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Monday, August 12, 2024 12 p.m. Patrick Hadley plays, creates, and manufactures an African thumb piano called a “mbira” or “kalimba.” The Array mbira is a highly modernized version of an ancient African instrument. In Zimbabwe they are known as mbiras, however, these types of plucked metal tine instruments are known by many names, such as likembe, sanza, kalimba, and, simply, thumb pianos. Patrick and his business partner, the inventor of the array mbira, Bill Wesley, have been building these instruments for over 30 years. They are fully chromatic and play in every key, up to six octaves. Many professional musicians are using these instruments and they can be heard in several major motion picture soundtracks as well as songs by Taylor Swift and many others including Sting, Imogen Heap, RyCooder, Pharaoh Sanders, and others. Patrick's music has been heard on NPR, and one of his videos reached a staggering 22 million views! Free concerts at noon every Monday year-round . . . no wonder the Mini-Concerts are the longest-running and one of the most popular classical music series at the library! This series was founded by Glenna Hazleton in 1970 at the Athenaeum, and has been going strong ever since. The concerts feature both local and touring musicians, prize-winning students, university music faculty members, local chamber ensembles. . . and the repertoire also includes jazz, folk, and world music. There are no reservations, no tickets . . . just line up at the side door of the Athenaeum before noon. (Donations are always welcome!) Mini-Concerts take place every Monday at noon and last about an hour. The concerts will be in person at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library. There are no physical tickets for these events. Doors open at 11:50 a.m. Seating is first-come; first-served. These events will be presented in compliance with State of California and County of San Diego health regulations as applicable at the time of each concert. Visit: https://www.ljathenaeum.org/events/mini-concert-2024-0812 Athenaeum Music & Arts Library on Instagram and Facebook

People love looking at photos. (Just ask Instagram.) This year, we published a number of photo-driven posts that resonated deeply with our audience. Here are some of our favorites.

The award is shared by Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson of MIT and James Robinson of the University of Chicago for their research on the institutional roots of national wealth and poverty. They will split the prize money of 11 million Swedish krona or about $1.058 million.

Although the Santa Anas are a routine part of life for people living in southern California, the winds are particularly violent and destructive this time around, experts say.

Faith communities in Los Angeles are trying to protect their homes and houses of worship from deadly wildfires. They are also trying to provide spiritual support for their traumatized congregations.

To get so close, the Parker Solar Probe had to withstand the sun's extreme heat and radiation like no spacecraft before it.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner devoted himself to improving the health of people around the world, promoting democracy and resolving global conflicts.

Deb Haaland, the country's first indigenous cabinet secretary, used her term at the Interior Department to make what activists say is irreversible impact in recognizing the painful history of the government's treatment Native Americans

Fresh perspectives of the banjo in the hands of a master performing repertoire drawn from the American Songbook, roots music, hot jazz, tango, Western Swing, classical, and more. Ms. Sayer’s trio will include Corey Gemme (trumpet) & Greg Cohen (string bass). Cynthia Sayer (banjo & vocals) Praised for her “drive and virtuosity” by The New York Times, instrumentalist/vocalist/bandleader Cynthia Sayer is renowned for bringing the swinging sounds of banjo to concert and festival audiences worldwide. A 2023 Steve Martin Banjo Prize winner and an American Banjo Hall of Famer, Sayer is a pioneering artist who pays tribute to America’s musical heritage through her virtuoso playing, engaging vocals, and informative, entertaining anecdotes. Sayer is a multi-instrumentalist heard on feature film and TV soundtracks and has appeared on numerous national TV and radio shows, performed at The White House, played with The New York Philharmonic and The New York Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and is a longtime founding member of Woody Allen’s New Orleans Jazz Band. She is also an avid educator with a long track record of workshops, lecture/demos, and educational programming for all ages, and is the author of a popular early jazz play-along program for all instruments as well as a book of jazz transcriptions for banjo, mandolin & guitar. Corey Gemme (trumpet) Corey Gemme, a native of Los Angeles, studied music at Pasadena City College and California State University Los Angeles, and found his niche playing early jazz of the 1920s -‘40s. Performances include countless Traditional Jazz Festivals and events throughout the USA and abroad as a featured artist, a bandleader, and with a variety of top bands in that circuit, including LA’s own Conrad Janis & The Beverly Hills Unlisted Jazz Band. Corey currently appears with numerous groups at Disneyland throughout the year. Greg Cohen (string bass) Celebrated jazz bassist Greg Cohen has performed and recorded with a long list of noted artists in numerous genres for over four decades, including John Zorn, Ornette Coleman, Tom Waits, Woody Allen, David Byrne, Elvis Costello, Odetta, Ken Peplowski, Dagmar Krause, David Sanborn, Laurie Anderson, Willie Nelson, Norah Jones, Keith Richards, Donovan, Crystal Gayle, Bob Dylan, Richie Havens, Lou Reed, Loudon Wainwright III, and many others. An esteemed educator as well, Greg was the bass professor and head of the string department at the Jazz Institute Berlin for 10 years and is an honorary professor in contemporary rhythmic music at SDMK, the Danish National Academy of Music. Visit: https://www.museumofmakingmusic.org/events/cynthia-sayer-2024 Cynthia Sayer on Instagram and Facebook

In 2018, Newsom promised to add 500,000 new apprenticeships in the decade after taking office. The state is making progress, but how much depends on the definition of “apprenticeship.”