tag:www.essenceofitaly.net,2009://1 2008-12-23T16:43:49Z Please provide a site description to be used in the title tag of the index pages Movable Type 3.36 tag:www.essenceofitaly.net,2008://1.31 2008-12-19T17:41:23Z 2008-12-23T16:43:49Z

This is a transcript of the podcast appearing on our Podcast page. Carolyn: The Westchester Italian Cultural Center in Tuckahoe, NY was the dream of Generoso Pope, a Southern Italian immigrant who made his fortune in construction, newspapers and radio...

Carolyn: The Westchester Italian Cultural Center in Tuckahoe, NY was the dream of Generoso Pope, a Southern Italian immigrant who made his fortune in construction, newspapers and radio stations. Generoso Pope wanted to create an inviting place where people could gather and celebrate both classic and contemporary Italian culture. The Westchester Italian Cultural Center was created in 2003, through funding from the Generoso Pope Foundation. Here to tell us more about the Center and what it has to offer is the executive director, Dr. Evelyn Rossetti. Prior to coming to the Center, Dr. Rossetti served as executive director for the Children's Museum of the Arts in NYC. During that time, she created Operation Healing, an art therapy program created in response to 9/11. She also created Images of Peace, an international peace kite program, and Arte Giovane, an artistic and cultural exchange initiative between children in New York City and Trieste, Italy. From 2000-2002, she served as a panelist for the New York State Council on the Arts. Evelyn, tell us about the Center. Evelyn: The Westchester Italian Cultural Center we're very proud to say our tag line which is where Italy comes alive, I'd like to add to that where Italy comes alive for everyone. So you don't need to be Italian to come here. We have many people who are Italian and who are of Italian descent coming here, just finding a home here. This is a home for all things Italian in Westchester County, but really it's for everyone. That's one of the most exciting parts of the programs, one of the most exciting parts of being here on a daily basis. The Westchester Italian Cultural Center was incorporated in 2003 thanks to the Generoso Pope Foundation. We are in fact a separate, 501(c)3 nonprofit organization but we have the good fortune to reside within the same building as the Pope Foundation offices. and that’s a real blessing for us because being that was Generoso Pope's dream, it feels correct, it feels appropriate to be close to him and close to the Foundation that created it. Carolyn: This location is amazing. Evelyn: This building is so perfectly situated. It's right in the town square, right across the street from the train station, right in the town square. It couldn't be more accessible for people coming up from Metro North, for people in Tuckahoe and the surrounding communities. It's just perfectly situated and it's a gorgeous building. The building that we reside in has been many things, including the town hall of Tuckahoe for many years. It had the library, the mayor's office, the police chief's office. It’s a long and rich history, including having been a funeral home and a video production studio. In fact, every so often I'll still get an invoice for the funeral home for caskets, and that's the truth! Not so much for the video production company but definitely for the funeral home, every once in a while. Carolyn: It's been renovated and customized to house the Center and the Foundation, hasn't it? Evelyn: There was a multi million dollar renovation to this building. Carolyn: David Anthony Pope, the great grandson of Generoso, really turned this into a reality. Evelyn: The renovation was undertaken by David Anthony Pope who really oversaw it himself. It was David Anthony's vision. And he did a magnificent job in keeping all of the architectural integrity of the original building, but then adding all the bells and whistles and making it technologically state of the art building. And he took great care to make sure it was preserved perfectly. That it had its original beauty and its original splendor was all restored. Adding to it, however, wonderful technology as well as some wonderful art. In fact if you see the cupola, you'll see a great stained glass picture. It was David Anthony Pope that designed that stained glass window with those beautiful images. Carolyn: No kidding! Evelyn: That was David Anthony's work. That was not an original part of the building. Carolyn: The cupola Evelyn refers to is a lighted dome built into the ceiling of the top floor, covering the area over the circular staircase. The image is made of stained glass, created in the Renaissance style. But don't linger too long staring up at it, or you'll miss the rest of this amazing place. Evelyn: So we have a wonderful state of the art kitchen where we hold culinary demonstrations, cooking classes, dinners, we have culinary demos and classes for kids as well as for adults. In fact we were just making mozzarella with kids on Saturday. Carolyn: I need to learn how to do that! Evelyn: Well, come back when we have the adult mozzarella making workshop; we hope you'll come in. Another one of our projects we're doing in the kitchen is something called ‘A Tavola’ which means ‘At the Table’. And this program is designed for state senator Klien and his constituents and it's funded by his office and we crafted this program to reach out to and engage senior citizens in the community as well as the general public, and teach them a little bit about the Mediterranean cuisine and get their hands dirty, get them involved in making something, learning a little bit more and having it be a very hands on experience. And we just started this initiative and so far, so good. We've worked with many seniors so far and we look forward to many future sessions. Carolyn: what kinds of things are you making with them? Evelyn: We've started making pasta with them and we're going to expand our repertoire. Different kinds of pasta, homemade. We have a wonderful Italian chef who actually is from Assisi in Umbria and he talks with the participants about the Italian cuisine, about the ingredients, tells them the story and then he walks them thru the process. So they get to make it themselves. Carolyn: That’s wonderful. Evelyn: It is wonderful. And that's one of the ways we bring the Italian culture to life. With the A Tavola program, which started with seniors, we're finding the seniors bring their kids and their grandkids, so it's becoming a multigenerational program as well. It's really reflective of who we are and what we're doing. Of engaging all people regardless of their age, regardless of their ethnicity, just engaging them with the Italian culture. Our mission is to present it and preserve it and promote it and hopefully everyone will enjoy it. Carolyn: And speaking of enjoyment, there is the wine cellar… Evelyn: The wine cellar is magnificent. It's a treat I will say it's probably my favorite room in the house. It is custom designed wine cellar, climate controlled; its a professional wine cellar. It houses approximately 3,000 bottles of wine and it's mission is really to present and to preserve all varieties of Italian wines representing all the different regions of Italy and in fact, we are currently undergoing a renovation of the wine cellar whereby it will be organized, categorized regionally. So we'll have the wines from the very north to the very south, from Sicily all the way up thru Umbria Sardinia, Friulia, Lazio, each region will be represented, with both reds and whites. We offer private wine tastings and for some of our higher end members they can use that wine cellar for private tasting, wine classes with sommeliers and wine experts, so people can really develop a taste and hopefully an appreciation for Italian wines. And that's very exciting for us to see that happen. Carolyn: So after a wonderful meal in the kitchen, sipping wine from the wine cellar, it's time to venture upstairs to the theater. Evelyn: The theater can seat up to 100 people, it's state of the art technology with surround sound. We've premiered Italian films here, films by Pino Tordiglione, by Gianfranco Nerelli. We've also used the theater for musical performances like we're doing with the Metroplitan Opera, as well as lecture series. We have a renaissance lecture series that we are currently presenting, with our newly named professor in residence, Antonio Rutigliano, from NYU. Carolyn: But what if you just want to learn Italian? Evelyn: We also offer classes. Basic Italian language classes, but also special interest. We offer an Italian for Travelers class, for example. And in addition to those classes, another wonderful professor, Aldo Belardo, is also doing a lecture series for us. Both professors are covering many of the different facets of Italian literature and philosophy as well as art and ideology. Carolyn: And of course, the music… Evelyn: One of the most beautiful facets of the Italian culture is its music. So many wonderful composers, such as Verdi, Puccini, so many come out of Italy. And we felt that it was important to present Italian music and to hopefully bring it to a wider audience. And it's a real treat for us to be working with singers from the Metropolitan Opera and to be presenting showcases, different facets of Italian music and particularly of Italian operas. Including the Bel Canto, we're doing music of Verdi. We’re doing a series of 4 concerts this year with them. We did one concert in May which was a survey concert featuring different arias from different Italian operas and it was incredibly well received. And so we are delighted to be working with them again and bringing them back to the Cultural Center. Carolyn: The Center is also home to a wonderful reference library. Evelyn: The library probably houses between 4,000-6,000 volumes and we're currently renovating it and reorganizing it so that it will reflect Italian American studies as well as Italian literature and philosophy with an emphasis on Dante and Pertrarch. One of the ways it's a community resource is we have a whole bank of computers that our members can come in and use to do genealogical research. And we offer genealogy workshops on an on-going basis, again incredibly well received, and if you're a member you can in and make an appointment and use one of those laptops and research your own family's lineage and while you’re there you might also find a book that is of interest to you. So it's a place to come to trace your roots and learn more about your culture and find books in the Italian language. We are very excited to be embarking on a new internship program helping us to acquire additional books that reflect the Italian American experience as well as Italian literature and philosophy. On that same floor we also have 2 exhibit halls that we use for a variety of purposes. We hold cocktail receptions, we have special interests, celebrating special cultural activities such as working with the Pugliese federation, the region of Umbria, working with many different regions to celebrate different cultural events. But we also use those 2 rooms for exhibits. Carolyn: Never at a loss for new and interesting ways to present and celebrate Italian culture, the Westchester Italian Cultural Center will have a 2-hour radio show called Tutto Italiano!, or Everything Italian, the second Sunday of every month from 10 am to 12 noon, beginning December 14, 2008 on WFAS radio, 1230 AM. Evelyn: This is going to be a lot of fun. It will feature guest hosts, all the different facets of Italian culture such as food, wine, travel and art. It will also feature Italian music. It will be broadcast from Westchester Italian Cultural Center in Tuckahoe with a live audience. So Carolyn, if you're free you should come down. Carolyn: I think I will! Evelyn: I think you should! On of our first guests will be food historian Francine Sagone, who will not only be talking about traditional Roman cuisine as we get ready for the holidays, but she's also promised to cook for us as well. So whoever's in the audience that day will have some treats. It will be a new way for the Westchester Italian Cultural Center to reach out to our community. To learn more, log onto their website, wiccny.org. This is Carolyn Masone for essenceofitaly.net. Thanks for listening. ]]> tag:www.essenceofitaly.net,2008://1.30 2008-11-23T22:41:38Z 2008-11-25T08:55:24Z

Join us for an evening at the Riverdale Public Library. Carolyn will discuss her fascination with Italy and how this informs her photography. Come in from the cold for a lively conversation of how love expresses itself through art. Discussion...

Riverdale Public Library. Carolyn will discuss her fascination with Italy and how this informs her photography. Come in from the cold for a lively conversation of how love expresses itself through art. Discussion will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 2 from 7:00 - 8:00 pm.

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Our current exhibit of selections from the collection Italy, Through the Eyes of Love is at the Riverdale Public Library in Riverdale, New Jersey (www.riverdalelibrary.org). The exhibit opened with a reception on November 17 and continues through January 16,...

Our current exhibit of selections from the collection Italy, Through the Eyes of Love is at the Riverdale Public Library in Riverdale, New Jersey (www.riverdalelibrary.org). The exhibit opened with a reception on November 17 and continues through January 16, 2009. A portion of the proceeds from sales will be donated to the Library. The Riverdale Public Library is an open, light-filled space with several levels. They regularly hold art exhibitions and interesting programs on a variety of topics. Over the summer, Jefferson stopped by the Library and asked if they would display our marketing postcard, since I was a town resident. (Jefferson designed our postcard and it always attracts attention.) Here it is:
(click the thumbnail to view the full-size postcard.)
















The staff graciously agreed and Jefferson went on his way. A few weeks later the Library contacted us through our website and asked if we would be interested in exhibiting the photographs at the Library. We were thrilled! They also asked if we would conduct an hour-long program for them on the collection (more on that later!), which of course, we agreed to do. It's scheduled for December 2 at 7:00 pm.
We had a small window of time in which to install the exhibit, as we had to wait for the previous Library exhibit to be dismantled. Just like in Westchester, we brought in the metal grids for the unframed works (thanks to Matt Locker!) and hung the framed and gallery-wrapped prints on the walls.
















The Opening Reception would start in a few hours. As we were working on it, we noticed that the heat in the Library (especially on the second floor) caused the identifying tags on the metal grids to curl. This was an unanticipated complication that needed to be addressed. Jefferson sized up the problem and fixed it by attaching thick stock black paper to the back of each tag. He believed this would work at least through the Opening Reception, and after that we would have time to create a more permanent solution if needed.
Of course, reinforcing the tags was rather tedious and time consuming. We finally finished at 5:30, rushed home, got dressed and returned to the Library in time for the Opening Reception at 6:30. People started arriving early and kept coming until the Library closed at 8:00. We had invited many of them, and quite a few were strangers to us who had heard about the exhibit and wanted to see it.
I use the word "strangers" very loosely because common interests bring people together, and soon we all talking about the enchantments of Italy!








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We receive so many questions about matting and framing that it seemed like a good idea to share our process in an article. We hope it will add to the conversation about how to best enhance photography or showcase any...

We receive so many questions about matting and framing that it seemed like a good idea to share our process in an article. We hope it will add to the conversation about how to best enhance photography or showcase any artwork. On our website, essenceofitaly.net, if you click on the Photography link on the left hand side, you'll find yourself at the page that lists Regions and Subjects. We've added a new Category under the Subjects heading, entitled Custom Framed Prints. This category shows how we've chosen to mat and frame a selection of images from the collection, Italy, Through the Eyes of Love. The photographs can be displayed in a variety of ways. We've included smaller size prints in ready-made triple image frames, which you can purchase in many stores. In this way, the photographs can be mixed and matched to achieve whatever theme appeals to you; whether it's subject matter, color, shape or your personal memories. We've also included larger prints, approximately 12x18 inches, that we have had custom matted and framed. When it comes to choosing the right frame and mat, we pair each photograph with what we believe brings alive the color, vibrancy and mood of each image. Sometimes elements of the image itself are extended onto the mats or frames. At other times, the mat and frame emphasize the image that lies within. I'd like to add a word about matting here. Many people believe that only black or white mats should be used for photographs. I believe this reflects a concern that a colored mat will distract from, rather than enhance, the photograph. However, we've never subscribed to this point of view. Although there may be times when a black or white mat best serves the image, we've never felt limited to those choices. Instead, we chose each mat color with the same care and specificity with which we choose each frame.
With all of our custom framed works, we use non-glare glass. It's a little more expensive than regular glass, but is well worth it. Regular glass is highly reflective and this interferes with your ability to view the photograph. Any light source, including sunlight or a television set, will reflect off the glass and create a visual obstacle to the photograph and the mat you've chosen. But non-glare glass allows you to enjoy the photograph without strain or interruption. Here are some examples of our custom frame choices and the reasons behind them: For Chianca Beachouse, we started with a photograph that is very bright, colorful and intense in its geometry. We chose a mat color that compliments, rather than competes with the colors in the image. This mat also has a geometric design of its own which extends the geometric theme of the image. The frame has a plain design, again so as not to compete with geometric depth of the photograph.
In Benvenuti, we chose a purple toned mat to compliment the colors in the photograph, especially the predominate shades of yellow. The frame is deep burgundy that picks up the color of the pipe that runs vertically down the left side of the image. The frame is also textured in short sections that mimic pipe sections.
In Harvest, we chose a dark grey mat to emphasize the lighter colors of the grapes in the center of the image and also to mimic the dark cantina in which the grapes are stored. The frame is made of gnarled, twisted wood reminiscent of grape vines and bark. Capri Rocks is a majestic image and its strong, masculine tone is repeated in the mat and frame choices. Here we used double matting in colors that pick up the colors of the rocks themselves and compliment those in the sea and sky. The frame is wide and substantial, mimicking the heaviness of the rocks. I hope these examples provide a window into the process we use when creating finished works. I hope they help you set your own imagination free. If you would like to discuss possible matting and framing choices for any photograph from Italy, Through the Eyes of Love, please contact us.]]> tag:www.essenceofitaly.net,2008://1.27 2008-11-22T19:13:35Z 2008-11-25T13:52:03Z

Although the exhibit technically ended July 31, 2008 the wonderful staff at the Westchester Italian Cultural Center were in no hurry to take down the exhibit. They allowed the works to remain until mid-September, when we finally began the...

Although the exhibit technically ended July 31, 2008 the wonderful staff at the Westchester Italian Cultural Center were in no hurry to take down the exhibit. They allowed the works to remain until mid-September, when we finally began the careful dismantling process. Like all endings, it was bittersweet. The exhibit had gone extremely well for the Center and for us. It was wonderful to read the comments written in the Visitors Book in the Exhibit Halls. Here are some of them:"Wonderful eye for beautiful scenes. Thanks for this mini-vacation"; "Le fotografie sono meravigliose!"; "Absolutely breathtaking - I feel as if I am there having wine & bread sharing happiness with my friends & loved ones!"



We were so grateful to the Center for the opportunity, and they treated us so well throughout the experience, that we donated a 24x36 inch canvas of "Waiting" to the Center. A narrow totem with 3 display screens stands in the front lobby of the Center. Jefferson had created a slideshow of selections from the exhibit that played continuously on one of the screens. As the time for removing the exhibit drew near, Evelyn Rossetti, the Center Director, told us that the slideshow was so beautiful that she didn't want to remove it. She asked if we wouldn't mind leaving it on display in the totem. Mind?? Not at all! The slideshow had to be reworked because it had announced the exhibit dates.

This link will take you to Carolyn's Blog. Scroll down to view
the streaming video version of the new slideshow.

The Center also used my photograph,
"Bogliasco Cliffs"
for the cover of its Fall and Winter
2008 Program Catalogue.

Bogliasco is a small town near Genoa,
in the region of Liguria, on the
Italian Riviera.

Click the thumbnail on the left
to see the full cover image.


I had the opportunity to give a live radio interview about the exhibit on WGHT - 1500.
You can listen to it here:
We had good press throughout the exhibition. We're very proud of the exhibit review that appeared in the Westchester County ArtNews Supplement to the Westchester County Business Journal, June 2008: Here's the text of the review:
See "Italy, Through The Eyes of Love" Carolyn Masone at the Westchester Italian Cultural Center By Jessica Migliore As Italian-American photographer Carolyn Masone sees it, "The Earth herself has dreams. In Italy, you can see them everywhere you turn..." But beginning April 29 you can also see them captured in her upcoming solo exhibition, "Italy, Through the Eyes of Love" at the Westchester Italian Cultural Center in Tuckahoe. The collection consists of luscious color photographs teaming with the essence and immediacy of stolen moments in Italy. While many photographers are drawn to Italy for their love of photography, Masone was drawn to photography because of her love of Italy. In fact, it took a few visits to Italy before she even brought along a camera. At first, her profound and healing experiences seemed too private to express. The first she visited Italy she could not shake the feeling that her father, who had passed away before getting to see Italy himself, was seeing Italy through her eyes. Eventually, her camera became her vehicle for treasuring Italy's, "subtle surprises, freshness and the constant invitation to consider the familiar in unfamiliar ways." Perhaps this intuition-propelled progression towards photography is what accounts for the visceral and sensuous, almost magical quality, about Masone's work, whether her subject is a motorcycle propped against a flower-draped stucco wall or a cat sunning itself next to some overturned pottery. It seems she has mastered the paradox of finding the universal in the minutia - the more personal the image, the more authentic the art. The result of this is that many of Masone's pieces have the effect of one of Virginia Woolf's wonderfully crafted "moments of being." As it turned out, the theme of discovery and awe in Masone's work melds perfectly with the mission of the Westchester Italian Cultural Center. Evelyn Rossetti, Executive Director, is very excited about the serendipitous collaboration. "The WICC is where Italy comes alive in Westchester County. Carolyn Masone's exhibit, 'Italy, Through The Eyes of Love', brings alive the lushness and the beauty that is Italy, and we hope that many people will come to discover Italy through Carolyn Masone's images and the richness of Italian culture at the WICC." A wonderful article also appeared in The Herald News, focusing not only on the exhibit but on our collaboration, on July 11, 2008.
Click the thumbnail on the left to read the article.

The Exhibit was also featured in The Italian Tribune - June 19, 2008: Click the thumbnail on the below to read the article.
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Our Photography Exhibit, "Italy, Through The Eyes Of Love" opens this week at the Riverdale Public Library, 93 Newark Pompton Turnpike, Riverdale, NJ 07457 USA. The Opening Reception will be held on Monday, November 17, 2008 from 6:30 pm to...

"Italy, Through The Eyes Of Love" opens this week at the Riverdale Public Library, 93 Newark Pompton Turnpike, Riverdale, NJ 07457 USA. The Opening Reception will be held on Monday, November 17, 2008 from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. If you are in the area and would like to attend, please call the Library for information at (973) 835-5044. Refreshments will be served. Don't miss this beautiful Exhibit of the Italy you remember in your heart. The Exhibit runs through January 16, 2009.
Click on the thumbnails to view the invitation postcard front and back.
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Yes, breakfast was included in this wonderful sleep-over that Gabriele had arranged for us. It was set up in the dining room downstairs. We must have overslept because as we made our way up the hallway to the stairs, we...

Yes, breakfast was included in this wonderful sleep-over that Gabriele had arranged for us. It was set up in the dining room downstairs. We must have overslept because as we made our way up the hallway to the stairs, we saw that all the other guest rooms were emptied. The doors were open and Max's hardworking mother was laboring away. Stripping the beds, opening windows, vacuuming, all in her measured, my-arthritis-is-acting-up sort of way. It slowed her down, but it didn't stop her. Max waited for us at the dining room table, complete with our place settings, a pot of espresso and a large plate with mounds of biscotti and fresh pastries. It seems Max's Mom made these this morning, before she started cleaning the guest rooms. We had a few hours to kill before we were to meet Gabriele, so we settled in for a leisurely breakfast with Max. Max seemed to be in his 30's, attractive, lithe, with dark hair and those deep Italian eyes. The three of us talked about a wide range of subjects: Italy, America, working parents, children, cooking, Siena, girlfriends (he didn't have one) and on and on. After about an hour, Max's Mom emerged from the kitchen with a big smile and another plate of just baked pastries (we had pretty much decimated the first plate). That's when we realized she had made these fluffy goodies and hadn't just picked them up at the bakery. We feigned protest, but probably weren't too convincing. After all, she'd already made them; we couldn't let them go to waste. She walked slowly back to her chores upstairs and we continued to eat and pass the time with Max. We couldn't help noticing that young, healthy Max was doing nothing while his mother did everything. At one point, I went upstairs to use the bathroom. I was too paranoid to lock the door, so I just closed it and hoped for the best. As I was making my way downstairs again, Max's Mom was walking a few steps ahead of me. Remember the slow, painful movements of this woman? There she was, singing a little tune and bounding (yes, bounding) down the stairs like she was 20. I was happy she was happy but still, what was going on? I rejoined Lana and Max at the table where we hung out until we had to leave. There was quite a scene saying goodbye. Not so much Max, but his Mom didn't want to see us go. She hugged us both so tightly we were getting confused. It wasn't until we were walking over to the cafe to meet Gabriele that we put the morning's events together. It seemed to us that Max's Mom was probably like every other Italian mother we'd ever known or heard about: she wanted a wife for her son. She had morphed from cripple to singing athlete once she decided that at least one of us must have been interested in her handsome, available Max. Why else would we have spent so much time with him at breakfast? To Max's Mom, he was the catch of a lifetime! What young woman wouldn't want to hook up with Max and cook all his meals, do his laundry, clean up after him and then give Mom a hand cleaning the guest bedrooms, the bathroom, dusting, vacuuming, straightening? Ah, to two single American women it all seemed like such a mad whirl of delights! Really, we couldn't walk to the cafe fast enough. tag:www.essenceofitaly.net,2008://1.24 2008-08-19T15:06:13Z 2008-08-19T15:12:45Z

After much shopping, eating, drinking and walking, it was well into the night and time to return to Acqua Calde. We got ourselves a cab at the taxi stand and started down the road. The driver spoke only Italian and...

After much shopping, eating, drinking and walking, it was well into the night and time to return to Acqua Calde. We got ourselves a cab at the taxi stand and started down the road. The driver spoke only Italian and seemed to be in a really sour mood. We, in all of our excitement of the day, had neglected to get the address of where we were staying or even the name of the establishment (did it have one? We had no idea). But we were confident that we would recognize the side street we needed when we saw it, and tried in vain to convince the driver of this. I say in vain because he became irate, complete with gestures, yelling and red face (as much as we could tell in the dark). We even showed him our money, in case he thought we weren't going to pay him. We honestly couldn't understand his anger, but we literally didn't speak each other's language. After much fretting and histrionics on all of our parts, he abruptly pulled over and refused to take us further. To give you the sense of this moment, it was near midnight, pitch dark, a single lane road with tall grass on either side, no street lights, very little traffic, no houses, no businesses, nothing. We paid the driver (we were nothing if not honest) and started to walk the rest of the way to that side street we saw in our heads. All the way there, we tried to make sense of what had just happened. We walked quite a while, but we finally got there. It was such a relief when we turned that corner and saw the little house. We walked through the front gate and tried to open the door, but it was locked. Oh no; we were never given a key! Just as we were sizing up the garden as a place to crash until morning, the door opened. Suddenly, we were staring at Max's parents sitting on the couch in their living room, watching TV. Obviously not expecting visitors, Max's mother had her hair up in curlers. Oh Lord, we used the wrong door! We backed up, apologizing profusely, out into the night. We then found the correct door, dragged our tired selves up the steep, wide stairs, and went to our room. I needed a bath. Leaving Lana relaxing on the bed (beside the non-working stereo, there was no other furniture), I took our bathroom key and headed out the door. The bathroom was down the hall, shared by all guests on our floor. Since it was very late at night, all the other guests were asleep, all the doors on either side of the long hallway locked up tight. So the bathroom was mine for the foreseeable future. It was spacious with a large, sunken bathtub. The floors and walls were done in deep green marble tiles. It looks amazing but in my opinion, water and marble are a very dangerous mix. Instinctively, you try to create traction by putting a towel down on the floor as you stand by the sink or get out of the tub. But one quick move turns the towel into a runaway flying carpet. You grab hold of the nearest stable object to stop your momentum. Maybe it's the sink. Or the slippery edge of the tub. Or the towel rack. Anything to keep from hurtling into to that luscious Italian marble you were cooing over just moments before. Now you're wondering what you'll scream as you skid across the floor. "May Day" perhaps? Somehow, I made it out of the tub and got dressed without killing myself. I felt relaxed, refreshed and oh so ready for a good night's sleep. All that stood between me and sleep was the locked bathroom door. So I gathered all my things and slipped my medieval-looking skeleton key into to the lock and turned. The lock made the noise, but nothing else happened. The knob didn't turn. The door didn't open. No problem, I'll try again. So I did. Many, many times. Turn, clank, nothing. This went on and on. I wondered if I'd have to spend the night in the bathroom. My options weren't pretty. I could try to sleep on the bruise-inducing marble floor or in the bruise-inducing bathtub. Then there's the humiliation factor when the lucky stranger opens the door in the morning and finds me staring up at them. At this point you're probably wondering, what's Lana doing? Well, keep in mind that the bathroom is all tile and porcelain, and the hallway is all wood, no rug. So the sound of the key incessantly turning in the lock is resounding all the way down the hall to our room. Lana is sitting on the bed, head in hand, crying from laughter. It's not like she could help me. We had only one bathroom key between us. I was on my own. She was flirting with a hernia. Eventually, the lock gave in and I won. Turn, clank, open. Remember how relaxed I felt after the bath? Forget it now. I was some combination of overtired, stressed, relieved and dumbfounded. I made it to bed and fell asleep just in time for breakfast. tag:www.essenceofitaly.net,2008://1.23 2008-08-19T15:00:43Z 2008-08-19T15:06:04Z

Let's pick up this story at Il Querceto, a villa in Castellina in Chianti, during the last week of April, 1998. Laura, the owner, was an energetic woman who seemed to do the work of 3 people. She had already...

tag:www.essenceofitaly.net,2008://1.22 2008-08-19T14:38:26Z 2008-09-21T16:19:38Z

This is a transcript of the podcast appearing on our Podcast Page. Carolyn: In Part 1, John made his way from America to Italy to London and back to Italy again. With his guitars and mandolins, he met other street...

This is a transcript of the podcast appearing on our Podcast Page. Carolyn: In Part 1, John made his way from America to Italy to London and back to Italy again. With his guitars and mandolins, he met other street musicians in Florence and they formed the group, 'Pupi e Fresedde' which means Puppets and Bread. Together they became an integral part of the 1970's revival of Southern Italian folk music. In 1977, Pupi e Fresedde toured in the United States with the Domestic Resurrection Circus of the famous Bread & Puppet Theater, based in Vermont. It's astonishing but, despite the similar name, Bread & Puppet was not affiliated with Pupi e Fresedde. Bread and Puppet was a politically radical puppet theater, founded in the 1960s. It's signature was 10 to 15 foot high puppets that they used in anti-war and other political demonstrations. Stefan Brecht, the son of poet and playwright Bertolt Brecht, devoted much of his life to documenting the events of Bread & Puppet Theater. John and Stefan's paths would soon cross in a small New York cafe. John: So then in '76 when we were doing the show at the Washington square church at 4th street. First he wanted me to go to the Chelsea hotel, and I said no, I'm not going there. Carolyn: (laughter) Are you nuts? John: I'm busy, I'm going to be down at the cafe. across from the church, come and visit me there. So then he said, "OK, OK, I'll be there." So we sit at a table at Caffe Vittorio, La Lanterna on McDougal Street and he starts asking me, so what about this music, what does it mean? I didn't know what he was doing. He said he was doing research. Fast forward to 1986 when John, now living in New York, visits his old friends at the Bread & Puppet Theater. John: So about 10 years later I was up in Vermont at the Bread and Puppet Theater and there were all these books out. And Stefan Brecht, had been writting an anthology, he's got 2 thick volumes of almost every single day in the life of Bread and Puppet. It's his lifelong work. So I see this book and I start looking thru it. Then I start seeing photographs of when we were in Vermont. Carolyn: Not only were John's photos in the book, but an entire chapter was devoted to the conversation he had with Stefan 10 years earlier, at Cafe Vittorio, about Southern Italian folk music. Rewind to 1977. After the U.S. tour, John, along with Pupi e Fresedde, returned to Italy. As they performed throughout Northern Italy, the rhythms and lyrics of Southern Italian Folk Music were heard in many places, for the very first time. John lived this dream for years, but then things started to get complicated. John: from the early 70's to 79. I would come back to NY and as soon as I came back to NY they would call me, to do like the Biennale in Venice, or something. And I was so torn. I wanted to go back but at the same time my father had a heart attack and then I felt, you know, I wanted to be close my family, it was hard, it was getting hard. Now I had met Alessandra. I met her one of the occasions when I came back to visit my family, I met her in 1975-76. Carolyn: Alessandra is Alessandra Belloni, who would become a singer, composer, and world renowned percussionist. But no one knew that at the time. John: She came to visit me in Italy and met me and the group, Pupi e Fresedde. Carolyn: So she got to see what you guys were doing? John: And by that time the revival was really pretty strong. Carolyn: Had the two of you been talking about this revival of Southern Italian music? John: No, we just liked it and then she wound up writing to me and said you know, if you come back to NY, I want to start a group and I think we can do something like this in NY. and I said well, I don't know. I didn't think it was going to be the same because I was used to being in Italy, playing in the piazzas and playing these beautiful places and how could I recreate that again? So she kind of like convinced me. She said she met this actor, Claudio Saponi, and he does all these different characters. He does Arlechinno, he does Pulchinello. So then when I came back I met with him. So this is around 1980. So I decided to stay in New York. I would supply all the music, I had guitar and mandolin. In italy we had violins, frame drums, and then all these different voices, and all we had was just me playing the music and Alessandra singing and I said, this is not enough. But we started to do some stuff, and we would go to the Italian communities like in Brooklyn, out to LI. The older people, they remembered this kind of stuff, but the younger people didn't know what we were doing. They never heard this kind of music before. Carolyn: And they weren't part of the revival, certainly. John: No, that never touched them, because American-Italian immigration was totally on a different path. Unless someone's grandparents remembered it, from before they left Italy, maybe 50-60 years ago. So we had a lot to do. We have to teach these people about their culture, about this music because it got lost and they're not going to know about it. And I really loved it. So we felt like we wanted to bring it into the Italian communities and maybe the younger people would start listening to it and liking it and let it grow. Because for me, I didn't know it existed. I went there and had to learn it and be exposed to it and fell in love with it and I felt like I need to bring it back here. At that time after playing with Pupi E Fresedde all those years, I had started to transcribe all the music. Carolyn: So it was written down? John: I wrote it down. Carolyn: For the first time, maybe? John: Yeah, I started collecting it. I had suitcases full of this music. Carolyn: So this is music that even back in the 50's hadn't been written? John: No. Nobody would write that down. Carolyn: John, Alessandra and Claudio continued to try to get their music heard. It wasn't an easy road, and at times it was quite discouraging. Overall, John's experiences performing in America were not what he was accustomed to in Italy. John: Coming back to New York, with me in my little Volkswagon, traveling to Brooklyn with costumes, props. We tried to recreate it with just the 3 of us. Here I was coming from a whole big troupe and traveling all over Europe and here we are my little Volkswagen trying to bring Italian music. Carolyn: From the sublime to the ridiculous! John: Yeah. But Alessandra had a vision to pursue. I couldn't feel that same enthusiasm because I was still nostalgic for being in Italy and doing it there on a grand scale and then starting all over again, playing in the small little school yard, or a school gym, I was like, oh, this is so depressing! And you know, in Italy, we would go to the town and they would give us the town wine and the food, and it was like, where is this all? What's wrong? But then we kept pursuing it. One time we had to play for this agent, they didn't know where to place us. So one time they said, "Oh, we have a tour for you guys and we want you to play in the A&P in the Italian Deli department" Carolyn: Where? In New York? John: In Long Island. We would go from one A&P to the next, playing in front of the Italian Deli section. Carolyn: Oh my gosh, here you're playing piazzas, palazzos and concert halls in Europe and you're here and you're playing the deli section! John: And people would say, "Excuse me, I've got to get my rolls!" Carolyn: In those moments, you had to have doubted, you had to have been thinking... John: I know, what am I doing here? I felt like we were this tiny little melody trying to survive in the rash of noise. Carolyn: So how did it develop? Was is just a series of small steps or was there..? John: Yeah, a series of small steps. I got a job working in Brooklyn at a senior citizen's center, they were all retired Italian musicians there, that were like the string virtuosi from the '20's. I had to get them together to do a concert every Wednesday for the dance. Carolyn: So there was a dance at the Center? John: Yes, and they were all these mandolinists, retired mandolin players. And I would put together groups with them. So I got to know the people in the Italian community and there was a church there and this Irish priest, Fr. Kelly. Carolyn: That's ironic. John: I know. He loved us. He'd always bring us back, really be pushing us to do things in St. Finbar's in Brooklyn. So we wound up doing a lot of things in Brooklyn, for senior citizens. They thought, it was entertaining for them. They knew Pulchinella, so we'd do a lot of comedy skits and stuff. Carolyn: So it sounds like in this phase you're rekindling these traditions with this group of people who knew them when they were children, and here it is again. John: Yeah, that's how it all started. So I knew that the music needed to have more musicians and more arrangements to it. Then the people that I met from Bread and Puppet, they were living on 9th street. They loved the music because they remembered Pupi E Fresedde, and they loved the music and they wanted to be part of it somehow. Carolyn: So how did you go from this to the more polished group that you have now with Alessandra? Were you calling yourselves Giulliari di Piazza at the time? John: Yeah. And then I started to do more polished arrangements with the music, writing out parts, making it as easy for the musicians as possible and yet letting them hear the style. We've had so many musicians working with us over the years, people who never heard it before. Most of them weren't even Italian; they just liked the music. So then we started to get a grant. But what really helped us to really keep it going was the fact that we had a friend from New York University, who was the chairman of the Italian Department, Luigi Ballerini, who saw a lot of potential in us and he supported us a lot and gave us the space at NYU. Because where were we going to meet, in the cafe? We couldn't put anything together there. As we went on we tried to do more elaborate productions, and then I think our first opera was, we did the Cantata dei Pastori. We stuck to it all these years. And then I wanted to write more for film and theater. I didn't know it was going to go from classical guitar to writing for theater and film, but how things evolve. But all thru this music, which is what kept leading me, throughout my whole life, in this direction. Carolyn: The performance troupe that John founded with Alessandra Belloni, called I Giulliari di Piazza or the Jesters of the Square, is still performing the folk music of Southern Italy. John composed, arranged and performed this music with Alessandra and the troupe for theater productions of Dance of the Ancient Spider and Techno Tarantella, as well as various CDs they recorded together. On his own, John arranges and composes music for stage and screen. From off Broadway productions with John Turturo to the soundtrack of the award winning documentary, Sacco and Vanzetti, to writing a book called Southern Italian Mandolin and Fiddle Tunes, published by Mel Bay, John continues his troubadour's journey. No one knows where he'll turn up next. To learn more about John, go to his website, www.johntlabarbera.com. To download some of John's music, go here: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=182045984 To learn more about the musical program in Siena, founded by Joseph Del Principe, go to www.sienamusic.org. ]]> tag:www.essenceofitaly.net,2008://1.21 2008-07-21T16:42:38Z 2008-09-04T16:16:34Z

This is a transcript of the podcast appearing on our Podcast page. Carolyn: John T. LaBarbera is an Italian-American who has been playing traditional Italian music for over 30 years. He has recorded numerous CDs and composed many film soundtracks,...

This is a transcript of the podcast appearing on our Podcast page. Carolyn: John T. LaBarbera is an Italian-American who has been playing traditional Italian music for over 30 years. He has recorded numerous CDs and composed many film soundtracks, including the critically acclaimed documentary Sacco and Vanzetti. His theater credits include several off-Broadway productions, most notably Souls of Naples with John Turturro, and productions by the Italian Music and Theater Company, I Giullari di Piazza, which he co-founded with world renowned percussionist, Alessandra Belloni. For JLB, the vision of someday going to Italy was planted in his mind as a child, listening to his grandfather's stories of his own boyhood in Italy. His grandfather died without returning to his homeland, but the dream stayed with John as he grew. John's Italian journeys brought him into contact with amazing people, unexpected twists and turns, and experiences that spanned the sublime to the ridiculous. Little did he know he would play an integral role in the 1970's revival of Southern Italian folk music, including the Tarantella Pizzica. John would team with Alessandra Belloni and bring this music to America, laying the groundwork for its continued performance. But that's the end of our story. Let's start at the beginning. John loved music and had his own band at 13. He continued studying classical guitar at Connecticut's Hart School of Music and met a professor who would change the course of John's life. John: I got a degree in classical guitar and my last year in college, a friend of my mine who was also teaching there, he was a professor, he said, "you know, you belong in Italy". His name was del Principe. And he said, "you know, I've been going to Siena and I want to start a school there. I want to take students from the college." So, Del Principe kind of like gave me a scholarship to go to Italy and to help him out, you know, it was kind of like he was teaching me a lot of stuff so he made me like his assistant. Carolyn: Did you have any sense at this point how long you would be in Italy? John: No. Actually, my real plan, because you know I was fascinated by Italy but somehow, I knew that when I graduated from college I was thinking of going to London, because I had a teacher who had invited me. He said I could try to help you get some work in London at the Guitar Center. Del Principe said, "You know, come to Italy. Come for the summer and at the end of the summer, go to England." Carolyn: John had no idea what his friend, Joseph Del Principe, had in store for him. John: He was a student at the Accademia Chigiana, where he studied composition and there was this Principessa Segardi who has the Piccolo Teatro and she's giving us a space in Siena. It's a palace, a 17th century palace and we could have the school there. So, my entrance way to Italy I wound up living in a palace. So the room I was in had a chandelier, this Venetian glass chandelier, with all these secret passageways, canopy bed, I was living in a dream world. It's still there. And the Baronessa also had a dance school there. She loved music and she was a sponsor for Del Principe to bring his school to Siena. Carolyn: John's journey as a troubadour was about to begin. John: We would rehearse and, at that time I really loved Renaissance music. With Del Prindipe, he was a composer but he also was very close to the early music. At the school we had some very fine musicians with us there who were Renaissance musicians who were among the first groups from the '50s that started the whole revival in the U.S. So I felt like, OK, here I am in this medieval city playing this Renaissance music, living in a palace. And we would go to the towns in Tuscany and play concerts in the towns, San Sepulcro, San Gimignano, Monteriggioni. He wanted us to not only just to work on our music, performing our music, but also, realize that you're in Italy, and it's a very special place. And that you have to know the people, hang out in the piazza, spend time knowing the culture. Now I feel like I'm at home, you know. This place is amazing. Here I am in a foreign country and I felt like this is my home. Everything just seemed very natural to me. And it was Siena, you know, and my family was from Southern Italy. But there was something about Siena, you know, still to this day I'm so attached to Siena. The main concert that we did at the end of the summer was in the duomo of Siena. And then we went to Assisi. We'd take a choral group and we had a full orchestra as well. We were traveling with a full orchestra, a choir, and chamber ensembles. I would always lead the Renaissance and Medieval music. While I was in Siena that first summer, '73, we went to Florence, my first tour to Florence. And one of the students said, "You know, there's a music school, a graduate school in Florence and they teach guitar there." So then I said, maybe I should go find out about it. So then I went to audition and they said, "You know, we could give you a scholarship to study here and our teacher was supposed to have Segovia come and do a method class in the fall." So now, here I am, I auditioned, I got accepted into this school, and I had this job offer in London. So I was like really torn. What am I going to do now? So when the Siena program finished, which was the end of August, the school in Florence wasn't supposed to start until October. So I had like, a month. I had to go to London to find out about this Guitar Center where I could teach. Carolyn: At this point, John left for London in true troubadour fashion. John: So I leave Italy and at that time I didn't have a backpack or anything like that. All I had was my guitar, heavy guitar case, and like heavy suitcases with handles. I was loaded with books. So the thing like weighed a ton, getting on the train, schlepping everything. So many trains in the middle of the night, with no seat. so I would sleep on the floor. I would lay on the floor and go to sleep. I would sit on my suitcase, that was my seat, for like hours, up to London. When I got there the suitcase broke, the handle. Carolyn: Oh, no! So now you have to hold it with both hands? John: Well, I rigged up a thing with my belt. Carolyn: OK, McGyver lives! John: And you know, I had to schlep it with, you know, my guitar. At the same time I'm carrying this bottle of really good Chianti which they said, "this is a very special Chianti" and I wanted to bring it as a present, to my friends. So, I was like holding onto that bottle of Chianti, all throughout that train trip. Carolyn: Sleeping with it. John: Ah, everything! I wouldn't let it out of my sight. And it was in one of those old fashioned Chianti bottles, remember? Carolyn: With the basket? The raffia? John: Yeah. I wanted to give it as a gift to my friends. And I started hitchhiking up to Manchester. So then I wound up hitchhiking all over England. I went to that Guitar Center but it seemed like, they really didn't have any work for me. They said, "Well, we can't really promise you how many students you'll have" and I was like, you know, this is very strange. I was like walking around London and you know what was very strange for me, I was born in New York City, I'm used to a big city. But after being a Siena for a month or two, I'm used that walled city. And the security, that small, I know everybody in the piazza, I see the same people up and down. I got so used to that, that closeness, that when I went to London I felt, this city's too big for me, I don't know what I'm doing here. I've got to get back to Italy. Carolyn: So John returned to Italy, the country that never really let him go. But as usual, things didn't go as expected. John: So I'm going to go to the school in Florence. They have a student meeting introducing the new students and the faculty and everything. So when I get back there, they tell me, "Oh, we have some bad news for you." "Oh, now what?" So he's like, "Well, your guitar teacher quit, so there's not going to be a guitar program". I was looking for that for my graduate studies. So now I said, now what? So they said, "Well, we can, you could study music history" and I was like, music history? I didn't really want to study music history, but I said, OK I'll try it out. It was a graduate school for the arts, so they had fine arts, too. They had painters and lot of art restoration. There were people there working on the restoration from the flood. Carolyn: In the '60's? John: Yes, at the Suboratu (sp?) Studio they had, they were incredible. And they taught that, they taught art restoration. Carolyn: What an atmosphere that must have been! John: It was a beautiful villa. Actually, it was called Villa Schifanoia. Believe it or not! And it was run by the nuns from Rosary College in Indiana. Carolyn: In Indiana? All right, that took a second to get it into my head! John: I know! Believe it or not, they had this villa outside of Florence on the way to Fiesole, in this small little burb called San Domenico. And that was a beautiful villa. And they had the art studios there, the music studios there. I was like in heaven. But I was kind of disappointed because I was gonna study guitar. But I met some of the people there and they were like, "Whatss the matter with you?" and I said I'm not gonna have guitar lessons, I'm gonna have to study music history. And this guy, Rob Saunders, he was an art major. He said, "Well, you need a place to stay?" I said "Yeah, I'm like, staying in this youth hostel, I don't have any money" and he said, "I'm looking for a roommate, but you can stay at my place until I find a roommate." So I wound up staying with him. So the, while I was staying with him I needed to make some money so I used to play by the Uffizi museum Carolyn: Just like it is today, the space outside of the Uffizi museum in the 1970's was filled with musicians, singers and acrobats. While John was playing his music, one of his fellow street performers was none other than Roberto Benigni, who honed his comedic skills in a clown and comedy troupe. Years later Benigni would win an Oscar for La Vita e' Bella or Life is Beautiful. But of course, no one knew that then. Just like no one knew that this is where John's journey would intersect with the folk music of Southern Italy. John: I played classical guitar and then I met this violinist, this Dutch girl from Holland and we started to do duets. So when I was playing that's when I met these street performers. These 3 guys singing beautiful harmonies, and I became friends with them. They played a little guitar, they all played the frame drum, they were masters of it. And they used to make their own tambourines. So when I first met them they would say, you know, we're looking for a guitarist and we'd go to someone's house and they'd start singing and then they'd start showing me how to play. They would tell me, this chord, that chord. None of the music was written out. They didn't write music and none of it was, it was just oral tradition. They were all from Puglia, all from Taranto. Carolyn: So were they singing the tarantellas? John: Yeah. Some of the stuff that we've recorded later, we still do as part of our repertoire. Until that time I had not known of the Italian folk music. But the interesting thing was, in the '70's was when the first wave of the Italian folk revival started. And that's because before that, none of the folk music was really recorded, it was only sung in the fields. People didn't perform folk music. It was done outside, while people were working. Then in the '50's, a musicologist named Alan Lomax. He was studying the folk music from different countries. And he teamed up with an Italian musicologist and together in the '50's they started to record people from the villages and towns and they put out an album in 1963. In the '60's, very few people had record players. But some of these records were starting to become available. So the music started to become more accessible. Then by '68-'69, the music was there but you know nobody was really listening to it. In Italy they were listening tot the Beatles and Rolling Stones. By '71-'72, people began to see, you know, our folk music is dying out. People are just listening to American music. And the people weren't singing in the fields anymore like they used to. So a lot of the students, it was like a political movement to bring back the folk music, to revive it. We started out doing stuff in the piazzas. Carolyn: So you had some costumes. John: They would make these costumes and you know they had the masks, commedia dell'arte masks, and they would make their own instruments, the tambourines. Carolyn: How did they know what kind of costumes to wear, the colors to wear? John: They remembered that from their towns, from their growing up. They actually remembered from their parents and grandparents because they were all from these small towns. You know, a lot of those traditions were dying out. But then they started doing research also. But they knew a lot of these customs that were still done in the piazzas. because in the 50's, there were still, there were like storytellers used to come to town. And so they were very connected to it. But no one was really doing it before this generation on a performance level. Carolyn: What kind of a response were they getting for their performances? John: People were, you could see, people would gather around in the streets of Florence. Of course this is a southern tradition, it wasn't very popular in Tuscany. And people were really interested with it, they never saw anything like this before. Carolyn: Over time, this group was sponsored by the city of Florence and chose the name, Pupi e Fresedde. Pupi means puppets, and fresedde is a type of bread. Puppets and Bread toured throughout Italy and was sponsored by different facets of Italian Tourism. One of the most famous programs was called Arrivano del Mare, or They Arrive from the Sea. John: That was actually sponsored by Teatro di Roma. It was our group and several other theater groups together that they had chosen. So, the Teatro di Roma organized it and they set it up in all the towns, they had posters. They would organize a tour of the different coastal towns of the Adriatic and Mediterranean coasts of Italy. We would go to the town, a location a little bit outside the main port and we would all get on a boat, and we would all assemble on the boat, all the theatrical troupes, and we would make a circle and go around the harbor and then come in thru the main port of the town. And then they'd open up the boat and we'd all come out. We'd all be in costume, with our instruments, and do a parade, una parata. Carolyn: I assume then all the spectators are lined up at the port at the main piazza waiting for you? John: Yeah and then they would follow us. Then we would go, in the town they would have different locations, like they actually had shows lined up for the rest of the day. That was our entranceway and then we would go and then say at 3:00, we have this troupe playing and then at 4:00 another group, and all thru the night at different times in the evening, It was really nice, it was like a festival, but it was a moving festival on the coast. Carolyn: That's the end of Part 1 of A Troubadour's Journey, the story of John T. La Barbera's musical adventures. Please join us for Part 2, when John returns to New York with his love for Southern Italian folk music. As his unconventional story continues, unexpected people and events shape his experiences. To learn more about John, go to his website, www.johntlabarbera.com. To download some of John's music, go here: www.sienamusic.org. ]]> tag:www.essenceofitaly.net,2008://1.20 2008-06-26T14:22:43Z 2008-06-26T15:48:49Z

This is a transcript of the podcast of Carolyn's interview with Greta Latona and Jimmy Howes on WGHT radio. Greta: It's 7:39 and if you love to travel and if you just love romance, nothing says it more than Italy,...

This is a transcript of the podcast of Carolyn's interview with Greta Latona and Jimmy Howes on WGHT radio. Greta: It's 7:39 and if you love to travel and if you just love romance, nothing says it more than Italy, and on the line we have Riverdale resident Carolyn Masone. She's got an exhibit she's going to tell us all about and beautiful, beautiful photography that you can own. Hi, Carolyn, how are you? Carolyn: Hi Greta. Thanks so much for having me on your show. Greta: You're very welcome. Jimmy: Ciao, Carolyn, Ciao! Carolyn: Ciao, Baby! Jimmy: What's going on with Italy, Through the Eyes of Love? Carolyn: What's going on? Well, it's a collection I've been amassing over about eleven years of traveling to Italy and it isn't over yet! It basically is a reflection of my journey as a person and a photographer in the most beautiful setting in the world, I think! Greta: So you loved Italy so much that back in 1995 you started traveling there and you didn't even own a camera. So tell us how the transition from not even owning a camera to becoming a fabulous photographer happened. Carolyn: Well, it's a funny thing. And I, as you just said, I went there for the first time on vacation in 1995. I was never interested in photography and I took several trips to Italy without a camera. And I came back and people were like, "Are you nuts? How can you go there and not have a camera?" But I just wasn't interested in that. I was on some sort of personal pilgrimage, I guess, and that wasn't part of it. But then, at one point, I was getting ready for another trip and it just occurred to me that if I took a camera I could probably get some pretty good images. So I just went with it. I bought myself a camera, at that time it was a film camera, and I went. I had a lot of fun taking pictures and never expected anyone to care about them except me. I came back and I was really surprised at the positive reception the photographs received. People wanted enlargements and they wanted copies, all of this. And I found, myself, that the photography enhanced the trip. So then eventually I moved to a digital camera and now it's my constant companion when I go to Italy. Jimmy: Well, Carolyn, most of your pictures, they're probably works of art, that are on display at the Westchester Italian Cultural Center should be of great interest to the people of Northern New Jersey and I'll tell you why. The amount of population in Northern New Jersey of Italian people, it's immense. Is that what drew you to Italy to begin with? Do you have a background, family, friends from Italy? Carolyn: Well, yes, actually. My Dad was Italian and my mother was Swedish. We lived closest to the Italian side of the family so, certainly the Italian culture dominated. My Dad always wanted to see the country where his parents were from but he never had the opportunity. So, when I had the opportunity in 1995, I was really intrigued by it. And really, I thought, you know, it would be a great vacation spot and I didn't think it would be more than that. I didn't go to research family history or anything like that. I just went to relax and have some fun. I didn't know my life would change forever (laughter)! Jimmy: Anybody can take a photograph, but how is it that you know how, or you have the feeling of what to take a picture of, when you're there in Italy, that would be of interest to people here in the United States? How do you know what to photograph? Carolyn: I'm not even sure how to answer that question because I don't have a background in photography, as I said. I think everyone has their own inspiration, the scenes and the moments that resonate with them. Whether your dream is Italy or something else, the basic framework behind it is the same, which is just being open, allowing the opportunities to come before you, taking them when they come. And I think that's the common thread. Greta: So basically, you followed your heart when you saw the beautiful countryside, because this became sort of a hobby for you. You did have another career prior to this. Carolyn: That's true, it's just sort of grown over time. I knew that I wanted to work in a way that was connected with Italy in some fashion but I had no idea what form that would take. And then in 2004, my business partner and designer, Jefferson Harman, and I created essenceofiitaly.net, which is our website where the photography is displayed. And that has really taken over our lives! It's what we love to do and that's what brought us to this wonderful exhibit at the Westchester Italian Cultural Center in Tuckahoe. Greta: And you not only take photography, you also did a journal, like a travel journal for people. Carolyn: Yes, I like to write about some of my travel experiences and we also do podcast interviews with people that we feel are doing interesting, unexpected things in Italy or connected with Italy in some way. So, it becomes like a multimedia experience. Jimmy: Now when you leave the house, do you feel like you forgot something if you don't have your camera with you? Carolyn: Yes, you know, sometimes I do; you're right! Jimmy: There must be great pictures to take everywhere but if you don't have the eye, you have a sixth sense, obviously. Carolyn: The pictures that I take and the mindset that I get myself into is a whole experience and I have to tell you, it's a quite solitary experience. Jimmy: Now that you have an artist's dream, actually, is to be on display, and you're on display at the Westchester Italian Cultural Center, what's next for you? What are other things that you plan to do? Carolyn: Well, I certainly plan to go back to Italy, there's no question about that! And we have some very interesting podcasts in the works for the website. We have musicians and people who are devoting their lives to perpetuating the folk culture of Italy, and I think that’s going to be very interesting. And we hope to put the photos into book form to make them more accessible so that people who love Italy can have it in their homes and anytime they just need to sit back and relax and dream a little bit, they can just open the book and go. Jimmy: Carolyn, two cute questions: is it spaghetti sauce or gravy? Carolyn: (laughter) It really depends on where you're from; North or South! Jimmy: Alright, and how about pizza? Is the pizza better in America than in Italy? Carolyn: Oh, if you're in Naples, it's pizza heaven! Jimmy: Now, can you go over the website one more time, and exactly how do we get to where your display is? Carolyn: The website for the Westchester Italian Cultural Center is www.wiccny.org. You can certainly just Google Westchester Italian Culture and I'm sure you can get there. And the Center is an amazing place for anyone who loves Italy and wants to learn more about Italian culture, that's the place you should be. You can call there for viewing hours for the exhibit. It's up until July 31st. Greta: And it's free, for the public. Carolyn: Yes, it's free and open to the public. Jimmy: It's so exciting when somebody local does something like this, Greta. Greta: And you know, I have looked at the website and you have pictures up there of the rocks of Capri. Now I've been in Italy; you brought me right back there! Carolyn: Oh, that's wonderful! Greta: And I've seen your other photographs throughout and I have been to those places where you have been and you have captured it on film! Absolutely! You brought me right back there! Carolyn: Thank you very, very much! Jimmy: Carolyn, you're welcome back to the show anytime. Carolyn: Well, thank you! Thank you so much for having me on the show; it's been such a pleasure. Jimmy: Keep us posted on your up and coming trips to Italy and your photographs, and thank you so much for joining us! She was top notch, Greta, thank you. This was wonderful! Carolyn: Thank you! Greta: Thanks! Jimmy: There you go at WGHT. Now I'm in an Italian mood, Greta! Give me a tarantella! Greta: I'll help you out! ]]> tag:www.essenceofitaly.net,2008://1.19 2008-06-26T13:17:34Z 2008-09-17T21:30:08Z

This is a transcript of the podcast appearing on our Podcast page. Italian cuisine is a favorite the world over. It's delicious, healthy and brimming with variety. One reason is the Italian insistence on using only fresh, local ingredients. Each...

This is a transcript of the podcast appearing on our Podcast page. Italian cuisine is a favorite the world over. It's delicious, healthy and brimming with variety. One reason is the Italian insistence on using only fresh, local ingredients. Each region of Italy has its own specialties, and within each region are microclimates, lifestyles and traditions that combine to create unique flavors and unforgettable meals. For all of Italy's culinary variety, some ingredients are found throughout the country, but with their own local flair. One of these ingredients is olive oil. The queen of oils, benefiting the heart, skin, palate and mood, olive oil is as Italian as Michelangelo. Every year, the renowned Italian cooking school called The Awaiting Table offers a special course celebrating the Puglia region's contribution to Italy's olive oil masterpiece. The course is entitled: "The Contadino, the Cook and the Extra Virgin" and will take place from June 22-28, 2008, about 20 minutes south of the city of Lecce. Silvestro Silvestori is the proud owner of the Awaiting Table, voted one of Italy's finest cooking schools by Food and Wine magazine. Designed for English and Italian speakers, Silvestro will lead you in the preparation and appreciation of regional specialties, such as orchecciette salentine, local seafood and the layered casseroles unique to the area. Then there's the bread, the pastries, cheeses, wine, making sausages from scratch and eating them on the beach...this is is a truly a 'hands on' experience. Silvestro will also lead excursions to nearby Lecce, known as the Florence of tha South, where you'll find specialty shops and food markets that will set your culinary imagination free. The Awaiting Table will team up with a company called Olive Matters, which specializes in all aspects of premium olive oil production. Olive Matters will provide instruction in the cultivation, appreciation and tasting of the best olive oil in the region. You'll tour local olive oil production groves, both traditional and modern, and meet the growers, millers, bottlers and retailers who make premium olive oil their life's work. You'll visit the shops, mills and fields, tasting this year's olive oil long before it's imported to your home country. You'll also learn the difference between the olive oil that goes from the Italian grove to the Italian table and the olive oil we find in supermarkets where we live. Italians definitely have the advantage here, consuming their olive oil unadulterated, unblended and undiluted. By meeting the local producers, you will have the opportunity to purchase olive oil directly from the groves. This wonderful cooking course will be based in the castle of the beautiful Palazzo Bacile. The demonstrations, cooking and your accommodations will all take place in this palazzo dating back to the 16th century. Complete with olive groves, a swimming pool, vaulted ceilings and an immense drawing room that opens onto terraces overlooking the courtyard, Palazzo Bacile is the perfect place to relax, unwind and absorb the culinary culture of Puglia. To learn more, go to www.awaitingtable.com or contact me at my website, essenceofitaly.net. ]]> tag:www.essenceofitaly.net,2008://1.18 2008-05-04T20:10:06Z 2008-05-04T20:14:16Z

The exhibit continues until July 31 at the Westchester Italian Cultural Center in Tuckahoe, New York. Click here for directions: http://wiccny.org/contact.html#directions Public viewing hours during May and June: Tuesdays: 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm Wednesdays: 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm,...

http://wiccny.org/contact.html#directions Public viewing hours during May and June: Tuesdays: 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm Wednesdays: 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm, except 6/11 Thursdays: 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm Saturdays: 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm In July, by appointment only. Admission: Free Well, ready or not, the big day arrived! Luckily, we were mostly ready. Jefferson & I went up to Tuckahoe early to finish hanging the exhibit. We finished just in time for me to start training the docents at the Center who will take people through the exhibit on a daily basis when I'm not there. The docents take their responsibilities very seriously and asked me thought-provoking questions about the stories behind specific images and my approach to photography in general. I know my photos will be in good hands with them. By the time the session was over, it was time to get dressed for the opening. Just before 6:00 o'clock, the first groups started coming in. It was a stream that continued for 2 hours. I managed to meet most of them, and it was wonderful to answer their questions and hear their stories about what Italy means to them. Many of them were of Italian descent, but not all. You don't have to be Italian to love Italy! Some of the people I spoke with were born and raised in Italy. They shared their childhood memories of large, close families, heavenly aromas from the kitchen and picking grapes from their grandparent's vineyard. Some were veteran travelers who spoke of Italian vacations that turned into the best moments of their lives. Some focused on the people with whom they had traveled, long passed away but alive forever in heart and memory. To me, this is the true alchemy of Italy, turning strangers into friends.]]> tag:www.essenceofitaly.net,2008://1.17 2008-05-04T19:56:55Z 2008-11-18T17:17:39Z

We are preparing for an exhibit of selections from my photographic collection, Italy, Through the Eyes of Love, at the Westchester Italian Cultural Center in Tuckahoe, New York. The exhibit opens with a reception on Tuesday, April 29 from 6-8...

Italy, Through the Eyes of Love, at the Westchester Italian Cultural Center in Tuckahoe, New York. The exhibit opens with a reception on Tuesday, April 29 from 6-8 pm and continues until July 31. We're very excited and proud to have been invited to show the photographs at the Center. We're working with some wonderful people, like Evelyn Rossetti, Executive Director and Anne Marie Annuciato, Director of Events. The Westchester Italian Cultural Center is associated with the Generoso Pope Foundation. It's the focal point for lovers of Italian culture in the area. They sponsor artistic exhibits (naturally!), Italian films, lectures, cooking classes, language classes, special children's programs and highlight the wine and culture of particular Italian regions throughout the year. If you've never been to the Center, it's an elegant and impressive building. After a recent multi-million dollar renovation, it houses exhibit halls, a theater, library, professional kitchen and wine cellar. The architecture is gracefully appointed with careful attention to detail. It's a feast for the eyes. There are so many details that need attention and we're hoping not to miss any! Jefferson designed the banners that will hang outside of the building announcing the exhibit. He also designed the postcards that will be mailed to Center members. Still to do: design a slideshow of images and text for the electronic totem that stands in the front lobby; design the price list complete with images of each work, create the title cards for each photograph, decide where each work will be displayed, and that's only what I can remember right now! We'll be showing works in various mediums; some will be matted and framed, some giclee prints without frames, and some on unframed on photographic paper. The unframed works will be displayed on black metal grid panels. Our goal is to create a visual environment that invites each viewer into their own personal experience of Italy. For this exhibit, I had to create a new Artist’s Statement and write my bio. I thought you might like to see them: Artist's Statement: My journey as a photographer reflects my relationship with Italy itself. I'd never been interested in photography until I started traveling to Italy. For my first few trips, starting in 1995, I didn't even bring a camera. Although I was happy to share stories about my trips, I had the sense that I didn't want to share what I had seen with anyone when I returned; I wanted to keep my visual experience private. I couldn't explain why. But looking back, I see it more clearly. Those initial trips were my first steps on a personal healing journey. In many ways it was like entering therapy; both wonderfully liberating and at times, deeply painful. At some point, as I was preparing for an Italian trip, it crossed my mind that if I took pictures there, I would come back with some great images. So, I bought a camera (I'm not kidding; I didn't own one!) and saw Italy through a lens for the first time. I never expected anyone but me to care about my photographs, so I was surprised by the positive responses they received when I returned home. The camera became my constant companion in Italy, and it continues to be an integral part of my healing journey. My relationship with Italy is like that of a lover; it brings me great happiness and some of my deepest disappointments. But I can't imagine my life without it. My photographs reflect what I value most about Italian life: its subtle surprises, freshness and the constant invitation to consider the familiar in unfamiliar ways. In that spirit, Italy continually invites me to look at myself with new eyes. Biography: Carolyn Masone was born in Brooklyn New York to an Italian-Swedish family, where the Italian influence always dominated. Her upbringing in New Jersey was filled with Italian culture; the music, dancing, cuisine, celebrations and strong sense of family. Her father Nicholas, a first-generation Italian-American, spoke longingly of someday traveling to Italy, but never had the opportunity. Nonetheless, the family traveled often and Carolyn's wanderlust was born. She journeyed to Italy for the first time in 1995 and has never been the same. Enchanted by feeling at home in a place she had never been before, she remains under its spell. Carolyn knew that first trip would change her life; perhaps gradually, but nonetheless profoundly. Over time, her traditional career path took a back seat to more creative professions that would further connect her to Italy. She joined a company that planned weddings in Italy and became a destination wedding planner. Although no longer with that company, she continues to plan weddings for couples from all over the world who dream of marrying in Italy. Carolyn's photographic collection, Italy, Through The Eyes of Love, have received worldwide attention. They appear in private collections nationwide as well as in Australia, England, France and of course, Italy. Her work has been exhibited in New Jersey, New York and, in 2009, in Lucca, Tuscany. In 2004, together with Jefferson Harman, they created a venture called Essence of Italy, showcasing her unique perspective on the Italian experience. In 2007, they launched a website, http://www.essenceofitaly.net, through which Carolyn presents her beautiful photographs and publishes lively tales of her travel adventures. Thanks to the connections she's made through these experiences, she researches, writes and records podcast interviews with interesting people who highlight unexpected aspects of Italian life. She returns to Italy regularly to attend various classes, workshops, festivals and to visit dear friends. All the while her camera goes with her, allowing images to speak through the lens to the viewer, evoking emotion, history and dreams. "If I had to sum up what the photography, writing and interviewing are really about, it's about the journey of setting your dreams free. It doesn't matter what form they take. It's where real joy and deep healing come from." For Carolyn, her photographs truly present Italy, Through the Eyes of Love. ]]>