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The second-annual Launch Music Conference, founded by Rick Gadd (of Decadent Suite Records) and Jeremy Weiss (of CI Records), was a combination of networking, live entertainment, and an extensive amount of music industry knowledge led by many notable professionals in the industry.

Launch had something for musicians and non-musicians alike. Fans could hang out, talk to bands one-on-one, and stick around for several shows later in the day. Music industry professionals had the opportunity to catch up with one another and meet up-and-coming artists. Students were provided with an educational view of the industry and the opportunity to connect with bands and professionals on an informative and intimate level.

A few of the bands included Sudden Ascent, Digital Elvis, Johnny Action Figure, Darry Miller and the Veil, Texas in July, An Early Ending, Free the Fallen, With Life in Mind, This or the Apocalypse, The Beggar Folk, Greene Reveal, Kingsfoil, Ace Augustine, and more. A few Millersville University student bands were also included in the lineup on Saturday evening – Yesterday’s Listeners and Ghost House.

Speaking to bassist Matt Corey of “Greene Reveal”, he was thrilled to see how popular the Lancaster music scene was. He was also grateful that such an extensive conference was held to promote local and state-wide bands.

Panels, workshops, and seminars were held by industry professionals in an effective and informal manner – many of these individuals were open to all questions and genuinely wanted feedback from audience members. A few of the many speakers included Tom Bejgrowicz from Man Alive Design (who designed for bands like The Fray), Matt Friction from “The Pink Spiders,” David Silbaugh (the Rock Committee Chair and Chapter – Board Advisor for the Grammys), and Bruce Warren (WXPN Program Director and Executive Producer of the World Café). The speakers were honest, blunt, and refused to sugarcoat their responses. They were also incredibly approachable and open to meeting people post-discussion.

The informality of the conference is what made the weekend so memorable and beneficial. The connection made between students, fans, professionals, and musicians was the whole point to the conference. It was an excellent opportunity to expand knowledge of the music industry, share stories with others, and support local bands. It was an ideal weekend to join with those who share in the passion and love of music.

Launch Music Conference was something that should not have been missed. The excitement could be felt through every live performance and seen in every face. It was a busy weekend, but I cannot wait to see what Launch has in store for next year’s conference. For more detailed information of the 2010 Launch Music Conference, including a lineup of speakers and musicians, please visit www.launchmusicconference.com

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The first long poem, “Milk,” was read in a calm and timid voice. Dr. Fink brought his personality to the background in order to highlight the speaker of the poem. “Milk” described a child’s consciousness and the system of language they apply as they mature. Dr. Fink said it describes a child’s “conscious intentions with unconscious outcomes.”

Flowing from one poem to the next, Dr. Fink brought a different voice and personality to each poem he performed. The following poem, “After Taxes,” was recited in a loud and boisterous manner. Dr. Fink barely paused to breathe in between words. It was like a massive jumble of intricate medical terms and extensive vocabulary all mixed together.

Needless to say, it was difficult deciphering the message Dr. Fink portrayed to the audience as far as spoken words go, but the manner in which he spoke helped to clarify the mood of each piece. For example, in the abstract poem “Genetic Whistle Stops,” Dr. Fink spoke of the American government and included quite a few digs to the economy. It incorporated phrases like “They think they know butter, but they really know jam!”

Dr. Fink went on to a few works of short poetry, ranging his performance voices to British accents, advertising fast-paced chatter, French accents, sing-song tones, southern accents, and Yiddish-English accents. A few poems included phrases such as “Do you have to ‘have to’? Does the sun have to? It chooses – you have to,” and “how can we obtain enough soap to wash the ocean?”

Clever play on words encompassed Dr. Fink’s poem “Preshrunk Oaf Offense,” which translates to “Presidential Oath of Office” and in the collaborative play “Invisible Surgeon,” incessant banter with nonsense sentences such as “when you fling your feces, your hands get dirty” erupting from the three actors.

Dr. Fink concluded with a few series poems, some called Non-Sonnets because the form looks nothing like a typical sonnet. “Dented Reprise” series had a creative take on 1960s rock ‘n’ roll in which Dr. Fink sang the phrases to a Bob Dylan song (which Dr. Fink changed to “Blistered Tangerine Can”) and an interesting take on the Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction.”

His final readings, “Yinglish Strophies,” were read in an English-Yiddish accent. In “Yinglish Strophies No. 9,” Dr. Fink said in his thick accent, “Some friends grow out you, or you grow out them!”

Dr. Fink’s poetry reading made for an interesting evening. It was creative, imaginative, and quite humorous at times. It provided a new insight to modern poetry and gave the audience a fresh view of contemporary works. As far as the performing aspect went, Dr. Fink said he reads to entertain and is always looking for new ways to recite his works. This is one artist who definitely goes against the grain.

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Danticat gave a few readings from her novels, some of which included “Brother, I’m Dying,” “The Dew Breaker,” “The Farming of Bones,” “Krik? Krak!: Stories,” and “Breath, Eyes, Memory.”

She discussed the importance of Haitian folktales and culutre iand related them to her writing. The folktale about the Angel of Death walking with God highlighted the fact that the Angel of Death will take everyone; unlike God who “plays favorites” and is selective when choosing who he takes to Heaven.

After tragedies in Danticat’s culture, the people revert to the old folktales to find comfort and solace.

Danticat said that in the earthquake, 300,000 stories vanished in a day. Oral tradition is still a large part of the Haitian culture, and many stories will go untold.

After her return to Haiti, she said that writing about the experience is something which will take time and she does not want to unleash such raw emotion after such a short period of time.

One folk tale she told was about a daughter whose father had passed away. The daughter was distraught and refused to have a wake for him. An edlerly woman tried to convince her otherwise and told the girl that their grief cannot consume them. The girl asked the woman to go to the Land of the Ancestors and bring back her father, for that will make her truly happy. The woman found the father, who gave her his false teeth to take back to his daughter, as proof, the elderly woman returned to the daughter and explained that her father has a new home and needed her to be courageous.

The daughter realized the wake needed to take place in order to celebrate life, even if her father did not receive a proper burial. This story exemplifies the Haitian people.

Danticat finished her lecture by stating, “It is not our way to let our grief silence us.”

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With one final roar, the stage curtains lifted and the first measure of “You Belong with Me” erupted from the numerous speakers. Complete in a full marching band uniform, out popped the woman of the evening – Taylor Swift. As part of her 39 date Fearless Tour, Swift spent March 18 and 19 wowing the Philadelphia crowd.

According to her guitarist’s Twitter, “After 48 hours in Philly, I’m gonna conclude by stating that this town is amazing! Both shows, both nights = BEST crowds. I’m a believer!”

After an enthusiastic applause (more like frantic screaming and incessant chanting), Swift said, “I hope you know just how happy it makes me to be back home! Thank you for being here tonight!” The Reading, Pa native was no stranger to the Wachovia Center stage; she performed the National Anthem at a 76ers game when she was 11-years-old. She said it was good to be back and made several comments about her hometown in Wyomissing.

I will admit I was a bit skeptical about this performance, simply because she is no longer the Swift I grew up listening to. Her music is more mainstream and she now flips her hair around every chance she gets. So, of course I was anxious to see how much she has changed, and I quickly realized these changes only improved her standing in the entertainment industry.

The two and a half hour show was like a story of Swift’s life: She introduced each song with a brief synopsis of the inspiration for it and offered advice to future boyfriends and young girls with big dreams. Swift is living proof of what dedication and perseverance will amount to. Looking around me at the tear streaked faces of young girls, older girls, mothers, and even grandmothers, I could not imagine a finer role model for women. Swift has not only dominated the charts and every major award show, but she has captivated hearts all over the world.

You may be wondering what makes her so great? and I understand there are some who doubt the talent in her live performances and some who think she cannot write a decent song.

Well, if she cannot write a decent song, why has she sold out venues across the world in seconds, won four Grammys, reached six-times platinum in album sales for “Fearless” (ten-times platinum for both albums combined), and most recently celebrated the “Most Awarded Album in Country Music History” for “Fearless?”

She knows how to grab the attention of her audience and connect with them through personal experiences and emotionally detailed lyrics. Her music resonates with everyone. She is completely relatable and that is why she has reached such tremendous success. She writes her songs from experience and is wise beyond her years. Watching her perform makes her age of twenty easily forgotten. To those Kanye supporters, she also hit every note and sang beautifully.

Her CMA award for “Entertainer of the Year” was clearly justified in her performance. Swift knows how to wow the crowd and how to make them scream like they have never screamed before. She knows how to act in order to receive the attention and chants of her audience. From randomly appearing in the middle of the nosebleed section to perform “Hey Stephen” and playing a set for those in the far end of the arena, Swift knew exactly how to work her audience. She walked through the middle aisle on the floor while hugging almost each person, shaking hands, signing posters and finished with an “I love you, Philly!”

Pausing briefly for a few costume and set changes, the show was fast paced and visually appealing. The set was just outstanding as a castle for “Love Story,” a classroom for “Teardrops on My Guitar,” and a fully working waterfall for “Should’ve Said No.” Each set change complemented the designated song perfectly.

I was not too thrilled about her costume changes at first, but it kept the show moving and held the audience’s attention.

The encore was led by Swift’s bass player, Amos Heller, who literally conducted the screaming crowd to decide how many final songs to play. He settled on two more songs and with that, the stage illuminated again and out pranced Swift in a Philadelphia Eagles jersey with a smirk on her face. She even changed the lyrics to “Today Was a Fairytale” to incorporate
the jersey.

Finishing with her signature rain shower, Swift literally took Philly by storm and made the natives proud to call her their own. My ears are still ringing from this concert.

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Led by Dr. Jill Craven, Associate Professor of English and Film Studies, and Associate Director of Psychology Dr. Shawn Gallagher, “Cuckoo’s Nest” was shown in high-definition on the big screen and provided the audience members with a very accurate view of the everyday happenings in a mental institution.

The film was highly entertaining without a dull moment. Jack Nicholson gave an outstanding performance as R.P. McMurphy, an involuntary resident who pretends to be insane. The chemistry between each cast member (Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd, Brad Dourif, Will Sampson, and Louise Fletcher as the overly-strict Nurse Ratched) made the film engaging and believable.

From fascinating group therapy sessions, frustrating card games, and raucous parties late at night, McMurphy brings life to the ward, and aggravates Nurse Ratched on a regular basis. He pushes every button he can to challenge her, and is regarded as a hero among the patients. He also sees himself as “a marvel of modern science.”

The post-discussion led by Dr. Gallagher changed the audience’s perception of the definition of insanity. Is a person written off as crazy because they take risks, they hurt themselves or others, or because they “freak someone out?” If a homeless person refuses shelter, are they regarded as crazy?

Dr. Walter Freeman introduced the transorbital lobotomy, using ice picks up through the eye and into the brain, to stabilize patients. He was viewed as a hero because people finally had control over their family members and patients. Dr. Freeman wanted to bring order to institutions, so he used ice picks and mallets to potentially fix a patient’s brain and take away their initiative. Judging by the end of “Cuckoo’s Nest,” it certainly does nothing for the patient and leaves them with very few basic abilities.

In 1941, Dr. Freeman performed a lobotomy on Rosemary Kennedy which went horribly wrong. Kennedy was left with unintelligible speech and infantile mentality, which left her staring blankly for hours at a time. With the introduction of Thorazine in the 1950s, Dr. Freeman quickly found his practice to be irrelevant- the drug could now stabilize patients without the use of a lobotomy. Dr. Freeman’s medical license was revoked after one of his patients died from a lobotomy. Today, lobotomies are used as the very last resort; obviously drug use is less deadly.

Dr. Gallagher also discussed reasoning for someone to be labeled as crazy. If one tells another they are crazy, will they internalize it and believe it? How do people know what amounts to mental illness or normalcy? Will the doctors and nurses in an institution just assume mental illness among patients, even if they are perfectly sane?

McMurphy faked his illness in order to escape admittance from the Pendleton Work Farm, thinking the institution would be more comfortable for him. However, Nurse Ratched makes his stay intolerable. She has complete power over him and eventually, McMurphy meets his downfall.

“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” was an insightful film and very true to life in a mental hospital. This film is a necessary view to anyone interested in the psychology field or anyone in need of a good laugh. While the film was hilarious from the opening credits to the end, it provided an insight to a world in which most people shy away from. “Cuckoo’s Nest” should not go unnoticed.

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Thomas Edison built the first motion picture studio in 1893 in West Orange, New Jersey. The Revolving Photographic Building was nick-named The Black Maria because it resembled a black paddy wagon (police cart which held criminals) of the 1890′s era. It was covered with black tar paper and built on a track so the building could rotate with the sun, which provided the illumination for the inside of the building.

The Festival began in West Orange, New Jersey in 1981 and is now approaching its 30th year. From across the United States, to a special presentation in Rome, this festival presents 15-20 films per tour date and each film ranges from one to 50 minutes in length.

These films break from any expectation an audience member may have. Some may be educational and same may be completely off-the-wall, yet exceptionally insightful.

The audience was welcomed by Millersville’s Mr. Ben Cunningham of the art department, and Dr. Jill Craven gave an informative lecture on film criticism. Audience members adjusted their approach on the films they were about to see. Dr. Craven taught that these films are not predictable and are usually completely different from the mainstream movies currently out in theaters. She encouraged the audience to take note on angles, setting, themes, meaning, and objects in a particular shot. All these elements came together and enabled the audience to fully appreciate the art of each film.

“The Solitary Life of Cranes” by Eva Weber was awarded with the Stellar Documentary Selection. The 27 minute documentary film captured the lives of London crane operators and what they observed from their “cockpit” in the sky. Incredibly moving and insightful, this film depicted a lonely lifestyle from a beautiful view of the London skyline.

A creative take on stopmotion, “Pickles for Nickels” by Danielle Ash, was crafted by 100 percent recycled cardboard. Characters had a 3D feel, but the fact that they were cardboard cut-outs became apparent when they were viewed from the side. They moved freely about a New York City street with detail down to the very last sewage rat. The amount of work and time that went into this project was solidified with the award for Stellar Animation Selection. The film is like nothing ever seen before. Only eight minutes in length, audience members were captivated from the beginning to the end. The artwork was simply astounding.

Another notable work from the second day of the festival was Debby Wolfe’s “Gordita,” winner of the Stellar Narrative Selection. The 10 minute film depicts the life of a plus-size young Latina woman struggling with self-confidence. While humorous, the film still held an emotional meaning with well-executed shots of the woman’s surrounding and bold views of how she feels about her body.

A full schedule of tour dates is posted on the new website at www.blackmariafilmfestival.org, along with a list of award-winning films. This event cannot be missed if an individual acquires an interest in film and creative expression on any level. While some films were difficult to grasp and understand, the art of each film was certainly understood by the audience. Regardless of style, theme, and meaning of the films, audience members were encouraged to let their minds wander and imaginations flow in order to appreciate the art that encompasses The Black Maria Film Festival.

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Members of the band include Jericho on vocals, Rich Ward on guitar and vocals, Sean Delson on bass, and Frank Fontsere on the drums.

“Chasing the Grail” made its debut at No. 6 on Billboard’s Heatseeker’s chart, something the band is extremely proud of. Gone are the jokes of whether or not Fozzy should be taken seriously and gone are the cover songs. Instead, fans and novices alike can respect the craft that went into this record.

“People always say, ‘Oh this is our best album ever,’” Jericho said. “But it really is our best record. There are so many great songs. There’s a song called ‘Wormwood,’ which is 14 minutes long. It’s a Dream Theater/Rush-style epic. We never did anything like that before.”

The track is so long, it had to be broken into two parts on Youtube, but do not let the length fool you. The song does not disappoint. Thanks to the wild and creative riffs performed by guitarist Mike Martin (Stuck Mojo), the song hits every key note which summarizes the world of heavy metal and hard rock. Other notable tracks include the striking opener “Under Blackened Skies” and “Martyr No More,” which is the official theme song for WWE’s Royal Rumble 2010.

Hot Topic has been promoting the release of the band’s album and they are currently completing their autograph signings at store locations across the US. They kick off their tour this May in the United Kingdom. Previous tours in the UK have sold out and the new dates promise to be just as successful, thanks to the highly anticipated release of the new record.

“I would like to give a personal thanks to all our fans: Past, present and future, for helping make ‘Chasing the Grail’ a success right out of the box,” Jericho stated this past week on MySpace, “Fozzy would also like to thank the great people at Hot Topic for helping make “Chasing The Grail” the success that it is and we look forward to making Team Fozzy as much of a hit as Team Jacob and Team Edward.”

For more information about Fozzy and their new release, visit www.myspace.com/fozzytour and the band’s official website at http://www.fozzyrock.com.

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Younger artists are emerging to take center stage and dominate over legends like Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, George Strait, and Carrie Underwood. And these younger artists come fully equipped with legitimate talent.

Jordyn Shellhart is among the select artists with pure, authentic talent. Her debut album, “In a Room,” was recorded in her manager’s office.

“Recording the album in an office was definitely different. We’re all used to fancy studios, so it was nice to be reminded that it’s not necessary to pay big money for music. Sometimes, music is better simple. I loved grounding my expectations a little bit” Shellhart said.

“In a Room” was released to Best Buy in November of last year, part of the non-profit foundation “@15,” dedicated to empowering teens.

Shellhart, signed to Seagayle Music Publishing as a songwriter and Sony Nashville as a full-fledged recording artist, is the complete package. Out of 15 tracks on her album, she wrote or co-wrote them all. She first picked up a guitar at the age of 13 and began playing the piano a year ago.

Shellhart may be a high school sophomore, but age is nothing but a number for this polished professional. Her use of words will leave listeners captivated, so do not expect teeny-bopper tunes erupting from her MySpace account.

Shellhart’s website show her determination and drive to achieve her dreams. Any nagging skepticism of her talent is quickly tossed aside.

Her self-written biography has character and class, “I am a fan of LIFE, and I believe in LOVE. And I think that dreams are all that you can really count on to be there for you no matter what. So why not chase after them?” she said.

It is clear through Shellhart’s music and personality how proficient and grounded she is. From her up-beat and clever “I’m Breaking Up,” about a relationship ending (not a lack of cell phone reception), to her heartbreakingly beautiful “Heaven Knows,” about the loss of her older brother in 2007 from Type 1 Diabetes, Shellhart proves she can hold her own with the “Big Kids” of country music.

“Musically, my influences range from LeAnn Rimes to the Beatles to Regina Spektor. I’m a melting pot. In life, my biggest influences are my family and my best friend. They’re always inspiring me to be better, and I am who I am because of them,” she said.

Her advice to aspiring musicians is to “love what you do and do what you love, always. It can’t matter if you’re making money at it or not. You have to love music or it’s just not going to be good.”

That is coming from a 15-year-old. Check out Shellhart on MySpace at www.myspace.com/JordynShellart or on her website at www.jordynshellhart.com. Her album is available at any local Best Buy.
For more information on Best Buy’s “@15” program, visit www.at15.com

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