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Longmeadow
www.TheReminder.com
Jo Sallins and company to rock LHS
By G. Michael Dobbs
Managing Editor
LONGMEADOW - Jo Sallins seldom has the opportunity to work with high school students and is relishing the opportunity when he appears at Longmeadow High School on April 16 in a special concert featuring the Longmeadow High School Jazz and String Ensemble.
The performance of Sallins composition "Thou Shall Not Kill" has been arranged by Justin Cashinghino and will not only feature the high school performers but also percussionists Jesse Cashinghino and Abimael Robles.
The free performance will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. at Longmeadow High School and is open to the public.
Sallins said that Julissa Rodriguez will perform poetry inspired by Sallins' music before the musical performance, something Sallins described as "very powerful."
The point of the concert is to inspire young people to examine violence through music, he explained.
The performance will be filmed and distributed on DVD and Sallins hopes to bring his concept to other schools, not only in this state, but also across the country.
Besides working as a performer, Sallins is well known as a musical educator and told Reminder Publications that he usually works on projects with students from kindergarten to middle school. He said that in the past some educators have wondered if high school students would find his music - a fusion of jazz, blues, rock and funk - relevant.
A full-time musician, Sallins said, "We play for kids like we do adults." He added that his experience at Longmeadow High School showed him there are many students thinking of a career in music and they've enjoyed working with a musician.
Sallins' concert is underwritten by Hoop City Jazz Inc. and the Point of View newspaper.
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Nightcrawler
Jolted Jo
An upcoming gig with a Longmeadow ensemble elicits equal parts admiration and anxiety for Jo Sallins; Night Owl news.
By Gary Carra
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For decades, Springfield native Jo Sallins has strapped on - or stepped up to - one of the nearly dozen instruments he has mastered and traded licks with world class performers the planet over. So why does his impending April 16 engagement at neighboring Longmeadow High School have the veteran virtuoso nibbling his notoriously nimble nails?
"I'll be playing with the Longmeadow High Jazz & String Ensemble, which is the first time I've ever done anything like that," he explains. "And I have to tell you, I went to check them out in person the other night and man...can those cats play!"
As evidence, Sallins cites the Ensemble's recent performance at Carnegie Hall.
"That's one place you cannot play by simply knowing the right person," he concludes.
Also adding to the anxiety is the fact that prior to this Friday's performance of "Thou Shall Not Kill," a new, anti-violence epic Sallins recently composed as the latest entry into his ongoing catalogue of educational programs, the show headliner and the celebrated ensemble will have only physically played the evening's program together - in the same room - a grand total of once.
To the untrained eye, a scant practice schedule - particularly when coupled with such difficult subject matter - seems fertile ground for a distinctly unpleasant cacophony of sound come showtime. As Sallins elucidates, however, at such a level of musicianship, it's not unheard of for a group of performers to not have heard - or even seen - people they will be sharing the stage with until the curtain goes up. Everyone's expected to do their homework. And as one who frequently rents special apartments so he can rehearse uninterrupted for upwards of 12 hours a day for days on end, Sallins is easily at the head of the class in that regard.
That said, the man known as "Mr. Kool" revealed that lately, he has been utilizing a hot training tip given to him by another performer that has proven both highly effective and far less grueling.
"Basically, I practice a lot in my mind," he explains. "Just visualizing where my fingers will be, going over the songs and changes in my head."
Whatever works for you, Jo. and it's a safe bet your neighbors approve of the new technique...
Jo Sallins and the Longmeadow High Jazz & String Ensemble will perform from 7 to 9 p.m. on April 16 at the Longmeadow High School Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.
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Jo Sallins ~Educational Programs~ The "Music Appreciation Program (M.A.P.)" "Songs of Change" ~Positive change through Music~ The "Freedom 2 Create" ~Exploring Improvisational Concept~
myspace.com/josallins youtube.com/josallins cdbaby.com/josallins
"Songs of Change"
~Positive change, through music~
"THOU SHALT NOT KILL?" Pt's, 1, 2, 3 and 4
Composed by Jo Sallins Jazz Band arrangement by Justin Casinghino
CD arrangement and performance Full score and Individual parts for band and
by Jo Sallins strings
PURPOSE: "Thou Shalt Not Kill?" pt's. 1, 2, 3 and 4 was inspired by the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East but not limited to that part of the world or this time in our lives. You see I have been exposed to violence since the age of nine. I remember seeing violent acts on television, in magazines, in school, my neighborhood and in my own home.
Since the dawn of man religion has been irresponsibly used to condone acts of violence around the world. Which is why I chose the title "Thou Salt Not Kill?", not to promote any particular religion but to examine the title as a question. Saying one thing and doing another!
My hope for this project is to get students and faculty talking about violence in all its various forms. with communication we start to understand each other, understanding brings hope for positive change. "Songs of Change" is not just a program title; it is my duty as an artist to bring "Songs of Change" to life.
Some notes on "Thou Shalt Not Kill?" pt's. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Part 1 - Represents calm, peace, tranquility, people going about their day doing what they need to do to provide for their families.
Part 2 - After the melody (in a major key) is played we move to a minor key. The keyboard solo, the intense 6/8 rhythm and sound effects represent the military preparing for combat. As the drum solo begins the entire orchestra plays a very haunting unison line over it. My intention was to create a picture that lets you know, war has begun.
Part 3 - The introduction of flute, percussion and voice indicates where this conflict might be taking place.
Part 4 - The snare drum and the keyboards are now performing in unison, a very militaristic drum cadence with some very intense sound effects to symbolize total confusion.
VIOLENCE!
Topics of discussion to build on
When is violence necessary?
Are we forgetting or choosing to ignore what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Ghandi tried to teach us by words and example?
Do bullets, bombs, missiles (nuclear), grenades and land mines have an impact on the environment, its people (physically and mentally), the animals, the atmosphere, the food and water supplies?
Does violence affect the rich in the same way it does the poor?
Can the war on terror be won?
Is violence always physical?
How does war help an economy?
How does war hurt an economy?
Was Ghandi right when he said, "an eye for an eye, now we're both blind"?
Artist - Jo Sallins
Program - "Songs of Change"
Composition - "Thou Shalt Not Kill?" pt's 1, 2, 3 and 4
"Songs of Change" is designed for arts & music collectives, music camps, high schools and colleges with jazz programs.
Jo Sallins Solo $600 Jo Sallins Duo $800 Jo Sallins Trio $1,000
1 workshop (1 hour) 1 workshop (1 hour each) 1 workshop (1 hour each)
1 rehearsal 1 rehearsal 1 rehearsal
1 performance 1 performance 1 performance
Programs components, lengths and fees are negotiable to fit the needs of the school .
Full score and individual parts will be sent to music directors in advance of my arrival.
La'Jaz Productions
Jo Sallins CEO 413-262-2950
LaVerne Till Cell: 413-883-4977
www.josallins.com 33 Benham Street, Springfield, MA 01109 josallins@comcast.net
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