Living in Aurora, Town of Aurora, Ontario » Music

Aurora Chamber Street Festival, No Rain & Lots of Music

Anna Lozyk Romeo — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 02:52:41 +0000

Today I felt pain in my feet going home after photographing the Aurora Chamber Street Festival. I walked many many miles, at least it felt like I did – from the beginning to the end, and then back; that is from Murray Drive / Edward Street all the way to Wellington Street, and then back.

According to Google maps I walked over 10 km.

Aurora Chamber Street Festival, Yonge Street, Aurora

This morning around six o’clock I woke up to the torrential rain over our house and most of you know I am living in Aurora. Oh no, rain in Aurora. I immediately thought of the Aurora Chamber Street Festival soaking in the rain, but then this rain was way too heavy.

Meaning if all were to fall down in the morning, there will be nothing left for later. Guess what, turned out to be a beautiful day for everyone at the Street Festival.

George St. Kitts, Aurora Chamber Street Festival, Yonge Street, Aurora

What can I show you first? I took so many photos that I have to group them into different subject and post them accordingly. Since at arrival I was greeted with the music – music it is then.

Aaron Morris, Aurora Chamber Street Festival, Yonge Street, Aurora

The Manatee Band, Aurora Chamber Street Festival, Yonge Street, Aurora

First I met Aaron Morris from The Manatee Band. I read his Facebook wall so it was easy to find him. I found Aaron at the Newmarket Jazz+ Festival booth. Aaron and I met at the beginning Aurora Farmers Market this season.

I learned from him that he once stumbled at this blog and landed at the post where I photographed all the dogs at the market. Excellent start to get to know each other and another story to tell.

I have small confession to make. I have been a bit disconnected from the community events, thus I learned on Friday that music festival is back in Aurora. I am constantly expanding my photography venues and will be following more music in our town and local talent.

Aurora Teen Idol, Aurora Chamber Street Festival

It is also more fun to photo shoot when the music plays. However, ask me what song were played during the photo shoot I will not remember. I found out today that I listened to the music but I tuned myself out and concentrated on capturing the moment, the moment when people sing.

Like Brian Melo said talking to one of the performers during the audition at the Celebrate Aurora Music Festival booth, ‘you have that it‘, same in photography I look for that ‘it‘.

Celebrate Aurora Music Festival, Aurora Chamber Street Festival

And that little 8 year old girl (below) was shy and cute. The crowd cooperated and gave her time to collect her self. She ended singing beautifully.

Celebrate Aurora Music Festival, Aurora Chamber Street Festival

This young gentleman (below) was helping his friend. He went on stage first. Funny, entertaining, didn’t know words but sang with emotion.

Celebrate Aurora Music Festival, Aurora Chamber Street Festival

Where there is music there is art. Just beside the Newmarket Jazz+ Festival booth, Deborah Campo had her art booth, her all art was related to the music. This is first time I actually spoke with Deborah, or rather introduced myself. I had to finally apologize for stepping on her beautiful ballroom dress at the Hillary House Ball, another story to tell.

There will be more posts related to the Aurora Chamber Street Festival, however, before I finalize my photo platform for now my photo albums are added on the Facebook. Here is link to today’s street festival album, music related. While you are there, you can always be my friend so you can stay up to date on Aurora stuff plus. Enjoy.

Deborah Campo, Aurora Chamber Street Festival

Wacky Aurora Music-al & Twitter-critical Rumblings

Anna Lozyk Romeo — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 05:56:54 +0000

I absolutely hate shopping but not when the music plays. One day I found myself wondering at the mall, stressed and undetermined, needless to say not motivated to spend a dime on a piece of clothing I wasn’t even going to enjoy as I thought that the fashion that fall just didn’t go with my style.

But suddenly my ears perked up. I stopped. I turned and started marching back towards a small boutique on the mall that I just missed. The store played my favorite tune I haven’t heard in a long time. Suddenly I was encouraged, I found myself relaxed, inspired and motivated and I was shopping. When I left the store, looked at the bill, nearly walked into the glass panel and apologized to the headless manikin.

As you can see naturally the music, sometimes radically, engages people, in the above case the music engaged me to shop.

So I tried to make sense what happened to our festival. Honestly, I think the headlines in the Era Banner were brutal about the Aurora Live! festival being near death, perhaps the newspaper didn’t realize that Aurora Live! never lived.

The other day I was practicing a piano piece. I practiced one hand at a time. Each hand definitely played different tune, yet when finally I mastered both and when I played hands together each side very much complemented each other and the room was filled with music. The instructions, music notes were my guide. Someone wrote for me to play.

Music Notes

Well I played enough music for you here today.

Those who are reading this blog, remember I am just a resident of Aurora, nothing else. I photograph and I write what I observe, and by the way I vote. The message is simple – let’s work together and not against each other, and the Aurora will be a better place to live.

When The Music Plays, It Is Always Harder To Leave The Aurora Farmer’s Market

Anna Lozyk Romeo — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 20:44:35 +0000

That one time, back in June, when we visited Aurora Farmers Market at the Town Park – a band played and before that some other smaller bands played as well. When the music plays or when someone sings, there is this feeling in the air that makes you want to stay longer at the park.

It wasn’t hard to notice that people did enjoy music at the park that day, its all captured in the photos. The residents on the other hand living near by the Town Park are different story.

So today here are my four reasons in the form of quotes why we should have music in the park, especially during the Aurora Farmers Market. The example should also be taken from the stores on the malls which play music while customers shop.

Band Playing at the Aurora Farmers Market

First, no pain at all: ‘One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.‘ Quote by Bob Marley

Band Playing at the Aurora Farmers Market

Second, yes I completely agree: ‘Without music, life would be a mistake.‘ Quote by Friedrich Nietzsche

Band Playing at the Aurora Farmers Market

Third, definitely: ‘Music is the best means we have of digesting time.‘ Quote by W. H. Auden

Band Playing at the Aurora Farmers Market

And the last one, the powerful one: ‘Music is very spiritual, it has the power to bring people together.’ Quote by Edgar Winter

When the music played that day it was hard for us to leave. It was closer to the lunch and the park was still full of people just browsing around. Parents enjoyed picnics in the shades of trees, and children kept splashing in the splash pad. The swings kept swinging, and the band played. Domenic, the music sounds familiar? – I asked. Star Wars theme – he replied.

Senior’s Day In Pictures At Aurora Farmers Market

Anna Lozyk Romeo — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 05:26:17 +0000

A very eventful day at the Aurora Farmers Market on August 13th, 2011 it was. It was a Senior’s Day. As you can see in pictures they enjoyed signing, listening, shopping, chatting, eating good food, and more …

I must confess but I do enjoy reading the Senior Scape column published regularly in THE AURORAN. To make this post a bit more interesting, I would like to share a couple of quotes from the Senior Scape column I found inspiring.

‘Imagination and reason combine to guide the hands of the artist carefully, while roughing out an initial version of the shape; delicate artistry caresses the final creation to emerge from the rough shape, now rendered to its full glory by meticulous hands‘. Source: Honouring Walter Rydzik, by Brian Warburton, Senior Scape, THE AURORAN, Week of July 26, 2011, pg. 15.

To view photos in the gallery below just simply click on the thumbnail once, and then on the image to proceed to next and next photo.

‘The first meeting of the Camera Club received excellent support and interest, including one enthusiast clinging to a favourite film camera he had possessed for many years‘. Source: Co-ordinator begins maternity leave soon, by Brian Warburton, Senior Scape, THE AURORAN, Week of June 28, 2011, pg. 15.

Aha, I wonder how it would feel now to take out my first film SLR camera and take pictures. I think the habit of previewing each picture will be there, and I probably will be more reserved how many I would take. Taking hundreds of photos per day is very easy with a digital camera.