Trading Mighty Mouse for a music career pays off for Kansas violinist David Ragsdale

Kansas

BY ALEXIS TARRAZI – Straus News

NEWTON — Despite having to give up Saturday morning cartoons, David Ragsdale is now grateful his mother forced him to play the violin as a child. Ragsdale is now touring with Kansas as their violinist along with singing and playing the guitar. He appeared this past weekend with the group at Newton Theater in Newton.

“My mom forced (the violin) on me,” Ragsdale recalled. “I didn’t like playing the violin until I was 20. I had to give up Mighty Mouse to play the violin and there was no DVR back then.”

His first song he learned on the violin was most likely “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” Ragsdale said.

Peter Yarrow to sign children’s book, play mini concert

Peter Yarrow.

BY ALEXIS TARRAZI – Straus News

 SPARTA — As bullying and mass school shootings continue to plague our society, Peter Yarrow — of the folk music trio Peter, Paul and Mary — is hoping his newly released children’s book will help cull the anger and teach children to accept one another. Sponsored by Sparta Books, Yarrow will sign the book and perform a mini concert at Sparta Middle School on Thursday, Feb. 21.

“It has great significance today,” said Yarrow in a phone interview with Straus News. “It is of course about prejudice, about racism. But in a very humourous, delightful way.”

Titled “I’m in Love with a Big Blue Frog,” the story — which includes music by Peter, Paul and Mary — follows a young woman who is in love with a big blue frog. Throughout the book, they encounter ridicule from neighboring animals about the value of their homes going down when they move in and the disapproving looks and comments. Throughout it all the woman stays positive and does not care what others think about her relationship to her loved one.

Enrique Iglesias and Jennifer Lopez to Heat Up the Stage in Newark

I had the pleasure of doing a teleconference with Jennifer Lopez and Enrique Iglesias about their upcoming tour. Check out what they had to say in the full article in today’s Record Newspaper.

This may be perfect timing for Jennifer Lopez. She left “American Idol” to focus on her singing career, which will be on display this week as her tour with Enrique Iglesias comes to Newark.

Lopez made her “Idol” announcement last week, a day after fellow judge Steven Tyler announced his departure, to rededicate himself to Aerosmith.

During a recent telephone interview with Lopez and Iglesias, conducted before Lopez’s announcement, she said her time on the show had impacted her own performances.