Tag Archives: Andrew Ridgeley
➤ Thank you, George, says Paul Simper. You left me wanting to dance like you
Posted on 30 December 2016 | 2 comments
Simper's 25th birthday at Aldo Zilli's Il Siciliano in Soho: visible faces clockwise from front left: Lilli Anderson, Alex Godson (standing), Sam McKnight, the host (standing), Josie Jones, George Michael. Photo by Simper
Paul "Scoop" Simper arrived in London as a cub
journalist who soon became a backbone of No1, one
of the two leading pop magazines covering the
Swinging 80s. He also became a face about clubland
and in the years after he first met George Michael,
when Wham! was launched, became friends.
Shapers of the 80s is pleased to publish Scoop's very personal tribute to one of the UK's leading superstars who died this week
◼ OF COURSE HE HAD TO LEAVE US ON CHRISTMAS DAY. As a pop lover, especially one raised in the 80s, George Michael has been a part of mine and so many people's Christmases for years.
This one was no exception. Nipping up the high street to the supermarket for one last shop on Christmas Eve, there was something both joyous and comforting about hearing him – not just as Wham! but on his lonesome giving us December Song and on Band Aid – whilst trolling up and down the aisles for a bottle of fizz and a few more festive nibbles.
If anything, this year he'd felt ever more present. A pre-Christmas gathering of my old 80s pals had stirred up memories of Whambley – that perfect pop farewell on the sunniest of days in '86 in front of 72,000 adoring but heartbroken fans when George and Andrew signed off at the top of the charts (both albums and singles) with their friendship still intact.
Wham! fans came in all shapes and sizes. Not long ago I'd been listening to a bootleg of The Final concert, lovingly recorded and shared with me by No1 magazine's then editorial assistant Dave Ling, later of Metal Hammer, a heavy metaller through and through, who made an honourable exception when it came to George and Andrew.
As I think about it now, not being a Wham! or George fan has always been a bit of a deal-breaker. One early relationship of mine came to a very swift end when she questioned my love of George. My pal June Montana (lead singer with Brilliant and gatekeeper on the Limelight's VIP bar, who was actually a bona fide friend of his) and I were like the George gestapo. We could sniff out a non-believer at 100 paces.
Part of that devotion came from the fact that in 80s London clubland, Wham! were never really cool. They were outsiders. They were from Bushey, Hertfordshire. As a country lad from Wiltshire I felt a kinship, particularly with George.
He was a year younger but for both of us our first introduction to the game-changing London club scene of the early 80s was Le Beat Route – a Soho club I was gagging to go to the second I saw Spandau Ballet's Chant No1 video, the anthem for this pop moment.
In the last interview I did with George, in 2006, when we were talking about Spandau, he remembered the thrill of going down for the first time to what was then the hottest club on the planet and actually sighting both Steve Strange (on the Space Invaders) and Tony Hadley (at the bar).
George's 35th birthday where Simper was deejaying dressed as a Spice Girl angel: George was obliged to introduce him to Ginger Spice. Photo by Simper
Le Beat Route was where Andrew Ridgeley came up with the "Wham! Bam! I am a man!" rap. It was where George would perfect his pair dancing with Shirlie Holliman to D-Train, Was Not Was and Evelyn "Champagne" King. It was the inspiration for Club Tropicana.
Of equal importance though had been Saturday Night Fever – the movie that rang the death knell for disco for the cool kids of the underground dance scene but for those in the sticks in our teens the first pulling back of the curtain (even though it was actually set in faraway Brooklyn) on a thrilling new world. On reflection, it's perhaps surprising that George never covered a Bee Gees song, with the exception of side project Boogie Box High's Jive Talkin', but he was always a massive fan, applauding their return to the top of the charts after a lengthy absence with You Win Again and marvelling, after a visit to Barry Gibbs' home in Miami, that he was the only man he'd met who took even longer over his hair than George did.
Friday nights at Le Beat Route were just about over by the time I first interviewed George and Andrew in October '82, although Wham! did throw one last Christmas party there to celebrate leaving their first record company, Innervision. Instead it was now The Wag on Wardour Street, which, as Wham! took off, increasingly became George's place to hang out, unbothered.
If Chant No1 belongs to Le Beat Route, then The Wag at Christmas '84 is where I think of for Wham!'s Everything She Wants. It was where I first heard deejay Fat Tony play the 12-inch mix with its glorious, expanded middle eight, which George had handed him that night to test out on the dance floor. From its rapturous reception and the delighted look on George's face you could see he'd got the confirmation he was after. Like Chant, he'd delivered his club classic.
First at Melody Maker, then at No1, I was lucky enough to get my fair share of interviews with George. In early No1 days that included him going on a Blind Date with Keren Woodward from Bananarama which ended with him popping up to the 26th floor of IPC magazine's HQ in King's Reach Tower to play us a just-finished mix of Bassline (later retitled A Ray of Sunshine) on our tinpot stereo system.
They were more innocent, uncomplicated times in terms of pop coverage but even once Fleet Street turned its attentions to him and much of that side of it became more wearisome, he continued to be one of my favourite pop stars to interview, funny and forthright, as I hope the two interview clips attached here illustrate.
GEORGE/SIMPER 1987 INTERVIEW ON BEING CAMP:
http://www.zen19954.zen.co.uk/Shapers/GeoM87-Last-Christmas-Simper.mp3
GEORGE/SIMPER 1987 INTERVIEW ON UNDERPANTS:
http://www.zen19954.zen.co.uk/Shapers/GeoM87-Underpants-Simper.mp3
Thanks primarily to June – "Don't forget Simper!" she'd holler – I saw him more socially once Wham! finished and his solo career began. Merry Chianti-filled nights at Aldo Zilli's two Dean Street restaurants, Il Siciliano and Signor Zilli's, and dancing to his records at Brown's and later Abba, the weekly Hanover Square one-nighter run by June and Fat Tony.
I loved the fact that he danced to his own records. After all if you can't dance to your records why should anyone else? Fellow clubber and George fan Bayo Furlong reminded me that George always danced exactly like George Michael – the soul boy steps, the arms aloft, the finger and toe points, the hips shake, the swivel, the spin – which is even more brilliant. He was the singing, dancing embodiment of his own Wham! mantra (Wham!tra?) "Enjoy what you do"!
And what a voice. Of his generation, take your pick between him and the other George, for greatest white male soul singer of the 80s. It was there as early as Wham! ballads Nothing Looks the Same in the Light and Club Tropicana B-side Blue and grew on Careless Whisper and A Different Corner. His duets with Aretha Franklin and Mary J Blige – ringing endorsements in themselves – raised the bar again only for him to reach even higher with the likes of Older, You Have Been Loved and Jesus to a Child.
He said himself that he wasn't the most prolific of writers. Two Wham! and four solo albums of original material and rarely much left over for B-sides (though Fantasy is a little gem) but as a pop star he aced it – twice over.
First in the perfect pop group, two teenage buddies who remained in spirit, sound and success as Wham!-like from the opening volley of Wham Rap! and Young Guns to the last howl of The Edge of Heaven. Then a second time, making the daunting leap from teen idol to internationally successful solo artist, barely breaking a sweat where so many others have fallen.
He told me he'd set himself the goal of joining the then 80s elite of Prince, Michael Jackson, Madonna and Bruce Springsteen. If the Faith album was his Thriller, with its 25 million sales, he went one better than MJ, surpassing it artistically with Older. And, despite the subsequent fall-out with Sony over record sales, Listen Without Prejudice Vol I – which includes the gorgeous Bacharach-style ballad Cowboys and Angels – isn't too shabby either.
As our careers both went in different directions, I got to interview him less, but deejay for him more. Fat Tony got me on board to help out with George's 30th birthday celebrations and I was there again for his 35th in 1998. Both had fancy-dress themes, the latter one Cowboys and Angels, and good sport that he was he didn't bat an eyelid when I asked him, dressed in a fetching Spice Girl Union Jack bathing suit and wings, to persuade a reluctant Geri Halliwell to do a photo with me.
"He's a bit strange," George explained to Ginger Spice, "but he's a very old friend."
I'll settle for that. He did a lot more for me than I'm sure I ever did for him. Dancing to Everything She Wants – dancing like him to Everything She Wants – still gives me more pleasure than most things in life.
At the time of that last Spandau interview he was in the studio still working on his final studio album, Patience. When he played me Flawless (Go to the City) I knew he'd got me again.
"It's no good waiting. You've got to go to the city."
That small-town thrill. The anticipation for those Beat Route, Saturday Night Fever moments was still somewhere in our DNA.
I was back in the countryside, tucked up in bed at my mum's, when I heard he had gone. I only ever went to his house in Goring once, one Boxing Day thanks to June and another good pal, his wonderfully considerate PA Shiv Bailey. He sent a car for me and the only way it could have been any more perfect is if Richard and Judy hadn't just departed. Otherwise it was all my Last Christmas joy rolled into one.
So thank you, George, for all those happy Christmases, and for everything else you gave.
SIMPER'S OWN GEORGE PLAYLIST AT SPOTIFY
➢ Previously at Shapersofthe80s:
Britain stunned by sudden death of George Michael, our biggest pop superstar of the 80s
2016, Soho's young guns remember George Michael
Posted in Clubbing, Culture, History, interviews, London, New Romantics, nightlife, obituaries, Pop music, Social trends, soul music, Swinging 80s, Tributes, videos, Youth culture
Tagged Aldo Zilli, Andrew Ridgeley, Bayo Furlong, Beat Route, Everything She Wants, Fat Tony, George Michael, Geri Halliwell, June Montana, No1 magazine, Paul Simper, Shirlie Holliman, Swinging 80s, Wag club, Wham!, Young Guns
➤ Farewell George Michael: London's young guns remember their pal from 80s clubland
Posted on 29 December 2016 | Leave a comment
A bearded George Michael before Wham! came along: Captured on 20 February 1981 with his eye on the Nationwide TV camera, among many familiar faces at Soho's Friday night Beat Route – where the Caribbean beach decor was to inspire his song Club Tropicana. (Photo BBC)
◼ THIS ENTIRE WEBSITE CELEBRATES the Swinging 80s when UK subcultures were uniquely re-shaped by the youngest generation since the 60s to create new sounds and new styles in music, fashion and media. George Michael, who died this week, was one among hundreds of inveterate Soho clubbers, except that in his own mind he was a global superstar. Yet before the teenaged George and his schoolmate Andrew Ridgeley signed to Innervision as Wham!, there were several false starts to their career, not least being turned away from the Friday-night Beat Route during its coolest-club-in-town heyday when gatekeeper Ollie O'Donnell decided the boys from Bushey looked just too suburban. The Soho elite of 20-somethings who ran the new club-nights and managed the cool new image bands were very protective of their post-Romantic projects. George was however fly enough to use his contacts behind the bar to ensure he was on the dancefloor during the BBC Nationwide filming for a Spandau Ballet package in February '81, when he clearly had the camera in his sights.
The irony was that by the next year Wham! were pushing a glossy brand of unashamedly "pure pop" that was so new, the debut single Wham Rap! failed to chart when released that June – the BBC declined to playlist the number partly because of its "anti-social" lyrics. After a touch of retuning, four months later Wham! released Young Guns (Go For It!) and this time their hedonistic attitude – mixing humour with social conscience – clicked with the clubland audiences that were growing all over Britain.
A lucky break got them onto Top of the Pops in November when the group came as a shock to the eyeballs. The vocal foursome were immaculately rehearsed. Chinese-slippered George held himself like a star, bare-chested and sporting a leather waistcoat while Andrew and backing singers Shirlie Holliman and Dee C Lee stepped out with panache, all fully choreographed down to their finger-points and slippered toe-points. Then whoosh. Wham! rocketed to No 3 in the UK singles chart in December, the next three singles all made the Top 10, and the Bushey boys graduated to the international A-Team of British superstars. The next four years turned out 25 million albums and 15 million singles and scored four US number one hit singles.
It was evidently an advantage that all four members of Wham! had emerged as faces among London's clubland soul tribes, the dance-crazy cognoscenti who banished rock from the singles charts during 1980-81 and provided an eager audience for new music. Some of them can be seen in the music video for Young Guns shot by Tim Pope at the glitzy Churchill's club in Piccadilly.
Pop journalist about town Paul "Scoop" Simper recalls first meeting Wham! in autumn 1982 while working for Melody Maker. In his forthcoming autobiography, Pop Stars in My Pantry, he writes:
" George told me: "I loved dancing at Le Beat Route. Nobody gave a fuck who I was so you could throw yourself around. If Shirlie was with me we'd really do that pair dancing. It was cool. We'd always make a bit of space and really show off."
There's footage from a BBC Nationwide report on the club which appears in Spandau Ballet's Soul Boys of the Western World movie showing a bearded, curly-haired George in an alarmingly orange suit slap bang in the middle of the dancefloor [pictured at top] from a time when he was still in a ska band called The Executive, before Le Beat Route's playlist helped transform them into Wham!
"Andrew and I were at Le Beat Route when Andrew started going 'Wham! Bam! I am a man!'' and doing this terrible rap," said George. "It was supposed to be funny. But that's where he had the idea. "
➢ Read Simper's full chapter on George at Unbound, the publisher's website, and pre-order your copy of PSIMP
It was the Beat Route itself – actually, its Caribbean beach decor – which was to inspire George's song Club Tropicana and for more than two years O'Donnell's Friday-nighter set the benchmark for the coolest sounds anywhere in Soho with 22-year-old deejay Steve Lewis ruling the turntables.
➢ INSIDE: CONTINUE READING MORE CLUBLAND
TRIBUTES FOR GEORGE MICHAEL
On an inside page, Soho's young guns remember their pals in Wham! – led by…
Paul McKee, admin for Soul Boys Soul Girls at Facebook – "RIP George Michael – A regular at our clubs Le Beat Route, Wag, Bogarts and many others. Easy to forget now the impact Wham Rap! Had. It was not out of place at the time in 1983 when the likes of Funkapolitan, Spandau Ballet, Culture Club, who all came from our clubs, began producing great club records, as the Soul Boys and Soul Girls sound and styles began to change. When Wham! performed Young Guns on TOTP with that dance routine, we all noted some of those little moves he used, we'd witness at a club at any given weekend. Without doubt one of the greatest soul voices and songwriters this country has ever produced. He liked to club like the rest of us, George was one of us."
Posted in Clubbing, History, interviews, London, Media, New Romantics, nightlife, obituaries, Pop music, soul music, Swinging 80s, Tributes, videos, Youth culture
Tagged Aldo Zilli, Andrew Ridgeley, Beat Route, Club Tropicana, Dee C Lee, George Michael, New Romantics, Ollie O'Donnell, Paul McKee, Paul Simper, Pop Stars in My Pantry, Shirlie Holliman, Steve Lewis, Top Of The Pops, Wham!, Young Guns
2016 ➤ Britain stunned by sudden death of George Michael, our biggest pop superstar of the 80s
25 June 1963–25 December 2016
Wham! on The Tube, 1983: George Michael with his partner Andrew Ridgeley on guitar (Photo: ITV)
" Five albums in 25 years is not exactly prolific
but I think pretty good in terms of quality. . .
The body of work is safe now. If I get hit
by a bus tomorrow, people will remember
what I have done and they'll still enjoy it "
– George Michael, 2008
◼ WHAM! SOLD 40 MILLION RECORDS WORLDWIDE in four years after emerging from London's innovative clubbing scene in 1982. As a solo singer-songwriter George Michael then sold another 100 million records, scored seven number one singles in the UK and eight number one hits in the US. He ranks among the best-selling British acts of all time, with Billboard magazine ranking him the 40th most successful artist ever. And he won every major world music award, often more than once. Yet his career was sporadic, interrupted by odd breaks, bouts of melancholy, health problems and in recent years a series of run-ins with the law over reckless driving, drugs and sex.
On his music, disc jockey Paul Gambaccini says: "George is likely to be remembered in two different ways: in Britain he's a pop star and in America he's a soulboy." On his hedonism as propaganda, author Mark Simpson in Rolling Stone concludes: "Whatever the long term effects on his happiness, being 'openly closeted' for so long seems to have been key to not only making Michael a commercially-successful artist but also a surprisingly subversive one. And perhaps it also lay behind his determination, once out, not to go back into the biggest closet of all: respectability."
OBITUARY HIGHLIGHTS
➢ Singer who became Britain's biggest pop star
– Guardian obituary:
" George Michael, who has died aged 53, was Britain's biggest pop star of the 1980s, first with the pop duo Wham! and then as a solo artist. After Wham! made their initial chart breakthrough with the single Young Guns (Go for It!) in 1982, Michael's songwriting gift brought them giant hits including Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go and Careless Whisper, and they became leading lights of the 80s boom in British pop music.
" From the late 1990s onwards Michael was beset by a string of personal crises and clashes with the law caused by drug use. He had always felt ambivalent about the demands of stardom, and found it difficult to balance his celebrity status with his private life. After years of concealing his homosexuality, he eventually came out in 1998, after being arrested for engaging in a "lewd act" in a public lavatory in Beverly Hills, California. . . " / Continued at The Guardian
➢ One of the more enduring musicians of the 80s generation – BBC obituary:
" His talents as a singer, songwriter and music producer made George Michael one of the world's biggest-selling artists. Blessed with good looks and a fine singing voice, his stage presence made him a favourite on the live concert circuit as he matured from teen idol to long-term stardom.
" After early success in the duo Wham! he went on to build a solo career that brought him a string of awards and made him a multi-millionaire. But there were times when his battle with drugs and encounters with the police made lurid headlines that threatened to eclipse his musical talents. He admitted that he often went out at night seeking what he called "anonymous and no-strings sex". . . " / Continued at BBC online
" Outside of Elton John, I'd say he is
probably the greatest philanthopist
in popular music " – Paul Gambaccini
➢ Dame Esther Rantzen, Childline founder:
" For years now George has been the most extraordinarily generous philanthropist, giving money to Childline, but he was determined not to make his generosity public so no-one outside the charity knew how much he gave to the nation's most vulnerable children. Over the years he gave us millions and we were planning next year, as part of our 30th anniversary celebrations to create, we hoped, a big concert in tribute to him – to his artistry, to his wonderful musicality but also to thank him for the hundreds of thousands of children he helped through supporting Childline. "
George with Kenny Goss in happier times… they met in 1996 and broke up in 2009 (Photo: Rex)
" The truth is my love life has been a lot more turbulent than I've let on " – George Michael
➢ Spending time together with love of his life – The Sun:
" George Michael had secretly become close again with the love of his life Kenny Goss, just weeks before his death. George had reached out to Kenny following their difficult split. A close friend revealed: "George and Kenny are back spending time together again and it's an exciting time for those of us who have been so worried over the last few years. The pop superstar split from Texan art dealer Kenny in 2009 after 13 years and his life quickly spiralled, culminating in a lengthy stint in the world's most expensive rehab clinic in Switzerland last year.
" On the opening night of his Symphonica tour in 2011, the singer admitted: "In truth Kenny and I haven't been together for two and a half years. I love him very much. This man has brought me a lot of joy and pain". . . " / Continued at The Sun online
➢ Jim Fouratt, US 80s club host and activist:
" No one seems to remember the incident between George Michael and the president of Sony Music America, Tommy Mottola. I do. George Michael set up a meeting with Mottola, having sold 80 million records worldwide, reaping huge profits for the company. Michael was not happy with how his new album was being marketed. Suddenly, from behind closed doors, the Sony staff could hear Mottola shouting: "Get this faggot out of my office!"
George left. Mattola's homophobia shocked him. He went back to England. Sued Columbia and spent six years without a release in the US. Finally David Geffen signed him to his new label Dreamworks after settling the lawsuit which gave Dreamworks all rights in the US for a new George Michael album. A hit. George Michael was back on the charts in the US. Then the arrest in a public bathroom in Beverly Hills made headlines across the world. Michael (finally) came out.
Very sad to learn of George's passing. But he stood up for himself after he was very publicly outed. Yes, he could have come out earlier – but Mottola's action gives one insight into why he did not. "
➢ Owen Jones, Guardian writer:
" The popstar's openness about his sex life, and his campaigning for LGBT rights, offered a liferaft to many – particularly at a time when anti-gay sentiment was rife. As a closeted teenager back in 1998, it is impossible not to recall the courage and defiance of George Michael. A talented and much adored musician, yes. But also a gay man, and a gay icon, who made the lives of so many LGBT people that little bit easier."
➢ 20 essential songs: The best of the pop icon George Michael's hits – at Rolling Stone:
" George Michael swiftly transitioned from teenage pretty boy to outspoken pop force. "It says something for the power of the music," he told Rolling Stone after the release of his smash 1987 solo debut, Faith, "that I've managed to change the perception of what I do to the degree that I have in this short a time. Because it's something that a lot of people thought wasn't possible. . . " / Continued online
CELEBRITY TRIBUTES
Andrew Ridgeley, schoolfriend, partner in Wham! – "Heartbroken at the loss of my beloved friend Yog. He had a voice that would transport you, he was the finest singer/songwriter of his generation & has left the best of himself for us. RIP."
Michael Lippman, Michael's manager, told Billboard that he died of heart failure and was found "in bed, lying peacefully". . . "I'm devastated."
Spandau Ballet – "We are incredibly sad at the passing of our dear friend George Michael. A brilliant artist and great songwriter."
Simply Red – "It's hard to take in. One of our most talented singer- songwriters has left us. Such sad, tragic news."
Mark Ronson – "George Michael was one of the true British soul greats. A lot of us owe him an unpayable debt."
Paul McCartney – "George Michael's sweet soul music will live on even after his sudden death. Having worked with him on a number of occasions, his great talent always shone through and his self-deprecating sense of humour made the experience even more pleasurable."
Tony Visconti, producer – "I lived through early grief of my pop idols dying on me. Nothing, however, prepared me for this year. Of course the biggest blow was when David Bowie passed. He was my colleague, but more importantly a friend for 48 years. I'm just barely in the acceptance stage with that; my philosophical attitude, 'this just happens', helped a lot. But today, with the death of George Michael, this is a little too close to home. Wham made their first album in my Good Earth studios with Chris Porter engineering and he eventually producing George Michael. As my office was in the studio I would pop my head in and say hello. This has happened too much this year. As of today it feels like a damn conspiracy."
Chaka Khan – "Performed a few shows with George Michael when he was with Wham in the 80s. Here's a clip of him covering Ain't Nobody from 1991."
Sir Elton John – "I am in deep shock. I have lost a beloved friend – the kindest, most generous soul and a brilliant artist."
THE TERRY WOGAN SHOW, 1984
TALKING ABOUT A FILM OF HIS LIFE, 2005
'MY OWN SELF-DESTRUCTIVE STREAK', 2007
➢ 2016, London's young guns remember George Michael
2010, Rich List puts George Michael top of the popstars from the un-lucrative 80s
Posted in Clubbing, Culture, death, gay issues, History, interviews, London, Media, North America, Pop music, soul music, Tributes, videos, Youth culture
Tagged Andrew Ridgeley, Billboard, Desert Island Discs, Esther Rantzen, George Michael, Guardian, Jim Fouratt, Kenny Goss, Martin Kemp, Paul Gambaccini, Rolling Stone, Swinging 80s, This Is Your Life, Wham!
1980–2014 ➤ Ten inspirational reminders from the 80s to stir today's young to action
Waldorf Hotel 1980: seated at centre, Spandau Ballet, house band of Covent Garden's Blitz club, home of the New Romantics movement, plus support team of Blitz Kids who helped put their first single To Cut a Long Story Short into the UK singles chart at No 5, on 6 Dec 1980. Average age 20, everyone had a specific role to play in staging and promoting the band: seven musicians, six designers, three media and management, three club-hosts, two DJs, one crimper and 22 egos. Photographed for the Evening Standard © by Herbie Knott
◼ TEN OF THE MOST POPULAR POSTS visited here during 2014 confirm Shapers of the 80s as an "invaluable website" in the words of British historian Dominic Sandbrook. Grounded in the 1980s – the most explosive decade for British youth culture since the Swinging 60s – our eye witness reports and monthly reviews of British nightlife were originally published in magazines such as The Face, the "style bible" of its day. Our recent commentaries monitor fresh interest in the revival of 80s music and attitude during the past five years. Year-ending visit figures at Shapers of the 80s during 2014 have increased year-on-year by 16% to total 210,000.
Much unseen vintage video footage was discovered by the producers researching Spandau Ballet's biopic, Soul Boys of the Western World, which proved an eye-opening slice of social history when it was released this year. Every frame reveals the sheer energy and commitment to hedonism and creative self-expression that characterised a generation of school-leavers who in the economic gloom of 1979 faced the threat of no jobs ever in their adult lives. The parallels with Britain's protracted austerity today are obvious and we might hope the lessons of the 80s will again inspire the young to take their fate into their own hands.
TEN BENCHMARKS FROM THE SWINGING 80S
Click pic to open a Top of the Pops performance of Wham Rap! in another window … In the original music video (no longer viewable in the UK !!) "man or mouse" Andrew Ridgeley establishes his group's clubbing credentials in the opening shots of the video, pictured, by reading our landmark Face cover story on The Making of UK Club Culture, now reproduced at Shapers of the 80s. (Screengrab © Sony BMG)
➢ Read: 69 Dean Street and the making of UK club culture
No Sacrifice was an alternative fashion show in 1980 organised by Iain R Webb and mounted for art-school refusés: outside Chelsea's Chenil Gallery, Kim Bowen as ever sports a hat by Stephen Jones (right), Jeremy Healy at centre. Photographed © by Mick Hurd
➢ Who's who among the Blitz Kids: 50 crucial nightclubbers who set the style for a decade
New York 1981: Before Spandau Ballet introduced America to electro-diskow at Manhattan's Underground club, the Axiom fashion cooperative staged a runway show of New Romantic outfits. Photographed by © Shapersofthe80s
➢ 1981, first Blitz invasion of the US by Spandau/Axiom
First published in The Face No 39, July 1983
➢ 1983, Who's who in the new London nightlife boom
Seminal spread in i-D issue one: the straight-up style is established with one then unknown New Romantic and one punkette. Photographed on the King's Road in London by Steve Johnston
➢ 1980, 'Your own i-D counts more than fashion'
Real Blitz Kids versus the TV version: George's boyfriend Wilf and Stephen Linard in 1979 (picture, Andy Rosen)… Daniel Wallace as a Linard lookalike and Douglas Booth as Boy George in Worried About the Boy, 2010 (BBC)
➢ How real did 1980 feel? Ex-Blitz Kids give verdicts on the 2010 TV play about Boy George, Worried About the Boy
➢ 1983, Posing with a purpose at the Camden Palace
➢ Six rewrites punk history with an outlandish claim about the Not-Really-From-Bromley Contingent
➢ 1982, "Who?!" Peter Capaldi's first interview (probably) as a green young stand-up
➢ 2014, Video gems unearthed by the Spandau Ballet biopic premiering at SXSW
➢ 2009 till now – Index of all posts at Shapers of the 80s
Posted in Clubbing, Fashion, Film, London, North America, Pop music, Social trends, TV, Youth culture
Tagged Andrew Ridgeley, austerity, Axiom fashion, Blitz Kids, Boy George, Bromley Contingent, i-D magazine, Iain Webb, Kim Bowen, New Romantics, Peter Capaldi, Simon Barker, Spandau Ballet, Stephen Jones, Stephen Linard, Swinging 80s, The Face, Underground club, Wham!
2011 ➤ Wham!'s cunning plan for a Christmas No1 as climax to the 80s revival
Posted on 15 November 2011 | Leave a comment
❚ TWO REASONS TO CELEBRATE. Mother-of-two Shirlie Kemp has just exhumed a load of fab clothes from her heyday with Pepsi Demacque as the all-jiving all-singing girls in Wham! She has piled a load of glam photos of her stage clothes on to her otherwise sedately titled blog, No Place Like Home. We see her Melissa Caplan sheath from the 1982 Top of the Pops debuts of herself as Shirlie Holliman and of the clubland group's single Young Guns in the lucky TV turning point [above] that broke the group after their first single Wham Rap! had initially failed to take off.
Shirlie's bling leather top for Wham! It bears the Kahniverous label. Photo from shirliekemp.com
Shirlie also shows the cowgirl fronded suede top from American Classics in Endell Street, worn in an earlier incarnation of Young Guns.
Most eye-catching of all are those skimpy, gilded, blingy black leathers by the Brummie design duo Kahn & Bell who had shops in Birmingham and Chelsea. However, after a deep search through Wham's YouTube videos as the first Western pop group into China, we find no footage of Shirlie's claim that she wore them onstage there in 1985 — see below for Everything She Wants filmed live in China by British director Lindsay Anderson (which is wrongly dated). By then they had achieved three number-one singles in a row in the US with Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, Careless Whisper and Everything She Wants, while the Billboard year-ending chart listed George Michael's Careless Whisper as the US number-one song of 1985.
➢ Click pic for the fizzing Wham Rap! video in a new window
Above — "Man or mouse" Andrew Ridgeley establishes the group's clubbing credentials in the opening shots of their Wham Rap! video by reading The Face cover story, The Making of Club Culture, written by yours truly in the February 1983 issue
❏ The reason why we've been catching glimpses of Pepsi & Shirlie around the media is the second reason to celebrate. An explosive 25th anniversary comeback by Wham! themselves takes the shape of a 27-track 2-CD anniversary edition of The Final, their farewell compilation album from 1986, with its minimalist Peter Saville cover design. Embracing all four years'-worth of output, it contains six UK No 1 hits, plus both George Michael solo singles (Careless Whisper and A Different Corner). A deluxe edition includes a DVD of 13 restored videos.
The Final is such a double-whammy of greatest dancefloor hits that its November 28 release is a calculated pitch for the top spot in the Christmas chart. And with Duran's magnificent comeback year all but spent musically, Wham!'s cunning plan will represent the last major chart assault by the 80s revival that has warmed our cockles for a full two years.
Wham! went out on a high 25 years ago with an eight-hour grand finale of a concert at Wembley Stadium which coincided with their farewell single The Edge of Heaven hitting No 1 in June, 1986. Pepsi says: "A lot of thought went into stopping when we did — we were at our peak, it was such a high and that's why we can celebrate Wham! The Final now, because we all still have great memories and we're all still great friends."
➢ "Maybe George was going through a cowboy phase" — this week's interview with Pepsi & Shirlie for RealMusic Blog
➢ Rich List puts George Michael top of the popstars
from the un-lucrative 80s
Posted in Asia, Clubbing, Fashion, Pop music, Youth culture
Tagged albums, Andrew Ridgeley, anniversary, China, fashion, George Michael, Interview, Kahn & Bell, Memorabilia, Pepsi Demacque, Shirlie Kemp, The Face, Video, Wham!, Young Guns


Mazon Overview
Mazon, IL Code of Ordinances
VILLAGE OF MAZON, ILLINOIS CODE OF ORDINANCES
ADOPTING ORDINANCES
TITLE I: GENERAL PROVISIONS
TITLE III: ADMINISTRATION
TITLE V: PUBLIC WORKS
TITLE VII: TRAFFIC CODE
TITLE IX: GENERAL REGULATIONS
TITLE XI: BUSINESS REGULATIONS
TITLE XIII: GENERAL OFFENSES
TITLE XV: LAND USAGE
TABLE OF SPECIAL ORDINANCES
PARALLEL REFERENCES
Mazon
§ 32.02 IMPLEMENTING THE PROVISIONS OF THE STATE OFFICIALS AND EMPLOYEES ETHICS ACT.
(A) The regulations of § 5-15 (5 ILCS 430/5-15) and Article 10 (5 ILCS 430/10-10 through 10-40) of the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act, being 5 ILCS 430/1-1 et seq. (hereinafter referred to as the "Act" in this section), are hereby adopted by reference and made applicable to the officers and employees of the village to the extent required by 5 ILCS 430/70-5.
(B) The solicitation or acceptance of gifts prohibited to be solicited or acted under the Act, by any officer or any employee of the village, is hereby prohibited.
(C) The offering or making of gifts prohibited to be offered or made to an officer or employee of the village under the Act is hereby prohibited.
(D) The participation in political activities prohibited under the Act, by any officer or employee of the village, is hereby prohibited.
(E) For purposes of this section, the terms "officer" and "employee" shall be defined as set forth in 5 ILCS 430/70-5(c).
(F) The penalties for violations of this section shall be the same as those penalties set forth in 5 ILCS 430/50-5 for similar violations of the Act.
(G) This section does not repeal or otherwise amend or modify any existing ordinances or policies which regulate the conduct of village officers and employees. To the extend that any such existing ordinances or policies are less restrictive than this section, however, the provisions of this section shall prevail in accordance with the provisions of 5 ILCS 430/70-5(a).
(H) Any amendment to the Act that becomes effective after the effective date of this section shall be incorporated into this section by reference and shall be applicable to the solicitation, acceptance, offering and making of gifts and to prohibited political activities. However, any amendment that makes its provisions optional for adoption by municipalities shall not be incorporated into this section by reference without formal action by the corporate authorities of the city.
(I) If the State Supreme Court declares the Act unconstitutional in its entirety, then this section shall be repealed as of the date that the State Supreme Court's decision becomes final and not subject to any further appeals or rehearings. This section shall be deemed repealed without further action by the corporate authorities of the village if the Act is found unconstitutional by the State Supreme Court.
(J) If the State Supreme Court declares part of the Act unconstitutional but upholds the constitutionality of the remainder of the Act, or does not address the remainder of the Act, then the remainder of the Act as adopted by this section shall remain in full force and effect; however that part of this section relating to the part of the Act found unconstitutional shall be deemed repealed without further action by the corporate authorities of the village.
(Ord. 1999-6, passed 6-21-1999; Ord. 2004-6, passed 5-3-2004)


Madonna, Tupac breakup letter hits the auction block - 00:52
Disney goes high-tech to draw fans to a new 'Lion King' - 01:58
Seth Rogen on 'super weird' royal premiere of "The Lion King" - 01:29
Meghan and Harry meet Beyonce at 'Lion King' premiere - 01:43
Thirty years on, UK rave scene returns in new exhibition - 01:11
The age of personal planes has arrived - 02:08
Sotheby's holds first-ever rare sneaker auction - 01:35
Pharrell Williams unveils new exhibition with Japanese artist Mr. in Paris - 00:46
The world's top 5 highest paid celebs - 01:08
Heroes divided in 'Captain America: Civil War'
Directors Joe and Anthony Russo and star Chris Evans talk about why the Avengers are in conflict in 'Captain America: Civil War'. Rollo Ross reports.
After having epic fight sequences against aliens, Norse gods and psychotic robots, The Avengers have decided to have those same fights against each other in ''Captain America: Civil War". SOUNDBITE co-director, Joe Russo, saying (English) "We like to liken it to a fight at a wedding. It's something that's been brewing in a family for some time and something happens that instigates a fall-out amongst all of the characters." But the fall-out doesn't come from a family squabble, it's more political as the United Nations want the superheroes to sign a treaty to keep them under control, which some have an aversion to. SOUNDBITE actor, Chris Evans, saying (English): "Even in American politics, no one is right or wrong, there's no evil here, we're not fighting Nazis or aliens, this is just a matter of whether we're fighting for our head or our heart." SOUNDBITE co-director, Anthony Russo, saying (English): "Relevancy and topicality are really important to us because it makes the audience feel like it's part of their world. When they're watching it, they feel an immediacy to it which makes them connect more on an emotional level to the storytelling." And with its glowing reviews, it seems that the Russo brothers have hit the superhero nail on the head. 'Captain America: Civil War' will be in cinemas worldwide from April 27
http://reut.rs/1Tttpxx


The Wonder Tribe
Teaching Mastery Institute
A Narrative at Block Play
by Sally | Feb 22, 2012 | Block Play, Reggio Inspired | 1 comment
I love to watch little narratives unfold during centers. One of the best places to "catch" such a narrative is in the block center. Here is the saga I captured today:
Four boys are building a structure. I ask what it is. S replies, "It is a house." H chimes in and says, "It is Halloween and they bump their heads." "Who?" I inquire. "The beyblades." One boy tells me, "It is a haunted house with a battle place. You can battle on top of the house."
"Some people do not know how to spin." C explains. S warns, "They can bounce."
H brings over some tigers. S warns him, "No, don't!" H spins the tigers like a beyblade. "Dude, you can't do that." S warns and then seeing H is not going to back off says, "Pretend he got trapped and can't get out." S slips the tigers under the block structure.
Another boy adds, "The beyblades are sick and have to go inside." The boys make a place for the sick beyblades. Another boy announces, "The tigers are killed."
H returns with a new creation. "Here comes the Electric Shock Ball with two ships."
Another boy enters the play asking if he can join them with his car.
S tells him, "Yes, we will make a home for you." S opens a section of the structure and J slips his car into its new home. Meanwhile one of the boys declares "We all have the same powers. When the beyblades spin, they shoot out fire."
Placing a block over the car, S looks pleased. "It is a new battle area!"
The narrative lasted the entire centers – nearly 25 minutes. During that time many children entered the saga and left. S, C and H remained the constant players. It is so revealing to watch their negotiation skills and how they work out differences. It was rich to see how others entered the play and then disengaged.
Cindy	on February 23, 2012 at 3:26 am
I love, love, love block play. I take numerous pictures throughout the year and by far the most photoed are the creations and children building in the block center. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law once taught at a school that had an entire room devoted to block play. They said it was so neat because the structures could be built on and would evolve over several days and even weeks.
I, too, enjoy the ongoing narratives and collabrative work of the children.
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School Music Performance Programs and the Development of "Functional Musical Literacy": A Theoretical Model
Estelle R. Jorgensen
functional pedagogy
aesthetic curriculum
elementary cognition
Dalcroze
I am proposing a theoretical model or an implicit theory where the framework of ideas presented requires subsequent systematic refinement and formulation of model elements. In some respects this model is characterized as a conceptual model in that the various relationships between the entities of a given structure or concept are described.1
Theoretical models may be built inductively or deductively. They may arise either as the result of accumulated microlevel experimental evidence or derive from macrolevel philosophical thinking. Thus they may be generated by experimentation and/or may generate experimentation subsequently. This study represents an example of a macrolevel deductive approach.
If music education is conceived as aesthetic education in music—a view widely held among music educators—we are committed to important consequences, some of which have not been thought through critically.2 A central issue involves the description of the specific objectives in purview. For example: Is there a minimal "functional" level of musical literacy which should constitute an objective of music education? How is such an objective to be achieved? What for example is the appropriate role of performance-based programs in achieving "functional musical literacy?"3
The National Commission on Instruction has implicitly addressed the question of musical literacy in its report entitled: The School Music Program: Description and Standards.4 It identifies the ability to "use the vocabulary and notation of music" as one of the ten characteristics of the "musically educated person."5 Much of the theoretical base underlying the formulation of these objectives is implicit. Furthermore the objectives of the curricula are stated in general terms and the question of appropriate specific levels of competency is not answered.
The objective of the present study was the development of a theoretical model which would provide a framework for the subsequent formulation of specific objectives for music education and which would address issues which had heretofore been implicit, as for example the relationship of school music performance programs and the development of musical literacy.
The analysis is based on two assumptions6 as follows:
(a) Music education is appropriately described as aesthetic education7 in music;
(b) The objective of aesthetic education in music is the development of "musicianship."
While the notion of music education as aesthetic education has been generally accepted by music educators (following the formulation of Susanne Langer among others) there has been considerable disagreement as to the appropriate description of the aesthetic experience and therefore of aesthetic education.8 Bennett Reimer has extended Langer's notion of aesthetic education as the "education of feeling," emphasizing the emotional (and intuitive) elements of the aesthetic experience.9 Some have emphasized the intellectual elements of the aesthetic experience.10 Others have viewed the aesthetic experience as necessarily eclectic, i.e. containing both emotional and intellectual elements.11
A failure to analyze critically and to designate the elements of the aesthetic experience within a theoretical framework in music education has resulted in ambiguity in specification of the precise objectives of aesthetic education in music and the appropriate descriptors to be employed.12
In a recent theoretical analysis of the aesthetic experience and its appropriate description within the context of music education, musicianship was identified as the objective of aesthetic education in music.13 The formulation in which this objective was stated represents a synthesis of elements of Langer's philosophy, together with subsequent adaptations and refinements by the author and a macrosociocultural perspective proposed by Professors Sorokin and Zentner.14 Several propositions respecting the nature of the aesthetic experience of music which were derived in this analysis may be summarized as follows:15
1. The musical event occupies actual time, virtual or psychologically perceived time (after Langer) and social time (after Sorokin-Zentner). It also occupies actual space, virtual or psychologically perceived space (after Langer) and social space (after Sorokin-Zentner). Here the Langerian analysis has been extended to include the dimensions of social time and space thus giving added prominence to the dimension of space in the musical event and resulting in a necessarily "relative" analysis of musical events.
2. The quality of the musical symbol is maximized at that point where the interplay between actual and virtual time during the musical event is minimized (after Langer). This minimal value approaches zero. Presumably it provides a criterion by which judgments respecting the quality of a given piece of music may be evaluated. It assumes that the composer for example has combined the elements of his piece such that the symbol derives an "illusion," a "separateness" from actual clock time for the listener.
3. Changes over time and space affect the perception of the quality of a given musical symbol. For example a given musical event may be perceived differently over time by virtue of altered "rules" of composition and performance practice among others. Here quality judgments are assumed to be essentially both subjective and relative.
4. Any judgment in quality of a given piece of music at any given time must take into account both the formal structure and the function of that music.
5. The aesthetic experience is a variable one. Generally there is an interplay between affective and intellectual responses but the degree of this interplay will vary widely as a function of the musical symbol itself.
6. "Appreciation" (defined as the quality of aesthetic responsiveness) at any given time varies as a function of an individual's musical aptitude, intelligence level, acquired taste in musical preference, understanding of the music and psycho-physical state before listening to the music, the environment in which the musical event occurs, and the music itself among other factors.
7. Aesthetic responsiveness to music varies over time and is a relative and subjective phenomenon.
8. "Musicianship" comprises two elements: "appreciation" (defined above); and a factor X (representing the ability to transmit or communicate this inner responsiveness to music).
A number of implications follow from the foregoing propositions as follows:
1. The analysis is a relative one; variables are subject to changes in precise detail through time and space.
2. The aesthetic experience involves an integral, albeit variable intellectual component. It involves a cognitive response (either intuitive, rational or both) which presumably must also be educated.
3. The music educator may influence change in only some of the several variables which theoretically affect appreciation.
4. Active performance or communication (factor X) of the inner sensitivity to music (appreciation) is an integral element of music education (the goal being musicianship as defined above).
5. The analysis presumably translates at a variety of casual nexi or integrative levels of analysis thus enabling its use at the psycho-physical, institutional, societal or historical levels.16
Having examined the assumptions on which the analysis is based, we now turn to a model of "functional musical literacy." This model addresses the nature of the cognitive element of the aesthetic response to music.
A MODEL OF "FUNCTIONAL MUSICAL" LITERACY
A conceptual model of functional musical literacy is shown in Figure 1.
Fig. 1. A Conceptual Model of 'Functional Musical Literacy' Through Performance-Based School Music Programs
"Musical literacy" is defined as that minimal level of musical skills which enables an individual to function with musical materials. Specifically the term refers to the intellectual or cognitive as opposed to the emotional or affective elements of appreciation.
One may identify two polarities in respect of the intellectual component: skills in the aural perception of music and rational understanding of musical elements. Aural skills involve the ability to sight-sing or play musical materials, the ability to detect the variety and nuances of musical elements, for example form analysis, pitch, rhythmic, dynamic and timbral perception. A variety of extant pedagogical methods are based upon the assumption that the development of aural skills or "inner hearing" constitute fundamental elements in the music education process.17
Cognitive or rational understanding of musical materials may be viewed structurally, i.e. approached through an analysis of the elements of music from the perspective of a given time and place, or historically, i.e. approached through an analysis of aesthetic and ethic as applied within music over changing time and space. The Manhattanville Music Curriculum Project is an example of a structural approach to musical pedagogy.18 Examples of historical approaches can be found in a variety of musical performance materials prepared for music education purposes, such as the Choral Sounds series by Buryl Red.19 Zentner has identified several principal dimensions characterizing all typification schema within the social realm, notably time, space, number, causation, ethic and aesthetic.20 His analysis can be applied in the description of structural and historical approaches to the cognitive understanding of music, represented as logical opposites, polarities, or theoretical types. These constitute paradigms or "world views," ways by which a cognitive or intellectual understanding of music may be achieved.21 Figure 2 summarizes the principal features of structural and historical paradigms.
Fig. 2. A Comparison of Structural and Historical Paradigms
Dimension Structural
Paradigm Historical
Time Fixed Perspective Relative Perspective
Space Fixed Perspective Relative Perspective
Number Absolute Values Relative Values
Causation Psycho-physical integrative level of analysis Historical integrative level of analysis
Ethic Fixed Perspective Relative Perspective
Aesthetic Fixed Perspective Relative Perspective
The structural view presumes a given and fixed time and space, absolute number values by which musical elements may be accurately described, an emphasis on microlevel problems of causation principally at the psychophysical integrative level of analysis, viz. psychological perception of music, a fixed ethical perspective, and a given or fixed aesthetic. On the other hand the historical view presumes a variable time and space, relative numerical valuation, an emphasis on macrolevel problems of causation principally at the historical integrative level of analysis, a variable ethical perspective, and a variable or relative aesthetic perspective. In terms of emphasis, structural approaches focus on microlevel questions of time, space and number, whereas historical approaches emphasize macro-level questions of ethic and aesthetic. As such they are useful complements for each other.
A typology of musical skills to be considered within the purview of musical literacy having been discussed, the central question remaining is the problem of measurement: the estimation of that minimal level of "skills" or knowledge necessary for the presumption of musical literacy. Music educators have been in the habit of assembling committees of so-called "experts" in a given area and letting them decide what standards will be acceptable. The School Music Program: Description and Standards is one such example.22 Such an approach does not come to grips with central theoretical questions. Rather it simply pools the opinions of those presently in the field. It constitutes a pragmatic rather than a theoretical approach.
I have approached this problem of standards in a tentative way elsewhere.23 One of the difficulties lies not only in the determination of which standards will be acceptable, agreement on which has been found to be variable over time, but the problem of a metric by which the degree of variation from these standards may be measured.24 Certainly the structure and function of a given piece of music, the aesthetic at a given time or place must be taken into account in the formulation of standards. These are absolute considerations which ought to have concomitant absolute evaluative measures. They must be taken into account along with the variety of relative considerations, for example questions of emphasis on given musical periods, evaluation of performance quality among others, which presumably will have associated relative evaluative measures.
Given that a combination of absolute and relative measures can be devised and suitable metrics developed, it should then be theoretically possible to define that point of minimal musical skills at which an individual may be said to function with musical materials and to obtain by a judicious choice of instrument(s) at least an index of performance relative to functional musical literacy.
A MODEL OF PERFORMANCE-BASED SCHOOL MUSIC PROGRAMS
Figure 1 summarizes five types of performance-based programs as follows: historically-oriented, structurally-oriented, aurally-oriented, technically-oriented and extramusically-oriented. These will now be discussed in turn.
Historically-oriented programs focus on selected programmed literature for performance. Repertoire considerations and the preparation of this repertoire for performance are preeminent. Considerable time is spent discussing the selected literature and performance practice from an historical perspective and in preparing that literature for performance.
Structurally-oriented programs focus on structural and theoretical aspects of music. An understanding of the theoretical elements of music to be performed is a preeminent concern. Considerable time is spent in theory and in analysis of musical materials.
Aurally-oriented programs focus on the development of aural skills, for example sight-singing or playing, dictation and related activities. The development of "inner hearing" is an important consideration. Considerable time is spent in sight-singing exercises, (solfège or sol-fa), dictation in one or more parts, physical movement to music (e.g. Jaques-Dalcroze type exercises), and improvisatory activities of various kinds.
Technically-oriented programs focus on the various instrumental techniques. Considerable attention is given to the development of technical skills of the various instrumental groups (woodwind, brass, percussion, strings and vocal). The development of the tone within the ensemble is a preeminent consideration together with the development of technical proficiency and virtuosity.
Extramusically-oriented programs focus on the variety of auxiliary activities associated with the performance act. Such programs have a heavy emphasis on showmanship, stressing marching techniques, choreographed choral performances, baton twirling, musical shows, cabarets and the like. Considerable attention is given to the development of the variety of disciplines necessitated, for example practice of marching drills, rehearsal of choreographed works and baton twirling among others.
Each performance focus has a contribution to make and provides a useful complement to the others. Theoretically it should be possible to optimize the combination of foci so as to maximize musicianship (represented in Figure 1 by the elements of appreciation and factor X). It should be noted that factor X is composed of two elements: discursive expression and non-discursive expression (performance-based programs). The discursive expression element has been discussed elsewhere.25
Of particular interest in the present case is the theoretical relationship between historically-oriented performance programs, which presumably should relate directly to the historical approach to a rational understanding of music; structurally-oriented performance programs, which should relate directly to the structural approach to a rational understanding of music; and structurally-oriented performance programs, which should relate directly to aural perception of music. If we posit that both aural perception and rational understanding of music are components of musical literacy and if we also posit that the various foci of musical performance programs should be combined in some optimal fashion, then at least three performance foci relate directly to the development of musical literacy. These relationships are shown schematically in Figure 1.
Given the above model, what are its implications for musical pedagogy? First, there are theoretical and experimental implications. Considerable research needs to be done, for example in defining musical literacy, in formulating precise standards, developing appropriate measurements for its evaluation and determining the required time-space requirements to enable its achievement. Furthermore the measures developed require experimental validation. In particular the optimal combination of model elements which will maximize musicianship (see Figure 1) should be determined.
Second, given that the prime time for learning to name sounds and therefore the best time to teach musical literacy may have passed by the age of 12 (as Arnold Bentley suggests), there are important implications in the allocation of resources within school music.26 Take for example the distribution of music specialists within elementary and secondary schools. In a recent survey of music supervisors in Canada, while regional differences were indicated, a greater concentration of music specialists was found at the secondary than at the elementary school level in the country as a whole.27 The present model would imply that we concentrate teaching resources at the elementary rather than at the secondary school level, which would involve reversing the present ratios.
Similarly in terms of time allocation in music classes per week across Canada, time in music classes per week at the elementary school level is typically less than that in secondary school music classes. Research into the optimal time allocation for elementary and secondary school music programs is needed.
Also in terms of capital equipment allocation, it is to be expected that instrumental and equipment purchases and maintenance will be adequate to facilitate the development of musical literacy at the elementary school level. Research into the optimal breakdown of capital equipment allocation as between elementary and secondary school music programs is warranted.
Third, there are important implications for the music curriculum in the elementary school. Practically speaking, such a model would translate into a performance-based program with both an instrumental (possibly string) and vocal component. Additional supportive elements would be comprised of those activities relating specifically to the development of an emotional "feeling" for music expressed in such methods as Dalcroze, Orff, and Kodály. I have seen an interesting example of such a curriculum at L'Ecole le Plateau in Montréal, a program currently in its experimental phase and administered under the auspices of the Commission des Ecoles Catholiques de Montréal.
Fourth, the model has important implications for the administration of school music. Jaques-Dalcroze suggested in an essay written in 1905:
Making music a compulsory school subject is the only sure means of mobilising the vital musical forces of a country. Were it undertaken in the right spirit, efficiently organised and confided to intelligent and competent teachers, every child would at the end of two or three years be put to the test: those who showed talent being enabled to continue their studies to the point of attaining the maximum development of their facilities, the remainder, those devoid of all musical taste, being relieved from the burden of lessons of no value to them, and thereby conferring an almost equal benefit on the art, in being debarred from meddling with it, and clogging its progress with ridiculous pretensions.28
What is interesting about his theory is that it speaks to the problem of music education as a right or as a privilege. Music educators have not come to grips with the issue of the point at which music education should appropriately cease to be the right of all and should become a privilege available only to those who desire it and who are musically apt or competent enough to derive benefit from further serious musical instruction. Presumably the formulation of an operational definition of "functional musical literacy" together with the development of concomitant instruments to evaluate its attainment would be of considerable utility in determining that point at which music education ceases to be a right and becomes a privilege.
A more problematic question is that of the appropriate institution in which such musical education should be available. Can the type of musical program envisioned in this model best be accomplished through conservatories, community music schools, "private" studio instruction, on either an individual or group basis, by professional music teachers, or is it best approached within the school system? Certainly this question needs serious study.
1An analysis and interpretation of the common uses of the term model specifically in educational theory is explicated in D.A. MacIver and E.A. Holdaway, "An Analysis of the Use of Models in Education," Alberta Journal of Educational Research 12 (1966), 163-187.
2For a philosophy of music education as aesthetic education in music and a description of some of the curricular implications of such a conceptualization see Bennett Reimer, A Philosophy of Music Education (Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1970).
3The conclusion that school music supervisors in Canada perceive musical illiteracy among school students in their jurisdictions as a problem is supported in the findings of a national survey of school music supervision described in Estelle R. Jorgensen, "Selected Indexes of the Academic and Professional Preparation of Music Supervisors in Canada," Journal of Research in Music Education 28 (1980), 92-102; Estelle R. Jorgensen, "The Scope and Nature of the School Music Supervisor Role in Canada," The Canadian Music Educator 21, No. 2 (Winter 1980), 14-21.
4Music Educators National Conference, The School Music Program: Description and Standards (Reston: Music Educators National Conference, 1974).
5Ibid., p. 4.
6For a discussion of the basis for these assumptions see Estelle R. Jorgensen, A Critical Analysis of Selected Aspects of Music Education (Calgary: Department of Educational Administration, University of Calgary, 1977), pp. 50-100.
7The possibility of legitimate extra-aesthetic values in music education is suggested in Philip Vos Fellman, "Constructing a Philosophical Paradigm for Music Education," Journal of Aesthetic Education 14, No. 3 (July 1980), 39.
8An explication of Langer's philosophy of the aesthetic experience of music may be found in Susanne K. Langer, Philosophy in a New Key: A Study in the Symbolism of Reason, Rite and Art (New York: Penguin, 1948); Susanne K. Langer, Feeling and Form: A Theory of Art (New York: Scribner, 1953). Analyses of the implications of her philosophy for music education include studies by Ralph E. Wade, "Susanne K. Langer's Musical Aesthetics with Implications for Music Education" (Dissertation, Indiana University, 1965); Floyd B. Chrominster, "The Practical Significance of Susanne Langer's View on the Emotion-Intellect Dilemma in Music EducationA Philosophical Analysis and Appraisal" (Dissertation, University of Kansas, 1969).
9Reimer, pp. 28-41.
10See J. Hanshumaker, "On Reimer's Philosophy of Music Education," The Journal of Aesthetic Education 7 (1973), 90-100; L.A. Reid, "On Reimer's Philosophy of Music Education," The Journal of Aesthetic Education 7 (1973), 10-20; Abraham A. Schwadron, "Structural Meaning and Music Education," The Journal of Aesthetic Education 3 (1969), 109-122.
11See Philip E. Vernon, "The Psychology of Music with Especial Reference to its Appreciation, Perception and Composition" (Dissertation, Cambridge University, 1931), quoted in Rosamund Shuter, The Psychology of Musical Ability (London: Methuen, 1968), p. 223.
12The problem of underconceptualization in the field of music education is noted in Fellman, p. 37.
13Jorgensen, A Critical Analysis, pp. 90-96.
14Henry Zentner, "Sorokin's Analysis of Time and Space," Sorokin and Sociology: Essays in Honour of Professor Pitirim Sorokin, ed. G.C. Hallen and R. Prasad (Moti Katra, Agra, India: Satish, 1972).
15See Jorgensen, A Critical Analysis, pp. 50-100.
16For the argument that social systems are organized in hierarchical fashion in levels of increasing complexity similar to those in nature, termed "integrative levels" (because each level organizes that below it and is in turn integrated within successively higher levels) see Alastair Taylor, "Systems Approach to the Political Organization of Space," Social Science Information, International Social Science Council, 14 (1975), 7-40.
17Two examples may be cited: Emile Jaques-Dalcroze, Rhythm, Music and Education (New York: Blom, 1972), consisting of essays dated between 1898 and 1919; and Zoltán Kodály, The Selected Writings of Zoltán Kodály (New York: Boosey and Hawkes, 1974), including essays on music education dated between 1929 and 1966.
18R.B. Thomas, ed., MMCP Synthesis: A Structure for Music Education (Elnora, New York: Media Inc., 1970).
19Buryl A. Red, Choral Sounds (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1973).
20An illustrative use of these types in an analysis of the problems of curricular planning for socio-cultural development may be seen in Henry Zentner, "Curricular Planning for Socio-cultural Change and Development: A Critique," The Journal of Educational Thought 13 (1979), 170-196.
21For a typical usage of the term "paradigm" in sociology, see T.S. Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, 2nd ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1977); Andrew Effrat, "Power to the Paradigms," Sociological Inquiry 42 (1972), 6-12.
22MENC, The School Music Program, pp. vii, viii.
23Estelle R. Jorgensen, "On Excellence in Music Education," McGill Journal of Education 15 (1980), 94-104.
24The question of the variability of agreement on standards over time has been discussed in Pitirim Sorokin, Social and Cultural Dynamics, I (New York: Bedminster, 1937); Zentner, "Sorokin's Analysis of Time and Space."
25Jorgensen, A Critical Analysis, p. 94.
26Shuter, p. 106.
27Jorgensen, "The Scope and Nature of the School Music Supervisor Role in Canada," p. 19.
28Jaques-Dalcroze, p. 16.
Last modified on Thursday, 25/10/2018


Update: London Fields filtering scheme - consultation announcement
Hackney ,
Hackney Town Hall
Hackney Council has announced that it will be launching a consultation in the London Fields area in January 2016 about the traffic filtering scheme that has been proposed to support the Mayor of London's Cycling Vision, including the Quietway route through this area, whilst also assisting Hackney Council's priorities of reducing through traffic and improving safety for cyclist and pedestrians.
The Council had planned to trial a road closure scheme in the New Year and consult residents at the same time. However due to very strong feeling on both sides and the high levels of public interest, the Council will hold a full public consultation, starting in January, which will allow residents to have their say on a number of options, before any decisions are made.
The consultation will contain both closed style questions and opportunities to give fuller responses. The data will be independently analysed by a market research organisation, to ensure that residents can have full confidence in the integrity of the analysis.
Cllr Feryal Demirci, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Sustainability
There will be a public meeting at Hackney Town Hall Assembly Rooms on Monday 14 December at 7pm, which will give residents the chance to share their opinions and to help shape the consultation.


Home / Food & Drink / Confectionery / Jelly Beans / Eco Range – Eco Kraft Cube – Beanies – 50g
Eco Range – Eco Kraft Cube – Beanies – 50g
(gbp) 1.52 1.488 1.456 1.424 1.392 1.36
Shipping 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40
A Eco Kraft Cube filled with Chocolate Beanies. Branded with a full colour paper semi-gloss wrap.
Beanies: Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Dried Skimmed MILK, Cocoa Mass, Dried Whey (MILK), Lactose (MILK), Tapioca Starch, Butter Oil (MILK), Colours (Titanium Dioxide, Carbon Black, Sulphite Ammonia Caramel, Beetroot Concentrate, Anthocyanins (from Black Carrot), Brilliiant Blue, Copper Chlorophyllin, Mixed Carotenes, Carmine, Curcumin, ), Emulsifier (SOYA Lecithin), Vanilla Flavouring, Glazing Agent (Shellac, Carnauba Wax), Palm Kernal Oil. Milk Chocolate contains: Cocoa Solids 28%, Milk Solids 14% minimum. ALLERGY ADVICE: For allergens, see ingredients in CAPITALS.
Winter Collection – Sunray Gift Tin
Eco Range – Eco Midi Pot – The Jelly Bean Factory®
Eco Range – Eco Cube Box – Mint Imperials
Eco Range – Eco Maxi Pot – Skittles


Track Fire!
by jarmatz
Pistachio Disaster
Nov 21, 2008 | 41781 views | 0 | 2439 | | | permalink
Some friends and I were attending two events in Bushwick. The first event was off the L-Morgan Ave stop. After attending in a most excellent fashion the first event, which was an art/fashion show at Brooklyn's own 3rd Ward, my crew hopped back down to the subway platform to travel deeper into the borough. Unfortunately, we were confronted by a track fire.
Not just a distant idea of a track fire somewhere down the line that caused train delays, but an honest to goodness, smoldering third rail right before our very eyes. There were gentleman claiming to be undercover/off duty police officers who explained to us that trains would not be running, stranding us in relatively deserted industrial part of Brooklyn.
Ever the optimist, one of my three friends and myself hung close to the tracks, trying to keep an eye out for an oncoming train while doing our best to inhale as little smoke as possible. We were not successful in either endeavor.
The train never came, and we took a hired van to drive us to the second event, which, no offense to the cab drivers of New York City, is something that I never ever want to do. But our time in the tunnel had not left us unaffected, as the younger members of our group, the ones who had steered clear of the fire and smoke, were coughing and hacking all night long, eventually leaving early to find some refreshing beverages with which to cool their throats.
As for me, my lungs are hardy and brittle twins, and if affected by the toxic third rail smoke at all, would not behave any differently. Fortunately, my partner in their hazy operation had a handy new iPhone device that was able to snap photographs of me unsuccessfully hiding my throat from the all encompassing fumes. Here, posted without her permission, is one of those photos.
I can only urge my readers to steer clear of track fires, because they can really dampen a good party-going spirit. The MTA says that litter contributes to track fires, but seeing one first hand, I don't really understand how they can be related, so please continue to throw latte cups and Milky Way wrappers onto the tracks. The rats have to eat something.
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You are here: Home / Film Review: "I Am Mother" / Movies / Film Reviews / Film Review: "I Am Mother"
Film Review: "I Am Mother"
June 18, 2019 by Michael D. Smith Leave a Comment
Starring: Rose Byrne, Clara Rugaard
Directed by: Grant Sputore
With the same gusto that Robert Downey, Jr.'s Tony Stark used to declare, "I am Iron Man," I am hereby announcing that "I Am Mother," currently on Netflix, is the best work of science fiction to grace the cinema universe since 2014's bold "Ex Machina." Brimming with a Stanley Kubrick vibe, "I Am Mother" holds your attention with ferocious vigor from beginning to end without ever skipping a beat. It captures the horrors of artificial intelligence gone wrong, something the late Stephen Hawking warned humanity about, with an engrossing cerebral script, solid acting, and a vision of the future that should make anyone shudder. This film should also make us question what is cinema?
"I Am Mother," which debuted at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, begins with dark, foreboding music as we are taken to an underground repopulation center. A red counter on the screen tells us that just one day has elapsed since an "extinction event;" that there are 65,000 human embryos being stored here; and that there are no human beings currently alive in the complex. The extinction event is kept a mystery to us, but in the meantime, we watch a solitary droid, known simply as Mother (voiced by Rose Byrne, "X-Men: Apocalypse"), begin the task of restarting humanity by incubating an embryo. When that child eventually asks why it's the only one, the kind Mother cryptically says that she needs practice to become a good parent.
Flash forward to 15,867 days after the extinction event to when a teenage girl, Daughter (Clara Rugaard, "Teen Spirit"), is prepping for a test involving moral and ethical conundrums. It's at this point our suspicions of Mother grow deeper since Daughter is still the only child in the facility, and roughly 40 years have passed since the first embryo was grown into a walking, talking human being. The situation becomes complicated because of Daughter's own curiosity and the arrival of Woman (Hilary Swank) at the front door. The appearance of Woman, who has been shot, further contradicts Mother who repeatedly warns Daughter that the outside world is unhabitable for humans. Woman, who is less than truthful herself, paints a picture of human annihilation by A.I.-controlled droids.
A brilliant first feature-length directorial effort by Grant Sputore, "I Am Mother" has influences on it that range from "Terminator" to "2001: A Space Odyssey" to "Ex Machina" itself. There is a great feeling of suspense that builds and builds until it reaches a crescendo that will leave you analyzing what you saw for hours after the final credits leave the TV screen. Rugaard is a joy to watch as she delivers a breakout performance that rivals Alicia Vikander's in "Ex Machina." Byrne gives us a new HAL 9000 and Swank is raw and powerful as a lone survivor.
Despite its greatness, is "I Am Mother" not cinema in the truest sense of the word because it is a Netflix endeavor and did not have, for example, a 3,000-screen release across the United States with an international debut of even more? And if it is classified in the same way as say a new "Terminator" would be, without gracing a silver screen, does that mean it would hypothetically be eligible for an Oscar? "I Am Mother" and others like it are a sign of changing times and perhaps a redefinition of what cinema is.
Filed Under: Film Reviews Tagged With: film, mother, review


Pete Buttigieg has a plan to win over women
Buttigieg has made a firm commitment to nominate women to 50 percent of Cabinet positions and judicial seats.
By Alexia Fernández Campbell@AlexiaCampbell Oct 24, 2019, 6:00am EDT
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Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg greets residents before the start of a Peace Walk hosted by Christ Temple Apostolic Church on June 29, 2019 in South Bend, Indiana.
Part of Vox's guide to where 2020 Democrats stand on policy
South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg wants women to know that he is an ally. That he gets their frustration over the gender pay gap. That he knows what consent means and what the "motherhood penalty" is all about.
On Thursday, he released a 26-page agenda focused entirely on women's rights. It's one of the most detailed plans focused on women so far in the Democratic primary.
Much of the agenda includes promises that other candidates have already made, such as guaranteeing 12 weeks of paid leave to new parents and endorsing the Equal Rights Amendment. But he goes even further than others in some cases. For example, he vows to nominate women for at least half of the cabinet positions and judicial seats if he makes it to the White House. He also said he would support the creation of a Smithsonian Women's History Museum on the National Mall and would establish a commission to increase the number of national monuments dedicated to women. He would also put Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill.
Buttigieg's women-focused agenda comes as he prepares to meet this weekend with New Hampshire voters at a town hall focused on women's economic empowerment and a roundtable focused on family issues. "It's an important plan for Pete to put out to demonstrate his commitment to taking on gender inequality as president," a campaign spokesperson said in an email to Vox.
It's also a smart political strategy.
Polls show that Buttigieg has some support from female voters, but he could do better. The latest Morning Consult polling shows that he's the top pick for 4.9 percent of women who will likely vote in the Democratic primary, compared to 6 percent total support among primary voters. Former Vice President Joe Biden is the top pick for women, according to the poll, followed by Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. But Buttigieg's closest primary rival, Sen. Kamala Harris, has more support than he does: 5.8 percent.
Harris has her own plan focused on women and gender equality, and she has repeatedly brought these issues to the forefront of her campaign. With a record number of women vying for the White House, Buttigieg is trying to show voters that male politicians can be feminists, too.
Buttigieg's plan to close the gender pay gap offers much-needed transparency
Part of Buttigieg's plan focuses on enforcing laws that are already on the books.
He wants to double funding for the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, for example, which enforces anti-discrimination laws in the workplace. Right now, the EEOC is severely underfunded, which has caused a backlog of cases for staff lawyers to investigate.
His plan also shows a deep understanding of the barriers working women face. He wants to ban companies from asking new hires about their salary history, as basing salary offers on past compensation perpetuates discrimination that keeps women's salaries lower then men's. Some cities and states have already banned the question.
Buttigieg also supports legislation that would require companies to publish the median pay gap within its workforce, specifically the difference in earnings between women and men, and between white employees and workers of color. That would be a huge step toward helping identify pay disparities. The EEOC just began requiring companies to submit detailed pay data broken down by gender and race, but none of that information is public. Letting the public see this data would give companies a strong incentive to address pay discrimination.
"Transparency allows the public to hold companies accountable for treating women fairly, and enables women to make decision about where to work and what salary to negotiate," Buttigieg states in his plan.
In other areas, Buttigieg plays it safe by endorsing legislation that most Democratic candidates have already endorsed.
Buttigieg said he supports legislation similar to the Family Act, which would provide parents with 12 weeks of partially paid parental and medical leave, funded through an increase in payroll taxes on workers and businesses. The bill is endorsed by most Democratic frontrunners, though Buttigieg says he will tweak it so that using parental leave doesn't decrease the amount of paid medical leave an employee can take.
He also endorses the Schedules That Work Act, which guarantees predictable schedules for workers, or extra pay if they have to work irregular schedules. He also backs the Healthy Families Act, which would require most businesses to provide full-time workers with at least seven days of paid sick leave. Most Democratic candidates also endorse these bills.
The South Bend, Indiana, mayor does have an interesting idea to get more women into federal politics, though. He wants to use federal funds to match donations to women and low-income candidates, considering that fundraising is a key barrier to women seeking office. Public financing for federal elections will "level the playing field" in politics, he writes.
Buttigieg's promise to make child care affordable for everyone is a bit vague, though he says he will release a detailed plan soon. It's an important issue: The high cost of child care is an enormous barrier for mothers who want to join the workforce, and a huge burden on families who pay for it.
He would also spend $50 billion to increase access to capital and mentorship for female business owners. He just doesn't say where this money would come from.
One of the most novel parts of his plan involves extending Social Security benefits to caregivers. Right now, people who take care of children and relatives full time do not receive Social Security credit for their work. Under the plan, they would get the equivalent of 50 percent of the average earnings of a full-time worker. Once again, he doesn't say how this will get funded. After all, caregivers don't pay Social Security taxes like other workers do, and it's not like the Social Security Trust Fund has a lot of extra money to spend. But the idea makes sense and would go far toward giving women a more secure retirement.
Buttigieg's plan to promote women's health, safety, and reproductive rights
When it comes to abortion rights, Buttigieg's plan is hardly revolutionary. It mostly mirrors what other Democrats have promised to do.
Most of the 2020 Democrats agree on a few broad policy proposals on abortion: repealing the Hyde Amendment, which bans federal funding for most abortions; codifying the right to an abortion in federal statute if Roe v. Wade is overturned; and repealing the domestic and global gag rules to allow recipients of federal family planning funding to perform and refer for abortions.
So does Buttigieg.
Abortion matters to American voters. In a poll earlier this year, 79 percent of likely Iowa Democratic caucus-goers said support for abortion rights is essential for a candidate — more so than any other issue.
As abortion opponents are continuing their efforts to chip away at Roe v. Wade, a case before the Supreme Court this year could significantly weaken the decision. The next president will almost certainly have the opportunity to make at least one appointment to the Court, helping determine whether the march of abortion restrictions hastens or slows.
With many state laws already in place restricting access to abortion services, one notable aspect of Buttigieg's plan involves expanding access by letting doctors prescribe abortion medication remotely to women who don't have a clinic nearby.
Preventing and responding to sexual harassment is also a central focus of Buttigieg's agenda. He wants all public school students to be trained on the basics of sexual consent and bystander intervention. He also wants to force companies to disclose the number of sexual harassment incidents reported, investigated, and settled each year. And he plans to ban the use of nondisclosure agreements, which are often used to silence women who have experienced sexual harassment on the job.
The next president will also need to focus on maternal health care. Right now, women are dying from childbirth at a higher rate than they did a generation ago, and women of color have the highest maternal mortality rates. Buttigieg plans to address this alarming trend by supporting legislation that requires hospitals and clinic staff to take anti-bias and anti-racism training. He also said he would increase funding for the Maternal Mortality Review Commissions and expand postpartum mental health services.
Also, in often-overlooked health care, Buttigieg also wants to require health insurance companies to cover the costs of gender affirming medical treatments for transgender women.
How Buttigieg's women's plan compares to other candidates' proposals
Aside from Harris and former Rep. Beto O'Rourke, none of the other candidates have released a thorough agenda focused entirely on women's rights. The majority do have plans to make abortion more accessible to women who need them, similar to what Buttigieg proposes. Nearly all of the candidates also have a plan to address the high rate of maternal mortality, some even more ambitious than Buttigieg's. Elizabeth Warren, for example, wants to reward hospitals that reduce black maternal mortality rates and punish those that fail to do so.
O'Rourke wants to allocate $100 billion in federal contracts to women-owned small businesses.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, like Buttigieg, also wants to close what is known as the "boyfriend loophole," which would stop people who have a history of abusing dating partners from owning guns.
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has a campaign webpage focused just on women's issues, but it doesn't include anything more than what everyone else has already promised. Tom Steyer's campaign webpage on women's equality has even fewer policy details.
While Harris and Buttigieg have the most detailed policy proposals, Harris's are more ambitious. For example, she wants to put the burden on companies to prove that they are paying women and men equally by requiring corporations to obtain an Equal Pay Certificate. Companies that can't get the certificate will be fined 1 percent of their profits for every 1 percent in their wage gap.
That said, no one but Buttigieg has made a firm commitment to nominate women for 50 percent of cabinet positions and judicial seats.
All in all, Buttigieg's campaign seems to have a deep understanding of some of the biggest challenges women are facing. While some of his policies stand out, most are pretty safe choices. However, it may be enough to persuade more women to pick him.
Clarification: A previous version of this article omitted the fact that Beto O'Rourke has also released a detailed plan to address gender inequality.
Vox's guide to where 2020 Democrats stand on policy
The metapolitics of Medicare-for-all
Bernie Sanders's Medicare-for-all plan, explained
The Sanders-Warren dispute about how to pay for Medicare-for-all, explained
Elizabeth Warren's plan to pay for Medicare-for-all, explained
Elizabeth Warren's new Medicare-for-all plan starts out with a public option
Joe Biden's health care plan, explained
Kamala Harris's Medicare-for-all plan, explained
Pete Buttigieg's Medicare-for-all-who-want-it plan, explained
Where 2020 Democrats agree and disagree on Medicare-for-all
How the Democratic presidential candidates would combat the opioid epidemic
Elizabeth Warren's $100 billion plan to fight the opioid epidemic, explained
Kamala Harris's plan to reduce prescription drug costs, explained
America's first-ever public option, explained by Gov. Jay Inslee
Elizabeth Warren's ambitious new bill to lower generic drug prices, explained
What 2020 Democrats would do about maternal mortality rates
Democrats' confused, and confusing, Medicare-for-all debate
Criminal justice 12
Bernie Sanders's criminal justice reform plan, explained
Elizabeth Warren's criminal justice reform plan, explained
Kamala Harris's criminal justice reform plan, explained
Cory Booker is a genuinely distinctive Democrat on one big issue: criminal justice
Cory Booker has a plan to reform the criminal justice system — without Congress
The controversial 1994 crime law that Joe Biden helped write, explained
Amy Klobuchar's record as a "tough on crime" prosecutor, explained
Joe Biden's long record supporting the war on drugs and mass incarceration, explained
Kamala Harris just introduced a bill to decriminalize marijuana
Amy Klobuchar has a plan to reverse the war on drugs — and doesn't need Congress to do it
Kamala Harris wants public defenders to get paid as much as prosecutors
Thousands of rape kits are currently untested. Kamala Harris has a plan to change that.
Taxes and economics 12
Bernie Sanders's wealth tax proposal, explained
Elizabeth Warren's proposed tax on enormous fortunes, explained
Bernie Sanders's new plan to supercharge the estate tax, explained
Elizabeth Warren's latest big idea is "economic patriotism"
Bernie Sanders wants to tax companies that pay their CEOs way more than their workers
Elizabeth Warren's plan to expand Social Security, explained
The big divide among 2020 Democrats over trade — and why it matters
Presidential hopefuls are promising workers a $15 minimum wage
Elizabeth Warren's vision for changing America's trade policy, explained
Elizabeth Warren's plan to make farming great again, explained
Amy Klobuchar's $1 trillion infrastructure plan, explained
Michael Bennet's plan to prevent and end recessions, explained
Immigration 6
The 2020 Democratic immigration debate, explained
Bernie Sanders's immigration plan puts the rights of workers into focus
Elizabeth Warren's immigration proposal goes much further than a pathway to citizenship
Julián Castro wants to radically restrict immigration enforcement
Beto O'Rourke's immigration plan would go even further on executive power than Trump
Elizabeth Warren has endorsed the most radical immigration idea in the 2020 primary
A guide to how 2020 Democrats plan to fight climate change
Kamala Harris's climate plan would take polluters to court
Bernie Sanders's Green New Deal, explained
Pete Buttigieg wants the US to be carbon-neutral by the time he's 68
Elizabeth Warren thinks corruption is why the US hasn't acted on climate change
Julián Castro's Green New Deal frames climate as a civil rights issue
Beto O'Rourke now has the most robust climate proposal of any 2020 presidential candidate
Andrew Yang's plan to tackle climate change, explained
Jay Inslee promised serious climate policy and he is delivering
Jay Inslee has a radical plan to phase out fossil fuel production in the US
Kirsten Gillibrand wants the fossil fuel industry to pay for climate damages
Jay Inslee is writing the climate plan the next president should adopt
Identity and social justice 12
The 2020 Democratic primary debate over reparations, explained
The one big policy change 2020 Democrats want to make for veterans, explained
The Democratic debate over letting people in prison vote, explained
Julián Castro has an ambitious plan to fix American policing
Marianne Williamson presents the 2020 Democratic primary's first reparations plan
Pete Buttigieg lays out his plan to help black Americans
Julián Castro released an animal welfare plan. It's good policy — and smart politics.
Julián Castro's indigenous communities plan is a 2020 first
Elizabeth Warren has a plan to narrow the wage gap for women of color
Amy Klobuchar releases plan to fight hate crimes in wake of El Paso shooting
Study: Cory Booker's baby bonds nearly close the racial wealth gap for young adults
Beto O'Rourke just unveiled a comprehensive proposal to protect LGBTQ people
Elizabeth Warren's K-12 education plan, explained
Elizabeth Warren's free college plan, explained
Bernie Sanders's free college proposal just got a whole lot bigger
Bernie Sanders is rolling out an education plan that cracks down on charter schools
Kamala Harris's plan to dramatically increase teacher salaries, explained
Democrats' ongoing argument about free college, explained
Cory Booker's massive overhaul of the Newark schools, explained
Joe Biden's plan to triple spending on low-income schools, explained
Business, labor, and tech 12
Every 2020 frontrunner's labor platform, explained
Bernie Sanders's plan to reshape corporate America, explained
Elizabeth Warren wants to break up Google, Amazon, and Facebook
Amy Klobuchar enters 2020 race ready to take on Big Tech
Elizabeth Warren's new plan to make sure Amazon (and other big companies) pays corporate tax, explained
Elizabeth Warren wants CEOs to go to jail when their companies behave badly
The 20-year argument between Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren over bankruptcy, explained
Bernie Sanders's corporate employee ownership plan, explained
Elizabeth Warren's latest Wall Street enemy: private equity
The big new plan to save unions endorsed by Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg, explained
Bernie Sanders's ambitious plan to double union membership, explained
Facial recognition tech is a problem. Here's how the Democratic candidates plan to tackle it.
Family issues 6
We asked all the 2020 Democrats how they'd fix child care. Here's what they said.
Kamala Harris's new paid family leave plan is the most generous yet
Elizabeth Warren's universal child care plan, explained
Kamala Harris's plan to close the gender wage gap, explained
Kirsten Gillibrand is making paid family leave a defining issue in her 2020 run
Kirsten Gillibrand's new policy platform is about making parenting affordable
Foreign policy 8
The 2020 Democrats' foreign policy divide
Democrats want to challenge Trump's foreign policy in 2020. They're still working out how.
Democrats are increasingly critical of Israel. Not Pete Buttigieg.
Bernie Sanders's political revolution on foreign policy, explained
John Delaney has a serious foreign policy plan
Why Kirsten Gillibrand's foreign policy plan is one of the strongest yet
Why Joe Biden's foreign policy experience is both a weakness and a strength in 2020
Joe Biden wants to restore the pre-Trump world order
Guns 6
Here's where every 2020 candidate stands on guns
Joe Biden's gun plan calls for universal background checks and an assault weapons ban
Elizabeth Warren has a new plan to reduce gun violence by 80 percent
Bernie Sanders's record on gun control, explained
Pete Buttigieg's plan to combat domestic terrorists and pass gun control laws, explained
Cory Booker's ambitious new gun control plan, explained
Here's where all the 2020 Democratic candidates stand on abortion rights
Elizabeth Warren just announced her abortion platform. It's aggressive.
Kamala Harris has a plan to stop states from restricting abortion access
Joe Biden's evolution on abortion, explained
Government reform and anti-corruption 8
Elizabeth Warren's new remedy for corruption: a tax on lobbying
Elizabeth Warren's first priority as president: ending government corruption
2020 Democrats' campaign finance pledges, explained
Elizabeth Warren has a new plan to make voting easier
The Democratic debate over filibuster reform, explained
Elizabeth Warren says she wants to make it legal to indict presidents
Kirsten Gillibrand's plan to get more small donors into politics: give every voter $600
Elizabeth Warren's new policy rollout targets Pentagon corruption
Poverty and inequality 4
5 anti-poverty plans from 2020 Democratic presidential contenders, explained
Kamala Harris's new basic income-style bill is so frustratingly close to being great
Why Andrew Yang wants to give a random Twitter follower a $12,000 basic income
Elizabeth Warren's plan to fix America's digital divide, explained
Bernie Sanders's housing-for-all plan, explained
Cory Booker's plan to fix the housing crisis and make renting affordable
Cory Booker and Kamala Harris's affordable housing plans, explained