Multimedia: Click to listen to Jack Brady and Jeremy Haas discuss Ziggy Stardust

The Musical Chairs Podcast: The Influence Of Ziggy Stardust

BY JACK BRADY

“Strange people are chosen, and through their art move progress along.” Such are the words spoken to fictional David Bowie doppelganger Brian Slade in the 1998 film Velvet Goldmine. Part rock opera, part biopic, part surrealist exploration, the film succeeds as its own, unique story. But when seen through the eyes of a pop culture historian, it is but one rather prominent facet of a much greater phenomenon; the enduring legacy of one of the most profound musical works of the past century: The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.

As a progenitor to the modern concept album, every aspect of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust’s music is a facet of it’s own universe. Opening track “Five Years” introduces the labyrinthine storyline of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust’s world, in which a shortage of natural resources leaves the earth only so many years left to live and ushers in a de facto apocalypse. Adults across the world have disconnected from reality altogether, and children find all of the material objects they coveted theirs for the taking. Enter Ziggy Stardust, an androgynous alien sent to save earth through the power of rock n roll. Yet Ziggy’s music falls upon deranged and deaf ears. Desperate for fame, Ziggy begins to preach of imminent celestial saviors in “Starman”, and finds himself the center of a massive cult of personality, reveling in the archetypal rock star throes of sex, drugs, and fame. Yet when the almighty saviors of whom Ziggy preaches arrive, they turn out to be extraterrestrial tourists. Before meandering on to another universe, the starmen decide to take bits of the messiah-like Ziggy with them as souvenirs, while he performs to his masses of disciples in one final, extravagant show. As he is slowly ripped apart onstage in the climactic, cathartic, album-closer “Rock n Roll Suicide”, he leaves one last message to his followers: “Take my hands, cause you’re wonderful, take my hands.”

For all of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust’s mind-boggling perplexities and ludicrous fiction, the album is firmly grounded in Bowie’s life. Much of Ziggy is a hodgepodge collection of concepts and ideas inspired by and borrowed from Bowie’s contemporaries. Ziggy’s character and name were inspired by the “Legendary Stardust Cowboy” Vince Taylor, a labelmate of Bowie’s whom he met after Taylor underwent a mental breakdown and believed himself to be an alien-god hybrid.  The classic tale of a rock star destroyed by both his own ego and his fans and the garish aesthetics of the world Ziggy inhabits are all reflections of Bowie’s personal trials and the times in which he lived. Most apparent is the then-unasked question, as posed in the album’s original Rolling Stone review, “Just how big and tough is your rock & roll star? How much of him is bluff and how much inside is frightened and helpless?” The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust hurled Bowie into superstardom, with legions of devoted fans running the gamut from the LGBT community to all-around societal outcasts. Regardless of their backgrounds, all were thoroughly spurned by society and all found a hero in Bowie’s androgynous, otherworldly and charismatic alter ego. Yet for the artist himself, the lines between the man David Bowie and the alien Ziggy Stardust were beginning to blur. This sudden flood of fame, wealth, and fans overwhelmed Bowie, whose ego inflated beyond the constraints of his sanity and sent him, in his own words, on a “Trail of chaotic psychological destruction. You become what is called a drug casualty at the end of it all.” While the ensuing conflict created serious personal trials that would have profound effects on Bowie’s life, career, and talent, Ziggy Stardust also, for better or worse, forever changed the music world.

In the year of the album’s release, much of the music world had still not shaken off the effects of the 60s, as fabricated pop groups like The Monkees and the remnants of the hippie era dominated the airwaves. Light-years ahead of its time, the eclectic futurism of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust was not limited to the lyrical content alone, distorted space-age guitar solos, strained and broken vocal refrains, smoldering, syncopated rhythms, are all aspects of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust’s sound that would reshape the musical landscape. While the album is certainly the grandest spectacle of glam rock ever produced, within it lies the nascent origins of countless other genres. From its aggression and distortion, punk, from its romance and synthesizer melodies new wave, and yet more important than any of its theatrics or sounds, were the questions the album posed to the consciousness of rock n roll. The dark side of the rock n roll lifestyle and the psychological downward spiral of pop-star idolization were revolutionary concepts to the music world of the early seventies. Such exploration of the nefarious side of stardom, let alone one as autobiographical as The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust’s had simply never been done before.

Yet, never has the ghost of Ziggy Stardust haunted the music world more so than today. While glam rock has by no means been resurrected and given a facelift, rather, a new strain of glam aesthetics and sounds have virulently spread from the catwalks to the airwaves. Whether in the  alien or antichrist personae of Marilyn Manson, or the meat dresses of Lady Gaga, the album’s influence can be seen everywhere. In terms of fashion, the vibrant, extraterrestrial outfits of Ziggy Stardust are echoed in the fashion choices of artists ranging from Nicki Minaj and Rihanna to Sufjan Stevens. Megastar Lady Gaga currently reigns over the modern pop scene, shattering the Billboard charts with every release and staging some of the most profitable (and extravagant) tours in years. While her fashion statements and musical themes are quite apparent to fans and non-fans alike, few realize that these qualities trace directly back to Bowie and glam. Gaga’s latest record, Born This Way possesses its own sinuous, cosmic lore, and by characterizing herself as the “Mother Monster”, is seen as “giving birth” to a new human race.

Yet the most profound, lasting legacy of Ziggy Stardust is it’s unification of  conceptual rock n roll with social commentary. Rather than the blatant, in your face protest music of the decade before it, Bowie created his own reality in which to lash out against the one he found himself trapped in. Since then, countless bands have mastered this technique, and rock music has never been the same.

Adorning countless music magazine lists as the best album of the 90s, Radiohead’s decade-defining Ok Computer, which embodied the alienated and techno-shocked masses of the world captured the musicality of Ziggy Stardust, while follow-up Kid A would, as Bowie had done before them, shatter all preconceived notions of who they were as a band, what they could sound like, and reshape the landscape of music. Industrial legends Nine Inch Nails invented their own alternate reality game for their concept album Year Zero, where underground rebels living in a future America ruled by theology and fear left cryptic clues for fans across tour locations, from spectrographic images hidden inside tracks to haunting websites with filled with stolen “Bureau of Morality” documents. Fans who collected all the scattered, USB’s hidden in tour locales were rewarded with info leading to a special private concert -which ended halfway through in a staged SWAT raid. Year Zero’s apocalyptic atmosphere, repeated sonic cycles of death and rebirth are as chilling and foreboding as the alternate reality it spawned. If anything, the album is an entire 16 track immersion the heights of apocalyptic fear and dread in Stardust opener “Five Years”.

Ziggy Stardust’s creator thoroughly returned to earth after the album’s tour, moving both himself and his music in an entirely new directions. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust, for all of its success, was but one chapter, however lengthy or memorable, in the life and music of David Bowie. Yet for the dejected masses he uplifted, for the generations he inspired, for all those who “took his hands”, the scattered pieces of Ziggy Stardust shine all around us like the stars from which he came.

On the first episode of the Fashion Forward podcast, Editor in Chief Alyssa Fisher and Fashion Club Secretary Gina Martucci amusingly comment on the fashions seen on the 2012 Grammy Red Carpet. After judging all the looks, they pick the best and worst garments of the evening.

Click on the link below to listen or download

Grammys Podcast

On the first episode of The Lariat’s Musical Chairs Podcast, Entertainment Editor Jack Brady and Entertainment Writer Jeremy Haas debate the merits of their respective favorite albums of 2011, Radiohead’s King Of Limbs and Ramshackle Glory’s Live The Dream.

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Music Chairs Podcast #1 Best Album Of 2011

Sophomore Dallas Williams gets ready to practice barrel racing. Williams is an experienced rodeo rider who is working her way to the top of the rodeo circuit. Photo Credit: ALEXANDRA LEVINSON

BY KAYLA LOKEINSKY

The sound of pounding hooves brings the crowd to its feet as they wait for the horse to bolt from the gates. The rider grips her horse with all her strength, steering it with her body, and guiding it without words. She leads it around the barrels, moving with startling agility and speed. Just when it looks like the rider might go down, she makes it around each barrel, getting faster and faster as she races against the clock.  Rounding the final barrel, she leans into her horse, sending dirt flying up behind them as they sprint to the finish.  As she pounds through the gates at the end of her run, in only 17 seconds, Cooper City High School sophomore Dallas Williams manages to outdo even the most experienced riders as she competes in the dangerous sport of rodeo.

When it comes to the rodeo circuit, Williams is nothing short of a shining star. Competing in rodeos all over the country, she lives and breathes the sport.  However, rodeo is not something that Williams happened to stumble upon. She was born into it, and since the beginning has been striving to be a champion.

“My mom used to compete in rodeo and my grandpa still competes and he’s 68 years old,” Williams said. “I guess rodeo and I were just meant to be.”

Williams began her rodeo career when she was just four years old, competing in mud bust riding, which consists of kids riding sheep instead of horses. Williams has evolved her skills and now competes in four rodeo events: barrel racing, pole bending, break away, and goat calf. Barrel racing is her main event, which involves racing around a barrel obstacle course in a race against her opponents and the clock.

“I could just focus on one event, but rodeo wouldn’t be the same to me,” Williams said. “While barrel racing is my main competition, being in other rodeo events not only helps me ride better but it’s what makes rodeo so fun.”

Williams has dominated the rodeo circuit since her start in the high school rodeo division in 2009. She has competed in rodeos all over the United States, including Mississippi, Georgia and Tennessee. While competing she has won countless prizes, including ribbons, saddles, buckles and holds the title of “All Around Cowgirl.” She also competed in the World Rodeo in Tennessee and was the only participant to represent South Florida.

“When it comes to rodeo, and it’s time to focus, I focus,” Williams said. “Because in rodeo, you either win the title or you lose it. There is no in-between.”

Photo Credit: DAVID ROSENFIELD

However, Williams cannot take all the credit for her countless accolades. Her horses are the guiding forces that lead her to victory. In rodeo, it’s all about the relationship between the rider and their horse. They have to work as one, making sure that their movements coincide and that they come together as a team. In order to do this, they must work together every day in order to get closer. Williams has 15 horses on her family’s ranch in Southwest Ranches, and she makes sure that she spends time with each and every one of them.

“Everyday after school I come home and go straight to the stables,” Williams said. “My horses are my life.”

Williams has three main horses: Monte, Poco and Bud Light, although Monte is the horse who has led her to most of her victories. Williams also works with a riding coach, David Morre, in order to improve her skills on the horse. Moore’s specialty is working on the details of her riding, making sure that it’s perfect.

“Dallas had quite a bit of rodeo experience before me,” Morre said. “She is a very natural rider and has a strong feel for the horse. My job is to make sure that we get the details right so that she can pull off all her tricks.”

While Williams does have a strong feel for riding, this does not always ensure that each rodeo will go off without a hitch. Between the rough animals and fast pace of rodeo, there are dozens of ways a rider can get injured, making it one of the most dangerous activities in the world. Williams herself has experienced numerous injuries since her start in the rodeo. From broken bones to bruises, she has gotten more injuries than she can count, some more severe than others. In 2007 Williams was competing in a barrel racing competition when her horse flipped over, causing her to break her leg. In October 2011 she fell from her horse while she was practicing a new trick when her horse bucked, breaking 3 ribs. Despite these injuries, Williams continued to ride, refusing to let a couple of broken bones keep her from getting back on the horse.

“Rodeo is more dangerous than any sport,” Williams said. “If you make just one wrong move, you can mess up everything, but that doesn’t stop me from riding.”

These injuries are just one factor that contributes to the difficulty of rodeo. It takes time, patience, and sheer determination in order to succeed in this difficult sport. Williams puts 100 percent of herself into her riding, dedicating nearly all of her free time to training with her horses. Whether it’s a simple ride across the yard or a run through a barrel race, training for a rodeo is much harder than just sitting on a horse.

“I wish people could see just how hard rodeo is,” Williams said. “Everyone thinks that they can just get on a horse and do the things I do, but it’ so much more difficult than that.”

With all of this training and practice, it’s no wonder that rodeo is starting to take a toll on her. Rodeo is a frustrating sport; there is so much pressure that comes along with it. Having to push yourself and your horse faster with each run around the barrels, making sure that you’re moving with agility, and ensuring a victory by making every move perfectly is a lot to handle, especially for 15-year-old Williams.

“Everyone knows me when it comes to rodeo,” Williams said. “But right now I’m going through a stage where I know I can do better. I have people who come up to me and tell me that I’m amazing at riding, but I know I haven’t reached my full potential.”

Photo Credit: DAVID ROSENFIELD

While Williams does have the skill to compete in rodeos all the way up to a professional level, there are still rules that can prohibit her from doing so. Some of the events that Williams competes in are considered “male events”, which limits her in what she can do as her rodeo career continues. She will only be allowed to compete in barrel racing and pole bending professionally, but Williams is ready for the rules of rodeo to catch up with her advanced skills.

“It’s wrong that girls can’t compete in boy’s events,” Williams said. “How can someone tell you what you’re good at just because of your gender?”

Despite these obstacles, Williams still has the drive to push herself towards rodeo stardom. She will continue to compete in the high school rodeo division for the rest of her time at CCHS, racing in showcases in order to attract potential college scouts. She plans on barrel racing for a college rodeo team, which will hopefully lead her to a future in professional rodeo.

“Rodeo is just like football or any other sport,” Williams said. “Just like a football player tries out for a team and tries to increase their stats, I try and do the same for college rodeo.”

With her skills, drive, and passion, Williams possesses all the traits of a rodeo prodigy. From her talent for riding to her knack for communicating with her horse, her future in rodeo is looking bright. While she may be young, Williams pushes herself to be the best rider she can be, and that is the sign of a true champion.

“Rodeo means everything to me,” Williams said. “It’s my life, and I want to do it for as long as a can stay up on the horse.”

BY JACKIE WEISER

In a generation where more people are trying to make a name for themselves as rappers or DJ’s, classical music seems to have lost its appeal. However, it’s a vital part of freshman Sabrina Victor’s life. It all began six years ago when she first picked up the violin.

With a great grandfather who was a violinist and a cousin who plays piano, it wasn’t surprising Sabrina Victor developed an appreciation for music. Her interest began in third grade when a show came on featuring world-renowned violinist Sarah Chang. Victor was instantly intrigued after watching her play.

“I’ve always loved music,” Victor said. “But I was really interested in the violin.”

Victor’s parents signed her up for lessons in third grade with violin coach Eddie Schriebman and she joined the Music America Orchestra where she performed with kids her age.

She remembers the feeling the first time she glided the bow across the violin strings and it released an angelic tune. Clearly, there was no going back. Her father Guy Gerald Victor was one of the first to appreciate her talent.

“When she was playing with a group of kids from Music America, she would always go ahead of the group,” Mr. Victor said. “And when they where playing, all of the other kids had to look at their music notation sheets but Sabrina would never even have to glance at hers.”

In fact, Victor was so talented that the Music America Orchestra conductor suggested she try out for the prestigious Florida Youth Orchestra. The Florida Youth Orchestra (FYO) is an orchestra as well as a music education program for young, talented musicians under the age of 19. FYO is the only youth orchestra to win the endorsement of the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra. FYO performs all around South Florida and is nationally recognized as Florida’s premier youth orchestra. Entrance into FYO is determined through extremely competitive auditions that are held every June in front of judges from the New World Symphony, Symphony of the Americas, University of Miami Music School and Florida Youth Orchestra’s staff. People come from all over the globe to audition. Even with the fierce competition, Victor made the cut.

“I had no doubt that she’d make it,” Mr. Victor said. “All her instructors always told me how talented she was.”

Victor has been playing with FYO for a year now in the repertory division, which is the fourth of seven divisions and mainly involves the violin, viola and cello. She practices from 6:45 p.m. – 9 p.m. daily with the orchestra and practices for at least an hour per day at home by herself. Over the summer she practiced twice a day.

Playing with FYO has opened up many opportunities for Victor. Aside from meeting new friends who share her love for making music, she has performed at the Miami, Broward and Coral Springs Performing Arts Centers along with a couple of county festivals.

She also helps teach young kids to play the violin and has performed for several nursing homes, one of her favorite venues.

“I really enjoy performing for nursing homes, “Victor said. “Older people enjoy the music more than kids. I love it.”

Along with the hardships of being a teenager, Victor also has the incredible task of balancing her daily three hours of practice with being on the debate team and maintaining straight A’s.

“I mean, it does get hard at times, but I don’t mind,” She said. “I love the violin so I guess it isn’t that bad.”

At first, her father was hesitant about Victor getting involved with the violin because he feared that it would interfere with her schoolwork. Now, her parents are her biggest supporters. Whenever she’s feeling lazy, her parents are always there to encourage her to practice or study.

“She is the joy of the family,” Mr. Victor said. “It’s such an honor that she has taken up the violin.”

Victor is going to continue playing with FYO through high school. She plans to take a music appreciation class next year and hopes to attend a college with a great orchestra. Victor is unsure if she sees the violin as a profession, but would love to pursue other music related careers. She is also considering law school, but no matter what, she wants to incorporate the violin in her life. Even if it’s just for leisure, Victor is reluctant about giving up the activity she loves most.

“Music is great because there is a song for every mood,” Victor said. “I really enjoy playing music; it’s my life.”

Senior Ashley Bishop performing with the Sound Of Pride during halftime at a football game. This past summer she won a gold medal at the AAU Junior Olympics. Photo Credit KAYLA LOKEINSKY

BY RACHEL SHARPE

At high school football games, baton twirlers often get lost between the rhythmic noise of the band and the hollering of the cheerleaders. But senior Ashley Bishop doesn’t need a band to make noise. Bishop’s ability to create seamless routines combining elements of dance and gymnastics while manipulating one or multiple batons has led to her tremendous success, and to her most recent achievement of becoming a gold medal recipient at the AAU Junior Olympic Games this past summer.

VIDEO BY TAYLOR MANDEL

Baton twirling has been a major part of Bishop’s life ever since she was six years old, when she used to watch her cousin perform her own baton routines.

“My aunt took me to my first private lesson and I immediately fell in love with the sport,” Bishop said.

Soon after, Bishop joined a baton company called the Florida Superstars, where she began to develop her undeniable passion for twirling. Three years later in 2007, she entered her first individual competition called the Miss Majorette of Florida Pageant. Bishop clearly made her mark on the judges, placing first overall in the competition.

“Winning my first major title was probably my proudest moment,” Bishop said.

Bishop’s success in her first competition ignited a fire and compelled her to truly dedicate herself to the sport. She began practicing everyday, whether she was training with the Florida Superstars or perfecting her routines. Though such intense practice required a great deal of time and dedication, Bishop was fully committed to twirling and reaching her goals.

“My coaches are always pushing me to try harder,” Bishop said. “When I get frustrated, they encourage me and tell me I can do it.”

Her perseverance and undying love for twirling paid off when she qualified for the AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) Junior Olympics this past August in New Orleans, Louisiana. To qualify for the games, Bishop first competed on a regional level and then advanced to the southeast regional qualifier in Orlando, where she took all gold and one silver. Bishop showed that she was a force to be reckoned with when she qualified in all eight of the events she entered, including solo, strut, 2 baton, 3 baton, multi baton, freestyle and solo dance twirl.

The AAU Junior Olympics consisted of a preliminary round and a final round. Bishop faced a tough group of competitors as she was often up against college students and elite members of other teams.

“The competition was so intense that I had to do a twirl-off against a girl who I tied with,” Bishop said. “We both twirled at the same time and the panel of 10 judges decided the winner amongst themselves based on our ability.”

In the final round of the competition, Bishop rose above her opponents, winning four gold medals and four silver medals.

“Ashley is an outstanding athlete,” AAU Judge Joe Rowe said. “She was awarded four gold medals because she excelled in several competition events and her routines met the variety, difficulty, speed, smoothness, gracefulness, showmanship, endurance and strength of the judges’ expectations.”

Though Bishop may exude confidence during all her performances, she still gets nervous before twirling in front of a panel of judges. Luckily, she has created ways to keep her nerves from getting the best

Photo Credit: KAYLEE OBERFIELD

of her.

“I listen to music to help clear my mind,” Bishop said. “It helps me get in the ‘zone.’”

With so much practicing and performing, Bishop has had to dedicate a great deal of her time to pursue her dreams. In just the past few years, she has performed at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Miami Heat halftime show, University of Miami football games and the half time show at the FedEx Orange Bowl. She even traveled to Belgium as member of team USA for the World Championships in 2009.

“My parents are my biggest supporters,” Bishop said. “They have driven me everywhere and are willing to wake up at 5 in the morning to sit in a convention center and just watch me twirl. It’s great knowing that my parents are behind me 100 percent.”

While Bishop spends hours twirling outside of school, she still manages to find time to twirl on the CCHS’s twirl line during the halftime shows at Cowboy football games. This year, Bishop has earned her spot as “feature twirler” after being a successful co-captain as a sophomore and captain as a junior.

“This is the first year CCHS has had a feature twirler and Ashley has really performed to her highest ability,” Bishop’s teammate, sophomore Jillian Boudreau said. “She has shown Cooper what twirling is all about.”

As the feature twirler, Bishop is on the field performing a solo routine, while the rest of the line is performing a separate routine behind her. However, she still twirls with the line for the first couple of seconds to show strong teamwork. After being on CCHS’s twirl line for four years, it has become a significant part of Bishop’s life that she can’t imagine not being a part of.

“When I perform at the football games, I get a rush of excitement from hearing the crowd roaring,” Bishop said. “When the Sound of Pride starts to play, I feel like I belong no other place than on the field.”

Though her Friday nights twirling at the Cowboy football games are almost through, Bishop still has big plans ahead of her. In the spring of 2012, Bishop and her competitive team, The Florida Superstars, will represent the United States for the second consecutive year at the National Baton Twirling Association (NBTA) world competition in Neuchâtel, Switzerland.

Once she graduates from high school, Bishop hopes to attend Florida State University and twirl on their baton line.

“I would love to try out for the feature twirler spot my sophomore year in college,” Bishop said. “I know that I will stay involved in the baton twirling community for a long time, whether it’s judging competitions or teaching baton to young kids.”

When the band finishes playing at the last football game of the season, Bishop will take her final bow as a CCHS baton twirler. Though she will be leaving, her incredible spirit and energy will remain as she has inspired her teammates at CCHS. Bishop will always be remembered for the excellence she has achieved in the sport of twirling.