14 • December 2015 • UPBEAT TIMES, INC.


17th Annual Holiday Guide Nina Hart & Miguel Frasconi: Somewhere in a Town Somewhere at Main Stage West


Sebastopol, CA. ~ North Car- olina based author Nina Hart and NYC based composer Miguel Frasconi will present an evening of text/sound/mu- sic collabora- tions. Ms. Hart will be reading from her award winning book “Somewhere


In a Town You Never Knew Existed Some- where,” and Mr. Frasconi will


perform on his unique instru- mentarium of glass and elec- tronic instruments. Hart & Frasconi have col- laborated in various forms for over 30 years and are honored to bring their unique creations to Main Stage West. Nina Hart is a writer, perform- er, and creativity coach trained


in the Kaizen-Muse method. She recently released her first collection of surreal short fic- tions called “Somewhere in a Town You Never Knew Existed Some- where”. The book has been selected as a Short Stories (Adult Fiction) category final- ist in Foreword Reviews’ pres- tigious 2014 IndieFab Book


of the Year Awards. Foreword Reviews cited the book as “A brave experiment with fiction and form...” and The Santa Fe New Mexican wrote that: “Hart extends her creative license to its utmost limits.” Nina was an original member of the San Francisco experimental dance troupe Contraband, and, play-


ing electric bass, has recorded and performed with numer- ous bands. She teaches writing workshops in Asheville, North Carolina, and beyond.


Miguel Frasconi is a com-


poser and improvisor specializ- ing in the relationship between acoustic objects and musical form. His in- strumentar- ium includes glass objects, electronics, laptop, and constructions of his own design. His glass instru- ments are struck, blown, stroked,


smashed and otherwise coaxed into vibra- tion. Miguel’s array of activities have included collaborations with the Balinese composer Dewa Berata on music for a large-scale shadowplay, with operatic tenor John Duykers on unique music/theater events, and with the Tibetan song- writer Techung, with whom he has toured throughout India.


In September 2012 Miguel’s CAGE100 Festival was called “one of the best observances of John Cage’s 100th birth- day” by the New York Times and included performances by his ensembles The Noisy Toy Piano Orchestra and the John Cage Variety Show Big Band. Earlier this year the op- era “Hand To Mouth,” a col- laboration be- tween Miguel, John Duykers, and Melissa Weaver, was premiered at Main- Stage West. Miguel’s mu- sic has been re-


leased on New Albion Records, Porter Records, and a record- ing of his string quartets will soon be released on the Tzadik label. Tuesday, December 8th @ 8pm. Tickets $15-$25 Slid- ing Scale. Available only at the door with cash or check. Doors open @ 7pm, 104 North Main Street, Sebastopol. www.main- stagewest.com/concerts/


Perseverance... keeps honor bright: to have done, is to hang quite out of fashion, like a rusty nail in monumental mockery. William Shakespeare


Weird Facts & Fun Trivia - 5


Worms, beetles, and bugs are not as American as Mom’s apple pie, and very probably never will be. But there was an occasion in 1992, at the Explorers Club in New York City, when the New York Entomological Society celebrated its 100th anniversary with a banquet that began with snacks of roasted crickets and larvae and went on through meal- worm ghanouj, waxworm fritters with plum sauce, cricket and vegetable tem- pura, and roasted Australian kurrajong grubs to roast beef and gravy. The des- sert was chocolate cricket torte, the centerpieces on the table were live tarantulas (for decor, not for eating).


In 1836 Alabama became the first U.S. state to recognize Christmas as a legal holiday.


In 354 A.D. Pope Liberius designated December 25 as the official date of Christ- mas.


In 877 A.D. English servants are given a 12 day Christmas holiday by Alfred the Great.


www.thetawavefl oatspa.com 14 • December 2015 • UPBEAT TIMES, INC. Life is not about how fast you run or how high you climb but how well you bounce. ~Vivian Komori


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