Emory announced today that Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Music Director Robert Spano will become a “distinguished artist in residence” at the university beginning next year, joining the likes of the Dalai Lama and Salmon Rushdie.

According to a press release from the university…

Maestro Spano will co-teach seminars, lecture and present programs on literature, philosophy, science and musicology for three weeks during each of the spring semesters of 2010–2012. The University-wide residency has the potential to enhance the educational experiences of Emory’s 12,500 students from the Emory College of Arts and Sciences and multidisciplinary graduate programs as well as the greater community.

His first project is entitled “Tonality and Sonata Form: Pythagorean Tuning, Numerology and Cosmology”, which will include three public lectures and performances by Spano in April 2010.

The full details of the public performances of this series can be found after the jump…

Read the rest of this entry »

Kelly Cheek at Renewal writes in alerting the general public that “Park Renewal Day” at Dearborn Park is fast approaching (November 7th from 8a-12:30p to be exact). Teams looking help clean up the park (and win some big cash prizes) should get on over to the Park Renewal Day website and fill out/submit the sign up sheet before the deadline on October 24th.

Here are many of the pertinent details from a recent press release…

“Dearborn was chosen for the competition again due to the large amount of invasive species and debris not yet cleared from the park.

This year’s participating teams will compete for big prize money with the five highest-scoring groups taking home $1,000, $500, $300, $200, and $100, respectively. Each team’s assigned plot will be scored by County Park experts and local celebrities. The judging panel for this year’s event will include Decatur’s own Mayor Bill Floyd.

Teams eligible to participate in the competition include school organizations, Boy Scout troops, religious groups, and any group of people willing to come together, help the park, and raise funds.”

Emory Marketing Specialist Nicole Anderson invites the entire DM community to attend a Atlanta mayoral candidates debate at Emory University on Wednesday, Oct 14th at 7pm “under the leafy trees of Emory Glenn Memorial Chapel (1660 North Decatur Road, 30322).”

Here’s the note…

As the City of Atlanta drives economic development for the entire metro region and Georgia, it’s important for Emory and our surrounding communities to get to know the candidates who want to take the helm and lead the city for the next four years.

You and your readers from DecaturMetro are invited to come watch the debate unfold as the top candidates take the podium to state their case. Though you may not be voting in the election, this office certainly has a regional impact that is important to Atlanta’s neighbors. The forum will be moderated by Fox-5 anchor Russ Spencer and young alum & New York Times reporter Robbie Brown (Class of 2007).

Confirmed candidates include:

· Lisa Borders, city council president

· Peter Brownlowe, former Atlanta police officer

· Kyle Keyser, founder of Atlantans Together Against Crime

· Mary Norwood, city councilwoman

· Kasim Reed, state senator

· Jesse Spikes, attorney

This event is sponsored by Emory’s Office of Government Affairs, Emory’s Center for Ethics, the League of Women Voters of Atlanta-Fulton County, and the Clifton Community Partnership

All the major candidates a Fox5 anchor and a NY Times reporter?  Should be a good’un!

In what is surely a first in Decatur, if not metro Atlanta, Decatur Metro will host an online debate/forum on this site between the four city commission candidates on Wednesday, October 21st from 8p-9:30p.

DM will use the same live-blog “Cover it Live” program that was employed during the Decatur Book Festival to host an interactive live debate between candidates Fred Boykin, Patti Garrett, James Radford, Kyle Williams and the community.

Here’s how it will work.

Read the rest of this entry »