Sax Appeal at the Ottawa Jazz Festival today at noon!!!

 

 

Date: Fri, June 21, 2013
Time: 12:00 PM
Location: Rideau Centre

Featuring:

Christine Davies – soprano sax
Dave Renaud – alto sax
Mike Mullin – tenor sax
Jarrod Goldsmith – baritone sax

Buy Tickets

Rest of the Fest

Description

As one of the most extraordinary ensembles in the region, Sax Appeal is transforming the musical landscape in Eastern Canada with their distinctive sound, look and feel. Comprised of four of the best local saxophonists in the Ottawa Valley, Sax Appeal is in a class by itself. If you’re a sax enthusiast, then you won’t want to miss the gig with the most Sax Appeal!

Sax Appeal is a unique professional saxophone quartet whose specialty is to provide appropriate live background music to enhance the ambiance of sophisticated functions that require the finest of touches. Click here for a short introduction.

 

Our Press Kit can be found here – English / French

 

Comprised of only four saxophone players, the group plays everything from classical to jazz and everything in-between to suit whatever look and feel a client needs. Sax Appeal is the perfect backdrop to cocktail/dinner receptions, weddings, conferences, galas, diplomatic and corporate events, Festivals or holiday/Christmas parties (to name a few). A short sample of our music can be found here.

 

Background

 

I have lived in Ottawa (specifically Orleans) for close to 10 years. The concept for Sax Appeal began a little more than 2 years ago. I started the group for mainly two reasons. 1) to create and promote more live music in the region, and 2) because I was unable to get an ‘indeterminate’ (i.e., permanent) government position and finally decided to really give music my ‘best-shot’ after having been playing for close to 30 years.

 

More info on how I started the group can be found in our short documentary. Note: this doc was featured on CBC Televisions ‘Absolutely Ottawa’ (Episode 5)

 

Flexibility

 

As you will note from our website, YouTube channel etc, four saxophones are capable of playing any style of music. While we normally do background ambiance music, we are skilled at playing any event that needs music. For instance, we are performing at the Ottawa Jazz Festival on June 21, 2013, and are once again a key act at the 2013 Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival.

(Past performance at the Balloon Festival)

 

Some news:

 

  In the past year, we have performed at approximately 35 events including weddings, cocktail receptions, corporate events, and various other elegant functions.

Sax Appeal was again be featured on Daytime Ottawa on June 17, 2013 and will soon be posted on YouTube. (Past interview)

Sax Appeal is a member of the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce, Orleans Chamber of Commerce, Kanata Chamber of Commerce and Nepean Chamber of Commerce.

 Sax Appeal is a preferred vendor at many venues in the region including the Ottawa Marriott, the Holiday Inn and Suites Kanata, Gatineau Golf and Country Club and others. (Complete list)

 

Challenge

 

There are almost no full-time saxophone quartets in the world. As such, the Ottawa/Gatineau public has little knowledge that four saxophones are capable of performing as an acoustic ensemble. e.g., if someone is getting married, they would most likely consider a traditional string quartet, maybe a flutist or harp.

 

Ø  No one is going to consider a saxophone quartet because there simply are no saxophone quartets.

 

The decision to pursue music as a full-time career is difficult for anyone. The challenge for me is compounded immensely since a sax quartet is, for the most part, a rare and almost entirely unknown kind of ensemble.

 

Sax Appeal is my career, passion, and life. In effect, I am creating a niche market and in so doing, working hard to make it a viable business, says the leader of the group Jarrold Goldsmith.

 

Sax Appeal is  a new and completely different alternative to the more traditional ensembles for people wishing to make their event absolutely unique.

Sax Appeal is turning the music industry in this part of Canada on its head.

 

Alas! No more free vacations for John Baird!!!

CTVNews.ca Staff
Published Wednesday, June 19, 2013 10:00PM EDT
Last Updated Wednesday, June 19, 2013 11:05PM EDT

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird and six of his friends stayed at the official residence of Canada’s High Commissioner to Great Britain for eight days, free of charge, while on vacation in England, CTV News has learned.
CTV’s Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife reported late Wednesday that Baird stayed in the historic Macdonald House in central London -- a residence usually used by the prime minister and governor general for official functions when they visit the city.
Liberal MP Rodger Cuzner said Baird’s vacation at the Macdonald House is “disappointing.                        

Photos

Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird responds to a question during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Monday, June 3, 2013. (Sean Kilpatrick / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

The historic Macdonald House in central London is seen in this photo obtained by CTV News.

The historic Macdonald House in central London is seen in this photo obtained by CTV News.

The historic Macdonald House in central London -- a residence usually used by the prime minister and governor general for official functions when they visit the city.

“When you see a high-profile minister of the Crown that takes advantage of the taxpayer in this way…if he was on government business, that’s one thing but certainly being on vacation with a bunch of his buddies, it’s an abuse of the taxpayer,” he said.
NDP foreign affairs critic Paul Dewar described Baird’s stay at the Macdonald House as freeloading.
“The way it works for the Conservatives is if you’re a buddy of the Conservative Party, it’s open the doors and freeload,” he said.
The building has been the High Commission’s headquarters since the early 1960s, when it was bought from the U.S. government, which had also used it as an embassy.
It sits in a prime location in one of the most expensive cities in the world.
Earlier this year the federal government put the house on the market. According to the Globe and Mail, the asking price is approximately $500 million.
The move was part of a larger initiative to cut back spending in the Department of Foreign Affairs.
High Commissioner Gordon Campbell, the former premier of B.C., confirmed that Baird stayed at Campbell’s personal quarters where he pays rent, while he was out of the country.
“I invited him to use the apartment," Campbell told CTV News. "I wasn't going to be there and the staff was not there. He used it as my friends would use it.”
As the foreign affairs minister, Baird is Campbell’s boss.
Baird’s office said Wednesday that taxpayers were not on the hook for the London trip.
“Mr. Baird paid his own way. His own taxis. His own drinks,” the office said in a statement.
Baird’s office said the minister also vacationed at the New York City residence of Canadian Consul General John Prato in 2011
His staff noted that both Campbell and Prato pay a portion of their accommodations and no expenses were incurred by taxpayers during either of Baird’s trips.
Baird is currently in Israel during a four-day trip to the Middle East.
On his last official visit to London in 2012, Baird stayed at the Carleton Club -- where rooms cost approximately $300 per night.
Baird’s office said the minister doesn’t have any future plans to vacation at other official residences.
“But at the end of the day, he stayed with personal friends in their personal apartments, paid his own way and no taxpayer money was used,” Baird’s office said in an email.

Read more: http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/john-baird-vacationed-for-free-at-historic-macdonald-house-in-england-1.1333451#ixzz2WlM6lTIS

The Curse of Greek Public Sector Authoritarianism

Justine Frangouli-Argyris
Huffington Post

It is Monday, June 10th, 10:45 a.m. at Eleftherios Venizelos Airport in Athens. After checking in for my Air Canada flight, I proceed to buy a little something for my son. The gift costs 150 euros and, as a non-resident of the European Union travelling to a non-EU destination, I am given a tax refund form by the saleslady in order to be reinbursed for the approximately 15 euros in value added tax.

Confidently, I head to the customs office to have the document stamped only to find that there is no one there. After a ten minute wait, a female officer appears to inspect my Canadian passport, my boarding pass for Montreal and the original receipt for the purchased item.

Suddenly, she shoves the papers in my direction and informs me that she will not authorize the refund as my Canadian passport has no Greek entry stamp, inferring that I am not a resident of Canada. I explain that I travelled to Greece via Switzerland and, given that the two countries are Schengen Agreement signatories, there would be no passport control upon my arrival in Greece.

Addressing me in a most rude and authoritarian manner, she informs me that, although I am a Canadian citizen and the item in question will be accompanying me to Canada, she is refusing my request. I press my case, indicating that I am simply demanding that to which I am entitled and do not understand her intransigence.

"Ma'am I am not going to stamp your paper," she blurts with an arrogant tone of superiority that is all too familiar among Greece's public sector employees. Undaunted, I ask for her name but she refuses, telling me to address my concerns to the Chief of Customs. I insist on seeing her supervisor and, clearly unnerved, she hollers at me to go back through passport control and make my way to the arrivals area.

Calmly, I indicate that my flight is boarding shortly, that she has no right to treat travellers in this manner and that her duty, especially given that Greece is mired in economic crisis, is to address tourists in a courteous manner. Her obstinate demeanor is unflinching and, insultingly, she continues to point me in the opposite direction to my gate.

Knowing it is futile, I seek out someone that may be of assistance. Spotting a policeman, I ask if he can call the Director of Customs on his walkie-talkie but to no avail. Frustrated, I sit at the coffee shop to gather my thoughts and come up with a brilliant idea. Rummaging through my purse, I retrieve my Canadian health card and Canadian driver's license, proof of my country of residence.

I race back to the sour official, sure that I can finally convince her of my right to the tax refund only to find her ruder and bossier than before and abruptly showing me the way to the arrivals area.
How is it possible I ask myself, in Greece of 2013, with the country begging for tourists given the prevailing economic climate, that the public sector continues to be staffed by individuals that are extremely rude, that deal with tourists in a highly combative and provocative manner and that are ignorant of the laws they are there to enforce.

Isn't it about time that the Greek government proceeds with a much promised rating of its employees where pay will be commensurate with performance, beginning with the personnel in sensitive industries such as tourism. It is the responsibility of the Greek state to oversee this restructuring as an ultimate act of duty towards its long-suffering populace by stamping out the abusive attitude of a public sector that has enjoyed a priviledged, untouchable status for much too long.

In the country's airports and at its cruise terminals, there can be no further room for intolerant officials. They must be held to the highest standards if the country is to achieve the position it hopes to command on the world tourist map

Statement by the EC on ERT's closure!

Statement by the European Commission on the closure of

the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation

The European Commission has taken note of the decision by the Greek authorities to close

down the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT), a decision taken in full autonomy.

The Commission has not sought the closure of ERT, but nor does the Commission question

the Greek Government’s mandate to manage the public sector. The decision of the Greek

authorities should be seen in the context of the major and necessary efforts that the

authorities are taking to modernise the Greek economy. Those include improving its

efficiency and effectiveness of the public sector.

The Commission understands the difficult situation of ERT staff and expects the announced

dismissals to be carried out in full accordance with the applicable legal framework.

The Commission supports the role of public broadcasting as an integral part of European

democracy. The Treaty makes it clear that the governance and strategic choices on public

service broadcasting lie with Member States. So while the Commission cannot prescribe

Member States how to organise their public service broadcaster, we would like to highlight

the role of public service broadcasters regarding European values in all economic

circumstances, for the sake of media pluralism, media freedom and media quality and for

the expression of cultural diversity. So we welcome the commitment of the Greek

government to launch a media actor that fulfils the important role of public broadcasting

and is financially sustainable.

The Parthenon Marbles: A Piece of History Still Orphaned!!!

Justine Frangouli-Argyris
Huffington Post

 

Acropolis, the jewel of the world!

 

Last May 18th, on the occasion of International Museum Day, a list of the top fifty museums of the world, as published by the Sunday Times, came to my attention. It was both with great joy and sadness that I saw the Acropolis Museum of Athens in third spot, right behind the Smithsonian in Washington and the British Museum in London.

For, the Acropolis Museum, founded on the passion and spirit of Melina Mercouri, the renowned Greek actress and Minister of Culture, patiently awaits the return of the Parthenon Marbles to their rightful resting place. It was brilliantly designed in minimalist architectural style in order to reflect the facade of the Parthenon that is visible through its glass structure and bears silent witness to Greece's Golden Age.

Sadly, the front portion of the Parthenon's frieze still lies orphaned, on display in the British Museum some 1500 miles from home, with Greece, a country paralyzed by the never-ending debt crisis, incapable of pursuing its claim to its heritage.

The Acropolis is not some miracle but, rather, the masterpiece of a civilization that was well versed in the arts, philosophy, oratory, democracy, drama and sculpture as well as architecture back in the 5th century BC. The Parthenon was but the chef d'oeuvre of a people who excelled in building theatres, columns and temples while Europe was still an unexplored land and reigns as a symbol of prosperity and perfection envied by the world at large.

In difficult economic times as these, I try to remember the long history of our nation and to draw courage from it. From the Olympic Games, for example, that were established in order to bring peace during wartime and are celebrated today by the ceremonial lighting of the torch in the heart of Elis every two years.

Others, however, such as the Falmerayers of the Western world, are unsympathetic to the modern Greek nation, pretending that it is not of the same population as those who created this historical magnum opus, refusing to accept that Byzantium was the continuation of Ancient Greece and rebuffing Greece's demands for the return of its historical treasures.

In a telling documentary series entitled "Monogram" on National Greek Television (ERT) some years ago, it was insulting to hear the storied engraver, Tassos, confess that, in the 1930s, the prevailing
German impressionist school forbade students to study the works of El Greco and of Byzantine iconography, claiming that they were deforming human nature.

Regardless, those who have written off the Greece of today as a land of lazy tax cheats without any hope for the future should think again. On the contrary, it is a vibrant nation that has shown stubborn resilience in the face of extraordinary odds, promoting political, social and human values and ready to be reborn, as the phoenix from its ashes.

Eyeing the brightly lit Parthenon from afar, ageless and beautiful as it is despite the amputation suffered at the hands of Elgin and his conspirators, it is obvious that the time has come for the international community and organizations such as UNESCO o heed Greece's call and assume a leadership role in promoting the return of the Parthenon Marbles to their birthplace.

The Greeks are not seeking the repatriation of a multitude of ancient pieces on display in museums around the world as the country is proud to have these highly prized specimens on display in the international arena. However, Athens must have the missing sculptures of the Parthenon in order to complete the harmonious whole of a temple that is the apotheosis of architectural perfection.

The Acropolis Museum, cleverly designed with the return of its orphans in mind, stands ready to claim top spot in the Times' next survey by staging the most talked about monument on the planet in its consummate form.

 

This Blogger's Books from

High Heels for Six
by Justine Frangouli-Argyris

 

 

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Manitoba recruits skilled workers from Greece !!!

Friends of Canada (Athens) and the Hellenic Canadian Friendship Association (Thessaloniki) are very pleased to announce our cooperation with the Manitoba provincial government via Winnipeg’s Greek community regarding immigration assistance to the Canadian province of Manitoba. Do note that it is solely for THE PROVINCE OF MANITOBA, not for other Canadian provinces. Pls contact them directly for more details. 

UPDATE (2013, JUNE):
MIGRATION DEADLINE EXTENDED UNTIL THE JOB FAIR, JUNE 8. From Winnipeg-based Victoria Doussis Schindle:
JOB FAIR JUNE 8 – 12, 2013 ATHENS, GREECE.
Job opportunities in Manitoba, Canada.
Representatives of the Manitoba government’s immigration program are visiting Greece in June 8 – 12, 2013 to interview Greek nationals, qualified skilled workers interested in temporary and long-term employment, for pre-arranged jobs in industry, business, service, trades and other skilled occupations in Manitoba, Canada.
How to Apply for a Scheduled Interview
To participate in the Job Fair June 8-12, 2013 in Athens, apply for a scheduled interview. To be considered for an interview for the Job Fair in Athens, for temporary employment or permanent immigration, you will need to provide the following as soon as possible:
1. An application form (request by email - see below)
2. Resume
3. A copy of your Greek Passport
4. A copy of your English certificate/proficiency
For an application and assistance with the documents above, email the HIIC representative as soon as possible :
Manitoba Hellenic Initiative Committee, HIIC;
victoriaschindle@gmail.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ; (204) 513 1533 cell/text
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; www.hiic.ca
English requirement
There is some flexibility with provision of IELTS test score for now at these pre-screening stages. If a candidate has completed post-secondary education in an English speaking country and can provide documents evidencing the fact, and does not have a registration for the IELTS test or IELTS score, it is likely to be sufficient to get a scheduled interview with a MPNP representative. The language proficiency will be somewhat assessed during the interview and a candidate might be required to provide IELTS score at the later date.
Immigration Programs
Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program: http://www.immigratemanitoba.com/how-to-immigrate/
Temporary Worker Program: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/apply-who.asp
International Experience Canada: http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/greece-grece/experience_canada_experience/index.aspx?view=d
Manitoba Greek Community: http://www.stdemetrioschurch.com/Community.ht

A Greek Saga: From Editor to Baker

Unemployment may have hit many industries in Greece but none more so than the realm of the mass media. As the newspaper To Paron reports, approximately 4,800 jobs were lost over the course of the last three years (2009-2012) among the country's publicly traded media companies and, at the same time, thousands of salaried employees in the field were forced to accept dramatic reductions in their salaries.

Two major publishing houses, IMAKO and Liberi Editions, have ceased activities altogether while a third, CK Tegopoulos, continues to operate but had to shutter its crown jewel, the historical Eleftherotypia newspaper. A similar fate befell one of Greece's most popular television stations, Alter, which went off the air in December of 2011.

Among the many affected by this devastating media tempest is Despina Antipas who had been employed, alongside her journalist husband, Kostas Tsapogas, at Eleftherotypia for 15 years until the paper filed for bankruptcy in late 2011.

Justine Frangouli-Argyris
The Huffington Post

Undaunted, Despina Antipas was not one to be defeated by this dramatic turn of events. Fascinated by macarons, those sweet little pastries she discovered while visiting France, she decided it was time for a change of course. Taking her cue from the little cakes made of chocolate, vanilla and fruit by the renowned La Duree pastry shops, Despina underwent a quick transformation from newspaper editor to baker and took the process one step further by adding her own personal touches and introducing wonderful Greek flavors such as fig and masticha.

The story of Despina and the macarons that she now bakes in Greece with her magic hands and which she wraps so lovingly in incredibly attractive packaging, is one that originates with Greece's financial crisis and truly touches the soul.

A dedicated journalist for some 21 years, the last 15 of which she spent at Eleftherotypia, Despina Antipas suddenly found herself without a job. Having taken up pastry-making on a whim a year before receiving her pink slip, she decided to go into business by putting the art she learned as a hobby to practical use.

"Because I always wanted to deal with something creative, I began making macarons for friends and relatives when they came over for coffee or to offer as gifts when we would visit them," she tells me. "Slowly, I began to see that they loved them and they would ask me to make more so that they, in turn, could give them to their friends. It was then that I made the decision to learn as much as I could about this traditional French delicacy. Devouring numerous French and English books on the subject and extensively searching the Internet, I devoted endless amounts of time to perfecting the little deserts."

"Having honed my creative skills, I try to combine different exotic fruits with classic Greek culinary staples by implementing modern pastry making techniques. Hence, I was able to give birth to the Mavrodafni macaron with fig and cheese, the Aegina peanut macaron and the berry and yogurt mousse macaron, to name a few."

"Each and every macaron is made to order," says Despina. "Mostly, so as not to detract anything from the quality and freshness as it is a very delicate and sensitive sweet that requires tender care and attention. It is also important for me to know something about the person for whom I am baking. As I discuss an order with a client, I derive inspiration from and personalize the recipe for that specific individual. It's similar to eating mother's pastries which are always tastier than those that are store-bought."

"The day after Eleftherotypia went belly-up was a day of relief", she sighs. "The previous months had been so full of despair and insecurity that I have wiped them from memory. We were unpaid, nervously waiting by the phone for any information that would give us some hope that never came. It took an entire summer for me to free myself from that suffocating atmosphere and to be able to think calmly and clearly once again. It had to have been the longest summer of our lives."

"Watching all the plans we had made for the future vanishing before our eyes in a Greece of despair, I had to start from scratch, to find solutions, make new dreams and grab onto something that could keep us going. My travels with the macarons have become my personal therapeutic journey through a country that has been traumatized beyond all hope."

 

This Blogger's Books from

High Heels for Six
by Justine Frangouli-Argyris

 

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