The Hillside Club

A recording of BEHIND THE NOTES – A special preview of the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra’s 2007 New Year’s Eve concert–”Prodigies”. Recorded at the Hillside Club, December 20, 2007.

In this recording San Francisco Chamber Orchestra music director, Benjamin Simon, gives an informal and informative talk on the life and music of two great prodigies Felix Mendelssohn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and their music to be preformed at the three Bay area New Year’s “Prodigies” concerts: Mendelssohn’s String Symphony No. 9 in C Major and Mozart’s Horn Concerto No. 2 in D Major and Sinfonia Concertante for Violin and Viola in E-flat Major, K. 364. Guaranteed to raise your classical IQ and deepen your understanding and appreciation of this glorious music penned by youththful genius: from Felix (age 12) a delightful symphony for strings; from Wolfie (age 22) two of the most beautiful concerti ever written.

BENJAMIN SIMON’s passion, among many, is talking about classical music-—unlocking the secrets behind the notes for experienced as well as new listeners. A native of San Francisco, he has travelled the globe as a violist for ensembles such as the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestras, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and the Naumburg award-winning New World String Quartet. Ben has been music director for the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra since 2002.

Here is a recording of the discussion on the science behind compassion, altruism, and happiness with psychologist Dacher Keltner, founder and research director of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley; sociologist Christine Carter McLaughlin, the center’s executive director who researches ways to raise happy children; Jason Marsh, co-editor of Greater Good (http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/greatergood), the center’s magazine; and Slim Shekar, CEO, Clarus Transphase Scientific (www.clarus.com), which conducts research into sympathetic resonance technology and its effects on reducing stress in humans, animals, and plants that took place on August 19, 2007 at the Hillside Club.

Rick Falkvinge, head of the Swedish Pirate Party, Fred von Lohmann of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Tony Falzone of the Fair Use Project, Mary Hodder of Dabble, and Karl Fogel of QuestionCopyright discussed copyright at this evening’s Cybersalon at the Hillside Club. The recording is in MP3, but if there is a purist out there who wants to transcode to ogg…feel free to rip, mix, burn.

NOISY PEOPLE is a feature length video documentary that opens a window into a tightly-knit group of unusual sound artists and musicians from the San Francisco improvisational music community. Filmmaker Tim Perkis, himself a well-respected player in the Bay Area experimental music scene, followed his subjects for a year, filming them in their homes and studios, rehearsals and performances. What emerges is a set of funny and lively portraits of some very creative and quirky people and a portrait of a way of life outside the commercial musical mainstream of America.

FEATURING: George Cremaschi, Tom Djll, Greg Goodman, Phillip Greenlief, Cheryl Leonard, Dan Plonsey, Gino Robair, Damon Smith. Also appearing are dozens of other creative musicians, including Anthony Braxton, Fred Frith and Jack Wright.

Dave Weinstein will discuss under appreciated architects who put their personal touch on Craftsman-style houses in and around Berkeley, producing work that is sophisticated, playful, livable, and original. The talk explores the works of Leola Hall, Ernest Coxhead, Albert Farr, John Hudson Thomas and Carr Jones.

For further information or to reserve your space: call B.A.R. at 510.848.4288 or visit www.berkeleyaor.com/lecture/

The President’s Lecture Series is proudly sponsored by Kevin Eves, Your Mortgage Consultant in Berkeley. Lectures begin at 7:30 pm at The Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar Street in Berkeley.

General Admission $20. Light refreshments and book signing to follow.

Dave Weinstein is a regular contributor to the San Francisco Chronicle and the author of “Signature Architects of the San Francisco Bay Area,” copies of which will be available at the lecture.

Our new July-August calendar features concerts, films, lectures, and other events.

Thursday 6/21 7:30 PM

Screening of Ripe for Change and discussion with the filmakers.

This documentary film looks at the intersection of agriculture and politics in California over the past 30 years, examining the increasing interest in sustainable agriculture, better food for school lunch programs (featuring Berkeley’s own Edible Schoolyard), community-supported agriculture, and farmer’s markets. The film was featured in the 4-part PBS series California and the American Dream, and the Ripe for Change trailer can be seen on YouTube.

Filmmakers Emiko Omori and Jed Riffe will be present for discussion after the screening.

$5. The Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar at Arch, Berkeley. (510) 843-8724.

IS ANYBODY OUT THERE?:
The Search for ET with Five Million SETI@home Volunteers
7.30 PM at the Berkeley Hillside Club
Dan Werthimer, University of California, Berkeley

Dan Werthimer will discuss the possibility of life in the universe and the search for radio and optical signals from other civilizations.

SETI@home analyzes data from the world’s largest radio telescope using desktop computers from several million volunteers in 226 countries.

SETI@home participants have contributed two million years of computer time and have formed Earth’s most powerful supercomputer. Users have the small but captivating possibility their computer will detect the first signal from a civilization beyond Earth.

bio
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Dan Werthimer is chief scientist of SETI@home and several radio and optical SETI programs at the University of California, Berkeley.

Werthimer was associate professor in the engineering and physics departments of San Francisco State University and a visiting professor at Beijing Normal University, the University of St. Charles in Marseille, and Eotvos University in Budapest.

He has taught at universities in Peru, Egypt, Ghana, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Uganda and Kenya. Werthimer has published numerous papers in the fields of SETI, radio astronomy, instrumentation and science education; he is co-author of “SETI 2020″ and editor of “Astronomical and Biochemical Origins and the Search for Life in the Universe”.

“Making Medicine Online,” a discussion of how the Internet has changed our access to and understanding of health care with moderator Enoch Choi, M.D., content manager, MedHelp.org; Karen Herzog, Internet-enabled patient and founder, Sophia’s Garden Foundation; Roni Zeiger, M.D., Product Manager, Google Health; Bonnie Becker, Director, Pharmaceutical Category, Yahoo!. $5 for admission, pizza and drinks. Sponsored by MedHelp.org.

Thursday, May 31: Beyond the Bungalow
Paul Duchscherer, author of numerous books on Arts & Crafts homes, will talk about the variety of styles of mostly larger early 20th century homes that developed in parallel with bungalows, under many of the same influences. Craftsman, Prairie, Swiss Chalet, Foursquare and revival styles will be illustrated, from modest to grand.
More about this presentation at http://www.hillsideclub.org/paul.flhyer.pdf, and more about the series at http://www.hillsideclub.org/3lecture.flyer.cc.pdf.