"Spiral" by Alex Stopa featuring the Pana Percussion Quartet celebrates its Las Vegas release

Alex Stopa is a drummer, percussionist, marimba soloist, and composer based in Las Vegas; chances are, he has played for you if you are a local. An active member of our community, he has performed at every type of gig. From the Create Our Recovery concert series in vaccine clinics to the open air of Water Street to the Smith Center, he brings the beat that keeps us grooving. Born in Australia, Stopa moved to Las Vegas in 2001, where he has since performed for a wide variety of musical acts, including the Las Vegas Philharmonic, Cirque du Soleil, Le Rêve, resident and touring Broadway musicals, and headliner acts, including Aretha Franklin, The Who, Amy Grant, Idina Menzel, and Placido Domingo. His original compositions and arrangements reflect his diversity as a performer. Drawing inspiration from classical, jazz, pop, rock, and world music, his music blurs the lines between genres, and his pieces are performed frequently around the world.

Spiral is an original composition for a percussion quartet that fuses classical, pop, and jazz styles. Stopa writes of the piece, “As a musician living in Las Vegas, I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to perform a broad range of musical styles. One night I might be in the Smith Center with the Philharmonic or a touring Broadway show; the next, I might be in a jazz or rock club. The music that I write is inspired by this diversity.

Spiral was composed for the Pana Percussion Quartet, a group that I’ve performed for over a decade. I remember reading that Duke Ellington would often write music tailored to the individual strengths of his band members. As I composed Spiral, I kept this in mind, writing parts that I hoped would reflect the personalities of the group.

The piece is built around a repeated rhythmic motif: a pattern of five that can be heard on the vibraphone near the beginning of the piece. I imagined this spiraling pattern as the rhythmic DNA of the work; a musical double helix. This imagery formed the inspiration for the title”.

Pana Percussion Quartet is Alex Stopa, Ryun Louie, Jeffery Crowell, and Eliseo Rael.

In keeping with his local pride, Stopa chose Art Square Theatre in Downtown Las Vegas to shoot his video with a local film crew, including Emmy award-winning editor and director Michael Tushaus (Digisphere Productions) with cinematographer Tim Harbour and camera operator Gray Gubler. The recording engineer was Josh Connolly (Studio A), and mix engineer was Robby Wingfield. This project is supported in part by the Nevada Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Check out this new #vegasmusic - a fine example of #VegasBornArts!

#EatMoreArt

Jazz Outreach Initiative Celebrates with Concerts

Jazz Outreach Initiative celebrates, performs, educates, and raises public awareness of jazz. Through concerts, classes, and community building, JOI brings a world of creativity and higher consciousness to the students, performers, and audience.

The Las Vegas Youth Jazz Orchestra, directed by Gary Cordell, will perform with the CSN Big Band, directed by David Phy, at the Nicholas J. Horn Theater in CSN Cheyenne on Nov. 29. For the holidays, the 2nd Annual Duke Ellington’s The Nutcracker Suite will be performed by JOI Jazz Orchestra with Clint Holmes at the Starbright Theatre on Dec. 22.

“We love performing and bringing jazz to the holidays,” said Donny Thompson, Executive Director of JOI. “Our musicians, especially our youth, are amazing with this great American art form.”

Recently, #MakeADifferenceDay inspired people to volunteer, and the motto of JOI is “Let’s Make A Difference!” It takes a team to make the dream work. JOI is announcing the creation of the JOI Jazz Alliance, a volunteer wing of dedicated and enthusiastic jazz lovers who will help us continue building a world-class jazz community and culture for Southern Nevada.

“One of the biggest gifts someone can give is the gift of time,” says Donny. “Our volunteers help the youth and expand one of the greatest American musical genres. By volunteering, Las Vegas will continue to grow as a cultural center celebrating jazz.”

Everyone has talents to share, and help is needed with greeters, ushers, ticket takers, setup, tear down, and runners. Special skills such as social media, accounting, graphics, computers, and fundraising are also needed. For more info, visit jazzoutreachinitiative.org/jja.

The JOI of Giving can also include financial and in-kind gifts for the holidays. Visit joi-lv.org or jazzoutreachinitiative.org to give your financial gift.

The Big Band Concert will be performed by the Las Vegas Youth Jazz Orchestra and the CSN Big Band at the Nicholas J. Horn Theater in CSN Cheyenne, 3200 E. Cheyenne Ave. on Nov. 29. Show time is 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased by visiting csntickets.universitytickets.com. The 2nd Annual Duke Ellington’s The Nutcracker Suite will be performed by JOI Jazz Orchestra with Clint Holmes at the Starbright Theatre on Dec. 22. Show time is 6 p.m. and tickets can be purchased by visiting suncitysummerlin.com.

For more information on Jazz Outreach Initiative’s programs and the Board of Directors

Website www.jazzoutreachinitiative.org

Facebook www.facebook.com/joi4jazz

Instagram jazzoutreachinitiative

Twitter twitter.com/JOI4Jazz

Commissioner Segerblom Dedicates Public Art Project at Hollywood Recreation Center

Empowerment Art is a public art project where a local artist is hired to engage with youth to design empowering art, which is installed in the bathroom facilities of a recreation center. This year, Empowerment Art was hosted by the Hollywood Recreation Center, located at 1650 South Hollywood near Sahara Avenue. The artwork was dedicated on October 17 by Commissioner Segerblom.

In 2019, the Parkdale Recreation Center engaged the Public Art Office to create empowerment art in the facility's bathrooms. Earlier this year, Hollywood reached out to the Public Arts Office and asked for the same project for their center. The art team CoZiLV worked with children ages 8 to 18 and provided four workshops. CoZiLV showed the youth how to express themselves positively through art in each workshop. The children put together 'zines of their artwork that they were able to trade with each other or share with their family and friends. After the workshops, CoZiLV used art as inspiration to create a design with empowering messages. The design was printed as a vinyl wrap and installed inside the bathrooms at the recreation center. The project's mission is to give the viewers, and our community, a positive experience with positive messages through art.

“Art presents an excellent way to cope with uncontrollable and stressful situations,” said Commissioner Segerblom. “The messages from this project can help youth in the community further understand that Clark County's Community Centers are safe spaces that promote positive self-expression. I am proud of the youth who participated in this project which provided such positive imagery that can remind us our thoughts and feelings are valid."

CoZiLV is an art team consisting of Gina Parham, Nicole Espinosa, and Jean Marie Munson. They “strive to cultivate accessible, safe spaces for marginalized communities and encourage the creation and consumption of self-published content through meet-ups, workshops, and the festival itself.” CoZiLV hosts a Comic and Zine Festival and invites artists to showcase their artwork to the public.

Clark County Public Arts Office's mission is to promote, encourage and connect the community with culture and public art around the valley. Those wanting more information about Clark County’s Public Arts Program can visit here. The Clark County Public Arts program can be found on Facebook and Instagram @CCPublicArts.