NEXT ARTS ALIVE SUNDAY AUGUST 19, 7:00  to 10:00 p.m. AT PANGEA CAFÉ, 34 N. Ft. Harrison, Clearwater
ARTS ALIVE July 20, 2008 --

The evening began with Broadway Babies, Chip Marshall’s students who are receiving theatrical voice training. "Broadway Babies, they’re so new. Let us see what they can do!" And do, they did! Caroline Salvatore sang "Maybe" from Annie; Lily Landeau sang "Tomorrow" from Annie Tabs Marshall sang "When You Wish Upon a Star" from Pinocchio. Then we had a seven year old pianist, Quentin Doerges, play for us! Our future is bright with these young artists in the limelight!
Our own Steve Dockendorf, singer, songwriter and our sound man, took the stage, delivering two of his own, "Good Roads, Good Weather," and "Sanctuary." Steve, you are a singing philosopher!

Our MC, Elyse Van Breemen, brought out her cello and played, fittingly for the evening, "On Wings of Song" by Mendelsohn, then she invited Helen Henry to improvise with her on the piano. Together they created a moving piece in A minor.

Helen Henry stayed on the stage and sang her original, "Call on Me," and then moved us with "Phantom of the Opera." Mother of five, now grandmother, who supported her children as a musician, wants to be known as "The Eclectic Grandma" However, she’s too young looking to be a grandmother!

Next, Danni, a lady of seventeen, astounded us with her rendition of two songs she had written, "the More I Seek You, and "To You, I say Farewell." Her songs warmed our hearts, the start of a new generation of song and happiness.

The evening literally "deepened," when we all enjoyed the rich deep voice of Randall Gillion, who "got no woman, and should feel sad, but then she’d been low down dirty and downright bad." Then he strummed his original on guitar, singing, "Just being with you makes life worthwhile."

We knew the evening was worthwhile, especially when two ten year olds, Emma and Tori, took the stage and sang their original song, about a lady who had apparently given up, but "Love is Going to Happen." Elain, The Drama Director of Delphi School’s summer camp accompanied them on the guitar. The wisdom of youth!
Roxy Kerr sang her original, "Beautiful," with her mother, Naomi Kerr, accompanying her on the piano, then she sang the song they wrote together, "I’m Never Alone, " with the words, "Even though far part, never distance between hearts. Now that you’re gone, you’re still with me."

"Did they write that song just for me?" Elyse, our MC asked. "My husband passed away a year ago, and that’s how I feel." "We wrote it for everyone, replied Naomi. A song can say so much more than mere words. I wonder how often we feel a song was written just for us?

Jordan Fields took hold of the keys next, telling us as the audience cheered, he was from Vancouver, Canada. He played and sang his original love song about a gal who takes him places where he wants to be, and another "Inside My Head." Exciting, lyrical, musical messages!

 Friends of Jordan’s, Dominique Nelson and her brother, Rayan Smale, were also from Vancouver. "Cowboy Canadians," they called themselves, for they grew up on a farm. They "countryfied" the evening with "Oh, Come, Angel Band," and the familiar "Tennessee Waltz." One audience member described their performance as "magical."

Cathy, the photographer of the evening, from Artists in Action International--Arts Alive is part of Artists in Action — told us about the up and coming theater classes from young people coming up by veteran actor, John Parsonson.

Dumb Blind Luck, foursome, electric violin and piano, guitar, congas, said they were going to bring us back to earth– or was it bring earth back to us?– with their original song, Earthbound," then another original by Cookie Leonard, "Pull Me Through," about trying to make sense out of something that just didn’t make sense."
The lovely young Jessica Greenwood, a mover and shaker for arts for young people, sang two songs, "Absence of Fear" by Jules and her favorite, and many of ours, the Sinatra song, "When somebody loves you, its no good unless he love you, all the way." 

Naomi Kerr, who wasn’t going to sing on her own, decided to, and Helen Henry accompanied her to "Summertime." Naomi is a voice and stage presence coach as well. She told us about her workshop on August 23, "The Secrets to Building Stage Confidence," guaranteed to do just that.

Indira Cumbe stopped in at Pangea and decided to join in the excitement with two of her originals song for voice and guitar, a blues song, "Misery," and "Love is Decor."

We ended off with Joy of Creating by L. Ron Hubbard, "The greatest joy in life there is is creating, Splurge on it." Dumb Blind Luck came back to do two more and Elyse reminded us to all come back and bring others for the next Arts Alive--always on the third Sunday of the month at Pangea Cafe.

For more info contact
Elyse Van Breemen 727 446-5400 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it