Georgia Made... Georgia Grown...

Although born in Georgia, I was a military brat, leaving the state before I could walk. Moved back, married military and, at least for a bit, continued to move around again before settling back in my birth state. While I can't claim to have hit every corner of the globe, I've lived in enough places to say with some credibility that Georgia is the best of the best.

Georgia has a little bit of everything a person could want and a lot to be discovered. A little bit? Well, travel to New York and try to choose which show to see on Broadway. Georgia has a lot of top notch theater, but a little bit  in comparison to the overwhelming offerings in New York, "the City".

Go spend a month in Washington, D.C. doing nothing but visiting the Smithsonian and other museums - you'll need more time! Georgia has a wealth of history and fabulous museums, enough to keep you busy for months and months, if you're willing to get in the car. Not quite comparable to the volume in D.C., but they are well worth multiple visits.

I could go on! No matter where you're from or what you're looking for that's good, you can find it in Georgia.

Don't misunderstand though --- while we may have a little bit of everything, we also have a lot of some things that are uniquely "Georgia". Fantastic restaurants, home grown foods, talent in every artistic corner, festivals, warm people, thriving businesses, fun beaches, oh, the list is long.

Georgia is like one of those gift baskets people give sometimes when they're not quite sure what you might want. It's chocked full of everything imaginable. You just keep finding new things down in the basket, all different, all wonderful and all to be appreciated.

Because there are so many things in the Georgia 'gift basket', it can be daunting trying to find many of the great things created by Georgians. We want to support those who live in our state, shout about their great talents and accomplishments, figure out where to go, and eat or buy Georgia grown foods.

Now there is an excellent resource being developed by Camille and Bill Ronay, creators of event2000.com and of Ronay Guide fame, to find and share the best of the best in Georgia: Georgia Made Georgia Grown (GMGG).

I can't top their description: "Georgia Made Georgia Grown LLC markets and promotes artists, craft makers, entertainers, musicians, authors, food products creators, agri-tourism venue owners and other creative entrepreneurs in all 159 counties!... Whether you are looking for unique products and services as a gift, looking for the best in arts, crafts, food and entertainment for yourself, or looking for corporate resources from local sources in Georgia, GMGG has what you need."

I have been seeing tweets and tidbits on Facebook for a while, but only recently really took a good look at the site. Impressive to say the least. GMGG is going to become "the" place to be for Georgia's creative and entrepreneurial talent as well as an excellent resource for anyone visiting or living in Georgia.

If you are a Georgia farmer, artists, crafter, entertainer, serve Georgia grown in your restaurant, shop owner, or create anything in Georgia, go check out the site. If you'd like to find sell items made or grown in Georgia, go check out the site.

Get on board early. Based on past performance and the agressive marketing the Ronay's have already undertaken, this is going to be another successful venture by the pair. They are active in promoting Georgia and GMGG is developing into an outstanding resource. If you're on Facebook, be sure to find them and hit the "like" button on each of their GMGG channels (links are on the website). You'll receive a lot of quality information and learn so much about your fellow creative Georgians.

If you love the state and want to support the people and businesses that make it a fantastic place to live, go visit Georgia Made Georgia Grown.

- Janet McGregor Dunn
Editor, Georgia Front Page

New Music Download Site Featuring Music Without Derogatory or Suggestive Lyrics is Launched

New Music Download Site - Featuring Music Without Derogatory or Suggestive Lyrics is Launched; Independent and Major Label Artists are Represented

PositiveMusicandDownloads.com

/PRNewswire/ -- A new, online web site devoted to positive, values-based music -- PositiveMusicandDownloads.com -- has been launched by four Utah entrepreneurs to fill a void in the music industry.

Patterned after popular sites like iTunes, songs can be downloaded to MP3 players or shipped through the mail. Individual songs sell for 99 cents. CDs are priced between $8 and $16.95 and albums at $9.99.

Artists associated with major record labels as well as independent and emerging musicians are represented. Gaylen Rust, founder and president of PositiveMusicandDownloads.com, said the motivation for launching the site was to create an online destination for consumers looking for music reflective of their tastes and lifestyles. "The site will have broad appeal to those who don't like negotiating a landmine of questionable material on the typical download sites," said Rust. "Too often the industry has dictated what type of music we should be listening too. Artists who have a more positive message can't always get past music industry gatekeepers. Now there is a place for them."

The breadth of musicians currently on the site range from internationally acclaimed artist Alex Boye, who was the lead singer with the European boy band "Awesome" that performed alongside N'SYNC, the Backstreet Boys, and Mary J. Blige, to professional studio violinist Beverly Hansen who has performed with professionals such as Josh Groban, Mannheim Steamroller and Clay Aiken, to regional artists such as Jessie Clark Funk and Sam Payne, pianist Marvin Goldstein and guitarist Michael Dowdle.

Payne said a web site like PositiveMusicandDownloads.com is especially beneficial for independent artists because they must handle nearly every aspect of promoting and developing their careers. "PositiveMusicandDownloads.com is a great tool that helps independents reach their audience in a safe, friendly, shopping environment."

One of Rust's business associates is composer, arranger and songwriter Greg Hansen, who has more than 30 years of experience with some of the biggest names in Hollywood and the music industry. Hansen is well acquainted with the industry dynamics that "push the envelope toward lyrics that are salacious or sensational, in the belief that this will trigger more sales. We will not compromise quality for quantity."

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Making Aquariums and Museums More Accessible

Georgia Tech researchers are using music to aid the visually impaired in understanding the movements and displays featured in aquariums, zoos, museums and other dynamic facilities.

The research is using technology that tracks movements; in the case of an aquarium, it tracks the fish and interprets the movements into music and automated commentaries and narrations.

“We have three main components to this research,” said Bruce Walker, associate professor in the School of Psychology and the School of Interactive Computing at Georgia Tech. “The first is tracking the animals, the second is interpreting it into music and the third is making a seamless and interactive human experience.”

According to Walker, there are several challenges associated with these research goals.

“It is challenging to automatically track animals when they go behind rocks or venture to other parts of the environment,” said Walker. “The music and narration also pose a challenge because we need to make sure that it is pleasant and interesting, but also communicates what’s happening in the exhibit. Our final challenge comes in trying to coordinate all of this technology into a seamless, real-time experience for the aquarium visitor.”

Walker is leading an interdisciplinary team to put the pieces of this research puzzle together. Gil Weinberg, director of the Georgia Tech Center for Music Technology, is focusing on the interpretation of movements into music. Tucker Balch, in the School of Interactive Computing, is leveraging his expertise on tracking the movements of animals. Researchers Carrie Bruce and Jon Sanford of the Georgia Tech Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access (CATEA) are working to evaluate the effectiveness of the resulting multimodal exhibit. The Tech team is also collaborating with the Atlanta Center for the Visually Impaired (CVI), and with staff at local zoos and aquariums.

Walker says that tracking moving objects and then communicating the dynamics to someone who cannot look at, or cannot see, the actual moving items has broad application in biological research, entertainment and sports, and tactical situations.

The technology is still in the research stage, but Walker and his colleagues are excited about the potential of opening up a whole world of new experiences for aquarium and zoo visitors who have vision impairments. Walker says, “There are lots of possibilities. We chose to begin by making exhibits more accessible to people with low vision. We’ll see where this leads after that.”

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Creating Music with Your Cell Phone

If you own a cell phone, then new software created by Georgia Tech Center for Music Technology director Gil Weinberg and his students will allow you to be the next composer and performer of your own original music.

The new software, called ZooZ Beat, allows the user to play and record a variety of instrumental sounds by shaking and tilting the phone. It also allows entering and transforming voice recordings and sharing the music in a group. The software interprets the movements and manipulates the music accordingly.

Weinberg says he created the software after realizing how his previous research on musical expression and creativity for novices could be applied to cell phones, which have become much more ubiquitous and powerful than in years past.

“My research focuses on developing algorhythms that would allow musical instruments to analyze and interpret a player’s intention,” said Weinberg. “With this technology, you don’t have to have a lot of skill or know a lot of music theory to become musically creative. You can just use your own expressive, intuitive gestures to create music that you can relate to.”

The new software, called ZooZ Beat, allows the user to play and record a variety of instrumental sounds by shaking and tilting the phone. It also allows entering and transforming voice recordings and sharing the music in a group. The software interprets the movements and manipulates the music accordingly.

Weinberg says he created the software after realizing how his previous research on musical expression and creativity for novices could be applied to cell phones, which have become much more ubiquitous and powerful than in years past.

“My research focuses on developing algorhythms that would allow musical instruments to analyze and interpret a player’s intention,” said Weinberg. “With this technology, you don’t have to have a lot of skill or know a lot of music theory to become musically creative. You can just use your own expressive, intuitive gestures to create music that you can relate to.”

Weinberg says that he always wanted to put this technology into the hands of everyone, but his previous instruments were too expensive and difficult to maintain.

“Cell phones have become so powerful as far as their capabilities, which led me to think that I could bring some of my research ideas into this realm,” says Weinberg. “I don’t have to develop the hardware, and everyone already has a cell phone. By making the software easily accessible, people will be able to create, manipulate and share music in a very intuitive and expressive manner.”

Weinberg has also applied the software technology to gaming by using the cell phone device as a game controller for PC games.

Georgia Tech Venture Lab has supported the commercialization of Weinberg’s technology, and he has a number of patents pending. The software will be available to the general public at http://www.zoozmobile.com.

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James Redford & Robert Redford Host Event to 'Share The Beat' for Transplant Community

PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- James Redford and Robert Redford are teaming up once again to "Share the Beat" on Saturday, September 13, as they host a star studded evening of live music and entertainment at Atlanta's historic venue, The Tabernacle, with support from Presenting Sponsor, uBID.com ( www.uBid.com ).

The event will kick off at 8 p.m. with special musical performances and story telling, featuring appearances by actor/filmmaker Robert Redford, James Denton and Dana Delany of Desperate Housewives, award-winning singer/songwriters Deana Carter, Rivers Rutherford, Greg Barnhill, Malina Moye, Aimee Mayo, Alexa Wilkinson, and American Idol's Bo Bice, as they raise awareness and funds for the Georgia Transplant Foundation (GTF) and the James Redford Institute for Transplant Awareness (JRI).

"This is our fifth Share the Beat and we always have an amazing time," said Annie Aft, JRI Executive Director and event producer. "The welcome we've received in Atlanta has been great and it's been a wonderful experience to work with the GTF. James and his father are always excited to share their continued joy over his miraculous transplant especially when it helps give hope to others who are waiting."

Since JRI first launched the event in 2003, "Share the Beat" has raised awareness and funds in cities all over the United States, including: Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Sundance, Omaha and now Atlanta.

"Our goal is to use the power of media to inspire people to think about organ donation on a deeper level," said James Redford, Founder of JRI. "Organ donation is the most generous act someone can do for another. The way to create more organ donors is to inspire people to embrace it. When you have this message linked to music and images it opens your heart and mind to how amazing transplant can be."

Attendees will also enjoy a live auction featuring once in a life time experience packages, catering by "Talk of the Town," and a walk on the red carpet as they arrive for this star studded evening.

"We are thrilled to be partnering with such a great event here in Atlanta," said David Bakelman, GTF Executive Director. "The awareness this event will bring here and throughout the country, paired with the financial support, will impact the lives of many organ transplant candidates and recipients."

Founded in Atlanta in 1992, the Georgia Transplant Foundation is a non-profit organization providing financial, educational, and emotional support to transplant candidates, recipients, living donors, and their families throughout the state of Georgia. GTF is funded through the generosity of the Carlos and Marguerite Mason Trust, corporations and individuals. Eighty-five percent of all funds raised directly supports Georgia's organ transplant community. For more information, please visit www.gatransplant.org.

James Redford waited six months for the donor liver that saved his life. After his surgery, he launched the James Redford Institute for Transplant Awareness, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the public about the need for organ and tissue donation. JRI's goal is to raise awareness of this issue through film, educational outreach, and on the web. For more information, visit www.jrifilms.org.

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Salute the Troops on ABC September 7

(BUSINESS WIRE)--A diverse cross-section of America’s most popular performers and entertainers – including Toby Keith, Janet Jackson, ZZ Top, Jessica Simpson, Snoop Dogg and others – are coming together on the same stage for one night only at an all-star salute to the nation’s military men and women.

USAA, a diversified financial services firm, is honored to present America United In Support of Our Troops, airing on ABC Sunday, September 7, at 9 p.m. Eastern/8 p.m. Central.

Other performers and celebrities slated to appear include country musician Clint Black, comedians Carlos Mencia and Kathy Griffin, and many more. Filmed in front of audiences in Iraq, Camp Pendleton, Calif., and Fort Campbell, Ky., the show features popular music, celebrity cameos, tributes to the troops, and heart-warming stories.

“America United in Support of Our Troops - is all about standing together as a nation to say a very heartfelt ‘thank you’ to the men and women of the U.S. military,” said USAA President and CEO Joe Robles. “USAA has proudly served our nation’s military families for 86 years, and it is our honor to sponsor this tribute. We hope Americans will tune in this Sunday, support our troops and enjoy this terrific show.”

The show will be re-broadcast Monday, Sept. 8 for military members serving overseas and on ships at sea through the American Forces Radio and Television Service.

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Contemporary Christian Music Featured Sunday, Aug. 31 at Powers' Crossroads 3-Day Labor Day Weekend Festival in Newnan, Ga.

PRNewswire/ -- The three-day Powers' Crossroads Country Fair and Art Festival, which opens for its 38th consecutive year on Labor Day Weekend, will feature an afternoon of contemporary Christian music on Sunday, Aug. 31.

Scheduled entertainment beginning at 2 p.m. on the festival's main stage includes One Way Caravan from St. Louis, Mo., featuring Adam Trotter and Kevin Schulte.

West Georgia local favorites Jake Eugene and The Summit of South Fayette, and Chandler, featuring lead vocalist Jeff Chandler, are also scheduled to perform. Contemporary Christian radio station J93.3, WVFJ-FM, Atlanta, is sponsoring the afternoon of music.

The festival, which is held every year on the rolling and wooded 100 acres of historic Powers Plantation in Newnan, Ga., near Franklin, Ga., will open at 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 30 with the annual Rising Star competition set to kick off at 10 a.m.

The festival will wrap up at 5 p.m. Labor Day afternoon, Sept. 1, after a 2 p.m. Miss Coweta County Pageant, a preliminary event for the Miss West Georgia competition in January 2009.

Visitors to this year's festival will also find perennial favorites in shopping for unique arts and crafts. Each of the more than 175 artisans showcasing their work for sale is selected by judges during the course of the year.

Festival hours are 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. daily. Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and military personnel, $3 for children ages 5-12, and free for children 4 and under. Parking is free and complimentary shuttle service is available from the parking areas.

Visit www.newnan.com/powers for additional information and driving directions.

The Powers' Crossroads Country Fair and Art Festival is organized and produced by five local non-profit organizations as their annual major fundraiser with net proceeds divided among the organizations. They are: Newnan Coweta Chamber of Commerce, Newnan Coweta Arts Association, Coweta 4H, Newnan Coweta Jaycees and The Pilot Club of Newnan.

Presenting sponsors include Buffalo Rock Beverages and Food Services, Newnan, Ga., Toyota of Newnan, and in part by the Georgia Department of Economic Development through the Georgia Tourism Foundation.

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UGA Arts Festival to Bring Lively Four-Day Celebration to UGA Campus in September in Conjunction with Lamar Dodd School of Art Building Dedication

Music, drama, art and poetry will enliven the University of Georgia campus during the first UGA Arts Festival, a four-day celebration to be held Sept. 4-7 at the Performing and Visual Arts Complex to coincide with the dedication of the new Lamar Dodd School of Art building.

The festival will feature numerous performances and exhibitions, all open free to the public. Featured events include a performance of French playwright Yasmina Reza’s award-winning comedy Art and readings by internationally known poet and translator Coleman Barks. Also on hand will be the Amadeus Trio as part of the Franklin College Chamber Music Series.

“The arts are so important to all of us and especially at the University of Georgia,” said Garnett S. Stokes, dean of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, one of the sponsors of the event. “The UGA Arts Festival is an invitation to the Athens community that I believe will dramatically focus our attention on just how rich and varied arts are on campus.”

The festival kicks off on Thursday, Sept. 4, at 2 p.m. with the dedication of the new $40 million building for the Lamar Dodd School of Art on East Campus. The school, founded in 1937, is one of the largest university art programs in the nation. The more than 1,000 art majors study such areas as studio art, design, art education and art history.

“The Arts Festival will display both the outstanding facilities that have been developed for the visual and performing arts on East Campus and the achievements of the talented artists on our faculty,” said Betty Jean Craige, director of the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts, another sponsor of the Festival.“The festival will be a cornucopia of aesthetic treats—art exhibits and musical, theatrical and dance performances—that will show the community the pleasure and intellectual excitement that the University offers in the arts."

Also on Thursday, the Reza play will be performed by faculty from the department of theatre and film studies.

“UGA has tremendously rigorous and dynamic programs in all of the arts,” said David Saltz, head of the department of theatre and film studies. “It’s very rare that people—even faculty and students within the various art disciplines themselves—have a chance to see the scope of what’s happening here on campus.

“The opening of the new art building on East Campus is a perfect symbol of UGA’s commitment to education and research in all the arts.”

On Friday, Sept. 5, events will include an outdoor stage sponsored by UGA’s Music Business Program; performances by the CORE Concert Dance Company and the Amadeus Trio; and a reading, “Lion of the Heart,” performed by Coleman Barks, who will be accompanied by Art Rosenbaum, who is equally well known for his work as an artist and as a music folklorist. Barks is known worldwide as a poet and translator of the 13th-century Persian poet Rumi. Rosenbaum is a painter, muralist and illustrator, as well as a collector and performer of traditional American folk music. Both Barks and Rosenbaum are retired UGA faculty members.

The Willson Center will in addition present “Music for a Summer Afternoon,” featuring faculty members from the Hugh Hodgson School of Music, and there will be an opening receptions for exhibitions in the galleries of the Lamar Dodd School of Art as well an opening reception at the Georgia Museum of Art.

Georgia football will take center stage on Saturday, Sept. 6, when the UGA Bulldogs play Central Michigan in Sanford Stadium, and there will also be an open practice of the Redcoat Marching Band at 9 a.m. on Woodruff Field.

Sunday, Sept. 7, will be family arts day, featuring acting, art, dancing and music. The hands-on events this day include a “Beaux Arts Ball” community waltz class and an improv performance and workshop of Alex and the Backpack, one of several theatre, art, dance and music programs for children.

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Georgia Wine Country Festival

The GEORGIA WINE COUNTRY FESTIVAL, Dahlonega's Original Wine Festival, returns for the 7th year on Saturday and Sunday, June 7 and 8, to Three Sisters Vineyards and Winery. The two-day event welcomes back wineries from around the state of Georgia for complimentary wine tastings, including Boutier Winery, Georgia Wines, Three Sisters, and Chestatee, and sponsors The Buckhead Coffee Company, Dahlonega's Fudge Factory, Pura Vida USA Resorts to celebrate the art, wine, food, and lifestyle of Georgia Wine Country.

Musical guests include LD and Marty Nix, Holly and Curtis Jones, Route 66, the Buzzard Mountain Boys, and the Appalachain Saint Andrew’s Pipe & Drum Corps. Various artists will have booths, and John "Cornbread" Anderson is special folk artist guest. Gourmet coffees and teas by Buckhead Coffee Company and Chocolates by Dahlonega's Fudge Factory will be available for purchase. Pura Vida's Chef Dartin Roberts, Atlanta Chef John Izzo and North Georgia Chef Kelly Finucan will create specialties for sale at the event, and Three Sisters will offer Sweet Grass Dairy cheese plates.

Vineyard wagon rides by Gold City Corral will be a part of the entertainment. SEBA (Southeastern Bluegrass Association) will conduct a fund raiser auction during the event.

The Georgia Wine Country Festival, Three Sisters' signature food and wine and music/fun festival, will be held rain or shine. Hours are 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday and noon-6 p.m. on Sunday, and daily admission is $20 for wine lovers with tickets available at the gate. Wine tastings include keepsake wine glass. Call 706-865-9463 or visit www.ThreeSistersVineyards.com for more info.