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.

Report from Jug Band trip to Memphis

Will Shade StoneA moving ceremony with song; and a soaring hawk, circling overhead, that many felt was the spirit of Will Shade absorbing the goodwill - these characterized the Hump Night Thumper’s visit to Memphis. They went to dedicate Will Shade’s gravestone, for which the School held a benefit concert in January. One band member wrote to those who didn’t make the May 3rd trip: « Read more »

Filed under: Uncategorized by Skip | May 11, 2008 | Comments (0)

Dvorak Wins Lifetime Achievement Award - Details coming!


Filed under: Teacher bios, Uncategorized by Skip | March 21, 2008 | Comments (0)

Happy New Year from Frank Hamilton!

Frank Hamilton, one of our founders, celebrates the New Year with us by providing the traditional Robert Burns poem/song. See the commentary and earlier version he has added at the end. Thanks Frank!

Auld Lang Syne

F C7
Should auld acquaintance be forgot

F Bb
And never brought to mind?

F A7
Should auld acquaintance be forgot

Dm Bb C7 F
In the days of auld lang syne.

« Read more »

Filed under: Uncategorized by Skip | December 31, 2007 | Comments (0)

Holiday Stuff to Enjoy

Snow Queen at the Biograph! Great for Families

This is a must see. Written by Michael Smith, our long-time friend and colleague, the cast includes three teachers from the school: Cathy Norden, Bob Goins, and Barb Barrow. One of the biggest hits in Victory Gardens history, this year’s production features a magical new scenic design and the same haunting and hilarious music that has charmed young and old alike. The Snow Queen takes her audience on a wild ride into the realm of myth and dream, where a talking reindeer, wooden soldiers, an enchantress, the mysterious Snow Queen holds talking animals, wooden soldiers, witches, and lost children under her spell. This is an adaptation of a Hans Christian Anderson classic, adapted by Tony Award-winning director Frank Galati and acclaimed composer Michael Smith, with design and puppets by Blair Thomas (a founder of Redmoon Theater).

Seeing Snow Queen will be a treat for the family during the holidays: romantic, melodic, and moving. The show is playing through January 6 at the Biograph theatre, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue. tickets@victorygardens.org or 773.871.3000

The Not-Your-Grandma’s Nutcracker

See our very own fiddle teacher, Maria McCullough in The Nutcracker! She’s the doll Phoebe in The House’s re-imagined version of The Nutcracker. But this isn’t the ballet you remember. Instead, this production is a fresh approach to on the traditional story, weaving together riveting dialogue, puppetry, music, spellbinding spectacle, and an eight piece string orchestra. Together, they tell a darkly moving story of magic and mystery that you never knew existed. From the creative team behind the recent Chicago hits The Sparrow and The Great and Terrible Wizard of Oz, This new Nutcracker is a surprising take on a Christmas classic that’s perfect for adults and kids. Wednesdays-Fridays in the The Steppenwolf Upstairs Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St. Tickets are $29 ($20 students). www.steppenwolf.org or 312.335.1650.

The Not-Your-Grandpa’s New Years Eve

How’s this for an idea? Celebrate the eve with your friends at the Old Town School of Folk Music? We’ll have the Punch Brothers, recently signed by Nonesuch Records. Note that their banjo player, Noam Pikelny, was a student here.

To make an evening of it, think too of having dinner on Lincoln Avenue – the Fiddlehead at 4600 Lincoln has planned two special “tasting” menus, one of which is vegetarian. (See other page). They believe in buying locally; we do too.

Chicago Printmakers Cooperative - 18th Annual Small Print Show

Speaking of buying locally, just a couple blocks away, at 4642 N. Western Avenue, is the Chicago Printmakers Cooperative. Their show highlights a variety of print media, including etching, lithography, woodcut and monotype. Traditional as well as experimental approaches to printmaking are featured by approximately 40 artists. Most featured artwork is under $100; we guarantee that you’ll find wonderful stuff. Note: The coop’s director of Deborah Maris Lader, a member of Sons of the Never Wrong (and one of the School’s very own). Hours: Tues. through Sat., 12-5 pm through December 22nd. 293-2070.

Hear WBEZ’s hour-long Old Town School Anniversary show

WBEZ has produced a program of gtreat stuff including interviews, music, field recordings. Go to their website and check out the program section. Thanks WBEZ!

Unique Gift Idea

Convert your friend/partner/spouse’s favorite audio tape(s) to CD format. An easy choice for this job is Joe Tessone, a friend of the Old Town School, who runs the Mystery Street Recording Company at 2827 N. Lincoln. He charges $20 an hour. You can contact him at joe@mysterystreetrecording.com.

Filed under: Interesting outside the Old Town School, Uncategorized by Skip | December 8, 2007 | Comments (0)

We get mail: “Reservation Enquiry”

Earlier in November Hot Times at Old Town has received the following communication via email. We requested suggestions on how to respond. Shown below is the original request, a proposed response from one reader (among several submitted), and an explanation of the inquiry (which was a scam):

Hello,

I am Irkins Stewart,from MacArthur Stewart Solicitors, United Kingdom. I want to book dinner for my Staffs arriving from London. They will all come for dinner at your place as from the 26th, 27th and 28th December, 2007 by 7:00pm each day. They are 15 in number.

Get back with your response if there is availability in your restaurant.

Kind Regards,

Barr. Irkins Stewart
106 Bunhill Row London EC1Y 8TZ Phone:+447024062538
Fax#:+44-7005-806-775
email: irkins.stewart05@yahoo.co.uk

[End of email]

The winning response (excerpted):

Dear Sir,

As much as we appreciate having guests from the West Highlands, I cannot accommodate your group on these evenings in standard dining facilities. We have become a “destination”; only a short time back we hosted Australian solictors. Post xmas is especially busy.

While time to time we have placed a tent on the lawn for groups we could not otherwise serve, I should warn you that late December can be a bit cold in Chicago. We would probably have to provide each of you with mittens and scarf. Expect a surcharge.

Let us know.

Please greet McDermott on our behalf. We had a jolly time last he was here.

Submitted by
DBN
Chicago, IL USA

Chris lindberg, a restaurant manager in Rhode Island, commented:

This is a scam. We received the same inquiry. He wanted us to charge a 3rd party CC for 10k and transfer 8k back to him. It is a identity theft ring.

Other recent stories:

Highlight: Julia Storke at Davenports
Celebrate the Holidays with Reggio the Hoofer
The Exquisite Corpse Lives Again!
Filisko and Noden on European Tour
Old Town School Harmonica Student wins Nobel Prize
For something a bit unusual…..
Arlo Leach: Guitar and Jug Band
Cafe Menu Specials
A Walk Through the Blues
Diandra Jones in Ghaha

For any of these and other items, explore the right hand menu or just scroll down.

Filed under: Uncategorized by Skip | November 10, 2007 | Comments (5)