We’re launching a new occasional feature today: YouTube videos showcasing some very fine elder musicians who continue to grace the stages of the world with their talents. We’ll start with the great jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal, 83. What makes this video unusual is a short interview included at the 5:20 mark in which Jamal shares his observations about the fleeting nature of life. Listen to music and wisdom in this YouTube video of “Poinciana,” played at the Jazz in Marciac Festival in France. Learn more about Ahmad Jamal at his website.
Jazz Pianist Ahmad Jamal
Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Day of Service on 1/21
Each year, Americans across the country answer that question by coming together on the King Holiday to serve their neighbors and communities.
The MLK Day of Service is a part of United We Serve, the President’s national call to service initiative. It calls for Americans from all walks of life to work together to provide solutions to our most pressing national problems.
Click here to see some of the available projects in which you can get involved in the Los Angeles area. Click here to go to the MLKDay website where you can search by zip code for projects in your area.
Worth Repeating: Tyrus Wong, 102 – Background Artist for “Bambi”
“Worth Repeating” is a weekly feature on the EngAGE Blog that will bring you previous posts that we think are still timely, interesting, or just plain fun! From 1/16 /13:
“In the 1930s, when very few minorities were employed in Hollywood, Disney Studios made the rare move of hiring a young Chinese immigrant, Tyrus Wong, to design the backgrounds for its new animated film, ‘Bambi.’ As ‘background artist,’ Wong created a unique look that contributed to the film’s lasting success, painting dreamy forest scenes using watercolor washes and rendering individual trees with single, dynamic strokes reminiscent of Chinese ink painting.In 2001, after a long career in Hollywood as a motion picture illustrator, he was honored as a ‘Disney Legend,’ the only Asian American to receive the title.” Chinese American filmmaker Pamela Tom has made a documentary film about Wong’s life and art. Click here to read more of this fascinating story.
Robin Hart’s Photography Show at NoHoSAC Opens on 1/21
Please join us for the opening night reception on January 21st from 6:00 to 8:00 PM!
In addition to being an excellent photographer, Robin is also a Regional Programs Director for EngAGE. Prior to joining EngAGE, she worked in the film and television industry for more than 20 years as a producer, editor, and writer for networks such as Discovery, The Learning Channel, PBS, Animal Planet, and The History Channel. Robin has also served as a Living Section editor and freelance reporter for the Glendale News Press and Foothill Leader. She attended Marlboro College in Vermont and documentary film school at the State University of New York at Purchase.
Posted in Art/Architecture, News from the Team, NoHo Senior Arts Colony
Tagged creative aging
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Experience Talks 1/18: Evelyn Seubert, and Carla Fernandez & Lennon Flowers
Tune in to Experience Talks, our “Radio Magazine for the Experienced Listener.” Saturdays 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time on KPFK 90.7 FM Los Angeles, 98.7 FM Santa Barbara, 99.5 China Lake, 93.7 N. San Diego, streaming live online and now syndicated on up to 100 Pacifica Network stations! You can also enjoy hearing all of our previous shows on the Listen Page of our Experience Talks website.
Saturday, 1/18 at 8:00 AM PT: Host Tim Carpenter talks with Evelyn Seubert, and with Carla Fernandez and Lennon Flowers
Evelyn Seubert is the co-founder and President of the International Youth Media Summit, and co-founder and Executive Director of the Teen International Media Exchange at Cleveland Charter High School. Tim Carpenter talks to Evelyn Seubert about uniting a fierce band of global youth to conquer the world’s most urgent issues. http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-young-warriors
Carla Fernandez and Lennon Flowers founded The Dinner Party, a community of men and women who have each experienced significant loss–a parent, a sibling, a partner–and come together over potluck dinner parties to talk about loss. Dinner Party circles in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, DC, Baltimore, and New York City, explore the way loss continues to affect our relationships, work, and aspirations. Tim Carpenter talks to Carla Fernandez and Lennon Flowers about the art of death and dining. http://thedinnerparty.org/
Photographer Bill Rauhauser, 95, Is 2014 Kresge Eminent Artist
“Not many people can say that they’ve devoted more than 60 years of their life to photography, but then again, not many people receive artist awards at the ripe old age of 95. Photographer Bill Rauhauser was just selected as the 2014 Kresge Eminent Artist, as he gains recognition for his contributions to the cultural community of Detroit. Hilariously, when he was notified of the award he stated, it’s ‘an honor that really turns me on.’ Rauhauser’s iconic black-and-white photographs have been displayed at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. They are currently on view at the Carl Hammer Gallery in Chicago.” Read more and see some wonderful photos here.
The EngAGE Blog Celebrates Its 1,000th Post Today!
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading our blog and we hope you’ll stay with us for the next 1,000 posts! The EngAGE Blog reflects our interests in aging as it’s represented in all of the arts, and in issues involving senior health, housing, finances, and technology. We provide an international perspective with posts that present stories about aging in other countries. And we share news and pictures from our many EngAGE communities in Southern California. Mostly, we’re interested in people: extraordinary people who accomplish exceptional feats, and everyday people who inspire us with their strength, humor, and positive attitude about growing older.
Here’s a selection of some of our favorite blog posts that have been published since we launched the blog. If you have favorite posts or suggestions for topics and people you’d like to see covered here, please let us know. This is your blog, so your comments are always welcome. Thanks!
“Rosie the Riveter Lives!” Elinor Otto, 93, became a “Rosie the Riveter” back in 1942 at Rohr Aircraft Corp. in Chula Vista. You’ll still find her working on the assembly line today at Long Beach’s Boeing C-17 plant. Click here to read the blog post.
Actors James Earl Jones and Angela Lansbury discuss their roles in the play “Driving Miss Daisy” in Sydney, Australia. Click here to read the blog post.
People are living longer in retirement with less income. But is it a good idea to use your home as a source of cash during those years? Click here to read the blog post.
“. . . athletes, engineers, politicians, television writers, salesmen, and actresses all have varying norms and shelf lives, sometimes affected by physical attributes or societal expectations. Seemingly immune to ageist perceptions and traditional notions of retirement are artists.” (Artist Betye Saar at left.) Click here to read the blog post.
In 2008, a “pensioner’s playground” opened in Manchester, England. Instead of slides and roundabouts, it’s equipped with machines specially designed to provide gentle exercise for different parts of the body, such as hips, legs and torso. Click here to read the blog post.
And now, we’re off to find our next EngAGE Blog post!
