{"id":21351,"date":"2016-09-29T09:29:29","date_gmt":"2016-09-29T13:29:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=21351"},"modified":"2016-09-29T09:29:36","modified_gmt":"2016-09-29T13:29:36","slug":"on-stage-conestoga-grad-fights-back-against-bullying-with-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=21351","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Conestoga grad fights back against bullying with music"},"content":{"rendered":"

Livvie Forbes’ debut CD launches tonight<\/em><\/h2>\n

By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>,\u00a0<\/span>Staff Writer, The Times<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\"Livvie<\/a>

Livvie Forbes<\/p><\/div>\n

Berwyn\u2019s Livvie Forbes had to deal with a number of serious health problems when she was growing up \u2013 physical and psychological. As she moved through the grades in the Tredyffrin-Easttown School District, another problem haunted her \u2013 bullying.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, Forbes, who graduated from Conestoga High this year, has the last laugh on all the bullies who tormented her for years in school. He has just recorded her debut album \u201cChronic\u201d and will be headlining a CD Release Show on September 29 at the World Caf\u00e9 Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1400, www.worldcafelive.com<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

When Forbes was a student at Hillside Elementary School in Berwyn, her height and weight began to accelerate \u2013 at a rate much faster than her classmates. That made her a target for school bullies.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>The bullying started in second grade,\u201d said Forbes, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon. \u201cI was bigger than everybody else so I got picked on. I was 5-foot-2. Everyone else was four feet. They\u2019d call me Big Bird, things like that. I just cried a lot.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Even at that young age, I got depressed and sad \u2013 and I lost interest in things. I\u2019d just cry and feel awful. There was no safe place at that point. Depression and anxiety led to eating problems and being introverted.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>When I was in middle school, other students would beat me up on the playground and choke me on the bus. They said things like \u2013 \u201cYou\u2019re fat. You\u2019re ugly. Why don\u2019t you just kill yourself?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>I kept withdrawing. There is a disassociation that comes with severe depression. You lack a sense of grounding. I developed eating disturbances. Id make myself throw up a lot. I kind of drowned in the victim thing. And, I broke my ankles a lot.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Fortunately, the doctors were finally able to figure out the cause of Forbes\u2019 medical problems.<\/span><\/p>\n

There was Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a connective tissue disorder that results in unstable joints. There was polycystic ovary syndrome, a hormonal disorder that causes obesity.<\/span><\/p>\n

Along with all that, she suffered from amplified musculoskeletal pain syndrome and reflex neurovascular dystrophy \u2013 two conditions which cause extreme pain in the joints.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>I was dislocating my ankles and having severe pain in them and, for the longest time, they couldn\u2019t figure out why,\u201d said Forbes. \u201cNothing would show up on the MRI. I was in chronic pain.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Then, in 10<\/span>th<\/sup><\/span> grade, it got properly diagnosed. Now, the pain is not as debilitating and I\u2019m able to actually live and participate in life. CBD oil helps.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Forbes also found solace in music.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>I grew up with music all around me,\u201d said Forbes. \u201cMy brother was into music a lot and my parents listened to classic rock. I\u2019ve always loved music. I took lessons when I was younger.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>I studied piano then violin then clarinet then banjolele then thumb piano then mandolin. I was in ninth grade when I got into a singing program at the Main Line School of Rock.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Eventually, Forbes started recording some demos and that started the ball rolling. A demo reached David Uosikkinen, drummer for The Hooters and In the Pocket, and that really started the ball rolling.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy dad knew David,\u201d said Forbes. \u201cMy dad gave him my CD without telling him who I was. David waited a few months to listen to it and then he put it in his car and he had to pull over because he was so astonished by my voice.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Uosikkinen knew immediately that he wanted to produce her records and worked on putting together a band of Philly area all-stars. Uosikkinen, who played drums on the songs, enlisted Hooters\u2019 bandmate Eric Bazilian along with Steve Butler (Smash Palace), Kenny Aaronson (The Yardbirds), Fran Smith Jr. (The Hooters) and Wally Smith (Smash Palace).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>We finished the album in March,\u201d said Forbes. \u201cNow, we\u2019re releasing it this week with a show at the World Cafe Live.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Livvie Forbes \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/N7M0OogDYWc?t=1<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at the World Cafe Live, which also features Randy Goodman, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Olga<\/a>

Olga Bell<\/p><\/div>\n

Olga Bell, a composer, producer and performer who resides in Brooklyn, has just released a very tasty electronica\/dance album called \u201cTempo\u201d on One Little Indian Records. Now touring in support of her new disc, Bell will be in Philadelphia on September 29 for a show at PhilaMOCA (531 North 12th Street, Philadelphia, 267-519-9651, www.philamoca.org<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

Bell has arrived as a new face on the electronica scene after following a very non-traditional path to the world of dance music.<\/span><\/p>\n

She was was born in Russia and moved with her mother from Moscow to Anchorage, Alaska when she was just a young child.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>I was seven when we moved to Anchorage,\u201d said Bell, during a phone interview Wednesday morning from her home in Brooklyn.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>I was in Alaska for 10 years and then moved to Boston when I was 17 to study at the New England Conservatory. I was studying classical music \u2013 piano performance. I was pretty serious about it until I finished at the Conservatory.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Then came the big rejection \u2013 not being admitted to the graduate program at Julliard. That was a big \u2018a-ha moment.\u2019 I moved to New York, did acting and voice-over work. I played Broadway auditions as a piano accompaniment.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>I was still playing classical music but, in my spare time, I was listening to Radiohead, Bjork and a lot of hip hop \u2013 bands like Wu-Tang Clan and A Tribe Called Quest.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>I got a laptop and started with GarageBand. I was chopping up drum beats and making melodies over them. Eventually, I began to get into songwriting and production.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Tempo\u201d is Bell\u2019s third album following \u201cDiamonite,\u201d which was released in 2011 and \u201c\u043a\u0440\u0430\u0439 (Krai),\u201d which came out in 2014.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/i><\/span>I made the \u2018Bell EP\u2019 in 2008 and \u2018Diamonite\u2019 in 2011,\u201d said Bell. \u201cBoth were self-released and featured collaborators Jason Nazary and Gunnar Olsen. I\u2019m really proud of them. They were self-produced and self-funded.<\/span><\/p>\n

My first show was an open mic at the Sidewalk Cafe in New York.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/i><\/span>From there, I began playing a lot of different venues around the Lower East Side and then had a residency at Pianos. It all started building from there. Before long, I had a show at the Brooklyn Music Hall and I also played South by Southwest.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2011, Bell she received a Jerome Fund Grant from the American Composers Forum to aid in the completion of her first large-scale composition, \u201cKrai,\u201d which was released as an album in 2014 after a sold-out premiere at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018<\/i><\/span>Krai\u2019 was pretty different,\u201d said Bell. \u201cI had an urge to sing in Russian folk style. It\u2019s a 40-minute, through-composed piece for six voices. It premiered at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018<\/i><\/span>Krai\u2019 is a Russian word that means edge, periphery or hinterland. In Russia, there are a geographic areas \u2013 like states in America \u2013 called Krais. They are large territories located on the edge of the Russian state.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/i><\/span>After \u2018Krai,\u2019 I released an EP called \u2018Incitation\u2019 in fall 2015. Then, I released \u2018Tempo\u2019 last May.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/i><\/span>I wrote and produced most of \u2018Tempo\u2019 at my home studio in Brooklyn and then mixed it at Machines with Magnets Studio in New York. I produce all my own music. I worked on this record for about a year.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/i><\/span>My songwriting happens a lot of different ways. I\u2019m really motivated by harmony. I usually start with a melody on a synthesizer. The new album is held together by its dance vibe. I was listening to a lot of club music. It was inspired by a film called \u2018Paris Is Burning.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Olga Bell \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/DEzuZlUB3zM?t=63<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at Philamoca, which also features Jenny Hval and Moor Mother, will start at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $12.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Earthside\"<\/a>

Earthside<\/p><\/div>\n

On September 29, the Voltage Lounge (<\/span>421 North Seventh Street, Philadelphia, 215- 964-9602,<\/span> www.voltagelounge.com<\/span><\/a>)<\/span> will present a twin bill featuring Earthside and Leprous.<\/span><\/p>\n

Earthside \u2013 Jamie van Dyck (guitars), Frank Sacramone (keyboards), Ben Shanbrom (drums), Ryan Griffin (bass) \u2013 is touring in support of its debut studio album, \u201cA Dream in Static,\u201d which was self-released in fall 2015.<\/span><\/p>\n

Earthside is a New England-based creative collective that plays a style of modern\u00a0progressive music the band has dubbed \u201ccinematic rock.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The group formed as part of van Dyck\u2019s senior thesis at Yale.<\/span><\/p>\n

Through organic layers of living, breathing orchestra\u00a0(courtesy of the Moscow Studio Symphony Orchestra), and an eclectic arsenal of world music-influenced instrumentation alongside a work of cinematic art as it is resonating throughout a densely packed concert venue.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/i><\/span>A Dream In Static\u201d features sweeping instrumental movements interwoven with\u00a0adventurous vocal compositions featuring guest performances from premier voices across the\u00a0rock and metal worlds (Lajon Witherspoon of Sevendust, Bj\u00f6rn Strid of Soilwork, Daniel\u00a0Tompkins of Tesseract, and Eric Zirlinger of Face The King, Ex-Seer).<\/span><\/p>\n

In a press release, the band made the following statement \u2013 \u201cWe make every effort with our music to give you all something unique and heartfelt that breaks from the norm. We did this by taking a no-limitations approach to our songwriting on \u2018A Dream in Static\u2019 and working with a number of incredible guest musicians. It follows in suit that our live show should also bring something special to the Earthside mythos.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>We collaborated with several amazing vocalists for \u2018A Dream in Static\u2019 and, unfortunately, we can\u2019t bring them all on the road with us. To avoid compromising the stellar performances of Bj\u00f6rn (Strid), Dan (Tompkins) Lajon (Witherspoon) and Eric (Zirlinger) during our live shows, we came up with a unique solution.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>We captured full-body video of their performances and infused them with intense visuals to create a powerful multimedia element that we project alongside each of these songs.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The collaborative cross-continental project was recorded in Stockholm, Sweden with producer and mix engineer David Castillo (Opeth, Katatonia, Bloodbath) and\u00a0additional mix and mastering engineer Jens Bogren (Opeth, Soilwork, The Ocean, Leprous).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>We only have four people onstage but it seems a lot bigger than that because of the way we play our live show,\u201d said Griffin, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from a tour stop in Atlanta, Georgia.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>There is a large screen television that we use \u2013 a video of the performer in a black box setting. For example, when we play \u2018Crater,\u2019 you see Bjorn onscreen performing. We also have cuts to videos that complement the music. We have to play along with it. Technically, in a way, it was forced upon us.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Even before I joined, it was always an instrumental band. A lot of people told us we needed a vocalist. People would audition for us but it never really worked out. We never found the perfect person. So, we came up with the idea of guest vocalists and we just pay them to do the video. Without an in-band vocalist, we can write in a variety of ways.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>We finished writing the album three years before it came out. We are all perfectionists which is good. But, it holds us back from a timeline. We went to Sweden twice to work on the album. On one trip, we did 65 hours of bass tracking in a four-day period.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>We didn\u2019t do any live shows when we were writing and recording the album. Our first performance was at the end of summer in 2015 \u2013 an album release show. Our first tour was last fall with Soilwork.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Earthside \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/mKOlyFZLR2Q?t=7<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at the Voltage Lounge, which also features Leprous, Binary Code, Dissona and In The Presence of Wolves, will start at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Maria<\/a>

Maria Muldaur<\/p><\/div>\n

The song \u201cMidnight at the Oasis\u201d by Maria Muldaur is a staple on classic rock radio. On October 1, Muldaur will be playing the song \u2013 along with tmany other songs from her 52-year career \u2013 in concert at Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295, http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/span><\/a>). Mojo Stu will open.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the comfortable venue in Kennett Square are Dan May and Erez Potok-Holmes on September 30 and Open Mic with guest host Angelee on October 2.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Steel City Coffee House (203 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, 610-933-4043, www.steelcitycoffeehouse.com<\/span><\/a>) will host Woznicki World Music on September 30 and The Urban Acoustic Coalition on October 1.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chaplin\u2019s (66 North Main Street, Spring City, 610-792-4110, http:\/\/chaplinslive.com<\/span><\/a>) will host Alex O\u2019Brien and Sunday Muse on September 30 and <\/span>Bernard Sarkissian & Friends, Chris Adams, Carolyn Cott, and Sandy Pluta on October 1.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Blitzen<\/a>

Blitzen Trapper<\/p><\/div>\n

The Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389, www.ardmoremusic.com<\/span><\/a>) will have Blitzen Trapper with Kacy & Clayton on September 30, and Melvin Seals & JGB with Roots of Creation on October 1.<\/span><\/p>\n

Doc Watson\u2019s Public House (150 North Pottstown Pike, Exton, 610-524-2424, docwatsonspublichouse.com<\/span><\/a>) will host Project X on September 30.<\/span><\/p>\n

Burlap & Bean Coffeehouse (204 South Newtown Street Road, Newtown Square, 484-427-4547, www.burlapandbean.com<\/span><\/a>) will present the Chris Paterno Band on September 30 and James Maddock on October 1.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Candlelight Theatre (2208 Millers Road, Arden, Delaware,\u00a0302- 475-2313,\u00a0www.candlelighttheatredelaware.org<\/span><\/a>) will be presenting the camp hit musical \u201cHairspray\u201d now through October 30.Performances are Friday and Saturday evenings (doors 6 p.m.\/show, 8 p.m.) and Sunday afternoons (doors, 1 p.m.\/show, 3 p.m.). Tickets, which include dinner and show, are $59 for adults and $33 for children (ages 4-12).<\/span><\/p>\n

The Rainbow Comedy Theatre (3065 Lincoln Highway East, Paradise, 800-292-4301, http:\/\/www.rainbowcomedy.com<\/span><\/a>) is presenting \u201cIs There Life After 50\u201d now through October 29.<\/span><\/p>\n

Matinee performances are every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and selected Saturdays with an 11:30 a.m. lunch and a 1 p.m. curtain. Evening performances are every Friday, Saturday and selected Thursdays with dinner at 6:30 p.m. and the show following at 8 p.m. There will also be \u201cTwilight Performances\u201d on selected Sundays with dinner at 2:30 p.m. and the show at 4 p.m. Ticket prices range from $25-$56.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Livvie Forbes’ debut CD launches tonight By Denny Dyroff,\u00a0Staff Writer, The Times Berwyn\u2019s Livvie Forbes had to deal with a number of serious health problems when she was growing up \u2013 physical and psychological. As she moved through the grades in the Tredyffrin-Easttown School District, another problem haunted her \u2013 bullying. Now, Forbes, who graduated […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21353,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7529],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21351","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21351","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=21351"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21351\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21352,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21351\/revisions\/21352"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/21353"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=21351"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=21351"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=21351"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}