Jazz pianist Tim Whalen moved to Ohio last August to teach music at the University of Toledo. But that hasn't stopped him from keeping a part-time presence in Madison. "I still play in Wisconsin two to four times a month," Whalen said in a recent email message. "Since I have summers off, I'll most likely live in Madison from mid-May to mid-August."
On Saturday, Nov. 17, the Tim Whalen Nonet plays Restaurant Magnus at 9:30 p.m. The session is being recorded for a CD to be released in January.
Ryan Sallis is the first local musician I've known who also plays a sport at UW-Madison. Sallis is on the Badger men's soccer team, but the senior from Milwaukee has still managed to teach himself guitar during his undergraduate years. He's released a debut CD this month - a pop-folk set in the John Mayer tradition - and will play the Electric Earth Café on Nov. 30.
What motivates Arthur Richardson to assemble an annual urban music conference at UW-Madison? "We have no one consulting or giving critical information to advance the careers of African-American, Latino or Asian youth seriously interested in the music industry besides Madison Media Institute," he says. Feel the Beat is set for Saturday, Nov. 17, with a producer showcase (3 p.m.) and music-industry panel discussion (4:30 p.m.) in the UW Red Gym, and a producer competition (6 p.m.) in the UW Memorial Union Rathskeller.
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