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The Cats Behind the Mouse ~ Disneyland’s Feline Cast Members

24 Wednesday Jun 2015

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Cats, Disneyland, Fun Facts

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

@DisneylandCats, Alley Cat Allies, Becky, California Adventure, Cats of Disneyland, Disneyland, Disneyland Cats, Disneyland Hotel, Elizabeth Fais, Fantasyland, Feral Cats, Francisco, Frontierland, Giovanni, Grizzly River Run, Magic Kingdom, Rancho del Zocalo, Sleeping Beauty's Castle, TNR, Trader Sam's, Trap Neuter Return, Walt Disney

There are no words for the irony. Feral cats were original inhabitants of the Magic Kingdom…the place that started with a mouse.

Original Rulers of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle

When Disneyland opened in 1955, the interior of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle was empty. Later, when Walt Disney decided to build a walk-through attraction inside the castle, they discovered a significant number of feral cats had claimed it as their royal home. Unfortunately, there was also a huge infestation of fleas.

Sleeping Beauty's Castle, Disneyland, California

Homes were found for all the castle cats, the place was treated for fleas, and Sleeping Beauty’s Castle became the walk-through attraction we know it as today. Everything was good. That is, until rodents began to take over the park. Again…the irony.

No one had taken into consideration that the castle cats provided a much needed service–they kept the park free of unsavory vermin. So, when a new group of feral cats found their way onto Disneyland property, they were allowed to stay. These cats were trapped, neutered, then returned (TNR) to their home “land”, to maintain a stable (cat) population.

It’s no spoof, I’ve got proof!

Today, the Disneyland Resort (Anaheim, California) is home to approximately 200 feral cats. Disney neuters, feeds, and provides medical care for the cats, and in return the cats keep the park free of rodents and other vermin.

Feral cats have a home – outdoors! And although they appreciate a can of cat food, they don’t want to snuggle with you on your couch. ~Alley Cat Allies

Feral cats are not socialized to people, and prefer to stay out of sight. I recently visited Disneyland with the intention of photographing some of the resident feral cats. Intention is the operative word. I managed to get pictures of 9 of the 200 feral cats, and consider myself extremely lucky. Here’s proof of Disneyland’s most elusive ca(s)t members.

Becky ~ Rancho del Zocalo restaurant, Disneyland

Early one morning, I caught Becky climbing up to her perch atop Frontierland’s Mexican restaurant, Rancho del Zocalo. The way she poses, you’d think she knows the Bougainvillea backdrop compliments her complexion.
Becky, Disneyland Cat

Francisco & Friend ~ Grizzly River Run, California Adventure

Francisco (left) hangs out at Grizzly River Run in California Adventure, and is one of the friendliest of Disneyland’s feral cats. He’s been known to come near the fence to give park guests excellent photo-ops. His** friend (right) came out too, but stayed at a distance in camouflage.

**Most tortoiseshell cats are female, as are calico cats. However, there are rare male tortoiseshell and calico cats. Likewise, most orange tabby cats are male, yet I have a friend with a female orange tabby.

Francisco and Friend

Giovanni & Friend ~ California Adventure

Giovanni (left) hangs out at the Wine Country Trattoria restaurant (California Adventure) behind the upstairs terrace. His friend (right) hugged the rock wall far in the distance, pausing only long enough for me to snap a picture before darting out of sight.
Giovanni and Friend, Disneyland Cats, California Adventure

Disneyland Hotel Feline Cast Members

Cats also patrol the property around the Disneyland Resort hotels. I stayed at the Disneyland Hotel, and found a few shy cast members luxuriating in the bushes surrounding the pool and Trader Sam’s on the warm, sunny afternoons.
Cats at the Disneyland Hotel

I learned the names of some of Disneyland’s cats from talking with cast members when I visited the Park.


Undercover Cats: The TRUTH about Disneyland’s Secret Cast Members

07 Sunday Jan 2018

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Animals, Cats, Disneyland

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

@DisneylandCats, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Becky, cats, Cats of Disneyland, Disneyland, Disneyland California Adventure, Disneyland Hotel, Disneyland Resort, Elizabeth Fais, Feline Friends Network, Feral Cats, Francisco, Frontierland, Grand Californian Hotel, Ned, Pixar, Rancho del Zocalo, Stanford Cat Network, Taylor Roberts, The Happiest Place on Earth, TNR, Trap Neuter Return

The cats are out of the bag. And to think it happened in Fantasyland… There’s more to their covert kitty fluff than gratuitous sass and snark, though. Disneyland cats are working cats-members that provide a valuable function in the Happiest Place on Earth.

Covert Kitties Turned Social Media Mavens

Several years ago Taylor Roberts, a freelance writer, glimpsed a cat darting across a path in Fantasyland and snapped a picture.

That night he started the Cats of Disneyland Twitter account with tweets voiced by the witty cats. A web site soon followed: Cats of Disneyland.

With Roberts’ dry humor combined with photos of the covert cats, Disneyland’s secret cats-members skyrocketed to social media stardom. Articles about Disneyland cats were featured in the Los Angeles Times and KTLA. Blog posts were written about them, like my 2015 post, The Cats Behind the Mouse. (Giovanni, Disneyland California Adventure, PC:Elizabeth Fais)

NOTE: Taylor Roberts started the Disneyland Cats accounts on Twitter and Instagram, but it now appears those accounts were taken over by someone else. It’s not uncommon for popular accounts to be purchased and transferred to new owners.

In a theme park inspired by the world’s most famous mouse, it’s the cats of Disneyland who have the run of the place. —Los Angeles Times

As Becky so proudly flaunts, atop the roof of the Mexican eatery in Frontierland, Rancho del Zocalo (PC:Elizabeth Fais).

Becky, Disneyland Cat
All the media hype continued to keep the cats’ indisputable value to the daily operation of the Park a secret, though.

Cats-members with a Cause

Disney parks pride themselves in cleanliness. So it’s a little embarrassing that cats are necessary for the Disney “Mouse” squeaky clean image. In truth, the cats play an important role in keeping rats and other vermin out of the Park.

Disneyland’s cats have been behind-the-scenes cast members since the Park opened in 1955, infiltrating the grounds from the surrounding orange groves of the time.

The cats at Disneyland are feral, which means they are happy living and hunting outdoors, and prefer to stay away from people.

I became interested in the cat population at Disneyland, because of the work I do with feral cats in the San Francisco Bay Area. I’ve made several trips to Disneyland to research the cats. On one trip, I talked with the manager of the feral cat program and here’s what I learned:

  • Approximately 200 cats live at the Disneyland Resort, including Disneyland California Adventure, the Disneyland Hotel, and the Grand Californian Hotel.
  • The cats have been trapped, spay or neutered, and then released (TNR) back into the park. This is the proven, humane method for managing feral cat populations. For more information, read about Stanford campus’ Feline Friends Network.
  • There are feeding stations for the cats “back stage” to supplement their diet and keep them healthy.(PCs:Elizabeth Fais, Ned, at the Disneyland Hotel)
  • They’ve implemented an ingenious flea management program that is low-stress for the cats and highly effective.
  • The cats are given medical care and attention, as needed. This ensures healthy, long lives for each of the cats.
  • When a cat becomes too friendly with Park guests, they are given a home with a devoted Park employee.
  • Feeding and petting the cats is discouraged at all times. Disneyland cats are wild animals, and must be treated with respect and caution.
  • The best times to get a glimpse the cats are early in the morning (early admission, if possible), or around sunset. Feral cats are nocturnal, and usually sleep out of sight during the day.
  • Ask cast members for tips on where the cats hang out. The evening crew seemed to know the most when I asked, as that’s when the cats are most active.

Disneyland Cats: Unsung Heroes!

Something must be done…I mean sung! The “underdog story” is popular in the Disney Classics library.Francisco, Disneyland Cat It’s time to break old boundaries and blaze new trails. We need an “undercat story” accompanied with terrific songs. Of course!

Disneyland Cats
~
The Musical

Are you listening Andrew Lloyd Webber,
Pixar &
Disney Animation Studios?

Francisco’s already to auditioning!

(PC: Elizabeth Fais, Francisco, Disneyland California Adventure)


 

Grumpy Cat says: Watch funny videos and feed cats in need!

21 Wednesday Jan 2015

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Cats, Giving Back, Inspiration

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Tags

cat videos, Elizabeth Fais, Friskies, Grumpy Cat, YouTube

Grumpy for a Purr-fectly Wonderful Cause

Grumpy Cat can try to hide her true nature behind that frown, but she doesn’t fool me. Not one bit. Her recent Instagram shout out about the new Friskies YouTube channel that’s helping to feed hungry cats proves that she’s got a heart of gold.

Friskies will give 1 can of wet food to charity for every new video view and 2 cans of food for every new YouTube subscriber during the month of January (up to 100,000 cans).

Grumpy Cat on a pillow

Watch Friskies Videos to Feed Cats in Need

It’s easy! And so much fun!

Here’s all you have to do (before January 31, 2015):

  1. Click this link: YouTube.com/user/PurinaFriskies
  2. Click the Subscribe button in the upper right corner of the window, follow the prompts (if you haven’t already subscribed to this Friskies YouTube channel), and 2 cans of wet food will be given to feed needy cats.
  3. Click a video, laugh as you watch through to completion, and 1 can of wet food will be given to feed needy cats—for EVERY video you watch through to completion.
  4. Watch as many as you can before January 31st! Feeding needy cats couldn’t be more fun!

My Fav ~ Cat’s Knocking Things Down (in slow-mo)


Scary Cats ~ Fiction & Felines

18 Friday Oct 2013

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Cats, Funny Videos, Humor, Movies

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

cats, Cinderella, Elizabeth Fais, Fiction, Lady and the Tramp, Lucifer, pet peeve, Scary Fun, Si and Am, stereotype, Villains, Walt Disney

Cats and Their Bad Press in Fiction

Have you ever wondered why cats are often portrayed as villains, the thug, or evil — or minions of evil — in fiction and film … even cartoons? There’s Lucifer, the villain cat in Walt Disney’s Cinderella and Si and Am in Lady and the Tramp. Those are two of the happiest movies ever. And the cats are villains! Don’t even get me started on the old Tom and Jerry cartoons.

You’ll hardly ever see a main cat character like this:

Orange kitten peaking out from behind barrel

No. It’s usually something more like this:

Hissing cat in a tree

This time of year especially brings out the negative imagery for our feline friends. What with Halloween’s stereotypical witches and black cat companions. [images from morguefile.com]

So…I was thrilled when I found the following montage spoof on “scary cat” scenes in movies.

Scary Cat Montage


What’s your “fictional” pet (no pun intended) peeve?

Inquiring minds want to know!


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Mark Twain and the Kitten that Played Pool

16 Tuesday May 2017

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Animals, Cats, Writing

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Albert Biglow Paine, cats, Connecticut, Hartford, Huckleberry Finn, kitten, Mark Twain, Mark Twain House, Nook Farm, Puddn'head Wilson, Roughing It, Samuel Clemens, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Innocents Abroad, Tom Sawyer, writer's life, Writing

Twain’s softer side

Mark TwainThe name Mark Twain is synonymous with Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn—rough and tumble boys full of adventure, daring pranksters who were afraid of nothing.

In many ways, the characters an author creates are their reflection. But like Hemingway, Mark Twain had a softer side he hid from the world.

Like so many creative people, Mark Twain was sensitive and more than a little reclusive. People who knew him said he was most comfortable around animals, with a particular love of cats. According the Mark Twain’s daughter, Suzy…

The difference between papa and mama is that mama loves morals and papa loves cats.

Twain loved cats so much he had up to 19 living in his house at one time, according to one source. And that was just at his Connecticut home.

Mark Twain biographer, Albert Biglow Paine, revealed that Mark Twain even traveled with cats. Once on his travels, he missed his cats so much he rented a few local kittens for the summer. “He didn’t wish to own them, for then he would have to leave them behind uncared for,” Paine explained, “so he preferred to rent them and pay sufficiently to ensure their subsequent care.”

The kitten that played pool

It’s odd to think that an author as accomplished as Mark Twain suffered from nervousness about his writing. But he did. His cats helped calm him, as did playing billiards. Amazingly enough, there was one special kitten who did double duty by playing pool with Twain. For real. I am not making this up.

Kitten on pool table

When Twain took a break from his writing to blow off nervous energy, he’d pick up the kitten and tuck him into one of the pockets of the billiard table and the game began. The kitten swiped at the balls as they darted by, amusing Twain to no end. Rejuvenated by the kitten’s antics, Twain could then return to his writing.

Twain’s love of animals lives on

Generations of cats have called Nook Farm home—the famous author’s house in Hartford, Connecticut. Dozens of cats still live on the grounds of The Mark Twain House & Museum today, much as they did during the famous author’s lifetime.

When a man loves cats, I am his friend and comrade, without further introduction. ~ Mark Twain

Many of the staff members at The Mark Twain House are proud owners of Nook Farm cats, continuing Twain’s legacy.

Mark Twain’s love of cats lives on in his writing, as well. Cats stalk, slink, pad, and play their way through many of his best-known books, including The Innocents Aboard, Roughing It, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, and Puddn’head Wilson. If that’s not reason enough to read Twain, I don’t know what is. But I’m a hopeless animal lover too. What can i say?


Operation #OccupyTree

21 Sunday Dec 2014

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Cats, Holiday Irreverence, Humor

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

#EndFelineFamine, #EndWetFoodHunger, #OccupyTree, @CatFoodBreath, @DisneylandCats, @RealGrumpyCat, cats, Christmas, Elizabeth Fais, Feline Famine, Grumpy Cat, Holidays, Humor, Tastefully Offensive

The Cat-agious Movement Sweeping the World!

Orange cat in Christmas treeYou thought your cats were just cute kitties–sweet and fluffy. Dumb animals that can’t grasp the concepts of an organized movement to reshape society. That they couldn’t instigate their own potent paradigm of social action based on contagious memes.

That there was no way they could comprehend the construct of a global revolution that evolved as a result of the Occupy Wall Street protest. That they weren’t paying attention.

Cat-agorically WRONG. You have no idea.

While protesters occupied Wall Street and you were glued to the TV, arguing with neighbors and Gray cat toppling over Christmas treecoworkers, and perhaps organizing an Occupy protest in your community…

A fatally feline hairball of increasingly sophisticated and dynamic change was purrr-posely set in motion.

Cats around the world were plotting their own protest to end hunger for felines around the world.

A collaboration of such magnitude that it would transform the existing social order for the benefit of all cat-kind. Forever. Stealth and cunning, they waited for the perfect cat-a-clysmic moment to pounce…

CatXmasTree1

The Brazen Brains Behind #OccupyTree

Evidence of the claw-dacious overthrow is flooding in. Grinch, move over! Cats everywhere are commandeering Christmas, demanding food and adequate shelter for everyone in their feline family around the globe.

“WHO is responsible for this ferocious feline movement?” authorities are asking.

  • Sources report that the cat-tankerous Twitter sensation @CatFoodBreath has shamelessly tweeted about #OccupyTree since 2011, and is thought to be the mastermind behind the entire movement.
  • Christmas Trees at the Happiest Place on Earth isn’t even safe. @DisneylandCats unabashedly tweets up their #OccupyTree victories throughout the Magic Kingdom.
  • And then there is Grumpy Cat. She’s used her fame to fan the flame of the feline revolt with her @RealGrumpyCat tweets to #EndWetFoodHunger.

Four Paws in Favor of Ending Feline Famine

As I’m sure you’ve realized, this post is pure parody. However, feline famine is very real. In the spirit of the holidays, here’s what you can bring much-needed comfort to a few furry forgotten souls:

  • Buy extra cat food next time you’re at the store, and drop it off at your local animal shelter.
  • If there is someone in your community who cares for feral cats, buy extra cat food and give it to them. Your donation is a tremendous benefit to the caregiver as well as the cats under their care.
  • Donate to a local animal rescue organization. The animal shelter in your area can provide you with a list of rescue organizations and how to get in touch with them.

As Charles Chaplin once said:

Who feeds a hungry animal feeds his own soul



Lions and Tigers and Boxes… Oh, My!

07 Thursday Nov 2013

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Amazing but true!, Animals, Cats, Funny Videos, Humor

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

Amazing but true, Big Cats, Bobcat, cardboard boxes, Cougar, Domestic Cats, Elizabeth Fais, Funny Videos, Lion, Tiger

The Mysterious Magic of the Cardboard Box

There are times when I’m sure the person who invented cardboard did it for his cat. You don’t have to be a cat owner (ownee, is more like it) to have noticed how an empty cardboard box — of any shape or size — is an instant domestic cat magnet. Case and point…

Cat in a cardboard box

Studies have been done on this phenomena … I’m sure somewhere, and undoubtedly funded by the government.

When some failed to find the logic and reason behind the feline obsession, they waxed philosophical, interpreting deep meaning in the behavior. Obviously channeled from Obi Wan Catobi. If you don’t know the 21 Lessons You Can Learn From Cats In Boxes, your life is not yet complete. Because…

Cats in boxes aren’t just cute. They’re also infinitely wise.

The inexplicable need humans have for discovering the magic cardboard has over felines can be the only reason lions, tigers, cougars, bobcats and other large cats were exposed to world’s cheapest cat toy. The cardboard box.

The results were unanimous…

Lion, cougar, and tigers playing  in cardboard boxes

Boxes. Not just for little kitties…


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Romancing the Holidays with Liv Rancourt and “The Santa Drag”

25 Sunday Nov 2012

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Romance

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

Liv Rancourt, Romance, The Santa Drag

Today I have Liv Rancourt, the audaciously talented paranormal romance author,  as my guest. She’s here to talk about romance, and in particular why she writes fiction woven with romantic themes. Personally, I can’t think of a better topic to compliment the holiday season. Because everything is more magical when love is in the air. 

Take it away Liv…

Why Romance?

So, why romance? Yesterday I had a couple hours of downtime and spent it in the company of Aidan, Krys, Mirren, Lucy & their friends while reading the novel Redemption by Susannah Sandlin. Okay, there were vampires involved, but the love story rocked and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

That just about sums it up. Write a love story that’s grounded in reality (or some paranormal version thereof), involving well-drawn characters and genuine conflict, and you will have me eating out of the palm of your hand…though that’s probably not an image we want to dwell on. Instead, know that I read to have fun, and good romances are almost always fun.

If I want real-world conflict (read: sadness & pain), I’ll go to work. Sometimes I don’t even have to go that far; conflict comes to me, invading my personal space. That’s how life is. When I read, I want the assurance that the characters are going to end up happy, which is one of the hallmarks of the romance novel.

And then there’s the whole falling-in-love thing. Like most people of the human persuasion, I love to fall in love. However, after seventeen years of marriage, pretty much the only falling I get to do these days is in the pages of a book. My husband is an awesome guy, but our infatuation days were a LOOOONNGGG time ago. With a romance novel, I can experience a little vicarious infatuation stretched out over two or three days, and almost always get dinner to the table on time.

It gets even better when I write my own. I have a whole thumb-drive full of crushes. My ideal romantic heroes are often tough guys with hard fists and soft hearts. Well, except for Joe, from my short story The Santa Drag. He’s an actor, and the heroine Mackenzie describes him as the Robert Downey Jr. type: good-looking, charming and just a little bit naughty. He’s turned up in a couple of my short stories now, flashing his “yep, I’m handsome” grin and driving Mack crazy.

In the end, I bet even you YA types are picking up what I’m laying down here. I mean, where would Twilight be without the romance, right? My own personal young adult period may have faded into the mists of time, but I remember being pretty focused on issues of the heart. Even…a bit obsessed at times.  It makes sense that romance should play a part in stories aimed at the YA crowd.

And it’s fun, which is as good a reason as any I can think of. So to keep the fun going, check out the following excerpt from The Santa Drag…

Things aren’t always what they seem, and this shopping mall Santa has secrets only her true love can reveal.

Peace,

Liv


Sneak Peak of… “The Santa Drag”

On a particularly busy Saturday, I was tired and thinking more about a double shot of espresso than I was about the pile of kids who wanted to sit in my lap. The weak winter sun was making its circle over the atrium where the Christmas Village was set up, and my roommate Shauna was buzzing by every so often to giggle at me from the sidelines. She was trying to get all of her Christmas shopping done in one day, which was a good trick for someone with as many fertile brothers and sisters as she had.

“Come sit on Santa’s lap.” Maya, the photographer and kid-wrangler, invited the next kid in line approach my golden throne. Well, it was fake gold, but the kids didn’t know that.

“No,” said a little girl with a stubborn crease between her brows. She was dressed in Seattle’s version of Christmas formal, a stiff, red velvet dress, likely made from organic fabric dyed with beets and rose hips. On her feet were two-toned leather MaryJanes that probably cost sixty-five dollars. At least the green corkscrew ribbons tied around her blond pigtails looked like they belonged on a child. I made myself as approachable as possible, getting down to her level and producing a big smile.

“Come on, Thula,” her mother said, tapping one French manicured nail on her cell phone. “Go sit up there with Santa so we can take your picture.” She sounded as if this was just one more thing to knock off the list.

“It’s okay, sweetie.” Maya put on her encouraging smile. Maya was a tiny thing, barely bigger than most of the kids we saw, with long dark hair, a tiny gold hoop pierced through one nostril, and bugged-out eyes that looked like they’d been molded out of chocolate. She was non-threatening as an adult could possibly be. The kid stared at her and bit down on her bottom lip. At least she wasn’t crying. Yet.

“You want to come tell Santa what to bring you for Christmas?” I kept my voice pitched down somewhere under my sternum. It helped that I had one of those raspy lady voices that earned me a permanent spot in the tenor section whenever I sang in choir.

“No.”

Sometimes less is more when you’re dealing with preschoolers. We went back and forth for several minutes until  the kid went from biting her bottom lip to letting it pooch out and tremble. Never a good sign. Finally, after a ton of coaxing, she was more-or-less close to me,  squatting down on the other side of one of the big pretend presents that ringed my throne. That was good enough for her mom, and Maya snapped a picture.

When she was done, the little girl glared at me from behind the big, glossy red ribbon that topped the present. “Bring me a baby brother,” she bellowed and took off running..

Mom’s glare was meaner than the kid’s had been. Hey, it’s not like I made any promises.

The kid ran full tilt past the pseudo-Tyrolean houses that made the Village, and out through the crowds of shoppers. She stopped in the middle of an open space and cut loose, her sobs echoing around the smoky glass dome that covered us. We could hear her carrying on until she and her mom got swallowed up by the Ross store at the end of the north hallway. The whole place fell into a bit of a hush when she was gone, as  everyone exhaled in relief. This close to Christmas, none of us needed a crying child to ratchet up the stress level.

A young mother was next in line. She came into the Christmas Village and positioned a slightly damp baby on my lap, moving as if something hurt. The baby was so young that Mom still looked a little pregnant under her loose denim-blue shirt. Or maybe she was already pregnant with number two. I’m not so good with the principles of baby production. Well, I understand the basic concepts, but haven’t had that many opportunities to put them into practice.

The brief quiet was interrupted by a yodeling squeal that I recognized. I stared into the crowd until I caught Maya looking at me funny. I stuck on a smile as close to my normal, jolly-Santa shtick as I could get, and she settled back down behind her camera. The reason for my roommate Shauna’s squeal had me completely rattled. In the two or three beats I’d looked out from behind my wire-rimmed glasses as Mack-the-girl, I’d seen Shauna giving someone a big hug. A really handsome someone. Joe McBride. Joseph Timothy McBride. The actor. The real-life, got a soap opera gig and several commercials and you saw him in Scream 2 actor. The only guy I ever really loved.

Ooh, now she’s got a problem! Will Mack turn all Creepy-Kringle? Will Joe recognize her? What’s a Santa to do?  😉

The Santa Drag is available from Still Moments Publishing, Smashwords, and Amazon.

About Liv

Liv Rancourt writes paranormal and romance, often at the same time. She lives with her husband, two teenagers, two cats and one wayward puppy. She likes to create stories that have happy endings, and finds it is a good way to balance her other job in the neonatal intensive care unit. Liv can be found on-line at her website & blog (www.livrancourt.com), on Facebook (www.facebook.com/liv.rancourt), or on Twitter (www.twitter.com/LivRancourt).


Got Questions for Liv? Here’s Your Chance…ask away!


A Symphony of Giving with Violinist Joshua Bell

22 Saturday Sep 2012

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Giving Back, Music

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Joshua Bell, Michael Tilson Thomas, San Francisco Symphony

Glitz and Glam Gala Benefits Education

The San Francisco Symphony’s (SSF) annual Gala opened the 2013 season with a glittering splash Wednesday, September 19th.

I’m a writer, so you’d be right in guessing that mingling with the high society see-and-be-seen set isn’t my usual thing. But I made an exception for the SSF Gala, and got out the evening gown and put on my big girl shoes. Because of my passion for writing for young people, I feel supporting education in all the arts is vitally important.

The proceeds from the SSF lavish Gala benefit the symphony’s education and community programs, that provide music education to more than 75,000 Bay Area children each year, including the San Francisco Youth Orchestra. Which is why it was no surprise that world-renowned violinist, Joshua Bell, headlined the event.

OK, I admit I’m a fan of Joshua Bell’s music. He brings a certain physical energy to his performances that elevates and enriches the music beyond the actual notes. As corny as it may sound, listening to him play is a spiritual experience for me. And I’m guessing I’m not alone in there, because Davies Symphony Hall sells out every time he plays there.

Joshua Bell is a phenomenal musician, but what’s truly impressive is his passion for helping young people. For example, in 2011 Arts Horizons presented Joshua with the Paul Newman Award for Services to the Arts and Children. You can read about his other humanitarian awards here, and a recent interview here. The following is an excerpt…

Trying to reach kids is very important to me, not just so they can be the next professional musicians, though some will; it’s even more important that they just have music in their lives.

Participating in this event was a huge reminder that we all can all do something to benefit young people in our communities. Whether it’s helping out at our local library, working with the youth theater or youth orchestra (in any capacity), or supporting other local art programs. We don’t have to be famous to make a difference in young people’s lives, we just have to care.

After-Party Fun and Frivolity

The Opening Night Gala musical program was awe-inspiring, then the after-party rocked. Big time. Don’t let the symphony’s “proper” image fool you. Those folks know how to throw one heck of a par-tay! Grove Street, along side Davies Symphony Hall, was transformed into a carnival filled with street performers and kiosks over-flowing with sweet and savory treats. But that wasn’t all. A massive tent spanning half a city block behind the symphony hall, staged live bands where the crowd danced the night away.

Not that I stayed that long.

I had to get home to two diabetic cats who needed their insulin shots. But don’t feel sorry for me. As you can see in the photo taken by the VERY TALL man in the tux (juggling in the photo above), I had a terrific time!


What’s your passion for giving?

Inquiring minds want to know!

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