Bill Van Loan ~ Memorist & Strategist

Julianne Bruce (Flute) and Leo Marcus (Piano) in Concert - Santa Monica, Ca. USA

What a winner of a concert,

Julianne Bruce played the flute like there was no tomorrow. She has so much talent and is so young. What a gift! Her passion hit the concert halls ceiling and she is such a joy to hear. Lots of joy....

Leo Marcus was playing the passion piano and this gentlemen is such a rave. I can't rate Leo high enough. He plays the piano like magic and makes everything look so easy. It's hard to talk after these two perform together. Life feels perfect. This is the second time I saw these two play and still they take my breath away....

I can't thank these entertainers enough.

Here's what we heard:

Sinfonische Kanzone Op. 114  - Sigfrif Karg-Elert (1879-1933)

Sonata - Francis Poulenc (1899-1963)

Allegretto malincolico

Cantilena

Presto giocoso

Concerto - Jacques Ibert (1890-1962)

Allegro

Andante

Allegro scherzando

The concert was breathtaking and everyone was sad to see it end. I'll post the date for the next concert ASAP. Julianne is priceless and Leo is such a warm caring soul. The tapestry of passion is never far away when these two play.

The concert hall is located at the Santa Monica Public Library Martin Luther King Jr. Auditorium. This 74 million dollar library is huge. Please visit when your in Santa Monica. It's a site to see and only a few blocks from the beach and Third Street Prominade.

Julianne Bruce, flute and Leo Marcus, piano Shine Like Angels in Concert

Julianne and Leo performed their summer recital at the Santa Monica Concert Hall in Santa Monica, CA on August, 13th with perfection that's such a joy to believe. The Concert Hall is attached to the Santa Monica library which was built at a cost of 100 to 200 million dollars and worth every cent.

Highlights included:

Sonatine

Allegretto, Andante, Anime - Henri Dutileux

Sonatine

Moderato, Andante espressivo, Tempo anime - Pierre Sancan

Concerto No. 2 in D major, D. 314

I. Allegro aperto

II. Andante ma non troppo

III. Allegro

Wolfgang Mozart

Andante et Schero - Louis Ganne

Julianne and Leo have the magic touch and are simply breathtaking together. More details and hyperlinks shortly.

The Los Angeles Clarinet Choir Performs in Santa Monica, Calif. USA on 11/22/08 and their Concert Attracted a Full House and High Ratings!!!

This concert was first rate and will appear on Los Angeles Clarinet Choir/YouTube Videos shortly. I used to play the Clarinet myself and I know what it takes to make magic happen. The Los Angeles Clarinet Choir performed at the Santa Monica Public Library Concert Hall. This is a $100 million dollar library and it's all class.

Victoria (Vicky, co-principal clarinet) Ramos made the impossible happen and is a must see for her incredible scorching solo on Alan Scott's Paquito and her work on Debussy's En Bateau. Even the kids fell in love with her. She is a class act and has talent that rates higher than a "10"! The Los Angeles Clarinet Choir is a real wonder in sights and sounds as they performed an unforgettable concert this afternoon. Every performer in the LACC seemed to have a natural flair for playing what I would describe as very moving music and they make a super team. I was touched by the rare chemistry that produced this labor of love. The LACC defines true passion. The concert was hot and I'm glad I met Vicky (also a teacher in the LA area). She is a treasure you will never forget! I plan on meeting more of the LACC in the near future so please check back for more exciting details.

The LACC includes:

• Lori Musicant Koch, principal soprano
• David Sucik (E-flat)
• Erica Golden (principal bass)
• Don Gross (contrabass)
• Bernadette Allbaugh
• Tanitra Flenaugh (guest)
• Sarkis Hardy
• Joel Kabakoff (Alto Clarinet)
• Lynne Snyder
• Jorge Sotelo
• Barbara Watts-Robinson (Basset Horn)
• David Seta
• Spencer Quong
• Vicky (Victoria) Ramos (as previously mentioned - Co-Principal)

Dr. Margaret Thornhill  is the  Founder and Conductor. She's amazing.

More details on concert highlights and hyperlinks are coming soon...

These notes are brief but the performance was superlative and you can see more and learn more about LACC by clicking here. The LACC just released a CD and it's hot.

I performed songs like "Stranger on the Shore " and "Aria" by Mr. Acker Bilk in the 70's and today we have the Los Angeles Clarinet Choir that plays with endless energy and boundless enthusiasm.

Fact: Mr. Bilk scored the first British number one hit in the USA before the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Elton John and so many others and he did that as a jazz clarinetist. He broke the ice for the coming British Invasion with "Stranger" on 5/26/62. Pretty cool trivia for the clarinet and Bilk continues to perform.

Last note: Victoria (Vicky) Ramos  really loves what she does and knows how to leave everyone wanting so much more of what she has - a gift that is simply incomparable with more passion than you can imagine to back it up. No words can appreciate Vicky enough. Vicky personifies what Beautiful Music is all about. Victoria Ramos is Music. Every time she performed she played as if it was her first time - she was so fresh, just like a child prodigy. Creative genius is written all over her face and she is a warm soul who clearly is in love with her life. She is so unforgettable as her sparks fly, her passion has no ceiling. That's breathtaking stuff and she welcomes your comments on the YouTube Videos that feature the Los Angeles Clarinet Choir doing what they do best. I fell in love with their music and I think you will too.

Since I rarely do it, I save the rave for a bargain and believe me, this free concert is it. Everyone left happy. The LACC tour schedule is listed on their home page with lots of details and dates. Videos, performer info, glamor shots, group shots and more are also included with contact information. Enjoy!

Email LACC at clarinetstudio@ca.rr.com or check their web at www.losangelesclarinetchoir.com - just use the hyperlinks on this page.

Please print or hyperlink,etc this story to let others know how hot the LACC is. Margaret, Victoria and the entire team are just heaven. Please email me if you have any suggestions, questions or comments that you think would add more to the success story of the LACC and this article. Everyone deserves to hear the best music and that's what LACC is all about.

P.S. I spoke with a lot of people and they agreed that Victoria is a bonus. She is a real miracle and that's worth bragging about. You have not lived until you see her perform live. In fact, she has left me dumbstruck.

And, I suggest the LACC use a TypePad Blog and establish a Wikipedia page to promote their exciting cause. I'm sure fans will have many other cool ideas to help the LACC.

Passion Piano Vol. 1 No. 2 - Adryn Miller is a Masterpiece

   Adryn Miller is a masterpiece and she plays the piano like there’s no tomorrow. Her passion runs high and she is one super personality and entertainer. She featured Debussy, Chopin, Scarlatti, Gershwin and Mozart among others.

Adryn is gifted beyond words. She plays her heart out and she has a very happy heart. Adryn has the confidence of God as her hands turned into magic and produced a riveting performance of short classics that left her audience feeling better than they had ever imagined. I really enjoyed the Adryn Miller world of music and exciting storytelling. She knows the history of music and has a voice that conveys the meaning behind each short classic that she plays to perfection.

Adryn also has an incredible memory and she has a really big brain! Her enthusiasm and exuberance for classical music left me energized. Everything is a labor of love for this gorgeous young lady who has talent beyond description. She is charming and rates a “10” when it comes to personality. She can turn the lights on with a look and seeing her perform in concert is as close to heaven as I have ever come. Adryn is an Angel.

Adryn is a marvel to watch and is very engaging. She’s very funny and loves to laugh. It’s all very contagious. She has the qualities of a super leader and a superstar. I thought - Who would not like Adryn? Adryn is on the one hand, so young and innocent, yet so mature on the other. Adryn has a brain that captivates her audience in such a way that it’s actually easy to forget who you are or where you are. She invites us into her world and leaves us with an experience we will never forget – now that’s genius.

Adryn’s spirit and soul bring to life the classic music we all know and love in a very intimate way. Adryn’s style is simply incomparable. I shook her hand and thanked her. I discovered she was Ms. Assertive. That confidence is unforgettable. She played that piano in such a caring, warm, loving and sensitive way. She has a secret technique that makes you feel that she’s just playing for you – amazing! Adryn produced the harmony of my soul and I loved it. She defines aliveness and is very graceful while she sparkles and shines with enthusiasm that bubbles over. The audience adored her and wanted more as her concert flew by faster than a fantasy.

Adryn is not a fantasy. She is real and has a lot to talk about and even more to brag about. Her performance will leave you wanting more. Adryn is a fountain of youth and her piano playing makes you want your time to stop so you can enjoy the experience even more. Look at the joy in her eyes and you will see such a soft, warm and kind soul. Imagine a summer rain that feels so good and so right on a hot summer night.  I never wanted Adryn’s concert to end and she is hotter than a firecracker when it comes to performing. A raging inferno, she knows how and when to take off and lights up the mood for all. The piano loves her. I’m convinced that she could play anything – even in the dark and that would leave her audience spellbound and dumbstruck. Adryn is a walking success story. She is so much more than a gifted pianist.

Adryn is faster than a wink of an eye. I was lucky to see her perform in the front row. Adryn aims high and once you see her in action, you will never forget her. She delivers a once in a lifetime experience and I hope to see you at her next big event. I can’t promote Adryn hard enough and she really deserves the best.

 

Adryn produced an unforgettable show as a gift to the City of Santa Monica, Calif. USA and is an extraordinarily generous individual. I saw her perform at the MLK. Jr. Concert Hall in Santa Monica just blocks away from the Third Street Promenade, the beach and so much more fun that personifies Adryn and sunny Southern California.

Adryn can be reached at myspace.com/adrynmiller. Her website features music, pictures and a really cool history. Adryn looks like a supermodel. She has that electric energy that everybody wants and I look at her as a healthy role model that defines what it means to use your passion to produce a satisfied life. Adryn is a very happy person and watching her perform will leave you with a smile that says I want more of what comes so natural to her.

Adryn’s concert just meant the world to me and Santa Monica is a richer city because of her. That’s pretty cool and Adryn is first rate. The children I interviewed thought the concert was a lot of fun and one child stated that Adryn was “just a dream to watch”. Adryn has never forgotten her dream and wears her true colors well.

If you’re looking for true passion and an unforgettable experience – just look for Adryn, a beautiful human being who paints a stunning masterpiece with her piano.

 

Adryn Miller can be reached by clicking here.

Passion Piano Vol.1 No.1 - Junko Ueno Garrett Is Breathtaking

Her hands are made of miracles and her name is Junko.

Junko Ueno Garrett played in Santa Monica, Calif. USA today and her concert just took my breath away. Never miss seeing her because she is that good.

Born in Japan, Junko began playing piano at the tender age of three. She was a child prodigy and now she is a creative genius who just gets better and better. Junko is a Kawai artist and a super entertainer.

Junko has released at least two CD's including "100 Years of Japanese Piano Music".

Junko has attended the finest schools and toured worldwide. She trained at Toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo and received a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree from Rice University in the USA. She is so young and has accomplished so much. It would take a book of a thousand pages to list her complete history and there are thousands of hyperlinks on the web that showcase her image, history, groups, articles, interviews, musical selections, reviews and so much more. Dive right into her information highway and you will fall in love.

This Blog post is all about how captivating an artist Junko is and how I felt as each finger touched the piano. Junko defines and personifies passion. She is music and the feelings I felt while watching her play were so intense that I almost lost my composure. My true nature came out and I saw my life in the pieces that she played. I felt she was playing the story of my life. Her personality has so much spirit I actually thought I could touch the sky. Her fingers, the look in her eye and focus most would do anything for - it all came together for "A Musical Journey Around the World" (one super theme of her current tour). Junko is unstoppable and I saw the true colors of myself throughout her musical masterpiece unlike any other experience I have ever had.

I was thrilled to meet Junko and sad to see her go. Her husband (LA Philharmonic cellist, David Garrett) is such a nice guy and I can see the connection. Junko is beyond a 10 and love drips from her concert. She is incomparable and unforgettable. Junko is life and her music touches the soul and there are no words for being there and feeling life when this super dynamo of a person touches the piano. I can't say enough about her music and the way she plays. I just felt like a million dollars. I saw her hands. That's love and intimacy with a lot of care. I thought "How much has she insured her hands for" and was amazed that her beautiful brain and precious hands could bring me so much happiness.

I loved the concert and loved what I saw in her eyes. Junko is such an exciting person to be around. She makes others look boring and she is beyond smart. A genius who is so much fun and engaging. I was so thrilled to meet her. She is so real and a wonder to watch and hear.

Junko presents a once in a life time opportunity to feel entertainment and a brilliant new experience and so much more all in presentation. It may be the best hour of your life. If you miss out on Junko, you'll miss out on life. Passion drips from her keyboard as she leaves her lasting impression on those lucky enough to see her. To say she stops time is an understatement.

Junko holds a faculty position at Occidental College in Los Angeles and she continues to be very active with the L.A. Philharmonic's chamber music series. She leaves for a South American and Asia tour this coming 2008-2009 season. Junko is hot and plays the piano flawlessly. She has won many awards. She is a winner every time and I actually thought she was playing the piano without touching the keys and I had the best seat in the house. She loves cats and I loved her performance. I can hardly wait to see her play again.

Junko Ueno Garret is breathtaking and can never be appreciated enough. Her music drips with love and touches everyone like magic. The world needs more Junko's. She is a symbol of hope and so much more. I interviewed a number of children who are being trained by Junko and they can't get enough of her. I suppose they are future superstars. Good for them. Children adore Junko and tell me what a classy teacher she is and how much she cares about them. She is so fresh, present and alive. Her awareness is sky high. She knows what she's doing and those children are in good hands.

Junko can be reached at Occidental College in Los Angeles, Calif. USA or just Google her name with advance search and her contact/concert/tour info will appear.

Junko defines Joy as she plays her passion and she left me wanting more... .

More Concerts Coming Soon

Updates coming soon...

All The Cool Concerts I Have Seen From A To Z

Thanks for all the emails about the Glen Campbell concert. I really appreciate it.

It was hot and I hope you enjoy Glen as much as I did.

I really love music.

I have been asked to list (some of) the concerts I have seen and I will be happy to do so.

Special Note: The 10 thousand records I had were sold to Amoeba Records in Hollywood, Ca.

Now it's all digital with iPOD, etc.

Hyperlinks will come later. I have to research this list carefully.

Please use the google toolbar in the meantime if you want more info on any the artists.

Notes coming soon about the experiences I had with the following artists and why I saw them and what it meant to me.

This list is not complete, but - it's a start.

Music can heal the soul.

Please make sure it's a part of your life today.

Here goes:

Jewel Akens

America

The Angels

Carmine Appice

The Archies

The Association

Frankie Avalon

Hank Ballard And The Midnighters

The Bay City Rollers

The Beach Boys

Beatlemania - The Original Cast

Brian Beirne - Mr. Rock 'n' Roll

Tim Bogert

Donnie Brooks

The Beau Brummels

Bloodstone

Blue Magic

Blues Image

Gary "U.S." Bonds

Brewer & Shipley

The Brooklyn Bridge

The Brothers Johnson

The Byrds

The Box Tops

T.Graham Brown

The Buckinghams

Eric Burdon And The Animals

Cameo

Glen Campbell

Skip (Grover) & Gloria Clark

Canned Heat

Cannibal & The Headhunters

Freddy Cannon

The Chambers Brothers

Gene Chandler

The Chantay's

The Chantels

Chubby Checker

Chic

The Chiffons

Alex Chilton

Lou Christie

Classics IV Featuring Dennis Yost

The Coasters

Judy Collins

The Commodores

Rebecca Conley

Alice Cooper

Cowboys And Indians

The Crests

The Cufflinks

Ron Dante

Bobby Day

The Delfonics

Depeche Mode

Rick Derringer

Jackie DeShannon

The Diamonds

The Dixie Cups

Fats Domino

Mark Donovan

The Drifters

Dr. John

Earth, Wind & Fire

The Emotions

Expose

Fabian

Flo & Eddie

The Floaters

Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders

Foxy

Aretha Franklin

Bobby Freeman

The Gap Band

William Lee Golden And The Oak Ridge Boys

Lesley Gore

Larry Graham

Amy Grant

Garland Green

GQ

Gerry & The Pacemakers

The Grassroots

Richie Havens

Lee Hazlewood

Herman's Hermits

Thelma Houston

The Hues Corporation

Huggy Boy

Brian Hyland

The Intruders

The Isley Brothers

J.J. Jackson

Jan And Dean

Icey Jaye

Casey Lee Jones

Iron Butterfly

Tommy James And The Shondells

Jay And The Techniques

KC & The Sunshine Band

Ralph Kessler - Cartoon Music for Hanna Barbera and others

Ben E. King

Evelyn "Champagne" King

The Kingsman

Chaka/Rufus Khan

Gene Knight

Kool & The Gang

The Knudsen Brothers

Robby Kreiger of The Doors

Patti Labelle

The legendary "Art Laboe"

The Letterman

Barbara Lewis

Gary Lewis And The Playboys

Jerry Lee Lewis

Ramsy Lewis

Mark Lindsay

Little Anthony And The Imperials

Little Ceaser & The Romans

Johnny Maestro

The Mamas And The Papas

Barbara Mandrell & The Do-Rites

Barry Manilow

Teena Marie

Vinnie Martell

Martha And The Vandellas

The Mary Jane Girls

Hugh Masekela

Curtis Mayfield And The Impressions

McFadden & Whitehead

Scott McKenzie

Don McLean

Sergio Mendez

Raymond Michael

The Monkees

Mountain

The Murmaids

The Music Machine Featuring Sean Bonniwell

Johnny Nash

Chuck Negron

Wayne Newton

The New Vaudeville Band

Tony Orlando And Dawn

Paris By Air

Paul And Paula

Freda Payne

Peaches And Herb

Bobby "Boris" Picket And The Crypt-Kickers

John Phillips

Mike Pinera

The Platters

The Pointer Sisters

Billy Preston

Lloyd Price

Gary Puckett And The Union Gap

Quicksilver Messenger Service

Don Randi & The Quest

Randy & The Rainbows

Rare Earth

Paul Revere And The Raiders

Eddie Rabbit

The Rascals

The Righteous Brothers

Johnny Rivers

The Rivingtons

Tommy Roe

Kenny Rogers

The Rolling Stones

Rose Royce

Bobby Rydell

Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels

Sam The Sham And The Pharaohs

John Sebastian

Seduction

The Shangri-las

Bobby Sherman

The Shirelles

Nancy Sinatra

Sister Sledge

Rich Smith

Smitty & Dui

Kate Lily Souza

The SOS Band

The Soul Survivors

Spanky & Our Gang

Ronnie Spector

Spiral Starecase Featuring Pat Upton

Terry Stafford

Stacy Q

The Real Don Steele

Strawberry Alarm Clock

The Stylistics

Sugarloaf

The Surfaris

The Temptations

B.J. Thomas

Carla Thomas

Three Dog Night

Tierra

Tiny Tim

The Tokens

Tony Toni Tone'

Toto Featuring Bobby Kimball

Doris Troy

Tanya Tucker

The Turtles

Two Bit Thief

Franki Valli & The 4 Seasons

Vanilla Fudge

Mike Webb

Jimmy Webb

Angelea Winbush

Edgar Winter

Al Wilson

Brenton Wood and Wolfman Jack

More cool concerts coming soon.