A great talk with Christina Marie, the creative force behind INDIEBlush magazine – Burning Man, body issues, digital media, creating and investing in indie collectives.
Broken hearts and yoga
There is no shortcut in moving through loss, whether it be job, relationship, pet, or death. In those moments when you’re home alone, without friends or family beside you, what can you do to ease the pain? Michelle Paisley, certified yoga instructor, offers her insightful book, Yoga for a Broken Heart; A Spiritual Guide to Healing from Break-up, Loss, Death or Divorce,” which offers practical tools.
Rap and students
Andre Justice (“AJ”) loves the ladies, and loves to rap. He also happens to have cerebral palsy, so he needed a little assist to achieve his musical goals. He approached Amaru Yawo-El (“Düc”), a special educational assistant at Luther Burbank High School, who also performs hip hop. The power duo have recorded some tracks, and plan on assisting other students with learning disabilities to sing, perform, and record rap with their Anybody Can Rap (ABC-Rap)
Voice overs and impressions
Considering a career in voice overs? Ed Gyles, Jr. is a professional actor on stage and screen, and voice over work. He also teaches workshops on character voice development. In this show, he offers you a few technique tips.
Black voters and family
In 2013, the Supreme Court reversed the Voting Rights Act of 1965, indicating that states could no longer be judged by voting discrimination, inferring the country has fundamentally changed since the Act’s passage five decades ago. The recent horrific massacre in Charleston obviously discounts that claim.
Sheri Holbrook Labedis, author of “You Came Here to Die, Didn’t You,” writes of her experiences in 1965, when she responded to Martin Luther King, Jr.’s request for white people to help register black voters in the South. Coincidentally, she was first sent to Charleston for training, and then to the poverty-stricken community of Pineville for canvassing. Witnessing the extreme change of culture from that of her hometown in California, the experiences of the young, naive 18-year-old deeply impacted her life, on many levels.
Inventions and gold
Believe it or not, there is an invention that not only assists miners, but also people involved with search-and-rescue. Travis Riley, who is colorblind, invented Metal Vision, a surface visual metal detector.
Cowboy music and heritage
Do you know the difference between cowboy music and country music?
Ron Scoffield has always had a connection with the Old West. He repairs/restores horse drawn carriages and stagecoaches (in fact, he participated in the Bicentennial Wagon Train), and plays guitar while singing cowboy music. During the summer, his Red Mule Ranch hosts Cowboy Campfire Nights, which offers cowboy music, cowboy poetry, and a BBQ. Ron’s brother, Gary, was in town to join him on stage, so I sat down with both of them as they sang a couple of songs, and shared their stories.
Storytelling and memories
“After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world.” — Phillip Pullman
Four members of the Sacramento Storytellers Guild share stories, and a little bit about themselves.
Black books and education
The 2nd Annual Sacramento Black Book Fair – held in eight different venues – offered a plethora of informative, engaging, and entertaining activities from which to choose. The Brick House Art Gallery hosted a fabulous Kids Zone, with African drumming and dance provided by Jodama Drum & Dance, and vendors who introduced community-based organizations, such as Sojourner Truth Museum, Sacramento Area Youth Speaks, Black Child Development Institute, and Read Across Jamaica. Plus, the Crocker Art Museum’s Art Ark made an appearance. You’ll also meet four authors who attended an evening at Underground Books: Nicholas Powers, Cedric J. Boy, Kakwasi Somadhi, and Sandy Lynne Holman.
Appalachian dulcimers and heritage
The Appalachian dulcimer’s unique sound resonates on a cellular level with those of Irish or Scottish heritage, and is just plain lovely to the rest of us. Robert Scott of Where Ravens Fly discusses the history of the instrument, and plays a couple of songs on a Appalachian dulcimer he designed.
Conversation Accessories 