Hot Times at Old Town

Appearing below are selections from the hard copy Hot Times. The objective is to highlight activities at the School and in the larger community, especially those featuring or of special interest to teachers and staff. Your suggestions are welcome. Enter a comment (under any item); it will come to me rather than automatically appearing.

The Next First Friday Open House is September 5th – 6:30 - 11 pm!

Yep, it’ll be another big night at the School - the first First Friday of the fall term! That includes a song circle, open string jam, songwriters’ exchange, student ensemble performances, and much more: a creativity jam, an open ensemble jam, and — we hope again this time — a craft lounge of knit, crochet, and other portable crafts. All are covered by $4 at the door. Group activities start at 6:30 or so and run to 9 p.m. when we have a community sing. The featured performer will be Simon Flory.

And once again, I’ll be there with my Backporch Jam with another guitar teacher.

Hope to see you September 5th!

Skip

Filed under: Interesting at Old Town by Skip | July 26, 2008 | Comments (0)

Relax, take off your tie!

If you’re wearing one. The tie business is in a bind: fewer men are wearing ‘em.

Really? After all these years? The iconic gift for dad and the hallmark of professionalism? Yep. Tie sales have slipped coninuously for the past ten years. According a Gallup poll conducted last fall, the number of men wearing ties to work every day is now down to 6%. A recent story in the Wall Street Journal noted that fhe power of the tie has diminished so much so that the trade organization of American tie makers recently disbanded: the Men’s Dress Furnishings Association, which started as the Men’s Tie Foundation in 1947, dissolved last month.

Can it be that the nation is going folky? Anyway, guys, feel free to doff the neckware.

Filed under: Interesting elsewhere by Skip | July 13, 2008 | Comments (0)

We almost forgot: it’s National Ice Cream Month!

And we’ve missed so much of it! Thank goodness there’s time to make up for lost time! Our suggestion: the Soupbox at 2943 N. Broadway. Yes, we know: the name is misleading. But while each winter they feature great soups. in the summer they focus on ature maybe 20 flavors of Italian ice. Hmmmm. Does Italian ice qualify as ice cream? Why not? They’ve been nominated for the City Search award for best ice cream in Chicago (and have won awards for best soup, best fast food, best comfort food etc.)

Filed under: Uncategorized by Skip | July 13, 2008 | Comments (0)

Muriel Anderson on youtube….wow!

When you’re next on youtube, look up Muriel Anderson’s Angelina Baker. (Muriel is a former OTS techer and was the first woman to be national guitar fingerpicking champ.) If you’re an old-timey devotee (or even not), you’re likely to be amazed at the sight of her playing Angela Baker on a guitar in….well, in a banjo style. Or in a style using banjo techniques. Or using skills she learned from the devil. Really, you need to see it yourself. And keep watching as she does several variations. Great version! And all the while, she’s clearly having a wonderful time!

Depending on the breadth of your tastes, you may decide to stop the video when Muriel breaks into bluegrass fingerpicking and the crowd goes wild. But that’s worth watching too. Wow. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJw7-vFrKnQ.

Muriel gave a workshop at the School in July. No doubt she’ll be back again; it’ll be worth taking.

Filed under: Interesting at Old Town by Skip | July 13, 2008 | Comments (0)

Wiggle in the Park

Again this summer the Wiggleworms staff are doing it downtown! Thanks to FSC Mixed Sources, Toto Ink, and the Old Town School, Millenium Park is again graced by daily performances of Wiggleworms staff. They’re on from 10 to 10:45 am on the Chase Promenade, the three-block-long, tree-lined walkway that runs from Monroe to Randolph. The series continues through the summer right up to (and including) September 1st. And it’s free!

Filed under: Interesting elsewhere by Skip | July 13, 2008 | Comments (0)

Eleven kids’ meals by eleven chefs!

Still inspiring our kids is everyone’s old friend, Ella Jenkins. She stopped by the school this week with a handful of cards promoting a benefit for StoryBus, a children’s museum on wheels. The event will be Sunday, Septemer 7th, from 6 to 8 pm at the Kohl Children’s Museum in Glenview (2100 Patriot Drive). Eleven top chefs will be presenting gourmet versions of eleven favorite kids’ meals. The cost (take a deep breath) will be $75 for adults, $25 for kids 13 and under. (Yeah, its $$$, but what a great event and what a good cause!) For information: www.1000cleanplates.org or 847 633-8340 x13.

Filed under: Interesting elsewhere by Skip | July 10, 2008 | Comments (0)