SPOTLIGHT: Convento Film Music

A film about a European monestary has a unusual sound design, thanks to music by a composer from northern New York. Lawrence Dolan of Plattsburgh wanted a unique sound for his first motion picture score, so he turned to objects usually reserved for meditation, Tibetan singing bowls. On Spotlight this week, I interview the musician about his score for Convento, a documentary about an old monestary in Portugal that has been converted into an artist's studio and nature preserve. New York City filmmaker Jarred Alterman directed the film. Convento had its world premiere at a film festival in Poland in December. North Americans get their first chance to see it in Austin, Texas next month, at the South by Southwest Film Conference and Festival. This Spotlight segment airs on Mountain Lake Journal Extra Thursday at 8:30pm on Mountain Lake PBS. It repeats on Friday at 6am and 12:30pm, Saturday at at 7:30pm and Sunday at 10:30am.

Spotlight: La Diva Renée!

Renée Fleming plans to enchant a Montréal audience with her famous voice, but not before giving me an exclusive interview about the origins of her career, her surprising political aspirations and her passion for music. Journalists have labeled her "America's favorite soprano," and I found the opera diva pleasantly down to earth. Raised in Rochester, New York and schooled in Rochester and Potsdam, Ms. Fleming is very familiar with the northern New York region, and says she can't wait to reconnect with her fans in the Adirondack region and southern Québec when she sings at Place des Arts in Montréal on January 25. Our interview took place in her Manhattan penthouse, where she talked about her early reluctance to perform and the challenges of being at the top of one's career. The story I am producing about her will feature career highlights, and some of the funny aspects with being so successful in a job in the performing arts. This "Spotlight" segment airs on Mountain Lake Journal Extra Thursday at 8:30pm on Mountain Lake PBS. It repeats on Friday at 6am and 12:30pm, Saturday at at 7:30pm and Sunday at 10:30am.

SPOTLIGHT: Healthy Humor!

A hospital stay is often no laughing matter, but health professionals say a little humor goes a long way in the healing process. This week, the spotlight shines on eleven year-old Anthony Grippo, who says he actually enjoyed staying in the hospital when he was founr years old. Grippo gives much of the credit to theresident clowns who kept his mind off the pain. Grippo, a studentat Children's World Academy in LaSalle, Quebec, now enjoys helping other kids get a healthy dose of humor too. That's why he rallied his whole school to raise money to give to the Dr. Clown program. Two school walk-a-thon projects have led to thosands of dollars benefitting kids at Montreal Children's Hospital. This "Spotlight" segment airs on Mountain Lake Journal Extra Thursday at 8:30pm on Mountain Lake PBS. It repeats on Friday at 6am and 12:30pm, Saturday at at 7:30pm and Sunday at 10:30am.