 THE VIRTUE OF VALUE | Thoughts on the value of live music & the arts
“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life” Picasso I remember performing at an art gallery located in a beautiful lakefront property in Milwaukee a number of years ago. I was playing with a pianist in a dining room surrounded by a diverse collection of art. Paintings, sculptures, ceramics filled the historic house. During one of our breaks we walked around to get a closer look at some of them. As I read one of the plates mounted on a wall I noticed the name “Picasso”. “Surely this couldn’t be the Picasso” I thought! The first name was Pablo, and the piano player - who was much more enlightened than me in the ways of art culture - told me Yes, it is the Picasso! Now, we had been in that room for a couple of hours surrounded by these wonderful works of art, and I really had no idea the value and magnitude of them. For the rest of the evening all I could think was ‘try not to knock over one of the sculptures’ which was dangerous close to where I sat! I was in awe by the value that was in the room - I had a new level of interest and appreciation for the artistic works which surrounded me. I think many of us can be like this - oblivious at times to the value of things around us. As a matter of fact, we often take for granted the things of most value. Value has various shades of meaning. It can simply refer to the monetary worth of object. On a deeper level, it’s a word we assign to something important and beneficial. Be it a vehicle, a house, or a musical instrument, most of us have something that has value to us because of the price we paid for it. However, some of the things we value most don’t come with a price tag. Things such as quality time with people we love, or a family heirloom with sentimental value. The value they hold goes beyond money, to something altogether deeper. Music and the arts are this way. They have value that cannot always be quantified. Of course the price of a CD or streaming service is exact. A concert ticket, or admission price to an art gallery or the price to purchase a piece of art is exact, but the value of these things is intangible in many ways. What is the value of experiencing gifted people perform? Or the therapeutic nature of the arts? It is impossible to put a price tag on a moment when we are inspired, provoked and moved emotionally. But the benefit and importance of it are clear. The impact of music and the arts is mysterious. In many ways, it feels like 1+1=3. It’s a phenomenon that cannot be explained fully, but we know the beauty of this expression impacts us in ways that mere spoken or written words don’t. We can show that we value an artist who spent time crafting their skill when we give them our attention and financial support. Since the only way we can express our value of something is through actions, the natural question is - What can I do?
Ralph Waldo Emerson said “Every artist was first an amateur” and Henri Matisse, “Creativity takes courage”. There is value in supporting someone who is creating something, helping others heal from wounds, putting themselves out there, maybe overcoming depression, low self-esteem, or stage fright. Music and the arts can heal and inspire like nothing else. There is value in supporting someone who is expressing something unique before our eyes - unique because they are a one-of-a-kind. God made that person unique, and when they have a platform to express themselves it will have a flavor like no other. So, let’s express how much we value live music and the arts- After all, don’t we all need a little washing of our souls from the dust of everyday life? God bless, Kal Currently digging on: - Kenosha Creative Space: K-Town’s connecting and creative hub for the arts. kenoshacreativespace.com -Willburger @ Stack’d: Dang good-gourmet burgers in Milwaukee’s 5th ward! www.stackdburgerbar.com -Kiefer: A little electronic funkiness. www.stonesthrow.com/kiefer -The Needle Drop: “You decide the value of music” youtu.be/_uySf429Z7E
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 TIM BELL | LESSONS & LAUGHTER
“Hey Baby!” came a familiar voice from behind me in the hallway of my music classes. Who was it...a student? No, believe it or not that voice was coming from a professor! It was the coolest cat on campus, Tim Bell. I can’t tell you how many times he greeted me that way, accompanied by his mischievous smile. To me and countless others, Professor Bell was an incredibly approachable and consistently encouraging soul. Tim, who passed away October 18th, 2017, richly blessed my time at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Throughout my years at Parkside and after graduation, Tim became so much more than just a teacher; he truly was a friend. Laughing with him in between classes, picking his brain on jazz and seeing him in the community for many years after was an absolute joy. Tim taught me how to balance intensity and humor while in the classroom. The main way in which I saw this outworked was in our Big Band Jazz rehearsals. If we were butchering a tune-which happened more often than I would like to admit (partially because we played his difficult charts from the University of North Texas)-he would begin waving his hands and yell “You suck, you suck!” and stop the band. Now you might think that this is an awful thing for a professor to do, but he always had this cheeky grin on his face and would begin his signature chuckle. After he would have a good laugh at our expense, we would begin to loosen up and he would work sections in the group- teaching each person to understand their role and part better. Sometimes he would even start the band back up again by counting: “1-2-Don’t Suck!”. :) He was a virtuoso on the Alto saxophone. Every musician there knew it and that’s part of what made us respect him so much. It made us want to do better. He was intense at the right time and in the right way. He wanted the musicians to rise to the challenge of the music. He wanted the group to be cohesive and he held us to a high standard. But he also knew how to loosen us up with timely humor. He loved what he did and that is what made me want to come to class and to study under him. He knew how to have a connection with the students and let them get to know him on a personal level. Tim made me want to work hard, study hard and play better for him every week because of his powerful motivation and belief in my abilities. His belief in me was inspiring especially because he could see potential in me that I couldn’t. For nearly 20 years, I have been a music teacher and so much of my approach to teaching has come directly from what I saw modeled by Tim. But even beyond that there is so much more I have learned from him. I have learned that whatever setting we find ourselves in we can remember to fuse lessons with laughter and that we are all surrounded with people we can help in some way. I think one of the greatest ways we can impact people is by leaving a legacy of being joyful throughout life’s lessons, which Tim definitely demonstrated. In life, the means are just as important as the end. Maybe sometimes, the means are the end. Thanks for the memories filled with laughter and a myriad of lessons Tim. God bless, Kal Currently diggin’ on:
 Fusion will play host to “Celebrate Jazz” with a month long focus of jazz featuring performances, talks and an interaction class for kids. The series will show how jazz crosses borders of culture, musical genre, technology, gender and race. The series has partnered with downtown restaurants to feature “Dinner & Jazz”. Mangia, Villa D’ Carlo and The Boathouse are offering 15% off your meal for the performances on April 1st, 8th and 27th. Patrons must present concert ticket for that evening.
Celebrate Jazz kicks off April 1st with Milwaukee vocalist Donna Woodall. Donna presents lush, intimate vocals with every performance. She is a staple in Milwaukee's summer festival circuit, having played at every imaginable outdoor music series in the city. Citing Billy Holliday and Norah Jones as influence to her vocal approach, Donna Woodall leads her group of seasoned musicians, delivering jazz classics. https://www.facebook.com/donnawoodallgroup/ Tickets $8. Show time is 8pm. KBP will be at the series on April 8th. Tickets $8. Show time is 8pm. On Wednesday, April 12th at 7pm the room will fill with the classic sounds of Ellington, Goodman and Sinatra as The Southport Sound Big Band takes the stage. The eleven-member group features and swings with some of the American Songbooks greatest treasures. www.facebook.com/southportsound1 This evening’s performance is free to the public. Thursday, April 27th will bring “Dreamland: The music of Thelonious Monk”. Trumpet player Jamie Breiwick leads the group as they showcase one of the most notable and unique figures in jazz. A life-long native of S.E. Wisconsin, Jamie is an active trumpet player, composer, and educator. https://jamiebreiwick.net Tickets $8. Show time is 8pm. The series will conclude on Saturday, April 29th with “The ABC’s of Jazz: Jazz for Kids and their Grownups”. The time will feature a brief lesson on fun facts of jazz and feature performances of jazz songs created just for kids! The songs are written from a child’s perspective and covering such important topics as bellybuttons, juice, and sharing. The interactive class will include some of the areas finest jazz instructors. The class begins at 1pm and is free. The sponsors for Celebrate Jazz are WGTD, Villa D’ Carlo, ULINE, Rizzo & Diersen and Armstrong Dentistry. *Saturday, April 1st 8pm Donna Woodall Group ($8.00) *Saturday, April 8th 8pm KBP ($8.00) Wednesday, April 12th 7pm Southport Sound Big Band (Free) *Thursday, April 27th 8pm Dreamland ($8) Saturday, April 29th 1pm ABC’s of Jazz (Free) Fusion 5014 – 7th Ave. Kenosha, WI. 53140 Tickets are $8.00 and can be purchased online @www.kenoshafusion.com *Dinner and Jazz Night. 15% off meal at Mangia, Villa D’ Carlo and The Boathouse. Must present concert ticket for that evening.  Albert Einstein once said, “Look at the universe. Could so great a symphony have no conductor?” I find my greatest inspiration for writing instrumental music comes from taking in the symphony of nature; the wonderful sights we are surrounded with everyday. Whether it’s on vacation in some exotic location (which doesn’t happen as often as I would like), the penetrating beauty of a sunrise over the Lake Michigan horizon or a simple walk in the woods, I always find nature at the heart of my inspiration when composing instrumental music.
When listening to instrumental music, I always try to imagine why the composer chose the name they did. I like to think of the music painting a picture of a scene. I’ll never forget the first time I heard Debussy’s “Nuages” (Clouds). I felt like he musically captured the exact essence of what clouds would sound like if they indeed had a sound! I love instrumental music because it allows the listener to imagine scenes and scenery in their own unique way while taking in the piece of music. In my songwriting approach, there are times when I am in nature and a melody comes to me. I then name the song after that experience. Other times, I write the melody with no specific form of nature in mind and while completing the song and listening back to it, I try to picture what aspect of nature it might best represent. Either way, my purpose is to give an interpretation to the wonder of God’s creation. I titled our latest EP ‘Parallels Ch. 1’ because I wanted to have my music parallel the artistry of nature. All of our songs are titled after something pertaining to the wonderful world around us. So as you listen, let your imagination wander to horizons, ravines, ridges, clearings, dawns and coasts! God bless, Kal Currently Diggin’ on:
The band-Glenn, Theo, Eric, Jeremy, Benny, thank you for making my tunes come alive!
Benny Olson-for going above & way beyond the call of duty for this record! Jeremy Scott-your encouragement & consistent musical companionship has done more than you could ever know. Benny Ramos III Benny Ramos IV Jamie Breiwick Brianna Johnson Kurt, Diane, Kyle & Nicole Bergendahl Alice & Russ Menden Chris & Lori George ‘The Coast-Party People’-Jackie Jordan, Tahmi Prado, Benita Thorat, Alyssa Davilla, Jalon Richard Paddy Fineran, Liz Snyder & Sean Krajacic at the Kenosha News Jason Gibert Hal Miller Tom McGirr James Crowley Gloria Cairo Kim & John Pendray Naomi Marie Chris & Ro Marvin Teresa Reynolds Dan Lakin (Lakland Basses) Joe Mooney Living Light School of Worship-alumni & current students Friends, Family & Church Family who support me even though they probably don’t really dig this kind of music. :) Judah, Arden, Avery & Adelynn, my four blessings in life. Thank you for always humming my tunes around the house! I love being your dad. Shanon Marie my best friend, incredible wife & non-musician who lets me have this creative outlet while not understanding why I am so driven in it. :) I am so grateful for you and cherish everyday we have together! Jesus Christ for inspiring me everyday through creation and for giving me the ability to express my gratitude through the avenue of music. It’s for You I play. For all of you, who have come to our shows, buy our music and help support live music-Thank you! God bless, Kal
Hi friends-April is Jazz Appreciation Month and KBP is going to be a part of a month long focus of jazz featuring performances, talks and a class at Kenosha's intimate listening room-Fusion.
Along with performing on April 8th, myself and Jeremy Scott will be joining some other local jazz educators on April 30th for a youth-oriented interaction class. Musician’s grades 5th-8th are encouraged to bring their instruments for a time of instruction, listening and jamming! So please come out in April and support live jazz at a very cool venue in downtown K-Town. All the Best, Kal Friday, April 1st 8pm Lesser Lakes Trio (tickets $8.00) Friday, April 8th 8pm The Kal Bergendahl Project (tickets $8.00) Wednesday, April 13th 7pm Southport Sound Big Band (Free) Saturday, April 30th 10am-noon Jazz Appreciation & Interaction Class (Free) Fusion 5014 – 7th Ave. Kenosha, WI. 53140 Tickets are $8.00 and can be purchased online @www.kenoshafusion.com Senior and Student discount tickets are $5.00. The lead sponsors for Celebrate Jazz are WGTD, Kozak Orthodontics and Emer Eye Care. Additional funding is provided by Rizzo & Diersen. “JAM is intended to stimulate and encourage people of all ages to participate in jazz - to study the music, attend concerts, listen to jazz on radio and recordings, read books about jazz, and more.” Currently Diggin' on- Snarky Puppy-Sylva https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLJLRN8LOVA Studio C Videos-Good clean stuff :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLJLRN8LOVA Awesome Beef @ Daily Dose-http://www.dailydosecafe.net/home.html Hi and welcome to our new web site! We are excited for the New Year and wanted to give you a heads up on what to look out for with KBP in 2016.
We are looking forward to another wonderful summer festival season in the SE Wisconsin area and will be posting new shows regularly. The band is also looking to record our first CD with the latest funky version of KBP-led by our 3 tremendous horn players. Hopefully we can get something in your hands soon! Check back here for monthly blogs as I will be writing on different musings pertaining to the group, music and life. Please head over to our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/kalbproject as we will be posting new videos & pictures of rehearsals and shows and more. Thanks for stopping by! God bless, Kal Currently diggin’ on- Walter Piston http://www.musicsalesclassical.com/composer/short-bio/Walter-Piston Jimmy Fallon “Lip Sync Battles” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLBSoC_2IY8 My wife’s Zuppa Toscana….. trying to stay warm |
Hi and welcome to our new web site! We are excited for the New Year and wanted to give you a heads up on what to look out for with KBP in 2016.
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