An epic love song
Eclectic Edge Ensemble
Okay okay, I know you're tired of hearing this song... but listen to this beautiful young artist's rendition of My Heart Will Go On and I know you won't be sorry.
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Okay okay, I know you're tired of hearing this song... but listen to this beautiful young artist's rendition of My Heart Will Go On and I know you won't be sorry.
This song brings me back to car rides with my mom and sisters. We would listen to KS95 and whenever this song came on we would CRANK IT and sing along at the top of our lungs! It doesn't sound good, but it feels awesome.
Give it a try... I dare you to only do it once:
We will be posting new love songs... of the sweet and sarcastic variety... every other day until Reeling Over Love opens at the Ritz Theatre on Thursday, February 16th! Check back in to get a new dose of Valentine's Day warm fuzzies!
Today, we start off sweetly:
"Born January 25, 1938, Etta James was a gospel prodigy. In 1954, she moved to Los Angeles to record The Wallflower. By 1960, her career began to soar. Despite her continued drug problems, she earned a Grammy nomination for her 1973 eponymous album. In 2006, she released the album All the Way. She is considered one of the most dynamic singers in music." Read more at: http://www.biography.com/people/etta-james-9542558
Etta James singing on Dancing With the Stars
I had the day off Monday.
In that day, I managed to do several times one of the things I generally truly avoid: shopping. However, my first trip panned out to be quite enjoyable because it was my first stop to Garrison Keillor’s book store, Common Good Books (located just around the corner from Nina’s Coffee Shop at the corner of Selby and Western in St. Paul). I have had a gift card for the store for about two years now and finally got the chance to stop in. I am so glad I did! The store is carefully curated just like a great visual art gallery, so you know each book is bound to hold great value.
My hands eventually found their way to this book:
It's Martin Luther King Jr. Day and, across the country, people are celebrating with dance. Get connected with the dream of an important man from history by seeing how people are celebrating today!
Click on the headlines below to visit each event page
Martin Luther King celebrations in story, song and dance abound
"Looking for ways to enjoy the long holiday weekend and honor the memory of civil rights giant Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.? Here’s a handful of suggestions, starting with the Joffrey Ballet Academy’s African dance master class."
MLK Celebration will include music & dance
Taos DJ dance to celebrate MLK
Peabody Museums celebrates MLK with two days of song, storytelling and dance
"When Edwin Cedeno looks back on the civil rights movement led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., he recalls the vital role art and music played to advance political and social freedoms for all Americans."
Tear up the dance floor for MLK
Martin Luther King Day in Minneapolis and St. Paul
This New Year's Eve celebration was my first while living on the eastern seaboard. Naturally, when I imagined how I would ring in the new year the "east coast" way... I imagined big. I saw myself shivering in the cold on the streets of Times Square, shoulder to shoulder with thousands of my fellow party-goers, over-sized glittery 2012 glasses on my face and an obnoxiously loud kazoo in my mouth. Not exactly a dream scenario, but something that I've never done before and would probably be worth experiencing once, right? Well... after much debate, it was decided that no, it in fact was NOT something I needed to experience once. These die-hard New Year's Eve fans huddle in Times Square for a minimum of 7 hours without food, water, or a bathroom. It is usually freezing and unless you are one of the lucky few, you better bring some binoculars for the actual ball drop. In fact, when I looked up "How to Celebrate New Years in Times Square" there were TONS of articles with advice, warnings, and step-by-step instructions. I was not prepared.
I'm still not convinced that I'll never try it. I can see myself, someday, standing amidst the crowd in New York on December 31st thinking back on the montage of training it took for me to feel ready to face the Times Square New Year's Eve challenge. Maybe they'll make a movie about me.
Until then, I will be satisfied to turn on the tube, sit on the couch in my pajamas and toast to the New Year with a glass of champagne... never losing sight of my eventual goal; those glittery glasses are still in my future. After all, 2013 is a year away... and training montages take far less time than that.
Happy New Year Everyone!
Desiree
P.S. Feel like preparing yourself for a NYC 2013 bash? You can start here: Times Square New Year's Eve How-To List
For many years, the television show Friends has been an entertainment staple in homes across the country. It is one of my personal favorite TV series and this episode in season 7 is one of my favorites! "The One With the Holiday Armadillo" focuses on Ross and his son, Ben. Ross wants to teach his son Ben about Chanukah in order to get him excited about his Jewish heritage. Ben, however, only wants to talk about Santa. When Ross can't find a Santa Suit at the costume store, he takes the opportunity to dress as something a little... different... to surprise Ben. His plans, however, are interrupted by his well-intentioned friends Chandler and Joey, making for a hilarious, but eventually successful, telling of the story of Chanukah.
-Desiree
Enjoy this special Christmas song performed on Saturday Night Live by Horatio Sanz, Jimmy Fallon, Chris Kattan, and Tracy Morgan!
SNL Christmas Song
Get More: SNL Christmas Song
-Desiree
In light of EEE’s upcoming production of “Reeling Over Love” and the fast approaching holiday season, I thought it would be fun to consider the 5 best romantic holiday movies of all time. So cuddle up with that special someone, grab some hot cocoa and enjoy the show…
5). White Christmas (1954) An annual tradition for so many, this musical starring Bing Crosby will have you singing “White Christmas” for weeks to come.
4). Meet Me In St. Louis (1944) One of my favorite Christmas songs, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” was originally sung my Judy Garland in this romantic musical. Classic.
3). Love Actually (2003) The holidays can be frantic, stressful, and wonderful all at the same time. Love Actually makes us feel normal in all of our craziness and time after time, it never gets old.
2). The Shop Around the Corner (1940) Only the old Hollywood classics can bring us a love story so sweet, so over the top. Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullavan remind us that falling in love can sometimes take us by surprise.
1). Elf (2003) Who wouldn’t love Zooey Deschanel and Will Ferrell singing together in the shower? Their first date alone is enough to make you smile.
-Emilie
Thanksgiving always gets me a little... verklempt. It's a time many of us set aside to celebrate our family, our health, our successes, maybe even some important failures. Every day I am reminded of how fortunate I am. There are countless things for which I can be thankful and it can be difficult to remain thankful for all that one has in every moment of life. That's why I feel it is important to retain a special time when we can remind ourselves and each other of our good fortunes.
This Thanksgiving I was challenged in a different way. I recently moved from my childhood home in Waconia, Minnesota to the Eastern Seaboard. My fiancè got a job he really wanted at the Space Telescope Science Institute (...talk about good fortune...) in Baltimore, Maryland. Soon after, I joined him here in Charm City, USA. In doing this, I said goodbye to my mother, my father, my two younger sisters, many close friends, and my home of 20 years. People and places with which I had grown so familiar were 1,100 miles away from me in an instant.
I grew up in an Italian-American family. If you're not familiar with the Italian culture, I'll let you in on something; there is only one thing more important than good food and good wine... and that's family. My Grandma Rose treated everyone like they were her family. She hosted meals for everyone in the neighborhood and fostered dozens of children. My Grandpa Frank was the same, climbing up on their roof every December in a big red suit to thrill the neighborhood children at the sight of Santa Claus.
This family-first mindset has reinforced strong and lasting bonds among my family and friends, but has also made moving away from those people that much more difficult. Starting over in a new place can be quite hard and the holidays pose an even greater emotional challenge. This Thanksgiving was my first big holiday away from home and it was strange to be away from familiar faces. Here in Maryland, however, I reconnected with distant relatives and shared in new holiday traditions. In a few weeks, I will be boarding a plane to go back to MN for Christmas. It is a gift to be able to return home, but I can also say that I am thankful for the challenge of being in a new place.
So, this year, I am thankful for the best of both worlds. I am thankful for the challenge; I am thankful for enduring relationships; I am thankful for tradition; I am thankful for technology and the ever-increasing number of ways to stay connected across the miles; I am thankful for my friends; I am thankful for my family; I am thankful for my fiancè and the life we are embarking upon together, and of course, I am thankful for good food and good wine.
Happy Holidays to all.
-Desiree
“Give to the Max” day is just around the corner, set to take place this coming Thursday, November 15! This annual day of giving provides donors like you the opportunity to show your financial support for your top non-profits in the State of Minnesota. Eclectic Edge Ensemble is participating again this year (through our fiscal sponsorship with Springboard for the Arts) and we HOPE you will consider giving to our company. A few basics:
1) “Give to the Max” is an ALL DAY event (midnight to midnight)!
2) Giving is EASY! Just visit our GiveMN.org webpage and click on the green “DONATE” button: http://givemn.razoo.com/story/Eclecticedgeensemble
3) You will automatically be sent tax receipts from GiveMN.org to document your donation
And now for the juicy details:
Springboard for the Arts, our fiscal sponsor, has presented us with a matching donation challenge. During the 10 am -11 am hour of giving (our “power hour”) Springboard has agreed to set aside $8,000 for matching donations! What does this mean? This means that all Incubator organizations (groups that are currently fiscal sponsors of Springboard) will have the opportunity to compete for matching funds from Springboard based on the amount of money they raise during the power hour. All donations made to Incubator clients (this includes us!) will be tallied during that hour and Springboard will divide the $8,000 proportionally amongst projects based on dollars raised.
Truth be told, we will be THRILLED to receive any amount of donation from you, your family, your friends, your neighbors… but if you are able to give to EEE during the power hour, your donation will go that much further!
Another incentive:
Springboard with put aside an additional $2,000 to use as reward money for the top 5 Incubator projects. This money will be distributed not based on the amount of money raised, but by the number of donors contributing to the cause. So it doesn’t really matter if $10.00 is all you have to give: this small donation will put EEE in the running for a $750 first place prize; $500 second place prize; $350 third place; $250 fourth; and $150 fifth. Any small gift can/will make a difference for EEE!
Please visit our GiveMN.org page (http://givemn.razoo.com/story/Eclecticedgeensemble) and remember to Give to the Max!
This last Saturday, I was reminded of how rejuvenating it can be to soak in some live music. I attended the tUnE-yArDs concert at First Avenue in downtown Minneapolis, and left more excited than I could speak in words. I was utterly amazed by how the singer belted her voice with wild abandon, with little concern for whether or not she sounded "pretty," it was absolutely beautiful. This particular artist makes much of her music with her own vocals, making creative use of a loop-pedal to create layers I thought one brain could not imagine or produce on its own.
Here's a piece of the action: a video I shot at the concert;
Sure, it's not quite the same as being there live, but it might give you a glimpse of the excitement I felt being there as a dancer and person. So get on out and have a live music experience of your own; I'm sure you won't regret it!
Groove on!
Erinn
Well it's that time of year again, when we fall back and enjoy that ever so needed extra hour of sleep. For me it is always a bittersweet day. Don't get me wrong, I love the extra hour we get but I miss the sun shining after work a lot more. Even as a kid I used to get sad when I would come home from after school activities and it was too dark to go play outside. Back then I always thought there were little mice that ran clocks; they somehow lived inside the clocks and turned the hands. I always wondered why they made the sun go away right before Halloween (remember back in the day, daylight savings time was before Halloween, not after). Boy, do I feel old. I just thought they were playing a fun Halloween trick on everyone. Now as a logical adult I realize that mice don't actually move the hands on all of our clocks, or secretly live inside of them. However, I have still wondered why it is we still uphold daylight savings time. Below is a short, very dry and sarcastic, view of daylight savings time that I found amusing and insightful. It gives an interesting viewpoint on whether or not daylight savings time is truly needed. In my opinion, vitamin D is amazing and I wouldn't mind it if daylight savings time somehow vanished. Maybe those sneaky little mice could run away with it! Enjoy!
-Megan
My all time favorite Halloween movie. It became a beloved classic when I orignally saw it in the movie theater; I was in 9th grade. Ever since then I have made it a tradition to watch "A Nightmare Before Christmas," every Halloween.
Enjoy the opening song!
Come join EEE after the opening night show on Thursday at the N.E. Social Club. We will have appetizers for patrons and they are offering a free glass of house wine with your ticket stub. We would love to celebrate with you after our show!
N.E. Social Club is located at 359 13th Ave. N.E. (on the same block as the Ritz, a few doors down)
Sip Coffeebar is also happy to partner with EEE by offering our patrons a Free Baked Good with the purchase of a coffee drink when you bring in your ticket stub.
The Modern Cafe is offering a promotion for ticket holders of our show. With a ticket stub, you can receive a free glass of wine with the purchase of a dessert or appetizer. The modern is a few doors down from the Ritz and a fantastic restaurant with great ambiance. Go visit them at 337 13th Ave. N.E., Minneapolis MN.