NOV 8: GREAT CHEFS OF LA Annual Culinary Benefit at CBS Studio Center (Featured Event)

Posted by Don Rose

(from Estarla.com - link below)

On Sunday, November 8 the National Kidney Foundation of Southern California will be holding their 23rd annual Great Chefs of L.A. at CBS Studio Center. The theme this year is “Go Green, Go Organic” and Neal Fraser (BLD, Grace), Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger (Border Grill, Ciudad) will be the “chefs of honor” for their culinary contributions to the L.A. scene and for their past work with the Kidney Foundation. Candace Kumai, The Stiletto Chef of TLC’s “Cook Yourself Thin,” will be emcee for this event and will also host the GCLA Webfire Challenge webisode series sponsored by 944 Magazine.

Other “great chefs” at the event include:

Adam Horton, Saddlepeak Lodge

Benjamin Ford, Ford’s Filling Station

Celestino Drago, Drago Restaurant, Enoteca Drago, Il Pastaio, Drago Centro

Govind Armstrong, 8 oz.

Jason Johnston, Dakota

Jorge Chicas, The Bazaar – SLS Hotel

Josie Le Balch, Josie Restaurant

Roberto Maggioni, Lago

Sam Marvin & Christopher Goossen, Bottega Louie Restaurant & Gourmet Market

Simon Dolinky, BLVD 16 at Hotel Palomar

Steven Fretz, XIV

There will be an eco-conscious lounge serving up eco-conscious cocktails with VeeV Açai Spirit and each guest will receive “SWAG bags” with SWAG worth $250 in value courtesy of 944 Mag and Get Hip Get Green.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

12 – 3:30 PM

$150 per person

CBS Studio Center

4024 Radford Dr.

Studio City, CA 91604

(Source: http://www.estarla.com/2009/10/27/great-chefs-of-LA-ticket-giveaway/)

SEP 25: Wine & Raw Food Tasting at Yogaglo (Featured Event)

Posted by Don Rose

Raw Food for Real People (The LA Report's Featured Friday Event)

From the event's Facebook page:

Join us for a Wine & Raw Food Tasting Benefit at Yogaglo Studio
Host: Whole Foods Market Santa Monica
Type: Causes - Fundraiser
Network: Global
Date: Friday September 25 2009
Time: 6:30pm - 9:30pm
Location: Yogaglo Studio
Street: 1800 Berkley Street
City/Town: Santa Monica CA
Phone: 3106506805
Email: kelly.layne@wholefoods.com

EVENT SUMMARY:

Leaf Organic's Raw Chef & Author Rod Rotondi offers culinary treats from nature paired with Whole Foods Market's finest organic wines at the beautiful Yogaglo studio in Santa Monica. Get a sneak preview of Rod's raw food book & DVD series... eat delicious food/wine as you help support Ann Cooper's School Lunch Revolution to transform lunch meals into smart meals!

ADMISSION/RSVP:

$30 Each , $50 Couple
RSVP to Kelly at 310.650.6805 or
kelly.layne@wholefoods.com

"When the Gods get together
this is what they will be eating & drinking"

For more info contact:

Kelly Layne - Marketing Supervisor
Whole Foods Market-Santa Monica
2201 Wilshire Blvd
Phone: 310.315.0662
Kelly.Layne@wholefoods.com

Event on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=130362279108&index=1

JULY 26: 7th Annual Restaurant Awards and Chefs Night Out (TLR FEATURED EVENT)

Posted by Don Rose

The LA Report's Featured Event of the Weekend is the 7th Annual Restaurant Awards and Chefs Night Out on Sunday, July 26, 2009. Some of Los Angeles’ most noted chefs and restaurateurs will join several award-winning Napa Valley wineries for Angeleno magazine’s excellent event, taking place at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows in Santa Monica, just steps from the beach.

The magazine’s food critic Brad A. Johnson and Tasting Panel Editor Anthony Dias Blue (you may have heard his excellent "lifestyle minute" broadcasts on local AM radio) will honor L.A. chefs Josiah Citrin, Walter Manzke, Bruce Marder, Joachim Splichal and Adrian Vasquez and others. The event will also include cooking presentations and recognition of the “Best of Show” winners of the San Francisco International Wine and Spirits Competition. Guests will indulge in delicious cuisine, fine wines and all things delectable while benefiting the children of Children’s Institute.

Date: July 26, 2009
Time: 4:30 pm to 8:00 pm

4:30 – 6:00 pm VIP Reception (VIP Ticket Required);
6:00 – 8:00 pm Chefs Night Out Event

Where: Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows -
101 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA 90401

Purchase tickets before the event to ensure availability:
http://chefsnightout.eventbrite.com

$250 VIP Ticket includes: Chefs Night Out event plus a pre-event reception from 4:30 – 6:00 p.m. with top chefs, presentation of Angeleno’s Restaurant Awards, and tastings of SF International Wine and Spirits Competition’s “Best in Show” winners.

$150 Ticket includes: Chefs Night Out event from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Guests will be treated to culinary creations prepared by top L.A. chefs paired with award-winning wines and spirits.

JUN 14: CHEFS GET COOKING IN PREPARATION FOR TASTE OF THE NATION, ONE OF LA'S BEST CULINARY BENEFITS

21st Annual Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation® Los Angeles, Presented by American Express ®, takes place this Sunday in Media Park, Culver City

Featured Event Listing, posted by Don Rose

WHO: Los Angeles’ hottest chefs and restaurants including: Jose Andres of the four-star The Bazaar at SLS, Mary Sue Milliken of Border Grill and Ciudad; XIV’s Michael Mina; Fred Eric of Tiara Café; Ben Ford of Ford’s Filling Station, Erin Eastland of Cube Café and Marketplace, Animal’s Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo (recently named two of the best new chefs in the country by Food & Wine), Grace and BLD’s Neal Fraser (of Iron Chef fame) along with over 40 more including Locanda Del Lago, Fig, Akasha, Angeli Café, Gjelina, Church & State.

WHAT: Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation Los Angeles is an annual food and wine event that raises the critical funds needed to support the national organization’s efforts to end childhood hunger in Los Angeles and across America. Guests will enjoy the city’s best cuisine paired with a myriad of wines and other beverages.

HIGHLIGHTS: On-stage cooking demonstrations by Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger and Michael Mina of XIV; a “Mole Cookoff” hosted by food critic Jonathan Gold; special appearances by Food Network TV personalities; a VIP area and exciting live and silent auctions. Chef Nancy Silverton of Mozza will be honoured at the event for her outstanding contributions to nutritional education and philanthropy.

WHY: Taste of the Nation brings together L.A.’s brightest culinary stars to ensure no kid goes hungry. According to the L.A. County Children’s Planning Council, 25%, or 1 out of every 4, children in L.A. County 17 years and under are living in poverty (640,000). Furthermore, over 4,000 children 5 years old and under are homeless on any given night. If they are living in poverty or homeless, they are going hungry.

WHERE: Culver City’s Media Park

WHEN: Sunday, June 14th, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

TICKETS: General Admission in advance, $125, General Admission day of $125; $175 for VIP in advance $175, VIP day of $185; purchase by calling 1-877-26-Taste or visiting www.tasteofthenationla.org.

TIMELINE OF KEY ACTIVITIES:

1:00-4:00 P.M. Book signings by Evan Kleiman, Mariel Hemingway, Nancy Silverton, Michael Mina and JoAnn Cianciulli

2:00-3:00 P.M. Chef demos featuring Chef Michael Mina of XIV; Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger (Border Grill, Cuidad)

3:15-3:30 P.M. Pulitzer prize winning food critic and Los Angeles Weekly’s Jonathan Gold announces Mole Off competition which will name the best Mole in Los Angeles

3:30 P.M. Waiter Races!

MAR 27: The REUNION FUNDRAISER at GIBSON SHOWROOM to Raise Funds For Patrick Chawki Medical Fund

Featured Event Listing by Don Rose

On March 27, 2009 a very special event called The REUNION, spearheaded by Laurie Green and produced by GoodGirls PR (the public relations firm she runs along with business partner Tracy Rubin), is taking place at the Gibson Showroom in Beverly Hills. Tickets are $75 at the door, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Patrick Chawki Medical Fund.

The story of Patrick Chawki may have had a very different ending if not for Laurie. The LA Times published a moving piece today about how her efforts have reconnected Patrick with long lost friends, baseball teammates and classmates (hence the Reunion title of tonight's benefit event). Ms. Green, a high school friend of Patrick's, discovered that he was living in a nursing home and had not died like his High School friends had thought. They had lost touch with Pat years ago, but now they find that he's been in a Canoga Park facility, unable to communicate. Hence, Laurie organized tonight's fundraiser to pay for therapy that she hopes will help Chawki walk and talk again. Here are the details:

The REUNION, March 27, 2009, 7-10 p.m. Gibson Musical Instruments Showroom: 9350 Civic Center Dr., Beverly Hills CA. $75 per person.

All are encouraged to attend the event tonight. Your admission includes food, libations, DJ, a stellar silent auction and more. Tickets are available at the door for $75, a portion of which will help raise funds for a very courageous man who battles tough odds every day.

Here is a message from Laurie Green about Pat and the event being held in his honor:

For those of you who are unaware of Pat’s very unique situation, he suffers from Locked-in-Syndrome, which essentially has him buried alive within his own body. A few weeks ago, I created a Facebook page for my very dear friend so that his sister Pam would be able to see her brother all the way from Lebanon, and so that many of you can learn about Pat’s situation. Eight years ago, many of us heard that Pat passed away, and it wasn’t until recently that we uncovered the shocking news that this was not the case, and that he is, in fact, still alive and still PAT!

In light of this discovery, we have moved the REUNION up a few months so that we can help get Pat the consistent level of medical assistance that he requires on a daily basis. A portion of the funds raised from the REUNION will aid Pat as he deals with his debilitating disease, and additionally, we will be hosting a silent auction with a wide array of wonderful items, also supporting Pat’s medical condition.

The REUNION will take place on the evening of Friday, March 27 at the Gibson Musical Instruments Showroom in Beverly Hills, CA 7-pm-10-pm. ... $75 at the door ... If you would like transportation to the event contact ECONATION, toll free 877-326-6286 ext.1 or visit www.econation.com. Mention code GOODGIRLS and 10% will go towards the Patrick Chawki Medical Fund!
Free parking in lot across street.

Thank YOU: Spanish Kitchen • The Belmont • Stone Fire Pizza • Pink Vodka • Pyramid Beer • Izze Sparkling Juice • Vitamin energy and DJ ADAM 12 from SHE WANTS REVENGE.

###

Finally, here is an excerpt from today's LA Times article about Laurie and Pat, by Bob Pool (entitled "Grant High classmates find a long-lost friend -- paralyzed"; bold highlights added):

Pat Chawki's classmates thought he was dead ... But when one Grant High School alum wrote to Chawki's sister to express her condolences, she learned that the popular former baseball star lay paralyzed and nearly forgotten in a Canoga Park nursing home.

Laurie Green discovered that for the last nine years, Chawki has suffered from a rare disorder that renders him fully cognitive, but unable to move or speak. Because he cannot talk or write, he was unable to tell his family how to reach his friends.

Green ... immediately went to the nursing home. She snapped pictures of the 41-year-old Chawki and posted them on Facebook, explaining to friends that their buddy was still very much alive -- and very lonely. Soon, a parade of former classmates was making regular trips to visit him.

On one visit, Green noticed that Chawki could move his thumb up and down. ... Green devised an alphabet poster that friends could use to help him communicate.

His old buddies were stunned to find that Chawki was not only alive but was alert and mentally active. With his thumb, he slowly used the poster to spell out: "I love you all."
...

Workers at the nursing home were puzzled when after all these years Chawki started having large numbers of visitors. "...I told them that everybody had thought Patrick was dead, that I hadn't known how to contact them," said his mother, 72-year-old Rose Chawki of Van Nuys. She takes the bus to visit her son three times a week and give him some physical therapy. Medicare and Medi-Cal pay for his nursing care but do not cover therapy.

That's why Green and her public relations business partner Tracy Rubin have organized a silent auction fundraiser for 7 p.m. today at the Gibson Musical Instruments Showroom at 9350 Civic Center Drive, Beverly Hills. Proceeds from the $75 per person event will be channeled through a nonprofit group the pair have created and used for professional therapy for Chawki...

FEB 8: AMANDA FOUNDATION MARTINI MADNESS BENEFIT AT LOLA'S ON FAIRFAX

Posted by Don Rose

The Amanda Foundation invites you to celebrate the one love that will never let you down: the one you share with your furry pal! The event is called MARTINI MADNESS! Sunday, February 8, 2009 from 5:30 to 8:30 pm at LOLA’S RESTAURANT, 945 North Fairfax Avenue, Hollywood, 90046. Valet parking is available.

Find the perfect gift at the silent auction, lounge by the pool (table that is), or get a Tarot card reading about romance! Take a chance on the “Ruff Raffle” AND enjoy “HEARTBREAKER MARTINIS” included with your admission! Wine and soft drinks are also offered, complemented by scrumptious tasties from Lola’s fabulous kitchen! All this for just $35. And to think you can help save a dog or cat’s life and have fun at the same time —— ya gotta love that! RSVP: 310-550-0101 from 9 am to 6 pm; after 6pm call 310-278-2935.

The LA Report thinks this event is a great deal, and for a great cause. A perfect pet-oriented pre-Grammy party! The silent auction is expected to include items such as Pet products, Hotel Packages, Restaurant and Spa Giftcards, Celebrity Items, Jewelry, Gift baskets and more; sounds like plenty of possible Valentine's Day gifts to choose from.

FEB 1: FINANCIALLY HUNG’S SECOND ANNUAL GAME DAY AT THE WORLD FAMOUS PLAYBOY MANSION; EVENT BENEFITS CALIFORNIA POLICE YOUTH CHARITIES

Featured Event Listing - TLR Event of the Week
Posted by Don Rose

Admit it. You've always wanted to spend a day at the Playboy Mansion. To surround yourself with Playmates and Hollywood celebrities while enjoying great food and drinks, plus A-list entertainment -- and all for a very worthy cause. Well now is your chance! And you get to do it on the biggest sports day of the year: Super Bowl Sunday. Yes, on February 1, 2009 you can join Hollywood’s hottest celebrities, professional athletes and Playboy Playmates along with hosts Brande Roderick (Playboy Playmate and Baywatch Babe) and over 20 Playmates to celebrate the Game Day while supporting the California Police Youth Charities.

The day long festivities will be held at the world famous PLAYBOY MANSION. This remarkable and interactive event will entertain guests with a performance by Bret Michaels of Poison and Rock of Love and Strawberry Blonde, entertainment provided by Girlicious, special guest DJ, Playboy’s 50th Anniversary Playmate Colleen Shannon, performance art by David Garibaldi, 20 painted models with your favorite football teams, photo ops with Playboy Bunnies, swimming in the world famous grotto and pool, professional massages throughout the day, open bar, Game Day style food, hand rolled Cuban cigars, dancing and networking.

Financially Hung is in the business of professional social networking. Striving to help business professionals meet qualified contacts and achieve their goals in an exciting and stimulating environment. “We provide our members with an online community to network outside of the normal business day” says founder Brande Roderick. Members are extended invitations to the most posh and lavish events. Financially Hung members experience life the way every rock star, movie star, pro-ball player and VIP lives.

Expected celebrities to attend: Brande Roderick, Bret Michaels, Traci Bingham, Angelica Bridges, Glen Cadrez, Colleen Shannon, Girlicious, Strawberry Blonde, Alfonso Ribeiro, Brandon Molale, Cole Hauser, Eddie Steeples, Elizabeth Berkley, George Gray, Grant Show, Pauly Shore, Rick Fox, Robin Bain, Tera Patrick and many more.

California Police Youth Charities builds relationships between the law enforcement community and California youth. They strive to provide opportunities for youth through various resources throughout the state of California. Creating scholarships and funding various youth activities in each of California’s counties shall accomplish this. It is their goal to keep California’s youth involved in productive activities run by positive role models.

Event hours are from 2:00 pm – 10:30 pm. Early arrival is strongly suggested! VIP Cabanas are available for $25,000, VIP Tables available for $10,000, General Tickets available for $1,500. For additional information please visit www.GameDayatthePlayboyMansion.com. (Promo Code: CEG).

NOV 15: THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES! Benefit Bash For The Alzheimer’s Association

Featured Event Listing by Don Rose

The LA Report recommends you go to Culver City's Digital Fusion on November 15th, 2008 for a great fundraising gala benefiting the Alzheimer’s Association. Experience excellent entertainment (live music), food and drinks, an art and gift sale, and opportunities to shop for cool "Make Love Not Trash" items at special prices. Click here for details.

Saturday, November 15th, 2008, 6:30 – 10 pm, at Digital Fusion, 3525 Hayden Avenue, Culver City, California 90232. Map + Directions. NOTE: Online tickets no longer available, but tickets can be purchased at the door.

OCT 26: AN EVENING AT THE STRAY CAT CLUB, A BENEFIT FOR STRAY CAT ALLIANCE AT WILSHIRE EBELL THEATRE

Featured Event Listing posted by Don Rose

The Stray Cat Alliance, whose motto is "Building a No Kill Nation One Stray at a Time", will host a wild and wonderful fund-raising extravaganza at the historic Wilshire Ebell Theater on Sunday, October 26, 2008. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the organization's powerful, effective projects that provide care and protection for the many forgotten, homeless and hungry stray cats who live on the streets, and often end up being killed in pounds. Stray Cat Alliance's work focuses on humane trapping and caring for feral cats, while promoting responsible spay and neuter and adoption of all neglected cats. The event is being held in October to celebrate the month officially named as Feral Cat Month, with the 16th being Feral Cat Day.

SCA's masquerade/costume party will be hosted by radio star Warren Eckstein, host of The Pet Show with Warren Eckstein and resident animal expert for NBC 's Today Show. World-famous internet innovator, actor and activist Cory Williams of ‘Mean Little Kitty’ fame, whose YouTube videos have attracted over 100 million viewers, will be honored. The awards dinner, which is preceded by cocktails, vegan hors d'oeuvres and special Stray Cat-inis, also honors L.A. Council members Richard Alarcon and Tony Cardenas. This year's party promises to be truly eclectic and memorable, including magicians, animal communicators, psychics, raffles, and surprise celebrity musical performances! A fabulous silent auction features such items as a five day vacation in Cabo San Lucas, a private visit to Tippi Hedren's Shambala Reserve, VIP passes to prime-time TV, meet with Dr. Phil, unique ice sculpture for a private party, original jewelry and artwork by famous modern artists as well as fun, useful and luxurious products of every type imaginable!

Celebrity board members and expected guests include Ed Begley, Jr. Princess Ann Claire, Morgan Fairchild, Ellen and Robbie Little, Kevin Nealon, and TV personality Jane Velez-Mitchell. With more to be announced in the coming weeks. SCA is launching it's Loving Seniors for Loving Seniors campaign to pull senior cats from shelters and place with senior citizens desiring companionship. Its proven that seniors health improves living with a companion animal. SCA will provide a medical trust for the animals and will take the cat if the owner dies or becomes unable to care for the animal. A win-win, saving two lives!

Every month, SCA aids over a thousand cats, through their hotline and innovative outreach programs, including Trap/Neuter/Return (TNR), and life-saving advice and resources such as free spay neuter, food and medical support. It is estimated that millions of cats live in southern California alone, many abandoned by their original owners. A single female cat and her offspring can multiply into thousands of cats and kittens, unless there is human intervention.

October 26, 2008. An Evening at the Stray Cat Club. Location: Wilshire Ebell Theatre, 743 S. Lucerne, at Wilshire Blvd, Mid-Wilshire Area. Time: 530 to 930 pm. Attire: Decadent or Costume; Black Tie Optional. More information: 310-281-1109 or at www.straycatclub.org.

OCT 26: Chroma Studio Presents The Maximum Hope Foundation Art Show Benefit, Hosted by Actor Brad Garrett

Featured Event Listing posted by Don Rose

The Maximum Hope Foundation Art Show Benefit presented by The Chroma Studio will take place on Sunday, October 26, 4-7pm. The event will be held at The Chroma Studio, Hollywood, CA. The art exhibit will feature the artwork of Artist Joseph Walsh (Preview Artwork) and the photography of Actor and Photographer Adam Hendershott of Gilmore Girls (View Adam's Photography). A portion of the proceeds from the artwork will go to Maximum Hope Foundation.

Guests at the charity party will enjoy appetizers prepared by Chef Elaine, as well as wine tasting, music and an impressive live auction including tickets to American Idol, Golf Pro Lessons, and The Chroma Studio services. 100% of the proceeds from the silent auction will go directly to Maximum Hope Foundation.

A bevy of celebrities are expected to attend, many from the world of TV. Actor Brad Garrett (Everybody Loves Raymond, Til Death) will host the event, and other confirmed guests include Kate Walsh (Private Practice, Grey's Anatomy), Tom Lennon (17 Again, Reno 911), Gilles Marini (Sex and The City: The Movie, Dirty Sexy Money), Jill-Michele Melean (Reno 911, MadTV), Stephanie Weir (MadTV, Til Death), Melinda Clark (The OC, CSI), and many more.

Maximum Hope Foundation is a non-profit organization designed to benefit families dealing with the financial hurdles that accompany caring for a critically ill child. Maximum Hope Foundation's goal is to alleviate some of those daily financial challenges by supplying a 'boost' to families in need who have too much at hand to worry about taking care of everyday expenses. Visit Maximum Hope Foundation.

When: Sunday October 26, 2008. Press Check-in: 3:45pm; Talent Arrivals: 4-5pm. Where: The Chroma Studio 6353 Yucca, Hollywood, CA 90028 (map). Complimentary valet parking. If you are unable to attend the event but would still like to make a tax deductible donation please click here.

OCT 18: LENNON'S QUARRYMEN LIVE! GITC Benefit Features ex-Wings Guitarist Laurence Juber & John Lennon's Original Quarrymen Band at Writers Boot Camp

Featured Event Listing by Don Rose

Take advantage of an amazing opportunity to support Guitars In The Classroom and witness a legendary concert -- one that, for once, may actually live up to that phrase "once in a lifetime," since us LA folk don't get that many Beatles-era bands from Liverpool who played with John Lennon playing live over here.

The show on October 18, 2008 will feature Grammy Award winning guitar virtuoso Laurence Juber (former Wings bandmate of Paul McCartney) as special guest for John Lennon's original band, The Quarrymen! The Quarrymen, the band who were on stage with John Lennon during that fateful fete on Saturday July 6th, 1957 -- a.k.a. the day John met McCartney -- got back together in 1997 to celebrate the most momentous meeting in pop music history. And now they're Coming Together to entertain you, live, in Santa Monica.

You can get tickets at Westwood Music (1627 Westwood Blvd., just south of Westwood Village in Los Angeles), or by phone (858-755-2239), or online by clicking here (credit card) or going to GITC's website at www.guitarsintheclassroom.org. Or, you can try your luck at the door; tickets will be sold at the door (cash or check only) but they may sell out, so come early! It should be quite a scene. (I woulda said "A splendid time is guaranteed for all," but I think that's copyrighted.)

730pm benefit for Guitars In The Classroom, featuring The Quarrymen and very special guest Laurence Juber performing live in concert, plus silent auction and raffle. Location of the show: Writers Boot Camp, a.k.a. Building I inside the arts complex known at Bergamot Station. Take the 10 freeway West into Santa Monica, get off at the Cloverfield exit, go North to a street called Michigan, go Right on Michigan (at the ARCO station) until you dead-end into the Bergamot parking lot entrance. Enter, and immediately turn left to park and keep walking that direction, way into the back area, to find WBC. More info on the event at: http://guitarsintheclassroom.org/banner_la.php.

About Guitars In The Classroom

Educators and child care providers with little or no musical background can now learn to use guitars, singing, and songwriting across the curriculum in their classrooms for free. The purpose of Guitars in the Classroom (GITC) is to train, support and encourage teachers who want to integrate music-making in their lessons and daily school activities. Many teachers around the country are now strumming and singing as they introduce, reinforce, enrich and extend lessons in every subject area. Songs that motivate students to better learn spelling, rhyming patterns, language fluency, vocabulary, social studies lessons, math and science are offered weekly as part of each Guitars in the Classroom course. The program is free to teachers and if they do not have a guitar, one is provided for them (on loan) along with instruction to get them playing, singing and leading simple songs. The program is sponsored by many generous manufacturers of musical instruments and accessories as well as by NAMM, The International Music Products Association and GAMA, the Guitars and Accessories Marketing Association.

“It’s all about discovering the joy of making music,” says Jessica Baron, who started the GITC program in 1998 largely in response to the increased need for the preservation of music-making in educational settings, and the great musical potential she saw in her educational colleagues in schools where she served as a music specialist. “More than half our participants had never picked up a guitar. Others are returning to guitar after having given it up years before. And whether they are shower singers or choral members, teachers quickly become comfortable enough with the guitar to trust the magic of their own voices, and to express their musicality in service of helping children become more successful students and happier people. The teachers’ leadership and creativity inspires kids to open up and give themselves to learning every day. Music is an infinite medium.”

To learn more about the work of Guitars In The Classroom, please visit their website at: www.guitarsintheclassroom.org.

EVENT REPORT: HOLLYWOOD ROCK ACADEMY TAPS "SPINAL TAP" AS FOCUS OF BENEFIT; RECEPTION, "TAPPED OUT" BAND, FILM & AFTERPARTY ROCKS WESTWOOD CREST & W

by Don Rose

Rob Reiner, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer and Christopher Guest will be glad to know that their cult-phenomenon mockumentary "Spinal Tap" (which celebrates its 25th anniversary next year) is alive and well with today's younger generation. In a benefit held October 16, 2008 to raise funds for HRA (the Hollywood Rock Academy), kids as well as adults came out to enjoy the film, as well as make it more of a "Rocky Horror" type interactive experience with some spot-on costumes (photo left), plot-timed shout-outs and smoke eruptions, as well as other audience actions during the screening. Everything about the event had some relation to "Tap" - even the price of VIP tickets, which "went to eleven" with its $111.11 price.

The evening began with a reception in the lobby of the historic Crest Theatre in Westwood, featuring tasty sandwiches and salad, plus Red Bull Cola and a favorite of The LA Report, Sweet Leaf Tea. Then came the interactive screening and performance, which featured a Spinal Tap cover band called "Tapped Out" composed of HRA members who played down front just below the screen (yes, a cover band of a faux band - welcome to the Age of Post-Postmodernism).



The screening of "Tap" was the emotional highlight of the event, of course. Yes, it still holds up on the big screen, and the addition of the RockyHorror-esque element to the experience was mostly a lot of fun (wisely, the live elements were not overdone). We especially liked the two faux Stonehenges brought to the event (photo below), which were carted out during the infamous scene where the incorrectly-proportioned stage prop gets lowered during a Tap show in the film, to unintended humorous effect. I can definitely see this becoming a regular thing at arthouse theatres, either at the Crest or at West LA's Nuart Theatre, where Saturday midnight showings of "Rocky Horror" are a weekly staple that always leads to a line to get in.

The afterparty for the HRA benefit was held at the W Hotel in Westwood, where VIPs got to mingle with HRA folks while enjoying passed appetizers such as crabcakes and empenadas as well as "Tapped Out" tickets for drinks. The giftbag included a Special Edition of the "Spinal Tap" DVD, featuring over an hour of special features, sure to please all the "Tap" fans in attendance at the HRA affair.

The event was presented by Amoeba Music in association with Galpin Motors and 9 Star. Additional sponsors included W Hotel Westwood.

About The Hollywood Rock Academy

The Hollywood Rock Academy (HRA) was founded in 2005 on the belief that when it comes to achieving greatness, kids are not only capable—but immensely superhuman in their fresh creative strengths, determination and imagination. What makes the HRA different from other ‘rock schools’ is that HRA students participate in a ‘real band’ environment—writing, recording and performing their own original music. Children in the HRA program are able to forge their own creative identity while learning to work as a team, cooperating and negotiating through the creative process as a working unit. How students learn to express their own musical and artistic voice is more important than how well they play classic rock "covers." HRA bands stay together for an entire school year, and, in a number of cases, over many years.

About The Hollywood Rock Academy Foundation

The Hollywood Rock Academy Foundation (HRAF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established to provide music education to underprivileged children in the Los Angeles area who otherwise would not have access to it. HRAF provides a mobile version of the HRA band program that goes to schools and children’s hospitals; bringing instruction by qualified teachers and musicians, as well as musical instruments which are given to each child at no cost to their family.

About "Spinal Tap"

THIS IS SPINAL TAP (1984): DIR Rob Reiner FEATURING Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, Michael McKean, Rob Reiner. The comedic brainchild of director Rob Reiner and writers Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer, THIS IS SPINAL TAP is a brilliant and hilarious documentary-style satire of a has-been British heavy metal band who never really was on an absurd American comeback tour that never quite gets off the ground. A striking and acutely hysterical directorial debut for Reiner, THIS IS SPINAL TAP practically birthed the mockumentary style, and is a deserved cult classic.

HRA information can be found at www.hollywoodrockacademy.com; more information and updates regarding future events can be found at http://www.myspace.com/hraspinaltap.