastest and slowest possible ranges.
Binaural beats were discovered in 1839 by a German experimenter, H. W. Dove, and first described by Oster in the early 70s. How exactly the brain produces the perception of these beats is unclear, but they are said to be produced as the olivary body of the brain tries to "locate" the direction of the sound in response to two different tones being presented separately to each ear - which, if you think about it, is not something that would happen in nature unless via technological aids. The resulting phantom frequency (which is not heard in the ordinary sense, as it's created inside the cranium) equals the difference between the tones, and prolonged exposure to its beating has a marked yet still debated psychoacoustic effect: while they do not seem to significantly impact the thalamus (no measurable entrainment response), their relaxing, even hypnotic effects can tangibly affect mood and performance and are enjoyed by most listeners.
Monaural beats result from the combination of two pure tones that produce a rhythmic beat. While binaural beats are considered an auditory illusion that elicits what might be described as a form of cognitive entrainment, monaural beats are considered an acoustic, purely physical phenomenon that directly affects the basilar membrane, where the sensory cells of hearing reside. Monaural beats aren't headphones-dependent and have repeatedly shown strong cortical responses during EEG-based experiments (evidence of detectable electrical activity indicating entrainment is taking place).
Isochronic tones are sharp and regular pulses of sound created by a single tone being turned on and off at fast speed. The first study showing their effectiveness was published in 1981 by Arturo Manns. Contrary to binaural beats, isochronic tones don't need to be played back through headphones to preserve their effectiveness, which in that same study demonstrated a significant reduction in facial tension, insomnia, and muscular and emotional pain.
Biofield entrainment is a digitally infused subtle energy process designed to affect our subtle body. As energetic signatures "pull" our energetic system, we can reach states of greater coherence that take our experience beyond brainwaves. Different energy qualities correlate to various states of consciousness, so our energy fields can be entrained to help us function at higher levels of order. For example, as you entrain to the energy of the golden mean, you might feel or benefit from its profound centering and balancing qualities.
Psychoacoustic entrainment uses multi-layered sound frequencies that create musical and organic entrainment effects through the musical soundtrack itself, producing deep, relaxing trance states. Through hypnotic cues and textures of musical phrasing, vibroacoustic frequencies (low resonating tones), and psychoacoustics (sounds that spark mental and emotional responses in the listener), this technology is designed to create a more organic entrainment for the listener.
Fractal entrainment is a novel technique inspired by nature (biomimicry). It is based on how the unpredictable cycles of change in nature have a harmonic precision to them that seems to emerge from similar, yet never identical repeating patterns. Its innovative compositions are filled with complex and ever-changing sonic scenes that mimic nature's irregularly regular approach, and are specially designed to meet listeners where they are, allowing the mind to gently turn inwards. Fractal entrainment is a "liquid" entrainment experience, in which sessions usually unfold in a more dynamic and open way than those designed with traditional methods: rather than targeting specific brainwave frequencies, the moving sounds come "alive" and induce a state of natural resonance.
iNET process envelops brainwave activity, strategically guiding it toward transformative states of consciousness. Rather than embedding simple binaural frequencies into a nature soundtrack, the iAwake Neural Entrainment Technology influences neurological activity through a multi-layered approach that combines numerous brainwave entrainment strategies with breakthroughs in energy psychology. While iAwake uses a combination of conventional methodologies, some of the techniques used are original to iAwake Technologies.
Conventional brainwave entrainment (BWE) works because its rhythmic pulses are able, at least to some degree, to attract the brain's neural firing rhythms into its own rhythmic train of influence. However, because brain waves and neurological processes are essentially nonlinear and dynamic, the entrainment signal generated by conventional forms of entrainment (e.g., binaural, isochronic and monaural beats) is severely limited in its capacity to engage the brain's neuro-electrical modulations into its own series of oscillations.
The iAwake process significantly improves the efficiency of BWE by seamlessly integrating multiple entrainment methodologies into a synergistic and powerful whole, thereby captivating more of the brain's dynamic flows to produce phase synchronous brain waves and deep states of meditation. This results in a profoundly blissful and transformative experience.
Some of the entrainment methods address the rhythmic aspect of entrainment, while the other methods concentrate on adding intensity and energetic invigoration.
Virtually every sound in the Profound Meditation 3.0 soundtrack is binaurally encoded - even the ambient sounds of nature, whereas most entrainment tracks superimpose nature soundtracks over the binaural signals (heard as low, monotonous tones in the background), so that the only entrainment signals are coming from the two tones and nothing else.
Improving upon the conventional binaural technologies used by the majority of the BWE industry, the iAwake process uses virtually any and every sound in the soundtrack as the entrainment carrier by strategically juxtaposing the left and right stereo channels in relationship to one another, as well as using unique panning methods.
This in turn produces a much stronger binaural signal, effectively transforming the entire soundtrack into a persuasive entrainment beacon.
iNET uses a brand new and exclusive form of binaural signal that combines the power of binaural entrainment and isochronic entrainment into a unified signal. This method produces a much more persuasive entrainment signal.
Multiple binaural signals are harmonically layered to create a more resonantly effective entrainment stimulus.
By precisely and rhythmically modulating various audio parameters (e.g., volume, panning, etc.), additional layers of entrainment are produced. And when combined with the binaurally encoded sound source, the entrainment effect is much more pronounced.
By altering the pitch and tempo of virtually every sound to rise and fall in perfect step with the binaural and rhythmic signals, entrainment is further enhanced.
Because the body naturally synchronizes to its surrounding environment (which includes musical environments), the body and brain both detect the subtle tempo and pitch changes in the soundtrack. This affects a shift in autonomic nervous system functioning, which in turn deeply complements the neural entrainment signals generated binaurally and rhythmically.
Uplifting and blissful subtle energy frequencies are embedded in the soundtrack through the use of informational medicine technology. The result is a subtle but enlivening, tingling bodily feeling, much like an endorphin high, at the end of each session. In fact, you'll feel the effects long after each listening session, because the energy continues to interact with your biofield.
This layer of energy entrainment, which increases the flow of chi (life force), is experienced as profound relaxation, release and bliss. And this elated feeling permeates the entire body, going with you throughout the day.
Some successful entrainment companies employ the carrier frequency, which is used to deliver the binaural beat frequency, as an additional means of stimulating the brain during entrainment sessions. This is typically done by progressively lowering the pitch of the carrier frequency.
The reason amplitude and stimulation become greater as the carrier frequency is lowered is because, as the base pitch used to carry the entrainment signal lowers, both the length and the height (i.e., the distance between the valleys and troughs - the amplitude) of the carrier wave increase. This in turn delivers more resonance, increasing the fullness of the resulting amplitude-modulated standing wave—the binaural beat—created within the brain. This approach is tantamount to using sound as energy medicine.
For more information on how binaural beats are created within the brain, please see Science of Brainwave Entrainment.
The carrier frequencies used by PMP 3.0, which modulate the amplitude (or fullness) of the entrainment signal, range from entry-level stimulation to very advanced stages of neurological stimulation. The aim is to offer the same amplitude-modulated therapy that a few other entrainment products do, but in a manner that is both quicker and gentler. It is also important to state that, by utilizing this methodology, PMP 3.0 facilitates in months what used to take years, and without the need to continue purchasing higher and higher levels carrier frequency CDs.
Listeners will experience a wide range of carrier frequencies, but administered in smaller doses, so as to allow a stress threshold expansion that not only emerges more quickly, but is less overwhelming as well. The term 'stress threshold expansion' here refers to the extending of the nervous system's capacity to easily handle the kinds of stressful situations which once overwhelmed it.
This approach affords optimal power and variability of stimulation, while also avoiding the premature onset of acute 'overtraining'.
PMP 3.0 improves the recovery process by offering alternate meditation tracks which feature less powerful and therefore less overwhelming carrier frequencies. These alternate tracks (which are included with Profound Meditation) are referred to as Releasing Meditation, specially designed to facilitate deep release and renewal.
When used in conjunction with the Primary Meditation tracks (which feature comprehensive carrier frequencies), the Releasing Meditation tracks continue deepening the meditation experience while simultaneously enabling the nervous system to reconfigure to higher levels of functioning at optimal speed and with minimal overwhelm.
By listening to a less stimulating but profoundly revitalizing CD whenever overwhelm becomes pronounced and acute, the brain is still actively stimulated, but is also given more time and energy to adapt to the previous, stronger stimulus. In addition, the substantial time spent in the precise brainwave patterns shown to most effectively facilitate deep emotional release affords a greater liberation of interior and exterior resistance to optimal adaptation.
The inter-hemispheric communication—fortified by intense (i.e., resonantly powerful) carrier frequencies—occurring during prolonged and recurring periods of deep hemispheric synchronization via the use of PMP 3.0, we believe, leads to the new growth of neural connections between the hemispheres, as well as new synaptic connections and dendritic growth. This new growth implies that your brain and nervous system are rearranging to higher levels of neural functioning.
This illustration is congruent with Nobel prize-winner Ilya Prigogine's discovery that open systems—which your brain and nervous system comprise, by the way—actually evolve by maintaining a state of non-equilibrium. They do this by allowing an inflow of energy and information, while simultaneously dissipating the entropy (i.e., the build-up of chaotic energy) into the environment.
When the flow of incoming entropy becomes greater than the system's ability to disperse it, either the system becomes overwhelmed and dies, or it spontaneously reconfigures to an entirely new level of order—an order easily capable of handling the entropy that once confused and overwhelmed it.
This spontaneous reconfiguration is known as a bifurcation. This bifurcation has at least two components: exterior and interior. The exterior bifurcation, as already mentioned, consists of the emergence of greater complexity in the brain and nervous system. Likewise, the corresponding interior bifurcation consists of greater development in self-esteem and self-concept (i.e., ego development), values, emotions, stress management and world view.
PMP 3.0, when used optimally, encourages this evolutionary bifurcation process to take place on an ongoing basis.
Although PMP 3.0 utilizes carrier frequency to increase the overall stimulus to the brain, it doesn't rely solely on carrier frequency to do so. In fact, relying on carrier frequency alone for such purposes is, in our experience, limiting.
The "Beginning/Intermediate/Advanced" level comparisons ONLY refer to the audio carrier frequencies used in PMP 3.0. It is important to remember that, due to 3.0's very potent biofield tech, each of these "Tiers" may very well be more powerful than the levels of other popular systems they are compared to.
This is because the biofield technology is "pushing" the nervous system in an entirely different manner than the progressively lowered carrier frequencies which are solely relied upon in other programs for pushing the nervous system. As such, continued use of a specific Tier may cause more overwhelm (with prolonged use) than its equivalent in other systems, so choose your meditation sessions accordingly.
Even though there are some amazing products out there, we feel we have evolved sound technology way beyond what was available before we started. Our catalog is designed to help you modulate your mood or deepen your experiential understanding of spiritual practices such as meditation in the most organic way possible.
We all get stuck every now and again, but by regularly using our products, you can surely expect to see your creativity expand in its widest and wildest possible sense: you might feel unusually excited about life, enjoy increased purpose, suddenly feel capable of generating bright ideas, the right questions, even find answers for problems old and new.
Our resonant entrainment technology is always designed with the aim of balancing the stimulation and recovery phases in a way that facilitates deep emotional release. In our experience, and looking at the countless reports we get from seasoned meditators and brainwave entrainment practitioners alike, our technology has a more organic, natural releasing process - unlike other programs that create unnecessary overwhelm.
Regular practice can increase the amount of profound emotional and intuitive breakthroughs you experience: thanks to neuroplasticity and resonance, the more often you enter a state, the easier you'll be able to go back to it. Also, when you repeatedly create a coherent environment, you have a better chance of being your "best you," and a much higher chance of being able to return back to center.
Let's put it this way, with iAwake you can safely enhance your experience of being alive. All you need is practice, a music player, and (sometimes!) a pair of headphones. So whether you are deepening spiritually, healing, writing, engaging in sports, playing musical instruments, or engaging in any creative/artistic field, this technology will allow your brain and your heart to function harmoniously and at levels you had only dreamed of.
We are passionate about creating what we believe are among the best tools available for transformation, and about spreading "the love," educating and sharing how best to use them. We are also big on practice, as nothing can replace daily and diligent practice. These tools can be a game changer, but you still need to do the work.
Biofield technology is based on the idea that every object or physical substance―everything in the universe―emits energy. When two energy fields enter into resonance with one another, this is called the universal language of resonance. What happens is an interchange―as two fields interface, they exchange energy and information.
Some of you may be aware of the research in the field of subtle energy; you may practice various different types of healing traditions, meditative traditions, and deal with subtle energy. The subtle energetic tradition that I have drawn from in order to develop biofield technology is referred to as radiesthesia. Radiesthesia is a science, even though conventional science doesn't recognize it as such. It was originally formed by a circle of French scientists back in the early 19th century, who came to realize that everything radiates an energy; hence the name radiesthesia.
In radiesthesia, the main scientific instrument that is used to detect and measure different radiations of energy is actually the human energy field itself, the human body. If you have studied various wisdom traditions, you will be familiar with the idea that you have multiple bodies; in the Hindu tradition, for example, you have the physical body, and also the prana body or subtle body, which is our energy body. Christianity's simple divisions are body, soul, and spirit, and where soul and body intersect, you find the energy body. Some call it the chi body or vitality body, and it is comprised of the life force that feeds the physical body.
Through vibrational research, radiesthesists found that there was a subtle energy spectrum they could divide into 12 distinct and unique energy bands. To study the universal language of resonance, they created pendulums calibrated to these specific energy bands. They would project the vitality body through their arm into the pendulum they were holding and then into the object that they were entering into resonance with. If the particular energy band they were testing an object for happened to be present within the object, then the pendulum would actually begin to spin, because the vitality body had entered into resonance with the object that was being tested. What they began to understand is congruent with what Einstein taught―that basically all matter is energy.
Keep in mind, however, that the pendulum dowsing practiced by the French radiesthesists differed from the form of "mental" dowsing that is currently more popular in the West. In fact, the early French radiesthesists frowned upon this younger, mental form of dowsing, as it engaged the mental body in its practice and therefore produced variable results due to the unconscious attachments and aversions associated with mental body. The vibrational dowsing performed by the French radiesthesists, on the other hand, produced empirically verifiable and repeatable results, because the researcher engaged the chi body (also known as the vitality body) instead of the mental body. Whereas mental dowsing programs a pendulum to respond with a "yes" or "no" response to mental questions, vibrational dowsing uses no such questions or mental programming whatsoever.
Radiesthesists empirically discovered that we're all immersed in a sea of energy, and that this energy spectrum ranges from below what our senses can pick up to far above what can consciously perceive.Above the electromagnetic energy spectrum, which ranges from infrared all the way up to microwaves, gamma waves, and cosmic waves, radiesthesists discovered that there is also a subtle energy spectrum. Essentially, we use the energetic body to pick up subtle vibrations all the time―this is using the universal language of resonance―and, because we're not separate from our environment, we're either consciously or unconsciously entering into resonance with the various energies in our environments all the time.
The French school of radiesthesists also discovered that these various bands of energy in the subtle energy spectrum could be produced using esoteric concepts of sacred geometry. They called this the science of shape-caused waves: when specific shapes are placed in precise geometric patterns, they interact with the primordial energy in the universe to produce particular bands of subtle energy.
When sacred geometrical patterns are put together in a certain way, within the primordial energy in the universe, they interact with a vacuum which is not really a vacuum, the zero-point field, so to speak. Eddies, streams, or field effects of subtle energy form around the sacred geometrical patterns in such a way that the patterns themselves become a receptacle for the divine. Anything within the space of that receptacle resonates with the divine more deeply, more resonantly.
In the mid to late 60s, an up-and-coming Egyptian architect by the name of Dr. Ibrahim Karim began to develop his own science, which he called BioGeometry®. This is the science of how geometrical forms create specific subtle energetic patterns, which in turn affect the human biological system and virtually all living systems. Building on the foundation of the French radiesthesists, Karim found that there was one particular subtle energy quality associated with the Golden Mean. It was made up of three very specific and unique energy bands, two of which his research uncovered, one of which was already known to the early radiesthesists.
Dr. Karim's subsequent research showed that these three specific bands occur in some of the most profound spiritual settings. Those of you who are familiar with the Christian tradition, for example, might think of this as a kind of grace. Those who are familiar with the Vedic traditions might think of this as sattva. Something with a sattvic quality is something that is harmonizing, balancing, full of grace, and actually creates centered balance and grace wherever it is consciously received. Dr. Karim was asked by many scientists in Egypt to do authentic, scientific experiments involving this energy associated with the Golden Mean. He participated in numerous studies led by leading Egyptian scientists, always with outstanding results, where he would use his own methods to produce this energy associated with the Golden Mean.
What I have learned to do is to use digital software to capture, amplify and reproduce these various subtle energy qualities. I am not affiliated with Dr. Karim or his organization, and I have developed this technology independently. I take the subtle energetic bands and couple them with an electrical circuit connected to m y recording equipment that allows me to digitally capture these subtle energetic fields. Then I have a special process to amplify these fields many times, and I blend it with music and video. When you play the music or video on your PC, smartphone, or MP3 player, the biofield technology will actually order the electromagnetic field of the playing device so that it cancels the negative effects that are usually associated with electromagnetic fields. It cancels those effects and converts the electromagnetic field into a very powerful carrier for the biofield technology. The larger the electromagnetic device on which you play any of the iAwake Technologies tracks, the greater the biofield transmission will be.
Adapted from Eric Thompson's webinar "Introduction to Biofield Technology," December 4, 2012.
"...the brain entrainment products available from iAwake have been very useful in the rehabilitation programme within the UK military and form an essential component of the Active Relaxation Training programme, which in itself is one of the major components of the treatment offered."
The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory was administered to subjects before and after listening to a custom iAwake meditation track for 30 minutes.
When the two outliers are removed from the study, the decrease in anxiety (which is already significant) is even larger and more significant.
See Graph 1: The graph shows that a majority of the group experienced decreases in anxiety approaching 30%, and the second largest portion of the group experienced decreases in anxiety nearing 40%.
According to Marlon Nakouzi, these reductions in anxiety seem to be the largest such reductions of any similar published study with which he is familiar, in which some form of brainwave entrainment was studied to measure its effects on anxiety.
A review of the literature that drives the Research and Development of iAwake's 21st century meditation technologies.
Please revisit this page, as we upload information that will help you to combat stress, depression, ADD, fatigue, and more.
"Pilot Study on the Effectiveness of Brainwave Entrainment in Reducing Stress Levels "- 2013 Marlon-Nakouzi (using iAwake tracks). See full study above.
-1973 Gerald Oster, Scientific American, 229, 94-102. 1973.
– Hutchinson Michael. Megabrain. Ballantine Books: New York, p. 219. 1986.
– Hastings, Arthur. Tests of the sleep Induction Technique. Privately published manuscript, 1975.
– Schul, Bill. Conceptual duscussion of work plan, Monroe Institute of Applied Sciences, Faber, Virginia, 1986, p. 9 – 10.
– Atwater, F. The Monroe Institute's Hemi-Sync Process, A Theoretical Perspective. The Monroe Institute of applied Sciences, 1988, pp, 4,7.
– Bylinski, Gene. mood Control. NY: Scribner, 1978.
– Hutchinson, Michael. Megabrain Power. New York: Hyperion, 1994. p. 89.
– Fehmi, Lester F., and George Fritz. "Open Focus: The Attentional Foundation of Health and Well Being" Somatics, Spring 1980.
– Edrington, Devon. A Palliative for Wandering Attention. Unpublished Manuscript, 1984.
– Brockopp, Gene W. Review of Research on Multi-modal Sensory Stimulation with Clinical Implications and Research Proposals, MS., 1984.
– Budzynsky, Thomas. "A Brain Lateralization Model REST", Paper delivered at the First International Conference on REST and Self Regulation, Denver, Colorado, March 18, 1983.
– Green, Elmer and Alyce. Beyond Biofeedback. New York, Delacourt. 1977.
– Peniston, E.G., and P.J. Kulkovski. "Alpha-Theta Brainwave Training and Beta-endorphin Levels in Alcoholics." Alcoholism 13: 271-79. 1989.
– Pines, Maya. The Brain Changers: Scientists and the New Mind Control. Ney York: Harcourt Brace jovanovich, 1973.
– Lynch, Gary, and Michael baudry. "The Biochemistry of Memory: A New and Specific Hypothesis". Science 224 (1984): 1057 – 63.
– McAuliffe, kathleen. "Brain Tuner." Omni, Jan 1983.
– Davis, Joel. Endorphins: New Waves in Brain Chemistry. Garden City, New York: Dial Press, 1984.
– Benson, Herbert. The Relaxation Response. New York: Morrow, 1975.
– Achterberg, Jean, Imagery in Healing. Boston: Shambhala, 1985.
– Allesch, Christian G., "A Study of the Influence of Music on Pulse and Respiration Frequency." Zeitschr~ft fur experimentelle und angewandte Psychologies, 1981. Vol. 29.
– Atwater, F. Holmes, "The Monroe Institute's Hemi-Sync Process," Unpublished research, Monroe Institute, 1987.
– Beck, Bob, "ELF Waves and EEG Entrainment," from Kiplinger Magazine, Jan./Feb. 1988.
– Berendt, Joachbim-Ernst, Nada Brahma: The World is Sound. Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions, 1987.
– Broad, William, "Complex Whistles Found to Play Key Role in Inca and Maya Life," New York Times, Tuesday, March 29, 1988.
Rhythm, Time and Pulse in Music," Music, Mind and Brain, edited by Manfred Clynes, New York: Plenum Press, 1982.
– Fonatana, Alberto E. & Loschi, Julia A., "Combined Use of Music with Sound of Heart Beats and Respiration Rhythms in Psychotherapy," Acta Psiquiatrica y Psicologic de America Latina, March, 1979.
– Goldman, Jonathan, Awakening the Lost Chord, Spirit Music, 1984. Harrer and Harrer, "Music, Emotion and Autonomic Function" in M. Critchley and R. Henson (Eds), Music andtheBrain, London: Wm. Heinemann, 1977.
– Kenyon, Tom, "Acoustic Brain Research," Acoustic Brain Research, Inc., 1989. Krier, Beth Ann, "Meditation on Tape: Enlightenment Made Easy," Los Angeles Times, January 30, 1987.
– Morris, Suzanne Evans, "The Effects of Music and Hemi-Sync on a Child with a Seizure Disorder," Breakthrough, 1983.
– Myers, John, "Human Rhythms and the Psychobiology of Entrainment," Unpublished, Bell Communication Research, 1988.
– Ostrander, Sheila & Lynn Schroeder, Superlearning, New York: Putnam, 1982.
– Gerken GM, Moushegian G, Stillman RD, Rupert AL (1975). "Human frequency-following responses to monaural and binaural stimuli". Electroencephalography and clinical neurophysiology 38 (4): 379–86.
– Dobie RA, Norton SJ (1980). "Binaural interaction in human auditory evoked potentials". Electroencephalography and clinical neurophysiology 49 (3-4): 303–13. doi:10.1016/0013-4694(80)90224-2. PMID 6158406.
– Smith JC, Marsh JT, Brown WS (1975). "Far-field recorded frequency-following responses: evidence for the locus of brainstem sources". Electroencephalography and clinical neurophysiology 39 (5): 465–72.
– Yamada O, Yamane H, Kodera K (1977). "Simultaneous recordings of the brain stem response and the frequency-following response to low-frequency tone". Electroencephalography and clinical neurophysiology 43 (3): 362–70.
– Cvetkovic D, Simpson D, Cosic I (2006). "Influence of sinusoidally modulated visual stimuli at extremely low frequency range on the human EEG activity". Conference proceedings : … Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Conference 1: 1311–4.
– "[Abstract The Induced Rhythmic Oscillations of Neural Activity in the Human Brain"]. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
^ Schwarz DW, Taylor P (2005). "Human auditory steady state responses to binaural and monaural beats". Clinical neurophysiology : official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology 116 (3): 658–68.
– Rogers LJ, Walter DO (1981). "Methods for finding single generators, with application to auditory driving of the human EEG by complex stimuli". J. Neurosci. Methods 4 (3): 257–65. doi:10.1016/0165-0270(81)90037-6. PMID 7300432.
– Saxby E, Peniston EG (1995). "Alpha-theta brainwave neurofeedback training: an effective treatment for male and female alcoholics with depressive symptoms". Journal of clinical psychology 51 (5): 685–93.
Here is a link to a folder of Research Studies in pdf format.
- According to David Siever, the physiology of auditory entrainment works like this: "In order for entrainment to occur, a constant, repetitive stimulus of sufficient strength to 'excite' the thalamus must be present. The thalamus then passes the stimuli onto the sensory-motor strip, the cortex in general, and associated processing areas such as the visual and auditory cortices in the temporal lobes."
- The alpha rhythm was the first brain signal ever recorded and was originally called the "Berger wave" in honor of Dr. Hans Berger, a German psychiatrist who invented electroencephalography (EEG) in the 1920s.
- We all have our own natural dominant alpha frequency called individual alpha peak frequency (iAPF), usually between 9 and 11 Hz.
- People who might have witnessed or gone through emotionally traumatic events have their frontal regions of the brain in a state of hypervigilance and don't produce as much alpha as they could.
- There's a frequency band between beta and alpha called the SMR rhythm (13 to 15 Hz), whose amplitude increases with stillness and decreases when there's motor activity or visualization of movement. SMR is related to calm alertness and is said to regulate impulsivity and hyperactivity, promote body awareness, and help control anxiety and anger. So, training these frequency bands is thought to possibly help in cases of autism, epilepsy, and severe learning disabilities.
- The content most people tend to experience when accessing theta brainwave states is not easy to grasp, as it's usually buried below daily-life consciousness and tends to emerge in the form of abstract thought (often in intense flashes) and the dreamlike and contradictory imagery that most surrealist paintings depict. Theta brainwaves are for that reason correlated to creativity and problem solving, "aha!" moments, and also to increased capacity to learn (children have stronger theta amplitudes than adults, which could explain why they're able to learn and absorb so much about their environment, including acquisition of language).
- Delta brainwaves are naturally stronger in children and tend to decrease as we mature, with the exception of people who have experienced head injuries or near death experiences. Brainwave researcher Anna Wise considered them our emotional radar, and postulated that many people who grow up in unsettling environments display a stronger delta. According to her, they might have gotten used to scanning for danger and wound up with a state of hypervigilance mixed with profound empathy and an ability to process unconscious information.
- Gamma brainwaves have been found during rapid-eye movement (REM), and are very low or not at all present when individuals are going through severe mental health issues.
- Faster than gamma brainwaves are hyper gamma waves. At up to 100 Hz—and even 200 Hz (Lambda)—they can have the same effects that you'd experience if you were slowing down to the slowest possible states.


Does anyone have a template that they use for taking minutes at leadership meetings?
lehrschallbrian wrote: Does anyone have a template that they use for taking minutes at leadership meetings?
I simply use a Word document with no template. I include a list of those attending, who did what (invocation, benediction, scripture study, training, etc) and provide a synopsis of what was conducted.
We work from our agenda and write the minutes in and around the scheduled items.
I email this to the ward council, except for the attending/invocation/benediction. In the past, I have reorganized the minutes after each meeting to make them more usable for people, but I find that if I record the minutes with these headings and using bulleted lists, it saves me from having to spend the extra time reorganizing.
An approach that I have found helpful in different callings is to have minutes divided into two columns: discussions and actions. So in that way, the discussions column could start out with the agenda leaving sufficient space for notes, and then the actions are noted adjacent to the relevant discussions. Hymns, prayers, attendees, etc. would be noted before and after this section though.
Attached are a couple of agenda examples that could be adapted. The Bishopric really like to have one that works as a "checklist" for them so they can mark off completed calling assignments.
We normally send out the agenda for WC and PEC as a .pdf file along with a .pdf file of the next 3 months of calendars.
I take notes on each subject on a separate sheet of paper.


Greece: British Military Authority One shilling Super Offer!!
Greece: WWII (Bulgarian) circlated in Greece 250 leva 1943 F+/VF!!!
Greece: WWII (Bulgarian) circlated in Greece 500 leva 1942 Beautiful !
Greece: Drachmae 100/1945 "Cpt. Canaris" VF+ Super Offer!
National Bank of Greece Drachmae 1/21.12.1885 Type B' Faros signature! Extr.rare!!
Greece: Isole Jonie Drachmae 100 AU/UNC !


text:
EY announces 16 Finalists for the 19th EY Entrepreneur of the Year™ Award Program
AcademicsCompetitionEducational News
By India Education Diary Bureau Admin	 Last updated Apr 24, 2020
• An eminent nine-member Jury, led by Dilip Shanghvi, selected the 16 Finalists
• The 16 Finalists have a combined revenue of over INR 77,751.4 crore (USD11.6 billion) and employ over 83,601 people worldwide
• Jury commends the Finalists for Innovation, disrupting business models and building sustainable enterprises
• Dr. E Sreedharan honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award
Mumbai: EY, the leading global professional services organisation, today announced the selection of 16 of the most exceptional entrepreneurs as Finalists for the 19th Entrepreneur of the Year™ – India (EOY) 2017 Awards. The Finalists have been selected from among 250+ outstanding nominations and will be felicitated at a grand celebratory Awards Banquet to be held on 15th February in Mumbai.
Together, these 16 Finalists have combined revenues of INR 77,751.4 crore (USD11.6 billion) and are providing employment to 83,601 people in India and globally.
The winners will be announced across several categories, while the national winner will represent India at the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year Award (WEOY) in Monte Carlo from 13-17 June 2018.
A distinguished nine-member independent Jury Panel, led by Dilip Shanghvi, Managing Director, Sun Pharmaceuticals Industries selected the Finalists. The other Jury Members Jalaj Dani, Co-Promoter, Asian Paints; Harsh Goenka, Chairperson, RPG Enterprises; Naina Lal Kidwai, Chairman, Max Financial Services; Meher Pudumjee, Chairperson, Thermax Ltd; Renuka Ramnath, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Multiples Alternate Asset Management; Vijay Sankar, Deputy Chairman, Sanmar Group; MK Sharma, Chairman, ICICI Bank and Romesh Sobti, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, IndusInd Bank.
Dilip Shanghvi, Jury Chairman and Managing Director, Sun Pharmaceuticals says, "I have been a part of the Jury for the EOY Awards for a few years now and have come across an array of unconventional yet successful entrepreneurs. What I respect about the selection process is that it is consistently and rigorously followed across 50+ countries. It is basis a comprehensive research on companies spanning different sectors. This year's finalists too represent entrepreneurs with innovative ideas who have become successful by charting a disruptive growth path."
The Finalists for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year™ 2017 India Awards are:
 Sanjiv Bajaj, Managing Director, Bajaj Finserv
 Puneet Dalmia, Managing Director, Dalmia Group
 Ramesh K. Dua, Managing Director, Relaxo Footwears
 Sunder Genomal, Managing Director, Page Industries
 Akhil Gupta, Vice Chairman of Bharti Group and Executive Chairman of Bharti Infratel
 Ankur Jain, Chief Executive Officer, B9 Beverages
 Zorawar Kalra, Founder & Managing Director, Massive Restaurants
 Nithin Kamath, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Zerodha
 Samay Kohli, Group Chief Executive Officer, GreyOrange India
 Satheesh Kumar K.R, Chairman & Managing Director, Enzen Global Solutions
 VP Nandakumar, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Manappuram Finance
 Glenn Saldanha, Chairman and Managing Director, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals
 Rashesh Shah, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Edelweiss Financial Services
 Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet
 Kedar Vaze, Director & Group Chief Executive Officer, Keva (SH Kelkar)
 Sumant Sinha, Founder Chairman & CEO, ReNew Power Ventures
Click here for more on the Finalists.
India's Metro Man, Dr. E. Sreedharan will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his invaluable contributions transforming public transport in India. He was instrumental in the planning and execution of the Kolkata Metro, Delhi Metro, Kochi Metro and Lucknow Metro. He also spearheaded the Konkan Railway project, considered one of the most difficult railway projects in the world, and completing it in a short span of eight years. Among several other acknowledgements, Dr. Sreedharan has also earlier been conferred the esteemed Padma Vibhushan and Padma Shri awards from the Government of India for his contributions to public transportation.
Rajiv Memani, Chairman, EY India, says, "In a world where disruption is the new normal, exceptional entrepreneurs are creating value by embracing innovation and constantly reinventing themselves. The Finalists display exceptional ideas and uniqueness in their operating models in seemingly conventional businesses. Each one of them is not only a force to reckon within the industry, but also has a keen eye for expanding their footprint in the global market while adopting new generation technologies in their business."
The Jury considered a host of criterion, including the nominee's entrepreneurial spirit, recent financial performance, strategic direction, product or service innovation, company leadership including personal integrity and risk-taking, values and key employee initiatives, and involvement with the community.
Watch what the jury has to say about the EOY 2017 Finalists in this video
Says Farokh Balsara, Partner and EOY India Program Leader, "While businesses, governments and individuals have successfully chartered disruptive paths over the past few years, enterprises and their leaders will be tested in their ability to drive relentless, agile innovation and build robust business models. The Finalists are examples of entrepreneurs who have seized the upside of disruption, epitomizing our awards theme 'Ideas. Innovation. Inspiration. They have enabled inclusive growth, and are a source of inspiration for many."
Zarin Daruwala, Chief Executive Officer, India, Standard Chartered Bank and sponsor of the EOY 2017 Awards Program, "Never before have we seen ideas and innovation spur such zeal, whether it is in the exciting world of start-ups with technology at the core of business ideas, or conventional businesses who are reshaping themselves. The lasting impact lies within the manifold ways entrepreneurship touches and changes lives: creating employment, raising health and education standards, and ushering in a stable and progressive society. In pursuit of recognising such leaders and innovators who have been contributing in shaping the future of our country we have associated with EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards for the third year. The Entrepreneur of the Year Awards program truly captures and celebrates the spirit behind India's economic resurgence."
Alok Ohrie, President & Managing Director, India Commercial, Dell EMC and of the EOY 2017 Awards Program, "This is an exciting time for entrepreneurship and the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2017 has seen record participation of 250+ nominees. I, on behalf of the DellEMC family, would like to acknowledge and congratulate the nominees, finalists and esteemed jury members who have been part of this journey. I wish all the nominees the very best for their future endeavors."
The past winners of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year India Awards include Vivek Chaand Sehgal (Samvardhana Motherson Group), , Vinita and Nilesh Gupta (Lupin Limited), Uday Kotak (Kotak Mahindra Bank), Adi Godrej (Godrej Group), Rahul Bhatia (Interglobe Enterprises), Dilip Shanghvi (Sun Pharmaceuticals), Anand G Mahindra (Mahindra Group), Anil Agarwal (Vedanta Resources), Tulsi Tanti (Suzlon Energy), Kumar Mangalam Birla (Aditya Birla Group), Sunil Bharti Mittal (Bharti Group), Ratan Tata (Tata Group), N.R Narayana Murthy (Infosys), Brijmohan Lall Munjal (Hero Group), (Mukesh Ambani (Reliance Industries), and Subhash Chandra (Zee Telefilms).
3i Infotech unveils new logo to reflect transformation
Meet Karan Johar's Lifelong Valentine

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
GregLaurie.TV
What is the Best Posture for Prayer?
"Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere." —Ephesians 6:18 NLT
I heard the story of three ministers debating the best posture for prayer.
One minister shared that he felt that the key was in the hands. He always held his hands together and pointed them upward as a symbolic form of worship.
Another minister suggested that real prayer was conducted on one's knees. That was the only way to really pray.
The third said that they were both wrong. The only position in which to pray was to lie on the floor, flat on your face.
As they were talking, a telephone repairman had been working in the background, listening. Finally, he couldn't take it any longer. He blurted out, "For me, the most powerful prayer I ever prayed was while I was dangling upside down by my heels from a power pole, 40 feet above the ground!"
Listen: the posture of prayer is not the most important thing.
The main thing is to pray!
You can pray in any position, at anytime, anywhere.
You can pray publically, privately, verbally, silently.
You can be kneeling, standing, sitting, lying down, or even driving.
You can pray with your eyes open or closed! (Ever make eye contact with someone while praying?)
Sometimes we think that perhaps the Lord will hear our prayers more readily if they are prayed in a church building. But that is not necessarily true.
Daniel prayed in a lion's den.
David prayed in a field.
Peter prayed on and under the water.
Jonah's prayer was heard from the belly of a whale!
It doesn't matter where you are . . . Just pray!
Receive Breakthrough - DVD in thanks for your gift of support today.
A boy falls through the ice, where he remains trapped for 15 minutes! With her son in critical condition and close to death, a mother begins to pray. Find out what happens in the inspiring movie Breakthrough. We'll send you a copy in thanks for your gift to Harvest Ministries today.
GregLaurie.TV Episode Reminder Get a sneak-peek into each new show plus daily featured articles, delivered straight to your inbox!
Greg Laurie Daily Devotions Challenging readings for personal growth
About GregLaurie.TV
GregLaurie.TV features the teaching of Greg Laurie, senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California. Join Pastor Greg as he teaches God's Word in a relevant, practical, and understandable way. Discover biblical insights and learn how to know God and make Him known!
About Greg Laurie
Greg Laurie pastors Harvest Christian Fellowship (one of America's largest churches) in Riverside, California and Harvest Orange County in Irvine, California. He has authored several books including the Gold Medallion Award winner, The Upside Down Church, as well as Losers and Winners, Saints and Sinners and The Best Is Yet to Come. You can find his study notes in the New Believer's Bible, The Seeker's Bible, and the Start! Bible.
Host of the television program GregLaurie.TV and the nationally syndicated radio program A New Beginning, Laurie is also the founder and featured speaker for Harvest Crusades — contemporary, large-scale evangelistic outreaches, which local churches organize nationally and internationally — and Harvest America, which offers churches nationwide the opportunity to host a crusade event simultaneously from their own local venues.
Whether speaking or writing, God has gifted Pastor Greg Laurie with the ability to apply biblical principles to current events in a way that is relevant and easily understood by people of all ages, from all walks of life. The trademark of a Greg Laurie sermon, book, or broadcast is his contemporary, yet straightforward style and format. He resides in Southern California with his wife, Cathe.
Contact GregLaurie.TV with Greg Laurie
Email: info@harvest.org
Website: https://harvest.org/
Riverside, CA. 92514
Toll-free Number:


text:
James A. Lowell (-) est un homme politique canadien de l'Ontario. Il est député fédéral libéral de la circonscription ontarienne de Welland à partir d'une élection partielle en 1892 jusqu'en 1896.

Biographie
Domicilié à Niagara Falls en Ontario, Lowell remporte par acclamation l'élection partielle déclenché après l'appel contre l'élection de l'élu libéral précédent, William Manley German. Il ne parvient pas à être réélu en 1896 et s'incline devant le conservateur William McCleary.

Résultats électoraux

Références

Liens externes

Naissance en avril 1849
Naissance à Niagara Falls (Ontario)
Député fédéral canadien provenant de l'Ontario
Député du Parti libéral du Canada
Décès en avril 1900

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
10 Reasons You Should Watch Hamilton (Even The Skeptics)
Before we get into the business of unpacking the biggest Broadway smash of the last decade, you should know I was a theatre kid. Does my past (lingering?) obsession with musical theatre make it essentially impossible for me to write objectively about a matter such as Hamilton? Perhaps. But it's happening. Consider this your lucky day. The delight of run-of-the-mill Hamilton fans pales in comparison to my passionate, full-throttled theatre kid devotion to Lin-Manuel Miranda's masterpiece.
Hamilton opened on Aug. 6, 2015, in Broadway's Richard Rodgers Theatre, where, if it were not for the ongoing pandemic, it would still be showing six nights a week. It went on to win 11 Tony Awards (and the Pulitzer Prize) and proved to be one of the hottest tickets in New York City, as well as nearly every major city in the U.S. during a slew of national tours. It has earned more than $1 billion across all ticket sales and merchandising. Last week, after a dramatically rushed release date, a recording of a Hamilton performance from summer 2016 featuring the original cast landed on Disney+ just before July 4, swiftly thrusting the musical back into the zeitgeist (like it ever left!). Finally, a musical that was once an incomprehensible privilege for most and enjoyed only by the elite is now available for the masses to enjoy. A global audience of fans was thrilled. Meanwhile, think-pieces exploded across the internet, including a few unfavorable ones.
These newly-floated criticisms of Hamilton in a new era of Black Lives Matter protests are very valid. Miranda himself agrees. And there's one glaring one we absolutely cannot overlook: The rapping, shimmying Founding Fathers (and their "Werk!" wives) portrayed in the story owned slaves. Casting people of color in these roles doesn't change that fact. But may I be so bold as to say that you shouldn't write off Hamilton altogether simply because of this glossier-than-reality depiction. As Strong Black Legends host Tracy Clayton described on Twitter, we possess the nuanced ability to engage with problematic material and hold it to higher standards than we would have five years ago. We can recognize the issues here as well as the brilliance.
So, I invite you, Hamilton skeptics, to consider this musical-theatre-political-manifesto and genius display of love, life and humanity (Sorry, my gushing theatre kid is showing—I warned you!) anew with me. We can hold multiple conflicting ideas in our heads, and it will not cause us to combust. I promise. So, raise a glass to freedom, and let's have another round tonight. Talk less; smile more. Let yourself be convinced to enter the Hamilton universe, then stream the musical on Disney+. Watch with subtitles for optimum clarity.
1. The music is—as you've heard—impeccable
How do a bastard, orphan, son of a whore and his merry crew of rebels, political rabble rousers and future presidents come across like actual rock stars in the show? Thank Miranda's incredible lyrics and music. Miranda has called the soundtrack a "love letter to hip-hop," and it is just that. Not only is Hamilton the first ever hip-hop musical to be successful on such a grand scale, but it's also a playground for hip-hop fans. Miranda has cited Notorious B.I.G. and A Tribe Called Quest as influences on the music, and, like Les Misérables or Into The Woods, the show contains hardly any spoken dialogue—it's all sung, or rapped. You can hear touches of '90s girl-group R&B and slick D'Angelo-esque grooves as well as hardcore rap. It was true in 2015, and it's still true now: It's unlike any Broadway musical you've ever heard.
2. Ideas trump accuracy and that's OK
Wait, how many backup dancers were at the Battle of Yorktown?! You needn't look far to discover what aspects of Hamilton are true to life and which ones are a bit more dramatized. Many historians have been (mercilessly, some might say) correcting any exaggerations or errors in the story, while others have pointed out that Hamilton does an excellent job of grappling with the question of who gets to tell the story of history and why. Hamilton asks why certain people get to control the narrative while others are silenced. Like a good biopic or film based on actual events, there is of course dramatization. Plus, there's the added rapping, singing, dancing and 21st century dialect. But if you spend time listening to the spirit of what Hamilton is trying to say, you can still get a damn fine history lesson.
3. It's one of the most approachable Broadway musicals of the last 20 years
As I said earlier, it's a hip-hop musical. Doesn't that sound enticing? If you've been cold towards showtunes in the past, I absolutely don't blame you. Songs like "Mr. Mistoffelees" and "Defying Gravity" probably have no rightful place in the larger American music canon. But Hamilton is different. So different, in fact, that we named it one of the best albums of the entire decade. 808s, drum machines, rap battles and autotune transformed what could have been another (still incredible, I'm sure) theatrical epic à la Les Misérables or The Phantom of the Opera into a true generation-defining musical for the American masses.
4. You don't have to be a theatre fan to enjoy it
See above. If you're avoiding Hamilton because you think showtunes are frilly and dumb, you're missing out on a chance to experience an epic tale of humanity, love and loss that just so happens to be told through the lens of the American Revolution and one of its more charismatic players. Give it a chance.
5. Daveed Diggs
Each original cast member is incredible in this production. Miranda, Phillipa Soo, Leslie Odom Jr., Jonathan Groff, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Anthony Ramos and so many others light up the stage and carry this show to unimaginable heights. But Daveed Diggs, who plays the roles of Marquis de Lafayette in the first act and Thomas Jefferson in the second, is responsible for so much of Hamilton's vital energy. He won a Tony for it. He strikes the right balance of funny, scrappy and smart, and his rapping is undeniably the best in the show. If you need further proof of his talents with words, check out his rap group clipping. Hamilton was lucky to have Diggs involved.
6. Spinning stage platform!
While the show is musically and thematically stunning, it's also technically immaculate. A stripped-down set provides a malleable backdrop for all of changing scenery, while props and moving set pieces—including a circular rotating floorpiece!—do the heavy lifting. You could spend the whole production searching for errors, trips or forgotten lines, but you'll find none. The choreography, down to every tossed chair and booty waggle, is performed perfectly. The actors appear at ease while also performing challenging floor work and singing hundreds of words a minute. It's a theatrical marvel.
7. An incredibly talented ensemble
Every ensemble on Broadway is talented. These actors, dancers and singers are triple threats and the best in their field. The old "every role counts" saying is actually true when it comes to Broadway musicals. But the Hamilton ensemble is especially striking. A diverse mix of people bring new meaning and energy to this aspect of American history, and it really feels like every actor in the group has at least one moment to shine.
8. King George's comedic relief
There has never been such a blatant display of what we call "comedic relief" in the history of musical theatre. Hamilton could exist just fine without the intermittent pop-ins from petty King George III (played by the hilarious, side-eye-wielding Jonathan Groff), but it just wouldn't be as much fun. Some curmudgeons may go so far as to tell you King George's appearances are distracting, but those people are bland and hate fun things. His songs exist solely for the sake of humor and joy, and that is a necessity.
9. John Adams jokes
It's no secret the Vice President holds a mostly inconsequential role in American history. There's an entire HBO series about this. But we've had little opportunity to make fun of the OG VP, John Adams. VP jokes abound in Hamilton, and when Adams becomes the second president of the U.S., there's even another King George song about the whole ordeal and Adams' supposed lack of qualification. It's just funny.
10. Eliza's pivotal arc
The earlier point about who tells the story of history and why relates in this case mainly to Eliza Hamilton, who we meet as Elizabeth Schuyler. I don't want to reveal any spoilers here, but her dedication to what is right and good, her resilience, her strength, her longevity and her legacy are what drives the story of Hamilton. In fact, you might even say that the "Hamilton" in the title isn't referring to Alexander. Eliza is the hero of this story. You'll just have to watch to find out why.
TURNSTILE Share Video for GLOW ON's "UNDERWATER BOI"
The 50 Best TV Shows on Netflix, Ranked (January 2023)
Hear Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan Cover Bob Dylan's "Girl From The North Country"
Song of the Day: Toronto's Falcon Outlaw enlists Cura Designs for "Silver Fox Foot"
Eric Slick Announces Solo Album, Releases Lead Single


text:
To Kill a Mockingbird at Harlequin
Published in The News Tribune, Aug. 28, 2015
Loren Kattenbraker as Scout and Aaron Lamb as Atticus Finch.
David Wright as the judge, Helen Harvester as Mayella Ewell, and Russ Holmes as Bob Ewell. Photos courtesy Harlquin Productions
The bar is set impossibly high for the stage play of "To Kill a Mockingbird." The Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Harper Lee and the Oscar-winning film are each among the most popular and highly praised in the history of American film and literature.
Playwright Christopher Sergel took on the challenge of adapting "Mockingbird" for the stage, and Olympia's Harlequin Productions is now running it under the direction of Linda Whitney with three outstanding child actors supported by a large cast of some of Southwest Washington's finest.
Eight-year-old Loren Kattenbraker plays Scout, the loveable central character in the book and movie. She is amazingly expressive and a joy to watch. Nick Hayes, a 7th grader who has appeared on every stage in the Olympia area and even appeared in "Oklahoma" at Seattle's prestigious 5th Avenue Theater, is Scout's big brother Jem. His performance is near flawless. Fifth grader Annabelle Samson plays Charles Baker Harris, aka, Dill, and she is delightful. It is also her second cross-dressing role, the previous one being when the played a girl pretending to be a boy in Olympia Family Theater's "Orphan Train." All three of these kids are terrific.
To say all that should be said about the rest of the cast would take twice the space I'm allowed for the column. Aaron Lamb is solid and believable as Atticus Finch. Scott C. Brown nails the role of Sheriff Heck Tate. (He confessed to this reviewer, who grew up in Mississippi, that he was unsure of getting the Southern accent right. His accent is perfect.) Helen Harvester turns in a performance as the emotionally crippled Mayella Ewell that is worthy of a Tony Award, and Russ Holme, a longtime favorite of Harlequin audiences, pulls off one of his best performances ever as Bob Ewell. Comedian and actor Morgan Picton shows just what a great actor he can be in the challenging roles of the public prosecutor and as Boo Radley. (If he were not the only bald actor on stage, nobody would suspect these two characters are played by the same actor.) David Wright also does a superb job of playing two quite different characters, the poor farmer Walter Cunningham and Judge Taylor. And Robert Humes puts his heart into a heart-wrenching portrayal of the falsely accused Tom Robinson.
Rounding out this terrific cast and each performing at the top of their game are Edsonya Charles, Ann Flannigan, Korja Giles, Walayn Sharples, and DuWayne Andrews.
In adapting the story for the stage, Sergel made the dubious choice of having the neighbor, Maudie Atkinson (Flannigan) narrate the story, which in the book and movie was done by Scout. Maudie is a wonderful character, likeable and a rare voice of reason in a town full of bigots and ignoramuses. But her narration was totally unnecessary, serving only to moralize and slow down the flow of the story. Likewise, Sergel's decision to freeze the action during the mesmerizing court scene for a little scene with Scout and Dill disrupted the story in a way that added nothing.
One other thing that marred an otherwise marvelous play was overdoing the dumb-Southern-hick bit in the scene where the townsmen are intent on lynching Tom Robinson. They turned a frightening scene into a comic parody of stereotypical rednecks. Fortunately, Scout stepped up to talk one-on-one with the lynch-mob leader and turned the scene into one of the most touching in the play.
The set by Jeannie Beirne captures the feel of 1930s Maycomb, Ga., in a beautifully stylized fashion and allows for complicated set changes with actors moving pieces in full view of the audience in such a way that is not at all distracting. Costumes by Darren Mills are authentic, and Amy Chisman's lighting is wonderful.
"To Kill a Mockingbird" is 2½ hours long with a 20-minute intermission. It includes mature content and racially-charged language.
WHAT: To Kill a Mockingbird
WHEN: Thursdays through Saturdays, 8p.m., Sundays 2 p.m. through Sept. 12
WHERE: State Theater, 202 E. 4th Ave., Olympia
TICKETS: prices vary, call for details
INFORMATION: 360-786-0151; http://www.harlequinproductions.org/
Posted by Alec Clayton at 6:34 AM
Kim at MossIsAwesome said...
Russ Holm. Not Holmes.
Alec Clayton said...
Thanks, Kim. I have corrected his name.
Thanks Alec, Russ will appreciate that!
Apple Tree enrolling students
Psycho-Moto-Psycho at Brick & Mortar
My Spectacularly Unsuccessful Teaching Career
The Life and Death of King John
The Aloha Club Collection exhibition at Tacoma Art...
An Improbable Peck of Plays
9 Circles Canceled
Wunderkammers invade the Seaport Museum
Nine Circles of Hell
Driven to Abstraction at B2


Linear, polycaprolactone-based thermoplastic polyurethane. Possesses a very high crystallization rate with a very high thermoplasticity level. Recommended for use in hot-melt adhesives. Listed in EINECS and TSCA.


Please note that it can fit 1 booster seat but no baby seats. Children under four years must not travel in these vehicles.
Rates include: Unlimited Kilometres, Crockery and Cutlery, 10% GST (Goods and Services Tax), Administration Fees (3% of the total rental), Linen & Bedding, Mighty Light vehicle liability, Customer care 24 hour 7 days per week road service helpline (toll free), Magazine with discounts to tourist attractions, All branches have local tourist information and maps available.
Assentos para Criança e Bebê This vehicle has a positioning for a total of one child restraint. Child seats cannot be fitted in this vehicle. Children under four years must not travel in these vehicles. One booster seat (minimum four years of age) can be strapped in the front passenger seat with the diagonal lap-sash seatbelt. Any other travellers will need to sit in the middle seat.


TOLEDO (WTVG) - This is the day to settle up with Uncle Sam. Tax Day 2019. There are tens of millions of people who waited until April 15th to file. Even though it may be last-minute, nothing is technically late until the end of today.
The Liberty Tax office on Laskey has been a busy place in recent days.
Owner Dave Gang has been starting his day before dawn and leaving after dark He says changes in the tax code are taking some people by surprise,"You hear a lot of talk before tax season, but until you feel it in your pocketbook you may not know just how the changes will affect you."
Tonda VanGunten was planning to do her own taxes this year, but says that quickly changed with a little help from her cat, "I thought I was going to do my taxes myself, but my cat ate my mouse on my computer. Seriously. I was then going to file on my phone, but I didn't. They have done a good job on my taxes in the past, so I just came over here to Liberty."
A lot of people wanted professional help this year because of the changes. Gang says among the biggest changes are itemized deductions, the standard deduction as well as withholding, "A lot of employers changed their withholding last February. Some people reacted to that so they are getting the same refunds as before. Others are surprised because their withholding is a lot less."
If that caught you off guard, you can make changes with your employer. Carey Stansbury is the owner of Informative Financial Services, "There is a W-4 form you can fill out and just change the withholding. That will have more withheld from your paycheck, and give you more back at tax time."
While a lot of you may be having to pay for the first time in a a while, Gang says the big picture is good,"Overall the tax burden is down which is a good thing."
If you can't finish your taxes today, you can file an extension. However, Stansbury says it doesn't mean you don't have to make a payment."In filing an extension it gives you until October 15th to file your tax return. But you are still going to have to pay not or else you will be paying interest and a penalty from that point on."
Like a lot of tax preparers, Liberty Tax on Laskey will be open late Monday. Gang says he'll keep the office open until the last customer is finished which will probably be around nine tonight.


The rise of multigenerational families is creating an emerging demand across the country for housing that meets the needs of all ages and abilities due to rent burdens, aging parents with older housing stock, health concerns, caregiving, wage stagnation and cultural norms. Communities are juggling the need to renovate traditional housing units while maintaining affordability for a rise in multigenerational families. This session will also highlight apartments exclusively designed for grandparents raising grandchildren, as well as move to lessen restrictions on Accessory Dwelling Units that facilitate affordable housing and meet family preferences.


Thank you to Chloe Twist from Origym who has written and shared the below information and link on how to become a spin instructor and thus further your career prospects. Please see the link below which will take you to the full article.
Have you ever wanted to become a spin instructor? If so, then you will want to check out the following article.
The following is a detailed and in-depth article backed up by scientific research from HVMN who research and present articles discussing health, nutrition and diet, among other topics. Abigail Perez from HVMN provided the great content which discusses running motivational tips for runners at every level from beginners to advanced runners. Please continue reading the article and be great to hear your thoughts ad ideas on motivation for running.
With the summer having been and gone, and autumn in full swing, it can only mean one thing: Christmas is coming! Everybody loves the festive season, but unfortunately it can result in a lot of overindulgence that throws us off our health and fitness regimes and leaves us feeling groggy and sluggish.
I was delighted to be approaced by Ben Pianese from Massaggi, a top Sports Massage business based in London, with regard to sharing expert advice on sports massage and how it can improve our health and wellbeing. The focus of this quality article is sports massage and the benefit for runners. It's a great read and very informative.
This informative, concise and visual infographic provides helpful tips and advice on how we can help to reduce sleeping disorders and focuses particularly on children.
Sleep Disorders in Children created by Zen Triangle Dentistry.
This informative, concise and visual infographic provides advice on the impact that stress can have on our bodies and thus our health. The infographic helpfully discusses the impact of stress on our bodies including weight gain, headaches and high blood pressure.
This informative, concise and visual infographic provides helpful tips and advice on how we can get more active and exercise whilst at our desk at work. It provides helpful exercises that can be performed at our desks to help combat having a sedentary job.
This informative, concise and visual infographic provides helpful tips and advice on how we can help our skin to look more youthful and healthier. This includes: getting plenty of sleep, eating a healthy diet, staying hydrated and reducing stress.


text:
A Definition of Play, Leisure, and Recreation
Approximately 3 pages
"The settlers who planted the first English Colonies in America had the same instinctive drive for play that is the common heritage of all mankind," said Foster Rhea Dulles in America Learns to Play. With that statement there is a realization that the amusements and diversions we have today are not a new phenomenon. They have been a slow development from the beginning of time. Romans and Greeks had their theaters and circuses. England had its tennis and bear-baiting. Play, leisure, and recreation are all ideas that are common among humans.
Play, leisure, and recreation are all notions of having fun. There are many more that may spring to mind. Why so many words to describe a simple act, the act of fun? Humans all have a fairly common understanding of what work means to us as a people, but when defining our leisure time we tend to have many words to describe a simple idea. Defining all of these words is not an easy activity and many books have a hard time of nailing down the ideas of leisure, play, and recreation.
Play is the first and most basic notion of having fun. John Kelly states that "one of the simplest definitions is just that "Play is self-expression for its own sake." But he does go on to say that often times "play is used to refer to such activity by children and leisure to adult participation. Kelly finds that "the term play comes from the Anglo-Saxon plega referring to a game, sport, or even a fight." Basically, he found that play is non-serious in its nature, and although it may mimic real combat, it is only for the "satisfaction of the moment." Further it seems that leisure and play are "defined by how we do it rather than what we do."
Leisure is a bit more complex but tends to be the broadest definition related to fun. The Oxford English Dictionary, the definitive source for word origins states that leisure is "The state of having time at one's own disposal; time which one can spend as one pleases; free or unoccupied time," and has basically been in use since the 1300's.
Having unoccupied time seems to be a concept that would not be present that early in recorded history. Truly that is the case insofar as the middle and working classes are concerned. Throughout time there has been a loosening of work requirements. Since the Puritan work ethics have begun to slacken, there has been the reduction of work hours from over 80 to just under 40. That has included time in the evening as well as time on the weekends. This has produced a brand new leisure class, or a class that could afford the luxury of time away from work.
Of course this caused controversy among the conservatives. One of the most outspoken of the critics was Thorsten Veblen. Veblen defined leisure, in 1899, as "nonproductive consumption of time." Veblen said that the intent of leisure was different from work and was symbolic of high status because it did not create wealth. This use of leisure to show off wealth was referred to as "conspicuous consumption."
Meanwhile, those that were enjoying the new leisure reveled in the freedom. They toiled all week to have their half Saturday and full day Sunday's to themselves. Some of the hardest workers were also the hardest users of leisure. Witold Rybczynski's book Waiting for the Weekend, a great book for those consumed by the idea of the weekend and leisure, sets out his ideas on leisure and why some work so hard to attain it:
"All this has called into question the traditional relationship between leisure and work, a relationship about which our culture has always been ambivalent....[one way to examine this relationship is to look at the] Aristotelian view that the goal of life is happiness, and that leisure, as distinguished from amusement and recreation, is the state necessary for its achievement. "It is commonly believed that happiness depends on leisure," Aristotle wrote in his Ethics, "because we occupy ourselves so that we may have leisure, just as we make war in order that we may live at peace." Or, to put it more succinctly, as did the title of Lover Boy's 1982 hit song, we are "Working for the Weekend." Rybczynski, Witold. Waiting for the Weekend. New York: Viking, 1991 pp. 21-22
The last notion of having fun is recreation. Recreation is the area in which this study will explore. But what is recreation? The Oxford English Dictionary find that recreation is "The action of recreating (oneself or another), or fact of being recreated, by some pleasant occupation, pastime or amusement." This word has been in use in this context since the 1400's. John Kelly finds that recreation is rooted in the Latin recreatio, which refers to restoration or recovery. He says that the "term implies the re-creation of energy or the restoration of ability to function." This way of looking at recreation points to the many beaches in use for recreation. But he also says that recreation "generally refers to more organized activity. Recreation is socially organized for social ends." When placed in this context, the Oxford English Dictionary find that recreation as a word has only been in use since the mid-nineteenth century.
Social organization is the defining feature of this study. John Kelly provides the most compelling look at recreation, and it is his definitions that will be used in this study.
"Richard Kraus has argued too much stress on the intrinsic and self-justifying nature of recreation ignores the fact that public recreation is in competition for financial support, for space, and for attention. Its purpose and
results will be evaluated. Recreation is intended to be good for the people of a society in specific ways and is organized and supported with benefits expected.
There are two elements in this more specific perspective. The first is that of restoration... Recreation is intended to restore us to wholeness, to health, for whatever purposes we may have. We do not recreate only to work. We recreate to live. Further recreation is itself a part of living and has its own value to us....
The second element is that of social organization. Recreation has purposes and is organized for social ends. It is not just "for its own sake." It differs from leisure in that recreation is not likely to be "anything, anytime, anywhere" if only we choose it for some personal satisfactions....
They [the quoted authors] go on to analyze the rise of recreation in modern society as an institution of the social system required by the loss of time and space in which leisure could be integrated with the ongoing work and family life. Recreation had to be provided for, organized, and even taught. Recreation as a separate institutional component of the social scene is found for the most part in urbanized societies with a high degree of organizational complexity. Leisure, on the other hand, in some form or forms is universal. Recreation is programmatic; it has organization and goals. It is a social phenomenon just as leisure is a human phenomenon."
Kelly, John R. Leisure. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1982 p. 27
(Quoted from Cheek, Neil and William Burch, The Social Organization of Leisure in Human Society, New York: Harper and Row Publishers, Inc.,1976, p 224.)
Basically Kelly finds that recreation must have a reason, a destination, a purpose. Leisure can be done by anyone at anytime and be done anywhere. Recreation is much more defined. It is this way of looking at recreation that will be used in this study. Although we all have an instinct for play, as Dulles says, and we have a desire for leisure as Aristotle and Rybczynski maintain, only some of us have penchant for recreation and all its social ramifications.
This study is a study in social recreation. Rhode Island developed itself as a center for social recreation. It is a concept that centers around people and having fun in a public or semi-public space. It is the highest form of Veblen's "conspicuous consumption."
Social recreation requires a place to see and be seen. For why else would one be recreating, but to be seen by the people that could not afford to socially recreate? This is the basic idea of "conspicuous consumption." Because there has to be a place to be seen, the summer vacation to a seaside, amusement park, or outdoor place became a popular venue to have social recreation.
When the Oxford English Dictionary defines vacation as "Freedom, release, or rest from some occupation, business, or activity," or simply "a period during which there is a formal suspension of activity; one or other part of the year during which law courts, universities, or schools are suspended or closed; holidays," it gives no indication to the social ramifications of what this word meant to the class system. This version of the word has been around since the late fourteenth century. It is not this form of the word that should be contemplated though; the form should be "vacationing," "vacationer," or "vacationist." All three of these words describe people and actions, and all three forms do not come into vogue until the late nineteenth century. They describe the people that now have the time, money, and freedom to take a vacation; thusly can partake in recreation and the architectural constructs.
Rhode Island like few other places in America after the Civil War became the "playground" for the rich. They had the free time to do as they pleased, and often it pleased them to vacation for the summer in places by the sea. They constructed large summer homes and golf courses for their massive free time. They had yacht clubs and started the America's Cup races. The rich made Rhode Island the place for recreation and would become the people from which Veblen created his theories.
Because Rhode Island was such a destination for the rich, the middle class in their struggle to be more than middle class, arrived to set up similar summer resorts and recreation sites. The deep inlet of Narragansett Bay provided the stunning backdrop for many of these activities. Steam ships would ply the waters, taking daytrippers to many of the different recreation areas, while summer resorts all over the state were filled with residents that would shuffle home at the turning of the leaves and the falling of the temperatures. The amusements were plentiful for the person that enjoyed the seaside and its healthful benefits. They could partake in their own, smaller version, of Veblen's consumption.
There were so many varieties of recreation in the state that for purposes of brevity, this study must define the limits of discussion. Most importantly, this study will work within the framework of a vacation or day trip. While the rich could afford a summer retreat or long vacation, the working man had only Saturday and Sunday to enjoy the summer. For that reason, the middle class soon developed the day trip. Day trips are outings that can be enjoyed in a short time, such as a park, golf course, or other small diversion. Those that were slightly more upwardly mobile could afford to pursue the short vacation. These people would enjoy such outings as summer resorts, where they could stay overnight and eat a shore dinner. It is within this framework that some of the decisions on what to keep and what to disregard has been made.
Secondly, decisions regarding the types of day trips and short vacations had to be made. Two types of recreation could be explored, active and passive. Both types have their representatives in Rhode Island. Active places include amusement parks, ballparks, speedways, yacht clubs, canoe parks, golf courses, and more. Passive recreation can include park walking, camping, beach lounging, watching a ball game, or a wide host of other activities. Both types have been included in this survey, but only if they fit within the larger framework of a day trip or short vacation.
Amusement parks, and the heart of an amusement park, which often stands alone, the carousel are obvious inclusions. Rhode Island has a long history of amusement parks and carousels. Charles Looff, one the most important carousel carvers in American recreation history, was based in East Providence. Rocky Point, until its recent closing, was the oldest amusement park in America.
Beaches and the related water recreation activities are a necessary element, based on Rhode Islands deep connection to water. But their scope must be limited because of the wide variety of activity that can occur at these water related places. Therefore summer resorts and beach colonies, for the most part, are limited to small discussions in a list form. Larger places such as Narragansett Pier and Rhodes-on-the-Pawtuxet are discussed in greater detail because of their importance.
Outdoor recreation will include elements, such as golf courses, parks, and camps. Parks are limited to the most massive parks with some element of recreation included in them. Roger Williams Park, with its zoo and carousel, and Slater Park and its carousel are obvious inclusions. Camp sites, in their beginnings, and even today in a smaller sense, were used as daytrips and short vacation sites.
Sporting recreation is the area of study that has passive and active elements. Watching an event is certainly an active one for anyone who has watched sports, but would seem like a passive happening compared to those that are competing. The sports of Rhode Island, besides having a great history of baseball and being indelibly connected to tennis and cricket, are included because they made easy summer day trips.
There is so much more that can be linked to recreation that has not been included. Heritage tourism and scientific recreation, such as planetariums, are both areas that have been left to the side. Both were important developments but are hard to classify and catalog in Rhode Island. Circuses, theaters and indoor events such as hippodromes have been left out, because they were not day trips or short vacations.
Furthermore, the whole host of recreational sites that have occurred after 1950, or before 1870, have been excluded. The reasoning for using these dates as brackets is because the notion of recreation changed so completely around 1870 and again changed by 1950. Still another reason is that by 1938 most of the shore resorts were washed out to the Narragansett Bay by the most significant hurricane in Rhode Island's history. Most places in the state would not recover from this damaging storm.
Overall, one section a piece will be limited to the subject of amusement park, water activity, outdoor recreation area, or sports activity, while remaining within the framework of a day trip or short vacation. The best place to begin is in the amusement park, for it is there that the world of social recreation was most available to the wide range of classes.
To Section Two--Amusement Parks in Rhode Island


text:
Home | Museums
FARA at Low Parks Museum
Published: Tuesday, 14 January 2020
Following their debut release Cross the Line in 2016, Orcadian folk Quartet FARA are touring the UK with material from their second album, Times from Times Fall. Comprised entirely of self-penned songs and instrumental tracks, FARA will celebrate the community which inspired them to become musicians - an album rooted in the spirit of the Orkney Isles and its people, it combines the unique Orkney fiddle tradition with contemporary and original songs and tunes.
With the mission of creating something entirely new and collaborative, the four members of FARA have co-written many of the melodies on the album, blending all four distinctively different musical voices together, whilst also celebrating the unity of their musical beginnings. The songs incorporate words by Orcadian poets: George McKay Brown, Edwin Muir and Christina Costie, as well as one original and one traditional text. The Orcadian imagery running through these songs, alongside new melodies brimming with the islands' tradition whilst also pointing in new directions, celebrates the ever-expanding Orcadian folk tradition. Fara's new album is set to excite and delight.
Invigorating variation… engaging harmonies… This album is a masterly balance of reflection and celebration.
★★★★★ fRoots
Surely one of the most consistently impressive albums of the year.
★★★★★  RNR Magazine
Stunning quartet
★★★★ Songlines
I doubt if there's another band that produce such complex and engaging fiddle music, along with equally complex and engaging song …. Fara have all the ingredients for a perfect album, and Times from Times Fall is the proof.
- Folk Radio UK
Doors open 7:15pm for 8:00pm start.
Tickets cost only £14 from SLLC box office or by calling 01698 452299.
Venue: Low Parks Museum
RSS version | About RSS news feeds


text:
Q: How to make sure a directory is always constructed the same way in Python? I'm trying to write a python script that does a lot of tedious file handling for me.
To make sure nothing can go wrong I wanted to create the file structure I need from scratch everytime.
Wondering if there is an easier way to do this...
if os.path.exists(pth_temp_data) == 1:
    shutil.rmtree(pth_temp_data.joinpath("Presets/Factory_Presets/Global_Presets"))
    shutil.rmtree(pth_temp_data.joinpath("Presets/Factory_Presets"))
    shutil.rmtree(pth_temp_data.joinpath("Presets"))
    shutil.rmtree(pth_temp_data)
    os.makedirs(pth_temp_presets)
else:
    os.makedirs(pth_temp_presets)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Yes. It's another shoe story a la Lillian.
At the store in an attempt to buy saddle shoes for Cliffy, I look over at Lil who is admiring all the girl shoes displayed on the wall. Her hands clutched to her heart, I hear her mutter, "These shoes are fabulous." Followed by a sigh.
We both stopped in our tracks, then approached the stack slowly. Then I saw it. The sign that said 50% off. I think I heard angels singing. Then I said the words you can't ever turn back on: "Lillian, should we see if these are in your size?" At that moment, cash register bells joined the angel chorus.
And there they were. One of the four remaining pairs was obviously meant for Miss Lil.
She looked at me. Tempering her emotion, she said quietly, "I'm going to be a cowgirl for Halloween." At that moment, I realized she possessed the gift. The ability for any female worth her weight in DSW coupons to justify a shoe purchase–practical or otherwise.
Needless to say, the Dingo ate my baby. And me.
For the past year, Mary Claire's been attending an art class for homeschooled students at a local church. It's once a month and is packed. There are usually at least 70 students, often more. The man who teaches the program is wonderful. The kids all work on the same picture. He guides them through the process and techniques involved step-by-step to draw a specific picture. It's more about learning how to recreate something … which is good a first step. The pictures they work on all have a Christian theme. He tells them some story through the process and keeps them totally engaged. Mary Claire loves it. And this month, for the first time, it was Henry's turn to attend the class (now that he's going to be eight).
Henry was excited. Or at least he expressed he was excited. That is, until the day actually came. I was packing them a snack and when Mary Claire ran upstairs to get her supplies, Henry approached me.
My boy has no misconceptions about his artistic talents. To him, a pencil's greatest purpose is that of projectile. He hates writing. He hates drawing. Always has. Getting him to work on his handwriting is like pulling teeth. He does it. But not without complaint, pain and apparent agony.
"We'll see," I said. I really had no intentions of letting him get out of it in the future. But, well, you know, we had to move on.
I took them to the class. Asked Mary Claire to show him how they check in, etc. She did, then immediately found a table that had only one vacant spot and slid into the empty seat. Henry marched to another table with five boys all in orange shirts. Brothers. Seven-year-old twins and nine-year-old triplets. I asked the boys to introduce themselves. They did … but their names could have all been the same. They all looked alike and the matching shirts didn't help matters. Henry looked comfortable with the orange boys, so I quickly left.
After the class, Mary Claire and Henry were instructed to walk home. The church is only a block from our house. It was drizzling but they had umbrellas. When I first caught sight of them, Henry was carefully protecting his picture by holding it high up under the dome of his umbrella.
When he came in, he announced that his drawing was terrible, but he seemed to be beaming just the same.
"I'll go again," he said.
"It's okay. Yeah, I like it okay." Then he handed it to me.
Henry's break-thru (notice the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow).