Knight Rider » Alex

Spring Fling!

Alex — Mon, 18 May 2009 20:33:40 +0000

On May 8^th the SGA hosted the “Spring Fling,” an end of the year event to help students unwind and celebrate the semester coming to a close. From 11 to 1 students gathered in the lounge for free food, games, music, prizes, and pillow fights. Our lounge was decorated luau style.

Nonalcoholic margaritas were served throughout the entire event.

Chris Henley, the Luau

The DJ provided music as people wolfed down hamburgers and hot dogs (veggie burgers were also available).

Ben Kramer doing some grilling

After eating, students could enter raffles for prizes or head outside to wildly whack each other with pillows, or just sit and relax with a cold drink.

Pillow Fight!!

The turn out was good (which tends to happen when free food is involved) and students got a great opportunity for some fun and relaxation after a long semester.

It's all over, time to clean up!

Final Spring Semester Report: SGA

Alex — Mon, 18 May 2009 20:32:58 +0000

Over the past two weeks I have met privately with several members of the SGA. In the following interviews we discuss member’s thoughts on the school and the SGA, as well as what their duties are and the projects they have worked on this semester.

Those interviewed were Senators Chris Henley, Jason Surrat, and Callie Abdelwahed, Secretary Meagan Willis, President Melissa Kittinger-Surrat, and advisor Ben Kramer.

The SGA recently finished their review process for tuition reimbursement. Senators Joey Sclafani and Cameron Sonnenburg will not receive their full reimbursements based on their performance this semester in the areas of attendance, participation, projects, and speeches. Ben Kramer discusses this in his interview.

Also the SGA hosted its spring fling event on May 8^th with free food and live music for students.

Ben Kramer �

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Melissa Kittinger-Surratt

Update: SGA

Alex — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 03:13:28 +0000

As the end of this semester draws near the SGA has much to attend to. At the April 23 meeting of its members the SGA looked to put all its semester closing business into action. The first item of discussion was the upcoming tricycle race. On Thursday April 30^th the SGA will be involved in a race around the Godbey parking circle. Other participants include Phi Theta Kappa, Phi Beta Lambda, the baseball and basketball teams, support staff, faculty assembly, and early childhood development staff. At 11:30 racers will don helmets and ride their tricycles around the lot. A raffle will be held where onlookers can try and predict the winner and the time it takes to make the lap. The best guess will get 50% of the proceeds and the rest will go to the winning organization and to the other participants.

Other upcoming events are centered around Spring Fling on May 8^th. Treasurer James Kittinger’s karaoke day will take place, and Secretary Meagan Willis has organized a mass pillow fight, open to all students.

The central issue of the meeting however was that of evaluations. The time has come for the members of the SGA to be evaluated based on their performance this semester, the last step towards receiving their tuition reimbursements. First they had the opportunity to assess one another, and each member was subjected to private judgments from fellow officers and senators. Today’s reviews had many ups and downs as some were lauded for their outstanding efforts, and others stood abashedly before the criticisms of their peers. The evaluations were fair, and those who had not performed as well as others received lower ratings in the areas in which they came up short. Those areas in which they were judged were attendance, speeches, projects, and participation. These evaluations will combine with those of advisor Ben Kramer, and when reviewed by administration will determine whether a member will receive full or partial reimbursement.

SGA Spotlight: James Kittinger

Alex — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 03:07:35 +0000

Treasurer James Kittinger is a Dublin resident, born and raised here in Southwest Virginia. Majoring in education, he will graduate with honors this semester and will attend Radford University in the fall. Here at NRCC James takes his duties seriously, working in Academic Assistance as well as participating in the SGA and in Phi Theta Kappa.

His focus in the SGA has been on student involvement, organizing events and going out among students to learn what concerns them most. He has completed one project, bringing students together for the St. Patrick’s Day costume party, and will finish another after his karaoke event on May 8^th. Also he has given speeches to classes regarding academic assistance and tutoring. As treasurer James handles SGA finances, determining where money is allotted for activities and projects. He tracks their accounts and handles purchase orders for SGA events.

James enjoys attending NRCC, especially the ease with which students receive individual attention. As he says, at NRCC a student is “not just a number, but actually a person.” He believes the campus is populated by good people, with plenty of good friends around.

According to James the SGA has undergone positive changes of late. He believes they have come together in a way that he has never seen before. He says of the SGA, “This group has gotten together and done more than any previous SGA I have been in.”

The SGA Report

Alex — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 02:10:34 +0000

The April 2nd meeting of the SGA signaled the opening of a new dialogue between its members and the staff of the Knight Rider. Historically tensions have always existed between institutions of government and those of the press. However when allowed to escalate beyond reason, lines of communication are cut off and proper and thorough reporting becomes impossible. Luckily this is not the case here at NRCC. In recent weeks controversies have stemmed from the actions of both organizations. In February and March we witnessed a monumental amount of involvement from the student body here. We saw hastily written articles, cartoons improperly pulled, whispered intimidations, Sean McGrady’s zealous reporting, the involvement of the NRCC administration, and a blazing flurry of discussion and commenting on the Knight Rider website.

The result of all this however is favorable in a way no one could have predicted. The SGA has gained a new understanding of their roles on campus and their interactions with the media. The student newspaper has learned new ways of providing coverage and has taken on a better idea of ethical standards. And so from the frenzy of this conflict new ideas and processes have risen. Keep in mind that both organizations are new and in making certain mistakes have learned to never make them again. We are now looking forward to a better relationship between both groups, with open communication and information sharing. One of the arguments going back and forth in our forums has been asking whether the SGA is a REAL government and is the Knight Rider a REAL newspaper. Well the answer is yes to both. Absolutely. And both institutions have pledged to do their best to act in a manner fully consistent with what is required to meet the standards that all such groups should aspire to. Let’s look to the future.

Things got underway with a few words from a guest speaker, Knight Rider advisor Janet Hanks. She spoke in length about the happenings of the last few weeks and expressed optimism concerning future relations. The gist of what was said can be found in her article “New River Community College: A Place For A Free Press,” printed in this newspaper.

The officers went on to discuss business, setting a date for an SGA workshop on parliamentary procedure, to be attended by all members. Also, a tentative date for a Karaoke event is set for April 17th at noon, any changes to the date and its location will be posted.

Perhaps the most intriguing business of the day involved an open senate seat. At the SGA’s last meeting former Senator Sarah Polan resigned her position. Recently it was discovered that members of the SGA cannot serve as officers of other clubs or organizations, and she is the editor of our paper. Coming in the wake of the cartoon debacle the timing of this issue being raised is somewhat questionable; especially considering the newspaper was initially a project of the SGA! Essentially Sarah was forced to choose between the SGA and the Knight Rider. Luckily for us she chose the paper, but unfortunately it was at the cost of any financial aid she was to receive, despite of the work she has already done for the student government. Rightness or wrongness of this I will leave to the opinion pages and to the exceptional and intelligent commenters we have here. On the bright side, Sarah is ecstatic to be able to devote more of her considerable energies to the paper and to her many other pursuits. Another bit of good to come out of this is the appointment of Callie Abdelwahed to become our newest senator. She is a devoted worker from what I hear, and an extremely nice and open person from what I’ve seen. One of her duties will be to act as a liaison between the government and the newspaper, helping to arrange interviews and provide information. I look forward to working with her.

In the coming months I will continue to attend meetings and to bring back a balanced report. Look for one on one interviews with SGA members, perhaps a different member featured per issue. We at the Knight Rider will work closely with our elected officials in order to stay informed about the projects and efforts that they make. We will do what’s expected of us, and hopefully they will do the same. I for one am looking forward to it.

The True Golden Age of Gaming

Alex — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 23:10:17 +0000

For many of us the Super Nintendo represents the true golden age of video games. With nostalgia I think back to those early mornings before school, waking up before anyone else did so I would have a chance to play some classic Super Mario World or the legendary Mega Man X series. The Super Nintendo Entertainment System or SNES provided hours of entertainment to children of the early nineties, with graphics and colors that astounded and raptured our young minds.

When SNES was released the world of console gaming had been ruled by SEGA. They were turning out games at full steam and controlled the market unopposed. But the SNES proved to be a worthy adversary. Even today friends of mine occasionally stir up that ancient argument of Nintendo vs. SEGA. Deny it as they may, those SEGA supporters know in their hearts that Nintendo won the battle, with better games, better graphics, and more fun.

SNES first hit the scene with the old standard one on one fighting game Street Fighter 2. With arcade like graphics this game was the first wave in Nintendo’s invasion of 16 bit gaming. This game was the main reason that many people went out and bought an SNES. Street Fighter 2 revolutionized fighting games more than any other before or since. There were eight fighters from all over the world, and their attacks and defenses used the full six button controller scheme. The game stands as an all time classic, an early 90′s obsession, and there are still people today who play Street Fighter 2 better than they do anything else.

Though Nintendo gained ground early on, they were virtually neck and neck with SEGA for their first few years of production. When Mortal Kombat was released, Nintendo made the mistake of removing all blood from the game, causing them to be astronomically outsold by SEGA’s gorier version. But after a few setbacks they really got rolling, and in the mid 90′s they released a steady flow of superior games that many regard as the best video games of all time. During this time, the new games included Star Fox, Donkey Kong Country, the Final Fantasy 2 and 3, NBA Jam, Super Metroid, and Zelda: Link to the Past. These games and various others released at the time are on many of today’s gamers’ top ten lists.

Those were the days that game characters began to develop more personality, them to us and giving many of them eternal life. There was the strange little ghost of a pink powder puff, Kirby, who could swell up and swallow his enemies whole to gain their abilities. He lived in a world of whimsical colors and humorous villains. There was the mighty Mega Man X, a continuation of Nintendo’s Mega Man series, which is still a force in gaming and entertainment. Mega Man battled hordes of maliciously designed robots, saving the world from evil time and time again. Link, the questing warrior, went on some of his first quests, sword ready to hack away monsters and skeletons to save yet another damsel in distress. Donkey Kong came into his own, donning a red tie and taking to the treetops in his gorilla rage, hell-bent upon quashing krocs and regaining his banana stash. And though I’ve left some out, there is one chivalrous plumber that cannot be ignored. There is no danger he won’t face, no evil he cannot destroy, no sewer he cannot plumb! Mario is his name and damsel rescue is his game. If you’ve never played a game in your life, chances are you know who Super Mario is. He is the shortest, oldest, hairiest, chubbiest game hero to ever bag a princess. In Super Mario World for SNES he tackled a brand new universe, jumping and bumping his way through 72 levels of everything from death defying heights to subterranean murk. That game sold 20 million copies, a new high mark for the industry at the time. Long live Super Mario!!!!

For me the SNES will always hold a special place in my heart. In all honesty I would still rather play those games than any of today’s. To all of my fellow golden age gamers out there, let’s open that old cardboard box or dust off that old attic shelf and see if we can’t relive a little of our personal history. Like rereading a favorite book, these games always have a way of eliciting a warm response. And if your old console doesn’t work, Nintendo Wii has download options that can get you all of your favorites. If you can’t do that, try an emulator like ZNES and bring the classics to your computer. Trust me, you will enjoy it. With that said I’m off to play some Super Nintendo, and to spend the rest of the day smiling!

Age and Enrollment at NRCC

Alex — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 23:09:40 +0000

As the world shudders under the weight of economic crisis, every aspect of American society is feeling the downturn. College campuses are no exception. Let’s take a moment now to break the zombie-like trance we float in from class to class and look at campus trends here at New River. Community colleges have different norms for class sizes and student age ranges than universities do, but parallel shifts in trends are seen across the spectrum of higher education.

Let me begin by stressing that enrollment in colleges and universities is up. As job opportunities disappear, more and more frustrated men and women are setting their sights on higher education. Late last month, Volvo cut nearly a thousand employees as part of a sixty thousand global layoff strategy. Most of them are hourly workers who will be unemployed starting in March.

They have little chance of finding work similar to what they did before, and if they do they’ll be lucky to work at half their former wages. These are neighbors and we should support them in choosing to go back to school. They hope to increase their work worthiness by obtaining degrees and expanding their knowledge in certain fields. We are beginning to see changes here as older students return to school or attend for the first time. As times continue to be tough, the enrollment numbers will rise higher.

Let’s look at NRCC’s total enrollment numbers for the past 13 years.

Note that the most dramatic upswing is from 2005 to last year, an increase of 17%. This rise in numbers coincides with the timeline of the economic meltdown.

As many people look to education to improve their job skills, colleges are experiencing shifts in age ranges of students. Higher amounts of high school students are attending college immediately after graduating, and older students have hit the campuses in record numbers. At NRCC we have unique age differences. The average age of students at New River was 26 in 2008, at Radford University it was 21.

When NRCC began offering full semester curriculums in 1988 the age ranges looked like this (in percentages):

45% of students were under the age of 21

Now here’s what we saw on campus in 2008:

The percentage of students under 21 has dropped nearly 10 percentage points, giving us the diverse student body we have today.

From teens to seniors more people are enrolling in institutions of higher education than ever before. Although our nation’s economy is part of the reason for this, it is also a major hindrance when it comes to dealing with the higher numbers. Will the new tuitions coming in be enough for institutions to compensate for higher costs and lower funding, without making education much harder to afford?

With huge numbers of incoming students we will see the country has an opportunity to bring about an educational revolution. We could have a new Renaissance in the United States, with more people obtaining degrees and expertise than we have ever seen. But at the same time, our economic panic could cause the opposite, a collapse of US higher learning. Less funding does not mix with higher demands. Our systems of learning could reach a new pinnacle of excellence, or could become the laughing stock of the entire educational community.

The 2009 Grammys

Alex — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 16:17:19 +0000

For me, the Grammys have always been a great concert performance opportunity rather than an awards show. Of course, the big winners are usually scheduled to perform anyway, in an act of prescient pre-Grammy fortitude. This year’s show had some truly memorable moments, as well as some that are better forgotten.

Kick-starting the show were the behemoths of rock, the everlasting U2. The performance was a lackluster way to begin the evening, between the somewhat boring song and the eyebrow raising oddity of Bono’s dancing. You put your right foot in, you pull your right foot out…

Anyway I enjoyed the no host format, leaving the cricket chirp inducing jokes to the presenters, and giving us some time to breath between attempts to choke down the bile. Whitney Houston in particular was good to see, although she sounded like she was riding high on more than just Grammy gagas. She presented Jennifer Hudson with her very first Grammy, for R&B album of the year. Hudson performed with her usual strength and emotion, receiving a standing ovation after her powerhouse recital of “You Pulled Me Through.” She has really become a pro.

Jennifer Hudson

Coldplay won rock album and song of the year, but gave a mediocre performance. They won out over Kid Rock, but his performance, though hackneyed, was much more high energy and crowd pleasing.

Kenny Chesney sang his no.1 country hit “Better has a memory,” making me long for amnesia.

We also had two major, major musical bomb-outs for the evening. The first was the mind numbing duet performed by Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift. Cyrus seemed like she didn’t even know where she was, and her horrible pitch caused Swift to bow out of some parts of the song in order to avoid clashing with Miley’s inharmonious caterwauling. The second was bi-curious bawler Katy Perry. Her song makes no sense, her stage show was awkward and confusing, and SHE CAN’T SING AT ALL! Not. One. Little. Bit.

The man with the most nominations was a big winner of the night; Lil Wayne went home with four Grammys, most notably best rap album for ‘Tha Carter III’. But the greatest success story belonged to Robert Plant and Alison Kraus. The hard rock superstar teamed up with the bluegrass legend to pick up 5 awards for their collaboration album, ‘Raising Sand.’ Among these awards was the much coveted “grand prize” of the Grammys, Best Album of the Year. Delicate, intelligent vocal arrangements won the day, and their sweet, sultry performance proved that bombastic bands and flashy stage craft makes for a poor comparison to true soul and musicality.

Robert Plant and Alison Kraus took home 5 Grammys

After cringing through another Neil Diamond horror show, I was excited to see BB King and John Mayer on stage together, performing a tribute to the late blues and rock man, Bo Diddley. I was not disappointed, and for me these guitar masters put on one of the top 2 performances of the evening. Talent, charisma, and the blues, what a winning combination! Unfortunately someone let Keith Urban up there with them. Seriously, why is he even allowed in?

Noticeably absent were troubled crooner Chris Brown and his diva girlfriend Rihanna. Turns out he is under investigation, allegedly for abusing his curvy mistress. Rihanna identified Brown as her antagonist after showing up at a hospital with bruises and bite marks. She will move on to another series of no.1 hits, I’m sure, and in all likelihood Brown’s career may be over (fingers crossed).

George Carlin

All in all the evening went as expected, with the usual ups and downs. With more than 100 categories, only a handful were presented on the show. Among the winners not televised on the broadcast was best comedy album, which went to the late George Carlin for “It’s Bad for Ya.” It was his fifth Grammy. Man I miss George Carlin. However I look forward to the music and comedy of 2009 with my usual optimism. I hope to see a continued emergence of classic blues, rock, and folk concepts in modern music.

A complete list of the winners for Sunday’s show:

Record of the year Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, “Please Read The Letter”

Album of the year Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, “Raising Sand”

Song of the year Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion & Chris Martin, songwriters (Coldplay), “Viva La Vida”

Best new artist Adele

Best female pop vocal performance Adele, “Chasing Pavements”

Best male pop vocal performance John Mayer, “Say”

Best pop performance by a duo or group with vocals Coldplay, “Viva La Vida”

Best pop collaboration with vocals Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, “Rich Woman”

Best pop instrumental performance Eagles, “I Dreamed There Was No War”

Best pop instrumental album Béla Fleck & The Flecktones, “Jingle All The Way”

Best pop vocal album Duffy, “Rockferry”

Best dance recording Daft Punk, “Harder Better Faster Stronger”

Best electronic/dance album Daft Punk, “Alive 2007″

Best traditional pop vocal album Natalie Cole, “Still Unforgettable”

Best solo rock vocal performance John Mayer, “Gravity”

Best rock performance by a duo or group with vocals Kings Of Leon, “Sex On Fire”

Best hard rock performance The Mars Volta, “Wax Simulacra”

Best metal performance Metallica, “My Apocalypse”

Best rock instrumental performance Zappa Plays Zappa, featuring Steve Vai & Napoleon Murphy Brock, “Peaches En Regalia”

Best rock song Bruce Springsteen, “Girls In Their Summer Clothes”

Best rock album Coldplay, “Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends”

Best alternative music album Radiohead, “In Rainbows”

Best female R&B vocal performance Alicia Keys, “Superwoman”

Best male R&B vocal performance Ne-Yo, “Miss Independent”

Best R&B performance by a duo or group with vocals Al Green, featuring John Legend, “Stay With Me (By The Sea)”

Best traditional R&B vocal performance Al Green, featuring Anthony Hamilton, “You’ve Got The Love I Need”

Best urban/alternative performance Chrisette Michele, featuring will.i.am, “Be OK”

Best R&B song Mikkel S. Eriksen, T.E. Hermansen & S. Smith, songwriters (Ne-Yo), “Miss Independent”

Best R&B album Jennifer Hudson, “Jennifer Hudson”

Best contemporary R&B album Mary J. Blige, “Growing Pains”

Best rap solo performance Lil Wayne, “A Milli”

Best rap performance by a duo or group Jay-Z & T.I., featuring Kanye West & Lil Wayne, “Swagga Like Us”

Best rap/sung collaboration Estelle, featuring Kanye West, “American Boy”

Best rap song D. Carter, S. Garrett, D. Harrison, J. Scheffer & R. Zamor, songwriters (Lil Wayne, featuring Static Major), “Lollipop”

Best rap album Lil Wayne, “A Milli”

Best female country vocal performance Carrie Underwood, “Last Name”

Best male country vocal performance Brad Paisley, “Letter To Me”

Best country performance by a duo or group with vocals Sugarland, “Stay”

Best country collaboration with vocals Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, “Killing The Blues”

Best country instrumental performance Brad Paisley, James Burton, Vince Gill, John Jorgenson, Albert Lee, Brent Mason, Redd Volkaert & Steve Wariner, “Cluster Pluck”

Best country song Jennifer Nettles, songwriter (Sugarland), “Stay”

Best country album George Strait, “Troubadour”

Best bluegrass album Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, “Honoring The Fathers Of Bluegrass: Tribute To 1946 And 1947″

Best new age album Jack DeJohnette, “Peace Time”

Best contemporary jazz album Randy Brecker, “Randy In Brasil”

Best jazz vocal album Cassandra Wilson, “Loverly”

Best jazz instrumental solo Gary Burton & Chick Corea, soloists, “Waltz For Debby”

Best jazz instrumental album, individual or group The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, “Monday Night Live At The Village Vanguard”

Best Latin jazz album Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, “Song For Chico”

Best gospel performance Mary Mary, “Get Up”

Best gospel song Kirk Franklin, songwriter (Kirk Franklin), “Help Me Believe”

Best rock or rap gospel album TobyMac, “Alive And Transported”

Best pop/contemporary gospel album CeCe Winans, “Thy Kingdom Come”

Best southern, country, or bluegrass gospel album Gaither Vocal Band, “Lovin’ Life”

Best traditional gospel album The Blind Boys Of Alabama, “Down In New Orleans”

Best contemporary R&B gospel album Kirk Franklin, “The Fight Of My Life”

Best Latin pop album Juanes, “La Vida…Es Un Ratico”

Best Latin rock or alternative album Jaguares, “45″

Best Latin urban album Wisin y Yandel, “Los Extraterrestres”

Best tropical Latin album José Feliciano, “Senor Bachata”

Best regional Mexican album TIE: Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano, “Amor, Dolor Y Lagrimas: Musica Ranchera” and Mariachi Divas, “Canciones De Amor”

Best Tejano album Ruben Ramos & The Mexican Revolution, “Viva La Revolucion”

Best Norteno album Los Tigres Del Norte, “Raices”

Best Banda album Joan Sebastian, “No Es De Madera”

Best traditional blues album B.B. King, “One Kind Favor”

Best contemporary blues album Dr. John And The Lower 911, “City That Care Forgot”

Best traditional folk album Pete Seeger, “At 89″

Best contemporary folk/Americana album Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, “Raising Sand”

Best Native American music album Various artists, “Come To Me Great Mystery — Native American Healing Songs”

Best Hawaiian music album Tia Carrere & Daniel Ho, “‘Ikena”

Best Zydeco or Cajun music album BeauSoleil & Michael Doucet, “Live At The 2008 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival”

Best reggae album Burning Spear, “Jah Is Real”

Best traditional world music album Ladysmith Black Mambazo, “Ilembe: Honoring Shaka Zulu”

Best contemporary world music album Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain, Sikiru Adepoju & Giovanni Hidalgo, “Global Drum Project”

Best polka album Jimmy Sturr And His Orchestra, “Let The Whole World Sing”

Best musical album for children They Might Be Giants, “Here Come The 123s”

Best spoken word album for children Bill Harley, “Yes To Running! Bill Harley Live”

Best spoken word album (includes poetry, audio books & story telling) Beau Bridges, Cynthia Nixon & Blair Underwood, “An Inconvenient Truth (Al Gore)”

Best comedy album George Carlin, “It’s Bad For Ya”

Best musical show album “In The Heights,” Kurt Deutsch, Alex Lacamoire, Andrés Levin, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Joel Moss & Bill Sherman, producers; Lin-Manuel Miranda, composer/lyricist (Original Broadway Cast With Lin-Manuel Miranda And Others)

Best compilation soundtrack album for motion picture, television or other visual media “Juno,” various artists

Best score soundtrack album for motion picture, television or other visual media “The Dark Knight,” James Newton Howard & Hans Zimmer, composers

Best song written for motion picture, television or other visual media “Down To Earth” (From “WALL-E”), Peter Gabriel & Thomas Newman, songwriters (Peter Gabriel)

Best instrumental composition John Williams, composer (John Williams, “The Adventures Of Mutt” (from “Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull”)

Best instrumental arrangment Peter Gabriel & Thomas Newman, arrangers (Thomas Newman), “Define Dancing (from WALL-E)”

Best instrumental arrangement accompanying vocalist(s) Nan Schwartz, arranger (Natalie Cole), “Here’s That Rainy Day”

Best recording package “Death Magnetic,” Bruce Duckworth, Sarah Moffat & David Turner, art directors (Metallica)

Best boxed or special limited edition package “In Rainbows,” Stanley Donwood, Mel Maxwell & Christiaan Munro, art directors (Radiohead)

Best album notes “Kind Of Blue: 50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition,” Francis Davis, album notes writer (Miles Davis)

Best historical album “Art Of Field Recording Volume I: Fifty Years Of Traditional American Music Documented By Art Rosenbaum,” Steven Lance Ledbetter & Art Rosenbaum, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer (Various Artists)

Best engineered album, non-classical “Consolers Of The Lonely,” Joe Chiccarelli, Vance Powell & Jack White III, engineers (The Raconteurs)

Producer of the year, non-classical Rick Rubin

 “Death Magnetic” (Metallica)

 “Home Before Dark” (Neil Diamond)

 “Mercy (Dancing For The Death Of An Imaginary Enemy” (Ours)

 “Seeing Things” (Jakob Dylan)

 “Weezer (Red Album)” (Weezer)

Best remixed recording, non-classical “Electric Feel (Justice Remix),” Justice, remixers (MGMT)

Best surround sound album “Mussorgsky: Pictures At An Exhibition; Night On Bald Mountain; Prelude To Khovanshchina,” Michael Bishop, surround mix engineer; Michael Bishop, surround mastering engineer; Robert Woods, surround producer (Paavo J�rvi & Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra)

Best engineered album, classical “Traditions And Transformations: Sounds Of Silk Road Chicago,” David Frost, Tom Lazarus & Christopher Willis, engineers (Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Alan Gilbert, Silk Road Ensemble, Wu Man, Yo-Yo Ma & Chicago Symphony Orchestra)

Producer of the year, classical David Frost

 “Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique” (Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic)

 “Right Through The Bone — Julius R�ntgen Chamber Music” (ARC Ensemble)

 “Schubert: Sonata In D Maj.; Liszt: Don Juan Fantasy” (Min Kwon)

 “Traditions And Transformations: Sounds Of Silk Road Chicago” (Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Alan Gilbert, Yo-Yo Ma, Silk Road Ensemble, Wu Man & Chicago Symphony Orchestra)

Best classical album “Weill: Rise And Fall Of The City Of Mahagonny,” James Conlon, conductor; Anthony Dean Griffey, Patti LuPone & Audra McDonald; Fred Vogler, producer (Donnie Ray Albert, John Easterlin, Steven Humes, Mel Ulrich & Robert Worle; Los Angeles Opera Chorus; Los Angeles Opera Orchestra)

Best orchestral performance “Shostakovich: Symphony No. 4,” Bernard Haitink, conductor (Chicago Symphony Orchestra)

Best opera recording “Weill: Rise And Fall Of The City Of Mahagonny,” James Conlon, conductor; Anthony Dean Griffey, Patti LuPone & Audra McDonald; Fred Vogler, producer (Donnie Ray Albert, John Easterlin, Steven Humes, Mel Ulrich & Robert Worle; Los Angeles Opera Orchestra; Los Angeles Opera Chorus)

Best choral performance “Symphony Of Psalms,” Sir Simon Rattle, conductor; Simon Halsey, chorus master (Berliner Philharmoniker; Rundfunkchor Berlin)

Best instrumental soloist(s) performance (with orchestra) “Schoenberg/Sibelius: Violin Concertos,” Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor; Hilary Hahn (Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra)

Best instrumental soloist performance (without orchestra) “Piano Music Of Salonen, Stucky, And Lutoslawski,” Gloria Cheng

Best chamber music performance “Carter, Elliott: String Quartets Nos. 1 And 5,” Pacifica Quartet

Best small ensemble performance “Spotless Rose: Hymns To The Virgin Mary,” Charles Bruffy, conductor; Phoenix Chorale

Best classical vocal performance “Corigliano: Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems Of Bob Dylan,” Hila Plitmann (JoAnn Falletta; Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra)

Best classical contemporary composition “Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems Of Bob Dylan,” John Corigliano (JoAnn Falletta)

Best classical crossover album “Simple Gifts,” The King’s Singers

From Strangeness to Sameness: Music of 2008

Alex — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 12:35:50 +0000

2008 has been an exceptional year in music. The listening world witnessed many births and resurrections, with artist’s new and old scoring hit after hit on the charts. Some were good, some great, and some were god awful. I mean unholy reeking waste of everybody’s time awful. Not to say the bad outweighed the good, far from it. Many musicians stretched the boundaries of their minds and talents to produce new heights of quality work. And as the times and technologies we live in continue to change, we see many artists taking hold of this altering interworld and embracing newer and stronger methods of music creation and distribution.
This year many embraced the continual metamorphosis of the way people buy and listen to music. Internet music sales gained a stronger hold than ever as more and more fans turned to iTunes and other online services for their musical needs. Artists are not blind to this transformation. Lil Wayne used a series of internet leaks to hype his album Tha Carter III. These leaked tracks and mix tapes helped to attract more than a million buyers in the album’s first week alone. Trent Reznor used his internet empire to release the latest Nine Inch Nails album, The Slip. Even Metallica, the band that led the insane death commando attack against napster years ago, used iTunes and their own website to release singles in anticipation of their newest work, Death Magnetic. The internet age continues at full swing.

Lil Wayne

The music of 2008 contains a flurry of parallels and opposites. We saw a rejuvenated Britney Spears, a restructured Beyonce, and a ravaged Amy Winehouse. Beck and some others re-embraced vinyl, giving many a chance to have something they have always loved. After 17 years and millions of dollars, Guns N’ Roses unveiled the much anticipated Chinese Democracy to a collective worldwide yawn.

Guns N Roses Fires a Dud

Old fashioned favorites B.B. King and George Strait (who hit #1 on the Billboard charts this year) each released albums of brand new music with a classic 1950’s style. All told, some big winners were Alicia Keyes, Lil Wayne, and Coldplay, each spending multiple weeks at #1 and outselling their peers by the millions. This year has been a tremendous year in music, with more releases of albums and singles than ever before. And I have a feeling we may see even more in 2009.
Finishing up, here is the Billboard Top Ten for 2008, whether you and I agree or not. (Commentary does not necessarily express opinions of NRCC or other Knight Riders).

1. As I Am
Alicia Keyes
Another in a long line of top selling albums and singles
2. Noel
Josh Groban
This holiday album was Josh Groban’s second No. 1 hit. Good for him. I mean it. No Auto-Tune needed.
3.Tha Carter III
Lil Wayne
What can I say? The man knows how to make money. But Auto-Tune definitely needed.
4. Long Road Out of Eden
The Eagles
Their first studio album since 1979. A long road indeed.
5. Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
If you get through this one without vomiting you must be a fan. One of 3.6 million.
6. Rock N Roll Jesus
Kid Rock
Originality is not a prerequisite for popularity.
7. Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
Coldplay
God help me, I like it. Even if some of it is ripped off.
8. NOW 26
Various Artists
What? A compilation album? I’ll never understand it.
9. Carnival Ride
Carrie Underwood
Go Carrie. Screw American Idol.
10. The Ultimate Hits
Garth Brooks
A collection of Garth’s finest. He is raking in the dough.

Old Fashioned Good Times in Edwards 117

Alex — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 06:17:02 +0000

The tradition of bluegrass music dates back to the earliest days of American discovery. Early settlers (particularly the Scotch-Irish who immigrated to Appalachia) wrote songs about day to day experiences in this new rural land, songs reflecting life in the mountains, the forests, and the farms. As the centuries progressed and new musical ideas and instruments were introduced to the US, Bluegrass underwent a series of transformations that came to truly define the spirit of this music. This style is an acoustic driven, spirited force of banjos, guitars, fiddles, harmonicas, and high, lonesome vocal harmonies. But most of all, it is a whole lot of fun.

The monthly concerts put on by our college’s Fiddle, Banjo, and Dance Club provide just that. Every second Saturday of the month the atmosphere of Edwards hall changes dramatically as families, couples, and true bluegrass lovers pile into 117 to have themselves a good old time. At last Saturday’s performance I witnessed a huge crowd of over 150 pack into that room for an evening of hardcore bluegrass music and flat foot dancing. With smiles all around me I was immediately swept away by the feelings of happiness and enjoyment that were heavy in the air.

Edwards hall begins to fill as musicians prepare for the start of the concert

The highlanders wail away

The first band to perform was The Highlanders. The group consisted of 2 guitars, bass, mandolin, Fiddle, and Banjo, with everyone taking a turn at harmonized vocals. The group seemed to have been injected with energy, blazing through tunes with a near virtuoso quality to their down home playing. After a number of songs to dance to, they regaled the crowd with a humorous mountain rendition of The Night Before Christmas.

After that the next band, Whitetop Mountain, took the stage. Suddenly the dance floor was packed with more than 50 people eager to dance away their frustrations to the music of this long time Virginia Favorite. The Whitetop Mountain band is a family based group, tracing their existence all the way back to the 1940’s. They play with a big, full sound, showcasing a soaring violin and powerful vocals. The musicians are all multi-talented, playing many different instruments throughout, and taking turns singing emotional harmonies and incredible solos.

Whitetop Mountain plays a beautiful duet

College President Jack Lewis receives an award of appreciation from the Fiddle, Banjo, and Dance Club

In the audience, all age groups, from 1 to 100, were represented. Everyone was digging the music, meeting old friends, and dancing their hearts out. I highly recommend this concert series for anyone, as it is impossible not to have a great time. Need to spend time with your parents or grandparents? Take them to a Fiddle, Banjo, and Dance club concert and see them relive their love of true mountain music. Need a cheap idea for a date? The concerts are free, the dancing is boisterous, and for $2.25 you can get yourself a chili dog, a bag of popcorn, and a Pepsi. Just looking for something to do? Than come on down to Edwards Hall on one of these dates and have yourself some old fashioned fun.

Upcoming performance dates:

January 10, 2009

Appalachian Ramblers
Zephyr Lightning Bolts

February 14, 2009
Bluegrass Kinsmen
Buck Mountain

March 14, 2009
Adam Larkey & Mountain Time
The Bogtrotters

April 11, 2009
The VW Boys
Whitetop Mountain