A Brass Quartet in concert

Thursday, October 9th, 7:00 p.m.

Come to Crowell Library for a night of fabulous music from the Brass Quartet led by San Marino Music Center instructor, Kory McMaster. The program will feature both classical and modern works, from Bach to Holst and even film scores such as "How to Train Your Dragon." The San Marino Brass Quartet consists of Kory McMaster and Michelle Lane on trumpets, Nolan Markey on French horn, and Julius Lopez on trombone. The concert will delight audience members of all ages. The concert is sponsored by the San Marino Music Center and the Friends of Crowell Public Library. No reservations are necessary, but seating is limited for this very popular series.

Kory McMaster is a freelance musician, film composer, and orchestrator. He graduated with a B.M. in Music Composition from Azusa Pacific University where he studied with renowned trumpet instructor Robert Slack. Kory currently works as an orchestrator at Sparks and Shadows under television composer Bear McCreary working on shows such as The Walking Dead, Da Vinci’s Demons, and Marvel’s Agents of Shield. Kory is incredibly passionate about teaching, striving to provide his students with the same opportunities that his instructors provided for him.

Michelle Lane (trumpet) has toured much of the US and currently plays in the house band for the late night talk show “Noches Con Plantanito.” Michelle has performed at Elvis Presley’s Graceland, the Jonathan Club in Los Angeles, Monterey Next Generation Jazz Festival, and the Grove and Americana in Los Angeles. She also studied with Robert Slack at Azusa Pacific University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in commercial trumpet performance and was offered a full scholarship from Azusa Pacific to pursue a Master’s Degree. Michelle also teaches master classes at various high schools.

Nolan Markey (French horn) began studying piano at the age of five, but was absolutely terrible at it and decided to pursue trumpet instead. Later he added French horn to his musical palette and has been playing ever since. Nolan is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Film Music Composition at California State University, Northridge and frequently works as a copyist and composer. For the last several years, he has served as the staff brass instructor at Pete Knight High School in Palmdale, California.
Julius Lopez began playing trombone in ninth grade. He was a nursing student at Cal State Fullerton, but was coaxed by Robert Slack to attend Citrus College and pursue music. He eventually graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Azusa Pacific University. As a trombonist Julius has performed throughout the United States. He has played at venues such as the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Catalina Jazz Club, Newport Jazz Festival, and has backed up artists such as Rob Reiner, Sammy Nestico, Marc Shaiman, Scott Whitfield, and Dale Kristien.

You won’t want to miss this evening of free music at Crowell Library. Light refreshments will be served.

Maezie’s Pumpkin Patch

Friends of Crowell Public Library Meet the Authors Series:
author Lynn Snowden and illustrator Kyle Kennedy Powell:
Wednesday October 8th 7:00 p.m.

Each autumn, Pasadena resident and avid gardener Maezie Powell would donate her prize-winning pumpkins to the Children’s Garden at the Huntington Library. In August of 2012, vandals destroyed Maezie’s pumpkin patch. The story made the newspapers and the TV news. The crime was never solved, but it brought out Maezie’s neighbors who offered their help and support. Neighbors who had never met their neighbors helped put the garden back in shape. Maezie also received pumpkin seeds, cards and letters from all over the country. When Maezie showed her friend, Lynn, the collection of letters and cards, Lynn was so moved she went home and wrote a story about it that night. Lynn then asked Maezie's grandaughter, Kyle, to illustrate it. And, so the creation of a heartwarming children's book began. Come to Crowell Public Library on Wednesday, October 8 at 7:00 p.m. to Meet the Authors in the Barth Community Room.

Lynn Martin Snowden has devoted her life to children and their creative endeavors. Teaching students of all ages for over 36 years, her career has spanned both coasts of the United States in a variety of disciplines. Currently, she is an educator in southern California. Maezie’s Pumpkin Patch is her first children’s book. Kyle Sydney Powell grew up surrounded by a family of artists and can always be found with a pencil or camera in her hand. She received her MFA in New York and has been a graphic artist, and an art instructor for both children and adults. She lives just blocks from the great pumpkin patch.

Maezie Powell, a remarkably youthful ninety-five year-old, gives her pumpkin seeds to all who are interested in creating a garden of their own. Crowell Library and their Friends are hoping to see Ms. Powell in person at this very special evening!
Other local authors participating in this series: Susan Rosvall (Silence is Broken) in November, Nicole Mones (Night in Shanghai) in January, Chris Lynch (One Eyed Jack) in February and Mona Simpson (Casebook: a Novel) in March. With Friends like these, the authors keep coming at Crowell Public Library!

Finding the Heart of America: Highway 50

Six Thursdays beginning October 2

What were the noble ideas that shaped our nation and how have these ideas played out across the country? In this special series, Highway 50 will be used to explore America from its founding, early development, civil war, and westward expansion, to the present day. Time Magazine has called U.S. Highway 50 the “main street of America,” so what better vehicle to explore the country? It extends from Maryland’s eastern shore to Sacramento and passes through Washington, D.C., Cincinnati, St. Louis, Kansas City and the heartland of America. This will not be a traditional travelogue or history class. Instead, PROFESSOR DAVID MARSH will present seven themes about the nature of America and all participants will work together to seek the heart of America using Highway 50 as an anchor, prompt, and storyboard. The class will be lively, entertaining, and interactive— with all perspectives, questions, and stories welcomed to complete the view of the U.S. from the perspective of “main street” and to answer, “What Is America Today?”
This series is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Simply call the Library’s reference desk at (626) 300-0777 ext. 579 and reserve a space. Walk-in registration is also welcomed. Sessions will take place in the Library’s Barth Community Room on the following Thursdays: October 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 and November 6, 2014, from 12:30 – 2:30 p.m.

Professor David Marsh has spent the last decade exploring America along Highway 50. In the style of Charles Kuralt, he has driven every mile of the highway, talked with many locals along the route, visited key museums and sites, and read local newspapers. He brings stories, photos, reflections, and a decade of experiences to share. At USC, Marsh was the Associate Dean for Academic Programs in the Rossier School of Education and the Robert A. Naslund Professor of Curriculum and Instruction.

Parking is free behind the Library and on the street. For further Information contact Jerome B. Walker, Ph.D., Director, jbwalker@usc.edu or Judith C. Diaz, Assistant Director, judydiaz@usc.edu (213) 740-8841 or visit USC Emeriti Center College http://emeriticollege.usc.edu

LA Opera Talk with Live Performances!

Verdi’s La Traviata
Sunday, September 21, 2:00 p.m.

The LA Opera season starts with Giuseppe Verdi's classic romance, La Traviata, one of the most popular operas today. And the LA Opera Talk series at Crowell Library starts off in a very special way, with performances by soprano MARIANA RAMIREZ, singing selections from the opera in the role of Violeta, along with baritone ERIC CASTRO singing the role of Alfredo, with pianist ABRAHAM FABELLA accompanying. The dazzlingly Art Deco-inspired LA Opera production at the Music Center features Placido Domingo in a Roaring Twenties setting.

Acclaimed by Review Plays as a "genuine opera star in progress, with a voice that has a rich quality and clarity," Mariana Ramirez is becoming widely recognized for her performances. In the role of Antonia in Tales of Hoffman, she was claimed by Harbor Independent News as “the evening’s standout with her warm, luxurious voice that encompasses romantic and poignant moments with a sympathetic presence.” This season, she performed Lia in Debussy’s L’Enfant Prodigue and in Mozart’s Requiem as a soloist under the direction of James Vail. She received her Master of Music degree with Distinction at California State University Northridge 2011 and Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance cum laude.

As a baritone soloist, Eric Castro has appeared multiple times at Walt Disney Concert Hall, Shrine Auditorium, Long Beach Carpenter Centre, Las Vegas Smith Center, and Redlands Bowl. He was recently featured with the String Orchestra Project in Bach’s Cantata Ich Habe Genug, and with San Diego Festival Orchestra in Dvorak’s Te Deum. Eric earned his B.A. from Yale University, where he studied art, music and drama; and his Juris Doctor from USC’s Gould School of Law. Eric is a Corporate Partner in the law firm of LEWIS BRISBOIS BISGAARD & SMITH LLP.

Accompanist Abraham Fabella is a composer, pianist, and conductor who received graduate degrees in composition from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and at the University of California, Riverside and additional graduate training at UCLA. Mr. Fabella is a much sought-after vocal coach and collaborative pianist.
Ray Busmann has worked as an artist and educator both in his native Germany and in Southern California for over 30 years. He enjoys sharing his passion for opera with audiences of all ages. This is Ray's third season as a volunteer Community Educator for LA Opera and he will undoubtedly reveal some fascinating facts in his presentation in the Library’s Barth Community Room. Arrive a bit early as this program will undoubtedly fill up. The program is free and open to all opera aficionados and first timers. Light refreshments will be served.

Crowell: First Library in the World to Offer Dakim Brain Fitness

The Girls in the Band

Thursday September 18th 6:30 p.m.

They wiggled, they jiggled, they wore low-cut gowns and short shorts. They kow-towed to the club owners and smiled at the customers… and they did it all, just to play the music they loved. THE GIRLS IN THE BAND tells the poignant, untold stories of female jazz and big band instrumentalists and their fascinating, groundbreaking journeys from the late 20s to the present day. These incredibly talented women endured sexism, racism and diminished opportunities for decades, yet continue today to persevere, inspire and elevate their talents in a field that seldom welcomed them.

Attending this special screening will be DR. THOM DAVID MASON, who taught the very popular Jazz & Swing from A to Z at Crowell Library earlier this year, and JUDY CHAIKIN, who produced and directed the film. Dr. Mason is the founder of the Jazz Studies Department at the Thornton School of Music, USC, and was so impressed with The Girls in the Band, he’s seen it multiple times. He also knows some of the musicians featured in the film so he will have many insights to share with the audience.

Director/Producer Judy Chaikin is best known for writing, producing and directing the Emmy nominated PBS documentary, Legacy of the Hollywood Blacklist. She is a graduate of AFI’s Directing Workshop for Women. Regarding her film, The Girls in the Band, Judy says, “We hope that the great joy we all had in learning about these amazing women, will be shared by the viewers and that the film will bring these artists the admiration and respect they so rightly deserve. This film is my tribute to their courage and musical artistry, which has never been properly celebrated… Our greatest satisfaction will come if this film can inspire a new crop of young female jazz musicians to stand on the shoulders of those early pioneers and to reach for the stars.”

Crowell Library is very fortunate to have these two guests at this special screening that is free for one and all. Don’t miss it!

John Wood: Life in the Peace Corps

Sunday September 14th 2:00 p.m.

Learn about the adventures experienced by author JOHN WOOD, from the two years he spent teaching high school English in the Philippines when the Friends of Crowell Public Library begin their 2014 Meet the Authors series, Sunday, September 14. A former senior editor at AARP Magazine, John Wood will show slides and relay some amazing tales of his two years in the village of Sibulan working at, "the toughest job you'll ever love."* John grew up in Pasadena, has a degree in journalism from UCLA and has published a plethora of articles for the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and Miami Herald. Among his book publications, How to Write Attention-Grabbing Query and Cover Letters and a soon-to-be-published title on his experiences during the Vietnam War where he earned a bronze star.

Although times have changed since the Peace Corps' founding in 1961, the agency's mission—to promote world peace and friendship—has not. Today, the Peace Corps is more vital than ever, working in collaboration with partner organizations and using cutting-edge technologies and well-tested best practices to enhance impact. Over 215,000 current and returned volunteers know that the Peace Corps changes lives—both their own and the lives of people in communities around the world. When they return home, like John Wood, they share their stories and experiences and give back to their own communities, helping to strengthen international ties and increase our global competitiveness.

Experience firsthand insight into this special service at 2:00 p.m. in the Barth Community Room, Sunday, September 14th at Crowell Public Library. Other local authors in the Meet the Authors series will include Lynn Snowden and Kyle Sydney Powell (Maezie’s Pumpkin Patch) in October and Susan Rosvall (Silence is Broken) in November. With Friends like these, the authors keep coming at Crowell Public Library.

Senior Scam Stopper!

September 8th 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Seniors are a vulnerable audience, often preyed upon by unlicensed or unscrupulous contractors. Learn about the types of scams that are targeting seniors and how to avoid falling prey to them. This free seminar will be the first in a series held at Crowell Public Library’s Barth Community Room, and will feature experts from government agencies on topics such as home improvement projects, identity theft, auto repair, healthcare fraud and investments. Senior Scam Stopper seminars have been offered by the California State Contractors License Board throughout the state since 1999 in cooperation with legislators, state and local agencies, law enforcement, district attorneys, and community-based organizations.

According to the National Council on Aging,* financial scams targeting seniors have become so prevalent that they’re now considered “the crime of the 21st century.” They often go unreported or can be difficult to prosecute, so they’re considered a “low-risk” crime. However, they're devastating to many older adults and can leave them in a very vulnerable position with little time to recoup their losses. In addition, the Council tells us over 90% of all reported elder abuse is committed by an older person’s own family members, most often their adult children, followed by grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Other types of scams targeting seniors include counterfeit prescription drugs, funeral and cemetery scams, telemarketing, internet fraud, homeowners/reverse mortgage scams and fraudulent sweepstakes or lotteries.
In addition to providing information about construction-related scams and how seniors can protect themselves when hiring a contractor, this seminar will feature expert speakers from local, state and federal agencies, who present broader topics, including identity theft, auto repair, and investments.
Don’t miss this important seminar on Monday September 8th at 10:00 a.m. at Crowell Library.