Arts and Entertainment

17
September 2008
Merger means bigger, brighter Rainbow
by Lauren Bala
As the local music scene expands, so
does access to musicians’ tools of the trade.
Independently owned Rainbow Music in
downtown State College recently expanded
to an ambitious degree, merging with previous competitor Alley Cat Music and relocating to 140 N. Atherton St., the former
location of Best Event Rentals.
The ground floor of the 10,000-squarefoot store features lower-end electric guitars, sheet music for a variety of instruments, drum heads and a work station for
instrument repairs and string changing.
There is an amp room, an effects room, an
acoustic guitar room and a high-end
acoustic guitar room.
On the second level, which sits atop a
narrow set of stairs—the second to last of
which reads, “Two steps from heaven”—is
a showroom full of electric guitars, including ESP, Fender, G&L, Epiphone, Ibanez,
Paul Reed Smith and Danelectro, to name a
few.
ESP has recognized Rainbow as a premier dealer for its guitars on the East Coast,
due to the store’s expansive selection.
The second floor also includes amps so
potential buyers can try out the guitars
before making an investment—a luxury
most other music stores either lack or limit.
Competition isn’t something General
Manager Vince Youngbauer is concerned
about, he said, since the upgrade itself cut
down on competing local businesses
through the merger agreement between
friends Mark Ross, owner of Alley Cat, and
Bill Beard, owner of Rainbow.
“Bill and Mark had been discussing it for
years, so when Bill found out the lease at
the old store was ending, he asked Mark if
he wanted to merge, and Mark went for it,”
Youngbauer said.
The newer, bigger facility has proven to
be more customer-friendly, with more room
to explore and try out the instruments.
“In the old store, people were afraid to
walk through the aisles because they might
knock something over,” Youngbauer said.
Customers seem to agree that the bigger
store is an exciting upgrade.
“I spent a lot of time at the old Rainbow,
so I was skeptical of the new store at first,”
said regular customer and Penn State student Ben Hutton. “But when I walked into
Photo by Fiorella Otero
After merging with Alley Cat Music, Rainbow Music’s new 10,000-square-foot locale is home to more
than 1,000 electric guitars.
the new place for the first time, it was awesome. When I first saw the room on the sec-
see
Rainbow, pg. 20
Student brings classical Indian dance to State College
by Fiorella Otero
Dance is the universal language, a common uniting bond, and for Indian classical
dance teacher Rozina Gilani, dance is her
form of communication, expression and
connection with the world.
Gilani teaches the authentic styles of an
Indian classical dance form called Bharat
Natyam and a more modern fusion style
that is seen in Bollywood and the contemporary performing arts.
Gilani has taught in State College for
about a year, but she has been enchanting
her audiences with Bharat Natyam since
she was nine.
She began training under the supervision
of her guru in Atlanta, Ga.
“It began as an extracurricular activity
and eventually turned into a central part of
my life,” said Gilani, who leared ballet, tap
and jazz before turning to Bharat Natyam.
The dance form originated in the temples
of South India. “Bha,” from “bhava,” means
expression; “ra,” from “raga,” means
melody; “ta,” from “tala,” means rhythm;
and “Natya” is Sanskrit for the art of sacred
dance and drama.
Because the dance emerged from the
Hindu religion, most of its performance
relates to the stories of gods and goddesses.
“Bharat Natyam is not only a dance, but
it is a means of spiritual elevation, both for
the dancer and the audience,” Gilani said.
“It is said that it is the embodiment of music
in visual form. It is a ceremony and an act
of devotion.”
Bharat Natyam is comprised of dramatic
storytelling and expressive hand gestures
and defined neck and head movements that
reflect the rhythms of the universe.
“This dance is very disciplined and pays
attention to every detail in the dancer’s
form, having 52 single- and double-handed
gestures that have their own unique meaning,” Gilani said.
The dance reveals the nine emotional
states: anger, love, courage, fear, laughter,
disgust, wonder, surprise, and peace and
tranquility.
“Bharat Natyam expresses these human
feelings tenfold in ways that all performers
and all audience members can relate and
empathize with,” Gilani explained.
After acquiring some teaching experience
in Atlanta, Gilani was ready to bring the
dance to State College.
“While there is a relatively small Indian
community here in State College, my hopes
are that by allowing space for a new dance
form, we can open up doors for those interested in learning about the rich Indian culture,” Gilani said. “I find that dance is a universal language, and despite any outward
cultural differences that people often allow
as separations amongst communities, dance
is a bonding force.”
Gilani is a Penn State student completing
her last year of study. She teaches during
school semesters but does not have a dance
studio.
In the past, she has met with students in
see
Dance, pg. 19
Photo by Fiorella Otero
Dance instructor Rozina Gilani specializes in a
classical Indian dance called Bharat Natyam.
18
September 2008
Local playwright presents 9/11 drama
by Jean Marie Donnelly
Charles Dumas thought he had finally
finished writing his play 9/11 A Day in the
Life of a People about the Sept. 11 attacks.
But fate had other plans.
“I’ve been working on it for six years,” he
said. “It has had 11 rewrites and half a
dozen workshops.”
The play presents the perspectives of 12
ordinary people on the day of the attacks
and a year after. But recently, Dumas added
a second act, which updates the characters’
lives to the present.
The first act is a series of monologues
interspersed with slides based on witness
testimony and research. It was first presented to the diplomatic community of South
Africa on the first anniversary of Sept. 11,
an event sponsored by the U.S. consulate in
Cape Town.
A workshop reading has been presented
each year since on the anniversary. Last
year, it was presented at the National
Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
“We were very honored to be invited to
New Riders of the Purple Sage
with special guest Professor “Louie” & the Crowmatix
Thu Sept 4 • 8pm
9/11 A Day in the Life of a People
Sat, Sept 6 • 8pm & Sun, Sept 7 • 1pm
Bankie Banx and the Roots and Herbs
Sponsored by Best Event Rental
Fri, Sept 12 • 8pm
appear in such an
auspicious venue,”
Dumas said.
The NCC was
where Democratic
presidential nominee Barack Obama
presented a speech
on race earlier this
year. It is also where
Sens.
Hillary
Charles Dumas
Clinton and Obama
held their televised Pennsylvania debate.
The second act brings the play up to present day, as Dumas explores what has happened to the survivors and the country in the
seven intervening years.
“Right after the attacks, we came together in order to survive and to heal,” Dumas
said. “We had the support of most of the
world. Now we are involved in one of the
longest protracted military conflicts in U.S.
history. The Iraq War has already taken
longer than the Civil War, SpanishAmerican War, World War I, World War II
and the Korean conflict. And there is no end
The Walk Around the World Tour
Hanson with special guest Dave Barnes
Irving Berlin’s I Love a Piano
Tue, Sept 23 • 7pm
Sponsored by The PSU Student Programming Assoc
Sun, Oct 12 • 8:00pm
Justin Nozuka
with special guest The Gabe Dixon Band
Wed, Sept 24 • 8pm
Jonatha Brooke
Wed, Oct 15 • 8pm
Patty Loveless
Billy Bragg
Bill Frisell Trio
Thu, Sept 18 • 8pm
The Met Opera ‘08-’09—Live in HD
with special guest The Andy Tolins Trio
with special guest the Watson Twins
Fri, Oct 17 • 9pm • Please note special start time
Fri, Sept 26 • 8pm
Opening Night Gala starring Renee Fleming
Mon, Sept 22 • 6pm
Will Hoge with special guests
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Sun, Oct 19 • 8pm
John Sebastian and David Grisman
Sponsored by Mary Ellen and Don Fisher
The Del McCoury Band
Fri, Oct 10 • 8pm
with special guest The Belleville Outfit
Wed, Oct 22 • 8pm
The Met Opera ‘08-’09—Live in HD
Strauss’s Salome
Sat, Oct 11 • 1pm
Gett yourr ticketss now
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Land of Confusion
(Special Screening & DVD Release Party)
Sun, Oct 26 • 7pm
An Evening with Richard Thompson
In association with Webster’s Café
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Sat, Sept 13 • 8pm
Sun, Sept 28 • 8pm
featureing Tony Scherr & Rudy Royston
Sponsored by Wayne Osgood
in sight. How did we get here? My characters don’t know any more than I do.”
As Dumas was finishing up the play, he
attended a conference in Sweden where he
met a Vietnamese journalist who had been
in Washington, D.C., during the attacks.
The journalist had been a child in Hanoi
during the period when the United States
bombed the city on an almost daily basis.
“I realized that this was a perspective that
I had not included in the play,” Dumas said.
“I begged him to let me use part of it. He
agreed as long as I didn’t use his real
name.”
When asked what that unique perspective
was, Dumas smiled.
“You will have to come to the State
Theater to see.”
The show will be presented Sept. 6 at 8
p.m. and Sept. 7 at 1 p.m. at the State
Theatre in State College. A portion of the
proceeds from the State College performances will go to the Sept. 11 memorial fund.
For more information, go to the Voices
community calendar on the Web at
http://voicesweb.org.
A night of comedy with KP Anderson
(Executive Producer of E!’s The Soup)
Fri, Oct 24 • 8pm
Wed, Oct 29 • 8pm
Rock and Roll Means Well
The Hold Steady and Drive-By Truckers
Wed, Nov 5 • 8pm
An Evening with George Winston
In association with Spaces Design Center
Fri, Nov 7 • 8pm
Blue Oyster Cult
Sponsored by Classic Rock 93.7 The Bus
Wed, Nov 12 • 8pm
Tea Leaf Green
Wed, Nov 19 • 8pm
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19
September 2008
from
Dance, pg. 17
their basements or on campus after class
hours. On good weather days, she has
taught class outdoors.
Alexa Krepps, one of Gilani’s students,
said she decided to take lessons because
she was enthralled by the hand gestures, the
energy and power of the dance.
“The music, the costumes and the intricate movements of this dance were simply
beautiful,” Krepps said.
The uniqueness of the dance makes
learning it a challenging task, she said.
“It was hard to remember everything, but
practice definitely helped me learn the choreography to the particular music,” Krepps
said. “This form of dance taught me dexterity and helped me become more grounded
as a dancer, due to all the complex feet
movement and hand gestures.”
Gilani said students of all ages and experience levels have much to learn from
Bharat Natyam.
“This dance has a miraculous way of
teaching not only discipline over one’s
body, such as grace and posture, but also
the disciplines of life, such as humility and
respect for ancient culture,” Gilani said.
Voices announces
Arts Fest contest winners
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Thank you to our prize sponsors, along with Nittany Office Supply, Printers.com
and Regis Kingera, and of course all our volunteers who staffed the table at Arts
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Jackson Doyle, age 7
Prize: Birthday party for 10 at Roly Poly
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Prize: Party bucket from Rita’s Ice
20
from
September 2008
Rainbow, pg. 17
ond floor with all the guitars, it warmed my
heart.”
Rainbow employs people are who dedicated to and knowledgeable about the products, and doesn’t reward salespeople
through commission, which Youngbauer
said adds to their credibility.
“Since we aren’t getting paid to sell a
product, we can really focus on the customer’s needs rather than on profit,” he said.
That’s something Mike Clark, who’s
been a local music customer for five years,
hasn’t experienced with other area stores.
“I tried to return some speakers once at
another store in town, and when I went in,
the owner told me to stop wasting the
clerk’s time and to move out of the way to
let people who were actually buying something ahead of me,” Clark said. “I started
going to Rainbow exclusively after that.
Since they have some of the most talented
musicians in the area working for them,
they understand the needs of musicians and
are much better with trades, returns and just
purchases. I was excited when they expanded. The selection is great.”
Employee Gary Owen is the resident
product specialist, or “gear geek,” as
Youngbauer put it.
His genuine excitement about products
means that his knowledge is thorough and
not limited to the gear featured at Rainbow
Music. Owen is happy to direct a customer
to other stores that offer the desired product.
Rainbow isn’t for every musician. It
doesn’t offer much in the way of marching
band instruments or obscure Middle
Eastern instruments.
But chances are, those interested in most
stringed and percussion instruments, or the
related accessories, won’t have to be directed anywhere else.
“We wanted to make this a destination
store,” Youngbauer said. “This means that
people will travel to State College to visit
us. A lot of our products are exclusive or
regional. Just today, a man called from New
Jersey looking for a specific guitar and
drove here to pick it up.”
While professionals can take advantage
of the selection, beginners may find the
instruction manuals helpful or be interested
in signing up for guitar lessons offered by
employees.
Photo by Fiorella Otero
Rainbow Music employees Jon Spearly and Gary Owen take a break at the new shop. Owen is
known as Rainbow’s “gear geek” because of his extensive knowledge of equipment.
21
September 2008
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