CORRECTION: The original article stated Allen’s display included “neon art pieces.” The exhibition only includes one neon piece, “Heaven Now What,” while the rest of the exhibit displays Allen’s drawings of his work on the public neon art in the State Gym Expansion. The article also said the Live Talk with Allen was on Feb. 29. The lecture is on March 1 at 6 p.m. in 2019 Morrill Hall. A reception will follow from 7:30 to 9 p.m. in 1017 Morrill Hall.
This month, the Christian Petersen Art Museum is welcoming a new and old guest, Terry Allen.

Terry Allen is a renowned songwriter and artist who has had a love for his craft since high school. His new piece, “Heaven Now What,” is made out of  neon gas and will be presented in the campus museum. Allen said the art of songwriting and art go hand-in-hand for him.

“When writing down a song, I think of images, and when drawing out piece ideas, I think of songs,” Allen said.

Allen is a graduate from Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles and has received numerous awards throughout his career since 1966 including the Guggenheim Fellowship, National Endowment for the Art Fellowships and Awards for the Visual Arts in Washington, D.C.

The neon-only work is a type of piece that Allen has never done before. Though he is not new to incorporating neon into his work, and it is shown in the pieces that are displayed in the new student recreation center.

Along with the neon art pieces, Allen’s exhibit also display notebooks of ideas that he has done or that he has thought of but has not attempted.

“It’s what gets me to begin,” Allen said about the notebooks.

Allison Sheridan, collections manager and communications coordinator for University Museums, said Allen’s exhibit may confuse viewers at first, but seeing the works makes it come together.

“People are not quite sure what the exhibition is, but then when they see the art, they understand,” Sheridan said. “They see that Allen’s work has irony and that he has a sense of humor.”

Sheridan hopes quite a few classes and students come and ask great questions. The reception for Allen on Feb. 29 will not be a typical museum reception with wine and cheese but is much more casual and gives people a chance to talk with Allen and get to see his humorous personality.

Allen just hopes for people to enjoy themselves at the exhibit.

“I have learned not to hope and anticipate what others will think or how they will react to my pieces,” Allen said. “It’s a waste of time to think of it that way. I just put it out there.”

The exhibition is currently up in the Christian Petersen Art Museum in the Campbell Gallery, 1017 Morrill Hall. It will be up until May 4.

“Live Talk with Terry Allen”
Where: Morrill Hall
When: Feb. 29

“Tumbling, hat juggling and hand balancing” are listed as only a few of the many talents associated with the ZuZu acrobats on their promotional poster. The ZuZu acrobats will appear  on Friday at 7 p.m. in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union. The event is scheduled in honor of Black History Month.

The ZuZu acrobats originally were known as “Zuma Zuma” and wowed the judges on NBC’s hit show “America’s Got Talent.” Their act combines strength, skill and African dance into a live show.

Anna Prisacari, a member of the Student Union Board, said the booking of the ZuZu acrobats was due to a growing trend found at Iowa State.

“After a great success with Chinese acrobats back in spring 2011, we saw a great demand and interest in multicultural, family-oriented show,” Prisacari said. “After watching the videos from ‘America’s Got Talent,’ I said, ‘Wow, I must bring these guys to Ames’.”

The group is from Mombasa, Kenya, and incorporates the traditional dances of the region into their show. SUB describes the show as “a show you would see in a nightclub in the coastal region of Kenya and Tanzania”.

“It’s just something different,” said George Micalone, director of student activities. “There are a lot of other Black History Month events planned outside of our program, but we thought this would just add to the program.”

Mary Creswell, associate professor of music with specialty in voice at Iowa State, has extensive experience in performing and teaching classical styles of music to students. She attended the University of Michigan, a common education background she shares with William David, professor of music and pianist in their upcoming duo concert on Sunday.

Q: When and why did you first realize your interest in teaching vocal music?
A: I knew I wanted to be a singer. As a child I loved to sing, and I received a lot of attention for singing, so I pursued that just because of the encouragement I had received and also because I was born with this ability to sing loudly. I trained and worked very hard at it. But in high school, I saw my first opera, and I was very excited to be involved and learn more about opera. I pursued a career as an opera singer, and I also found out that I really enjoy teaching as well. In college, I had an assistantship where I worked with students, and realized that I loved teaching as much as I loved performing, so that’s sort of how I ended up here in Iowa at Iowa State.

Q: How have your experiences in varying types of music, such as opera, shaped you as a musician?
A: Opera incorporates all the arts and performance, and probably one of the most complicated forms of vocal performance – having to be a strong singer, and also having to work very hard on being a good actor on stage… . The training that goes into that is quite extensive. I’ve learned a lot about theater, I’ve learned a lot about acting, and I’ve worked very hard at developing my voice and singing well and singing healthy. So, I’m able to, because of that experience as a performer and because I continually perform, I can bring that to my students… . That really helps me understand what the students are going through, and how important it is to stay in shape, and to vocalize every day, and to keep your instrument in good shape, and to be a healthy person and all of that, because our body is our instrument. I feel because I am an active performer it helps me be a better teacher. I really love working with young people, too.

Q: What have you learned from your experiences with teaching students?
A: We have fantastic vocal performance majors and vocal music education majors here, and they’re very inquisitive and always have a lot of questions. I have to be on top of my game, I have to do my research, and I have to be ready to answer their questions, as all professors have to. I find that really stimulating and exciting, and I love it when they ask me a question that I don’t know the answer to because that sort of makes me work harder at learning and staying active and studying.

Q: What is in store for you next?
A: I’m performing a recital with Dr. David, a fantastic pianist also on our faculty. We’re singing Sunday… at 7:30 p.m., and we are doing a recital of songs from all over the world, and he’s also doing a solo piano piece. This is a collaboration that I’ve looked forward to for a long time. We’re both from Michigan, and we’ve studied at the University of Michigan. I’ve wanted to work with him for a long time, and he’s retiring soon, so this is sort of my last chance. I’m also singing in Michigan. I’m one of the soloists for the Mahler 8th Symphony with the Grand Rapids Symphony in Michigan. As soon as this is over, I’ve got to start preparing that music, not to mention my teaching load. So it’s going to be a busy spring, but a very exciting spring.

James Bovinette, director of Jazz Band 1, chose “West Side Story” music partly because the Des Moines Civic Center performed the musical last week. The pieces Jazz Band 1 will play include “Rhythm of Our World,” “Mambo,” “Cool,” “Somewhere,” and a suite of pieces from the musical.

“Rhythm of Our World,” a Cuban-Puerto Rican-mixed song, while not actually from “West Side Story”, fits the racial themes in the musical, said Bovinette. Although the order of the concert has not yet been decided, “Rhythm of Our World” is a contender to open for the Jazz 1 set.

The suite, which is “one of the toughest pieces of music written for jazz orchestra,” features soloists by music majors Lee Plummer on drum set and Brian Stout on trombone, said Bovinette. The suite will combine many songs from the musical.

Vocal soloist Olson also sang in the most recent Jazz Band concert with Jazz 2, and will be singing “Somewhere” for Jazz 1 on Wednesday.

“I think it’s a really great experience to sing with that type of ensemble,” said Olson. “I think they enjoy it too because it’s different from every other song that doesn’t have vocalists.”

Jazz 2 will play “Mr. Funk,” “Singing in the Rain,” “More,” and “Milestones.” A factor in choosing pieces was the goal of presenting “an interesting and varied program,” said Michael Giles, director of Jazz Band 2. He said the concert Wednesday will include jazz music that appeals to a wide range of audience ages.

“Milestones” is a Miles Davis tune and will feature five or six soloists in the concert. Because of the simple chord structure within the piece, it gives the band a chance to improvise, an “essential element of jazz music,” said Giles.

Jazz Band 1 also has several other upcoming performances in store. They will travel on Thursday and Friday to perform at four Iowa high schools and at North Iowa Area Community College, and next week they will perform with Central Iowa Symphony. All these performances feature new and varied music for the band.

“I know we already are successful by putting this much stuff together,” said Bovinette. “We’re already winners because of the amount of time and the cool effort that they’re all putting forward.”

Jazz Bands 1 and 2 Concert
When:  Wednesday 7:30 p.m.
Where: Martha-Ellen Tye Recital Hall
Cost: Students $2, adults $4

Mary Creswell, associate professor of music in voice, and William David, professor of music in keyboard, are tied by their intersecting music backgrounds.

Both Creswell and David attended the University of Michigan, where each worked with professor pianist Eugene Bossart, who also had experience as “an accompanist for some of the greatest opera and classical singers in the country,” said Creswell. In their time there, both worked on learning songs by composer Richard Strauss.

Because of this common background between Creswell and David, Strauss music is the centerpiece for their upcoming joint concert on Sunday.

The concert will feature Creswell singing with David as piano accompaniment.  The concert will be their first duo recital with one another. Both Creswell and David have had experience performing three or four of the pieces included in the concert in the past, which makes it relatively new material for them both.

Pieces featured will be by composers Hayon, Strauss, Rossini, Gurney, and Persichetti, a piano solo David will perform. The languages of the music range between English, German, and French. The Strauss songs will be the most technically difficult, said David.

When pianists and vocalists work together, both work to understand the interpretation of the songs. For pianists, this is especially important in order to understand the formation of the phrasing.

“It’s almost like there’s a third ear,” said Creswell. “I think with pianists who do collaborative work and who work with solo singers and other instruments, there’s a different kind of listening.”

Creswell and David teach individual lessons with students, and faculty recitals require the faculty to put forth the same type of effort the students themselves are learning to do. Staying active as a performer helps to develop their empathy as teachers, said Creswell.

“I want to keep performing as long as I can because I think it enhances my teaching,” said Creswell.

Mary Creswell and William David Concert
When: Sunday 7:30 p.m.
Where: Martha-Ellen Tye Recital Hall, Music Hall
Cost: Free

Local band Doctor Murdock may have the harsh Iowa winter to thank for its creation. Guitarist Caleb Avery said the band began about a year ago after he and two friends, all Clarion, Iowa natives, were snowed into his trailer in south Ames during one of their regular jam sessions.

“We jammed because it was it the most fun thing there was to do,” Avery said. “It was just a pile of people who would show up and jam at my trailer, and we were the ones who stuck it through.”

With nowhere else to go, Avery, Ben Foster (vocals/guitar) and Jose Mendez (drums) picked up their instruments and kept jamming. After the weather-extended session ended, the group kept on working with the songs. Soon they took their music to open mic night at The Space for Ames and decided to put a name on the project.

A couple months later, fellow Clarion native Brady Winter joined in on bass. Doctor Murdock played open mic night every Sunday at The Space for several months with this lineup. It was here the band first gained a local reputation for its folk, blues and funk inspired alternative rock. Foster credited venue owner Nate Logsdon for the band’s development.

“Without The Space, without Nate’s encouragement, I don’t know what would have happened,” he said. “That little bit of enthusiasm makes a huge difference.”

Only two weeks ago, the band grew again, adding a fifth member. Logan Mcollough, another Clarion native, now joins Doctor Murdock on guitar for its shows and its continued jams.

The band members said their sessions are more than just good practice; they’re a fundamental part of the band’s songwriting process.

“My favorite way to play is not knowing what you’re going to do next,” Foster said. “We jam it, record it, and pick out the parts we like.”

“I have over 100 gigabytes of random jams recorded at my place,” Winter added. “Some of our favorite tracks were written that way.”

Foster anticipates work on Doctor Murdock’s first record to begin by midsummer.

Until then, the band can be heard playing many local events and venues, including DG’s Tap House, Pandemonium at the Pantorium, The Space for Ames and Live from KURE. Thursday at 9 p.m. is the next opportunity to see the band, free of charge.

Where can I hear Doctor Murdock next?

DG’s Tap House (21+) – Feb. 16 at 9 p.m.
The Ames Pantorium w/Mumford’s, Utopia Park – Friday, Mar. 2 at 7 p.m. – $5
The Space for Ames w/Rebel Creek, Sun Company, and more – Saturday, Mar. 10  at 7:30 p.m.
Live from KURE – Saturday, April 28 at 5 p.m. (tune in to 88.5 FM or webstream from KURE’s homepage)

The Fray is back with its third studio album release, “Scars & Stories.” The Colorado natives stay true to their fans with this album. Listeners got a sneak peek with their first single, “Heartbeat,” which was released to the public in November. The single met expectations for many fans, bringing it to persistent radio play. “Heartbeat” was inspired by a recent trip to Rwanda by frontman, Isaac Slade, giving this track a deeper meaning than past singles.

“Scars & Stories” represents hardships that each of the band members went through these past few years. What I found most inspirational about this album was that the band admitted in a recent interview that they used part of the album’s budget to travel and see the world for inspiration with songwriting. The band wrote more than 70 songs, but cut it down to 12. The track “1961″ represents The Berlin Wall, while “Munich” represents a particle collider in Switzerland, while other songs such as, “48 To Go” and ‘The Fighter,”  represent Slade’s individual experiences.

If you’re a fan of the Fray’s past work, you will be very pleased with “Scars & Stories.” The alternative rock mixed with piano ballads are all present within this album, but knowing the band traveled the world for inspiration makes the lyrics that much more inspirational and enjoyable. This album does a great job reminding you of the important things to focus on in life.

Grade: A-
Recommended Tracks: “The Wind” & “Be Still”

Sunday night, the 54th Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif. Award winners included Adele, Kanye West and Foo Fighters.

Best Pop Solo Performance – Adele – “Someone Like You”

Best Rap Performance – Kanye West, Jay-Z – “Otis”

Best Rock Performance – Foo Fighters – “Walk”

Best R&B Album – Chris Brown - “F.A.M.E.”

Best Country Album - Lady Antebellum – “Own The Night”

Song of the Year – Adele – “Rolling in the Deep”

Best New Artist – Bon Iver

Record of the Year- Adele- “Rolling in the Deep”

Album of the Year- Adele- “21″

View the full list of Grammy nominees and winners on the 54th annual Grammy Awards website.

Beginning Thursday and going through Sunday, music from Queen and Beirut, tales from Russia, and a collection of eclectic props and instruments collide in the ISU Theatre performance of “Chekhov Short Stories.”

The play is a special project for director Matt Foss and the cast of 11 actors because they are not only performing the show: They also created it.

The ensemble took two short stories, “The Kiss” and “The Lady with the Lapdog,” by Russian author Anton Chekhov and adapted them to form their very own production.

“I have always loved the plays, and ‘The Kiss’ was one of my favorite stories from college literature courses,” Foss said, who studied some of Chekhov’s works while training with the Moscow Art Theatre. “We wanted to see if these stories, as brief as they were, could expand out into a full length play, and we have been working in that direction since September.”

Foss said the September auditions for the production were focused more on forming a family than assigning roles.

“When I heard about the project I was like, ‘Oh, that would be super cool’, and anytime you are excited about anything, you want to be a part of it,” said Ethan Peterson, junior in performing arts.

With multiple characters in each story, and only 11 cast members
to play those characters, each individual must play numerous roles in each play.

“A lot of work goes into making very specific characters, not just caricatures,” said Jeff White, senior in performing arts. “You don’t want to be just some random street sweeper, you want to be a very specific street sweeper who has very specific opinion.”

During rehearsals, the 11 members would bounce ideas off each other, brainstorming ways they could translate Chekhov’s stories in the most honest way possible while creating their own original production.

Everyone evaluated the main themes and characters, and worked together to create a production that will hold true to Chekhov’s original ideas.

“We’ve literally constructed a world out of a steel framed bed and some chairs,” said Peterson. “We’ve just created this world with very specific rules but rules we created using Chekhov’s writings as a guide.”

Peterson and White agreed it has been rewarding for them to watch their efforts unfold before their eyes as they prepare for opening night Thursday.

They believe that although the stories were written long ago, the messages are still very relatable, even today.

“In my experience with Chekhov, the characters he writes are not good guys or bad guys,“ said White. “Every character is just very human, so in that sense, I think that everyone can relate to them.”

“Chekhov Short Stories”
Where: M-Shop
When: Feb. 9-11 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 12 at 2 p.m.
Cost: $8 for students, $16 general — tickets are available through the M-Shop box office

It as been two years since Ames pop diva Leslie Hall toured with her band Leslie and the LY’s, but after the release of her latest record, “Destination Friendship,” she’s set to hit the road.

“We wanted to get out there and promote the new album and some new dance moves,” Hall said. “People kept telling me to come and play a show in their city.”

In the theme of friendship, Leslie and the LY’s will perform with friend bands Pennyhawk and Ramona and the Swimsuits throughout the month and a half tour. The first tour date, or “pre-tour rehearsal” as Hall called it, takes place Wednesday at the Ames Pantorium.

For this show only, Maximum Ames will offer Hall’s new dance remix on 7” vinyl for $5. After Feb. 15, the price will raise to $7. Both the record and tickets can be preordered from Maximum Ames’ website. Hall will offer $5, $10 and $15 tickets for each show on the tour. She said the idea came from her tour with Yo Gabba Gabba! last year, and each level up from general admission will warrant a little more attention from her during the show.

The tour will take the bands from coast to coast and many places between. Ramona and the Swimsuits will see its first road time after only a few practices, though its members are touring veterans.

“By teaming up with such a talented crew we are able to come up with great songs,” said front woman Ramona Muse.

Muse is also happy to back Hall during her performances as one of the LY’s. Alongside Muse, Kate Kennedy will perform as one of the LY’s, and will also play drums for the new group and front Pennyhawk.

“She’s amazing and a bag of tricks,” Muse said. “Both [Hall and Kennedy] have talent.”

Derek Lambert, of Derek Lambert and the Prairie Fires, is also a member of the “Swimsuits.” He said the group’s “easy and fun” music “is a good way to go.” He did not hesitate to accompany Hall and friends.

“I love going on the road. … [Leslie and the LY’s] being one of my favorite bands, it was an easy decision,” Lambert said.

With so many friends on the road with her, Hall expects the tour to be highly enjoyable.

“It’s like a slumber party, road-trip, get-to-know-you event when you bring friends on the road,” Hall said.

Leslie and the LY’s w/ Pennyhawk, Ramona and the Swimsuits
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 15
Where: The Ames Pantorium
Cost: $5, $10 or $15

Full tour schedule here.