Elgin creates multicultural music fest

When the Elgin Cultural Arts Commission decided to put on a music festival as a way to engage the community, they knew they wanted to go as diverse as possible.

For more than a year, Sylvia Grady, city liaison to the commission, has been collecting cards and taking notes on local bands and musicians. She tracked down a mariachi band through a friend of a friend.

The search is over and it culminates when the Elgin Cultural Arts Commission and the City of Elgin present “Kaleidoscope: Concerts on the Court” from June 24 to 26. All performances except for Kaleidoscope Cabaret are free.

“The name comes from (the fact that) we were trying to get a bunch of different styles of music to up make the festival. We wanted to get a diverse group of performers together,” she said. “We wanted to get Hispanic and other minority groups involved. We tried to get different types of music — jazz, Black gospel, a mariachi band, salsa, Rastafarian.”

The festival kicks off Friday at 8 p.m. when Mary Ellen Beckmann, Diane McFarlin and Roz Zager present the Kaleidoscope Cabaret, by performing an evening of love songs, show tunes and other cabaret favorites at the Elgin Art Showcase, 164 Division St. Tickets cost $15 and runs Friday and Saturday.

On Saturday, people can hear live music from noon to 7 p.m. at 43 DuPage Court, next to Al’s Cafe. Bands include the Tony Morrison Quartet, the Andreas Kapsalis and Goran Ivanovic Guitar Duo, the Second Baptist Chorale Ensemble, ’60s rock band Jukebox Heroes, Mariachi Morelos, Rafo International Combo and the Projecto 7 Salsa Band.

Each act will play for about 45 minutes.

“Whenever I would go someplace and hear a smaller group, I picked up their cards,” Grady said. “The mariachi band was difficult to find. We did find someone who knew someone who had one at their wedding. I knew the Second Baptist Church in Elgin had a very good gospel choir. We asked them to participate and they were very happy to do that.”

On Sunday, Elgin’s own The Reverends will perform live on Walton Island from 1 to 3 p.m.

“They’re a local classic rock band … that has quite a following,” she said. “Walton Island is in the middle of Fox River. It’s a very beautiful spot.

Is It Time to Go Home Yet? How to Avoid Being Tired at Work ...

How many times were you tempted to call out of work just to catch a few extra moments of sleep? It seems as if no matter how hard we try, we can never get enough sleep, and we pay for it during our workdays. We’re yawning, moping around and physically drained — and we haven’t even put a dent in our workday yet.

Whether it’s because of your newborn bundle of joy, that late night movie you just had to stay up and watch, or that party that you went to and stayed just a little too long, here are some tips that can help you beat those daytime-sleepytime blues.

Have A Good Laugh

Laughing not only wakes you up, but it also strengthens connections between you and others, which can take your mind off your sleepiness — if even only for a minute. To read more about how laughter works, you can visit http://health.howstuffworks.com/mental-health/human-nature/other-emotions/laughter.htm

Listen To Upbeat Music

Everyone has that one song that, no matter where they are or what they’re doing, will get them up and moving. Listen to a few of your favorite dance songs, or even a few songs that bring good memories (like your wedding song, or the song you danced to at your prom); soon enough you’ll forget about your tiredness.

Focus On Helping Others

Repeating the same tasks every day can make your day boring, which contributes to overall sleepiness and malaise. Spice up your routine through random acts of kindness. Try helping a co-worker with a task that you don’t do everyday; you’ll not only wake up your brain, you may even make a new friend.

Figure The Exact Cause

Most of the time we know why we’re tired and can tackle one day of grogginess, but if your fatigue is becoming repetitive, then you may have underlying issues that you may not know about, such as sleep apnea. Some other issues to consider are caffeine addiction, poor diet, and a change in sleep patterns, such as a shift change.

Once you know what’s exactly causing your fatigue, you’ll be better able to deal with how to manage your fatigue without running to caffeine or sugar. For more information and other tips you can visit: http://www.wikihow.

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