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  • Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain – VIRTUAL PANEL DISCUSSION

    Join us for a World Cinema Series zoom discussion illuminating the theme “A Delicate Balance: Global Communities and the Natural World” by analyzing the message and impact of Ravi Kumar’s 2014 docudrama, Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain. Released on the 30th anniversary of the Union Carbide disaster in Bhopal, India on December 2-3, 1984, the film analyses the causes of the chemical leak and vapor spread that killed as many as 10,000 people in Bhopal and the responsibility of the Union Carbide corporate leadership, its local operatives in Bhopal, and the complicity of local officials in creating the conditions that led to the environmental catastrophe, their efforts to avoid accountability, and the legacy of the disaster. Combining suspense and a charismatic cast the film, in the words of one critic (Martin Tsai of ‘The Los Angeles Times’) is “a cautionary tale that could not be more relevant.” (13 November 2014). The discussion of the film will be led by Dr. Datta Naik, Professor of Chemistry, and Dr. Marina Vujnovic, Associate Professor of Communication, and a specialist on global communications.

    The film is available for streaming on a number of platforms including Vudu, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Google Play Movies and TV, or iTunes (for rent or purchase).

    When you register you will be provided the meeting link to join the conversation.

  • Father Alphonse and The Orchestra of St. Peter by the Sea’s Virtual Christmas Concert 2020

    While we missed not being able to host our annual holiday concert with Father Alphonse and The Orchestra of St. Peter by the Sea this December we do have a special treat for his fans! Please join Father Alphonse and friends for this FREE Virtual Christmas Concert which features many of the same faces and voices you enjoy each year at Pollak Theatre. Happy Holidays!

    Watch here: https://vimeo.com/490078103/60a243d1ee

  • TUESDAY NIGHT WORLD MUSIC RECORD CLUB: Anoushka Shankar’s Love Letters

    We have decided to continue with Record Club in virtual format using the ZOOM app. When you register you will be provided the meeting link to join the conversation.

    Get together with other music enthusiasts on Tuesday nights to discuss some of the greatest records of all-time! Listen to the album beforehand and then come prepared to discuss.
    This event featuring Anoushka Shankar’s Love Letters will be hosted by Monmouth University Professor Meghan Hynson and is cosponsored by the Institute for Global Understanding.

  • Cherish the Ladies: Christmas in Ireland – Live in Concert

    Cherish the Ladies has shared timeless Irish traditions with audiences worldwide and 2020 celebrates the incredible milestone of their 35th anniversary!   During that time, they have become one of the most engaging and successful ensembles in the history of Irish music.

    Due to the Coronavirus the ladies were unable to tour their highly anticipated Celtic Christmas show in America.  With so many requests from fans around the globe requesting the Christmas program, bandleader Joanie Madden assembled the entire group together in County Clare in Ireland in Spanish Point located alongside the rugged wild Atlantic coastline to record a special socially distanced Christmas program featuring a 12-piece ensemble of incredibly talented musicians, singers and dancers.

    For more than two decades the ladies have placed their unique classic stamp on music of the season releasing three critically acclaimed holiday albums, “On Christmas Night”, “A Star in the East” and “Christmas in Ireland”.

    In this special Christmas in Ireland Live program, the Ladies put their signature mark on classic carols such as “Angels we Have Heard on High”, “Joy to the World”, “Hark the Herald Angel Sing”, “Mrs. Fogarty’s Christmas Cake”, “Ding Dong Merrily on High” and “Silent Night” in arrangements that highlight the group’s unique Celtic instrumentation, beautiful harmonies and spectacular step dancing.

    The show streaming to you in High Definition features the outstanding musicianship of Joanie Madden (flute, whistle, harmony vocals), Mary Coogan (guitar), Mirella Murray (accordion), Kathleen Boyle (piano, harmony vocals), Nollaig Casey (fiddle), The Waterboys and Lunása’s Trevor Hutchinson (Upright Bass), Riverdance’s Jimmy Higgins (percussion) also featured are the gorgeous vocals of Kate Purcell, Don Stiffe, Bruce Foley and Seámus O’Flatharta (harp, vocals, step dancing).  Five-time World Champion step dancer David Geaney rounds out the troupe.

    Don’t miss this spectacular live show from Ireland that the entire family will surely enjoys!

  • Virtual Blue Hawk Records Release Show for “Reviver”

    With the ever-changing, and at times frightening outside world, there is one thing that’s for certain: nothing can stop the music. Blue Hawk Records has been grinding to perfect their seventeenth compilation album, Reviver. Since the start of the fall 2020 semester, the team has been meeting regularly, held in-person and virtual auditions, went into Lakehouse Recording Studio in Asbury Park to record, mix, and master the album, and is set for an upcoming virtual release show. The release show will be held on Instagram live on December 9 starting at 8 pm. The Instagram handle to tune in to is @bluehawkrecordsoffical.

    Included are two rappers, Hasan Chambers and Gabe Garza, otherwise known as Double G, both whose songs take the listener through a story-like experience with a moving message. A&R reps Ethan Christensen and Mikey Sacnhez, helped arrange, and recorded on, artist Charlie Krause’s piano-based song “Those Green Eyes”, giving it a driving full-band sound. Nick Garretch and his band, White Wing, contributed a modern day, fist-pumping, rock track with “Out All Night”. With the team’s help, Monmouth freshman and solo singer-songwriter, Abby Garcia, took her once acoustic-only song, “Silver Linings” and added various musical elements to give it a very current and mystical sound. Rapper-Singer, Justin Ume, known as UME, who already has an impressive following, contributed the hit-sounding pop track, “At The Tone”.

    The Live release show will be hosted by one of Monmouth University’s WMCX top DJ’s, Kayla Booker, and will feature live performances by our artists.

    You can find and follow Blue Hawk Records at @bluehawkrecordsofficial

     

  • The Doo Wop Project: LIVE In Your Home For The Holidays


    OLD SCHOOL, NEW GENERATION, NEW EXPERIENCE!

    Let the Doo Wop Project Boys get you into the Holiday Spirit! Hear old school Holiday Classics like The Drifters White Christmas, The Temptations Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons version of Santa Claus is Coming to Town along with “Doowopified” contemporary hits like This Christmas and Last Christmas. It’s sure to be a jolly good time!

    Over 1,000,000 people around the world have fallen in love with The Doo Wop Project and now you can too. From your living room!

    Featuring Tony-nominated members of Broadway’s smash hits Jersey Boys, Motown: The Musical, A Bronx Tale, and more, the Doo Wop Project’s dynamic live show takes audiences on a journey from early doo wop groups The Flamingos and The Belmonts through their influence on R&B like Smokey Robinson and The Four Seasons, all the way to DooWopified versions of modern hits by Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse, and Maroon 5. The last five years have seen sold-out shows across the country and performances with everyone from Katy Perry to Jon Bon Jovi to Jay Leno.

  • Poetry Appreciation

    Class Schedule: Thursdays – May 13 , May 20 and May 27 | 7:30 – 9:00 PM

    This three-session virtual course, taught by Michael Thomas, provides attendees with an introduction to the craft of poetry, while also carefully considering poems that have been deeply meaningful to our lives.

    Our current culture asks that we move quickly, while poetry demands the opposite– that we slow down and explore life experiences with careful reflection and deeper understanding.

    While you may not be an experienced reader or writer of poems, this course will introduce methods of writing and reading that we hope will help you to take steps in developing an ear and eye for great poems and how, by inhabiting the poems you experience joys in reading.

    “Poetry and poetry alone has saved my life,” wrote the poet, Anne Sexton. There is evidence of lyric poetry in every language and in every culture throughout history. It is with this fact that we can approach poetry as a vital force in our lives, not as a genre of literature reserved only for those with special talents.

    Zoom Link will be provided upon registration.

  • Understanding Climate Change

    Class Schedule: Thursdays – April 22, April 29 and May 6 | 7:30 – 9:00 PM

    In this three-session virtual course taught by Heide Estes, students will learn about the nature of climate change and its evolving effects on humankind and the future of planet earth. Students will discuss powerful ways in which we can stem the tide of climate change on personal, local, and national levels.

    Zoom link will be provided upon registration.

  • Songwriting: Unlocking Your Creativity

    Class Schedule: Thursdays – April 1, 8 and 15 | 7:30 – 9:00 PM

    This three session virtual course, taught by Jay Sweet, provides participants with techniques to help give directions and creative elements that will help unlock the potential of active and aspiring songwriters. The workshop will also provide a supportive outlet for those songwriters looking to share their works for evaluation or for those looking to learn from others’ processes.

    Instructor: Jay Sweet is a Professor of Music who has produced several pieces for television and radio. He is also the proud owner and director of Sweet Music Academy, where he has helped to train hundreds of musicians.Whether you are a hobbyist or someone looking to pursue a career in songwriting, this course will help you find new avenues and directions to enhance your craft. For those who wish to do so, there will also be opportunities for students to share their songs in a workshop setting.

    Throughout the course, Sweet will provide examples and analysis of songs, techniques, and creative concepts that will be presented. Over the three weeks, we will discuss the process of developing and recording a song and the many different avenues that can be taken to make your music polished and presentable.

    Zoom link will be provided upon registration.

  • Writing Memoir – New course added!

    ADDITIONAL COURSE ADDED DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND!!
    Class Schedule: Thursdays – March 11, 18 and 25 | 7:00 – 8:30 PM

    This three-session virtual course provides attendees with an introduction to basic modes for telling the stories of their lives. Working in a supportive workshop setting, students will enjoy engaging, wide-ranging discussion about the joys and challenges of bringing their memories to life. Instructor: Mike Farragher, Monmouth University alumnus and author of numerous works of fiction and memoir.

    Whether you have dreams of being a bestselling author or you’re committed to creating your life story as an heirloom for future generations of your family, memoir writing can be a rewarding endeavor to help make sense of your life journey.If you’ve ever said aloud, “I should write a book someday,” but didn’t know where to begin, this course will get you on the road to fulfilling that creative dream.
    This course will explore how to get started, tools to overcome lack of confidence and overwhelm, provide creative writing prompts, and instill a disciplined process essential for success that has produced proven results for unknown and known authors alike.

    Zoom Link will be provided upon registration.