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Composer Miguel Kertsman is nothing if not prolific. With an eclectic oeuvre and a genre-defying take on the music world, Kertsman has turned his talents to everything from composing to producing, creating work across the music spectrum from Orchestral, Operatic, and Chamber Music, to Experimental, and Jazz. This week, O Saci, His children’s show about the power of friendship has its US premiere right here in Chicago. Our Town spoke with Kertsman about his methods and what to expect from the family friendly show.

Our Town How does music come to you?
Miguel Kertsman Music is out there, in here and everywhere in our environment, our lives, our routines, in our world, in the universe and the cosmos. I feel composers are very fortunate to have the urge, desire, and ability to tap into all those sources and channel some of that fantastic energy -- sharing it with others, telling stories, conveying feelings and emotions through sound. Music can come in a dream, in the shower, during a walk, while implementing a totally unrelated task, in the city or in the country. Sometimes there may be a "reason" to write a piece: A person, an event, a commission, a theme. Sometimes the music simply comes to be because it needs to.

OT What’s your method for composing?
MK I write what I hear internally at any given moment and what I feel -- it could be a rather tender, tonal melody today, or a very textural, experimental, chaotic work tomorrow. Sometimes I allow myself to get more cerebral about the writing process; however, most of the time I write what I hear and what I feel -- genres or styles are irrelevant. Concerning methodologies, I still prefer to write by hand, with pencil and paper. Naturally, computer programs can be helpful, especially for mechanical work such as generating engraved, publishing-quality printed scores and parts for the musicians. However, I personally am not a fan of having a computer between the music and me during the creative process, unless the computer's resources would in fact support the aesthetics of the work at hand. I feel we spend far much too much time in front of a computer or other electronic device as it is.

OT Do you write or hear a single line at a time or multiple lines?
MK Either, depending on the piece. When writing orchestral music I write multiple parts on the fly and as I go along since the final product is often already playing internally in full sound -- as if you would be listening to your own internal radio station. It often becomes a matter of writing down and transcribing what you hear. If the orchestral score has, let's say, 32 individual parts (various winds, brass, percussion, strings, choir, special instruments, etc.) I will often write down the most important parts, and make decisions on other lines later -- for example, I may decide to have the third trumpet doubling the first violins at a certain passage, or add another percussion part or effect -- those are often important details, the icing on the cake. When writing pieces with lyrics or Jazz pieces, one can often hear / write a melodic line, and subsequently harmonize it. In such an instance, that represents a more vertical way of composing music.

OT How does improvising impact your compositions or are you more formal about your work?
MK J.S. Bach was an incredible improviser, as were many of the other great Masters -- would that make their music less formal? Improvisation can be a fantastic tool for composition.

OT What would a non-musician be most surprised to find out about a composer’s creative process?
MK I often notice expressions of amazement from people when talking about hearing full or finished symphonic pieces internally that yet do not physically exist. Well, I am just as much in awe when an architect, painter or graphic artist sees a finished work in her /his mind's eye which also does not yet physically exist.

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All photos by Jeff Wasilko

Every musician dreams of crafting the perfect hook to catch our collective attention, drive hot gay dudes to lip-sync and deployed soldiers to upload their dance moves to Youtube. But sometimes the knack for writing of-the-moment music traps an artist in a certain era. Maybe she becomes complacent; possibly it’s public perception that confines her, or perhaps she’s paralyzed by the fear that she’ll never transcend an early hit.
Not so for artists Nerissa and Katryna Nields, a cult folk/rock duo with a relatively small but matchlessly fervent fan base. Set to release their sixteenth album, the sisters have performed together for over twenty years.

Interviewing Nerissa, I was struck by the similarity between her take on the foundation of their longevity and a comment by R.E.M.’s Micheal Stipe in a recent salon.com interview. “I’m so glad we haven’t had a hit yet,” Nerissa told me. “Because that means the hit we have is still inside of us.”

Speaking of R.E.M.’s 1994 album “Monster,” Stipe said “in classic R.E.M. style, we were yet again out of time. We were doing something that was either a little too before or a little too behind what was actually happening.” Though he does not relate this tendency to the band’s staying power, the two seem inexorably linked.

Such is also the case for Nerissa and Katryna Nields. “We’re not willing to follow the rules in order to have a wider audience,” Nerissa said. But by making their own rules these talented siblings have ensured their permanence.

Our Town I’m sure you constantly field this question, but what’s it like to blur the line between family and career?
Nerissa Nields It’s a great question and I’m never tired of answering it. We don’t understand how people can work creatively with anyone other than their sibling. We work really hard at our relationship. We’re only two years apart and we’ve always been exceptionally close, really became best friends in our late teens and always had this dream to make music and have a career together. Eighty percent of our work together is about strengthening our relationship. We’re very intentional. I’m the songwriter and I’m the older sister and when I asked Katryna if she would be in a band with me, she said, “okay but only if you promise that I’m never going to feel like Art Garfunkel.” If one of us is getting too much attention, we say, “it’s not fair. (We talk the way we did when were little), “I need more attention,” and the other one says “okay.”

OT Your shows feel like a visit with old friends. Was it a conscious choice to let your between-song patter become so much a part of your performance?
NN We grew up in the folk world and early in our career saw acts like Cheryl Wheeler, Moxy Früvous, Ani Difranco and Dar Williams, who is one of our best friends, and it was always part of the show. Certainly Cheryl Wheeler; I love her music, I love her songwriting, but I go to her shows just as much to hear what she’s going to say. When we were sort of forming our identity as an act we were watching a lot of David Letterman and Conan O’Brian and we naturally tried to infuse our shows with comedy. Basically, we’re giving back what we like to see.

OT In addition to your music, you’ve written several books, most recently All Together Singing in the Kitchen. How is writing a book different than crafting a song?
NN I’m a person with a short attention span and I love the song for that reason. You can write a song in an afternoon. I also love the challenge of writing a book, but it’s a much bigger deal than writing a song. We wrote All Together in two years and that was from start to finish. It was a lot of rewriting and thinking and discussing. I feel really lucky I get to both write songs and books.

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I’ve said it before. One of my favorite parts of blogging (aside from getting 2000 emails a day from Sugardaddie.com) is meeting and promoting interesting Chicagoans. I love spotting that talented someone, currently flying under the city’s radar and knowing that even if I don’t write about her, it’s only a matter of time before someone does.
Tuesday night, I had the honor of taking part in Fictlicious, Micki LeSueur’s fantastically cohesive reading series. Not only did the event introduce me to The Hideout, some kind of magical Milwaukee-esque bar set down in the sort of bleak area Frank Sobotka’s ghost probably haunts, but it also brought to my attention one Stephanie Tonnemacher.
A convivial folk/pop singer/songwriter, Tonnemacher wooed the crowd with her lovely voice and sharp lyrics. Recently back from Nashville, Tonnemacher spoke with Our Town about her guitar playing style, her dream audience member and the Chicago music scene.

Our Town When did you realize you wanted to be a musician?
Stephanie Tonnemacher I’ve always participated in music related activities: church choir, band, music ensembles, and private guitar lessons. It wasn’t until high school that I realized people actually could do it for a living. I dove in by going to music prep high schools, then majoring in composition and arranging in college. I can’t imagine doing anything else that would be as fulfilling. I’m just lucky enough to have parents that encouraged me to go for it from a young age.

OT Who are your influences?
ST Lyrically, I’d have to say Joni Mitchell and Nashville singer/songwriter Patti Griffin. Musically, I’d say a blend of Sheryl Crow and Paul Simon.

OT Finger style guitar picking is not necessarily the norm, what made you
gravitate toward it?
ST I started out playing classical guitar and finger style was just a natural progression for me when I ventured into pop genres. I want to have an interesting accompaniment for when I sing solo without a band. Finger style is a fun, challenging way to break out of the conventional “chick-singer” guitar playing style that people sometimes try to box me into.

OT Do you more closely identify as a singer or songwriter? If you had to
give one up which would it be?
ST Tricky, tricky! I’ve asked myself this question before, trying to figure out which post-graduation musical career path I wanted to take. I don’t think I could stand going a single day without singing. Songwriting is a much more recent skill that I’ve honed. But it’s also something that I’ve started to do on a daily basis, a great outlet for problem solving and saying obnoxious things that without the artistic license excuse could be considered socially unacceptable. So, I guess I’m not willing to give up either.

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Over the last two decades, Soprano Victoria Holland has performed everywhere from Illinois venue Ravinia to Il Conservatorio di Parma in Italy. Though I have yet to catch one of her performances, I’ve been lucky enough to benefit from Holland’s vocal instruction. Confident, knowledgeable and down to earth, Holland revitalized my singing practice. Now she’s offering a vocal skills for adults class, designed for singers of all experience levels. The group class, a nice precursor to private voice lessons or supplement to choral singing runs for eight weeks starting November tenth.

Our Town spoke with Holland about performance, teaching, and just what’s so great about Opera.

Our Town Was singing always an ambition?
Victoria Holland Yes, an ambition but also an escape, especially during my teenage years.

OT You have a PhD in Voice and Opera Performance. Why pursue a higher degree in voice?
VH Most singers aren't fully developed or fully trained after undergrad studies alone. Plus, it's a lifelong learning process. Technique must be continually managed, your world view augmented, you're always growing and evolving. You'll never know everything so consider yourself a student ad infinum.

OT What would you say to an opera novice to catch their interest?
VH Opera hits people differently. And production quality can vary greatly. If you're new to the genre, go to the best houses, like Chicago Lyric, the MET in NYC, and Houston Grand. And choose the opera wisely, according to your interests. We all love stories. Some like love stories, others are fascinated with history, or intrigue, or mysticism. It can be overwhelming, so read about the work and the composer before seeing a production. Though sometimes it's fun to go in unprepared and allow yourself to be surprised and transported into another world. It can be helpful to see an opera in its original language and to start with your native language. For English speakers, I love Susannah by Carlisle Floyd or Peter Grimes by Benjamin Britten.

OT You’re been singing for years, are pre-performance nerves a problem?
VH I get nervous in a new situation and when I perform a piece for the first time but the nerves aren't debilitating. Once as a young singer, I was singing an aria that was too difficult for me and I was so nervous I closed my eyes in the middle of the aria and didn't open them until I'd finished. Not my finest moment. Last month I was rehearsing for my first Brahms Requiem and my heart rate raced just before I sang the first orchestra rehearsal, but once I started to sing it normalized. It's the fear of the unknown. I felt fine for the performance. And I have ways to stay relaxed before going onstage.

OT Any memorable onstage moments?
VH My first professional performance was a Mozart Requiem in Memphis at age twenty. It felt so great to sing that piece with an orchestra. I thought, if I never perform again, I'll die happy.

OT What advice would you give to someone interested in becoming a professional singer?
VH As in any career, go in with your eyes open. Learn how to sing clearly and beautifully and in ways that engage and affect your audiences. Enjoy any opportunity to sing and learn from the experience. Stick with it. Most singers with successful careers have been singing for decades.

OT What sort of student should take your class?
VH A student with a passion for singing, who wants to better understand how the human voice works and how to apply the knowledge. A student who wants a broader range, who desires camaraderie with other singers.

OT Why start with group lessons before pursuing private lessons?
VH I love small group lessons because if I teach four private lessons in a row to people who haven't studied with me before, much of what I say and do is repeated. Why not get us all together and share the experience? There is camaraderie and more opportunity for fun. Yeah, students get nervous singing in small groups and letting their voice be heard, but it wanes as we build trust, just as in private lessons. And small group lessons are much more affordable!

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A darling of the Chicago music scene since her debut album’s 2005 release, Martha Berner has gone on to win fans and critical accolades both nationally and abroad. Now ramping up for an aggressive push in support of her sophomore album, Fool’s Fantasy, Berner spoke with Our Town about her new band, her ideal audience member and what makes a performance great.

Our Town Do you remember the first song you wrote?
Martha Berner I didn’t write it on purpose. I was feeling sort of forlorn, a sort of typical teenage longing to know where I belonged, and I began to write a poem. This was out of character for me. I was very shy about my thoughts and never wrote them down. But I had written this poem, and pretty immediately I decided to try and put it to music. I don’t recall it taking that long to put it all together, maybe just a day or two.

OT Have any songs changed the way you write?
MB I don’t know if there’s one particular song or artist. Whether it’s a melody, lyrics, or a production approach, it’s hard to listen to music without constantly making mental notes, conjuring new ideas for songs or sounds. That’s why I listen to a lot of NPR. It’s my only real escape!

OT What’s your writing process like?
MB In the past, I’ve mostly put songs together all at once, so to speak. Find a chord progression I like, then put melody and lyrics together as I move through the song, making decisions about new chord progressions, melodies and lyrics as I go. However, that’s really begun to change for me. I’m now thinking mostly in rhythms and am doing a lot of lyric writing separately. Then I experiment with putting different ideas together and observe how they change each other.

OT How long does it generally take you to write a song?
MB You never know! Some take a day, some take a year. The rest fall anywhere in between.

OT In what ways is Fool’s Fantasy different than your first record?
MB It’s still very rooted in the singer/songwriter genre, but with the Significant Others I was able to bring to life the full band sound I had in mind when writing many of the songs on this album.

OT How did you go about assembling the Significant Others?
MB Part luck, part strategy. Scott Fritz (electric guitar/producer) and I waited tables together in the west loop when he moved here from New York City to develop his own studio and work as a music producer. Things took off for him at the studio and he was able to quit working in the restaurant. But a year or so later I needed a band for a gig I had booked and I dropped him a line. At the time, my ideal, long-term plan was for Scott to play with me live long enough to really get him inside the songs, not just technically, but energetically, emotionally. If that went well, my hope was to have him produce the new album. Lucky for me, Scott had been playing with Will Sprawls (keyboards) since they were teenagers and Will had moved to Chicago from New York City as well. They were up for doing some shows and we’ve been playing together since. Tyson Ellert (drums/percussion) and I were love at first rehearsal. It was a blind date, so to speak. We didn’t know each other, but a mutual friend set us up. It’s always kind of nerve wracking to do that. Like any blind date, if you discover you have little in common and there’s no chemistry, you’re sort of stuck there trying to figure out how to make an exit. But we rehearsed for a few hours and gelled immediately, both musically, and as friends.

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Dear Twelve Year Old Self:
You don’t know me but I know you. See, I am you. The future you. Nice hot pink shorts by the way. They go smashingly with your hot pick socks, white keds, hot pink scrunchie and that hot pink glossy sports bra you wear as a shirt. (Sports bras are much less exciting when you spend all of your time wearing one while shouting at people from a stationary bike in a darkened room. Why would you do that? Good question.) Oh, and don’t worry, I don’t use the word ‘smashingly’ all the time. Just for special breaching the time/space continuum occasions.

You see this occasion is special indeed. I have brought you here to read my interview with one of your very favorite people. Dare I say, your idol. No, not Lily Tomlin. Younger self, I was lucky enough to interview Tiffany. Yes, she’s still got great hair. Not quite as high in the front though. Well, fewer jean jackets, no shopping mall concerts, but she is on tour with your other favorite. No, not Bette Midler. My God, why didn’t anyone know you were queer? Debbie Gibson. No, I don’t still have the Electric Youth perfume poster you climbed into the dumpster behind Walgreen’s to swipe. Yes, she’s still cute as a piano-playing bug, but she goes by Deborah now.

Anyway, Tiffany was lovely and gracious and gabbed about everything from her country-tinged album, “Rose Tattoo,” to whether she regrets posing for Playboy. Crap. No, forget I said that. I don’t care how much you like Gypsy. I don’t care how well things worked out for Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. Look, by the time you’re me, you’ll have a lucrative blogging career. Yes, I know what lucrative means. I was using it in its original sense, from the Latin lucrātīvus, meaning gainful. Fine, once you get here, if my/your lifestyle does not meet your standards, you can pose for Playboy. My God, you’re stubborn. No wonder our mom sent you to all those therapists.

Our Town How is the music industry different from an adult perspective?
Tiffany You know more of the pitfalls; you know the industry is a business. It’s a balance to not get jaded by that. As a young artist, you just go out and play music because you love it. When I got off the road at nineteen, I thought, I’ll give it a couple years and just jump back in, but it’s a very fast paced industry and you have to keep up and continue to put product out and I think I’ve learned all that as an adult. Maybe people told me all that when I was younger but you don’t really get it.

OT We’ve watched artists like Britney Spears publicly falter. How did you avoid that period?
T For myself and Debbie Gibson, that was a big no-no, a career breaker, to be out doing scandalous things—at the time that was not acceptable. Not that it’s okay now, but bad behavior is a little more celebrated. Artists have always gotten into trouble, especially as young teens because you’re living in an adult world. Nobody’s telling you no, you’re making lots of money. But we didn’t have reality TV; paparazzi weren’t what they are now. Every second these kids are bombarded, so you’re gonna see some unflattering things. As a public, we gasp when we see that sort of thing yet we’re hooked to the TV.

OT How has social media changed life for an artist?
T It’s a great time to be an independent artist. Everyday I wake up to some new tool available to me to get the word out about my new record or to network within the industry or get in contact with my fans. I’m not always instantly in the know, but I have lots of friends with their fingers on the pulse and I look to them to educate me. Being an artist used to mean making a record, doing a video, doing some touring-- those were the tools of the trade. Now you can go on Twitter, be accessible through so many different avenues. That’s very exciting, but also kind of demanding. You really have to stay on top of things.

OT Was there ever any truth to the supposed rivalry between you and Debbie Gibson?
T We get a kick out of that. I can definitely say for myself, I never had harsh words with her, I didn’t even know her. We would walk red carpets together, take a few pictures and go our separate ways. We never became friends (and definitely weren’t enemies) until the movie “Mega python vs Gatoroid” brought us together and we developed a friendship for the first time. You’d think we would have collaborated through music, but that’s actually really a challenge. We are two completely different people and I think that’s what this tour is about: celebrating the 80’s through each of our perspectives. I’m much more of a rocker and country at heart, so I’m going to be into Stevie Nicks and Bon Jovi and Guns and Roses and Deborah is your pop girl through and through (with some Broadway thrown in) and she does it beautifully. We never understood the rivalry but it’s probably to be expected, it’s good gossip.


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Weird flattery will get you everywhere, or at least a mention in this blog. But maybe only when the temperature is such that I am forced to dress like Sookie Stackhouse in order to leave the house.

Let me clarify.

Melancholy-voiced Matt Campbell, a self-declared troubadour, wrote me another e-mail yesterday, and because he opened by calling my surname the “best of any press person yet,” I decided to write about him. I tolerate my last name, but cumbersome and easily mispronounced, on my worst days, it even makes me feel fat. (These are obviously different from the days on which I dress like Sookie Stackhouse.)

I get stupid-hundred e-mails a day, but Campbell’s comment caught my attention. Having educated myself about his nimble, ruminative music and subsequently interviewed the guy, I’m glad it did.

Now if someone can please turn the weather down, on my honor, I’ll blog about you too.

Our Town What does it mean to be a troubadour?
Matt Campbell Outside of the romantic notion of a wandering bard singing stories of life and love, it does require leading an examined life; attempting to tap into something inherent in our human experience, and reflecting it for others to hear. Growing up, I found great comfort and enjoyment in music. My mom would listen to the classic country station and on Sundays they played the country gospel stuff from the 40's and 50's. She knew all the words. My Dad played the guitar and banjo, and had a great collection of records heavy on 50's rock n' roll, songwriters and country music. The covers of those albums were amazing, those guys were always in suits and hats. When they showed up to play, they were dressed up, like they were paying respect to their music and to the audience. Always gracious.

OT You’ve lived and performed on both coasts. Why Chicago?
MC I came to Chicago for love, first and foremost, prompted by a feeling that if I didn't I would regret it. [Also] I am always drawn in by a challenge. Chicago is the one of the few great American cities. This is a tough town to live in and to make it through is going to take some backbone. But there is a spirit of opportunity for theatre and music here that may not exist anywhere else. It's almost like the ultimate "put-up or shut-up" place. What a great environment to build something from the ground up. I suppose the short answer is, I'm always looking for more, and Chicago was more.

OT What prompted you to form The Chicago Talking Machine Co.?
MC A "production" company, CTMCo. is the entity I created as a platform for anything I do creatively. The name is a throwback to early recording on "talking machines." In one year The CTMCo. has produced two short films, two recording projects, and through shows and residencies has helped to produce opportunities for others. Not bad, so far.

OT You call “Miles Apart” a musical short story.
MC A narrative unfolds throughout all the songs; they are all related. Because recording and distribution have changed so much, the LP idea is in a state of flux. Singles and EP's are really prevalent now. I have always been into concept albums, but instead of using ten songs to get there, I used five. I still wanted to give the listener a complete picture. It's the perfect recording for fans of concept albums who ride the train; it's only about fifteen minutes long.

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Photo by Stephanie Richardson and Jeff Steinmetz

John Stamos may be tweeting backstage passes to Beach Boys fans and Lady Gaga personally Facebooking with followers, but in this moment of increasing celebrity accessibility, folk group Girlyman can honestly say they did it first and maybe with more integrity.

Formed in 2001, the band has always maintained a close relationship with their supporters, arguably grounds for their consistently swelling fan base. However, according to band member Ty Greenstein, it was member Doris Muramatsu’s 2010 leukemia diagnosis, that further solidified that unique connection. Now in addition to down to earth post-gig conversations and personally mailed CDs, the girly people have begun openly blogging about everything from body dysmorphia to musical self-doubt.

While on tour, Greenstein spoke with Our Town about Muramatsu’s positive prognosis, recent addition, JJ Jones and why the band will never change its name.

Our Town Most bands say the secret to maintaining a good working relationship is time apart, but Girlyman socializes on and off the road. Why does it work?
Ty Greenstein We really are best friends, soul mates who share a life path. The bond was personal first. Our lives lined up in this incredible way so we get to be in a band together and take our life lessons into our work. That's really how it happened, not the other way around where a band of random musicians gets together and hopes they have some personal chemistry. In some ways the band is a theater where we can play out all our dynamics and work through whatever comes up, which we're all committed to doing. If things feel good in the relationships, the music also feels solid, and if personal revolutions are happening, I think you can hear it in the music or see it in the shows.

OT Recently you added JJ to the group. Was the addition as seamless as it appeared?
TG It really was. I forget she's a newcomer; we all laugh at the same jokes, obsess over good food, and have long conversations about the meaning of life. Her vision for the band is very much in line with ours; we want to keep opening people up in all kinds of ways with music, and basically just have fun and keep growing. But she also has a freshness to her approach and a perspective that having done this for almost ten years, we sometimes lack. Sometimes we forget how lucky we are to have gotten this far.

OT You famously have a very open relationship with your fans. Any regrets?
TG After Doris was diagnosed in November, that kind of blew the whole thing open. We were all personally shaken and humbled. I was facing the mortality of my best friend of thirty years, plus the specter of an end to the band and my career. I didn't care anymore about arbitrary divisions between "performer" and "fan," and frankly, the fans helped get us through. They wrote to us, prayed and visualized for us, sent packages and donations and inundated Doris with love. Everyone should have that kind of support network when the sh*t hits the fan. We know how lucky we are, and how special our fans are.

OT How is Doris?
TG She's doing really great, responding very well to the drug she's on. She's active and for the most part, leads a normal life. This is largely thanks to the incredible advances in CML treatment over the past ten years. The drug she's on was only approved as a first-line treatment a month before her diagnosis, talk about being born at the right time. These targeted therapies have turned CML from a terminal disease where people had a few years at most, to a chronic illness that just needs to be managed. At her three-month checkup, Doris went from 100% leukemic cells at diagnosis down to 4%.

OT What was the personal and professional impact on the band?
TG In six words or less, it has put everything into perspective. Doris started keeping a blog about her health on CaringBridge, and then we basically turned our whole website into a blog where we post our thoughts about life in general, in addition to pictures and videos of the band in action and behind the scenes. I think the whole "fame" thing has been transformed in a great way with social networking and real time interaction via the internet. Everyone is just a person now, and we're sharing our lives.

OT What can fans do to help?
TG Please keep coming to the shows. And if you want to make a donation to Doris or to the band, you can do so at http://girlyman.com/donate/

OT Careers in the arts can be rife with disappointment. Any derailing early experiences you could share?
TG Plenty. Before Girlyman, when it was just me and Doris as the Garden Verge, we once played a gig where so few people came that not only didn't we make anything but we had to pay the sound guy his fifty bucks out of our own pockets. Then when Girlyman formed, there were plenty of places that wouldn't book us, even for free. Those early days can be pretty rough. I've blocked out a lot of it. We once played a whole show to one person. That was pretty special.


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Christine Bunuan

If Gilbert Godfrey taught me anything (other than that there’s a comedian more annoying than Carrot Top) it’s not to joke about Japan. But as a group of Chicago performers are proving, singing for Japan is not only acceptable, it’s laudable. When Catalyst Ranch HR Manager and Porchlight Music Theatre Artistic Associate, Danny Bernardo heard about the tragic earthquake and resulting tsunami in Japan, he knew he had to find a way to help.

Says Bernardo, “I was saddened and terrified, distressed [by] the fact that support for disaster relief efforts in Japan are significantly lower than that of recent tragedies like the earthquake in Haiti and Hurricane Katrina. So after days of gloomy discussion, I was inspired last Monday morning to put this fundraiser together.”

With the instant support of Catalyst Ranch owner, Eva Niewiadomski, “the whole team hit the ground running.” Bernardo wanted to recruit “top-notch talent,” but expected a challenge given his timeframe. However, says Bernardo, “every actor I called pretty much said yes on the spot, busy schedules and all. Within twenty-four hours, we had a cast, a catering sponsor, Big Delicious Planet, and the first acquisitions for a silent auction.” Since then, the event has gained support from sponsors such as Crown Imports, ChicagoPride.com, and Jackie Rada, of the band Modern Conversation.

Dubbed “Harmony. Hope. Humanity,” the cabaret-style event will benefit The American Red Cross of Greater Chicago’s efforts to support Japan. Co-emcee and musical performer Keith Uchima says that as part of a “very talented community of Asian American artists who search and hope for meaningful work,” he was happy to take part in the benefit. Erik Kaiko, recently seen in Bailiwick’s "Departure Lounge," adds, “the entire theatre community in Chicago, Asian and otherwise, has an incredible amount of initiative and passion. It really feels like a small town, where everybody looks out for one another and supports each other’s work and ambitions.” Kaiko will sing "Anytime (I Am There)" by William Finn while Uchima plans to perform his original song "Tomorrow Must Be Kind.” The song he says, though personal, will be dedicated to “the heroic efforts of those men working to cool nuclear power plants.”

Also participating in the fundraiser are Joseph Anthony Foronda (part of the second national tour of "Miss Saigon") and Christine Bunuan who toured with the first national production of "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee." Bunuan says she was drawn to the event because her “skills are mostly in performing. I really wanted to do work that will not only inspire our community but also reach out to the world.” Bunuan will perform several selections including "Human Heart," from “Once On This Island.” Says Bunuan, “this song is perfect for this event. We come in all different colors, shapes and sizes and have lived all types of experiences but at the end of the day, "we are part of the human heart."

“Harmony. Hope. Humanity.” Will be held at Catalyst Ranch on March 27. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. with a reception, followed by performances at 6 p.m. There is a $25 suggested donation. Go here for more information or to donate.

A freelance writer with an MFA in Creative Writing from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Sarah Terez Rosenblum, when not writing, supports herself as a figure model, Spinning instructor and teacher at Chicago's Story Studio. Inevitably one day she will find herself lecturing naked on a spinning bike. She’s kind of looking forward to it actually. IMPORTANT: the official Our Town site doesn't support comments. Join in the conversation by followingOur Town on Facebook and Sarah on Twitter: @SarahTerez

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I’ll admit it; singer/songwriter Shawn Mullins seemed to me a one trick pony, his songs the stuff of grocery stores and drive-by car radios. But last December I had the privilege of seeing Mullins at The Chicago House of Blues. An intimate songwriter’s circle-style show with recently out musician Chely Wright and folk/rock mainstays The Indigo Girls, the event afforded me my first true glimpse of Mullin’s lyrical dexterity and vocal power. Easy to pigeonhole Mullins based on mainstream hits like “Lullaby,” but also a mistake; “Lullaby” and its ilk are only the tip of the iceberg, with Mullins, greater things lie beneath.

Our Town Did you always want to be a musician?
Shawn Mullins Yeah, I didn’t know what else I would do, really. I had to do a little time in the military to help me pay for college, but that was never a career thing. I never really saw myself doing anything other than music.

OT Did your military time influence your songwriting or sensibility?
SM The experience of it comes out in songs, little bits and pieces here and there. I’ve done more than a few years of hardcore road travel, not so hardcore that I’m in a train car, but living in my van and traveling around that way, not staying in hotels, but just camping. The endurance of being in the military helped a little with that.

OT Do you enjoy touring?
SM It goes back and forth for me. I really do love the road, but now that I have my son at home, it’s harder to leave. It used to be, I did six or eight weeks, sometimes three months on the road, but now I’m doing a couple weeks at the most before I head back home.

OT Your songs are like little stories or character sketches. What draws you to that writing style?
SM Growing up, my dad really preached the classic American stuff like Hemingway and Steinbeck. I read a lot of the beat poets. I got really into the kind of American landscape with these characters living through a particular time in history. My favorite songwriters do that a lot too, people like Kristofferson and Dylan are obvious ones, but there are other people that aren’t as obvious, like Tom Waits. I’m a huge Tom Waits fan. I love the way he writes a character with really serious subject matter but really funny at the same time. I don’t know how successful I am at doing that, probably not very, but I love that kind of stuff.

OT You also count Indigo Girl, Amy Ray as a mentor. How did you two meet?
SM I met Amy when she was in her first year at Emory University and I was in ninth grade. She was a friend of one of the teachers and she came to my school to talk about songwriting and being a musician. She was doing exactly what I wanted to do, but I didn’t know exactly how to do it yet. She sang a couple songs and talked to us. That’s when we first got to know each other. She was influential with kind of following your bliss as a musician and just working really hard and doing it independently—that was years before they ever had a deal and I did it that way too for about two years. The passion, the energy she performs with, the persona she puts on, that’s pretty amazing.


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The more I blog here, the more impressed I am by Chicago’s talent pool. Aside from near weekly e-mails from sugardaddy.com (No I won’t link. Copy and paste if you’re curious.) asking me to endorse Mistress Day, and their contests to select the top Mistress of the Millennium (I vote Elvira, Mistress of the Dark.), I’m typically contacted by artists, writers and musicians looking to promote their work. With few exceptions, I’m pleasantly surprised. Take Cousin Dud, a local folk-rock group who recently released their debut album, “Our American Cousin.” The band name threw me for a second, but I’m glad it didn’t stop me from checking them out. Below, their guitarist Matt Carmichael discusses the band’s music, inspiration, and how their saxophonist isn’t really a prominent bankruptcy lawyer.

Our Town ‘Cousin Dud?’ Why?
Matt Carmichael Some time back our drummer Ben happened to be reading this book, “Boy Soldier of the Confederacy” and came across [this] line:
"Oh, Cousin Dud," she cried, "You won't have him shot. Oh, please don't."
We were looking for a proper name [at the time] and we all thought it had a real nice ring to it. I personally like it because I think it sets the bar of expectation really, really low.

OT Describe your music.
MC Folk-rock, lately leaning more towards the rock, particularly in a live setting. But there are some alt and punk influences as well. The songs are all lyrically driven and deal with characters and themes that explore concerns of excess and decadence.

OT How long have you performed together?
MC A couple of years, in various forms. It started as a duo: Josh Burns [and] myself. Drummer Ben Arthur came in later, and bassist Dan Schuld was the last to hop on board. We've also known sax man Pete Geraci, (not the lawyer) for a while. He handles the horn most live shows and on a few tracks off the last album, “Our American Cousin.”

OT Who are your influences?
MC Flannery O'Connor, Craig Finn, and America...the country, not the band.

OT Why self-release your records?
MC I'd love to digress into romanticized notions of calling our own shots or controlling our own destiny, or whatever the DIY appeal may be, but mostly, nobody else offered to release it. We'll sell out the second we get the chance.

OT Who would you love to discover was a fan of yours?
MC If one day we received a Paypal receipt from Jesus, I think that would be pretty rad...or ALF, that might be even better. But I guess ALF isn't around any more, so I won't hold my breath on that one.

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Snowbound? I got your soundtrack right here. Chicago indie band Glittermouse, an assortment of hip, kooky musicians, have just released a new limited edition EP, “Signs of Life,” available on their website. By the time the snow clears, you’ll have the thing memorized, just in time to venture out to their February third show.

Our Town Why ‘Glittermouse?’
Glittermouse It's a combination of Betrand Russell's teapot theory, Lewis Carol's imagination, and Michael Jackson's star power.

OT Describe your music.
GM Delightfully intriguing, partially disturbing, and generally exciting. Something akin to the feeling of mild rebellion after a long week at work. An indie, progressive, glam rock cocktail.

OT Seems like you’ve got about five hundred people in the band, what does everyone do?
GM Whatever they can! Michael tells the story and hits some wires, Rob frets with magic and dirty talk, Jeremy is the earthquake, Emily blows power kisses, Jon cooks the meat, Dave does the dishes, Per is the locksmith, and the other 493 members are impromptu backup vocalists in the audience that never make it to practice. Though, the door is open.

OT You guys are unsigned. Choice or necessity?
GM Technically, by choice. We're kind of picky about the level of control we have with our music and our media relations and outputs. That said, we're completely open to working in a more collaborative setting with anyone, labels included, as long as we feel like it's an equally beneficial situation.

OT What are some memorable onstage experiences?
GM The best would be any show where we can get the crowd up and rocking and rolling with us. Worst? Any and every time Emily has been hit with an instrument, or the time she fell off the stage. Though, that might be one of the best times too, she just ran back on and kept rolling with it. What a champ!

OT What was the inspiration behind your new limited release EP?
GM “Signs of Life” [is part of] a project to release four EPs over the early half of 2011. The project was aimed at allowing the band to consistently release new music at the same rate it's written and recorded.

OT Tell us more.
GM Signs of Life came out in two versions: One is free, downloadable, and available to anyone who wants it. The other is a special limited edition version, a physical copy. This version contains a full-color printed booklet with artwork and a sci-fi story that analogues the four tracks on the disc. The story details the flight of a disenchanted space captain on his mission to do something worthwhile with his life. Each chapter is marked by a track on the EP. Only fifty copies were pressed and available to the public.

OT What’s Chicago like for musicians?
GM There are so many venues and so many bands that it's really a breeze to book shows, especially with venues like Elbo Room, where Brian Bender will book you even if you have no real live experience. If it weren't for Elbo Room, we certainly wouldn’t have been able to get where we are.

OT Favorite Chicago venue?
GM It’s easy to say Cabaret Metro, but I think our hearts really lie [with] Schubas or Beat Kitchen. Although we've never played Lincoln Hall, so I guess we'll see come Thursday!

Glittermouse plays a free show at Lincoln Hall along with Color Radio and Pet Peeve, Thursday, Feb. 3rd at 9 p.m.

A freelance writer with an MFA in Creative Writing from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Sarah Terez Rosenblum, when not writing, supports herself as a figure model, Spinning instructor and teacher at Chicago's Story Studio. Inevitably one day she will find herself lecturing naked on a spinning bike. She’s kind of looking forward to it actually. Follow Sarah on Twitter: @SarahTerez

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Chicago singer/songwriter and guitarist Jay Mathes is obsessed. Love, human redemption, inadequacy and forgiveness, are all topics to which he returns, mining his life to create art. Although Mathes got a taste of mainstream approval when he was selected to play at a Wisconsin Gap as part of a nationwide simultaneous performance, he’s still working toward his big break. However, he continues to forge ahead, focused on making his voice heard.

Our Town Describe your sound.
Jay Mathes Guitar-driven pop/rock with memorable melodies and lyrics that resonate with the human experience.
OT Was performing always a goal?
JM I didn't consider music as a career until high school, didn't even know how to sing. On a whim a buddy of mine said, "Hey, let's sign up for choir, that way, we'll have at least one class together. Plus, I've heard there are a lot of chicks." I began writing songs seriously the same week we started classes. [But] the big shift to performing started when my parents bought me my first Harmony-brand electric guitar, for my thirteenth birthday.
OT What inspires you?
JM I try to read a lot, classic literature and poetry. I listen to a lot of music; I get outdoors, rock climbing and camping. Oh yeah, and I drink a lot of coffee and beer, but not necessarily at the same time. I try to write every day, just write about whatever [I’m] experiencing or thinking about. Recently, what has come out has been pretty dark. This has been a period of real struggle for me, particularly pursuing music as a full-time income source.
OT So no day job?
JM Until March of 2010, I taught private guitar lessons. Week in and out, I was telling my students to follow their dreams, pursue their passions, and do something with their lives. It was time for me to take my own advice. Little by little, I'm eating in to my savings account [but] I have to believe all of my investments in my music, not just financial, [but] strain on relationships and time away from family, [will] pay off. In the meantime, my wife is pulling in more cash than I, and we're making it work as best we can. My situation is not common; I have a unique opportunity to put time into my music right now, a real gift from my family.

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Welcome to 2011, a time for new beginnings (a really stupid word pairing when you think about it). This year, I’ve resolved to strive for balance and moderation. For example, instead of sitting in a desk chair, trolling facebook five hours in a row, I will sit on one of those balance balls. If I get the urge to eat an economy size bag of pita chips, I will have a moderator yell at me while I do it. Simple, achievable goals are the secret to sustainable change.

Take my crushes. Perhaps I’ve seemed overzealous in the past. Even “scary” as the beautiful redhead I followed into an alley last week accused. From now on, I’ll endeavor to be a kindler, gentler fan. I’ll do this by offering handkerchiefs and foot massages to those I approach. Speaking of tantalizing offers, I tried to get the first crush of the New Year to wear a diaper and a top hat. Sadly, I was denied. But enough about my sex life.
Please welcome Emily MacArthur, a shiny new crush, for a shiny new year.

Hometown: Park Ridge, IL
Profession: First year Art Therapy student at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Hobbies: skiing, painting (houses and canvases), curling, bagpiping, bottle blowing, motorcycling, camping, biking, drinking, metal working, hockey.

Our Town Bagpiping is an unusual hobby. Why did you start?
Emily Macarthur I guess to be different. In the mid eighties, my parents researched our Scottish roots, and we went to a Highland Games where I saw all the pipe bands in that day's competition play en masse. It was such a powerful sound that I wanted to learn. My mom looked for a band [with] young people, which turned out to be the Midlothian Juniors, run by the highly respected Ian Swinton. Unfortunately she got mixed up and enrolled me in lessons with a total hack who also a bit pervy [but] eventually, I made friends with people that knew better. With their help, I’ve been slowly improving for twenty-one years.
OT Any amusing piping experiences?
EM [During] the seventeen-year cicada summer a couple years ago, I was competing with [the] City of Chicago Pipe Band on a polo field in Oak Brook. [In competitions], you have to play together in a circle, standing like wooden soldiers when it's one hundred degrees and you're covered in wool and your knees are shaking. Turns out the frequency of a bagpipe’s drones is the same as a cicada's love call, so every time we played, the cicadas would descend. [When] I felt something on my ass, I thought, "Oh, please let that be sweat,” but sweat doesn't crawl upwards! Damn thing wanted to mate with me.
OT How do you find time for your varied pursuits?
EM I've most of my hobbies on the back burner while in grad school, [but] last month I performed with the St. Luke's Bottle Band to raise money for an orphanage near Juarez, Mexico. I just learned to weld so I've been playing around with metal work. My family is in a manufacturing business, so I can play my pipes in our shop and dig in the scrap bins, think about getting my old Kawasaki running, that kind of thing. I go bonspiel-ing (a curling tournament) one or two weekends a year, which is about as much as my liver can handle.

What happens when you combine one talented comedian and singer and one rocking pianist and improviser? You get LA-based lesbian cabaret duo, That’s What She Said. Comprised of pianist Kathryn Lounsbery and singer Amy Turner, the two have been wowing LA audiences since 2007. Now it’s Chicago’s chance. Thank goodness they brought their rainbow jackets!

Our Town What brought you together?
Kathryn Lounsbery I was looking to do something different [when] I saw Amy perform [at Second City], improvising amazing and funny songs. I knew I had to work with her.
Amy Turner After the show, Kathryn gave me her card, and we started working on songs that were already written. Then we started writing our own.
KL And they happened to be about lesbians.
OT You two are a couple. Any challenges?
KL Of course!
AT You answered really fast.
KL See what I mean? Can you imagine living AND working with this attitude?

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They call tap the most accessible dance form, both to learn and watch. Optimistic, I’ve attempted tap lessons not once but twice.

The first time my teacher assumed a background in Irish dance. When I told him my only relationship to Irish dance consisted of making fun of then-infamous Michael Flately, he looked puzzled. “Then why are you jigging?”

The second time, I was sixteen and learning to drive. I discovered that both tap and driving seemed easier if indirectly approached. Like breathing, each became laborious when over-thought, but if I focused my attention elsewhere, the shuffle ball and lane changes were flawless. Sadly this technique only worked sometimes. Other times, it caused me to crash into classmates and brick walls. So now, by court order, I content myself with watching, and in this city, Chicago Tap Theater is one to watch.

Days before their “Tidings of Tap,” their annual holiday extravaganza opens, choreographer Mark Yonally spoke with me about the show.

Our Town Having little dance background, I’m always curious how one constructs a number.
Mark Yonally It either begins with an amazing piece of music or a concept I want to explore. I immerse myself as deeply as I can in the music, listening to it obsessively. Then I write notes for myself [and] begin working with the dancers. Generally I'll make up a few steps and as I watch the dancers begin to inhabit the dance I draw further inspiration and ideas from them.

OT Where do you find inspiration?
MY A great piece of music [is] the first and best inspiration. The dancers are another never-ending source: their creativity, their talent and their ideas. Finally, contemporary culture is something I try to stay engaged in. I think you can talk to people (or, in our case, dance for them) in a more relevant way if you are an active part of the same culture.

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Kingsville
8 p.m. at Stage Left Theatre; $22
A locked-and-loaded speculative drama, playwright Andrew Hinderaker's "Kingsville" puts a piece of conservative rhetoric to the test of imagination: What if the solution to guns in schools was more guns in schools? Tensely performed and smoothly executed, director Vance Smith's production brings it down to a contest of masculinity.

Bonobo, Thunderball
9 p.m. at Metro; $16-$22
With the release of his fourth studio album, Simon Green (aka Bonobo) has taken a much-needed step away from his roots in the downtempo scene. Songstress Andreya Triana steps in where Bajka left off, and the result is an undeniable display of musical synergy. For Bonobo's show at the Metro, you can expect both Triana as well as a live band, which ought to give fans the full breadth of what Green is capable of.

Bumps, Bruises and Bedtime Stories
7 p.m. at Zanies; $20
Talk hockey with former NHL goons Stu Grimson, Jim McKenzie and Reid Simpson. Harry Teinowitz of ESPN Radio hosts.

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Jonsi
7:30 p.m. at Vic Theater; $34
The swelling maestro to Iceland's Sigur Ros – that band that will make your girlfriend cry with joy – Jonsi Birgisson sidesteps his native tongue, singing most songs in English on his first solo foray, Go. Epically sprawled and ethereal like that of his band, new freedoms show up in space, mostly warm and teased with flute and organic electronic builds by co-arranger Nico Muhly that, paired with Birgisson's angelic hum, will likely make your plants grow. Three harrowing nature-loving folkettes performing under the guise of Mountain Man open, threading harmonies and acoustic guitar with a bit of reverb as its only company. (Gavin Paul)

Cupcake Job Fair
2 p.m. at Prudential Plaza (118 E. Lake St.)
The folks at More Cupcakes are passing out free treats today. And as an added bonus, if you send a job lead to cupcakecareerfair@gmail.com, you’ll get a list of all other jobs, including a seed list with companies like PepsiCo, Critical Mass and Edelman Digital.

First Look Repertory of New Work
8 p.m. at Steppenwolf Theater; $20
Big Mama 'wolf continues to nourish the next generation of theater with the sixth First Look Rep, a festival of plays in development. Tonight’s show, “The Old Masters,” is about a man who searches for meaning in the loss of his missing artist friend.

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BY SARAH TEREZ ROSENBLUM

As you know, crushes are my purpose, my sustenance, my raison d’etre (that’s French for grape). Succor for my vacant soul, they distract me from daily hardships.

Standing room only on the Clark bus? Jewel’s out of sandwich meat? Facebook won’t let me sign in? With my crushes to bolster me, these trials, though agonizing, can be endured. November’s crush is particularly potent, necessary as the days grow short and Seasonal Deficit Disorder sets in. Playwright, performer and co-founder of Hell in a Handbag Productions, David Cerda, first drew my unblinking attention as Lt. Betty Blitzen in "Silent Night of the Lambs,” Hell in a Handbag’s 2009 Christmas show.

Since then I’ve been delighted to spot him (purely accidentally of course) at a range of benefits, street fests and theatrical productions. Captivating in drag or out, Cerda is a sort of two for one obsession: dapper man and classy dame.

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Naked Ghouls Reading
7 p.m. Friday at Studio L'Amour; $20 (reservations required)
There are so many great Halloween-themed shows this week, but we want to highlight this one because, well, what's not to like about Naked Girls Reading? The ever-popular series returns, with all the gore (and bad puns) that you'd expect from a Halloween edition of the series. This month, the unclothed literati will favor us with selections from the spooky and the gross section of the library. Don't miss Cherokee Rose, a Naked Girl who will be Reading tarot.

Bob Dylan
7:30 p.m. Saturday at Riviera Theatre; $60
Like a force of nature, Bob Dylan just keeps rolling on. A few months shy of his 70th birthday, the greatest songwriter of the 20th century remains a force to be reckoned with a decade into the 21st. His Never Ending Tour continues to live up to its name and just out are a pair of albums generating massive buzz: a collection of demos from his first years in New York City and the first CD release of his first eight mono LPs. At one point, Dylan had a rep for delivering wildly uneven results live – either transcendent or mail-it-in bad – but he's seemed more energized lately and is one of the true must-sees.

North Halsted Halloween Parade
4 p.m. Sunday starting at Belmont and Halsted; free
Find crazy costumes and even crazier behavior as the best of Boystown let their hair down for the day. This year, the theme is "Little Street of Horrors" and the event will be emceed by the incomparable Miss Floozie. Think you're creative? Test yourself in the costume contest after the parade. There will be over $5,000 in costume contest cash and prizes.
More: Find all Halloween events.

Ghostface Killah
8:30 p.m. Sunday at Abbey Pub; $20-$22
If there were ever to be a perfect performance scenario, it would have to be Ghostface Killah performing on Halloween. The veteran Wu-Tang alum has always been a fan favorite, and his crafty lyricism and vivid storytelling abilities have placed his name right up there with the legends. Lately Ghosface has kept a relatively low profile, but his last project, Wu-Massacre, with Raekwon and Method Man, has propelled him back into the spotlight. His performance at Abbey Pub will likely be in promotion of Wu-Massacre as well as last year's Ghostdini Wizard of Poetry, but as we all know it's past classics from Ironman, Supreme Clientele and Fishscale that'll turn the Abbey into a Halloween destination.

Walk of Shame Halloween Party
11 a.m. Sunday at Faith & Whiskey; $35
Shake off the Halloween party cobwebs at this catered, open bar party in Lincoln Park. All food and drinks are provided for five hours, and you get five bucks off if you show up in your costume from the night before.

Just missed the cut: JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound, Watermelon Slim & The Workers, Death Toll: A Drinking Game, Clean Halloween

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