Annual Record Players Concert with guest Eve Costarelli on castanets

Annual Record Players Concert

The Record Players Concert XIII
Saturday, January 26, 2013 at 8 pm
The First Church in Belmont
404 Concord Avenue, Belmont

January 26, 2013 marks the 13th year of collaboration between the chamber music group The Record Players and the Judith K. Record Memorial Conservation Fund in bringing together people who find inspiration and beauty through music and nature. The concert, which is open to the public free of charge, serves as our annual appeal and is supported by pre-concert private and corporate sponsorships. Contributions are also accepted at the door. All proceeds from the concert go to the Fund’s endowment managed by Mass Audubon. Read the full 2010 press release.

Concert XIII, with music by Boccherini, Mozart, and Eespere, as well as a World Premiers by Read, promises to be a wonderful event.  All distinguished local musicians in support of land conservation, The Record Players include Andrea Mason Nolin on flute; Colin Davis, violin; Ray Jackendoff, clarinet; Kenneth Stalberg, viola;  Sarah Freiberg, cello; Natalie Favaloro, violin; guest soloist Aaron Larget-Caplan, guitar; and guest performer Eve Costarelli.

These accomplished professional musicians have principalships and affiliations with such Boston institutions as the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, and the Handel and Haydn Society.

Visit www.therecordplayers.com to sample their music.

Click here to watch a short film by Andrea Mason Nolin about the Record Players and Concert X.

A Personal History of the Record Players by Andrea Mason Nolin

Hello, I’m Andrea M. Nolin, and I would like to give you a little background on how The Record Players came into being in 2001.

Judy Record lived three doors down from me in Belmont, MA. She always greeted me with her engaging smile and would relate the latest news of the McLean Open Space Alliance, the organization that she founded to promote the protection of open space in the town. I wasn't alone in feeling enormous grief when a bicycle accident caused her untimely death in 2000. Since her Memorial Service was held at Trinity Church in Boston, I felt that Belmont needed to pay tribute to her in her home town. I gathered some musician friends, and friends of friends, as others were busy setting up a memorial fund in her name. Thus, the first concert was the founding event of the Judith K. Record Memorial Conservation Fund. On a snowy afternoon, over 200 people attended Concert I and over $10,000 was raised! With such an enthusiastic and generous response, our ensemble continues to perform every year. The Concert has now become the Fund’s Annual Appeal event.

Love Bubble Meditation:

Love Bubble Meditation: 

Transcript:

Start lying down, arms relaxed by your sides or you can rest them gently on your belly. Notice the sounds around you (not a few) and then locate a place of silence in all the noise, so your mind can rest. Next, turn your focus to your body, and allow yourself to let go of any tension (here lead them through a foot-to-head “heaviness” exercise. At the belly, stop for a moment and feel the in and out breath and at the forehead, mention that they should feel their brows are cool as a warm forehead can cause headaches); the final focus goes to the breath, first as something to hear and then as something to feel.

“Love Bubble” meditation: Suggest to them to “feel joyful” to “feel peace” to “feel love”. First think of yourselves and send some love your way. Say to yourself on an in-breath, “I am thoughtful and understanding.”  On the in-breath feel yourself draw the energy from the earth and as you exhale, feel these positive compliments wash over and cover your whole body. Inhale “I am thoughtful and understanding, drawing the energy in, and on the exhale, allowing yourself to submerge in these affirmations. A few times on your own, noticing the cool breath entering and the breath out through your nose, is warmed. Now direct your thoughts to someone you want to send some love to, this person could be alive or passed on, a parent, a grandparent, a sibling, a friend…anyone. While thinking of this person, feel “peace, joyfulness, and friendship”. Breathe in pulling the energy of peace, joy and trust into you and on the out breath spreading these thoughts like a soft wind encompassing your body. Allow these thoughts, like a big pink bubble, to float up to the sky above and then drift into the air, heading towards “your loved one”. As the bubble floats away, once again, notice your breath in and your breath out, cool to warm, with each out breath your body sinks deeper into the supportive mat below.  

Send loving-kindness to yourself and allow it to radiate out from inside.

Be healthy, happy, and peaceful.

May all beings be well and happy.
May all beings be well and happy.
May all beings be well and happy.
May there be peace.
May there be peace.
May there be peace.

How many ways can we sit in yoga?

This afternoon's youth yoga for grades 5-8 was so much fun. Really! I had the kids sitting still, focusing on their yoga, relaxing. The hubbub seemed to just come to an end!

We placed our five mats out in a ray pattern. One block per students. We began seated or lying down on our mats. Our voices were kept low and staying on the mat was a must. I asked everyone to sit. I did not specify how they should sit; they just needed to sit. Looking around, I noticed everyone was "sitting" a different way. So I posed the question..."How many ways can we think of to "sit" in yoga?" Look at yourself right now. One by one, we noticed how we were sitting and saw the yoga poses that they were.

We did:
1. Easy Pose (making sure our feet were under our knees)
2. Frog Pose (like a beginner turtle pose. Seated, knees bent, feet flat on floor, arms reaching to floor between legs)
3. Lotus (trying a quick lift and balance here)
4. Butterfly
5. Bharadvajavasana I (carefully twisting in both directions  but making sure our shoulders stayed in alignment and to not allow are arms to move without the shoulder girdle)
6. Squat/Garland Pose
7. Staff Pose

I then had them all lie down on their mats using a block, in low position, as a pillow. Chins dropped slightly. Focusing, their attention being drawn inward. Noticing sensations. And suddenly all the electricity went out. I don't mean in the building, but in their bodies. Shut down. Calm. Relaxed. Breathing. All of a sudden a deep sense of stillness entered the room and it settled down on us. We stayed here for a good five minutes. IN silence, listening to the ticking of the heaters.

To bring back sensation, we began noticing our breath in our nostrils and deciding which side was breathing more strongly. Notice if you are breathing through both nostrils? Mentally can you take your breath in through the right and out the left and then reverse?

Coming up to stand...Posing the question, "How many ways can we stand in yoga?"

We did:
1. Mountain Pose (feeling the triad of the big tow, little toe and center of heel)
2. Up-Mountain Pose
3. Chair Pose
4. Skiers Pose (belly on deeply bent legs, but they do not drop below the bottom)
5. Bent knee forward bend (hands on floor, let head drop, like a standing deep child's pose)
6. Bent knee chest lift (stay with legs bent, but lift collar bones and roll shoulders back)
7. Standing forward bend, legs bent enough to support the torso on the thighs (standing child's pose)
8. Airplane
9. Goddess Squat
10. Dancer's Pose
11. Tree Pose
12. Triangle Pose

Now a mini Savasana. Noticing which nostril was breathing more strongly, we rolled to that side and sat up.

Today we began our yoga journals. I brought B.K.S. Iyengar "Light on Yoga"; B.K.S. Inyengar "Yoga The Path To Holistic Health"; Baron Baptiste " My Daddy Is A Pretzel" book and card deck; Marsha Wenig "Yoga Kids". We looked for all the poses we had done today and started to draw them in our journals writing an English translation for the pose, plus the Sanskrit. I wanted to help the kids have a visual to help them understand their bodies in space in these poses.

I will keep the journals at the center ad every week we will add a new section. We will continue drawing and naming poses, but we will also collage, to make dream boards, work with affirmations, and delve into the Yamas (the restraints of yoga: Ahimsa (non-harming); Sateya (non-lying); Asteya (non-stealing); Bramacharya (of Brahma); Aparigraha (non-hoarding)) and ideas of how to practice yoga off the mat.

2013 Classes with Eve Costarelli

         2013 Classes with Eve Costarelli

                   AdamAnt_Eve@hotmail.com; 617-216-1643

                         www. AlwaysBDancing.blogspot.com

Mondays @ Open Spirit, 39 Edwards Street, Framingham, MA; 617-216-1643

4:30-5:30PM Youth Yoga for grades 5-12 (New session) 

6:00-7:30PM Veteran’s Yoga (co-taught with Michael Thomas)

Tuesdays @ Spirit Bear Power Yoga, 19 Main Street, Natick, MA; 508-655-YOGA (9642)

4:00-5:00PM Youth Yoga for grades 5-12 (New session)

Tuesdays @ Dancing Arts Center, 9 Whitney Street, Holliston, MA; 508-429-7577

6:00-7:00PM Youth Tap (ages 6-10) (New sessions starting January 22, 2013)

7:00-8:00PM Teen Tap (ages 11+)

8:00-9:00PM Adult Tap

Wednesdays @ the Dance Complex, 536 Mass Avenue, Cambridge, MA; 617-216-1643

4:00-5:00PM Youth Flamenco 1 (ages 6-10)

5:00-6:00PM Youth Flamenco 2 (ages 11+)

Fridays @ Open Spirit, 39 Edwards Street, Framingham, MA; 617-216-1643

10:00-11:15 Adult/Teen Flamenco: 8-week Sevillanas Series (Welcoming home-schoolers ages 11+) (New session January 11, 2013-March 8, 2013)

Sevillanas:

Sevillanas is a timeless folkdance from southern Spain that has become virtually synonymous with the flamenco of Andalucía. Based on traditional Spanish dances, the Sevillanas form was adopted by the residents of Sevilla (both gypsies and non-gypsies) and merged with their strong flamenco culture to become the most recognizable symbol of the region. Sevillanas are danced in pairs by children, teenagers and adults at nightclubs, parties, and most famously at the annual Feria de Abril in Sevilla. Sevillanas is a fun and exciting dance that enlivens any party and is essential in the repertoire of any flamenco dancer and for all who just love the art of flamenco.

This class will guide the beginner dancer through the basic steps of all four parts of the Sevillanas. The course will cover the basic flamenco style, posture, hand, arm and foot placement. 

Mother-Daughter Yoga Retreat December 2012

Yesterdays yoga retreat brought together a great group of moms, daughters, aunts and nieces. There was a great connection for me amongst the whole group as friends from many areas of my life joined me for this workshop.

We set the room up in a sun ray shape, with each couple set up next to each other. We started the class with a name game where we said our name and we stated one thing that we do to make us calm. Some of the responses were: yoga, running, swimming, walking the dog, walking in the woods, deep breathing, laying on the couch listening to music, reading and dancing. Everyone seemed to be able to relate to all calming ideas and we smiled and nodded our heads with each suggestion.

The underlying lesson for today's class was "Calm in the Storm". Everyone can relate especially at this time of the year how we all feel like we are running around trying to get to the point that we are going to have vacation and relax, but often we run right past vacation and there is never any rest.

After starting in Balasana (child's pose), just to calm ourselves and give us a chance to focus inwards-feel our breath expand in our bellies and press against the thighs-stimulating the relaxation response in one of the most accessible forward bends, I talked about looking inside and finding the space inside of us to relax. I noted that at times of extreme activity, my body felt tight and wrapped up, no moving space available; All I was was skin and bones. But if I could take a moment to unwind, to fill my body up like a balloon, then the space within allowed me to feel open, relaxed and able to take in all types of experiences, whether, good or bad.   We talked about the Fight or Flight response, just so everyone knew the physical and mental changes our bodies go through when we experience fight or flight.

Throughout the class we explored partner poses and ways that we could help our partners by being good assistants. We started with a simple back-to-back seated twist. Standing in Tadasana (Mountain Pose), we played with our toes, shifted our weight and swayed our torsos. Sun salutation modification to include high and then low lunge with a balance and then into Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose). We dropped to our knees and explored the arms for downward dog and then one partner would go back into downward dog and the other would assist by first standing behind and puling back at the hip points and then coming to the front and pushing through the sacrum. We played with the balance of Anantasana (Vishnu's Couch Pose) by imagining we were laying on the top of a fence; the challenge of Vasisthasana (Side Plank Pose) while trying to balance on one arm and possibly bring our top leg into tree pose and the relaxation of Makarasana (Crocodile Pose) lying on our bellies, arms crossed in front with our forehead  resting on our stacked hands-letting our whole shoulder girdle slide off like a scarf falling around our ears.

Standing we explore Vrksasana (Tree pose) and see how many ways we can challenge our balance with our partner; Trikonasana (triangle pose) and then Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose). We took a moment to explore the balance of half moon and then going into out partners again, one person tool half moon while the other person assisted them them with the balance (standing behind in a strong position, holding the hip and helping it open while at the same time pressing the posers upper palm with the assister's free palm to help stabilize the pose).

We lay down for a mini Savasana and then talked about mandalas. I had brought many different coloring book page mandalas-something for everyone! We did not even realize how fast the time had gone, so our coloring session was a bit shorter than I had planned. I sent everyone home with their creations and a nice piece of mounting board for them to display their beautiful mandalas at home in a a place where they could relax and meditate.

I loved the class. Wish my mom could have taken it with me! I will pan another for the spring!

Thank you all deeply,
Eve

Play List:

Charles Dutoit: London Sinfonietta-Saint-Saens: Carnival Des Animaux-Aqarium

Ravi Shankar-Pather Panchali

The Roots (ft. The Miguel Atwood Ferguson Dillchestra)-Antiquity

Brian Eno-Deep Blue

Emancipator-Greenland

Stars-Sleep Tonight (Junior Boys Remix)

Leo’s Sunshipp-Give Me the Sunshine (Vocal)

Iron & Wine-Boy with a Coin

Emancipator-Anthem

Chamberlain-Lost In The World (Kanye West Ft Bon Iver cover)

Larry Heard pr. Mr. White-The Sun Can’t Compare

Ben Lee-Kids (MGMT)

The Pool-Jamaica Resting

Chitti Babu-Ananda Sagara-Raga Garudadhwani-Adi Talam-Thyagaraja

Thomas Smith-Retina Scan (Anthea Scholtz delayed remix)

Stars-This Charming Man (The Smiths cover)

Mozart-Sonata in C Major (part 1)

Mozart-Sonata in C Major (part 2)

Mozart-Sonata in C Major (part 3)

Moby-Myopia

Moby-The Rain Falls and the Sky Shudders

2013 Classes with Eve Costarelli: Youth Yoga, Youth Flamenco; Adult/Teen Flamenco: Sevillanas; Tap Dance for all ages

2013 Classes with Eve Costarelli: Youth Yoga, Youth Flamenco; Adult/Teen Flamenco: Sevillanas; Tap Dance for all ages

Mondays @ Open Spirit, 39 Edwards Street, Framingham, MA

4:30-5:30PM Youth Yoga for grades 5-12

6:00-7:30PM Veteran’s Yoga (co-taught with Michael Thomas)

Tuesdays @ Spirit Bear Power Yoga, 19 Main Street, Natick, MA

4:00-5:00PM Youth Yoga for grades 5-12

Tuesdays @ Dancing Arts Center, 9 Whitney Street, Holliston, MA

6:00-7:00PM Youth Tap (ages 6-10)

7:00-8:00PM Teen Tap (ages 11+)

8:00-9:00PM Adult Tap

Wednesdays @ the Dance Complex, 536 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA

4:00-5:00PM Youth Flamenco 1 (ages 6-10)

5:00-6:00PM Youth Flamenco 2 (ages 11+)

Fridays @ Open Spirit, 39 Edwards Street, Framingham, MA

10:00-11:15 Adult/Teen Flamenco: 8-week Sevillanas Series (Welcoming home schoolers ages 11+) Session January 11, 2013-March 28, 2013

For more information, please contact Eve Costarelli AlwaysBDancing@gmail.com or 617-216-1643.