I first observed the seating—The Church of the Apostles located on the outskirts of Lancaster, PA—was arranged in a semicircle. As a Quaker Attendee—a term attributed to those who participate in Quaker worship but who hold a non-member status—I felt nevertheless spiritually drawn to the space. In Quakerism, the concept of commonality is held in veneration. Tracing back to a line attributed to Quakerism's founder, George Fox: "There is that of God in all of us...", definin

On a particular Thursday in the steamy haze of a summer evening, tucked tidily into the Reading Public Museum's Neag Planetarium, a small audience looks on, eagerly anticipating the merger of two seemingly counter-opposing arts: jazz and opera. The Bear, a jazz operetta written by Vicki Haller Graff, director of the Reading Theatre Project, and composed by Reading jazz saxophonist Chris Heslop, offers a tumultuous narrative that combines themes of family, secrecy, betrayal,

Sometimes location is everything. Picture a cross between a circus house and a deco bar, in the recessed nook where glazed panes of looming bay windows stand sentry, a large cylindrical cage sits in empty exhibition. There is a whimsical eeriness that exudes from the display. I can almost picture the full, curious eyes of a captured prime ape gazing back at me, shadowed by the iron bars of its webbed chamber. Inside the tavern of choice, hot, blistering lines of saxy jazz pe

As a follower of Christ, I believe there is a call to shed light upon the world (Mat 5.14). It is our burden to look forward and upward—to act with innovative mindfulness whilst seeking wisdom from the antiquity of our textual history. Christ challenges us to set aside our pre-dispositions—to imagine a world through His Divinely inspired Grace, that we may answer His call to peace (John 20:21). By deepening our contextual understanding of the Gospel, we are answering Christ’s

On June 22nd, in the oppressive triple-digit heat, the sound of cackling engines and squealing tires can be heard from Reading’s “Hill of Mt. Penn”. The source of the maddened motoring is the first of two yearly hill climb races—underway, despite the weekend’s hellish heatwave. One by one, racers tackle the historical twists and turns leading to Reading’s iconic Pagoda. Attentive and full of anticipation, I watch eagerly from the wooded side-line of turn 2. The screaming of

Swing Dancing — often a far-off echo, indefinitely stamped in a vaguely specific image of Americana . I can almost imagine young adoring women all donning 40s circle dresses, tossing their pristine victory rolls. The scene runs in the back of my mind on 80mm, garbed in velvet theatre décor, like some modern radio ad. But brace yourself. The narrative is far more complex, and luckily, Hollywood has only whitewashed a fraction of the picture.   In venues across the globe, accom

A dim porcelain sign hangs unsuspectedly, flickering above a quiet alleyway. A warm glow emits from the title: "Mike's Tavern," casting its welcoming light upon the entrance; beneath, friendly words are exchanged amongst the lingering perfume of cigarettes and cigars. As folks cross the threshold, the door swings open with a resounding creak, revealing a multitude of patrons. Ears lean in close, intent on catching the weaving stories as they snake across the room. Mike's is a

Dove-tailing from the last installation of the 2Rogues Media Group story, we are thrilled to announce our sponsorship of the Columbus...

In this age of corporate climbing and professional networking it has become all too easy to lose touch of the 'You' in your life. Whether...

The world of design is like a vast desert, harsh and arid— a devourer of civilizations. Huge metropolises envelop the occasional oasis,...

There is magical quality you get from improvised music..." he tells me off air.

Picture yourself on the second floor of a forgotten pub overlooking a main strip dotted with busy shops and eateries. Far above the daily foot traffic, the air is filled with a cacophony of musical sounds; in an offset corner of the club, there resides a piece of jazz orchestra stacked like sardines on teetering plywood risers. The attendance is mostly made up of longtime friends and family, enjoying first-class seating for a bank-crushing Mike Eben: Last Big Band at Building

Thanks to WXAC 91.3 FM local radio station of Albright College, Reading PA, I will be hosting the show 13th. St. Jazz from 6pm-8pm ET. ...