December 13, 2012 - Atlanta GA
Greetings all, from a sunny-yet-chilled-Atlanta!
I am back after a second trip to Florida in the past month, this time I was involved in a most successful holiday fund-raiser for the Central Florida Chapter of ATOS. I had the privilege of sharing the bench at the 3/9 Wurlitzer (nicely augmented by some excellent digital voices) at the Pinellas Park Auditorium.
More than 100 attended this chapter holiday get-together, which included a full dinner with all the trimmings. Newly-elected CFTOS chapter president Vince Morandi cooked nearly 60 POUNDS OF TURKEY for the event, and it was absolutely delicious! I opened the concert welcoming everyone to “Vinnie’s Supper Club,” and it was all of that for sure.
There was other business to attend to during the weekend, and all I can say now is there is one very exciting project just waiting for an official “green light” that I hope to report on very soon.
I will be attending my first-ever “Larry, Carols and Mo” event at the Fabulous Fox in Atlanta. This is billed as the Fox Theatre’s “Thank You” to the City of Atlanta – a free holiday event which features Larry-Douglas Embury, Organist-in-Residence at the Fox, in concert with special guests, and a Christmas-themed movie….and all tickets free to the public. It will be fun to see every one of those near-4600 seats filled with moms and dads, kids of all ages, and a healthy smattering of Atlanta chapter members, all enjoying Mighty Mo!!
I will be taking part in the show, accompanying one very talented young man. If you have a chance, feel free to “Google” Daniel Mata. Daniel is a 16-year-old sophomore at Lassiter High School in Marietta, GA. One of triplets, and born in Venezuela, his family came to the U.S. eight years ago. The three of them (brother Luis and sister Maria) are most talented – piano, violin, music in general – and Daniel also has been given the gift of a most wonderful singing voice. Check out his version of the opera classic Nessun Dorma. It’s just thrilling. Daniel won the first-ever Fox Stars of Tomorrow competition staged last spring, and his career is gaining momentum. It will be a thrill to play “orchestra” to his amazing voice Monday night, and to play a small part in Larry-Douglas’ wonderful show at the Fabulous Fox!
Meanwhile, there are holiday concerts, chapter Christmas gatherings, and other special events all across ATOS-land, and we hope you are attending, participating, performing or helping in one way or the other.
Recording engineer Tim Stephens and I will be recording our next two-hour special on Theatre Organ Radio this coming Sunday night. Tim is a most valued member of the Atlanta Chapter, who will soon become President of the chapter. His value can be measured in his passion….his work ethic…and the fact he is in his early 30’s!!! One of those “young people” we keep looking for!! That, and he owns a 2/6 Wurlitzer he hopes to begin restoring very soon. He works for Cumulus Radio, Atlanta, as an engineer, and was instrumental in getting us studio time for recording our Theatre Organ Radio show Pipes and Pops in the finest broadcast surroundings. Thank you Tim, and Cumulus Radio, Atlanta!!
Meanwhile, the first official look at registration forms and other information for the ATOS 2013 Convention here in Atlanta will be in the upcoming issue of Theatre Organ, and officially on line very soon. We hope you are making your summer plans for a trip to Atlanta. It’s going to be a wonderful convention.
Take care. Get your shopping done and the cards out – or emails written!! Indeed, Santa Claus is coming to town – very soon!!
Ken Double