From their humble beginnings thirty years ago as naïve, musically inspired college students from Cambridge, Mass. to what is now considered to be America’s premier independent record label, Rounder Records’ boasts an expansive catalogue of more than 3,000 titles running the gamut from folk to world, soul to socas, jazz to juju, Cajun to Celtic, and beyond.

“Before founding Rounder, we were basically music fans,” says Rounder Records co-founder Ken Irwin. “None of us,” echoes co-conspirator Bill Nowlin, “had any record industry experience whatsoever.”

“I doubt that ‘industry experience’ is a term we would have comprehended at the time we started Rounder!,” interjects the third member of the Rounder triumvirate, Marian Leighton-Levy.

Recent major Rounder releases include Robert Plant & Alison Krause, Steve Martin, and Nanci Griffith.

“We are very pleased to celebrate this very important milestone for Folk music’s most important record label”, says Folk Alliance Executive Director Louis Jay Meyers. “Rounder has been a major part of the history of the Folk Alliance organization.”

The 22nd annual Folk Alliance conference will also feature over 100 panel discussions and over 200 official showcase artists from around the world.

An updated artist list appears below:

2010 International Folk Alliance Conference
Invited Performance Alley Showcase Artists (as of January 10,2010)
Check out my recommendations in red

3 Penny Acre (Fayetteville, AR)
8 Ball Aitken (Brisbane, Australia)
Act of Congress (Birmingham, AL)
Mike Agranoff (Boonton Township, NJ)
The Marc Atkinson Trio (Victoria, BC, Canada)
Albert and Gage (Austin, TX)
Diana Anaid (Sydney, Australia)
Nancy Apple (Memphis, TN)
Grace Askew (Memphis, TN)
Danny Barnes (Port Townsend, WA)
Al Berard Cajun Combo (Cecilia, LA)
BettySoo (Austin, TX)
Blue Folk Trio (Stockholm, Sweden)
Jim Boggia (Philadelphia, PA)
Ray Bonneville (Austin, TX)
The Border Blasters (Fort Davis, TX)
The Bowmans (Brooklyn, NY)
Cory Branan (Austin, TX/Memphis, TN)
Matt Brown (West Chester, PA)
Pieta Brown (Iowa City, IA)
Buffalofitz (Oklahoma City, OK)
Brett Campbell Children’s Musician (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia)
Annie and Rod Capps (Chelsea, MI)
Caracol (Montreal, QC, Canada)
The Chapmans (Ozark, MO)
Colette Cheverie (East Point, PE, Canada)
Chris McKhool’s FiddleFire! (Toronto, ON, Canada)
Kim Churchill (Byron Bay, NSW, Australia)
K.C. Clifford (Oklahoma City, OK)
Rose Cousins (Halifax, NS, Canada)
Ronny Cox (Los Angeles, CA)
Billy Crockett (Wimberley, TX)
Amelia Curran (Halifax, NS, Canada)
DADDY (Will Kimbrough & Tommy Womack) (Nashville, TN)
The Dardanelles (St. John’s, NL, Canada)
Jimmy Davis (Memphis, TN)
Mike Dekle (Athens, GA)
Albert Del Rio (Brooklyn, NY)
Della Mae (Boston, MA)
Dirtfoot (Shreveport, LA)
Sam Doores (New Orleans, LA)
Wyatt Easterling (Nashville, TN)
Eden & John’s East River String Band (New York, NY)
Jonathan Edwards (Harpswell, ME)
Ellis (Minneapolis, MN)
Eleanor Ellis (Takoma Park, MD)
Matt Epp (Winnipeg, MB, Canada)
Eric Brace & Peter Cooper (Nashville, TN)
Miché Fambro (Geneseo, NY)
Archie Fisher (Galashiels, Scotland, UK)
Dom Flemons (New York, NY)
John Fullbright (Okemah, OK)
Tony Furtado (Portland, OR)
Giant Bear (Memphis, TN)
Susan Gibson (Wimberley, TX)
Seth Glier (Shelburne, MA)
The Good Lovelies (Toronto, ON, Canada)
John Gorka (Marine, MN)
Tim Grimm (Columbus, IN)
The Gypsy Hombres (Nashville, TN)
James Hand (West, TX)
Lynne Hanson (Ottawa, ON, Canada)
Matt Harlan (Houston, TX)
Rachel Harrington (Eugene, OR)
Hilary Hawke Band (Brooklyn, NY)
Caleb Hawley (New York, NY)
Bill Hearne (Santa Fe, NM)
Michael Hearne (Taos, NM)
Anne Heaton (Somerville, MA)
Henhouse Prowlers (Chicago, IL)
Tish Hinojosa (Austin, TX / Hamburg, Germany)
Delmer Holland & Buddy Ingram (Lebanon, TN)
Floramay Holliday (Dallas, TX)
Ray Wylie Hubbard (Wimberley, TX)
Greg Humphreys (Durham, NC)
Meg Hutchinson (Somerville, MA)
Bill Jackson & The Acoustic Orchestra (Melbourne, Australia)
David Jacobs-Strain (Eugene, OR)
Jansberg Band (Copenhagen, Denmark)
Jeni & Billy (Nashville, TN/Jewell Ridge, VA/Baltimore, MD)
Johnsmith (Trempealeau, WI)
Jude Johnstone (Cambria, CA)
Brian Ashley Jones (Nashville, TN)
Martyn Joseph (Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom)
Joy Kills Sorrow (Boston, MA)
Jump Back Jake (Memphis, TN)
James Keelaghan (Winnipeg, MB, Canada)
Will Kimbrough (Nashville, TN)
Shelley King (Austin, TX)
Bill Kirchen (Washington, DC)
Henning Kvitnes (Norway)
Jimmy LaFave (Austin, TX)
Patty Larkin (Boston, MA)
The Lee Boys (Miami, FL)
Phil Lee (Nashville, TN)
Lila (Memphis, TN)
John Lilly (Charleston, WV)
Travis Linville (Norman, OK)
Little Joe McLerran (Tulsa, OK)
The Little Stevies (Melbourne, Australia)
Bob Livingston (Austin, TX)
David Llewellyn (Nashville, TN/United Kingdom)
Rebecca & Raina (Atlanta, GA & Austin, TX)
Unni Løvlid (Oslo, Norway)
Luluc (Melbourne, Australia)
Kate MacLeod and Kat Eggleston (Salt Lake City, UT/Vashon, WA)
Madison Violet (Toronto, ON, Canada)
Carolyn Martin (Nashville, TN)
Laura McGhee (Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom)
Paul McKenna Band (Glasgow, Scotland, UK)
Andrew McKnight & Beyond Borders (Lincoln, VA)
Murray McLauchlan (Toronto, ON, Canada)
Shannon McNally (Oxford, MS)
Brian McNeill (Glasgow, Scotland, UK)
Chuck Mead (Nashville, TN)
Mila (Mamaroneck, NY/Ukraine)
The Miles to Go Trio (Fremantle, Western Australia)
Anaïs Mitchell (Montpelier, VT)
Dan Montgomery (Memphis, TN)
Jonell Mosser (Nashville, TN)
Ms. Bobbie’s ‘Little Folks’ Project (Bloomington, IN)
Larry Murante (Seattle, WA)
The Nadas (Des Moines, IA)
Gary Nicholson (Nashville, TN)
Stephanie Nilles (New York, NY)
The Northwoods (St. Louis, MO)
Nudie and the Turks (Charlottetown, PE, Canada)
Morgan O’Kane (Charlottesville, VA/New York City, NY)
Danny O’Keefe (Vashon, WA)
Old Man Luedecke (Chester, NS, Canada)
Old Sledge (Greenville, WV)
David Olney with Sergio Webb (Nashville, TN)
The Once (St. John’s, NL, Canada)
The Parkington Sisters (Wellfleet, MA)
Grace Pettis (Mentone, AL)
Jim Photoglo (Nashville, TN)
Po’ Girl (Vancouver, BC, Canada)
Jamaica Rafael (Lilac, CA)
Joel Rafael (Valley Center, CA)
Suzi Ragsdale (Nashville, TN)
Missy Raines & the New Hip (Nashville, TN)
Willis Alan Ramsey (Loveland, CO)
John Rankin (New Orleans, LA)
Jessica Rhaye (Saint John, NB, Canada)
Rhythm Angels (Nashville, TN/Boulder, CO)
Alejandra Ribera (Toronto, ON, Canada)
The Riders (San Diego, CA)
Jason Ringenberg / Farmer Jason (Nashville, TN)
Samantha Robichaud (Riverview, NB, Canada)
Rockin’ Acoustic Circus (Tulsa, OK)
Roesy (Birr, Ireland)
Kristi Rose & Fats Kaplin (Nashville, TN)
Eugene Ruffolo (New York, NY)
Dudley Saunders (Los Angeles, CA)
Danny Schmidt (Austin, TX)
Thom Schuyler with J. Fred Knobloch (Nashville, TN)
William (Chico) Schwall (Eugene, OR)
Eddie Schwartz (Nashville, TN)
Shanneyganock (St. John’s, NL, Canada)
Richard Shewmaker (Columbia, MO)
Amanda Shires and Her Roaring Fiddle (Lubbock/Mineral Wells, TX)
Michelle Shocked (Los Angeles, CA)
Shtreiml & Ismail Fencioglu (Montreal, QC, Canada)
Elena Skye (Hoboken, NJ)
Beverly Smith and Carl Jones (Bogart, GA)
Michael Smith (Chicago, IL)
Dylan Sneed (Hartsville, SC)
SONiA of Disappear Fear (Baltimore, MD)
Sons of the Never Wrong (Chicago, IL)
Amy Speace (Nashville, TN)
John Spillane (Cork, Ireland)
Devon Sproule & Paul Curreri (Charlottesville, VA)
James Lee Stanley (Los Angeles, CA)
The Steel Wheels (Harrisonburg, VA)
Stonehoney (Austin, TX)
Storyhill (Bozeman, MT)
Dennis Stroughmatt & Creole Spirit (Albion, IL)
Nora Jane Struthers (Nashville, TN)
Bob and Diane Suckiel (Kansas City, MO)
Sultans of String (Toronto, ON, Canada)
Sweetback Sisters, The (Brooklyn, NY)
Switchback (Chicago, IL/Lansing, IA)
Keith Sykes (Memphis, TN)
James Talley (Nashville, TN)
Tangleweed (Chicago, IL)
Owen Temple (Austin, TX)
Gordie Tentrees (Whitehorse, YK, Canada)
Jenny M. Thomas (Melbourne, Australia)
Richard Thorne (New York City, NY)
Tripping Lily (West Yarmouth, MA)
The Trishas (Austin, TX)
Trout Fishing in America (Prairie Grove, AR)
The Twisters (Whitehorse,YK/Vancouver, BC, Canada)
Uncle Monk “Tommy & Claudia” (Phoenicia, NY)
Nibs Van Der Spuy (Durban, South Africa)
Suzie Vinnick (Toronto, ON)
Cedric Watson & Bijou Creole (Lafayette, LA)
The Waymores (Nashville, TN)
Randy Weeks (Austin, TX)
Sam Weiser (Gold Coast, CT)
Kevin Welch (Wimberley, TX)
Andy White (Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom)
Kenny White (New York, NY)
Doug & Telisha Williams (Martinsville, VA)
Jack Williams (West Fork, AR)
Tommy Womack (Nashville, TN)
Brad Yoder (Pittsburgh, PA)
Joel Zoss (Conway, MA/Loxahatchee, FL)

For questions regarding the Folk Alliance 2010 conference, keynote speakers Ken Irwin, Bill Nowlin, and Marian Leighton-Levy or general media inquiries, please contact Alexandra Felgar at 901-522-1170 or by email at Alex@folk.org

These artists are:

Al Berard Cajun Combo (Cecilia, LA)

8 Ball Aitken (Brisbane, Australia)
Act of Congress (Birmingham, AL)
Albert and Gage (Austin, TX)
Diana Anaid (Sydney, Australia)
Andrew McKnight & Beyond Borders (Lincoln, VA)
Asani (Edmonton, AB, Canada)
Grace Askew (Memphis, TN)
Danny Barnes (Port Townsend, WA)
Perla Batalla (Ojai, CA)
Ridley Bent (Winnipeg, MB, Canada)
BettySoo (Austin, TX)
Beverly Smith and Carl Jones (Bogart, GA)
Blue Folk Trio (Stockholm, Sweden)
Jim Boggia (Philadelphia, PA)
Ray Bonneville (Austin, TX)
The Border Blasters (Fort Davis, TX)
Cory Branan (Austin, TX / Memphis, TN)
Breabach (Dundee, Scotland, UK)
Broken Blossoms (Boston, MA)
Matt Brown (West Chester, PA)
Pieta Brown (Iowa City, IA)
Brett Campbell Children’s Musician (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia)
Caracol (Montreal, QC, Canada)
Cedric Watson & Bijou Creole (Lafayette, LA)
The Chapmans (Ozark, MO)
Colette Cheverie (East Point, PE, Canada)
Chic Gamine (Winnipeg, MB / Montreal, QC, Canada)
Kim Churchill (Byron Bay, NSW, Australia)
Rose Cousins (Halifax, NS, Canada)
Ronny Cox (Los Angeles, CA)
The Creaking Tree String Quartet (Toronto, ON, Canada)
Billy Crockett (Wimberley, TX)
Amelia Curran (Halifax, NS, Canada)
Daddy (Will Kimbrough & Tommy Womack) (Nashville, TN)
The Dardanelles (St. John’s, NL, Canada)
The Deep Dark Woods (Saskatoon, SK, Canada)
Mike Dekle (Athens, GA)
Albert Del Rio (Brooklyn, NY)
Delmer Holland & Buddy Ingram (Lebanon, TN)
Dirtfoot (Shreveport, LA)
Sam Doores (New Orleans, LA)
Pippa Drysdale (London, England, UK / Australia)
Eden & John’s East River String Band (New York, NY)
Jonathan Edwards (Harpswell, ME)
Ellis (Minneapolis, MN)
Eleanor Ellis (Takoma Park, MD)
Eric Brace & Peter Cooper (Nashville, TN)
Miché Fambro (Geneseo, NY)
Archie Fisher (Galashiels, Scotland, UK)
Dom Flemons (New York, NY)
The Fugitives (Vancouver, BC, Canada)
John Fullbright (Okemah, OK)
Tony Furtado (Portland, OR)
Susan Gibson (Wimberley, TX)
Seth Glier (Shelburne, MA)
The Good Lovelies (Toronto, ON, Canada)
John Gorka (Colonia, NJ)
The Gypsy Hombres (Nashville, TN)
James Hand (West, TX)
Lynne Hanson (Ottawa, ON, Canada)
Matt Harlan (Houston, TX)
Rachel Harrington (Eugene, OR)
Caleb Hawley (New York, NY)
Michael Hearne (Taos, NM)
Henhouse Prowlers (Chicago, IL)
Tish Hinojosa (Hamburg, Germany)
Meg Hutchinson (Somerville, MA)
David Hyams and the Miles To Go Band (Fremantle, Western Australia)
The Jack Stafford Foundation (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
Bill Jackson & The Acoustic Orchestra (Melbourne, Australia)
David Jacobs-Strain (Eugene, OR)
James Hyland and The Joint Chiefs (Austin, TX)
Jansberg Band (Copenhagen, Denmark)
Jeff & Vida (Nashville, TN)
Jeni & Billy (Nashville, TN / Jewell Ridge, VA / Baltimore, MD)
Johnsmith (Trempealeau, WI)
Jude Johnstone (Cambria, CA)
Brian Ashley Jones (Spartanburg, SC)
Martyn Joseph (Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom)
Joy Kills Sorrow (Boston, MA)
Jump Back Jake (Memphis, TN)
Kate MacLeod and Kat Eggleston (Salt Lake City, UT / Vashon, WA)
James Keelaghan (Winnipeg, MB, Canada)
Will Kimbrough (Nashville, TN)
Bill Kirchen (Washington, DC)
Kristi Rose & Fats Kaplin (Nashville, TN)
Henning Kvitnes (Halden, Norway)
L’Angelus (Lafayette, LA)
Jimmy LaFave (Austin, TX)
Patty Larkin (Boston, MA)
Amy LaVere (Memphis, TN)
Phil Lee (Nashville, TN)
John Lilly (Charleston, WV)
Travis Linville (Norman, OK)
Little Joe McLerran (Tulsa, OK)
The Little Stevies (Melbourne, Australia)
Bob Livingston (Austin, TX)
David Llewellyn (Nashville, TN / United Kingdom)
Luluc (Melbourne, Australia)
Joel Mabus (Kalamazoo, MI)
Della Mae (Boston, MA)
The Marc Atkinson Trio (British Columbia, Canada)
Chance McCoy (Greenville, SC)
Kirsty Mcgee (Manchester, United Kingdom)
Laura McGhee (Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom)
Paul McKenna Band (Glasgow, Scotland, UK)
Murray McLauchlan (Toronto, ON, Canada)
Shannon McNally (Oxford, MS)
Brian McNeill (Glasgow, Scotland, UK)
Chuck Mead (Nashville, TN)
Mila (Mamaroneck, NY / Ukraine)
Missy Raines & the New Hip (Nashville, TN)
Anais Mitchell (Montpelier, VT)
Jonell Mosser (Nashville, TN)
Ms. Bobbie’s ‘Little Folks’ project (Bloomington, IN)
Larry Murante (Seattle, WA)
The Nadas (Des Moines, IA)
Nibs Van Der Spuy (Durban, South Africa)
Gary Nicholson (Nashville, TN)
Stephanie Nilles (New York, NY)
The Northwoods (St. Louis, MO)
Nudie and the Turks (Charlottetown, PE, Canada)
Morgan O’Kane (Charlottesville, VA / New York City, NY)
Danny O’Keefe (Vashon, WA)
David Olney with Sergio Webb (Nashville, TN)
The Once (St. John’s, NL, Canada)
The Pedro Delgados (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
Grace Pettis (Mentone, AL)
Po’ Girl (Vancouver, BC, Canada)
Jamaica Rafael (Valley Center, CA)
Suzi Ragsdale (Nashville, TN)
John Rankin (New Orleans, LA)
Ray Wylie Hubbard (Wimberley, TX)
Jessica Rhaye (Saint John, NB, Canada)
Rhythm Angels (Nashville, TN / Boulder, CO)
Alejandra Ribera (Toronto, ON, Canada)
The Riders (San Diego, CA)
Farmer Jason / Jason Ringenberg (Nashville, TN)
Rockin’ Acoustic Circus (Tulsa, OK)
Roesy (Birr Co.Offaly, Ireland)
Eugene Ruffolo (New York, NY)
Dudley Saunders (Los Angeles, CA)
Danny Schmidt (Austin, TX)
Thom Schuyler (Nashville, TN)
William (Chico) Schwall (Eugene, OR)
Eddie Schwartz (Nashville, TN)
Richard Shewmaker (Columbia, MO)
Amanda Shires and Her Roaring Fiddle (Lubbock, TX / Mineral Wells, TX)
Michelle Shocked (Los Angeles, CA)
Shtreiml (Montreal, QC, Canada)
Elena Skye (Hoboken, NJ)
Michael Smith (Chicago, IL)
Dylan Sneed (Hartsville, SC)
Sons of the Never Wrong (Chicago, IL)
Amy Speace (Nashville, TN)
John Spillane (Cork, Ireland)
Devon Sproule (Charlottesville, VA)
The Steel Wheels (Harrisonburg, VA)
Stonehoney (Austin, TX)
Storyhill (Bozeman, MT)
Dennis Stroughmatt & Creole Spirit (Albion, IL)
Bob and Diane Suckiel (Kansas City, MO)
Sweetback Sisters, The (Brooklyn, NY)
Switchback (Chicago, IL / Lansing, IA)
Keith Sykes (Memphis, TN)
James Talley (Nashville, TN)
Tangleweed (Chicago, IL)
Owen Temple (Austin, TX)
Jenny M. Thomas (Melbourne, Australia)
Richard Thorne (New York City, NY)
Tim Posgate Hornband (Toronto, ON, Canada)
Tripping Lily (West Yarmouth, MA)
The Trishas (Austin, TX)
The Twisters (Whitehorse,YK / Vancouver, BC, Canada)
Uncle Monk (Phoenicia, NY)
The Undesirables (Toronto, ON, Canada)
Unni Løvlid (Oslo, Norway)
Suzie Vinnick (Toronto, ON)
The Waymores (Nashville, TN)
Randy Weeks (Austin, TX)
Sam Weiser (Gold Coast, CT)
Kevin Welch (Wimberley, TX)
Andy White (Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom)
Kenny White (New York, NY)
Doug & Telisha Williams (Martinsville, VA)
Jack Williams (West Fork, AR)
Willis Alan Ramsey (Loveland, CO)
Tommy Womack (Nashville, TN)
Brad Yoder (Pittsburgh, PA)
Joel Zoss (Conway, MA / Loxahatchee, FL)

Please Note: All information is subject to change and more artists TBA.

More information is available on the web at http://www.folk.org

When the Stax Music Academy students take to the stage on December 5, 2009 at Germantown Performing Arts Center in Memphis to salute some of the most popular female singers in American history, they will be joined by one of the most internationally renowned soul and gospel singers in the industry, Candi Staton.

The concert – “HEY SISTA, SOUL SISTA: A Salute to the Divas of Soul, Jazz, Pop, & R&B” – features all ensembles of the Stax Music Academy performing songs by the likes of Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Diana Ross, Patti LaBelle, Chaka Kahn, and numerous others, including contemporary stars Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, and Jennifer Hudson. The show will also feature a special tribute to the late soul singer and Tony-nominated actress Phyllis Hyman.

Staton, perhaps known for her monster disco hit “Young Hearts Run Free” an began singing in gospel choirs in the 1950s followed by a career in soul music that earned her some 16 R&B hits and 2 Grammy nominations from Rick Hall’s legendary Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals. After decades of being one of the most sought-after gospel singers in the world, n 2000 she released her 11^th album, Here’s a Blessing. Following the release of a well-received compilation of her Fame-era material (2004’s Candi Staton), Staton returned to secular music in the form of 2006’s His Hands.

The evening will also feature a tribute to former Bar-Kays trumpet player Ben Cauley and the first presentation of the Ben Cauley Honorary Scholarships to Stax Music Academy students.  The scholarships was founded in September 2008 by the Stax Music Academy and the Memphis-based law firm of Glassman, Edwards, Wade & Wyatt, PC, and will distribute $100,000 over a five-year period.

The Stax Music Academy’s SNAP! After School Winter Concert at Germantown Performing Arts Center on Saturday, December 5, 2009 begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 each (reserved seating) and may be purchased at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, 926 E. McLemore Avenue, or by calling 901-946-2535.

Partners for the concert include ArtsMemphis, SunTrust Bank, Thomas & Betts, Knox Phillips, Amro Music, Lenny’s Sub Shop, and Glassman, Edwards, Wade & Wyatt, PC.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Flashback Friday: Candi Staton (patranila.blogspot.com)
• Aretha’s Still A Diva! (perezhilton.com)
• The History of Soul Music (psychedelichippiemusic.blogspot.com)
• Otis Redding – Videos (liveactivecultures.net)
• Blige, Brown to perform at Vienna Jackson tribute (thestar.com)

After a decade of darkness, tonight is the grand re-opening of Starry Nights—the Mid-South’s most spectacular drive-through holiday light show. The event is presented by First Tennessee and will run from November 27 through January 2, featuring dozens of enormous holiday displays illuminated with a million and a half environmentally friendly LED lights. And this year, Shelby Farms Park is closing the show to cars on November 30 for a special one-night-only event at which visitors can run, walk, jog, skate, or bike the Starry Nights for the first time!

Starry Nights, which was originally created by MIFA and ran each holiday season from 1994-1999, became a beloved holiday tradition for many Mid-South families. This is the first time the show will be open to pedestrians. The 2-mile route winds through the park, giving visitors on foot and bike a rare and unique view of the giant exhibits others only see through a car window. The loop begins at the Park entrance off Walnut Grove Road and Farm Road, and it ends at the Park’s Visitor Center with a holiday party featuring complimentary cocoa and snacks, and a visit from Santa!

The cost of entry for this exclusive event is $20 per adult, $10 for kids 10 and under and free for strollers. The event begins at 6pm and ends at 10pm. Proceeds benefit the nonprofit Shelby Farms Park Conservancy. Run, Walk or Ride the Starry Nights is hosted by Jim Jaggers and the Memphis Grizzlies.

More information about Starry Nights below:

Shelby Farms Park Conservancy went back to the drawing board to re-imagine Starry Nights, and all the displays visitors will see are newly designed, constructed and wrapped with lights in 2009.

Some of the new displays will have environmental and natural themes, along with traditional holiday features and fun, whimsical pieces. Also new to the event will be a major gift shop and holiday village where visitors can purchase coffee, cocoa, keepsakes, the Starry Nights soundtrack, gifts and ornaments.

“Our vision for Starry Nights is to create something truly magical and unrivaled by any but the very best national holiday light shows,” said Masson. “And what better time than now to give Mid-Southerners a fun, affordable and unique holiday experience?”

Starry Nights will once again have a musical soundtrack, featuring local musicians coordinated by Dean Deyo of Memphis Music Foundation. Regena Bearden of the Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau is chairing the marketing committee.

“The return of Starry Nights is a great addition to Memphis’ regional attractions,” said Kevin Kane, president and CEO of Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau. “It’s an opportunity to draw visitors to our city, boosting tourism and business during the holiday season. Starry Nights Memphis, like Shelby Farms Park, makes Memphis a better place to live, which makes Memphis a better place to visit.”

Starry Nights will open at Shelby Farms Park the day after Thanksgiving, November 27, and will run each evening until January 2, open from 6-10pm on Monday through Thursday and 6-11pm on the weekend. Prices will be $20 per car, $35 per shuttle, $50 for a minibus, and $150 for motor coaches. Visit www.starrynightsmemphis.org, become a fan of Starry Nights on Facebook, or call (901)-767-PARK for more information.

Proceeds from Starry Nights will benefit the Shelby Farms Park Conservancy, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization working to help Shelby Farms Park reach its potential as a celebrated 21st century park that defines and shapes a great city. Get involved by calling (901) 767-PARK, visiting our Web site at www.shelbyfarmspark.org, or becoming a fan of the Park on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ShelbyFarmsPark.

On Thursday, December 10th, from 5:30 – 8:30 PM True Stories Pictures will present The Music Interviews – Series One in Memphis College of Art’s Rust Hall in Overton Park. The evening will include a premiere screening of 3 short documentaries in the Callicott Auditorium downstairs, a wine tasting with paired foods, and music videos from True Story Pictures’ “Songs & Stories” event at Minglewood Hall.

Buy your tickets now for only $15 each or two for $25 at www.truestorypictures.org. (After 11/26, prices go up to $20/$35)

The Intensive Partnership grants will support the effective teaching plans of Hillsborough County (Fla.) Public Schools, Memphis (Tenn.) City Schools, Pittsburgh (Pa.) Public Schools, and The College-Ready Promise, a coalition of five public charter school management organizations in Los Angeles: Alliance College-Ready Public Schools, Aspire Public Schools, Green Dot Public Schools, ICEF Public Schools, and Partnerships to Uplift Communities.

“We are convinced that in order to dramatically improve education in America, we must first ensure that every student has an effective teacher in every subject, every school year,” said Melinda French Gates, co-chair of the foundation. “These communities have shown extraordinary commitment to tackling one of the most important educational issues of our time. We must do everything we can to understand what makes teachers effective and cultivate those qualities across the profession, in every school and classroom, so that all students can benefit.”

The foundation announced a year ago that investments in effective teaching would be a critical component of its education strategy, a decision based on a well-established body of evidence that shows teachers are the most important school-based factor in student achievement. Researchers have noted only half as much variation in student achievement between schools as across classrooms within the same school, underscoring the impact of teachers on student learning.

“Decades of research and our own grant making provide clear evidence that supports the growing consensus among policymakers and parents alike that teachers matter most when it comes to student achievement,” said Vicki L. Phillips, Director of Education, College-Ready, at the foundation. “Today’s investments will help these districts and school networks—and in time, all districts—develop better systems to identify and reward great teachers, make sure the highest-need students have access to the most effective teachers every year, and give all teachers the support they need to improve.”

The announcement of the Intensive Partnership grants culminated a yearlong competitive application process that brought together school district, school board, and local teacher union leadership to develop comprehensive and innovative reform plans. Each of the selected communities demonstrated a broad-based commitment to raising student achievement, with an emphasis on reforming how teachers are recruited, evaluated, supported, retained, and rewarded. They also represent a mix of large and mid-size urban school systems with diverse populations.

For information on the investments announced today, please visit: http://www.gatesfoundation.org/education.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people—especially those with the fewest resources—have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Jeff Raikes and Co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.

Related articles by Zemanta

• THE INFLUENCE GAME: Bill Gates sways govt dollars (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• States Mold School Policies to Win New Federal Money (nytimes.com)
• Bill Gates makes big push on education reform (msnbc.msn.com)

The event, called “Film Storm: Creative Conversations about Entrepreneurship and Independent Film,” which is being sponsored by the Memphis Film Commission, will consist of a brainstorming session on the development, funding and marketing of independent films in today’s marketplace.   Fuel Film recognized that although the digital revolution greatly decreased the cost of producing a film, to have a successful and sustainable career in filmmaking, cash is still king.

“The problem is not the lack of ideas or creativity,” says Matt Beickert, one of the founders of Fuel Film, “the problem is a lack of funding options to not only produce a film, but to actually promote it.”

An independent film movement has definitely been brewing for many years.  The days that film producers wait to be picked up by a distributor and give away all of their rights with minuscule profits, if any, are slowly fading away.  They are looking outside of Hollywood for solutions, reaching their core audiences in unconventional ways via the Internet and word of mouth.  They are also looking for financing outside of the very closed Hollywood system.

Fuel Film, powered by Launch Memphis, is a new initiative engaged in promoting growth of the Memphis film industry through education of Filmmakers, Producers, and Investors.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Flick-onomics (economist.com)
• Name Game: Who’s the Real “Hollywood on the Potomac” (mediabistro.com)

In between rounds, fans were treated to a first-time-ever freestyle collaboration by hip-hop’s most iconic producers Alchemist and Just Blaze. They brought the house down and took turns showing off their discography as the crowd sang along in unison. Just Blaze has produced everyone from Jay- Z to Mariah Carey while Alchemist has been behind artists such as Nas, Lincoln Park, and Snoop Dog. This was a rare performance that may never be seen again. After the final round, controversial artist Jadakiss and his entourage closed out the night with classics “Put Ya Hands Up” “Knock Yourself Out” and “We Gonna Make It”

Toronto native, Frank Dukes, will receive the opportunity to record in the prestigious Red Bull studio in Los Angeles with an A-list emcee of choice in spring of 2010. In past years, some of the choices have included names such as Common, The Game, Ludacris, Lupe Fiasco and Talib Kweli. The 2008 Red Bull Big Tune winner, C-Sick, had a hands on personal recording experience with legendary lyricist Nas who together created the track “Film.”

“It would be really cool to chop it up with guys on that level,” said Frank Dukes. “In my session, I’ll try to push forward and hopefully it will stand the test of time. That’s my goal.”

INSPIRING FUTURE BEAT MAKERS
Red Bull Big Tune is beyond a beat battle, it is a full-fledged music program designed to inspire and educate the next generation of music producers. Each of the competing participants gained industry insight and production knowledge through a 2-day mentorship experience with Just Blaze, Mr Porter, DJ Toomp, Mr Porter and Red Bull Big Tune Alum Tha Bizness.

“It’s good for them to be able to pick our brains and it’s helps us to hear new talent and keep us on our toes,” commented Just Blaze.

Stay tuned for updates on the Red Bull Big Tune program at www.redbullbigtune.com.

Check hashtag #rbbigtune for my play by play of the event.

Follow these guys m Twitter:

@frankdukes, @alanthechemist, @TheMegatronDon (Just Blaze), @redbull

Related articles by Zemanta

• Rapper-engineer crafts multidimensional sound (northbynorthwestern.com)
• Hilo Hero: Talib Kweli (hermenaut.org)

Jerry Lawler Facebooking.

The result of the election has not been  a surprise to anyone, except maybe Jerry Lawler.

• Wharton, 65,491 – 59.90 percent.
• Lowery, 19,625 – 17.95 percent.
• Carol Chumney, 10,857 – 9.93 percent.
• Carpenter, 5,181 – 4.74 percent.
• Jerry Lawler, 4,044 – 3.70 percent
• Kenneth T. Whalum Jr., 2094 – 1.92 percent.

However, even though the turnout was low,  the election was still interesting as this was the first time major candidates turned to social media sites to bolster their campaigns, with most having at least a Twitter account.

Candidate                                  Followers   Following   Tweets

Myron Lower ……………….402              12                    219

Jerry Lawler ………………..7,242           170                 221

AC Wharton …………………1,253            1,268              703

Charles Carpenter …………352                944                  120

Kenneth Whalum, JR ……..338                  17                   832

Carol Chumney …………….122                  17                   8

So who used this new tool most effectively?

AC Wharton, by far.

Twitter is a great service to update people about events but it’s number one purpose is as a communications tool – not an rss feed.  Wharton clearly understands this as the number of followers he has is concurrent to the number of people he is following. This allows his followers to DM (Direct Message) him.  Also, his conversational style made readers almost believe that he was actually the one posting all the updates. Almost. He also participated in Twitter memes like #FollowFriday. He used Twipic often to show people exactly where he was and what he was up to.  Wharton made a point to acknowledge and interact with his followers. Finally, and most importantly, he used Twitter to share with his readers some of his positions on actual issues. It was the combination of all of these methods that made his twitter campaign a success.

Example Tweets:

Am proud to be 1 of 450 Mayors petitioning federal govt for tougher action to curb gun violence

@greggwitt Pls DM me yr email address. You are asking a good question that deserves a real answer (not a 140-character soundbite!) Thx.

#FF @seredick, @jameshutto, @tew1976, @kittyokat, @RyunEdward, @stevegiglio, @tanzy1998, @mcwoldert, @bengalkatlady, @MSCHD, @brwnsgr32

@greggwitt This is region’s 1st comprehensive smart growth plan. Will guide development of bike lanes, walking trails, etc. for decades.

@jpdugan Agreed and thanks. Smarter, more sophisticated online tools for citizen-govt interaction will be a top priority.

@IAmStrangeFruit Indeed-fixing the small things creates realm for addressing the big things. Broken windows, overgrown lots, empty houses.

Abandoned/vacant lots contribute to community blight, which contributes directly to crime. That’s why we’ve got a plan to fix this problem.

Attracting/retaining young people is essential to Memphis’ future. http://acwharton.com/platform has real strategies for making it happen.

20.4 tons debris have been collected, 486 county owned lots have been cut in last 3 weeks. More work to be done – but we are working.

Now could he have done better? Absolutely! There is always room for improvement. I wish he had tweeted more about policy and his platform. A couple of tweets a day about real issues might have gotten more people excited about getting involved. Which brings me to Jerry Lawler.

First of all, the reason why I am focusing on Lawler as opposed to the other candidates whose social media campaigns were less than stellar, is simply because Lawler has, by far,  the biggest following. With over 7,000 followers on Twitter and almost 2,500 “friends” on Facebook, his opportunity to present his platform and interact with his constituency was the highest among all the candidates. On election day, Wharton had amassed over 700 Tweets, Lawler just 221. While the King’s earliest tweets in August seemed the most genuine, most from late September and early October sounded like an assistant or other “suit” was writing them (although he did respond to me when I teased him about introducing Lucero at the Levitt Shell as “Luceros”). From Lawler’s tweets I got the fact that he really wanted me to vote for him, but I didn’t get any inclination about what he would do if I did. While Lawler did on occasion interact with @replies – it was mostly just to thank people for saying something positive about himself.

Now, do I believe these mistakes cost him the election? Not one bit. He was clearly an underdog candidate without much real chance of being elected, his campaign viewed by most as a novelty. Not to mention, this year’s candidates social media campaigns were a very small component. However, it is one that will only grow exponentially as people constantly explore new tools to obtain information and in much more user specific ways. I do believe there is something to learn from these candidates’ successes and failures, and most of these observations can be applied to social media marketing campaigns across the board.

So, why is Wharton’s Twitter success relevant, even though it probably had a minimal impact on his election overall?

It demonstrated to his followers two important pieces of information: He understands how imperative it is to embrace and apply new technology and he is committed to an open dialog with the community.

Bravo, Mayor Wharton, bravo!

Related articles by Zemanta

• Jerry Lawler, Jesco White And Popping Corn (newscoma.com)
• Wharton claims victory in Memphis mayor race (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Social Media and a Municipal Election: An Interim Report Card (socialmedia404.com)
• Commentary: Why I fist-bumped the Dalai Lama (cnn.com)