Gulf Coast Journal with Jack Perkins; 203; Stunt Pilot Stanley Segalla, Jazz at Booker High School, Artist Bill Farnsworth, Sailor Circus

The. Funding is. A special presentation of WMD you Tampa-St. Petersburg Sarasota. Hey let's go to the circus. Circus. With the twist. Speaking of twisting. Come fly with us. Jazz is alive and well at a high school. And the man illustrates greed. All these in this volume of a Gulf Coast journals. This w edu production is exclusively brought to you through a generous grant from the Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice envisioning a region known for endowed philanthropy a vital non-profit community and the ability to address emerging issues. Dear Journal. I must confess doing this program each month

is rather an exercise in the journalism of self-indulgence. All the fascinating people one gets to meet the places one discovers the fun one has. Example. I love rollercoasters. But I have found a man who gets the roller coaster thrill. Without having to go to one amusement park. We found him right here at the little airport in Venice. High in the sky and so. Graceful. But just stick it hovers over it. In a tower. The Venice airport. The eagle was joined by another thoughtful bird. Oh cold. Here. He is Stanley said. Fifty two year veteran pilot flight instructor. Oh yes he is 80 years old. If with Stanley Seagal you can call it.

Oh. That's my whole life. I've never missed more than one or. Two weeks. When I broke my hip I missed a month. Only time I missed a flight and 52 years I've flown staying grounded is really just to a man who prefers a cockpit to a. How. And when Stanley takes his plane for a spin. He literally takes it for us. Did I mention that Stanley is an aerobatic stunt pilot. Here at 4000 feet. Age is just a number. The state of mind. This should be the hardest question of the day. Why do you do this. Well I think it's just to stay young and something that I enjoy doing but I

couldn't fly I don't think I'd want to stay alive really. Easy there. During the summer Stan performs at the Old Rhinebeck aerodrome in New York. He is known as The Flying farmer drilling crowd as he pretends to steal a paper cup. So I glide around glide around and coming into land it rolled out and stopping to reach out and pick my head up put it down and get out. Take a bow. Keeping your wits while flying level is one thing staying level headed while inverted at 3000 feet. That's quite another for every pilot at any age. You do a complete air show. It's like a football player playing a whole game of football. I'll let you take a shot of. To a novice passenger the feeling is part rollercoaster part dream. You know the one where you wake up and you try to catch yourself from falling.

But this ego is always in control. You could put a glass of water on his dashboard and he'll do a loop and no water will come out of that. Little clip. That's Susan Sagawa special co-pilot and a 20 year veteran flier herself. I'm to 67 and he's 80 but I can't keep up with him. The couple met while Susan was fueling her plane tapped me on the shoulder and said Do you want to get married. And I turned around and I looked at this man and I said heck no. Everybody that knew him and knew me is standing there laughing. We didn't know each other. OK so maybe it wasn't love at first flight. But an affection for frequent flying did elevate the attraction. You got a nice airplane went over 2000 hours of flying and all she wanted to learn aerobatics and I wanted somebody to fall back on when I

can fly to war. He has to teach me the footprint. That's part of the marriage contract. Right here along with a side order of backseat flying. I. Got. It. First it bothered me but I figured if he does it to his son I guess it's a sign of love. A sign of love from a fellow intent on keeping his wings as long as he can. Well I'll tell you after 53 years of flying and I'm still here. At the end of day the eagle returns to rich man. The

man. Returns to feed two birds who. Would not be what they are. If they. Could. Fly. Another example of the journalism of self-indulgence. I love what is called America's music. No I don't mean hip hop. Hip hop may be American but hip hop is not music. I'm talking about jazz and jazz is alive and well and one high school here on the Gulf Coast. Each day in the Booker high school band room music teacher Nick Rosenblat helps convert chaos. Into. This. Jazz ensemble class focuses on technique and performance. But

on this day the class has visitors who plan on taking the young musicians to a new level. I always like to bring in guest artists anyways. It pumps the kids up. They get to hear it. You know people living like what so many of them you know aspire to be doing. For. Today's guest artists all have ties to the world renowned Berklee School of Music in Boston where some of them teach. They were all accomplished jazz musician. We're really trying to raise the awareness of the art form and to see how cool it is that all the communication happens musically instead of early. But when you do you really are just trying to get a sound. The students break out into sections to get some individualized training. Bill Pierce is one of jazz's preeminent saxophonist the BOP BOP. One two three. Bill moblie teaches at William Patterson University and plays at several venues

in New York City. Just. Makes you why that as a. Basis Brian body drummer Ron savage and pianist Don Brown take on the rhythm sections. There's no other important notes. Anything to play or adds to or takes away from. It was great because it's you get more. Private instruction because it's a smaller group you know and when you're with a bigger band the teacher really doesn't have that much time to spend just working with you on your certain part. You stay here. You walk over there. Donna McElroy has arranged and sung background vocals for numerous country

artists. She lives. Here a lot of great tips. We listen to examples of our friends and how they improve in like three seconds. And I think also it's just a question answer that we got with her to really ask questions about the industry. This is what we're tapping into what really is. Besides workshops these world class musicians came to Sarasota to perform a benefit concert to raise money for Booker's music program. The workshops and prom shirt were the brainchild of prenticed pilot former director of music for Boston public schools. I'd like to say when the sparks start to fly when they really tune into what they're doing I mean it could be a very magical event and doesn't happen a lot when it does happen. I think the audience automatically knows you know something special is going on. I think it's going to happen tonight.

Who knows. Donna McElroy's the Bill Pierce grinned Chad brought something special to the Sarasota audience. It was a magical evening of jazz tunes that reached for the highs and lows that mimic life itself because it didn't take long for the students to try out their new techniques. They got into the act by performing two songs with saxophonist bill. Here's. What he always wonderful to work with. These issues are so hungry. And so musical

and these kids were. Very smart and very smart and they they they understood what I was trying to say immediately. So that made it easier to teach. We. Have to really be a musician. First. And then starting money may or may not come later. But if you mean if you really know what you're doing if you're really a person who is a craft whatever element of music he's doing then you probably succeed at some of. The future stars of jazz might just come from the noisy halls in music rooms of. Booker. The only thing that stands between them and success is years of dedication. It's always fun to meet those creative people who use their God given talents to.

Help our imaginations soar. Artists to show us our world in new ways or who take us to other world. For an artist there's a special connection of his or her subject when painting not in the studio but out on location or his artists should say planning or painting. But there is also as Bill Farnsworth knows a special challenge. My goal is to go out there for maybe an hour or two hours tops. I think maybe you got about an hour and a half. Before the light changes too much and you've got to get these things down down quickly. So you're when you're out there it's different than the studio Studio got plenty of time. You're working from photographs. Your your senses and when you're out on location you're smelling the area you're you're you're you're feeling it's either chilly or it's hot.

But all these senses you're you're getting a great feel for. You as well. And. Does want to get that doorway indicated. A native of Connecticut. A graduate of Sarasota Ringling School of Art and Design. Bill is a prolific children's book illustrator. His art is a visual history lesson. When I was going to school I just thought Lois and Clark were two guys out on a hike. I didn't realize there was this expedition and that's tremendously rewarding to to be able to learn about the American history and put it down on canvas. The painting has got to tell the story without the words you look at the painting and you immediately tell what's going on here without having words. And that's what I find to the kids when I talk to them. I said when you want to tell the story without. Perhaps the most popular children's book project in Bill's career is an American Girls series featuring a young Native American girl named Kaiya.

They first commissioned the five artists to do a sample piece and I was the one that did it. I did a piece and they based on the painting I did they gave me the job. Which spanned about two years. Fifty six paintings were 60 paintings. Painting the same girl and having to be consistent which was a very daunting task. Finally once we got the face of the girl and. Her character. She started to come to life. And that's when it became fun. Really fun. But it was it was hard work. Bill's wife Debbie and daughters Alison and Caitlin provide the realistic features for his characters. That's the fun part about illustrating is that my models become part. Of my work and they get to see themselves on book jackets and so forth. And a lot of times it's like little portraits I'm doing. You know I'm trying to make it

look like them which is another job all in itself. Some artists specialize in painting people other landscapes. Bill does what. The Florida landscape has got. There's an edge to it. Is it's you have to really look for it. There's the the oak hammocks the palmettos and the old floor is what I'm really after and some the the the historical scenes I mean Florida is not that old when you think of finding an old barn or building a barn that's you know 70 years old that's that's ancient for Florida 16 years after graduating from Ringling. Bill and his family moved back to the Gulf Coast a place where he has year round access to the outdoors and playing air painting outdoors and painting on location.

For me I started to do that help my my art overall tremendously and because you are painting from life and and looking at putting it down quickly and seeing things as they are right then and they're capturing the moment creating colorful characters tracing the Gulf Coast in a new light. These are what make Bill Farnsworth successful. Telling countless stories. Without any words. In any catalogue of things that most everyone loves high on the list would have to be the circus. Now there are a lot of old time circus performers living still around the Gulf Coast area but there are also some brand new circus stars who perform right here under this permanent big top in downtown show soda. This is the place that is keeping the circus like.

In Sarasota. The circus. Runs through the veins and feeds the soul. So it comes as no surprise that it is here that a place keeps the spirit of the circus young. By teaching the young the circus spirit. There's this point where you feel like you're flying and you're like on a big swing. But the older you get the more easy it is to get scared because more aware of the ground. Here under the big top just off Tamiami Trail is home to the sailors circus dubbed the greatest. Show On Earth. Savage Circus is a youth circus. It's an after school program. On students from third grade through 12th grade. Come here every day after school. And. Teach them.

Circus Acts. A kids circus. It seems only natural I guess. Kids know a thing or two about danger and mischief and clowning around. But Coach Troy wise says it takes more than that. Our students here. Put him between 20 and 30 plus hours a week as far as training. They put in a lot of a lot of effort and if they don't have that commitment. Then this isn't really the place for him to be because it takes a lot of commitment. The. Students like Melissa Kellerman It's a flying leap beyond the typical after fare of. Soccer games piano lessons dance recitals. Keeps me in shape. I feel like I'm kind of unique cause everyone's in the circus. So it's kind of helps your self-esteem. Don't say. It's not a competition. Every child that comes into this program has a place in the

performance somewhere. This Shaler circus began in 1949 as part of Sarasota high school's gymnastics program. It was named after the school's mascot. Many years back. Whenever the Sarasota high school team went to compete in any of their sports they literally had to sail if they were going to St. Pete. And they were dubbed the sailors. And since our circus program derived from Sarasota high dubbed sailor circus. After 55 years this youth circus is all grown up. In 2004 it became part of Sarasota County Police Athletic League. Campbell says the program prepares students. Were far more glaring at. Them. Tight rope and crapy. Once they leave this program. I feel they're better equipped. As adults because they know what hard work is

all about. They know what failure is all about. They learn teamwork they learn self-discipline and there's just so many things that they learn through this program. That isn't really taught. Else. For 10 years. Geneal Pringle has Tumbu balanced and short for. The program. I guess I just don't want to be like everybody else. I guess everybody wants to be a football player a basketball player a baseball player. And so I said I just had another option. And this one to be different I guess. I've seen him grow from. Your run of the mill. Nine 10 year old little boy that's into mischief every time you turn around and are you supposed to be to. A role model. Some of the structure and gasp worthy of a professional show BRAF because many of the volunteers have walked in the same shoes.

Most of the volunteers are alumni from this program or they're retired professionals from Ringling circus from the Hanaford shows. And. They don't want to give up. Their little hand on the professional and so they come in they share their wealth here. Sharing their wealth of tireless dedication literally keeps the show up in the air. Once you get it the first time it's set. This program wouldn't function without them. They put in over 20000 volunteer hours in a season. It takes eighty six volunteers to work on one performance and we do 14 performances a year. On opening night perspiration and perseverance blossomed into performance and they all. Mention shows and stuff when you come out. And challenge running. Everybody wants

to see the next act. It. Just makes you feel good. These stars will one day outgrow the sailor circus but they will never grow the lessons they learn here under the big. Circus aerobatic flying jazz art. As I said this is the journalism of self-indulgence So let's keep it up as we close this volume of the Gulf Coast Journal. Let us visit for a moment. An old and county fair farewell. As.

We. See. You can order this or any other volume of a Gulf Coast journal with Jack Perkins on the high quality DVD format for just 1999 plus shipping and handling. Call 1 800 3 5 4 9 3 3 8. Or visit our website at. W edu dot org. We got. This w edu. Production has been exclusively brought to you through a generous grant from the Gulf Coast

Community Foundation of Venice envisioning a region known for endowed philanthropy a vital non-profit community. And the ability to address emerging issues.