Get Outside!
Summer is the perfect time to get outside and still have a good meal! We’re not talking the playground at McDonalds, but an actual meal. There are a few great places in Morgantown to get a bite to eat and still enjoy the beautiful weather. One of my favorite places to do this is Archie’s on the lake. After a long day of boating, it’s so nice to stay out and enjoy the sunset over a fresh meal. The outdoor decks are relaxing and a nice change of pace from your normal restaurant routine. Another great place in Morgantown is the Chop House. Get out on your bike and ride the rail trails, and then stop in and take in the great views while you watch others ride. They have great food and great people to accommodate your every wish. The last place, but certainly not my least favorite, was opened recently by a good friend of mine. Marty’s namesake is on the golf course on Cheat Lake. With a fantastic deck and great live music, this is definitely a great place to get out. Our good friends, One Hundred Hurricanes will be playing there later this month! Also, the waitstaff is very nice to look at. I hope that everyone gets a chance to visit these places and enjoy their summer!
Longboarding
Looking for a new way to get outside more often? How about the new method of transportation? Give longboarding a shot! A mixture of skateboarding and land surfing, longboarders love long and winding hills, something that Morgantown has plenty of. Longboarding became popular alongside surfing in the 1950′s. Longboarders use specially designed skateboards that are significantly longer than traditional skateboards, with wider trucks and bigger wheels to better accomodate carving (turning sharply back and forth, much like surfing or snowboarding.) Of course, Nico would like to emphasize the use of all safety equipment including pads and helmets, but also sliding gloves. These gloves have plastic pucks on the palm and fingers so that the wearer can place them against the concrete when sliding without damage to their hands. I had an oppourtunity to try this emerging hobby when I met some longboarders last week. Jake and Steve were longboarding at Copper’s Rock when I met them. They introduced me to this fascinating sport, and even got me on a board!
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Nico Educational Team – Parkersburg
June 13, 2009 – On the road again
Rick Stache, Seth Gartin and Rachel Harman traveled to Twin State Salon Supply in Parkersburg, WV to teach a class on Coppola Keratin Complex smoothing system. The Nico Educational Team taught a total of two classes and four different models. Our team is teaching other educators and professionals to futher our profession. Participants at the class were eager to get their hands on the system and try it out first hand. All the models had great results and were amazed with how healthy, shiny and smooth their hair was.
We would once again like to thank all the participants in the class and Twin State Supply for promoting education in this industry we love so much.
Click here to see more results we have had with the Keratin Smoothing System.
Brooks Parker
Hello everyone! It’s that time again when we sit down with a local artist and find out those need to know questions. This month, we got an amazing opportunity to interview up and coming local musician, Brooks Parker.
So Brooks, how did you get your start in music?
I began playing piano at age 4. Most of my musicmaking during my childhood took place in church and the typical school talent shows. As I got older, I started playing background music for hours at parties and other events, which birthed my interest in improvisational playing and songwriting. Although throughout high school I was writing, playing, and singing, I would say that my move to Nashville, Tennessee in 2005 was the real beginning of my music “career.”
That’s great! So who got you interested in this? Who are your biggest influences?
My biggest influences?……Being a piano man who likes to play and sing his own songs, I have obviously been heavily influenced and affected by the work of Billy Joel, Elton John, and even Phil Vassar (who is known in Nashville as “the piano man in a guitar town.”) In more recent years, through my close friendship and time spent with Amy Grant and Vince Gill, my songwriting and interpretation has been greatly impacted by their work and example. They are two of the most brilliant songwriters in the world and I am lucky to have them as mentors.
I bet that has been an amazing experience. What’s been your most memorable so far?
I have been fortunate to have had lots of amazing experiences making music both in West Virginia and in Tennessee. From singing the national anthem at Pittsburgh Pirates baseball games, to playing piano and singing on tour with Amy Grant, to singing background vocals in concert with Michael W. Smith, I have been blessed with many opportunities to do what I love with many incredible musicians. My most memorable experience, however, was one that is far less glamorous than those. The Bridge Ministry is a mission group in Nashville that gathers the city’s homeless (sometimes over 1,000 people) for a meal and worship time ever single Tuesday night, rain or shine, under a bridge in downtown Nashville. Amy Grant was asked to lead that worship time once last fall, and she took me with her to play keyboards and sing. Seeing the way that our music was helping God to move into the hearts of these people, and watching them come forward to commit their lives to Christ was one of the most moving and unforgettable experiences of my life. I have seen my music move people in many settings, but in that most unlikely place I saw and felt my music be moved by those people. It was a sensation that I had never experienced before, but from that day on will strive to create with every note I play or sing.
So what does the future hold for Brooks Parker?
The future for me?…..Currently, two of my best friends and I are developing a trio. We are writing, and singing our songs with full harmonies – which is my favorite thing to do. We are involved with a production and publishing company in Nashville and in the process of cutting our first EP. We hope to start work on our album mid-summer and begin touring in the fall. In the meantime, I stay busy writing both country and contemporary Christian music, singing background vocals and playing keyboards for other artists, and spend a good deal of time doing music for my church. These are things that I will always do, regardless of what happens with my solo career.
If you got to decide, what would your dream gig be?
My dream gig is to be part of a country group, involved both in the writing and in the performing. I also would love to be a part of the production process as well.
Any music for sale?
Music for sale?…..nothing at the moment. updates to come.
We’d like to thank Brooks for taking the time to sit down with us and give us all a glimpse into his world. Be sure to check out Brooks on Myspace and encourage this local artist on his way to the top!
We will definately keep everyone updated with one of our favorite artists, and have links to any albums or EPs in the near future. For now though, check out these tracks and videos!
