Matt Haney/DN
Renowned instructor
to share piano music
By Bret Schulte
Senior Reporter
Most piano teachers are notori
ous for their methods. Marvin
Blickenstaff is world famous for
his.
This weekend, renowned piano
player and instructor Blickenstaff
comes to Westbrook Hall to share
his music and methods with
Lincoln residents.
Blickenstaff receives world
recognition for his contributions to
the world of music education, and
his method of piano teaching is in
publication around the world.
“It’s a method that places great
emphasis on teaching reading skill
and providing the student with a
very strong rhythmic background
while playing the piano,”
Blickenstaff said.
Currently a professor of music
at Goshen College in Goshen, Ind.,
Blickenstaff’s visit is co-spon
sored by the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln School of
Music and the Lincoln Piano
leacner s association.
In addition to teaching, he is an
acclaimed lecturer and performer
who travels to Europe annually for
conferences and concerts.
Perhaps most famous for his
36-book series “Music Pathways,”
Blickenstaff has earned the
Indiana Music Teachers
Association “Teacher of the Year”
commendation and has served on
the board of International
Workshops in Austria, Canada,
France, Scotland and Switzerland
for seven consecutive years.
These are accomplishments he
said he is somewhat embarrassed
to admit
“I want to maintain a certain
humility,” Blickenstaff said. “But
I’ve had a lot of experience. I’ve
lectured all over the country, and
each summer I go to Europe and
lecture at a music conference.”
Friday morning from 9 to
noon, he will play host at two
piano workshops: “Honeymoon or
Havoc: The first week of practice
Please see PIANIST on 10
HR Dylans, Puff Daddy clean up at awards
NEW YORK (AP) - The Dylan family -
Bob and son Jakob - netted five Grammys and
the inspirational ballad “I Believe I Can Fly”
brought soul singer R. Kelly three awards
Wednesday night, while Shawn Colvin won
two of the night’s biggest awards, song and
record of the year, for “Sunny Came Home.”
As the music w)rid bestowed its top honors,
Bob Dylan, less than a year after he suffered a
life-threatening heart L - ection, won best album
and best contemporary folk album for “Time
Out of Mind.” A song from that album, “Cold
Iron Bound,” also was honored as best rock song.
“We didn’t know what we had when we did
it,” Dylan said in accepting the best album
award. “But we did it anyway.”
His performance of the song “Love Sick”
was interrupted by a shirtless dancer with the
words “Soy Bomb” painted on his chest Bob’s
only response: quizzically raised eyebrows.
Jakob Dylan won as a composer of the best
rock song, “One Headlight,” performed by his
band, the Wallflowers. The same song was
honored as the best rock vocal performance by
a duo or group. " ft;
Rapper Puff Daddy, Lilith Fair founder
Sarah McLachlan, country-bluegrass performer
Alison Krauss, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, soul newcomer
Erykah Badu and the late newsman Charles
Kuralt also were multiple winners in the 40th
annual awards show in Radio City Music Hall.
Paula Cole, who sang her ballad, “Where
Have All the Cowboys Gone?,” won for best
new artist.
Kelly received a standing ovation when he
performed “I Believe I Can Fly,” which won
for best male rhythm and blues performance,
best rhythm and blues song and best song
specifically written for a motion picture. He
thanked basketball superstar Michael Jordan,
star of the movie, “Space Jam.”
“You know when you pray for something,
you get it better than what you pray for,” he said.
The crowd gave another standing ovation
for Aretha Franklin, who filled in for an ailing
Luciano Pavarotti. Only minutes after she sang
her signature song, “Respect,” she sang
“Nessun Dorma” from Puccini’s “Turandot”
Elton John also won a best male pop vocal
performance Grammy for “Candle in the Wind
1997,” his eulogy to Princess Diana that
became the best-selling single of all time.
When Colvin came up to the stage to
accept her song of the year award, the micro
phone was hijacked by another interloper,
ODB of the rap group Wu-Tang Clan, who
bragged about his group. ODB later was
escorted from the hall.
“I’m confused now,” Colvin, the veteran
folk artist, said. “It’s been a long road and this
does matter. I appreciate it”
Actor-rapper Will Smith, who won his
third Grammy award in a decade for “Men in
Black,” dedicated his award to the late rapper
Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G. He
called them prophets who helped rap out of its
own “dark ages.”
“Twaeand-a~half years ago the state of rap
was such that I didn’t want to rap anymore,” he •
said.
Grammy voters chose Trisha Yearwood’s
“How Do I Live” as best female country per
formance. Among her competitors was LeAnn
Rimes, for her version of the same Diane
Warren song.
“I know how strange it must be to have 50
million versions of this song out there,”
Yearwood said. She also won an award for “In
Another’s Eyes,” her duet with Garth Brooks.
Puff Daddy was honored with the best rap
album Grammy for “No Way Out.” His top
selling tribute to the Notorious B.I.G., “I’ll Be
Missing You,” won for best rap performance by
a duo or group. Known more as a producer,
Puff Daddy wasn’t even nominated in the best
producer category, won by Babyface.
Director: Piece uses Lincoln stories
By Sarah Baker
Senior Reporter
It’s the best combination of
dance, theater and Lincoln residents
anyone could want in 30 minutes.
“If Wishes Were Horses, Beggars
Would Ride,” an experimental dance
theater production, opens tonight at
the Wagon Train Project, 512 S.
Seventh St
The show brings choreographers
Sara Pearson and Patrik Widrig to
Lincoln from New York.
Sara Pearson, artistic director and
co-choreographer for the show, said
this is a new work as well as a com
munity project.
“The piece is really multidiscipli
nary,” she said. “It includes video,
slides, talking and dancing.”
Amy Lamphere, director of the
Wagon Train Project, said this piece
realty involves die local, community.
“This is Lincoln’s own special
piece,” Lamphere said. “It weaves
together the common threads of the
community.”
Pearson said the performers
worked with children and elderly
people, in outreach programs in
preparation for die show.
“We videotaped kids drawing,
dancing and speaking, and when we
put everything together, it makes for
a really moving half-hour,” she said.
Lamphere said that after talking
with both young and old Lincolnites,
the cast had new insight into what the
common community threads were.
“When they asked people to share
memories of their elderly relatives,
(the cast) found many of the stories to
be similar,” she said. “Things like
favorite recipes, scents of a grandfa
ther’s cologne or lessons learned
were common.”
Pearson said the piece includes
performers from the ages of 12 to 72
years old.
“Some of the performers have
been dancing all their life, while oth
ers have never set foot in a dance
class,” she said.
Pearson said one of the main
themes of the show has to do with
making choices.
• “There are stories about grand
parents and how the choices they
made affect their grandchildren,”
Pearson said.
Pearson said the shdw also has a
message through words.
“Sometimes a single sentence can
be a doorway to life, different cul
tures, worlds or universes,” she said.
Pearson said this was not the first
project like this to be done in
Lincoln. She also said Lincoln has an
unusual history in community the
ater.
“Very few cities have an organi- *
zation like the Wagon Train Project
that allows for this kind of theater,”
she said. “It’s really a unique organi
zation.”
Lamphere said anyone should
find enjoyment in the show.
“If they like dance, theater, or
even comedy, they will like it,” she
said
Pearson said the audience will be
treated to an unusual performance.
“They can prepare to be moved,
surprised and delighted,” she said.
“They should come in with no expec
tations, because this production falls
into another realm. It has a wonder
ful, warm spirit to it”
“If Wishes Were Horses, Beggars
Would Ride” opens at the Wagon
Train Project tonight and runs
through Saturday.
Performances are at 7:30 each
night, and there is a special matinee
performance on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Tickets are a suggested contribution
at die door of $10, $5 for students.
For more information, call the
Wagon Train Project at (402) 435
5592.
