Author Archive: Jon D Auria

Arizona’s First Wild Animal Hospital

March 4, 2014 | Jon D Auria

Already serving as one of the few wild animal hospitals in the country, Tucson Wildlife Center is expanding with a cutting edge new hospital.

photo courtesy Tucson Wildlife Center

Since it’s opening in 1998, Tucson Wildlife Center has thrived as a regional care center where people can bring in sick, injured or abandoned wild animals from the desert so they can receive care and be rehabilitated and released back to their natural habitats. It has also served as a world hub for education, as the cutting edge methods of surgery and treatment used at TWC brings in veterinarians and surgeons from all reaches of the globe. Comprised of five staff workers and over 75 constant volunteers, Tucson Wildlife Center offers care to our animal neighbors unlike any care they could receive elsewhere.

But the ultimate goal of the original founder/owners Lisa Bates and Peter Lininger was to eventually expand their rehabilitation sanctuary to include a hospital on site that would allow them to administer emergency surgeries to give a second chance to the 1,000+ wounded animals they take in per year. Unfortunately, their 501 (c)(3) non-profit budget wouldn’t allow for that in their budget. That was until they received special visitors who carried with them the vision of a deceased man’s final wish.

“Back in 2007 a couple came up from Florence who were executors to the estate of a man named Sam Goldman who had recently passed away. He told them when he died he wanted his money to go to a wildlife rehabilitation facility that cared for the desert animals he loved so much,” says Executive Director Dee Kidd. “So his executors went around to four different wildlife rescues in the country and they ended up in Tucson and called us for a tour. They never said a word about why they were there, but Lisa could tell they were very impressed. At the end they asked her what her ultimate goal was and she told them it was to build the first wild animal hospital in Arizona. And right there on the spot they told her that they were going to build it for her.”

Seven years later, the shared vision of Bates, Lininger and the late Sam Goldman is coming to fruition, as the Tucson Wildlife Center is preparing to cut the ribbon on April 4 for their brand new, state of the art Sam Goldman Wildlife Hospital. The new construction will add to the center’s 14-acre site: four animal ICU units, indoor and outdoor pens for the animals, a large avian enclosure for birds, an educational room, a large triage room, a surgery room and a radiology and x-ray room. There will also be a big garage for the ambulances to pull into so the heavier animals brought in can be transported directly inside without excessive moving.

“We’ll also be adding on veterinarian and intern quarters and we’ll be one of the country’s first education facilities on large mammals and raptors. That means that doctors and veterinarians can come from different countries and different places in the U.S. who want to learn how to care for wild animals because there aren’t many places in the world that offer that,” says Kidd. “And the diversity of the Sonoran wildlife is almost more than anywhere in the world. A lot of people show a lot of interest in coming here to learn. We have veterinarians who donate their time, human orthopedic surgeons who donate their time and vets who do internal surgeries. It’s a huge community effort and everything about the center was created to support our community.”

Wilbur and Wilma at the Tucson Wildlife Center.
photo courtesy Tucson Wildlife Center

Of the thousand animals TWC treats a year, 90 percent of them are injured or harmed by human related incidents. With many animals getting hit by vehicles or getting run out of their habitats by increased construction, TWC is their only hope for survival once they’re inflicted with life threatening injuries. The hospital takes in over 300 birds and raptors a year and hundreds of javelinas, coyotes, bobcats, ringtails, badgers, bears and even many animals foreign to our habitat such as migrating pelicans and abandoned alligators.

“We’re dedicated to the rescue, emergency medical care and rehabilitation of sick, injured and orphaned wildlife while promoting habitat coexistence and protection through education. Basically we are a first responder, a hospital, an animal geriatric care facility, and information hub to the public. We welcome calls from the public to answer any questions about animals,” says Kidd. “Our mission goes beyond just bringing them in and giving them aid, we always try to complete the circle by making sure they are placed back out where they belong. Our new hospital edition is truly going to revolutionize how we operate and the will greatly widen the scope of the type of care we can give these animals.”

To book a tour or to donate to the Tucson Wildlife Center, visit TucsonWildlife.com. Questions can be answered 24/7 at (520) 290-9453.

Rialto Gala: A Red Letter Event

February 1, 2014 | Jon D Auria

The Rialto’s fundraiser helps the non-profit to continue to host live music from touring and local bands, along with other community events.
Pictured: Devo performing at the Rialto to a packed house last May.
photo: Mark Martinez

Tucson’s beloved music venue the Rialto Theatre is throwing their second annual fundraiser – the Rialto Gala: A Red Letter Event – on Saturday, Feb. 15. The evening features music from the 1960s era of Motown and pop provided by the Phoenix-based cover band 60s Bandstand Show, food and beverage tastings provided by Downtown restaurants and an auction to raise money for the non-profit music venue.

“There will be great food from a dozen Downtown restaurants, great music that attendees will know and love, wine and beer sampling, some super cool silent auction items, special guest speakers, and quality hosting from Dan Marries of KOLD,” explains Rialto’s Executive Director Curtis McCrary. “I was amazed at all the effort put forth by our entire board and staff for last year’s gala. It was a tremendous success due to this diligence, and because of the robust support we got from the community and our sponsors.”

This year’s auction will feature many exciting items ranging from $20-$800 including a nice pair of tickets to the final University of Arizona men’s basketball game, a variety of Wildcat memorabilia, autographed items, one of a kind sculptures, rooms at Ventana Canyon Resort, Rialto ticket packages (including a pair of tickets to every show for a year), original local art, gift baskets and gift certificates from local Tucson businesses and restaurants and much more.

“Tucson is a fantastic community for many reasons but one of the most important is the incredible array of mostly small, independent organizations and individuals that make up the cultural fabric of our town,” says McCrary. “And those organizations need support and patronage from the greater community to keep doing what they do, and it’s a testament to Tucson that so many entities can be sustained in this way. We like to think we are a meaningful part of that fabric, and of course we’d like to keep bringing great live music and performance to Tucson. The support we receive from patrons, members, donors and sponsors make it all possible.”

The food and beverage tasting begins at 7 p.m. and the music and dancing will continue throughout the evening. Tickets are $75 a person and can be purchased at the Rialto box office, by phone or at any Bookmans location. While 60s themed attire is encouraged it is not required.

The Rialto Theatre is located at 318 E. Congress St. For more information, call (520) 740-1000 or visit RialtoTheatre.com

Lens on the Land: Environmental Photography of the Santa Rita Mountain Range

January 29, 2014 | Jon D Auria

photo: Gooch Goodwin

The beautiful Santa Rita Mountain Range in Southern Arizona is a tranquil and serene stretch of land that harbors a diversity of rare animals, plant species, water resources and communities that have inhabited the area for generations. Currently, the area is facing a threat in the form of a proposed copper mine that would cost $1.23 billion to dig the mile wide and a half mile deep area that will likely jeopardize the ecosystem and all of its regional inhabitants.

To help combat this, photographer Josh Schachter and Brian Forbes Powell teamed up with the Sonoran Institute and Save the Scenic Santa Ritas to compile a collection of stunning photographs of the region from 30 photographers of the area to be presented at the exhibit, Lens on the Land: Rosemont, What’s at Stake. Over the past two years, Schachter and Forbes Powell have narrowed over 500 photographs down to 50 for this special showcase to raise awareness of the need to save the area and its endangered species.

“Two years ago we went out there and started photographing and decided that we had to use art to help people understand how important the ecological resources are in that region,” says Schachter. “We decided that it would be more effective to partner with the organizations that were already working to protect that land of the Santa Ritas and surrounding areas. So we contacted them and then put a call out to photographers in the region and compiled hundreds of photographs. For me, it’s also exciting to have all of these artists come together and use their talents to explore and represent this landscape.”

Desert box turtle (Terrapene ornata luteola) looking at long-horned beetle.
photo: Dennis Caldwell

If the mine is allowed to proceed, it would operate for at least 20 to 25 years and could jeopardize nine endangered species, Southern Arizona’s $2.4 billion dollar tourism industry, the availability and quality of water for the area; it would darken the skies for the thriving astronomy industry, damage many cultural sites that reflect thousands of years of Native American habitation and could harm the rural economies including vineyards, pecan orchards and ranching.

“Throughout history, art has played a role on shaping our understanding of landscapes. Stories and visual stories can help solidify our community’s view of issues and policy maker’s perspective on these issues,” says Schachter. “Around the Rosemont [Copper potential mining] area and the water sheds and the Santa Ritas so many of the resources and species are so hard to see in passing, so photographs that illuminate them, like a jaguar in snow for example or rare flowering orchids, are amazing resources.”

The exhibit is showing at Fluxx Studio & Gallery, 414 E. Ninth St., and opens with a reception on Saturday, Feb. 1 at 6 p.m. The opening event and exhibit is free to the public and runs until Feb. 26 on Thursdays and Fridays from 3 p.m-6 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 7 p.m. There is also a screening of “Rosemont Ours” a NEW ARTiculations Dance Theatre video production that takes place on Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. as a complement to the exhibit. The gallery will also feature dance, video, painting, poetry, audio interview and music that to help support the conservation of Rosemont.

“It’s very exciting because a collection of photographs such as these of this region haven’t been assembled like this before,” says Schachter. “It’s really an exciting celebration because it is such a unique region that has so many wonders that are rarely seen. Over all of the years of working on conservation issues, I’ve developed a deep passion for telling stories of species, people and land through art. It has allowed me to develop a vocabulary to be an photographer, as much of my own photography is focused on the designs of nature and without that I wouldn’t be an artist.”

Ofelia Uya Rivas, an advocate for the cultural and ecological heritage of her people and land for many years, sits by the proposed mine site after performing what she describes as “a ceremonial offering to the land and ancient ancestors in recognition of the sacredness of the significant O’odham legacy of survival since millennia.” Behind Ofelia rest dozens of significant prehistoric sites, including an ancestral ball court site, traditionally used for games and ceremonies. Most of these sites, including much of the area shown in this photograph, would be buried under hundreds of feet of mine waste.
photo: Josh Schachter

For more information, and to RSVP for the opening, visit LensOnTheLand.com.

A Festival of Musical Decadence

January 22, 2014 | Jon D Auria

Kelley O’Connor is a featured performer at the Tucson Desert Song Festival.
photo: Zachary Maxwell Stertz

The second annual Tucson Desert Song Festival returns from Jan. 30 to Feb. 16 and unites Tucson’s exceptional arts groups with world-renowned performers to celebrate the power of song. The 11-day festival takes on the theme of French composition, as the work of beloved composers Debussy, Ravel, Berlioz, Poulenc and others will be performed by the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, Tucson Chamber Artists, Arizona Friends of Chamber Music, Tucson Guitar Society and Ballet Tucson – all being paired with some of the best vocalists in the world.

“If you’re tuned into the world of opera, you will easily recognize the names of the singers. If you’re not tuned into the opera world, you’ll experience being in the room with a great voice,” says Tucson Symphony Orchestra’s Music Director and Conductor George Hanson. “You respond to it in a very direct, almost physical way. When someone is a gifted and well-trained vocalist, it can start the air moving in a room in a way that it almost connects directly with everyone’s soul who shares that space with them. There are only a few hundred people in the world that can sing as such and that’s what we’re tapping into.”

Kelley O’Connor, William Burden, Jordan Bisch, Jennifer Johnson Cano, Christine Goerke and Maria Jette are some of the prestigious singers collaborating with the Tucson ensembles, and special accompaniments have been prepared to showcase the virtuosic prowess and the wide range of the vocalists. It is a rare feat for a music community in any city to assemble such a remarkably talented cast, but this festival series stands as a true testament to the uniqueness of Tucson’s art scene.

“We’re honored to be part of this festival, which is quickly gaining national repute. It’s so special to have so many powerful stars coming to Tucson at one time and we’re thrilled to be one of the acts in the lineup,” says Eric Holtan, Tucson Chamber Artists’ music director. “This is a particularly special performance for us because we’re also celebrating the 10^th anniversary of TCA. The festival this year has a French theme, so we’re doing an all-French program. We’re calling the event ‘Decadence’ which signifies our decade of excellence, but also there’s no more decadent music than French composition.”

The festival was sparked by the efforts of the event’s president Jack Forsythe, who – along with fellow co-founder Cecile Follansbee – had a vision to bring in the best musical voices in the world to pair them with the talent that resides in our desert city. After a highly successful initial run last season, Forsythe decided to take this year’s festival to a larger scale by bringing in bigger acts, utilizing numerous venues (Tucson Convention Center, Leo Rich Theatre, Temple of Music and Art, Crowder Hall, Holsclaw Hall, Fox Tucson Theatre, Tucson Symphony Center and Catalina Foothills High School Theater) and pairing with Casino Del Sol as the corporate sponsor to bring the cultural music to attendees who aren’t versed or exposed to opera or orchestra.

“I was on the Arizona Opera board for some time, and I had an idea to do something like this for a long while. I met up with George Hanson and we talked about it and decided that to get the funding to bring in major world singers we’d need to have more than a symphony to attract that kind of attention,” explains Forsythe. “We decided on a 10-day period centering around vocal pieces that would be selected through larger themes. There’s such a demand for this type of performance here in town and we’re just happy to be able to supply it.”

The schedule of performances, tickets and more information about the festival are available at TucsonDesertSongFestival.org and by calling 1-888-546-3305.

A Child’s Best Friend

January 8, 2014 | Jon D Auria

A Gabriel’s Angels doggie volunteer gets its teeth brushed. Interacting with the dogs helps children learn the values of empathy, love, trust, understanding, self-esteem, respect and tolerance.

At four years of age, Tatiana’s life had been one filled with violence, abuse and neglect. Needless to say, it wasn’t surprising that when she found herself transplanted to a crisis nursery she had absolutely no desire to interact or open up to any of the caring staff or other children that now surrounded her. She spent her days quietly reserved, scared, scorn and detached from the possibility that any good could exist in her life. That was, until a loving and nurturing Weimaraner named Gabriel approached her one day and nuzzled his way into her arms.

“She took his leash and introduced him to every kid in there. She lit up and transformed in a way that she hadn’t before,” says Gabriel’s Angels CEO and founder Pam Gaber. “When I left she looked at Gabriel and asked when he was coming back and I told her that he’d be back in one dog week. So I came back as planned and she lit up and ran towards him screaming ‘Gabriel came back!’ The staff turned to me and said, ‘You don’t get it do you? The minute you left last week, she told us that Gabriel was never coming back.’ At four years of age she had already learned how to shield herself from disappointment. The staff there told me that that was the first healthy attachment Tatiana ever had.”

What began with one faithful gray dog in 2000 has now turned into a substantial healing force for abused, neglected and at-risk children in Arizona. Now 175 pet-therapy dogs strong, Gabriel’s Angels serves over 13,000 children across Arizona including 30 agencies locally: Casa De Los Niños, Emerge Shelters, Gospel Rescue Mission, Springboard, Boys and Girls Clubs, amongst others. Utilizing these loving canines to re-teach children how to love and be loved, the trainers use activities such as brushing the dog’s teeth to instill seven core behaviors – empathy, love, trust, understanding, self-esteem, respect and tolerance.

“Many of the children who come to our crisis nursery are experiencing incredibly toxic stress and drama-filled lives and often times the first being they will open up to and trust and show their love to are these animals,” says Casa De Los Niños CEO Susie Huhn. “We can see the transformation immediately for some of these kids who won’t open up with humans at the shelter because not only do the animals give the kids love, but also it enables the kids to show it back.”

Augie, a Gabriel’s Angels doggie volunteer, offers a paw/handshake during a visit.
photo courtesy Gabriel’s Angels

Each of the therapy dogs have gone through extensive training and are certified through national organizations before they can become a part of a therapy team. Any dog and owner can apply to join the organization, which hopes to steadily increase their numbers to reach more children. The children visited at the shelters are typically broken up into groups of six to eight children, although Gabriel’s Angels also offers individual therapy sessions for special cases.

“What you have to keep in mind is that we’re working in cycles of violence. Most of these children are at risk and come from really tough circumstances and most of them have suffered some form of violence,” says Gabriel’s Angels Director of Development MeMe Aguila. “If you don’t show a child different things than they have learned they won’t understand them and that cycle of violence perpetuates. Wrong habits are developed from core behaviors that they are exposed to at a young age because of their situation. Our goal is to provide a child with those core behaviors so they can go on to become a successful adult.”

The organization all started by accident after Pam Gaber quit her high-powered corporate career and decided to do something for her community that would serve those in need. After volunteering at a shelter for children, Gaber asked if her puppy Gabriel could attend the children’s Christmas party and her breakthrough experience that day made her new life path obvious. And while Gabriel passed away in 2010, he alone was able to reach 10,000 children and his legacy lives on through the many dogs that are now following his lead.

“This agency started by accident, but it continues with unbridled purpose,” says Gaber. “These dogs are teachers. To learn to bring a dog water is no big deal, but for these kids it is. For them to realize another being is in need and have the desire to provide for them is huge. The dogs and children learn to trust each other and that plants a seed that allows them to grow. There’s a special bond between children and animals and that opens the window to allow a therapist to get through to that child. It truly is magical.”

To learn more information about Gabriel’s Angels, and how to get involved, visit the organization’s website at GabrielsAngels.org or call 1-866-785-9010.

Rescuing Abandoned Reptiles

December 4, 2013 | Jon D Auria

Charlotte Gillis at Bookmans in September 2013 during a Tucson Reptile Rescue adoption and education event. photo: Dan Perino

Every year in the U.S. millions of pets are abandoned, discarded or dumped due to neglectful pet owners or those who lack the ability to raise and maintain the animals once they’re fully grown. While the most common pets in the U.S. are dogs are and cats, many of these deserted creatures are reptiles. But thanks to the efforts of Tucson Reptile Rescue (TRR), abandoned reptiles are given new homes and a second chance at a happy life.

“Our main goal is to encourage long-term pet companionship. We want people to consider these animals’ needs for life,” shares TRR co-founder Charlotte Gillis. “A lot of times people can’t provide the proper housing for a reptile once it becomes an adult. Pet stores don’t typically carry enclosures for large reptiles when they grow full size. So when animals get over 6 feet long, a lot of times they get abandoned. It’s just not fair to the animals.”

Founded by Gillis and Doug Barreto in late January of this year, Tucson Reptile Rescue is the only non-profit organization that rehabilitates and finds homes for exotic reptiles in Tucson. TRR takes in animals with no surrender fee and provides them with a temporary home, food and medical care while locating a loving new household for a variety of snakes, lizards and turtles. Having only been in service for less than a year, many reptiles have already been rescued due to the tireless work by TRR’s staff and volunteers.

“A lot of times we’re the only option that people have to go to. We just got a recent call about a Boa constrictor from its owner who was saying that if we didn’t pick up the animal right away she was going to put it out into the desert to get rid of it. It was heavy bodied boa from Madagascar around 4 feet long,” Gillis shares. “We had to go out and get her immediately. If exotic animals are released into a foreign ecosystem they will either fail to adapt and die or adapt too well and become a threat to the local wildlife.”

Another major goal of TRR is to educate the community on reptiles and how to care for them. To achieve this they host gatherings, seminars and open houses for youth groups and the general public on a regular basis. On the third Saturday of each month, TRR holds a gathering at Bookmans, 6230 E. Speedway Blvd., where they bring in some of the animals up for adoption and answer questions from the crowd who get a chance to observe and interact with the reptiles. Monthly events are also held at Petco and the TRR facilities.

“We’ve gotten just a wonderful response from our community events. Tons of people have been coming out and they love to see the animals and ask us a ton of questions,” says Gillis. “One of our big goals is to further the education on reptiles and how to be an owner and properly keep one as a pet.”

And to help aid their efforts, TRR has just recently moved into a larger downtown location, 844 S. Sixth Ave., that is now open to the public. This will allow the organization to have more space to rehabilitate sick and injured reptiles while having room to expand their educational outreach program. Now school classrooms, scout troops, families and other groups will be welcome to enjoy their learning experience while also getting to observe the new enclosures for the reptiles.

“We’re thrilled to be in our new building which is a really large space and a big improvement for us. So far we have an enclosure for monitor lizards, an enclosure for our tortoises, multiple iguana enclosures and we’re adding other spaces for the rest of the boas and reptiles. We have space now for the public to come in and learn about the animals. The central location is great for the community to rally around and learn a lot about these animals.”

Driven by their passion of aiding animals in need – Gillis has worked in animal rescue for over two decades – TRR is quickly growing in popularity in the Tucson community as more and more people are realizing that reptiles are truly remarkable pets to own. And thanks to the efforts of Charlotte and her staff, hopefully these beautifully unique creatures will continue to find permanent homes with caring owners.

African sulcata tortoise, Dozer, was recently adopted through Tucson Reptile Rescue. photo: Dan Perino

“A big misconception is that reptiles are dangerous pets. There are some reptiles that can be purchased that have potential to be dangerous, but for the most part reptiles are safer than the average cat or dog. They have smaller teeth and smaller claws and they don’t have any fur, so they don’t cause people to have allergies. They don’t make a whole lot of noise either and they are very beautiful to live with and enjoy.”

Tucson Reptile Rescue is located at 844 S. Sixth Ave. and online at TucsonReptileRescue.com. Call (520) 991-9553 with inquires.

Lead Guitar Brings Music Back to Tucson Classrooms

December 3, 2013 | Jon D Auria

Brad Richter teaching at the Aspen Music Festival.
photo: Deborah Barnekow/courtesy Brad Richter

It’s no secret that children who study music at a young age receive significant advantages that help them excel in the classroom and in life thanks to the cerebral gifts music education provides. Studies have proven that kids who are taught music have larger vocabularies, enhanced problem solving skills, boosted critical thinking, are better at math, English and science, have less of a chance of falling into drugs and alcohol abuse, have higher graduation rates and achieve better social development, among many other things.

The problem with severe government budget cuts to schools over the past decade is the arts and music departments seem to be the first to go, leaving music programs near extinction for this generation. Luckily, one group is taking a stand in Southern Arizona to bring music back to the classrooms. Thanks to Brad Richter and his non-profit program Lead Guitar, Tucson’s children are getting a chance to reap the abounding benefits of music education.

“What we do is provide guitar programs for public schools with a focus on districts that have a lot of at-risk kids from areas of disadvantaged neighborhoods,” says Richter. “We are the worst state in the nation as far as per capita spending on public schools. The principals and teachers that we work with really believe in the arts and its ability to enhance the lives of the students and help them in their other subjects, but their hands are tied due to constant budget cuts. Part of our mission is to sneak arts back into the school through the back door.”

Richter’s curriculum includes the principles of classical guitar technique, fundamentals of reading music and notation, performing ensemble music, following a conductor and working as a team, to name just a few. And to help Richter’s mission of bringing music back into Tucson’s classrooms, Lead Guitar recently merged with UApresents in an effort to reinforce the program. Richter now holds the title of director of arts education where he will train teachers on how to execute the four-year progressive curriculum that is currently being carried out in classrooms for more than 10,000 students.

Brad Richter on stage at the World Youth Guitar Festival in England. Photo: Joe P. Smith

“Teaming with UApresents does a lot of great things for this program and is really helping to expand it. It gets our students onto the university campus over and over again,” says Richter. “We have a program called Lead Guitar All Stars that meet every Monday night, and they meet at the university and they go to all of the concerts for free and can take master classes at the university. A lot of kids in our program don’t have parents who have attended a university, so it’s a way to let them know that they’re welcomed and encouraged there.”

The results of the program have been astounding for the participating students, some of which have already gone on to accomplish amazing things post-high school. One example is 20-year-old Jose Espinoza who was a freshman at Amphitheatre High School in 2008. His grades were poor and he often skipped class until he entered the Lead Guitar program where he excelled at classical guitar. His grades immediately improved and as he neared graduation he received scholarship offers (including the Presidential Scholarship to Boston’s renowned Berklee College of Music) for his skill at performance. He now plans to attend college to pursue a career in music therapy.

“Lead Guitar instilled in me the discipline of studying and practicing in order to get better at something. I started to figure out that if I applied myself to other things like I was applying myself to music that I would see the same effects,” says Espinoza. “I was never good at reading textbooks or studying, but after having to read pages and pages of music and memorizing and reacting to it, it started making my classes seem easy. Becoming a better musician, by following the disciplined classical guitar approach, made me realize that I could do a lot of things after high school and then doors started opening up for me.”

Richter himself found music as a calling at a young age when he taught himself how to play guitar as a boy and began to see how powerful of an influence it had on his life. He started to take his studies seriously, which led him to receive the Presidential Scholarship to the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago. From there he was granted a scholarship to the Royal College of Music in London where he became the first guitarist in the college’s history to receive the Thomas Morherr Prize. He toured the world gaining high acclaim for his talents as a master guitarist and decided to make Tucson his home in 1997.

“I was a bright enough kid, but I was really unmotivated in school and was a bad student. I loved music at a young age but I didn’t have access to any guitar teachers or classes, so I taught myself the guitar. Something about studying guitar so intensely spread into the rest of my academic life. I could feel my brain changing,” says Richter. “I could remember numbers and formulas better, I could add and subtract better. Because I was spending so much time memorizing music, my memory was also better and sharper. There were many tangible changes in my life that only came from learning music and it is my goal now to spread that to the next generation.”

For more information on Lead Guitar’s programs, and how to support it, visit LeadGuitar.org and follow them on Facebook by searching “Lead Guitar.”

Covering The Greats

November 25, 2013 | Jon D Auria

Big Star will be performed during The Great Cover Up.
photo: bigstarstory.com/press.html

This month, local musicians are paying homage to an array of legendary musical acts by recreating their music for the 15^th annual Great Cover Up.

The wildly popular charitable event will feature 30 bands performing selections from famous groups, and maybe dressing the part, from all generations and genres. It spans three nights and three locales: Thursday, Dec. 12 at Plush, 340 E. Sixth St., Friday, Dec. 13 at Club Congress, 311 E. Congress St., and Saturday, Dec. 14 at Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress St.

“I love the sense of community fostered by the event,” says event co-organizer and KXCI’s Locals Only! DJ Matt Milner. “The collective effort of the bands requires literally thousands of hours of time, but no one is paid. From the organizing committee to the performers, everyone involved is willing to donate their time in service of a memorable weekend and much-needed financial assistance for our charitable beneficiary. There are very few events on the annual cultural calendar that bring together so many local artists.”

The hardworking committee of Milner, Mel Mason (Tucson Weekly contributor), Kris Kerry (Rialto Theatre), Curtis McCrary (Rialto Theatre), Stephen Seigel (Tucson Weekly Music Editor) and David Slutes (Hotel Congress) spent countless hours organizing the event and all of the proceeds of the Great Cover Up go to the Southern Arizona Artists and Musicians Healthcare Alliance. The non-profit organization (better known as S.A.A.M.H.A., and originally established as Tucson Artists and Musicians Healthcare Alliance/TAMHA) is an alliance of artists and art advocates who are dedicated to the sustainability and vitality of the local arts community by helping to provide them with affordable healthcare. And while the event only lasts one weekend a year, the work for the Great Cover Up spans many months for the organizers.

“It’s a lengthy process, but we don’t need to reinvent the wheel because we have a long history with this event and we have an established structure in place,” says Milner. “We always have some tough decisions to make when sorting through the applications, but our past experience informs the process. As a result, we take into consideration the popularity of the band being covered, the skill/professionalism of the applicant band, and any other x-factors that excite us.”

Hank Topless

While the lineups and list of who’s covering who is typically kept a secret until show time, it has been revealed that this year local bands will be performing the music of The Clash, The Killers, Foo Fighters, Spy Songs, Quincy Jones, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Joni Mitchell, Jethro Tull, Tears For Fears, The Pixies, Led Zeppelin, Hall & Oats, Blondie, Prince, Nick Cave, Bjork, Old School Hip-Hop, The Bird and the Bee, Big Star, Beastie Boys, The Beach Boys, No Doubt, Heart, Aerosmith, The Cars, Bruce Springsteen, Prisencolinensinainciusol, Velvet Underground, and Joe Walsh.

“The bands are given a tall order, and every year the audience (as well as the organizers) are blown away by the creativity and passion shown by Tucson’s incredible musical talent,” says co-organizer Mel Mason. “People talk about what happens at this event years later. Personally, some of my favorite local music moments take place at the Great Cover Up, which is why I wanted to get involved with it behind the scenes in the first place.”

The local bands are encouraged to dress the part of these iconic bands, which typically leads to some outlandish attire that makes the performances all the more memorable. Each performance will last approximately 20 minutes and the sets will run from 8 p.m. to midnight on Thursday and 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Among the local bands who are participating this year are The Cordials, Garboski, Sugar Stains, The David Clark Band, Hank Topless, Spacefish, Chris Black, Gat Rot, The Tryst, Cathy Rivers, LeeAnne Savage and many more. Tickets will be available at the venues for $8 for one night, $12 for a two days pass and $15 for a three day pass.

“There’s so much musical talent in Tucson and it’s really impressive to see bands take on this challenge of covering a wide scope of artists and a lot of the music can be really technically difficult,” says local musician and 2013 Great Cover Up participant Mark Williamson of The David Clark Band. “More than anything it’s a great weekend to come out and celebrate Tucson’s local music scene while observing more than a few tight jump suits, gratuitous wigs and musical debauchery.”

“The Great Cover Up combines everything I love; music, a huge amount of local talent, loads of creativity, hard work, and fundraising for a stellar cause,” says Mason. “The results always astound me, and it’s worth every second of organizing behind the scenes to facilitate making the magic happen.”

For more information on the Great Cover Up visit GreatCoverUpTucson.com.

The Gathering of Souls

October 30, 2013 | Jon D Auria

photo: Dominic Bonuccelli, azfoto.com, courtesy of All Souls Procession

In it’s twenty-fourth year, the All Souls Procession returns to honor the dead and celebrate life in one of the Southwest‘s biggest events.

On Sunday, Nov. 3 the streets of downtown Tucson and the surrounding neighborhoods will be transformed for a yearly gathering of epic magnitude for a divine purpose. Drums will bellow as citizens and visitors march donning skull-painted faces and brightly crafted masks. Many will hold signs with pictures of departed loved ones and some even push grandiose floats that depict burial scenes and skeletons. Thousands of people will line the streets to cheer on and dance to the music of marching bands and street musicians as the community of Tucson unites in edifying emotion.

As the procession nears its final location, the crowd of 50,000 participants and nearly as many onlookers file into the open space where bursts of fire stretch towards the sky momentarily lighting the white cloaked dancers suspended from 100-feet in the air above. As the music intensifies and the chanting begins, a large cauldron of written letters and prayers is hoisted above the crowd where it is lit on fire to send the charred ashes to their recipients in the afterlife. Music from the elevated stages will echo loudly into the night as the crowd revels in Tucson’s legendary All Souls Procession.

The highly anticipated procession returns, and thanks to the efforts of a small and determined organization known as Many Mouths One Stomach, the event is flourishing more than ever. For MMOS founding member and the artistic director for the event, Nadia Hagen, the work begins for the next year’s procession as soon as the last procession ends.

“We’ve been working on logistics as far as routing the path and obtaining permits from the city and we have been figuring out how the streetcar will impact the downtown part of the trail,” says Hagen. “We’re using a finale site where there’s a lot of construction and development going on. Really it’s a yearlong planning process. This event grows exponentially, so naturally each year is the biggest it’s ever been.”

This always-evolving event will see many new changes to its lineup and location this year, as gatherers are encouraged to meet on Nov. 3 at Hotel Congress as early as noon to experience Face Painting Town, where expert face painters will be on hand to help aid in the makeover process. Then the participants are asked to assemble at 5 p.m. at the underpass of 6^th Avenue and 6^th Street where procession will begin directly at 6 p.m. The route moves south on 6th Avenue to Alameda then leads west to West Congress Street where it will conclude at the final meeting grounds past the freeway at Mercado San Agustin.

“The location of the route is very pragmatic and it is dictated by construction, which there is an abundance of downtown, but we want to stay in the heart of the city,” says Hagen. “It’s great for people to feel ownership over the main artery of our town. Unfortunately we’re not able to keep the Mercado space permanently because it’s all slotted for development. There is a tentative plan to use a plot of land to the west of the Mercado. If the city and the public can really push for a festival ground to be allocated on that space then that would be a permanent home for this event.”

While nearly 100,000 people turn out to participate in and watch the procession, the event finds itself in a yearly struggle to stay afloat financially and to remain an independent entity. This year the coordinators at MMOS are again asking for donations at the procession which will greatly help them fund this and next year’s event and to make sure that they can continue the tradition for years to come.

“Less than 1.4% of the people who come to this event fund the entire thing. Those are the only people who donate. If we could get 5% of the people who come to donate then we would never have to run a campaign to continue this,” says Hagen. “This year we’re going to have people out in the crowd that we’re calling the Hungry Ghost Crew who are going out to collect offerings of money. We want to make it clear because we know in the past that people have been confused and have thrown donation money into the urn that was meant for us and it ends up getting burned. Giving a little makes a huge difference for us and it is the difference between this event living and the event dying.”

The ASP was originated in 1990 when a local artist named Susan Johnson put together a performance piece to help grieve the loss of her father. Coinciding with Mexico’s Día de los Muertos, the event began seeing larger and larger crowds of people who wished to mourn the loss of their own loved ones and feel the sense of unity that came with such a momentous gathering of community. While the event has grown and evolved beyond the wildest dreams of it’s founders, all of the hard work and year-round effort that goes into planning the event all becomes worthwhile at the climax of the evening.

“The closing ceremony is always the best part for me when we light the urn of prayers,” says Hagen. “I love talking to people who have never experienced it and try to describe it for them. I can grow jaded from all of the year-round work that we do for this, but when we haul out the urn and people put in their prayers and we hoist it above the massive crowd and burn it, that moment is indescribable. That moment is beyond any words and it makes all the big efforts and heartaches and hardships that go into this just melt away.”

For information on the procession, maps, details on contributing and schedules of events and workshops, visit AllSoulsProcession.org.

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From workshops to parties, a series of events surround the procession before and after the main event. Highlights include:

Saturdays & Sundays through October
Lantern, Float and Mask-Making Workshops: Free, donations appreciated. 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Seinfeld Warehouse, 101 W. 6^th St.

Sundays & Wednesdays through October
Procession of Little Angels Costume Workshops: Free, donations appreciated. Wednesdays,6 p.m.-9 p.m., Sundays, 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Maker House, 283 N. Stone Ave.

Saturday, Nov. 2
Procession of Little Angels: An All Souls experience just for kids and families with loads of art activities, performances from Stories That Soar with Tucson Circus Arts and a sunset Procession around the park. Free, donations appreciated. 3 p.m. Armory Park, 221 S. 6th Ave.

Saturday, Nov. 2
Night of the Living Fest: Deerhoof and The Meat Puppets join a huge lineup of amazing national and local musicians for this Arts and Entertainment Fest and Official All Souls Pre-Party. $35-$75. Noon-1 a.m. Old Tucson Studios, 201 S. Kinney Rd. NightOfTheLivingFest.com

Sunday, Nov. 3
All Souls Procession Finale: Free, donations appreciated. 6 p.m. Music with Tribe Called Red (Ottawa Canada), Hojarasca Andina (Bogota, Columbia), and opening ceremony from Danza Azteca Calpulli Tonantzin. Mercado San Augustin, off of West Congress Street at 100 S Avenida del Convento.

Sunday, Nov. 3
Dance of the Dead After Party: Featuring A Tribe Called Red. $35, 9 p.m.
Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress St.

Honoring Tucson Musicians

September 23, 2013 | Jon D Auria

Tucson Musicians Museum Hosts Its Annual Induction Ceremony & Fundraiser Sept. 29

Gabriel Ayala (left) and George Hawke (right) are two of this year’s inductees.
photo: George Howard

“All of our inductees are uniquely special and it’s our goal to educate the Tucson community on the amazing talent that we have in this town,” explains Tucson Musicians Museum co-founder and president George Howard.

“Our mantra is to cultivate, preserve and perpetuate Tucson’s rich musical heritage. Everybody that plays folk or rock or jazz or classical is contributing to this scene that provides such a diversity of music. Where else can you go that in one night you’ll hear classical music and mariachi music from some of the best people doing it in the world.”

Sunday, Sept. 29 marks the Tucson Musicians Museum’s 2013 inductee ceremony – the Celebration of Music & Culture – taking place at the Tucson Convention Center’s Leo Rich Theatre, 260 S. Church Ave. Now in its seventh year, the ceremony will honor Tucson’s most talented local musicians from all genres that have impacted their community as well as the music industry with their skill and dedication to their craft.

This year’s diverse range of musical talent covers every genre from rock to mariachi to country. Among those being honored are Rich Hopkins, JD Daniel, George Hawke, Ann Iverson, Bob Meighan, Duan Suarez, Peter McLaughlin, Robert Thames, Gabriel Ayala, John Coinman and posthumous honors will be given to Tombstone Slim and Bobby Smith. Each inductee will be given their award at the ceremony and will get a chance to play two songs for the attendees.

“It’s a big celebration of the artists, so it’s such a great thing to have them perform their music for the audience and the shows have always been just spectacular,” says Howard. “Bud Foster from KOLD 13 is our emcee and we have some comedians who will be performing throughout the show and overall it is just such a wonderful musical environment. Our mariachi kids will be performing at the event as well. Really it is a very special evening for the arts scene of Tucson.”

Howard and co-founder Susan French created the Tucson Musicians Museum in 2006 as a way to honor the tremendous musical talent of Tucson by creating an online presence that would shine light on the artists of this town. Howard and French’s efforts have since made a big impact on the community with their music education programs that provide instruments and lessons for kids who can’t afford an opportunity to explore music. Now TMM offers various programs including classical musical training for children, and a heralded mariachi program run by Ruben Moreno.

“The Tucson Musicians Museum is so diverse and that’s what makes it so special. It’s great that they don’t highlight just one genre and it’s a very multicultural organization,” says 2013 TMM inductee Gabriel Ayala. “The programs they have for kids are really inspiring because not every child has the opportunity to study music even if they have the desire to. Music education is such a huge part of what I do and it’s so important that we pass the torch to the next generation.”

No stranger to awards or accolades, Ayala’s career as a guitarist and songwriter has taken him to heights few musicians experience including world tours, playing for the Pope and even playing for the President of the United States. The guitar virtuoso has even created his own genre of music mixing jazz and flamingo fusion that he calls “JazzMenco.” While Ayala is honored frequently for his work with Native Americans and educating youth, the TMM is a big honor that he is grateful to receive.

“As a musician, it seems like you’re never really respected by your own community. It’s the old story that you have to travel all over the world to be acknowledged for what you do,” says Ayala. “So the fact that my home community loves what I’m doing and accepts me for it is an incredible thing. I’ve won awards all across North America, I’ve traveled all over the world, but it’s so meaningful to me to get this award from my home town.”

Tickets for the event are $20 and the proceeds go to the TMM Youth Mentorship Program. For more information about the event and TMM, visit TucsonMusiciansMuseum.org.

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2013 Inductees

Gabriel Ayala (guitar) – Jazz/Flamingo Fusion
John Coinman (guitar) Rock
JD Daniel (keyboard) – Jazz

George Hawke (bass, acoustic guitar) – Country Swing

Rich Hopkins (guitar) – Rock
Ann Iverson – Classical
Peter McLaughlin (guitar) – Bluegrass

Bob Meighan (guitar) Rock

Daun Suarez (steel guitar) – Country
Robert Thames – Pop

-Posthumous-

Bobby Smith

Tombstone Slim