Joo grew up in Norwich, England, began piano around age 7 and met Igudesman about five years later, in the mid-1980s, at the prestigious Yehudi Menuhin School in Surrey, England, named after and then run by the famous violinist. Menuhin wasn’t a classical purist. With his freewheeling interests, and his collaborations with Ravi Shankar and jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli, he became a model for Igudesman and Joo. “We’re born of the same pea pod,” Joo says. “And we were so in love with the classical music that we heard and played,” Igudesman says. “But sometimes we went to concerts, where the attitude was more like the air of a funeral, not a celebration. The audience would not be allowed to make noise. And the musicians came in somberly, all dressed up. And we thought it was really strange — and then they would play this ecstatic, incredible music.”.
But to really celebrate the season, the big noise at the Pavilion is the first local appearance by the Radio City Christmas Spectacular with the Rockettes, The show hits town Dec, 18-19 for five shows; tickets are $37-$102, www.ticketmaster.com, Looking for a little theater over the holidays? Well, there’s something downtown for just about everybody the next few weeks, Things kick off with Saturday’s opening night of the popular “Every Christmas Story Ever Told” at San Jose Stage, The wonderful wacky show — which covers every Christmas tale from the Grinch to “It’s a Wonderful Life” ballet flats narrow — runs through Dec, 19, Tickets are $15-45, www.sanjose-stage.com.)..
Dave met his wife Nicole, a Terra Nova graduate, through the Tigersharks program. She has served as a board member and as head coach and cheer athletic director for the past 16 years. They have two boys, Anthony (6) and Dante (2). “Nicole helps me tremendously with a lot of the ‘stuff’ I do,” Mercurio said. “I’m lucky to have her.”. That “stuff” includes budgeting and fundraising, recruiting, attending meetings, planning and preparing for the season. With the birth of their second child, Mercurio stopped coaching. It was too hard to give 100 percent attention to the players. But he has a lineup of magic coaching moments with the kids, and one that immediately comes to mind.
7, “Bold as Love” (Night 3) — Phish brought the San Francisco run to a close in triumphant fashion with an encore of this Jimi Hendrix Experience classic, It’s always impressive to see Anastasio handle the guitar parts originally crafted by such fellow guitar legends as Hendrix, David Gilmour, ballet flats narrow Jimmy Page, Pete Townshend and Sterling Morrison, Follow Jim Harrington at http://twitter.com/jimthecritic, www.facebook.com/jim.bayareanews and http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/category/concerts..
Gooding, 28, pours in unflagging energy, directing lessons on compound words, leading a dance break, assigning timed tasks and lessons, and recognizing her “scholars,” as she calls them. Asked to report on what she told assembled students earlier, kindergartner HaNgoc Dinh said, “I need to work on my fluency.”. Seizing on a possible difficult word, Gooding asked for an explanation. “Fluency,” classmate Jose Dueñas Beltrán said, “means you have to talk in your normal voice, not like a robot.”.
