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APRIL EVENTS North Shore Towers Courier n April 2013 31 Queens Museum of Art Flushing Meadows- Corona Park Queens, N.Y. 11368 www.queensmuseum.org View the life of an immigrant through the eyes of a young Jewish couple. “Hester Street”, directed by Joan Micklin, is a 92minute film that follows a young Jewish woman who joins her husband on Ellis Island, only to find out that he has forgotten his culture and adapted a new. The film is a 10-week series that is introduced by Mark Ethan, a member of the Actors Studio. The film stares Carol Kane and Steven Keats. “Hester Street” will screen April 11 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. “Amreeka” is a humorous 96minute film about an Arab mother who wins a green card in a lottery. This film, directed by Cherien Dabis, also tells of the immigrant life in America, with Mark Ethan holding discussions afterwards. “Amreeka” will screen on April 18 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Nassau County Museum of Art One Museum Drive Roslyn Harbor, N.Y. 11576 www.nassaumuseum.org “Jon Schueler: A Life In Painting” is a 28 minute film about the life of Schueler. Drawing his inspiration from his teacher, Clyfford Still, Schueler became an Abstract Expressionist whose paintings were influenced by the skies and weathers of Scotland. The film runs from March 9th to June 16th with daily screenings at 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. , 1:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. On April 6th at 9:30 a.m. , take a walk in the woods with Botanist Andrew Greller and Senior Museum Educator Jean Henning. You will explore the Ravine Trail and Pinetum while keeping your eyes peeled for the blooming of wildflowers. Participants will meet in the parking lot and are advised to wear good walking shoes. For more information, contact Jane Jackson at 516- 626- 0908. Flushing Town Hall 137-35 Northern Boulevard www.flushingtownhall.org On April 28th, at 12:15 p.m. India comes to Flushing with a Bharatanatyam dance performance. This traditional South Indian dance form will be performed by Sonali Skandan and Jive Dance and Akshara. Also, enter to win 4 tickets to Cirque du Soleil TOTEM by filling out the audience survey forms; winners will be chosen at the end of the performance. Experience two cultures on one stage on April 5th at 8 p.m. Velly Bahia will perform Axe music that links Brazil’s African roots with the drumming, dancing, and homage to the Orishans deities. Nivedita Shivraj will be playing the veena, a popular Indian instrument; she is a winner of Battle of the Boroughs. There will be an open dance floor as well as dance lessons. There is a fee of $15 for members and $10 for students with identification. BRINGING JAZZ ‘Overground’ BY TERENCE M. CULLEN Josh Deutsch loves jazz. He can speak to it in excess, understands it and appreciates all the jazz greats. Originally a pianist before switching to trumpet, jazz is Deutsch’s life — in every component. Teaching, when coinciding with performing, is one of Deutsch’s favorite parts of music as he helps his students explore the technical and creative aspects of jazz. While telling his students they need to develop their ear, Deutsch says he himself will start to do the same when rehearsing. At the same time, watching students improvise and write their first pieces is personally rewarding. But it isn’t necessarily Miles Davis’ skills as a trumpeter Deutsch says he tries to emulate. Rather, it’s Davis’ ability to arrange a select group of musicians with varying styles that all come together. An example he cites is “Miles Smiles,” Davis’ 1967 album, which featured pianist Herbie Hancock, saxophonist Wayne Shorter, drummer Tony Williams and bassist Ron Carter. Davis’ desire to find the exact sound he wanted drove him to forming some of the most storied groups in music history. “The way that he set up the group, the conception for a band – idea for the overall sound he wanted,” he said almost at a loss of words to describe Davis’ abilities. He has in part brought this dynamic to one of his groups: Pannonia, which he describes as “a very New York band.” The five-man ensemble is made up of violinist Zach Brock, trombonist Brian Drye, bassist Gary Wang and percussionist Ronen Itzik. Deutsch, when composing for the group, considers what each member’s style is and uses it as a base for each musician’s innovation. “I’m not just bringing in a tune,” he said. “I’m bringing in music for individual musicians. I have both the instrumentation picked out, but then it’s almost like another level of innovations by the musician.” The Seattle-born trumpeter who grew up in a culture where jazz was surprisingly popular among middle and high school programs said he gravitated toward New York, and Queens, by the wide range of musicians that have made the city their home. “As far as putting projects together: the level of musicians here have a good variety,” he said. Lately, he’s been focusing on more shows in throughout the Queens to expand Jazz to a wider base of listeners. He helped establish the Queens Jazz Overground, which he says is a response to the Brooklyn Jazz Underground. The project is a collection of Queens-based Jazz ground, including Deutsch’s group Penonia. The Overground is intended bring in music listeners — mainly families — who might not travel to Brooklyn or Manhattan to take in some Jazz. The project’s goal is to “connect with people that may be music fans, but wouldn’t want to go to Brooklyn and Manhattan to go to a music club.” “Since I’ve been here,” he said. “I don’t think people think about going to music in Queens.” Deutsch is happy where his music is going, and aims on starting more projects with new sounds. Deutsch is currently working on several projects, and the smaller ones allow him to travel out of New York once and a while and get more exposure. While New York has a slew of music lovers, and musicians, listeners outside of the five boroughs really take an ear to jazz and all music in general. “Obviously, as musicians, I think we want to get the music out there to as wide of an audience as possible,” he said. “When you get out of New York and play your music in other places…people get really into it.”


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