Seventeenth Annual Utah PTA Battle of the Bands Competition scheduled April 27th
Salt Lake City-- Top high school bands from across the state will compete April 27th from 6 to 9 pm at the 17th annual Utah Battle of the Bands at the Salt Lake Community College Grand Theatre. Music enthusiasts are encouraged to attend and listen to the next generation of talent.
To compete on this stage, bands outperformed other groups at their school and region levels. Eleven bands are scheduled to present an original song and one cover song of their choice. Performing bands include the Kage Hughart Project, 4 X Single, and UpSide! Also featured is Primordial Soup, Distant Horizon, Last Minute Take Out, and UR Friends Grill. The Schwacksters, Sick 4 Sadie, Creatively Bound, and The Rockees wrap up the lineup.
Attendees are encouraged to vote for their favorite band, which will be awarded “Fan Favorite.” Judges will evaluate competitors on technical proficiency, musicality performance, creativity, and audience appeal. Prize money will be awarded to the winning band.
General admission tickets are available for $12. PTA members can purchase tickets for only $10. Family Six Packs are selling for $50. Go to www.utahpta.org/ to purchase tickets for the big event. PTA member tickets and family packs can be obtained by calling 801-957-3322 or visiting the box office. Doors open 30 minutes before start time.
Wicked Audio in Pleasant Grove has generously donated earbuds to each of the presenting band members. For more information about this local company visit www.wickedaudio.com/
Salt Lake Community College Grand Theatre is located at 1575 South State Street, Salt Lake City.
Photo Credit- Todd Hougaard
Photos of the Kage Hughart Project from Olympus High and UpSide! From Bountiful High
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About Utah PTA Battle of the Bands--
Tickets are available for media giveaways. Contact Betty Shaw at betty@utahpta.org to make arrangements. Tickets are also available for members of the media to attend the event.
Band members are available for performances before the event and PTA representatives are available for interviews.
4 X Single will perform “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd and “I Want You Around.”
Kage Hughart Project will play “I Don’t Need No Doctor” by John Mayer and “Half Hearted.”
UpSide! will present “Talk Too Much” by COIN and “A-Concept.”
Primordial Soup will play “Same About You” by A Day to Remember and “Tearing Me Apart.”
Distant Horizon will feature “Lane Boy” by Twenty One Pilots and “Blonde Sky.”
Last Minute Take Out will treat us to “Heartbreaker” by Pat Benatar and “Already Won.”
UR Friends Grill will deliver “The Night We Met” by Lord Huron and “Made of Glass.”
The Schwacksters has scheduled “Starlight” by Muse and “One Million Words.”
Sick 4 Sadie will offer “Good Times, Bad Times” by Led Zeppelin and “Long Way Down/Snakes.”
Creatively Bound will highlight “Use Somebody”by Kings of Leon and “Dark Days.”
The Rockees will treat us to “Hey Jude”by The Beatles and “Come Along with Me.”
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Score A Workplace Win With These
5 Traits of Successful Athletes
When Tiger Woods thrilled the sports world by winning The Masters golf tournament, many golf experts and fans viewed his triumph as inspirational.
After all, the 43-year-old Woods demonstrated not just athletic skills, but also mental strength that allowed him to overcome declining physical prowess and years of adversity that included a sex scandal, divorce and numerous back and knee surgeries.
For high-performing athletes, that’s not so unusual because mental attitude is often critical to success in sports. But the same can be true in the workplace for those willing to learn from the practices of athletes and apply them in their own lives, says Grant Parr (www.gameperformance.com), a mental sports performance coach and the author of The Next One Up Mindset: How To Prepare For The Unknown.
The key, Parr says, is to be prepared when big opportunities arrive – sometimes unexpectedly, as it did for Woods.
“Many of the demands we face at work are not so different than those faced by high-caliber athletes,” Parr says. “The need for mental toughness in the face of chaos and adversity is similar.
“But what happens when a big moment is at hand, like a promotion, and people aren’t ready for it? What did they not do to be properly prepared? The world is filled with unexpected opportunities for greatness, and there are processes that athletes and people in all types of positions can execute to get prepared for that moment.”
Parr focuses on five areas where athletic examples can be applied toward readiness and success in the workplace:
Applying grit in the face of adversity. “Handling adversity starts with being flexible,” Parr says. “Take difficult people you have to deal with; you must be able to adapt and adjust, know when to let things roll off your back and when to stand your ground. Or when you’ve missed your sales quota, you lose key people, etc., the stress can be enormous. These are times you have to rely on your inner warrior and draw on your past examples of strong mental performance.”
Turning crisis into opportunity. Some athletes are summoned to a bigger role because the performer in front of them is ineffective or hurt. “Can you see opportunity when everyone else sees uncertainty?” Parr asks. “When others react with fright, you can choose mental might.”
Embracing your role. Every team requires people who fulfill their roles. Part of embracing your role is recognizing that the team’s needs are bigger than your own. “Rock your role, and people will notice,” Parr says. “But keep aspiring, studying the practices of those in higher roles, and you’ll be fully prepared for advancement when it comes.”
Visualizing success. So critical to success in sports, visualizing success is just as vital in business. “See the performance as you wish it to go,” Parr says. “See yourself performing with energy and confidence; pump yourself up with positive talk.”
Assuming leadership. “Doing your best, showing enthusiasm and trustworthiness help establish a culture that lifts everyone up,” Parr says. ”Showing leadership when you don’t have a formal title allows you to develop the skills you’ll need when an opportunity arises and offers evidence you’re the one to fulfill that opportunity.”
“You may wait 10 or more years for a big opportunity, or it may come suddenly,” Parr says. “But if you’re not ready mentally, that opportunity will pass you by.”
About Grant Parr
Grant Parr (www.gameperformance.com) is a mental sports performance coach and the author of The Next One Up Mindset: How To Prepare For The Unknown. Parr owns and runs GAMEFACE PERFORMANCE, a consulting firm that enhances mental skills for athletes and coaches. A recruiter and sales leader in the corporate world for 17 years, he now works with a wide variety of athletes including Olympians, professionals, collegians and high school athletes. His podcast, 90% Mental, provides a window into a broad range of athletes’ and coaches’ mental games and shares their insights around mental performance.
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A weekly report on education news and commentary you won’t find anywhere else — from the nation’s leading voice on education innovation and opportunity.
PURPLE FOR PARENTS. Parents are tired of getting beaten up for wanting choice in their child's education. And are also tired seeing the teachers they love being intimidated into walking out on the students they serve. Don’t believe us? Check out this video of this Arizona union boss demanding that any teacher that doesn’t follow him on command be coerced to do so.
THE NEA PLAYBOOK. It’s right out of the playbook and it’s official. This behavior - and that from DC, to NC to CA - is part of NEA’s very own book of plays designed to “help” the union and its members attack the charter school movement. This is nothing new of course. For years the teachers' unions have worked hard to message against transformational change. The difference today is that they are actually using the language of Edreformers - like Opportunity, Quality and Student Success - terminology that the charter movement created. No matter; as their intentions are vastly different.
Here are just a smattering of NEA campaign recommendations to undermine charter opportunities for kids:
“Charter school scandals make headlines and color the enterprise...Uncovering such scandal is worth the effort.”
“Critical for campaign purposes is whether the authorizer is elected or appointed. Authorizers who are local and elected are likely to be more responsive to community input.” (Because school boards are so accountable??)
“Our job is to build the case and deliver it to responsible public authorities, and demand that they do their job.” (Hmmm… where is that attitude about the 70% of students below basic on reading and math?)
“Find an interested journalist and present them with a storyline, background and supporting documentation. Studies that ferret out bad actors can get a day’s press. Themes need to be identified and repeated again and again with diverse audiences and opportunities.”
“Sometimes the future is hard to see. In the case of charter schools, it is often a few clicks away. States that apply for federal charter school funding are required to describe their strategies and plans for growth. The grant application can be expected to project how many new charter schools the state intends to create, and perhaps even the intended locations or operators. They can be gold mines of forward-looking information.”
“The effort to site the building provides an opportunity to stake opposition or make demands.”
Understand the Opposition
“Above all else, we need to use the right messenger. Our goal is the best interest of the children. The best messengers are students, parents and teachers.”
Yes, they are.
THE CASE FOR ALTERNATIVE TEACHER PREP. A bombshell of a report in Tennessee finds that traditional, university-based teacher training programs have been preparing more highly-ineffective than highly-effective new teachers since at least 2012. The report by the Office of Educational Research and Accountability - the “watchdog” arm of the Tennessee Comptroller of the Currency - has now been analyzed in depth by TN Professor J. E. Stone of the Education Consumers Foundation, who says “the implications are profound. The teacher prep programs are holding down disadvantaged children and undermining Tennessee's educational improvement efforts," whereas Teach for America and various other of Tennessee's alternative teacher preparation programs have been producing the opposite - about a third more highly-effective than highly-ineffective new teachers. As Prof Stone suggests, this data makes the case for applying budgetary incentives to the universities.
CAPONE WOULD BE PROUD. The Chicago public school system is withholding millions of dollars from charters that were guaranteed to them under a law enacted under former Governor Bruce Rauner, until the charters agree to support a new funding formula that would mean less money for charter public school students, as if that makes any sense. The establishment expects that the charters may have to accede to their outrageous demands because the new anti-charter Mayor Lori Lightfoot plans to replace charter friendly school board members with not so friendly. Charters should hold the line, demand what is rightfully theirs and let the legislature intervene if they want to change the law back to when charters received 70 cents on the dollar.
AUSTIN CHARTER SENDS 100% OF GRADUATING CLASS ONTO COLLEGE. More bad news for the anti-charter mob comes from Austin, Texas and this news item that all 83 seniors in the IDEA Montropolis graduating class are heading to colleges and universities. This is the 13th graduating class from IDEA Public Schools which enrolls 45,000 students in 79 schools and has an unbroken 100% success record of its graduates being accepted to colleges and universities. We’d love to hear the Teachers Union pitch to these students telling them they would have been better off in a school mandated by the zip code.
HELP US HELP YOU. We really would prefer to be bringing you a bed of roses instead a thornbush, but when kids lives are stake, you need to know what’s really going on. Teachers and parents deserve better than being a political football for labor politics.
If you agree, join our cause now. Every dollar can help us counteract the inaccurate and harmful narrative.
Founded in 1993, the Center for Education Reform aims to expand educational opportunities that lead to improved economic outcomes for all Americans — particularly our youth — ensuring that conditions are ripe for innovation, freedom and flexibility throughout U.S. education.
MEGAFAUNA
PREMIERE "IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE"
WITH CULTURE COLLIDE
LISTEN HERE
Photo credit: Michael Worchel
NEW ALBUM GHOST COAST DUE OUT 5/24
ON TOUR NOW
April 25, 2019 - Austin, TX - Psychedelic/grunge band Megafauna are premiering their new single "Is There Anything Else" exclusively today with Culture Collide. Stream HERE. Inspired by Andy Warhol's famous drag queen, Jackie Curtis, "Is There Anything Else" is about "coming to the end of a phase in life and wondering what to do next," bandleader Dani Neff explains. "On a more universal scale, the song is about modern life today...Everything has been done, so what now?" The inquisitive track is the lead single from Megafauna's upcoming album, Ghost Coast, due out 5/24. In support, the band will embark on a US tour, kicking off with a hometown release show at Empire Control Room in Austin on 5/25. See below for a full list of dates. For more information on Megafauna, please visit: http://www.megafaunamusic.com.
Led by singer/shredder Dani Neff, who was dubbed the "next Annie Clark" by Phoenix New Times, Megafauna blend raw garage energy, prog-rock flash and infectious riffs into a sound that is just as face-melting as it is melodic. To date, they've released four albums, leading to praise from Noisey, Stereogum, The Austin Chronicle, Consequence of Sound and more, and support slots with artists like Cursive, Wavves, White Denim, Mission of Burma, Mineral and All them Witches.
Now, Megafauna are ready to release their fifth LP, Ghost Coast, on 5/24. Most of the album was recorded from May 2017 to Fall 2018 at Tiny Telephone-an all analog studio in San Francisco-with producers, James Riotto (John Vanderslice, Shannon and the Clams) and Curtis Roush (The Bright Light Social Hour) while the Camp Fire Wildfire raged around them. Amid destruction both physical and political, Megafauna explore on the album themes of solitude and the search for fulfillment and connection in a world that seems to be on the brink of destruction.
"Is There Anything Else", the lead single from Ghost Coast, will be available on all online platforms tomorrow, 4/26.
For more on Megafauna:
https://www.facebook.com/mymegafauna
https://twitter.com/megafaunaatx
https://www.instagram.com/megafaunamusic/
Ghost Coast
1. Meteor City
2. Light Knife
3. Mishka
4. Is There Anything Else
5. Left The Sound
6. Mania Beam
7. Interlude
8. Shadow Beach
9. Fluorescent Super Moment
10. Holy Me Sky
11. Matriarchy
Tour Dates:
4/26 - Norman Music Festival - Norman, OK
4/27 - The Deli - Norman, OK
4/28 - Circuit of Americas - Austin, TX (MS 150 Finishing Line Party)
5/25 - Empire Control Room - Austin, TX (album release show)
5/30 - Neurolux - Boise, ID
5/31 - Tractor Tavern - Seattle, WA
6/1 - The Plaid Pig - Tacoma, WA
6/2 - Mississippi Studios - Portland, OR
6/5 - Blue Lamp - Sacramento, CA
6/6 - Neck of the Woods - San Francisco, CA
6/7 - The Lexington - Los Angeles, CA
6/8 - Winston's - San Diego, CA
6/11 - Yucca Tap Room - Tempe, AZ
6/13 - Surly Wench - Tucson, AZ
6/14 - Inside Out - Albuquerque, NM
6/15 - The Deadhorse - San Angelo, TX
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YMCA to Honor Ogden Jazz Legend Joe McQueen and N. Ogden Mayor Brent Taylor at Annual Charity Breakfast Event raises funds to support preschool, afterschool and summer educational programing for children from low-income families in Weber County.
Salt Lake City, Utah, April 25, 2019 – The YMCA of Northern Utah will hold its 2019 Ogden Awards Breakfast on Wednesday, June 5 at the Eccles Conference Center in downtown Ogden. Doors open at 7:30am and the program starts at 8am.
Titled A Benefit for Kids to Reach the Stars, the Ogden Awards Breakfast will raise funds for needs based scholarships that will allow children from low-income families in Weber County to access preschool, afterschool and summer educational programs. The YMCA of Northern Utah operates 7 preschools sites, 28 afterschool program sites, 10 summer day camp sites and 2 overnight residential summer camps which serve over 3,500 children annually in our region, providing children with high quality education, character development and skills which will prepare them to succeed in life. Over 75% of children in the Y's programs come from lowincome families and the Y distributes over $1.7million in needs based scholarships annually to ensure that every child is able to access these critical programs.
Every year at the Ogden Awards Breakfast the Y honors community partners and leaders who make its work possible and who represent the values which the Y stands for: Youth Development, Healthy Living and Social Responsibility. This year the Y is truly honored to include among its honorees jazz legend Joe McQueen, who will receive the Community Pillar Award for his contributions to Ogden through music, racial tolerance and service to youth and the elderly. As well as Mayor Brent Taylor, in memoriam, who will be honored with the Spirit of Social Responsibility Award for his legacy of service and efforts to instill the values of service and civic engagement to the youth of North Ogden.
YMCA of Northern Utah Director of Development Dusty Heist-Levine shares: The Y is about service to our region and our communities; providing all children with opportunity and access to programs which develop them as young people who are educated, guided by positive values, practicing healthy choices and prepared with the tools and vision to succeed in life. The Y's preschool, afterschool and summer programing operate at the highest quality standards in the state. The majority of the youth in our programs come from low-income families - families with parents who work multiple jobs to makes ends meet, from refugee families, and others for whom without the Y would not be able to access these critical programs for their child's development. We are grateful to Joe McQueen and Jennie Taylor, and all of our partners and sponsors who have lent their names, funds and energies to making the Ogden Awards Breakfast a success for the Y, the families and children we serve and ultimately for our communities.
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For more information, visit ymcautah.org/ogdenbreakfast or call 801-839-3410.
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About the Y Our mission is to provide our communities with experiences that enhance healthy mind, body and spirit while building strong kids, strong families, and strong communities. Our vision is to be the leader in understanding and meeting our communities' needs by creating and adapting quality programs and experiences that provide value to children, adults and families.
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Onstage Ogden presents annual Youth Benefit Concert featuring Bella Hristova
Ogden, Utah—Onstage Ogden is proud to present the third annual Youth Benefit Concert featuring Bella Hristova on Wednesday, May 8th at 7:00pm in the Allred Theater at the Val A. Browning Center for the Arts. Proceeds benefit the Jean Pell Performing Arts Scholarships.
The Youth Benefit Concert provides young, aspiring musicians from our community with an opportunity to audition and perform in front of a larger audience. Celebrating and supporting the music world’s next generation of performers, the evening will feature a powerful and passionate second-half performance from Young Concert Artist: Bella Hristova. All participants are also invited to attend a masterclass with Ms. Hristova.
Selected to perform are: Eliza Burrows (age 13; homeschooled), Tanner Chipman (age 14; Wahlquest Jr. High), Sarah Francis (age 17; Ogden High School), Tabitha Merrill (age 11; T.O. Smith Elementary), Natalie Neff (age 16; Weber High School), Rhett Parry (age 17; Bonneville High School), Dawson Pitcher (age 15; North Ogden Jr. High), Laney Schultz (age 9; Freedom Elementary), Marquessa Torbensen (age 15; Kaysville Jr. High), and Maura Williams (age 15; Centerville Jr. High).
Tickets are only $10 and can be purchased online at symphonyballet.org
About Bella Hristova:
Acclaimed for her passionate, powerful performances, beautiful sound, and compelling command of her instrument, violinist Bella Hristova is a young musician with a growing international career.
Ms. Hristova has performed extensively as soloist with orchestras including with Pinchas Zukerman and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s at Lincoln Center, with the New York String Orchestra under Jaime Laredo at Carnegie Hall, as well as with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Pasadena, Charleston, Asheville, Greenwich, Vermont, Kansas City, Delaware, Columbus symphonies and Orquesta Filarmónica de Boca del Río, Asturias Symphony Orchestra, Centro Nacional de la Música-la Orquesta, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra, and Korea’s Cheongju Symphony Orchestra. She has appeared on Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion on National Public Radio.
Bella Hristova is the recipient of numerous prizes and awards, including a 2013 Avery Fisher Career Grant, First Prize in the 2009 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, First Prize in the 2007 Michael Hill International Violin Competition in New Zealand, and Laureate of the 2006 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis. She was awarded YCA’s Helen Armstrong Violin Fellowship, the Mortimer Levitt Career Development Award for Women Artists, and the Gordon and Harriet Greenfield Foundation Artist Management Fellowship of YCA.
Born in Pleven, Bulgaria to Russian and Bulgarian parents, Ms. Hristova began violin studies at the age of six. At twelve, she participated in master classes with Ruggiero Ricci at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. In 2003, she entered the Curtis Institute of Music, where she worked with Ida Kavafian (YCA Alumna) and studied chamber music with Steven Tenenbom. She received her Artist Diploma with Jaime Laredo at Indiana University in 2010.
Ms. Hristova plays a 1655 Nicolò Amati violin, once owned by the violinist Louis Krasner.
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