"Music Alive" Announces Call for New Members

"Music Alive", a non-audition, mixed choral group, under the direction of Ms. Linda Hooper, announces an open call for new members for their upcoming 2007 Performance Season.

Membership is open to anyone 18 years of age and above who enjoys singing, performing and entertaining audiences of all ages.

Practices are held on Monday evenings, 7 to 9 pm., in the lower level of the Amphitheater / Southern Conservation Trust Building, located in the Frederick Brown Amphitheater Complex in Peachtree City. Practices for the new season begin February 4.

The group sings all types of music and performs for small groups as well as large audiences in a variety of settings.

For further information, please contact Linda Hooper, Director, 770-463-4337 or Sandy Destadio, President, 770-632-7603.

THE FUTURE OF JAZZ COMPETITION VII

Georgia’s Most Accomplished Jazz Musicians Compete

The Atlanta Jazz Festival and TD Entertainment present the Future of Jazz Competition VII. The competition will take place at the Sambuca Jazz Café every Tuesday for six consecutive weeks. Three bands from a variety of jazz genre’s will compete to become a Future of Jazz Winner.

The artists will perform for a panel of industry and celebrity judges. The judges will announce the weekly winner following the performances that evening. Six jazz sub-categories will be highlighted and six winners will be chosen. The competition categories are Contemporary Instrumental, Contemporary Vocal, Traditional Instrumental, Traditional Vocal, Nu-Jazz and Fusion Jazz.

The six winners of the separate categories will all perform at the Atlanta Jazz Festival Memorial Weekend 2008. In addition, the Atlanta Jazz Festival through the City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs will present each winner with a check in the amount of $500. The Future of Jazz Competition continues to evolve and expand each year in its mission to keep jazz fresh and alive in the metropolitan Atlanta area. Spend your Tuesday’s listening to Georgia’s most accomplished jazz musicians as they give it everything they’ve got to win a spot on the Atlanta Jazz Festival stage!

Celebrating the 31st anniversary of presenting excellence in jazz, the Atlanta Jazz Festival is back for another year of legendary performances, fine dining and eclectic jazz events all over the city. With 31 days of exciting activities and events throughout May, the Atlanta Jazz Festival has become one of the premier free jazz events in the country!

WHAT: Future of Jazz Competition VII
WHEN: Every Tuesday – Beginning January 22 running through February 26
WHERE: Sambuca Jazz Cafe
3102 Piedmont Rd., NE
Atlanta, GA 30305
http://www.sambucarestaurant.com/

SHOW TIME: 7:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
TICKETS: FREE

ABOUT THE ATLANTA JAZZ FESTIVAL

Produced by the City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs, the Atlanta Jazz Festival builds on the success and heritage of previous festivals by continuing its expansion with a 31-day schedule. It is the mission of the Atlanta Jazz Festival to expose and entertain a diverse audience of jazz aficionados, young jazz enthusiasts and musical artists to the rich heritage and variety of jazz as an authentic form of traditional music. For more information on the Atlanta Jazz Festival, please call the information hotline at 404.853.4234 or visit the website at http://www.atlantafestivals.com/.

More info:
http://www.futureofjazz.com/

http://www.sambucarestaurant.com/

http://www.tdentertainment.biz/

Country Musician Comes by Patriotism Naturally

Photo: Country music star Aaron Tippin flashes a big thumbs up as he visits with soldiers serving in the global war on terrorism. Tippin spent his third straight Thanksgiving entertaining servicemembers serving in Iraq and Kuwait.

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10, 2008 - Growing up as part of a military family, country music star Aaron Tippin learned a crucial lesson early in life: Freedom isn't free.


"That might be a corny old saying, but you know what?" he asked. "It is still true. Freedom is not free."

Tippin, who was in Washington for some publicity appearances, said his father, Willis, served in the military. The senior Tippin always was deeply patriotic, even after he left the service, his son added.

"That really bled into me," he said. "So I have a great appreciation for my freedom and have a deep understanding that (servicemembers) are the people that are directly responsible for it."

The musician has expressed that appreciation many times through his music. One of his first hit songs, the 1991 single "You've Got to Stand for Something," earned him a spot entertaining the troops with comedian Bob Hope in the Persian Gulf region.

Since then, Tippin has entertained the troops numerous times, including the past three Thanksgiving holidays. Each visit gives him new perspective and renews his admiration for those serving the United States, he said.

What strikes him most is the progress being made and the troops' role in that growth. One Iraqi boy in particular made it clear that U.S. troops are making a difference during Tippin's 2007 trip.

After suffering serious facial injuries in a roadside bombing, the boy had undergone many surgeries and was still in the hospital recovering. He caught Tippin's attention as the singer visited the hospital, which just two years before had been filled with wounded American troops.

Tippin autographed a picture for the boy while a translator explained who the singer was and what he was doing.

"He got up off his little mat and he came over to me and he took the picture," the singer said. "He looked up at me and then looked at it again, and he walked over and gave me a great big hug and a kiss.

"That floored me," Tippin added.

The child's simple act was powerful enough, but it was more than just simple human emotion to Tippin.

"What I realized (through) the touch of that child (is), our troops know how to be great soldiers, great Marines, great airmen, great sailors," he said. "They do battle the way it should be done, and that was just so inspiring.

"If that would have been our enemy (that found the boy), they'd have left that little kid to die right there in the street," Tippin added.

The Nashville-based musician doesn't have to be oceans from home to be "wowed" by the troops, though. He frequently plays for military audiences in the states as well.

He considers it his reward when, while meeting fans at the end of a show, a servicemember shows him a photo from an overseas performance. It never fails that the photo strikes a familiar chord.

"It's me and them on the battlefield," Tippin said. "That's a cool moment because ... I've been waiting for the chance to see them here in our country and go, 'Thanks, Man. Glad to see you're home. Glad to see you're safe. Thanks so much; (we) appreciate what you do for us.'"

Tippin's overseas appearances are organized through Stars for Stripes, a nonprofit entertainment organization, and a supporter of the Defense Department's America Supports You program.

The DoD program connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.