Saturday evening marked the start of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra’s 25th anniversary season, as well as the debut of new ISO music director Ken Lam. The season kicked off with a varied program, beginning with a short piece by an area composer and climaxing with a spirited Tchaikovsky symphony. Mark Rheaume, whose composition, “Entrance Fanfare,” […]
Scott Faingold
Scott Faingold is a journalist, educator and musician. He has been director of student media at University of Illinois Springfield, founding editor of Activator magazine, a staff reporter for Illinois Times and co-host of Old School Bleep, a music-centered podcast.
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A county in search of a vision
Last fall, a firm called The Development Consortium (TDC) was engaged to launch the Sangamon County Project to examine economic development in the region. TDC has offices in Petersburg and Geneseo, and is described on its website as “a professional organization specializing in site selection, financing, incentive negotiations, Illinois Enterprise Zones and related economic development consulting.” TDC […]
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Indie rock hero at Radon Lounge
For more than 20 years, Seattle-based singer-songwriter David Bazan has been wrestling with his demons in public, both as a solo artist and with his near-mythical band Pedro the Lion, which will be playing its first shows since 2005 later this year. Bazan’s tuneful songs – alternately punchy and dirge-like – drip with spiritual and […]
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A “welcoming city” in the making
A citywide committee is promoting a resolution affirming the city of Springfield as a “welcoming city that respects the innate dignity of all people,” according to an email circulated by the committee. “A public statement will convey that Springfield is a community that is compassionate, immigrant-friendly and welcoming.” Veronica Espina, an instructor at University of […]
Posted inArts & Culture
African-American heritage explored
“You, as individuals, are very significant to the success of a project like this,” said Floyd Mansberger of Fever River Research, addressing a group at Union Baptist Church Sept. 18. The project being discussed was an architectural survey to create a record of the African-American experience in the Springfield area beginning with the city’s initial […]
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Enos Park gets an artistic makeover
“People keep pulling up and then immediately driving away,” said a bemused Allison Lacher, one of the local organizers of the Terrain Biennial, which held its preview night Saturday in Enos Park, with festivities spread throughout the neighborhood. “That’s not usually the way things go at art openings – it’s a little disconcerting.” The Terrain […]
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District 186 dreams big
Last spring, student representatives from all three high schools were asked for their input on a plan to improve facilities throughout District 186. “They gave some very specific and good, detailed suggestions,” said Superintendent Jennifer Gill, “but at first they had trouble dreaming the dream.” After the students were shown photos of other schools which […]
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Tom Irwin tilts at the big time
“It’s like starting anew out in the big world,” said veteran Springfield singer-songwriter Tom Irwin about his experiences recording and releasing his most recent album, All That Love. While far from his first solo release (which was 1989’s cassette-only Cornucopia for anyone counting), the new album feels like both a fresh start and a giant […]
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Humane Society takes larger role in Illinois ag
On Aug. 25, the Humane Society of the United States announced the formation of the Illinois Agriculture Advisory Council, with the aim of promoting farmers and ranchers who produce animal products with high animal welfare and environmental standards. “I’ve always wanted to do something with agriculture,” said Marc Ayers, Illinois state director of the Humane […]
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Pro-DACA rally recalls Springfield’s immigrant history
The Trump administration’s Sept. 5 announcement rescinding the U.S. government’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy, which provided protections for illegal immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children, resulted in protests across the country last week, including one on the steps of the State Capitol on Sunday, Sept. 10. As several speakers […]
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Panic and interconnection
Two of Springfield’s most reliable venues for contemporary visual art presented openings of very different exhibitions this past Friday, Sept. 8. However, only one of the venues will still be standing next year at this time. DEMO Project – a small gallery space dedicated to contemporary art from across the country, located on the Springfield […]
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The new activists
All across the country, a new surge of grassroots activism is taking place, frequently spearheaded by citizens who had not necessarily been politically involved previously. Often growing out of social media contacts between likeminded people on politically oriented Facebook pages and Twitter feeds, these groups have sparked marches and rallies all over the country in […]
