Page 2208 – That Eric Alper

Prince’s Trust Teams Up with Marriott International in Canada on Youth Employment Project

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Sep 20, 2018

In an effort to support youth employment and growth in the future hospitality talent pool in Canada, Marriott International is proud to announce a new and exclusive collaboration with The Prince’s Trust Canada to develop a hospitality-focused curriculum and internship program. The Get Into Hospitality program will initially begin, as a pilot, at four Marriott International hotels in the Greater Toronto Area: the Sheraton Gateway Hotel, the Toronto Airport Marriott Hotel, the Delta Toronto, and the Marriott Downtown Toronto Eaton Centre.

Prince’s Trust Canada seeks to provide work experience to disadvantaged youth that otherwise have difficulty gaining employment. Twenty unemployed Toronto youth, chosen through their affiliation with the Rexdale Women’s Centre and Yonge Street Mission, will participate in two weeks of rigorous in classroom training, followed by two weeks of training within the hotels, learning about the operations while shadowing various positions in Housekeeping, Banquets, and other departments. Marriott International has committed to hiring at least 50% of the program’s graduates.

“We recognize the importance of our role in helping prepare young people for careers in our industry. The opportunity to provide an open door for them to gain top-quality training, confidence and invaluable life skills in a supportive and dynamic environment is key,” said Don Cleary President, Marriott International, Canada. “In addition to being an innovative approach to hiring, this new project provides career and training opportunities to disadvantaged youth and reflects the company’s ongoing commitment to providing opportunity and ‘putting people first’.”

On a global scale, the travel and tourism industry is forecasted to grow at a faster rate than other major industries, supporting 126 million jobs directly over the next ten years. At the same time, the demand for talent will continue to outpace talent supply. Both lack of jobs and training have historically been drivers for global youth unemployment, and the hospitality industry is uniquely able to provide support for both, through programs with organizations like Prince’s Trust Canada.

“Because of the diversity of their operations and number of jobs available in their 229 hotels across Canada, Marriott International is an ideal partner for our growing Get Into youth employment program,” said Sharon Broughton, CEO of Prince’s Trust Canada. “We are thrilled to be working with Marriott International to help more young people build their confidence, overcome barriers to employment and reach their potential.”

This initiative supports Marriott’s sustainability and social impact platform, Serve 360: Doing Good in Every Direction. One of the Serve 360 priority areas is to Empower Through Opportunity by working with leading nonprofits to ensure workplace readiness and access to opportunity in the hospitality.

BMO Commits $10 Million to United Way; CEO Darryl White Brings Together GTA Business Leaders to Tackle Economic Disparity in Communities

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Sep 20, 2018

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BMO Financial Group today announced a $10 million commitment to United Way Greater Toronto to encourage economic growth in the Greater Toronto Area, and launched an initiative to bring together business leaders to work with community and come up with break-through approaches to reducing economic disparity in the region.

“This is the next step in strengthening GTA neighbourhoods and ensuring that everyone has access to opportunity – regardless of your postal code,” said Daniele Zanotti, President and CEO, United Way Greater Toronto. “In the past decade, we’ve worked with communities to build Hubs, empowered residents to take action on local issues and promoted investment in neighbourhoods that are being left behind. But we can’t do it alone. BMO’s leadership with the private sector will ensure that we are creating inclusive local economic opportunities across Peel, Toronto and York.”

Economic disparity between neighbourhoods in the GTA has steadily grown to become a seemingly intractable problem. United Way Greater Toronto, along with its long-time corporate supporter, BMO Financial Group, today launched a concerted five-year commitment to find innovative ways to dramatically reduce the gaps in economic prosperity, and to create lasting inclusive economic vitality in neighbourhoods throughout the region.

“We have a long history of working closely with United Way Greater Toronto, most recently on their neighbourhood hub strategy, helping to make basic services available in neighbourhoods that needed more,” said Darryl White, Chief Executive Officer, BMO Financial Group. “With several major infrastructure projects on the books across Toronto, we must now move from addressing shortfalls to promoting economic opportunity. The insight driving this initiative is that the private sector can play a catalytic role to identify and enable the inclusive local economic growth that can come with these efforts.”

A new model for corporate-community partnerships for building stronger neighbourhoods

In October, leaders from United Way, BMO and other prominent local businesses will begin meeting to devise solutions to the problem and propose ways to ensure that the fruits of economic development are shared in all parts of the community, and not just its wealthiest neighbourhoods.

“Rising inequality means that increasingly, GTA residents live in “have” or “have not” neighbourhoods,” said Mr. Zanotti. “To create systemic change and address inequality at a neighbourhood level, we have to create inclusive economic opportunities.”

“In our discussions, we asked the United Way Greater Toronto about the biggest challenge communities face – and how can we help?” Mr. White explains further, “What we learned is being at the table, bringing our network of resources to the effort from the very start – may be the source of greatest value for local residents. So we’ve asked Toronto business leaders to join us to identify the ways we can bring inclusive economic growth to these neighbourhoods.”

To date, 19 corporate leaders have confirmed their participation in the Local Economic Opportunity Leadership Table, including:

Darryl White, BMO Financial Group, Co-Chair of the Table
Daniele Zanotti, United Way Greater Toronto, Co-Chair of the Table
Ayman Antoun, IBM Canada
John Beck, Aecon Group Inc.
Jenny Coco, Coco Paving Inc.
Mitchell Cohen, The Daniels Corporation
Dean Connor, Sun Life Financial
Daniel Doctoroff, Sidewalk Labs
Michael Friisdahl, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd.
Meric Gertler, University of Toronto
Jonathan Gitlin, RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust
John Honderich, Torstar Corporation
Michael McCain, Maple Leaf Foods
Nicolas Marcoux, PwC Canada
Marcia Moffat, BlackRock
Andrew Pickersgill, McKinsey & Company
Andrew Pringle, RP Investment Advisors
Kenneth Tanenbaum, Kilmer Group
Beth Wilson, Dentons

“Participants in the initial meetings are innovative, collaborative thinkers who will look at the problem of economic disparity through a different lens and what roles their sectors may be able to play,” said Mr. White. “The ideas and projects proposed will then be tested, refined and implemented, drawing on BMO’s initial seed funding, as well as additional funds raised from others who share our desire to be change makers and tackle this important challenge.”

“This kind of partnership is a first for United Way Greater Toronto,” said Mr. Zanotti. “We’re excited to see private sector thinking on this issue, and working with community, government and other sectors to bring ideas into action for meaningful change.”

Corporate partners will work directly with community leaders from across the region to implement programs locally.

While the range of potential solutions can be limited only by the creativity of the meeting participants, there are models of success in other jurisdictions around the world. For instance:

In the United Kingdom, the London Crossrail Project was designed in such a way to create thousands of jobs for unemployed and economically inactive residents
Local Cleveland-area hospitals re-oriented their procurement programs to support the creation of employee-owned businesses, such as the Evergreen Cooperatives which provides laundry services to the hospitals
In Australia, the state of Victoria requires its agencies to procure goods and services from social enterprises whenever possible.

Fred Armisen Tells Jokes Only Musicians Will Understand

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Sep 20, 2018

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Fred Armisen Tells Jokes Only Musicians Will Understand

Fred Armisen’s very specific brand of comedy will appeal to anyone who’s ever removed a wingnut from a cymbal.

Here’s the trailer for Armisen’s percussive special.

The Prince Estate Reveals Powerful New Video For “Mary Don’t You Weep”

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Sep 20, 2018

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The Prince Estate Reveals Powerful New Video For “Mary Don’t You Weep”

Today, The Prince Estate, in partnership with Warner Bros. Records, released a powerful new video for “Mary Don’t You Weep,” a rare recording of the 19th Century spiritual that is featured on Piano & A Microphone 1983, out tomorrow, September 21s. This is the first original Prince video to be released posthumously. Directed by filmmaker, Salomon Ligthelm through Stink Films, and shot in New York City, the video makes an emotive statement around gun violence and its continued devastating impact on youth in America. The video pays tribute to the nearly 1,300 children that die and 5,790 that are treated for gunshot wounds each year in the United States alone. It puts the effect of what happens when a mother and a community lose a son under the microscope, exploring the agony, the resolve and ultimately hope for change.

The messaging in the video links thematically to Prince’s past activist work in Baltimore in 2015 around the death of Freddie Gray and the resulting riots that ensued in the city and beyond. That year, Prince released a protest song titled “Baltimore” – along with an accompanying documentary style video – directed squarely at the need for more compassion and peace, an ever-present theme he echoed through his career. Prince sings in the song: “Peace is more than the absence of war… We’re tired of cryin’ and people dyin’, let’s take all the guns away”. Beyond the release of the song, Prince hosted a special tribute concert that year in Baltimore on Mother’s Day, titled Rally 4 Peace, described in an official statement at the time as “a catalyst for pause and reflection following the outpouring of violence that has gripped Baltimore and areas throughout the US”. Live streamed on TIDAL and attended by stars including Jay Z, Beyonce and Miguel, the event generated charitable proceeds for a variety of youth focused organizations in the region. The “Baltimore” video ends with a powerful quote Prince delivered during an impassioned speech at his 2015 Rally 4 Peace event: “The system is broken. It’s going to take young people to fix it. We need new ideas, new life…”. The new video for “Mary Don’t You Weep” begins with that same quote, a symbolic reminder underscoring Prince’s earlier messaging on the topic and a timely reflection on the need for positive change.

The Deluxe CD+LP format includes a 12” booklet featuring brand new liner notes written by Prince’s then engineer Don Batts, Revolution member Lisa Coleman and Paisley Park artist Jill Jones, as well as candid shots of Prince including never-before-seen photos and original hand-written lyrics.

The album cover photo captures a rare view of Prince backstage during the 1999 tour. The photo was taken by Prince’s trusted photographer and creative collaborator Allen Beaulieu who worked closely with Prince between 1979-1984. Allen’s work with Prince includes the cover shots for the Dirty Mind and Controversy albums and iconic promotional photos for the 1999 album.

Piano & A Microphone 1983 is a nine track, 35-minute album featuring a previously unreleased home studio cassette recording of Prince solo at his piano captured in 1983. The album is available now to pre-order on CD, LP, Deluxe CD+LP, digital release and pre-save for streaming here. The album provides a rare, intimate glimpse into Prince’s creative process as he worked through songs like “Purple Rain” and “17 Days”, a cover of Joni Mitchell’s “A Case Of You”, “Strange Relationship” (not released until 1987 on his critically acclaimed Sign O’ The Times album), and “International Lover”. “Mary Don’t You Weep” was recently featured during the end credits of Spike Lee’s critically acclaimed film BlackKkKlansman. For fans of Prince’s spontaneous live medleys, tracks 1-7 of the album are presented in that same format as they were originally recorded.

Piano & A Microphone 1983

Track list and credits:

1. 17 Days
2. Purple Rain
3. A Case Of You
4. Mary Don’t You Weep
5. Strange Relationship
6. International Lover
7. Wednesday
8. Cold Coffee & Cocaine
9. Why The Butterflies

Recorded in 1983 at Prince’s Kiowa Trail home studio in Chanhassen, MN

Engineered by Don Batts

The Monkees To Release Christmas Party, Their First Ever Holiday Album

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Sep 20, 2018

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The Monkees To Release Christmas Party, Their First Ever Holiday Album

The Monkees will celebrate the season with their first holiday album, featuring new vocals by Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork. The late Davy Jones’ unmistakable voice – taken from vintage recordings – also appears on two songs. CHRISTMAS PARTY will be available on CD, digital download, and streaming services on October 12.

On CHRISTMAS PARTY, The Monkees put their unmistakable vocal stamp on a wide array of classic Christmas tracks, from the R&B holiday standard “Merry Christmas, Baby,” to Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime” and Wizzard’s yuletide classic “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day.”

After helming The Monkees’ critically acclaimed studio album Good Times! in 2016, Grammy® and Emmy®-winning songwriter Adam Schlesinger reprises his role as producer on CHRISTMAS PARTY All of the album’s 13 songs were recorded this year, with “Silver Bells” and “Mele Kalikimaka” using classic Davy Jones vocals from the archives combined with newly recorded music.

Much like Good Times!, CHRISTMAS PARTY features songs newly written for the band by a group of talented songwriters, including Rivers Cuomo of Weezer (“What Would Santa Do”) and Andy Partridge of XTC (“Unwrap You For Christmas”). Schlesinger and celebrated author Michael Chabon teamed up to write “House Of Broken Gingerbread.” Guitarists Peter Buck of R.E.M. and Scott McCaughey of The Minus 5 play on two songs – a cover of Big Star’s “Jesus Christ” and the album’s title track, which they wrote together.

CHRISTMAS PARTY also includes two songs with Michael Nesmith on lead vocals, with each track being produced by one of his sons. His take on the yuletide classic “The Christmas Song” was produced by Christian Nesmith while “Snowfall” was helmed by Jonathan Nesmith.

Over the years, The Monkees’ amassed a dozen Top 40 hits, including a trio of tunes that soared to #1. Between September 1966 and December 1967, “Last Train To Clarksville,” “I’m A Believer,” and “Daydream Believer” collectively occupied the top position for 12 weeks. Sales of their LPs were more phenomenal still: The Monkees occupied the #1 position for 13 consecutive weeks, and More Of The Monkees for 18 weeks. Both Headquarters and Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. went to the top as well, for a four-in-a-row feat in the incomprehensible space of 13 months. The final tally: 16 million albums and 7.5 million singles sold in a mere 2 1/2 years.

CHRISTMAS PARTY Track Listing
“Unwrap You For Christmas”
“What Would Santa Do”
“Mele Kalikimaka”
“House Of Broken Gingerbread”
“The Christmas Song”
“Christmas Party”
“Jesus Christ”
“I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day”
“Silver Bells”
“Wonderful Christmastime”
“Snowfall”
“Angels We Have Heard On High”
“Merry Christmas, Baby”

The LYNNeS and Buffy Sainte-Marie lead Canadian Folk Music Awards Nominations

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Sep 20, 2018

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The LYNNeS and Buffy Sainte-Marie lead Canadian Folk Music Awards Nominations

The Canadian Folk Music Awards announced the nominees for their 14th edition today, celebrating this year’s 96 nominees. The nominees hail from across Canada – from Paradise, Newfoundland to Ross River, Yukon – celebrating the breadth and depth of folk music in Canada.

The Canadian Folk Music Awards take place Nov 30 – Dec 1, 2018 in Calgary, Alberta at The Gateway (a.k.a. “The Gate”.) The weekend’s focus events will take shape as two hosted Awards Weekend Concerts, which are open to the public. Tickets and wristbands go on sale October 1, 2018. Tickets are $35 for each night. A wristband will get you into any and all workshops as well as both nights and is only $60. More information about the gala performance and the line-up will be announced shortly.

Awards will be presented throughout both evenings, Nov 30 and Dec 1, at the Awards Weekend Concerts. These concerts combine the most loved events of the Canadian Folk Music Awards’ first fourteen years – the vibrant energy of the live music showcases and the awards gala – the Awards Weekend Concerts will capture the true heart of the folk community, while celebrating the 2018 nominees and the category recipients.

Established by Canada’s burgeoning and internationally-recognized folk music community, the awards currently boast 19 categories. Five nominees are chosen for each category unless there is a tie in which 6 are chosen. A two stage jury process by 100 jurors located across Canada representing all official provinces, territories and languages determine the official recipients in each category.

The 2018 Canadian Folk Music Award Nominees are:

TRADITIONAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR / ALBUM TRADITIONNEL DE L’ANNÉE
Avant l’orage par/by Genticorum
Gigues à 2 faces par/by Alexis Chartrand, Nicolas Babineau
Horizon Lines by/par Matthew Byrne
Live from the Art Farm by/par The Fretless
Medicine Songs by/par Buffy Sainte-Marie

CONTEMPORARY ALBUM OF THE YEAR / ALBUM CONTEMPORAIN DE L’ANNÉE
Both Ways by/par Donovan Woods
Fifteen by/par The Wailin’ Jennys
Heartbreak Song For The Radio by/par The LYNNeS
Keep the Fire by/par Gabrielle Papillon
Two by/par Gunning & Cormier

CHILDREN’S ALBUM OF THE YEAR / ALBUM JEUNESSE DE L’ANNÉE
Electric Jellyfish Boogaloo by/par The Oot n’ Oots
Grand tintamarre! Chansons et comptines acadiennes par/by Joseph Edgar, Lisa LeBlanc, Robin-Joël Cool, Wanabi Farmeur, Vishtèn, Caroline Savoie, Édith Butler
Highway To Spell by/par Jeremy Fisher Junior
Love, Kisses and Hugs by/par Splash’N Boots
The Superstar Sibling Detective Agency by/par The Swinging Belles

TRADITIONAL SINGER OF THE YEAR / CHANTEUR TRADITIONNEL DE L’ANNÉE
Matthew Byrne for/pour Horizon Lines
Diana Erb of/de Twas Now for/pour Old Fashioned Way
Lenka Lichtenberg for/pour Masaryk: Národní písně
Pharis Romero of/de Pharis & Jason Romero for/pour Sweet Old Religion
Buffy Sainte-Marie for/pour Medicine Songs

CONTEMPORARY SINGER OF THE YEAR / CHANTEUR CONTEMPORAIN DE L’ANNÉE
Kellie Loder for/pour Benefit of the Doubt
Rob Lutes for/pour Walk in the Dark
Catherine MacLellan for/pour If It’s Alright With You: The Songs of Gene MacLellan
Dylan Menzie for/pour As The Clock Rewinds
Dana Wylie for/pour The Earth That You’re Made Of

INSTRUMENTAL SOLO ARTIST OF THE YEAR / INSTRUMENTISTE SOLO DE L’ANNÉE
Jean-François Bélanger pour/for Les entrailles de la montagne
Andrea Bettger for/pour Snappy Day
Holly Blazina for/pour Transcendencia
Justin Gray of/de Synthesis for/pour New Horizons
Dan MacDonald for/pour Rural/Urban

INSTRUMENTAL GROUP OF THE YEAR / GROUPE INSTRUMENTAL DE L’ANNÉE
Andrew Collins Trio for/pour Groove
The Fretless for/pour Live from the Art Farm
Miller | MacDonald | Cormier for/pour South Haven
So Long Seven for/pour Kala Kalo
West of Mabou for/pour The Bridge

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR / GROUPE VOCAL DE L’ANNÉE
The Fugitives for/pour The Promise Of Strangers
Good Lovelies for/pour Shapeshifters
Gunning & Cormier for/pour Two
The LYNNeS for/pour Heartbreak Song For The Radio
Pharis & Jason Romero for/pour Sweet Old Religion

ENSEMBLE OF THE YEAR / GROUPE DE L’ANNÉE
The East Pointers for/pour What We Leave Behind
The Fretless for/pour Live from the Art Farm
Genticorum pour/for Avant l’orage
The LYNNeS for/pour Heartbreak Song For The Radio
Pharis & Jason Romero for/pour Sweet Old Religion

SOLO ARTIST OF THE YEAR / ARTISTE SOLO DE L’ANNÉE
Bruce Cockburn for/pour Bone On Bone
David Francey for/pour The Broken Heart Of Everything
Jolene Higgins (Little Miss Higgins) for/pour My Home, My Heart
Catherine MacLellan for/pour If It’s Alright With You: The Songs of Gene MacLellan
Buffy Sainte-Marie for/pour Medicine Songs

ENGLISH SONGWRITER(S) OF THE YEAR / AUTEUR-COMPOSITEUR(S) ANGLOPHONE DE L’ANNÉE
Bruce Cockburn for/pour Bone On Bone
Lynne Hanson, Lynn Miles of/de The LYNNeS for/pour Heartbreak Song For The Radio
Dana Sipos for/pour Trick Of The Light
Noosa Al-Sarraj (Winona Wilde) for/pour Wasted Time
Donovan Woods for/pour Both Ways

FRENCH SONGWRITER(S) OF THE YEAR /AUTEUR-COMPOSITEUR(S) FRANCOPHONE DE L’ANNÉE
Anik Bérubé, Natalie Byrns of/de Ancolie pour/for Le soleil en bulle
Danny Boudreau pour/for Mon été
Étienne Fletcher pour/for Face A
Benoit Pinette (Tire le Coyote) pour/for Désherbage
Kristine St-Pierre pour/for La promesse

INDIGENOUS SONGWRITER(S) OF THE YEAR / AUTEUR-COMPOSITEUR(S) AUTOCHTONE DE L’ANNÉE
Tiffany Ayalik, Greyson Gritt of/de Quantum Tangle for/pour Shelter as we go…
Buffy Sainte-Marie for/pour Medicine Songs
Shauit for/pour Apu peikussiakᵘ
Dennis Shorty for/pour Gucho Hin
Sandra Sutter for/pour Cluster Stars

WORLD SOLO ARTIST OF THE YEAR / ARTISTE DE L’ANNÉE MUSIQUE DU MONDE – SOLO
Jean-François Bélanger pour/for Les entrailles de la montagne
Daniel Bellegarde of/de Bellegarde pour/for Anba Tonèl
Eliana Cuevas for/pour Golpes Y Flores
Lenka Lichtenberg for/pour Masaryk: Národní písně
Buffy Sainte-Marie for/pour Medicine Songs

WORLD GROUP OF THE YEAR / GROUPE DE MUSIQUE DE MONDE DE L’ANNÉ
Autorickshaw for/pour Meter
Lemon Bucket Orkestra for/pour If I Had The Strength
Minor Empire for/pour Uprooted
Near East for/pour Near East
Oktopus for/pour Hapax

NEW/EMERGING ARTIST(S) OF THE YEAR / ARTISTE(S) DE LA RELÈVE
Aerialists for/pour Group Manoeuvre
Raine Hamilton for/pour Night Sky
Jack Pine and The Fire for/pour Left To Our Own Devices
Mattie Leon for/pour Signal Hill
The Lifers for/pour Honey Suite
Annie Sumi for/pour In the Unknown

PRODUCER(S) OF THE YEAR / RÉALISATEUR(S) DE L’ANNÉE
Ozan Boz for/pour Uprooted by/par Minor Empire
Steve Dawson for/pour Same As I Ever Have Been by/par Matt Patershuk
Jean-François Bélanger pour/for Les entrailles de la montagne Lynne Hanson, Lynn Miles for/pour Heartbreak Song For The Radio by/par The LYNNeS
Chris Mckhool, John “Beetle” Bailey for/pour Christmas Caravan by/par Sultan of String
Suzie Vinnick, Mark Lalama for/pour Shake The Love Around by/par Suzie Vinnick

OLIVER SCHROER PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES AWARD / PRIX INNOVATION MUSICALE
Beatrice Deer for/pour My All To You
Cindy Doire for/pour Panorama
Quantum Tangle for/pour Shelter as we go…
La Suite pour/for Inventions pour deux violoneux

YOUNG PERFORMER(S) OF THE YEAR / JEUNE ARTISTE(S) DE L’ANNÉE
Nick Earle, Joseph Coffin of/de Earle and Coffin for/pour A Day in July
Ben Heffernan for/pour Home
Christian Howse for/pour We Were
Marley Mullan for/pour Fiddle Dance
Jessica Wedden for/pour One More Time

We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of FACTOR, the Government of Canada and Canada’s private radio broadcasters

CFMA 2018 event details:
The 14th Edition of the Canadian Folk Music Awards takes place over the weekend of Nov 30 – Dec 1, 2018 at The Gateway (a.k.a. “The Gate”), in the Campus Centre of the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) at 1301 16th Avenue. Tickets and wristbands go on sale October 1, 2018. Tickets will be $35 per night.Wristbands will be $60, and will get you into any and all workshops as well as both nights.

Madison Beer Breaks Down Her Favorite Instagram Accounts

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Sep 20, 2018

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Madison Beer Breaks Down Her Favorite Instagram Accounts

Madison Beer takes to Instagram and lets us know which accounts we should all be following.

The Final Word On Sesame Street’s Bert And Ernie’s Relationship

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Sep 20, 2018

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The Final Word On Sesame Street’s Bert And Ernie’s Relationship

I’m looking at one of my favourite awards I’ve earned from the music biz – a gold album of Sesame Street’s Platinum Songs collection. I’ve long-loved the program for teaching children about the relationship we should attain towards one another, including showing The Muppets Bert and Ernie being roommates on Sesame Street for 49 years now, and some have speculated that they are a gay couple. I had to give a smile when I read Mark Saltzman, who wrote for the program for 15-years, and Saltzman, and who is openly gay, talkings about the characters in an interview, in which he admits that his writing for the two was inspired by his relationship with his late partner Arnold Glassman.

I remember one time that a column from The San Francisco Chronicle, a preschooler in the city turned to mom and asked “are Bert & Ernie lovers?” And that, coming from a preschooler was fun. And that got passed around, and everyone had their chuckle and went back to it. And I always felt that without a huge agenda, when I was writing Bert & Ernie, they were. I didn’t have any other way to contextualize them. The other thing was, more than one person referred to Arnie & I as “Bert & Ernie.”

That interview went viral, and Sesame Workshop responded with a now-deleted Tweet, repeating their official stance on the matter.

As we have always said, Bert and Ernie are best friends. They were created to teach preschoolers that people can be good friends with those who are very different from themselves. Even though they are identified as male characters and possess many human traits (as most Sesame Street Muppets™ do), they remain puppets, and do not have a sexual orientation.

A few hours later, they updated their statement.

The beauty of their relationship continues to lie in the eyes of the viewer. So, let’s just celebrate the show, and the merging of the world between humans and puppets – even if you’re yellow and orange, and love one another.

Blondie’s Clem Burke Help Researchers Show Drumming May Help Kids with Autism

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Sep 20, 2018

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Blondie’s Clem Burke Help Researchers Show Drumming May Help Kids with Autism

Research has shown for years the benefits of music therapy for various mental health conditions, including depression, trauma, and schizophrenia, to name a few, and also acts as help for processing emotions, trauma, and grief—but music can also be utilized as a regulating or calming agent for anxiety A new study led by Dr Marcus Smith of the University of Chichester showed that drumming could help children diagnosed with autism learn in school:

Preliminary results showed:

A vast improvement in movement control while playing the drums, including dexterity, rhythm, timing.

Movement control was also enhanced while performing daily tasks outside the school environment, including an improved ability to concentrate during homework.

A range of positive changes in behaviour within school environment, which were observed and reported by teachers, such as improved concentration and enhanced communication with peers and adults.

The study was completed by a group of researchers which include Clem Burke, the drummer of band Blondie.

Buck-N-Nice have shattered the mold embodied by many artists, and that’s how it’s going to stay

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Sep 20, 2018

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Buck-N-Nice have shattered the mold embodied by many artists, and that’s how it’s going to stay. The pair — wordsmith rapper SawBuck and deft beatmaster DJ So Nice — have released a new video for “EMAG”, the taster title track off the pair’s sophomore release.

The new LP further steadies the duo’s course in conscious hip hop, eschewing formulaic trends and dime-a-dozen anthems in favour of intellectually focused tracks.

“It’s a thought-provoking collection that challenge the deceptions and perceptions within the music industry,” they reveal about EMAG. “We don’t focus on creating that next club hit or keeping up with the latest trends, and this follows suit.

“It’s purposeful that our music reflects life experiences, the community that we’re surrounded by, and the general influences that have shaped us into artists and people.”

Shot in their hometown areas of Ottawa and Gatineau, the video for “EMAG” plays out like a mobster mega-flick ensconced deep within the music industry.

“The careful placement of visual metaphors in this video represent the many thoughts and moods that artists can have towards themselves,” details the video’s director and producer Patrick Lozinski. Makeup was done by Noure Manuchakyan. “The video was built around the notion that when it comes to success and money, artists are constantly beating themselves up about it.”

“We stayed consistent with the messaging throughout the album,” Buck-N-Nice add. “We have strong principles of independence, which we show and Patrick captures well in the video. We place our integrity above all else, and show there’s nothing we’d do to sell ourselves short and nothing we would not do to stand up for ourselves against the evils of the music industry.”

Their recipe is working and the pair’s secret sauce is sought after. 2014’s Us Versus Them enjoyed vast critical acclaim, and “EMAG” is currently rising among the ranks across !Earshot’s Hip Hop charts.

“EMAG” and the album are available now.