Delegates learn about The Foundations School’s art-centric curriculum and impressive literacy results
(WEST PALM BEACH) – As families prepare their students to head back to the classroom next month, politicians and aids had their own taste of back to school recently when they toured a newly launched academic program in West Palm Beach. The Center for Creative Education hosted the group to hear more about their impressive results in literary proficiency after opening The Foundations School in January 2021. The delegates met with students, teachers and school leadership, and enjoyed a luncheon where they learned how an arts-integrated approach to education has increased student reading proficiency by more than 30 percent at CCE’s newest program.
Bob Hamon and Rick Roth
Representative Rick Roth and his aide, as well as district aides and staff to Representatives Michael Caruso, Kelly Skidmore, Emily Slosberg, John Snyder and Matt Willhite; Senators Omari Hardy, Gayle Harrell, and Bobby Powell, and aides and staff from the offices of Congressman Brian Mast and Congresswoman Lois Frankel were among the visitors.
“Our recent testing shows that in the first five months after opening in January, our students have increased their literary proficiency from nine percent to over 40 percent,” said Robert L. Hamon, CCE’s President and CEO. “Our focus is on ensuring grade-level reading. As the foundation for all learning, reading is not only a building block, but a student’s most crucial academic skill. Through third grade, children are learning to read; after third grade, children are reading to learn.”
As part of its approach, The Foundations School uses small class sizes, flexible grouping, arts integration, and highly qualified and dedicated educators. A low student-to-teacher ratio and a sense of community in the classroom ensure opportunities to customize learning activities to match students’ learning styles and academic goals. Targeted for students in underserved communities, the independent school uses a sliding fee scale based on household size and income, and no one is turned away for inability to pay.
“We are honored to share The Foundations School’s mission with our esteemed state and local politicians to call attention to the life-changing work already taking place at our new kindergarten through third -grade school,” continued Hamon. “The Foundations School gives students the best foundations for success through a student-centered, creative, arts-integrated approach to teaching and learning, all while having fun.”
Pam Miller and Michele Kukla
To learn more about enrollment at The Foundations School this fall, visit cceflorida.org or call Dr. Kevin Kovacs at 561.805.9927; extension 118. To make a tax-deductible contribution to the Center for Creative Education, a 501(c)(3), please call Vivianne Hall at 561.805.9927; extension 105.
Growing Tomatoes in Florida Takes Planning and Vigilance
By Carmen and Tripp Eldridge
Organic vegetables are all the rage, so why not plant some of your own? In South Florida, August to February is perfect planting period for tomatoes, so we wanted to share a few tips and tricks for adding this amazing vegetable to your home-grown menu.
Tomatoes aren’t the easiest thing to grow given their vulnerability to pests and disease in South Florida’s hot and humid conditions. But they are definitely worth the effort. Seeing these little love-apples ripen in your garden and tasting a self-grown tomato for the first time are incredibly rewarding experiences.
The first step to starting your own tomato garden is to define your growing area. Do you have a lot of space or just a little? Think carefully because some types of tomatoes take up more room than others. If space for your tomato garden is tight, consider a determinate variety, which tends to grow in a compact, bush like shape. Indeterminate types grow long, lanky and sometimes climb. They may have to be staked in place to keep the tomatoes from rotting on the ground.
If you’re really short on space, consider container gardening, which is a fancy term for growing plants in pots or trays. It’s important to note that tomatoes require four to six hours of sun a day, so make sure you choose the right spot.
Here are a few tips to help you get started:
Choose the right variety of tomato plant.
If you’ve ever tried growing tomatoes in Florida, you may already know it can be challenging. The problem is gardeners choose tomatoes that are susceptible to diseases and pests that kill the plants quickly. “Determinate” varieties are resistant to Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus and bacterial wilt, which destroy tomato plants in short order. Make sure you know what type of tomato you are planting and what type of diseases can hurt the plant. Be sure to check out University of Florida’s recommended varieties for our state in their Vegetable Gardening Guide.
Fertilize your tomato plants when they are young and water them regularly.
Healthy tomato plants require less fertilizer as they age so don’t overdo it. Tomato plants love sun and water, so make sure your plants get plenty of water when the days get long and hot.
Beware the tomato hornworm.
The gigantic, rubbery bright green caterpillars appear seemingly out of nowhere and can completely defoliate a plant and chew holes in the fruit. What do you do if your plants are invaded? Pick the worms off by hand or they will destroy your plants and devour the tomatoes on them. If you drop the hornworms in a bowl of soapy water, they will never trouble you again. Spraying your plants with a mixture of organic Neem oil and water is one way to keep the hornworms at bay. Neem, however, is only effective if the worms are less than an inch long, so be sure to scout often in the early morning in order to notice them when they first arrive and are young.
Containers or in the ground?
If you decide to plant your tomatoes in pots, use containers that are at least five gallons per plant. Choose a rich, well-draining soil mix and make sure the container has a few drainage holes in the bottom. If you plant your tomatoes in the ground, space the plants 18 inches to two feet apart. The soil should be well-drained. Fertilize as necessary.
Ready to start your gardening adventure? Pick your plants, choose your space and get ready to get your hands dirty. Plan it correctly and your organic harvest will be well worth your time and effort.
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About the Authors
Carmen and Tripp Eldridge are small-scale farming experts and the current Farm Directors at Arden, an award-winning residential agrihood in Palm Beach County, FL. Managing the community’s five-acre farm, Tripp and Carmen are pioneering innovative farm-to-table living in South Florida.
August 2, 2021 (Palm Beach Gardens, FL) – Ballet Palm Beach, the professional ballet company of Palm Beach County, is thrilled to announce that after not dancing together for seventeen long months, the full company will be in rehearsals at the studio beginning on August 16th. During the pandemic members of the company used their time to do things like work as instructors at the Academy, earn real estate licenses, learn other new skills, and in the case of Lily Loveland, have a new baby.
The returning company of Lily Loveland, Madeleine Miller, Danielle Glynn, Aaron Melendrez, Shannon Murray, Aurélio Guimarães, Libby Faber and Kelley Ann Mitchell will be joined by four talented dancers from across the country. Francecsa Carlo comes to Ballet Palm Beach from Erie, Pennsylvania, having completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance with a Ballet concentration at Point Park University’s Conservatory of the Performing Arts. Jay Markov began his professional career with Ballet Arizona at the age of seventeen. He continued from there to the Los Angeles Ballet. Jay joins Ballet Palm Beach from his most current position as company member and instructor with Festival Ballet of Providence in Rhode Island. Jessica Alvarez also joins the Ballet from Festival Ballet of Providence in Rhode Island. When not performing, Jessica serves as a judge for national dance competitions in addition to teaching ballet to students throughout the country. Originally from the Orlando area, Nicholas Shewfelt moved to Erie, Pennsylvania and discovered his love for dance in high school. Nicholas has completed his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance with a Ballet concentration at Point Park University’s Conservatory of the Performing Arts. Colleen Smith, Founding Artistic and Executive Director, is proud to welcome these four dancers to their first season of dance with Ballet Palm Beach. For more information on all the company’s dancers, please visit http://balletpalmbeach.org/the-company/dancers/.
The company is incredibly proud to perform all three of this season’s productions at The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts with all health and safety protocols in place. “We are more than thrilled to be able to bring in-person performances back in this unique period.” says Colleen Smith, the ballet’s Founding Artistic and Executive Director. “We believe the community is yearning to return to live productions.”
The productions include a debut production of Peter Pan & Tinker Bell on Thursday through Sunday, October 14 – 17, 2021 in the Rinker Playhouse, The Nutcracker performed in the grand 2,195-seat Dreyfoos Hall on Saturday, and Sunday, December 4 and 5, 2021, and Giselle in the Rinker Playhouse on Friday through Sunday, March 4 – 6, 2022. Tickets for all three Kravis Center performances will go on sale at a later date. For more information contact Company Coordinator, Ann Faber at (561) 630-8235.
Ballet Palm Beach continues their tradition of community outreach this season with special performances of Queen Esther at various venues in our community on March 16 and 17, 2022. They will then be taking the production to Croatia in June 2022 as part of their Ballet Ambassadors international outreach program.
Jon Frangipane of Fort Lauderdale, composer, pianist, publisher, journalist
By Jon Frangipane
How many of us are completely unaware of the power we possess? That power you possess, my friends, is the very words you speak. And those words you speak can be one of two things; you either have the exciting power to be the spreader of seeds of hope and joy, or have the destructive power in becoming the spreader of seeds of doubt and despair. It may take your lifetime to find that answer.
If the current threat of Covid-19 hasn’t opened our eyes to the power of what flows from our mouths, nothing else shall. Holy good God, what must it take for the world to recognize the fact that this is a life or death lesson? Isn’t over 600,000 deaths enough proof? Or perhaps you didn’t think that maybe some of your words would not be heard, or that some of your deeds would not be noticed? Sorry. Unbeknownst to you, that very moment you opened your mouth, your seeds were spread and their growth began.
There’s no question that from some of our mouths, thankfully, not only has enormous progress been made to better our world, but, unfortunately, from other mouths there spews only messages of gloom and doom, from individuals anxious to transform our democracy into an anarchy. These individuals shall become known as the worst form and most dangerous seed spreaders on earth.
Your own seeds may have been responsible for wonderful things, such as a beautiful marriage, birth of your children, or donations to a worthy cause, a beautiful backyard garden, or service to your country. Or, in other cases, your distribution of seeds could have, in some way, mistakenly hurt someone, or may even have caused a disaster.
Let’s not kid ourselves, we find times that it takes enormous power to just shut up and say nothing. So, maybe if we all were to speak less and listen more, there would be better chance that our seeds of hope and joy far exceed our production of any seeds of doubt and despair.
Letters of Intent for high-impact grants are due on October 29
(Boca Raton, FL.) – Impact 100 Palm Beach County is looking to fund nonprofit organizations in southern Palm Beach County that implement high-impact initiatives. The Letter of Intent submission form opens on September 24 and closes on October 29 at midnight.
Photos of members, nominees, at Grand Awards at Bric event for grant finalists announcement for Impact 100 PBC with members. Photography by LuAnn Warner-Prokos at WP Photography
Impact 100 Palm Beach County is a women’s 501c3 nonprofit organization funding local nonprofit initiatives. The number of grants is determined each year by the number of Impact 100 Palm Beach County members. For the 2021 grant year, the organization had 652 members and was able to grant $652,000 to nonprofits in southern Palm Beach County.
“Nonprofits have strict guidelines put in place by Impact 100 PBC that they must complete to be eligible to compete for funding,” said Holly Schuttler, President of Impact 100 PBC. “During the 2020-2021 grant cycle, 84 grant applications were received – meaning that more than $8.4 million in grant requests came through our doors. This shows the huge need in our community!”
The organization issues multiple $100,000 grants to local nonprofits in five Focus Areas: arts, culture, and historic preservation; education; environment and animal welfare; family; and health and wellness. Local nonprofit agencies will submit a Letter of Intent to Impact 100 PBC followed by a comprehensive review process. Semi-finalists are then chosen to submit a full proposal.
Impact 100 board members and founders at their photo session session with WP Photography Studios. Photography by LuAnn Warner-Prokos at WP Photography
The nonprofit organizations that seek to apply should have a transformative effect on the community it serves; be a new project or expand upon an existing project; be well defined and well-structured; and produce specific outcomes with measurable results.
Nonprofits are also strongly encouraged to attend the Nonprofit Workshop hosted by Impact 100 PBC on September 8 where they will learn about the application process prior to the deadline to submit Letters of Intent by October 29. To learn more about the workshop or to submit a Letter of Intent please visit www.impact100pbc.org/for-nonprofits.
For more information about Impact 100 Palm Beach County or to join this chapter, please visit www.impact100pbc.org or call 561-336-4623.
Mischief, mayhem, debauchery, Voodoo … sounds like the perfect family vacation, doesn’t it? That’s right. I took my family to New Orleans for summer vacation. I can hear your thoughts. “What kind of a mom takes her kids to a place like that?” Me. I did. And not only am I going to tell you why you should too, but I’ll give you some great places in the Big Easy designed specifically for kids. Trust me, you’ll have a good time, they will have a good time AND (>gasp<) they might come away from this experience better, smarter, more well-rounded kids.
A few things come to mind when people think of NOLA: Mardi Gras, Jazz, Voodoo, Beignets and Bourbon Street. While the actual French Quarter is just a few blocks by a few blocks it is packed with interesting places and lots of history. We started off our day walking through the French Market. It’s an open-air mall that is one of the oldest market/mall/trade areas in the country. The natives used this area to trade fish and wears right off the bank of the Mississippi. There are a host of colorful characters selling their items – many handmade. Oscar of New Orleans is one of those people. He crafts pins and earrings out of brightly hued polymer clay. Looking at his work is a treat, but the real fun is speaking with him. He’s vibrant, flamboyant – just like the city he calls home.
The kids devouring beignets at Cafe du Monde…powdered sugar everywhere!
A visit to New Orleans isn’t complete unless you stop at the legendary Cafe du Monde. Yes, there’s a line. And yes, by the time you are done you will be covered in confectionery sugar (I recommend wearing light-colored clothes they day you go…unless you want to be branded a tourist). Sugar covered shirts and shorts are unavoidable if you eat beignets the way they are intended to be eaten – eyes closed, savoring every bite of these delicious French donuts, with an audible “Umm….”. All of us loved the beignets and vowed we would be back.
Next stop is right across the street – Jackson Square. We did a quick visit to the St. Louis Cathedral. I mean, not only is it the place where Princess Tiana marries Prince Nevan in Disney’s Princess and The Frog but it’s also the oldest operating cathedral in the country. The stained glass here is breath taking and interestingly enough my son asked a lot of questions about stained glass. With older kids, you just never know what will strike their fancy.
On either side of the cathedral are two museums: The Cabildo and The Presbytere. The Louisiana Purchase was signed in The Cabildo AND Napoleon’s death mask was a must see here. On the other side of St. Louis Cathedral is The Presbytere. They feature two exhibits: the history of Mardi Gras and Hurricane Katrina. It was recommended that if you go, start with the Mardi Gras exhibit upstairs and then make your way down to the exhibit on Hurricane Katrina. My teenage kids enjoyed both of them but if you have littles, I might pass on it.
Speaking of entertaining the littles, did I mention the awesome aquarium they have here? Audubon Aquarium of the America’s is a great place to go on a really hot day and what kid doesn’t love the aquarium? Also, kids of all ages will love Blaine Kerns Mardi Gras World. This is a walking tour of the warehouses that house the Mardi Gras floats. You are taken through the whole process – illustration, beginning construction, painting… and then you see the finished product. It was the highlight of our vacation. The kids absolutely loved seeing these floats up close and personal. Sidenote: it comes with a slice of King cake. This little slice of heaven is a Mardi Gras tradition that has a plastic baby baked inside the cake. The kids and I had fun figuring out if any of us had won the prize (nope… no baby in our cake)!
No trip to New Orleans would be complete without experiencing something that was born here. I’m not talking a good Sazerac or Hurricane, no, NOLA is the birthplace of jazz. Preservation Hall is where it all started but getting tickets to the shows is difficult and it’s not very family friendly. Even still, we did find a few places that had dinner with live jazz. Namely the Palm Court Jazz Cafe and Snug Harbor. They have menus that cater specifically to kids (think chicken nuggets and the like). Another good way to expose young ones to jazz is on the riverboat cruises they have that ride up and down the Mississippi. There are day tours, lunch or dinner cruises too, but they all have live jazz. I love jazz but what I really wanted to hear was Zydeco. And oddly enough, the best local place to hear Zydeco is at Rock ’N’ Bowl – it’s a bowling alley that has live Zydeco concerts 8pm on Thursday nights. You can take the kids, go bowling, eat some yummy local food and listen or rather dance to Zydeco.
Jazz for all ages in New Orleans
New Orleans is colorful and fun, but we would be missing a big part of its history by ignoring its darker side. Disney doesn’t shy away from it. Why should we? But there are ways to keep it light, entertaining and educational. We booked a ghost tour and were treated to age-appropriate tales of hauntings and history. Voodoo is mentioned a lot here. My kids think of Voodoo as Dr. Facilier from The Princess and the Frog. So just the mention that this might be real made them a little nervous. But I don’t shy away from things and if I’m fearful of something I learn as much as I can about it. I hope to pass that on to my kids. This is the perfect example. We visited Marie Laveau’s Voodoo Shop, Reverend Zombie’s Voodoo Shop and also the History of Voodoo Museum. We spoke to several knowledgeable and kind people in the stores and museum to realize that, just like lots of things, the emphasis has been placed on the bad parts. That Hollywood has put a sick and horrific twist on this religion that is still actively practiced today. Were we converted? Nope. Jesus is still my home boy. But the kids and I learned enough to not be scared and know that this is much deeper than a half day delve…. Basically, we realized that we know what we don’t know but we figured out a few things that put us at ease.
On our last day we did some sovereign shopping. Please don’t do this on Bourbon Street. A word about Bourbon Street: it’s disgusting. Royal Street is just a few blocks closer to the Mississippi and it is Bourbon Streets classy cousin. There are some really great shops along here. There is one that specializes in stationary, quills, ink and sealing wax – how very old school. Shops filled with colorfully decorated masks as well as a few Christmas stores can be found here and are all locally owned.
After picking up an iron Fleur de lis for Ryan and an earring/necklace combo for Savannah we had one more spot to hit on our way out. That’s right. You guessed it. By the time we piled into the car to drive home our dark color clothes had a light dusting of white confectionery sugar. We were fat and happy and finally didn’t care if we looked like tourist because, well, we were. What is it about travel that enriches us? There are things that you and the kids learn by getting outside of your element… by pushing the boundaries. There are lessons that can’t be taught in the classroom. And one of them, if not the most important is: Life is short. Eat the Beignets – or six.
Happy travels ~ HH
Super Mom by day, feisty writer by night. Heidi Hess, a 40+ year resident of Palm Beach County, considers herself a native. In her spare time, she dabbles in writing, painting and loves to travel.
Wellington Presents “Total Home Review Expo” in August
via wellingtonfl.gov
Wellington is excited to announce the inaugural Total Home Review Expo on Saturday, August 21st from 9 AM to 12 PM at the Wellington Community Center (located at 12150 Forest Hill Blvd). This event is FREE; registration is required.
During the event, attendees will have the opportunity to visit a variety of booths with topics such as Wellington approved exterior paint colors, requirements for hedges and fencing, defensive measures for your home, how to complete a permit with the building department, and many more home improvement information. Wellington staff, representatives from the Palm Beach County Sherriff’s Office, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, the Wellington Community Foundation, and other organizations will be present.
In addition to the booths, the Expo will also offer 20-minute seminars for attendees to learn about the various home improvement grant programs offered by the Village of Wellington, Habitat for Humanity of Palm Beach County, and the Ygrene Energy Fund.
The first 50 people registered will receive a FREE swag bag. Those who attend will be entered into a raffle. Raffle prizes include a free driveway cleaning by Pressure Detail, Smart Thermostat by Ygrene, 2 seats to a Pick your Own Project by Board and Brush Wellington, and many more.
As another way to stay informed on the latest news and updates from the Village, residents are invited to sign up for Wellington information and updates at www.wellingtonfl.gov/Newsletter.
Experiencing Wisdom and Compassion through Art and Science
Delray Beach, FL – Painting Enlightenment: Experiencing Wisdom and Compassion through Art and Science, features works by Japanese scientist and artist Iwasaki Tsuneo (1917-2002). The paintings create a contemplative journey and meditations on the interconnectedness of the universe. Iwasaki collapses distinctions between image, text and thought with imagery representative of both scientific phenomena and Buddhist principles. He forms the images by using characters from the sacred Buddhist text, the Heart Sutra.
Upon retiring from a career as a research biologist, Iwasaki expanded his own practice of copying sacred texts, called shyakyō – a form of devotion with a long history in Japan. In his unique process, instead of separating the verses written into vertical blocks, he reconfigures them into images such as DNA, lightning bolts, bubbles, atoms and ants. He created this artistic practice to express the intricate relationship between science and Buddhism.
Organized by the Louisiana State University Museum of Art with guest curator, Dr. Paula Arai, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies at LSU. Presented at the Morikami Museum and funded in part by the Henri and Tomoye Takahashi Charitable Foundation and the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation.
Riding the wave: An interview with musical artist Joey Calderaio
By Denise Marsh
Most people could not imagine a world without music. For me, music has blessed me with special people and unforgettable experiences. Live music is typically offered at venues in the evening on Fridays or weekends. However, Premier Café in Wellington has a music series that displays musical talent from local musicians on the first Saturday of every month. Hence, I was at the “right place” and at the “right time” to meet the amazing Joey Calderaio.
Musician/ Songwriter Joey Calderaio
Spilling the Beans
Joey was actually buying freshly-ground coffee and I was in line behind him. He looked like any typical weekender getting their “cup of Joe” (Pun intended). I was surprised to see him sitting at a designated area with his guitar and other musical accoutrements. It was exhilarating to see how Joey’s tropic vibe perfectly complimented that of the relaxing café – a marriage of great sound and impeccable location. I was fortunate to be able to listen to everything from Amy Winehouse to Maroon 5 and even some Reggae covers. It was then that I realized I was already looking and listening to my next article.
Joey Calderaio is a musician, visionary and a songwriter with a humble and Hamish personality. In fact, he is more interested in connection with his audience than receiving kudos and praise. The first song that I heard Joey sing was a wonderful rendition of the song, Valerie (a song written by the English Indie Rock band, The Zoltans and later covered by Mark Ronson with lead vocals by Amy Winehouse. It is a captivating tune and Joey nailed it. With Joey’s brand new single, “Wave of Life” just coming out a week ago, it is the perfect time to pay homage to the man behind the music.
AW: Tell me a little about yourself. Where are you from?
JC: I was born and raised in South Florida. I lived in Pennsylvania for one year as a child, but other than that, I’ve resided in Palm Beach County my entire life.
AW: When did you first know you were going to be a musician? Who has inspired you along this journey?
JC: Growing up, my grandpa always played sing-alongs at family get togethers on the Banjo or Piano. My brother sings and plays guitar. He was the one that showed me the majority of the music I play today. He’s always been my biggest inspiration for pursuing music. I started learning guitar around the age of 13 and soon after started a band with my neighborhood friends. We played some local shows and eventually split. From that point on, I knew that I wanted to continue playing music.
AW: While perusing your Instagram account I noticed a great passion for nature. I have seen a similar “passion” interwoven in your music. Has this been a major motivation in your writing? Please enlighten us.
JC: Absolutely. I start every morning by taking my dog for a walk around a nearby lake to freshen my mind for the day. When I’m feeling small or insignificant, I liked to aid that by being outside. I’ve always had a deep respect for the environment and try my best to live by that, though I could always be better.
AW: Would you describe your musical “style” as mostly Reggae? I have heard a lot of this genre in your repertoire. But I have also heard you play a range of covers from Billy Joel to Maroon 5 to modern day hits.
JC: I love may different genres of music, but tend to gravitate towards Reggae. With Reggae music there is a message that is deeper than most genres – it focuses on unity, oneness, and social and political change. I’ve always felt connected with these topics.
On another note, I grew up listening to many styles of music from Classic Rock, Punk, to R&B. This music is ingrained in me so I still love to cover the occasional Billy Joel, The Eagles, or Stevie Wonder tune. Not to mention, The Maroon 5 and Bruno Mars hits tend to bring people to the dance floor!
AW: What has been the greatest accomplishment in your musical career and the greatest challenge?
JC: The greatest accomplishment in my musical career has easily been the release of the Moving Mountains EP, containing 6 original songs that I had been writing for years. For so long I doubted myself when it came to original music, constantly thinking that it wasn’t good enough or that people wouldn’t like it. Eventually I came to grips, set a release date, and promised myself I would accomplish my first project as a solo artist. That project was extraordinarily special to me because I had the opportunity to work with one of my favorite musicians – Ted Bowne of Passafire – who produced the EP and even sang a feature verse on the track “Rise Up (Remix).”
The biggest challenge of my career has been struggling with burnout and finding the balance between work and play. I ‘m constantly working on multiple projects at once and it’s hard for me to find balance at times. Many of my relationships have suffered because of it. This is an area of my life I hope to get better at.
AW: How would you describeyour work ethic?
JC: I want to tour the world playing my music to people singing along and I want to share the message of my music so badly. I know that in order to achieve these goals I need to work harder and smarter every day. I’m a passionate and driven worker. I know I’m that way because of my father and my experience in Martial Arts. I plan to keep going until I feel I’ve made it.
AW: A “little birdie” told me that you have exciting news to share…Please tell us about your new music video coming out for the single “Paradise” (with Sierra Lane) and your brand-new single that just came out on July 2nd.
JC: Yes! Sierra Lane and I have been collaborating with Roots Deep Productions on a new music video for our single “Paradise”. It’s been such a pleasure working with the both of them and I’m stoked for the release of the video. I felt this song was very visual and a music video seemed like the right route to go with it. Stay tuned!
On July 2nd my new single “Wave of Life (feat Ballyhoo!)” was released. I’m super excited for this release because Ballyhoo! has been a band I’ve looked up to for many years. I first saw them live in 2011 at Guanabanas; right around the same time I started my first band. That night deeply inspired me. The opportunity to collaborate with them on a song makes it feel like a full circle.
AW: What is the Mountain High Vibes Festival? You had mentioned this event in passing and it sounded exciting!
JC: The Mountain High Vibes Festival is on July 24th of this year and is a backyard festival in Midvale, Utah. We’re stoked for this even not only because we’ll be able to travel to Utah for the first time, but also because we’ll be sharing the lineup with some amazing artists such as Ted Bowne (who I mentioned previously), Thrive, and Aaron Wolf. We’re so excited for this!
AW: Please name three of your favorite covers that you have performed.
JC: I released a Reggae version of “Mad World” by Tears for Fears earlier this year and thought that was a really fun project. Not to mention, that song is very relevant given the times we’re living in. The Reggae spin on it gave it sort of a different vibe than the original.
“Movin Out” by Billy Joel is a classic that I’ve performed with the band for about 7 years now. Playing that tune never gets old and always brings me back to doing yard work while listening to music as a kid.
“Use Me” by Bill Withers is another classic that I’ve performed with my full band for years. That song is just so groovy and fun. Plus, we always jam and sort of improvise when we play that track. It’s cool to watch the guys shine on the solo section during it. Also, we have syncopated hits that always sound really tight.
AW: Have you ever written a song that perfectly epitomized your life, a specific philosophy or goal? Which would be “worthy” of this title?
JC: Great question-this one made me think…Yes, and the song that comes to mind is “Right in Front of You.” My music is just for myself as well as it is for others to enjoy. I often feel lost or have trouble looking on the brighter side of things. Music has helped me during those times. “Right in Front of You” is a track that is about already having the tools necessary to be happy. So many people (including myself) look to the external factors to be fulfilled. We often think “I won’t be happy until I have this or that” when in actuality all we need is already right in front of us. Living in the present moment is something I continue to strive to do, and that song kind of encapsulates my thoughts on that.
AW: How can we hear more of you (without stalking or course…lol)? Please provide us with an upcoming schedule and any social media in which you are affiliated.
JC: If you’d like to see more of me, my address is 555…(both of us started laughing)…Only joking… I perform about 5 times a week either as an acoustic act or with the full band, pretty much all-around Palm Beach County. My calendar is always updated on website and I try my best to post upcoming shows on my Instagram and Facebook. My original music can be found on all streaming platforms wherever you listen to music like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube, and so on. I hope you find some tracks you enjoy and I look forward to seeing you at a show soon (I am smiling ear to ear). Thanks for tuning in to this interview and thanks, Denise, for having me!
Follow this link to hear Joey’s music or to catch him at upcoming events:
I look forward to attending one more of your shows as well Joey, and I expect to get a good seat (just joking)an autograph and the “bag of donuts” emblem (but you’ll need to go on Instagram to find out about the sticker). New music can become old and treasured music and that’s the exact feeling I am getting about Joey’s powerful effect on his fans. Have a good listen to Joey Calderaio as this artist will definitely be riding a “wave of life” and jamming to the top of it!
Temple Beth Tikvah, 4550 Jog Road hosts Open House for prospective members and Religious School Registration on Sunday, August 15, 12:00pm – 2:00pm. Families with children, individuals and couples are invited to meet Rabbi Howard Shub, Orly Jacobs – Education Director and members of the Congregation. Hear about our innovative Religious School that provides small class size and individualized attention for Kindergarten through seventh grade. For further information contact the Temple office at 561-967-3600, templebt@bellsouth.net or Orly Jacobs, Education Director at relschooldir@templetoratemet.org.
