YOU’RE BOTH FIRED!

Now that that’s over with…

Nick was the bridge for me between the old Division (Crooks, Ripple, Plunkett) and the new Division (Goetz, Evans, players to be named later). Nick lived through the road trips where all five of us shared one room (with four different lineups!), recording sessions that went way too long, and the frustrations of being bounced around by labels, promoters, clubs, touring bands, and member changes. We took a lot of flack for hiring Nick at first, because it was a big change in sound. I’ve never regretted it. I’m proud of our work together, and I don’t just mean his taste in rehearsal space decor.

Tim’s time in the band is a little harder to quantify, since he never made it to any recordings. He opened his Division career at O’Shaugnessy’s, at a show that everyone but us forgot to promote – thus showing that the bar really wasn’t any higher than it is for his other projects. He got to play a lot of cool shows, though, which kind of makes up for the amount of time he put in trying to learn Ron Kralik’s impossible bass parts. His dedication, humor, and love of dead language characters will be missed.

The one thing they have in common? They both surprised me when they asked to audition, since I thought of Tim as a guitarist and Nick as a bassist. Both proved me wrong. It was a pleasure to have them both go out in front of a crowd that loves metal for the sake of metal, since love and passion for the music is what it’s all about. I’ll miss firing them both after every show.

As for the future? Stay tuned – Division is far from being done. There’s new music waiting in the wings, and I’ll be blogging about our search for a new voice and new bottom end. (Especially since someone has to maintain the &*^&%#@ website – thanks, Tim!)

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Division in New York 2004

What do I take from my journey with the band? Plenty. First of all, I would never be the vocalist I am today if it wasn’t for my time in Division. That’s obvious to anyone who has been a part of my life for as long as I’ve been in the band.  I always looked at Division as a metal band version of the Weakest Link. No one ever wanted to be that guy. If a fan ever said, “I love those guys but their vocalist sucks”, it really hit a nerve. I think every member of the band; past and current, feels exactly the same way.

What else?  Obviously, the relationships that come with laying your heart on the line with other musicians. When I started, the line up included E.J. “Juice” Ripple on drums, Dan Plunkett on bass, Matt Crooks on guitar, and a rehearsal space full of adult-themed material. Over time, each of those guys stepped down. I was joined by James Goetz on drums, Dave “Noodles” Evans on guitar, and Ron CK “Little Rock” Cummings-Kralik on bass, and later Tim Regan filling in his 5-string shoes.

Nick Kelly and Ron Cummings-Kralick 2006 Jaxx Nightclub

We played in Chicago, DC, Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Michigan, you-f’ing-name-it-and-we-played-it. These shows provided incredible opportunities to learn about one another, to argue, to come back to terms, and to push each other as musicians every step of the way.

When I was first offered the gig, I pretty much provided everyone I knew the same disclaimer. I liked everyone in the band. I had to get better if we were going to be successful. And, there was one guy that I knew I would either love like a brother, or wind up in a parking lot brawl with.  That cat is guitarist Mike Blevins, the only original member of Division, and a mofo who pushed me to be the best every step of the way.  Mike and I are a lot alike, and that should pretty much terrify anyone reading this.  I know I drove him crazy more than a handful of times, but that only made our good times together that much better. He’s the rock on which Division stands, and I can’t wait to see where the band goes from here.

There’s a laundry list of people outside of the band I would love to thank. Tops on the list is my blushing bride, Stacia Kelly, for her constant support. Whether it came down to buying new equipment, being gone for four days, or attempting some crazy P.R. stunt, she always replied with a smile and a roll of her eyes, and gave me her blessing. She’s a real trooper, and I hope I can reward her with kindness for our many nights apart. Who else? How bout my other band mates in Just Wanna Play ?

Nick & Mike 2012

JWP is a group of musicians gathering to play the best tunes in pop music from the Eagles and Bowie all the way to Maroon 5. Basically, our mission is to put women on the dance floor. All of my bandmates have had to put up with me applying what I’ve learned to their vocals. Some call it a blessing.  If it’s just me being a jerk, I apologize! Who else? How bout all the bands we’ve met along the way… Symphony X, Jon Oliva’s Pain, Accrasicauda, Metal Church, Black Label Society, Therion, Hammerfall, Evergrey, Nevermore, Testament, and more.  (If you saw Division with another band, please comment!)

I also want to thank Jay Nedry from Jaxx Nightclub for opening the doors to my metal career. Jaxx was one of the first places I ever played, and one of the last.

Walking away isn’t easy. I never imagined it would be. That autumn Wednesday morning phone call between Mike and me wasn’t an easy conversation, but it was necessary. Division was an incredible band before I was blessed to join its roster. It will continue to lead the pack among local thrashers long after I’m gone. I’m thankful for my time and my experience with every one of the guys and girls who ever graced the stage with me. What does the future hold? Well, that’s another story for another time.  Until then, throw the horns in the air, raise the “Fist of the Metal Child”, and support your scene.

Join Division and me on Saturday, February 18th, for my final show with the band.

One love,

nK

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The first stop on the Farewell Tour is December 9th, as Division joins Chopper Trike Rebels and The Maiden Project at Memories in Waldorf, MD. This is the last show Division will perform in 2011. It’s a Friday night, and it’s cheap.  Hit the band up for tickets if you plan to attend.

Each show comes with its own interview question between Nick and Tim. Here’s the first in the farewell series.

nK: What are some of your favorite guitar solos from the Division catalog? Are there solos you sing-a-long with when they come on?

TR: Masquerade (from 2004′s Trinity) tops the list. The solo switches off from one guitarist to the next, then they join together.

nK: I’d put that near the top, too.  I always want to sing along with Mike’s solo, and throw in my ad lib line “The veil I hide behind” in the middle of it.  Maybe I will during these last few shows.

nK: Do you have a second favorite?

TR: The same CD brought “Greed” aka “The Prophecy”. That solo fit the same formula. One soloist, then the other, than a harmony solo.  I like that one also.

nK: I like that one, too.  Once the double-bass kicks in, it’s bang your head time.  Got a third?

TR: I’ll have to think about that.

nK: Here are a couple that come to mind.  Dave Evans plays with a very unique style. He loves King’s X, maybe even more than I do.  So, two easy examples are his solos in Soulmate and in Short Attention Span Society. Mike’s solo in Perfect Little Slave is another guilty pleasure.

Divisionaries can hear all these songs at the first stop of the Farewell Tour.  Join as at Memories to close out 2011, and keep your ears peeled for the final Division shows with Nick and Tim.

See you from the stage!

nK

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It is with heavy hearts that we announce the departure of two of our brothers in metal, veteran vocalist Nick Kelly and bassist Tim Regan. Nick has been the in-your-face voice of Division for over 10 years since being tabbed to fill the shoes of original vocalist Scott Stewart.  Nick is featured on two of Division’s most successful CD’s to date, 2004′s Trinity and more recently, 2010′s Control Issues.  Nick’s powerful voice and dramatic flair for lyric writing aligned perfectly with Division’s goal to explore a more violent, sadistic side of metal. Tim Regan’s time with the band was short but sweet having just joined Division a little more than a year ago, replacing über-bassist Ron Kralik.  Nick and Tim will finish out all the shows we have booked through The Rockin’ Massacre II festival in Essex, MD on March 3rd 2012.  Division will continue to bring our style of metal to the masses – just with some new faces involved – with new releases in the works for 2012. Interested vocalists and bassists may contact the band to schedule an audition through Facebook (www.facebook.com/divisionusa) or by email at info@division-usa.com.

Nick Kelly - Photo by www.shadowflood.com

Tim Regan - Photo by Jamal Ahmed Photography

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Hold the phone, Nick.  Did you just say operatic metal?

I did.  And I might not be saying it if not for sharing a stage with one of the East Coast’s best operatic metal bands; Cassandra Syndrome.  Here’s an image: take deep, electronic-backed rhythm section, add in pounding, crunchy guitars.  Good, so far?  Now add an operatic soprano songbird to the mix.  Operatic Metal.

I told you so.

I was fortunate enough to meet Cassandra Syndrome when they performed together with my band, Division, in Richmond, VA.  They’re as humble as they are talented.  Lead singer Irene Jericho took some time out of her busy schedule to accept an interview with me, even as their second CD, the interesting and inspired “Satire X” is released to the public.

Nick: Irene, thanks first for taking the time to answer some questions and to meet our readers.  Let me sort of set the stage, if you will, and ask you to describe the theme behind “Satire X”.

IJ: Thanks for having me!  Satire X is our second full-length release and we’re really excited about it. Our material tends to focus on socio-political commentary.  The lyrical theme within Satire X is about consumption; specifically consumption to the point of ignoring everything else that’s going on.  That’s actually where the name of the album comes from.  Juvenal was a first century satirist.  In his tenth Satire (Satire X), he talks about ‘panem et circensis,’ which means ‘bread and circuses’ or ‘bread and games.’  He was talking about the propensity of the political leaders of his time to satisfy the shallow needs of a people (fun and food) rather than to expend the effort to govern well.  We definitely feel like it’s happening here in the United States.  Everyone’s so caught up with the next gadget, reality TV show or toy that they’re not really paying attention to what’s happening to our country.  The ‘circus’ concept came through on the album art—we tried to create a dark carnival, a circus of the damned, for the album to live in.

nK: Interested readers may already have hit your site, http://cassandrasyndrome.com .  The first audio single is “The Magus.”  Can you tell us a little bit about that song?

IJ:  “The Magus” is actually part of our Tarot series.  The song is based off the second card of the Tarot Major Arcana, the Magician or Magus. In our quest to create a song for each of the Major Arcana, a big goal is to make the cards relatable to our current lives. In the song The Magus, the Magician is portrayed in his role as the power behind the throne, the puller of strings. In this case, the stockbrokers, bankers and power mongers that contributed to the global financial crisis.  In live performances, The Magus gets a huge reaction–it has rapidly become one of our fan base’s favorites. It was definitely on the top four list for singles off the album. Our other consideration for a single was songs that make an impact–a song that combines listenability with message. In light of the continuing strain on countries around the world and the citizens that rely on them, we felt The Magus was most relevant to our world right now.

nK: Despite “The Magus” being the first download, it’s not the first video from the CD.  Can you tell us a little bit about “Shackles”?  Was this your first video shoot, and what was it like trying to bring your idea to life on film?

IJ:  “Shackles” is our most direct musical attack on consumption out of the album.  Other songs tackle related topics, but “Shackles” shoots straight at the heart of the issue.  One of my favorite lines from the song is “Where has all our outrage been?/Bread and Circus lured us in.”  That encapsulation of the theme of Satire X within one song was part of why we chose it for the music video.

The other reason is that it was the only one I had a visual concept for.  I don’t normally think in terms of video—it’s a new medium for me.  When I’m writing a song, I think in words, then in sounds, then sometimes in stationary artwork.  For “Shackles,” for some reason, I had this very clear vision of a camera following a chain across the floor, leading the viewer in to see people chained to their possessions and obsessions.

We were really lucky to have some resources in-house to call on for the making of the video.  Jen Tonon, our rhythm guitarist, runs a production and indie film company called More Brains Media.  She and her counterpart, Steve Grainger, helped me flesh out the idea then bring it to life.  I’m really happy with the result.  I think the video definitely gets our point across.

nK: You’re the primary lyricist for the band.  Did you determine the entire theme for the CD, or did the writing process evolve over time?  I’ve seen band members come in and say “play this”, and I’ve seen others say “here’s an idea, what do you think?”.  Which is more accurate with Cassandra Syndrome?

IJ: The writing process is a group effort for us.  I write lyrics/rhyming verse pretty frequently.  The best ones go into a stack of lyrics to pull from.  When we sit down to start work on a new song, one of the instrumentalists will introduce a riff or beat and everyone will jump on and add to it.  As the musical sequence develops, I pull out that stack of lyrics and see what will fit.  The lyrics do generally shift a bit from poetry to song, too.  The rest of the band helps me decide which lines stay and which ones get cut.  Sometimes we rephrase certain sections to make the words fit the music better.  Since I write lyrics as poetry first, I have a tendency toward word choices that work well when spoken but can be very difficult to sing.  So there’s generally some reshaping to get to the core message of a section without using five-consonant words

nK: Has promoting this disc differed from promoting your original release? (The band’s first CD was 2009’s “Of Patriots and Tyrants”.) This one seems much more closely in step with your chemistry as a band.

IJ: Definitely.  I’m still very proud of ‘Patriots,’ but it was our first go-round with releasing a full-length album.  There was a lot of run-up to the actual release date of Satire X.  We allowed press outlets advance copies of the album in early June, so we had reviews to share with people fairly early on.  More Brains Media did a series of interviews with the band and our production team and released a little behind-the-scenes mini documentary about the making of the album.  We released a music video, as we discussed earlier.  We hosted a live streaming listening party online—we played all the tracks and took questions from viewers about the songs, the band, the album…everything.  It was a great way to get in touch with our supporters who don’t live close enough to get to a live show.  We’ve also offered a few different options for purchase of the album.   There’s a download-only, a physical CD and a special edition release.  That release, called the Juvenal, is a special tshirt, the CD and the first three Tarot cards from our Tarot series.  There are only 100 of those, and that’s all there will ever be of that particular printing.  The combination of all those different activities has had a huge impact on people’s awareness of us.

nK:  One new step you took to promote the band was to appear on local TV.  I loved seeing you and Jay (Jericho, percussion) on the Front Row TV Show with host David Byrne.  Will you recap that experience?

IJ: That was so much fun!  David and Phil Hartgis (producer) were wonderful to work with.  They made us feel very comfortable, so talking about Cassandra Syndrome and Satire X was easy.  I think I did give David a run for his money in terms of ‘most awesome hair,’ though J  I definitely recommend their show to any other local musicians interested in appearing on the airwaves around DC.  They’re very professional but also quite easygoing and fun to interact with.

nK: I admit that I singled you out a bit in the description of the band, because without your voice, it might be placed in a different genre.  Will you take a moment to introduce the band and the culture of Cassandra Syndrome?

IJ: We’re a five piece band.  The other person who gets as much mention as me when it comes to reviews and interviews is our lead guitarist, Chris Kackley.  He’s an amazing lead player, and I’m not saying that just because he’s in my band.  I still remember the shocked silence after he came to audition for us back in the old days.  He’s amazing.  It was hard to believe someone as talented as he was wanted to join a weird metal band like ours!  His lead lines really help carry the drama and dynamics of our work.  On a personal level, he’s the most un-stereotypical-lead-guitarist I’ve ever met.  He’s kind and funny and has none of the flashy attitude sometimes associated with that particular role within a band. 

The guitars are rounded out by Jen Tonon.  Jen comes from a punk background and lends this wonderfully trashy/thrashy sound to the rhythm lines.  She’s also a trap set drummer.  That background of percussion really comes through in her guitar playing—you could set a metronome to her riffs.  Jen’s an amazingly multifaceted artist.  Along with the film company and playing guitar for us, she’s also scored a couple musicals and the soundtracks for some video games.  Because of that unusual background, she thinks about music differently than the rest of us.  When we’re stuck on a section while writing a song, Jen’s often the one that finds the way out.

Bass is carried by Joe Cariola.  Joe and I go way back—we went to high school together and have been friends for about 15 years now.  He and I both joined the military out of high school.  When I was forming Cassandra Syndrome, he was  just getting out of the Army.  The timing was perfect, so I drafted him.  He writes wonderfully groovy bass lines.  When you find yourself nodding your head along to a song, that’s probably because of Joe.

Our percussionist tends to get us a lot of attention, too.  Jay doesn’t play a trap set, although you’d never know it to listen to a track.  He plays a really cool percussion instrument called a Zendrum.  A Zendrum is a pressure-sensitive midi-controller.  It’s worn like a guitar, but looks like a giant piece of purple pizza with Oreo’s on it.  Each of the “Oreo’s” is a pressure-sensitive pad.  When he strikes them with his hands or fingers, the Zendrum triggers a sound.  Depending on how hard Jay hits, the sound is greater or lesser in volume.  He also uses a few foot pedals.  The end result is that we have a hand drummer who sounds like he’s playing a really amazing trap set.  It’s a great instrument—they’re rare, so we definitely get a lot of questions about the Zen.

nK: The release of “Satire X” marks a big release for Cassandra Syndrome.  Tell us a bit about what our readers should expect to see as the resulting tour/interview/appearances.

IJ: Thus far the buzz has been great and a lot of doors have been opening to us—it’s very exciting.  We have some great shows coming up—our official CD Release Party is August 20^th at Ram’s Head Live in Baltimore, MD.  The locals will probably be familiar with that place, but for those you further afield, it’s Baltimore’s biggest, best rock club.  To be invited to play there for our release party is an incredible honor.  We’re also playing at the Sidebar and Sinix in Baltimore over the coming months.  We’ll be once again joining Division on a bill in March for the Rockin’ Massacre.  There are some other really exciting shows in the works, but since they’re not finalized yet I can’t really talk about them.  As soon as things are signed, though, you’ll see them on our web page.  You can expect to see interviews in a few different publications (Metal Maidens, Seeker of the Winterheart, Rock & Metal World, etc) plus more reviews, of course.  The live streaming listening party was such a neat experience that we’re also kicking around the idea of more ‘live, online’ activities.  So definitely stay tuned for that.

I want to thank Irene and all of Cassandra Syndrome as they promote “Satire X”.  Give it a listen.  You may find you like something you have never considered before.  More information on Cassandra Syndrome is available at http://cassandrasyndrome.com.

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What do I mean by “mic control”?  Simple.  Mic technique is understanding your projection and adjusting your position and distance from the mic to compensate. In simpler terms, if you sing a low note with little projection, but the same note an octave higher with massive projection – well, your mouth can’t be as close to the mic for both notes.

Got it?  Good.  Let’s move forward.

What makes mic control important?  Let me list two very important scenarios.  The first is dedicated to the touring musician.  The second is more about your ears.

Division singer Nick Kelly

Touring musicians might hire their own personnel to handle lights and sound.  These hired guns know every mood change and can assist in the band’s attempts to reach out to the fans to personalize the performance. They might know every note, the order of the songs in the set, or even the points where the audience should be moved by a sudden on-stage action. Most bands don’t have this.  Instead, they have the sound and light guys who cover every band that perform on their stage.  They have no idea when the singer might growl, shout or spike in volume.  Their ignorance of the band can actually scare off casual fans. One man’s lack of a band’s catalog can literally isolate dozens of potential new fans. If the sound engineer doesn’t know how to manage the volume of the instruments, two things can happen.  First, the mix may wash out some of the band’s strength, like a signature guitar solo, or great vocal performance.  Second, if the monitors on stage aren’t done right, and the musicians and singers can’t hear what they’re doing…look out.  That’s the quickest path to a lousy performance.

Singers, from casual to professional, should also make sure they aren’t suddenly bellowing in to the mic.  In addition to hurting the band’s performance, it can also hurt your ears.  In-ear monitors can be used to isolate voices and instruments, and to block out all sound.  If a singer’s voice has a direct path to your eardrum, and that singer suddenly goes from singing to shouting as part of a performance, it can cause serious damage.

Distance is your friend when it comes to mic control.  The distance from a singer’s mouth to the microphone can affect three things; volume, strength, and enunciation. Singers who tend to get very close to the mic can lose enunciation and make their voices sound warped. Jon Tidey describes trying to record these singers on the ProSound Web Blog HERE.  Marc Acito writes a whole blog about the Broadway trend of swallowing the mic to be heard HERE. A well-trained singer doesn’t need to have her lips and teeth on the microphone in order to be heard. Learning how to project with the mic just a few inches from the mouth can really help a singer learn to project and to help her sound engineer.

Another technique that assists in maintaining tone is to move the mic away when holding a note that is intended to fade out.  Don’t attempt to lower the volume and intensity of the note at the same distance from the mic.  Hit the note strong. Hold the note strong, and move away.  That ensures the same tonality of the note from start to finish.  It will clash less with the supporting instruments, and require fewer takes when recording.

Symphony X frontman Russell Allen

Two singers with incredible mic technique are Russ Allen from Symphony X (Video HERE) and Ralf Scheepers of Primal Fear (Video HERE).

Are you the singer in your band?  Are these tricks you use every rehearsal, recording and performance?  If not, was this helpful?  I’d love to hear your thoughts.  Got an opinion?  Let’s hear it below.  Till then, see you at the next show!

One Love,
nK, Division

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The NHL has many long traditions. One of the most storied is the NHL playoff beard. During a Stanley Cup playoff run, many players refuse to shave their beards. That’s why many pics of the winning team look more like the crew of a viking longship than a pro sports team.  In recent years, the NHL and NHLPA have put together a program where fans can grow their own beards and raise money for worthy charities.

Tim Regan

On Friday, April 29th, the Washington Capitals will host the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Tim is a big hometown Caps fan, while Nick is a big Bolts fan. The two have decided to put their beards on the line for charity.  Tim’s Caps are raising money for the Friends of Fort Dupont Ice Arena. Fort Dupont is the only public indoor ice arena located in Washington, D.C., and the only skating facility in the area that provides free or subsidized skating programs to children.  Nick’s Lightning team is raising money for the Pediatric Cancer Foundation and the Vincent Lecavalier Pediatric Cancer & Blood Disorders Center at All Children’s Hospital.

Caps fans can support their team by donating to Tim’s Epic Facial Hair Journey HERE.

Lightning fans can support their team by donating to Nick’s Beautificent Beard HERE.

(Note: You don’t have to like either team.  If you believe in these great charities, feel free to donate anyway.)

Nick Kelly

Only one of the Division boys will have their beards intact when Division next hits the stage on May 13th with Destruction, WarBeast and Acrassicauda at Jaxx Nightclub. Destruction is a no holds barred thrash band with decades of material. Warbeast is Texas-born metal on Phil Anselmo’s Housecore Records Label. Acrassicauda (Latin for “Black Scorpion”) is largely known as the only Iraqi metal band. Featured in a pre-war documentary, Heavy Metal in Baghdad, the band has since moved to the States (by way of Syria and Turkey) and is a serious highlight of the tour.

Tickets are $17 in advance, $20 the day of the show, and are available from Division HERE.  This show is All Ages.

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Nick here again with some vocal advice that has been passed down from generations of talented singers, vocalists, front men, front women, and egomaniacs.  Actually, I lied.  It was a lesson from my vocal coach to me, and one I find myself tripping over every once in a while at rehearsal.  (Sort of like the head down thing that I blogged about HERE.)

Many trained vocalists know about the dangerous syllabus that cause us to close up, or swallow, certain vocal sounds.  We get away from the vowel sound and accent the consonants instead.  Unless you’re shooting for a particular emotional effect, that’s technically not the correct approach.  (Let’s face it.  No ear, nose and throat specialist or dentist ever said, “open up and say ‘Uhlllllllllll’.”)  Instead, proper vocal technique requires acknowledging the three parts to a vocalized syllable.  The entry (a consonant or imagined consonant like the invisible H – I’ll blog about that one another time), the sustained vowel sound, and the exit (either a consonant or a vowel sound, depending on the lyric and intent).

The issue I want to discuss in this session is the center of that three-part vocalization; the vowel sound, and the danger of losing that when singing the dreaded monster of vocal monsters – the three-syllable word.

To start, let’s look at a few of those consonants that cause us to naturally close up and lose the vowel sounds in favor of dominant consonants.  Some examples are -er, -ur, -em, -um, -el, and -ul.  Often we hear singers swallow these vowel sounds, leading to an almost mumbling of the vocal tones.  Now, some vocalists just perform this way.  Scott Stapp, Eddie Vedder, Jim Morrison; these guys just deliver a very throaty approach.

It is very hard to go from a clean, clear, frontal approach to the throaty delivery and do it the right way.  Two guys I know do it very well – DC music veteran Michael Sheppard, and Kem (our generation’s Barry White)

Here’s where those vocal sounds can really sneak out of the weeds and catch you – when they’re the middle syllable of a three syllable word.  I admit, it sounds odd at first, but think about it. Ok, don’t think about it yet, let me throw you some examples first, and you tell me if you find yourself subconsciously burying the vowel sound in the middle. It happens in speech, even more than it happens in singing.  Here’s a few examples:

memory (meh-murr-ee)
battery (batt-urr-ee)
yesterday (yes-turr-day)
sustenance (sus-tuh-nans)
understand (un-duhr-stand)
infantry (in-fuhn-try)
another (ah-nuh-ther)
understand (uhn-duhr-stand)
restaurant (res-turr-awnt)
syllable (sil-uh-bull)

Ok, so some of these don’t show up in every Top 40 pop song, but that’s not the point.  The point is that swallowing certain sounds can cause a singer to lose momentum and delivery of her line.  That is enough to send a trigger to the listener, even if they don’t have any musical theory training, or ever picked up an instrument.  It’s like putting a speed bump in the middle of an Interstate.  It’s a bad practice, so let’s agree together to avoid it.

Instead, focus on words like this and practice keeping the middle consonant open. Here are some suggested improvements:

memory (meh-murr-ee) (meh-MAH-ree)
battery (batt-urr-ee) (bat-TAH-ree)
yesterday (yes-turr-day) (yes-Tah-day) (R isn’t really required)
sustenance (sus-tuh-nans) (sus-Tah-nens)
understand (un-duhr-stand) (Uhn-Dah-stand) (same rule, try it!)
infantry (in-fuhn-try) (In-Fahn-tree)
another (ah-nuh-ther)(ah-Nah-ther)
understand (uhn-duhr-stand) (Uhn-Dah-stand) (Trust me on the R thing, really)
restaurant (res-turr-awnt) (Res-Tah-rahnt)
syllable (sil-uh-bull) (Sil-AH-bull)

I feel like I just assigned homework, but maybe that’s not such a bad thing.  I  know how I felt leaving rehearsal tonight.  I have room for improvement.  Read this, and let me know your thoughts.  Maybe you do.  Maybe you don’t.  Either way, please share your thoughts.  We’re all students here.  Some of us have more stage experience that others, but we all have room to improve.  If we didn’t, well, who knows where we would be?

Thanks for your time.  One Love!
nK
Vox, Division

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The official death toll from the disaster is 13,130, while 13,718 remain unaccounted for.

More than 150,000 people have been made homeless. Many have lost their jobs.

Many international aid organizations have stepped up efforts to assist those who have been evacuated, to recover the many missing from their homes, and to stabilize the six reactors at the Fukushima nuclear plant. The American Red Cross was one of the first organizations to initiate aid programs, operating out of the nearby Yokota Air Force Base.

Here are some examples of the Red Cross efforts.  The Japanese Red Cross is operating a hospital in Ishinomaki. Specialists and volunteers there are working to assist with food, water, blankets, and psychosocial support. The Japanese Red Cross Society is also offering counseling and emotional support to survivors who have lost their homes and traditional way of life. The Japanese Red Cross has 2,400 nurses nationwide trained to give psychosocial support following major emergencies. (1)  Read relief worker Kathy Mueller’s detailed account as a worker assisting those affected by the tsunami HERE.

“Today, about 264,000 people are staying in the approximately 1,800 shelters operated by the government and supported by the Japanese Red Cross. Each day, approximately 10,000 people leave the evacuation centers and return to their homes as electricity is restored. But most do not know how long they will remain in the public shelters.” (2) To date, the Japanese Red Cross has handed out more than 125,000 blankets and 20,700 emergency kits – including portable radios, flashlights and other supplies – to help evacuees cope with the cold weather and lack of electricity.

Monday, April 11th: The American Red Cross today announced plans to make an additional commitment of $40 million  to the Japanese Red Cross, which would bring its total contributions to $100 million. (3) This total is separate from the $1.6 Million raised by the Hawaiian Benefit Concert on April 10th featuring Jack Johnson, Willie Nelson, Michael McDonald and Mick Fleetwood. The same day, more aftershocks hit Japan “and the government advised people who live beyond the previous imposed 12-mile area from the damaged nuclear power plant to evacuate.” (4)

What does that have to do with a metal band in Washington, D.C.?  That’s easy.  Division is fortunate enough to join our friends Iris Divine, Timelord and Death Penalty at Jammin’ Java on April 12th.  Proceeds from this concert will go to the American Red Cross, specifically intended to assist with the efforts described above.

While you’re there, pick up Iris Divine’s new CD, “Convergence”.  This band is not only incredibly talented, but they’re equally humble.  We enjoy every show we play with this talented foursome (and even the ones we attend without performing.)

Division will have our latest CD, the award-winning “Control Issues” on hand, and a proceed of our profits will go to the Japanese Tsunami Relief efforts through the Red Cross.  We hope you enjoy our sound, our performance, and share our hope for the best possible recovery for those in Japan.

We’ve played with these bands before, but never for such a critical purpose. This show is all ages, and tickets are just $10. Come out and enjoy the show and help out those in need.  If you can’t make it, send your donation to the Red Cross HERE.

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1. Matsumoto, Sakaya & Francis Markus. Red Cross Relief is More than Food and Blankets. (March 28, 2011). American Red Cross. Retrieved from http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.1a019a978f421296e81ec89e43181aa0/?vgnextoid=ed4aa50d2ccfe210VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD .

2. Red Cross Scales Up Relief Efforts to Meet Huge Needs in Japan. (March 23, 2011). American Red Cross. Retrieved from http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.1a019a978f421296e81ec89e43181aa0/?vgnextoid=9aa05a32e2fde210VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD .

3. One Month after Disaster, American Red Cross Donations to Japanese Red Cross to Reach $100 million. (April 11, 2011). American Red Cross. Retrieved from http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.94aae335470e233f6cf911df43181aa0/?vgnextoid=ca9fbacc5944f210VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD .

4. Lambert, Leann & The Associated Press. (April 11, 2011). Hawaii event raises $1.6 million for Japan as aftershocks rock country again. Ke Alaka’i. BYU-Hawaii. Retrieved from http://kealakai.byuh.edu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3809&Itemid=78 .

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