Author Archives: Natalia

Arts Greenhouse

The Arts Greenhouse is an interdisciplinary project organized by the Center for Arts in Society at Carnegie Mellon’s College of Fine Arts. They recruit, train and actually record young musical and performing artists. Their 2005-2006 season is just starting, in fact, their first workshop starts this Saturday. Members of the community act as staff in the educational workshops. Students learn about recording their music, including production and marketing skills.

If you know anyone who is interested in developing their hip hop or spoken word skills, call Kat Agres at 412.268.5279. The workshops will be held at ID Labs (5272 Butler Street) in Lawrenceville.

WYEP – 91.3 FM

Thanks to WYEP, I can’t listen to commercial radio anymore. And that’s a good thing. The station is listener supported, and they play a mellow, interesting mix of new and old music. I have to admit that sometimes the station gets a little too folksy for my tastes, but they also take requests. When a friend from out of town visited me, he was amazed to hear Johnny Cash played up right against the Pet Shop Boys. Bands I have heard about through ‘YEP through the years include Tegan & Sara, Raul Malo, Ray LaMontagne, Jump Little Children, Andrew Bird, Shivaree, Citizen Cope, the list goes on and on …

The station has a rockin’ website at:
http://www.wyep.org/

It contains great information on the CD Live! series and other community programs. (For example, they are building a new Community Broadcast Center.) Check out their concert calendar here:
http://www.wyep.org/con%5Fcal/

One other thing I like about the website is that you can actually see all of their playlists in case you didn’t catch the name of that weird blues tune you heard at 6am :
http://www.wyep.org/music_programs/index.asp

So forgo loud car commercials and abrasive commercial DJs forever … tune in to 91.3 and makes your ears happy.

PS – They canceled their membership campaign this fall, so this is a great time to start listening.

Mentoring Partnership of Southwestern PA

More than 1000 children are on waiting lists for mentors in Southwestern PA. In Allegheny County, more than 13,000 children already have mentors. Mentoring is one of the most significant ways you can help a child. Consider these facts:

  • Mentored young people are 46% less likely to get involved with drugs.
    (Source: Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America)

  • 59% improve their grades.
    (Source: Career Beginnings)

  • 86% went on to higher education.
    (Source: Proctor & Gamble)

    There are many different kinds of mentoring programs and the Mentoring Partnership Southwestern PA helps bring them all together to match mentors and mentees in just the right environment.

    You can become a member by filling out this application. Or check out these events, such as “Mentor Incentives: Keeping Them Involved” and “Building Successful In-House Mentor Meetings.”

    And then maybe you can take your mentee to some of the awesome places mentioned on iheartpgh! (But I’d hold off on the East End Brewing Company.)

    • The Cut

    cut

    Carnegie Mellon, I love thee, oh how do I count the ways?

    Before I actually started attending CMU, I had never taken the time to walk across its campus. That was really too bad. It’s a really cool campus, with neat buildings, interesting topography, and lots of nooks and crannies to explore. I find new places to study (and new robots) every week.

    This time of year the Cut (the big grassy lawn in the middle of campus) is really gorgeous, with marching bands and frisbee players scampering around. The weather is perfect this time of year, so the whole university community is competing for a space on the green, from pale physics PhDs to the sorority girls. Despite the faint views of the downtown skyline and the Cathedral of Learning, it doesn’t feel like its right in the middle of the city at all. Ahh, surrounded by ivory towers. Awesome …

    So next time you’re wandering around the area, take a walk across the Cut (and bring a picnic lunch.) It sure is purty (and will make you wish you were back in school.)