Burien’s ChoralSounds Northwest will host two open community “Sings” on Tuesday, Aug. 17th and Tuesday, Aug. 24th, from 7pm – 8:30pm at St. Bernadette’s, located at 1028 SW 128th.

ChoralSounds is also introducing their new Artistic Director, Cathy Bleecker, who has an extensive background in choral music and musical theatre. In the early 90s, she served as an assistant professor of music at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, where she directed the University Chorale, University Singers and the “Park Avenue” vocal jazz ensembles. She left PLU to return to teaching high school (Central Kitsap and Bellevue) and then took a short break in her teaching career to study psychology (traditional, transpersonal and organizational) at Antioch University… just for fun! She has served as a guest conductor and adjudicator for music festivals across the U.S. and Canada, working with traditional choral and vocal jazz groups alike, and currently is also the director of music activities at The Evergreen School in Shoreline.

Here’s more from an email:

These fun evenings are designed for ChoralSounds members past and present to reconnect with friends, get singing voices going again, and to meet our new Artistic Director Cathy Bleecker.

But these “Sings” aren’t only for members. Friends, associates, family members and any other singers who might like to come out for an evening of fun singing are welcome! Come for one or come for both…but please join us for some no-pressure, no-cost, no-commitment — but definitely FUN — music-making!!

New Artistic Director Cathy Bleecker.

We will start each “Sing” with a warm-up, spend about an hour learning one or two pieces from one of the upcoming season’s shows. There will be time for some socializing — and we will end each evening “performing” the songs we have rehearsed!

ChoralSounds’ dynamic new Artistic Director, Cathy Bleecker has an extensive background in choral music and musical theatre. In the early 90s, she served as an assistant professor of music at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, where she directed the University Chorale, University Singers and the “Park Avenue” vocal jazz ensembles. She left PLU to return to teaching high school (Central Kitsap and Bellevue) and then took a short break in her teaching career to study psychology (traditional, transpersonal and organizational) at Antioch University… just for fun! She has served as a guest conductor and adjudicator for music festivals across the U.S. and Canada, working with traditional choral and vocal jazz groups alike, and currently is also the director of music activities at The Evergreen School in Shoreline.

Cathy’s theatre experience includes serving as director/music director for more than 30 full-scale musicals; writing, directing, and producing numerous staged choral revues; as well as acting, singing, and dancing. She served as music director for the highly acclaimed Woodinville High School theatre department for six years and was nominated twice as “Outstanding Music Director” by the 5th Avenue Theatre High School Musical Awards judges. Recently, she has served as music director for the Second Story Repertory Theatre in Redmond, and is currently in production with the new, north Seattle-based youth theatre group, CORE Theatrics.

Come meet Cathy at one of two CSN community “Sings” on August 17th and August 24th, from 7 until 8:30pm at St. Bernadette’s, and see for yourself why we are so thrilled about her leading ChoralSounds Northwest! More information available at www.nwassociatedarts.org or by calling 206.246.6040.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Here’s a note from Co-Writer, Musician and video Director Beau Robinson:

Originally written by Carl Larson and Pat Robinson in 1971, The New Depression Blues was rewritten in 1982 following the recession that gripped the country then, when the unemployment rate crested at 9% and the famous billboard went up asking the ‘last person to leave seattle’ to turn out the lights.

Now that the economy is faltering again, “Country Carl,” who grew up in the Standring Lane area of Burien, and Pat and Beau, who lived in White Center, decided to resurrect The New Depression Blues and shoot a video to accompany it.

Shot in High Definition video in the actual Maple Valley trailer park that “Country Carl” lives in today, the trio figured it was an appropriate set to exemplify the state of mind of the people of this nation.

The song includes a plea to President Obama, along with a promise to vote for him again if he does well.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

Here are the lyrics if you feel like singin’ along:

My jeans are wearin thin
My pockets wearin through
I aint had a paycheck
Since they’ve closed the factory too

I got the new..I got the New Depression Blues
And things aint been this bad here since 1932

The unemployment office,
they pay my salary
but when my checks stopped coming
You know I just can’t live for free
I got the new..I got the New Depression Blues
and things aint been this bad here.since 1932

(Instr.)

Now they bailed out the big banks
And motor city too
They foreclosed on my house
and my trailer rent is overdue
I don’t know how they figure
That a man’s supposed to live
When they’ve taken just bout everything
He could ever give
I got the new.I got the new depression blues
and things aint been this bad heresince 1932

So lets ask President Obama
have some mercy on us too
get this country back in shape
we’ll vote you back in Oh One Two

I got the new..I got the new depression blues
And things aint been this bad here since 1932.

Copyright © 2009 Robinson, Larson, Robinson

More info at the “Nickel Records” website.

And this Friday (Feb. 6th), Eddie and his band will be playing it at a tribute to Diamond in LA. Other bands on the bill include Coldplay, Foo Fighters, and Tim McGraw, among others

Read the full story here.

Here’s a video we found of Los Volcanes on MySpace:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Photo courtesy Kathy Tugwell

12/20/08 UPDATE: This performance has been POSTPONED until Sunday, Dec. 28th at 10am!

Crosspointe Christian Presents “A Christmas Trilogy,” which is a blend of music, dance and scripture on Saturday, Dec. 20th at 2pm at Crosspointe Church, located at 1807 S. 223rd Street in Des Moines (map below).

This production is directed by Sarah Edwards-Strode, and will feature live musicians from Crosspointe Christian’s Worship Team, as well as local dancers from Burien’s New City Dance Company:

• Marina Davies
• Sarah Edwards-Strode
• Jordan Kimmel
• Maren Sherwood

Admission is free, with a $5 suggested donation to benefit Pastor Paul Kwon’s fund (as you may recall, Pastor Kwon is fighting Acute Myelogenous Leukemia; he is the pastor of Crosspointe Church, and is also a dedicated father and husband. New City Dance held a benefit for him on Nov. 8th that raised over $11,000).

For more information please visit www.crosspointechristian.com.

To read Pastor Kwon’s blog, click here.
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The poster above pretty much says it all – the Burien/White Center Rotary Club is holding its annual Holiday Benefit Concert on Monday, Dec. 15th, starting at 7pm at the Highline Performing Arts Center (map below).

This concert will feature the music of the Boeing Employees Choir. Here’s an audio clip of them singing selections from Strauss’ ‘Die Fledermaus’ with the Bellevue Philharmonic Orchestra:

Admission is free with a non-perishable food item, and all proceeds go directly to both the Highline and White Center Food Banks.

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The Burien Coalition for the Arts is holding a special Showcase this Sunday, Oct. 5th, which will be a perfect way to Introduce Your Children to the Arts.

This FREE event features short performances by:

• Higline Community Band
• New City Dance Company
• KidSounds/YouthSounds Northwest
• The Hi-Liners
• ChoralSounds Northwest
• Northwest Symphony Orchestra

This is a great opportunity to sample some of the amazing and diverse arts available in Burien.

Performances begin at 2pm at the Highline Performing Arts Center, located next to Highline High at 401 S 152nd (map below).

The lobby opens at 1pm, so you can browse the displays by local arts groups and find out what events, classes and other activities they have coming up.

Oh, and while this is an all-ages event, you don’t have to be a kid to have fun!

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We called it B-Town BlogstockAPalooza, and we had a great turnout (most likely due to the fact that both The Mark and The Tin Room featuring “extended outdoor seating”).

The show featured four bands:

• Daybreak
• Lost in the Bamboo
• Skwish
• Morris Can Fly

Here’s one of many videos we shot, this one an annotated “Pop-Up Video” styled clip featuring the original song “Oceans” by Lost in the Bamboo, whose founding member Ted Walker was instrumental (pun intended) in helping us line up the bands and get the show done:

Click here to view the embedded video.

More videos coming soon, and be sure to check out our new Music Channel!

Only two more days until this weekend’s Burien Strawberry Festival (where we’ll have a booth so be sure to drop by and say hi), and here’s another sneak peek music sample of a featured band.

Today’s band is Amber Tide, who play the Kids Stage at 1:30pm Saturday June 28th, and describe themselves as:

Soaring vocals, 12 string jazz, upbeat blues, wild stories, rowdy harmonica, folk gospel, solo trombone, soulful ballads, the relentless bando-fluke, awful jokes, mariachi swing, the world’s smallest trap set and thirty years of wedded bliss.

Today’s track is “Cheek to Cheek,” a classic old swingin’ and scattin’ song:

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Full Strawberry Festival schedule is here.

Only three more days until this weekend’s Burien Strawberry Festival (where we’ll have a booth so be sure to drop by and say hi), and here’s another sneak peek music sample of a featured band.

Today’s featured band is Mariachi Fiesta Mexicana, who will be strolling through the Festival playing their authentico Mexican mariachi music (and tell me, who doesn’t love a live mariachi band?); here’s a sample video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Full Strawberry Festival schedule is here.

Only four more days until this weekend’s Burien Strawberry Festival (where we’ll have a booth so be sure to drop by and say hi), and here’s another sneak peek music sample of a featured band.

Today’s track is “Slowdown (The 12th St. Blues)” by the Staxx Brothers, who play the Main Stage at 2:45pm Sunday June 29th, and are described as:

A Blind Black Rapper, a ½ Puerto Rican Jagger, and Gypsy-walk out of a bar with one of the seminal Rock & Roll Records of the past decade. Backed by Seattle Jazz & Rock heavyweights Joe Doria, Dave Carter, Andy Coe and RL Heyer, The Staxx Brothers have created a living document that uncovers Seattle’s lost identity as an urban crossroad for classic R & B, Hip Hop and Hard ASS Soul.

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Full Strawberry Festival schedule is here.