The Sarasota Young Professionals Group,, in partnership with S One Holding Corporation, brings the second annual Rock for a Cause to Payne Park tomorrow, uniting park-goers, music lovers and supporters of musical education in an all-day family affair to benefit music education in local schools. Featuring six local musical acts competing in a Battle of the Bands, as well as assorted activities and vendors throughout the grounds, entrance costs either $1 or a school supply donation for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast.

With 12 to 13 bands applying, more than 6,000 community voters narrowed the slate to six top competitors, including Shore Dogs, Audiosphere, The South Trail Band and solo act Paige Merriman, a local high school student, for Saturday’s Battle of the Bands. Bands will play throughout the day, with attendees casting their votes for top performers. The winning band will receive a prize of $1,500 for the band and $3,500 to be directed to a local school music education program of its choice.

It’s a cause that hits home for Shantel Norman, who sings Saturday with the band Jah Movement. She remembers being part of a small town music program in North Carolina. “We were not able to do a lot of shows because we needed monies for sheet music, instruments, uniforms, etc.,” said Norman. “So I know how it is when you are in school and doing something that you love with a passion but can’t enjoy because you are always having to raise money.”

YPG transformed its annual block party into a charitable event last year when the board convened looking for a philanthropic angle for the 10th anniversary party. “That’s at the heart of what we do – looking at how we can make the community better,” said YPG Coordinator Mimi Fleck. “So this really matches with our core beliefs.”

Activities on-site will include a rock-climbing wall and a balloon artist, with drinks and snacks from local vendors including Mozzarella Fella and Kona Ice.

Rock for a Cause kicks off Saturday at 1pm at Payne Park. 

WSLR continues its monthly dance series tonight at Fogartyville Community and Arts Center with its Community Contra Dance event. Classified as a folk dance, Contra Dance is similar to square dancing, but rather than dance in a square, performers instead dance in lines of couples or in groups. Coordinator David Beaton hopes to create a greater sense of community within Sarasota and create a more prominent presence through this series.  

“I have a passion to bring it and people together,” said Beaton. With Contra popular in New England, North Carolina, and parts of Florida, Beaton realized Sarasota needed to participate in the rising trend. Fogartyville hosts a variety of musical performances and events, though none like Contra Dance where people can “meet and greet everyone on the dance floor,” said Beaton. “This type of dance builds a community.”

Unlike other venues, Fogartyville attracts dancers with a wood floor that creates a sprung effect unlike dancing on cement. The intimate-yet-lively event generates a welcoming, communal atmosphere. Beaton hopes the dance trend, which is gaining popularity on college campuses, will catch on with the younger population in Sarasota. “I hope to get more of the younger people involved. There are smaller colleges in this town and it will take more time.” Contra dances are a place where people of different lifestyles gather together to dance, socialize and gain exposure.

Each dance consists of a different variation of steps, taught by the caller prior to the event. New College Student Rona Weiner will be the caller for the dance this month and in December. As a new caller, she “has a pleasant way about it and is good at giving instructions” said Beaton. As the caller leads the dance, a live band provides the soundtrack to the evening. Local band Terns at Tide performs tonight.

Tonight’s Contra Dance will begin at 8pm at Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center. Both experienced dancers and amateurs are welcome and instructional walkthroughs will be held at 7:30pm. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door. Students pay half price and children age 12 and under are free.   

Those who don’t relate classical music with innovation must not be familiar with Daria van den Bercken. The Dutch/Russian pianist has earned accolades worldwide for her use of video, alternative staging and other methods of taking her audience by surprise. She will be among the speakers at PINC Sarasota, scheduled Dec. 10 at the Sarasota Opera House. We spoke with the musician in advance of the event.

In what ways are expectations of audiences changing when it comes to concert experiences?  ​I never have seen any results of possible research on the subject, and frankly I would not believe the research if I saw it, because I think the general audience wants to be surprised​​ when they go to a concert and experience things they cannot write down upfront and put in an inquiry. I believe and hope audiences want to experience beauty and surprise when they go out, or depth and insight when they are experienced music lovers. It is the musician’s duty as an entertainer in this field of art to pass all of this to the audience. I do not think the expectations of audiences have changed over the years, but the customs are finally changing from silent musicians who only play to musicians who feel they have to explain things in the music a bit because they realize they can not sit egocentrically on stage and expect everybody to be open to all the abstract qualities of music. 

Sarasota values its brand as a cultural community. How can a community maintain or grow a reputation when it comes to being a venue for fine music? I do have some thoughts on this subject in general when looking at my own town, Amsterdam. It is best when an atmosphere is created where everybody takes responsibility for the reputation and success of the cultural community​: the festivals (not just music!), the concerts, the movies, the educational programs, the series​. Ideally concerts are not too expensive (even free!), and there should be room for artistic freedom. All too often, people forget that art (also fine music!) is about taking risks and about evolving. There should be room that certain projects even—it sounds awful but it is true—fail. The audience will feel they are involved in something exciting that can go all kinds of ways and will leave room for some projects to reach an internationally interesting high level. It will also get an international group of artists interested in joining in. The practical financial aspect should obviously be combined with a dedicated and flexible artistic ​organization (or several who work together closely), programmers with vision and an eye for​ a high level​ international artistic field and the subculture of it (in the subculture the new things often happen first).​ Lastly, it is good if the city itself has good art schools and is creating within so that audiences are not only treated to concerts from people from abroad during festivals but can also be involved with art daily. Amsterdam has a foundation for the Arts, which supports not only schools and museums but also individual initiatives. They also backed my Handel At the Piano initiative.  

What responsibility do musicians in a field so steeped in history have in terms of making sure there is still a creative evolution in the music created today? That is beautifully said: a field steeped in history. Thank you for that. Nevertheless, it is not the history of it that makes it the genius art it is. It is not the musicological part. It has aspects that are universal. I think that every field in the coming years will have to look at the expertise and knowledge around them. If we do not underestimate the audience and realize that there are parallels in music and other fields we should recognize, we will build a new form of mutual respect and interest. Also, pedagogical insight will be important. It is exactly something I am looking forward to talk about and show at PINC!​ 

Learn more about PINC here

Donald Trump, the frontrunner for the Republican nomination for president, will campaign in Sarasota on Saturday, according to Trump state chairman Joe Gruters. "This is his state headquarters," Gruters said of Sarasota. "This shows the importance of Sarasota and Southwest Florida in this election. He has won Statesman of the Year twice here."

Gruters, chairman of the Republican Party of Sarasota and vice chairman for the Republican Party of Florida, said the March 15 presidential primary in Florida may be the election where Trump sews up the nomination. "This is going to be the knockout blow that takes out all the other candiates, especially the two Florida candidates that normally would expect to do well here," said Gruters, referencing former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Sen. Marco Rubio, who have both trailed Trump in the polls for months while battling each otehr for the mantle of establishment favorite.

Those interested in going can get tickets at Eventbrite.com. 

Photo courtesy Trump campaign: Donald Trump speaks at the recent Sunshine Summit in Orlando. 

The Rosemary, a new restaurant on North Orange Avenue, opened on Tuesday. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The restaurant is located in Citrus Square in the Rosemary District. The location is the former home of Savory Street. 

The Rosemary

Sarasota County Sheriff Tom Knight announced the graduation of Major Jeff Bell from the Florida Criminal Justice Executive Institute Chief Executive Seminar. The seminar met one week each month for three months at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s headquarters in Tallahassee. Graduates took classes on succession planning, budgeting, managing generations, ethics and implementing strategic change. The goal of the Chief Executive Seminar is to prepare Florida’s criminal justice leadership for the challenging demands of the future and develop new skills to address and manage change. 

Sarasota County Sheriff's Office

Yesterday, SRQ | The Magazine hosted a sold out SB2 breakfast, The Art of Corporate Philanthropy, at The Francis in downtown Sarasota. As guests filled their plates with a delicious spread morning favorites, Jeff Mayers of the Resort at Longboat Key Club welcomed those in attendance and spoke to the importance of company-wide giving. Introducing the keynote speaker, Steve Ellis of MGB Homes reiterated the importance of supporting worthy community causes before welcoming keynote speaker Connie E.W. Smith of Wells Fargo & Company to the stage. As a representative of one of the most charitable organizations in the state of Florida, Smith commented on the importance of both giving and investing in the community, and of giving resources that are valuable to the greater good. Panelists Kelly Caldwell (Caldwell Trust Company), Rod Hershberger (PGT Industries), Lisa Krouse (FCCI Insurance Group) and Aubrey Lynch (CS&L CPAs) spoke candidly about instilling a corporate culture of giving, recruiting future employees with heart for giving and the importance of relationships in establishing trust between charitable organziations and donor businesses. Stay tuned to SRQ Inside the Brand blog for a full recap of SB2.