A Rose Among Thorns pays tribute to Mrs. Parks in hopes of not only keeping her story alive orally, and celebrating her exemplary character, but also seeks to infuse others (young and old), with her spirit to seek social change, and to choose involvement with political and civic issues concerning us today. Mrs. Parks tells her story simply as she speaks of things past, present, and eternal. Other key players out of this extraordinary period of American History are also memorialized, in this affectionate salute to such an incredible, yet seemingly simple, woman. "From the moment it was announced that Rosa Parks passed, I armed several TV sets with VHS tapes. I pushed the record button every time she was mentioned. I read something about her on the internet and world press every morning. I have collected hours and hours of live, precious information."
--Ella Joyce

 

For more information, please go to http://www.aroseamongthorns.com .

 

In 1972, Wilson composed and arranged his first work for symphony orchestra.  Its title: 5/21/72, denotes the date it was performed by the LA Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Zubin Mehta, at the Music Center.  He has since arranged and orchestrated four more works for the LA Philharmonic Orchestra and its 250 voice choir, performed in  1975.

 

In 1971 Wilson composed Viva Tirado, recorded by El Chicano, became a hit, receiving a BMI award as one of the most popular songs of the year. Other compositions include Josefina; Jeri; Teri; Nancy Jo; Carlos; The Golden Sword; Lighthouse Blues; Aram; Eric' Sonata for Guitar; The Royal Suite; Teotihuacan; El Viti. Festivals include Berkeley, 1967, Tulsa, 1968, Kongsberg, 1973; Concord, Santa Barbara, 1975....and many,  many more.  LPs include Golden Sword; Everywhere; Feeling Kinda Blues; California Soul; Eternal Equinox; Live & Swinging; You Better Believe It (Pac. Jazz); Things Ain't What They Used To Be with Ella Fitzgerald. Wilson continued to lead big bands off and on, even through today, as well as running the orchestra for Redd Foxx's NBC shows and serves as one of the Los Angeles jazz scene's more revered elder statesmen. In 1995, he commemorated more than half a century as a leader by releasing State Street Sweet, a vigorous tribute to the durability of his work, and scored a solid hit at the Playboy Jazz Festival.

 

Gerald Wilson attended Cass Tech High School and gives that experience the credit for developing his musical talents.  He left Cass at age 16 to go out on the road with Jimmy Lunceford's Big Band.  He later received his diploma  from Cass in 2005.

Chairman of the Board

Walter Ludwig's wife, Nadine, was pleased to present the story of this 90 plus years old alumnus to the Cass Tech Alumni Green Scene. Walter has an overriding love of music and up until recently played the violin.  In his younger days after graduating from Cass, he was a very active with a the list of local orchestras.  He decided that a career in music as a musician was not going to afford him a reasonable income.  After graduating from Wayne State University, he decided to become involved in the mechanics of automobile and gasoline driven engines.  Evidently he was very impressed with instruction he received from Cass that gave them an insight into the operations of gasoline engines.  Engines being used in lawnmowers, automobiles or rain vessels in gins that used mechanical valve.  Walter became involved with the Mac valve Company and soon developed engineering changes in the basic bell development of the company to overcome problems in proper operation of the valve as it relieves the exhaust gases from the operations of the gasoline fire in him.  Walter has approximately 80 patents in his name all relating to the mechanical aspects of an engine valve.  Among the other things that Mr. Ludwig has accomplished is the certification as an aircraft pilot and he has the instrumentation status.  So besides fiddling up the good to Walter was able to pilot an aircraft and did quite a bit of flying around the country.  Like many of us who went to Cass in the early days, his means of transportation from Hollywood Street in Detroit to Cass Tech was the streetcars that ran from all parts of the city to Cass and deposited students on Henry Street.  Because of Walter's interests in the violin and in music he is going to be contacted by Arthur Lieb, the CTO, who has done so much for violin instruction for our current state CTstudents and in addition has collected CDs of Cass orchestras and bands for the archives of the music department.

I am certain when the two musicians falter and Arthur connect, there will be much discussion of their mutual love for the violin. 

 

 

 

 

Hole in One Pizza

 

 

Cornelius Smith, Jr. as Franklin Quinton Hubbard

featured in

 

Stay tuned for March and April 2008 on channel 7 at 1pm (check your local listing)

 

Also check out http://www.soaps.com/allmychildren

 

 

Shawn & Shane Ward, CT Alumni, are opening their very first Flagship Store in NYC. They are looking for experienced, stylish, hardworking people to represent their brand. So if you want to be a part of the hottest new store to hit NY send your resume to: Mari@shaneandshawn.com .

 

Shawn & Shane can't wait to hear from you!