Starting on Jan. 31, The Festival of the Arts will be providing the area with multiple demonstrations and contributions of the art community until Mar. 2.

All throughout the month you’ll be able to experience and take part in a wide variety of artistic lectures and demonstrations; everything from foreign films, architectural demonstrations, and community plays to photography and dinner theatres will be occurring in Big Rapids.

Being unable to go into detail about all of the near fifty events taking place, major events will be highlighted, but don’t forget that there is a whole month full of unique and interesting events going on!

The “Jump Rhythm Jazz Project” will be performed at the Artworks Underground Dance Studio on Michigan Avenue on Saturday, Feb.9 at 8 p.m. This performance is based on the Emmy award winning documentary on extreme jazz dancing.

Not only will there be a full evening performance, but the Jump Dancers will also be putting on an interactive technique workshop for all age groups the same day, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

You can sign up for the demonstration at Artworks, free of charge, but it is limited to the first 100 people. As for the performance later that night, you can purchase tickets either in advance or at the door at Artworks.

The cost for students is $8 in advance or $10 at the door, while for adults it is $16 in advance and $20 at the door.

Switching gears from dancing to music, the Grand Rapids Symphony will be performing at the Big Rapids High School Auditorium on Sunday, Feb.17 at 7:30 p.m.

This prestigious classical band is one of America’s foremost regional orchestras, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on May 21, 2005, with a performance at New York City’s Carnegie Hall, according to the Ferris web site.

The program for the upcoming concert illuminates a classic variety of orchestral pieces such as “The Barber of Seville Overture” by Rossini, “Marriage of Figaro” by Mozart, and “Midsummer Night’s Dream” by Mendelssohn.

Seating for this event is limited with a first come, first serve basis, and the free admission tickets are available at the G. Mennen Williams Auditorium box office and also at Artworks.

Covering another major artistic aspect will be Benjamin Busch, presenting his “The Art in War” photography exhibition. The exhibit will be open for viewing at Artworks from Tuesday, Jan.31, to Thursday, Mar.1, and will follow the Artworks open hours throughout the week.

According the Ferris web site, Benjamin Busch, after graduating from Vassar College in 1991 as a studio art major, went on to serve for four years as an active duty infantry officer for the U.S. Marine Corps, and later going on to serve in the Selected Marine Reserve.

In 2003 he was sent to Iraq as the commanding officer of Delta Company, 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, and again in 2005 with a Civil Affairs sector in Ar Ramadi.

These deployments are the heart of his two exhibits, “The Art in War” of 2003 and “Occupation” of 2005.

In addition to the exhibit at Artworks, he will also give a lecture on his work and also the experiences that influenced them. The lecture will take place at the Interdisciplinary Resource Center of Ferris, Room 120, on Tuesday, Feb.19 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Aside from these main events, the month’s festivities include many lectures, demonstrations, workshops, and exhibitions of architecture, photography, jazz music, welding, and multiple unique styles of art and culture, so be sure to check out the Ferris State web site for more information.

BET’s “Cousin Jeff” will be speaking on social change in conjunction with Martin Luther King Jr. week. The presentation will take place this Wednesday, Jan. 23, from 7-9 p.m. in the Rankin Dome Room.

The event is being cosponsored by the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, Entertainment Unlimited, the MLK Planning Committee, the V.P. of Student Affairs and the Diversity Office. It is free and open to the public, though monetary donations will be accepted to benefit the Mecosta/Osceola Walk for Warmth Campaign.

“The time is now. The youth of today are the leaders of TODAY. If we fail to sow the seeds of education and real leadership into our young people today, we will be forced to reap the weeds of our ignorance versus the flowers of our love tomorrow,” Johnson said.

According to a posting on the Ferris web site, Johnson was named by Source Magazine as one of the Hip Hop generation’s key political players. Johnson hosts the show “The Cousin Jeff Chronicles” on BET. It is a mini-documentary series that tells the stories of Black and Latino communities. Since then, he has taken his social activism and media prowess to gain more air time from BET network executives.

Johnson speaks on many topics that apply to today’s generation of young adults. His speech titled, “Unclaimed Legacy: Who Will Lead the Next Social Movement” is about encouraging young people to pick up the mantle of such luminary characters as Martin Luther King Jr., and strive for social change. He preaches a lot of community involvement and togetherness.

His speech titled “Empty Prayers: The Rise and Fall of Church Leadership” is about the lack of authentic leadership among the church. Many of today’s churches are suffering from such a strong societal effect and focus on political correctness that men are afraid to lead as in the past. Johnson says that ministers are important for spreading positive messages to the youth of America.

“Pulling Back the Sheets: Sexuality and Hip-Hop” is about how a majority of hip -hop music exploits women and sexuality. He stresses the need for more positive content in the hip-hop genre.

“It is time for hip-hop to stop treating women as objects, and he believes that positive influences, like more female rappers and MCs, can help change the direction that hip-hop is headed,” his web site said.

“Become Activists: Building Effective Campus Organizations and Maintaining Excellence” is about the importance of activism on college campuses. Johnson states that it is important to be a part of these types of groups so we can grow as leaders of our generation.

“Johnson discusses how becoming a campus activist can help create a better future for individuals, but also for the campus and the world itself,” his web site said.

Johnson has taken his mission to many places around the world. He is one of the only journalists to interview Sudan’s president, Omar Al-Bashir, within the past 12 years. He traveled to the Darfur region, and gave testimony in response to the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina.

“In every aspect of his political leadership, Johnson has been highly instrumental in representing and articulating the views of young people and galvanizing voters to the polls,” a biography said of him.

For more information about this event, or if special accommodations are needed to attend, contact Michael Wade at x2617.

You know something innovative will be released when Apple’s Steve Jobs is talking. This was the case last Tuesday when Jobs showed off his newest creation, the Macbook Air.

The Air shows off a slim physique at 12.8 inches wide and 8.95 inches deep. It is .16-.76 inches thick (it is wedge shaped) and weighs only three pounds. It includes the webcam that currently comes with Macbooks and has the same keyboard.

There are a few new features. One is the addition of an LEDbacklight display, which allows “instant-on responses”, according to Macworld.com. This also saves power; the battery life for this device (while running the powersucking iTunes, they boast) is five hours.

The touchpad has been modified. Like the iPhone, different gestures do different tasks, like being able to move forward and back on web browsers by using three fingers on the touchpad.

If you’ve seen a photo of the Air (it’s all over apple.com if you haven’t seen it), you’ve probably wondered how everything fit. Apple modified most of the internal components to be wafer thin. The hard drive is now 1.8 inches and stores 80GB. The Intel Core 2 Duo chip is 60 percent smaller than other Intel chips. All components still seem to be inside.

What about the ports on the outer edges? In order to make the Air tiny, some things had to be sacrificed. This is where many problems exist.

A small flip door on one side contains the following: one USB port, a Micro-DVI and a headphone jack.

Many people need multiple USB ports. What happens when I need to plug in an external hard drive and my camera?

There is also a lack of an Ethernet port. Apple mentions this multiple times in their video tour: this product was designed to be used in high-tech environments where wireless internet is always available. What about those that don’t?

Apple also boasts about the lack of an optical drive. They claim you don’t need it! The Air comes with a built in feature where you can access CD drives on other devices. This is cool, but many people like installing software and watching DVDs (Apple responds with the ability to rent movies on iTunes, another new announcement).

I can live without the drive, although many can’t. I remember only using the optical drive only four times in the last year, and those were to rip music off a CD, burn files for backing up my computer twice and installing one program.

Apple offers a plug-in optical drive for $99, but that means you have to use your only USB drive.

As I have been a fan of Macs since my childhood (we still have the early 90s machine), I am excited to see a huge change in laptops. I notice the flaws, but I am excited as to what Apple can do for the computer industry. The slim design will be copied, the track pad designs will be used by other companies, and the thin interiors will be adapted to work with other laptops.

This will quickly sprout innovation. It seems to be that whatever Apple is doing is becoming the “in thing” to strive for. When the iPod was released, other companies scrambled to push the limits that Apple had made.

I am excited about the features because of how I use a laptop. My laptop is carried with me about 90 percent of the time and I use it for everything. It is also an essential tool for my class work as a graphic design student. Because of this, I am constantly carrying it around. Size, weight, and built-in features make my job easier (and make my back hurt less). I like the larger trackpad, the faster responding screen, the size, the extended battery life, etc.

But most people are not like me. They aren’t in areas that always have wireless capabilities. An optical drive is more important than a thin machine. They are not carried all over and being able to video conference is not a necessity.

The flaws make this product unpurchasable for many right now, including me. I am praying that another USB drive is added and other issues are improved by the time I graduate next May, when I will be buying my next laptop.

For those of you that are constantly in wireless environments and can deal without using CDs or DVDs, the Air goes on sale in a week and is priced at $1,799.

Editor’s Note: This article is part of an ongoing series featuring entertainment-oriented businesses in the Big Rapids area. This is the fourth business in the series. Next month will feature Old Pioneer Emporium.

On a campus crawling with musicians, and with a program dedicated to the business of music, it is inevitable that one may find themselves searching for a place to fulfill their musical needs.

Whether it is a shiny new bass, that dream drum kit, or guitar lessons for the inspired, students only have a few blocks to walk to Big Rapids’ only retail music store.

Don and Mary Quinn opened Quinn’s Music on St. Patrick’s Day in 1968. With only a few guitars and keyboards, business was still successful.

After Don passed away in 1977, Mary was left to take on the business and hired Marc Conley in 1979 to manage the store. A few years later in 1982, Quinn sold the business to Conley.

In his 26 years of ownership, Conley has expanded the store’s inventory from the ground up. Now at Quinn’s, you will find a full line supply of just about any string instrument in a range of brands.

They also have rooms specifically dedicated to sound and lighting equipment, in addition to a recent endeavor that resulted in a drum department.

Randy Holt, a senior in music industry management (MIM) at Ferris, provides lessons at Quinn’s for those interested in indulging themselves with the sound of music.

Holt has over 12 years of music experience and teaches beginning to advanced guitar technique and theory.

He also has experience with bass, drums and keyboard, but primarily teaches guitar. And with his understanding in an array of instruments, Holt likes to incorporate that knowledge into the guitar lessons.

“I generally lean more towards intermediate to advanced,” said Holt. “Especially for students who want to learn more about music theory and how chord structure works, scales and things like that, rather than ‘Mary had a Little Lamb,’ per se.”

Genres ranging from rock, metal, death metal and classic rock are Holt’s specialty areas, but he does dabble in jazz, classical, and country every now and then.

After finishing up his degree in MIM at Ferris, Randy wants to get an education degree in music. “Ultimately I can use my business background and teach in some areas where most things are missed in the education degree so that I can pull from both sides,” said Holt.

Nathan Myers, a native of Stanwood, Mich., also provides lessons through Quinn’s. He teaches a beginner to intermediate guitar program for those looking to create their own music style.

He has programs designed for young beginners as well as adults. And with his decades of musical experience, Myers can teach anything from improvisation and theory to technique. His music knowledge is credited to the experience he has had on a number of instruments in a variety of jazz and bluegrass bands. The cost for lessons at Quinn’s is $15 for 30 minutes or $25 an hour. You can find Myer’s and Holt’s contact information via Quinn’s website at quinnsmusic.com.

Quinn’s has made contributions to the local high schools, community and Ferris. They have donated to high school yearbook advertisements, as well as prizes for raffles and fundraisers.

Also, when a local organization is hosting a musical event for the community, Quinn’s will often donate or rent discounted music equipment. For example, United Way hosts an annual Christmas party, in which Quinn’s helps supply equipment for.

In 2006, the MIM program hosted its first annual Guitar Hero competition, in which Quinn’s furnished the grand prize, an acoustic guitar. This past year, the grand prize was an electric guitar, also provided by Quinn’s.

It’s also no surprise that the Conleys are keeping it in the family. Conley’s son Bryan started playing bass and sweeping the floors at Quinn’s when he was 14, now he is the manager.

“I’ve always enjoyed music and the gadgetry that goes along with the business,” said Bryan. “So, for me it was kind of a natural upbringing.”

According to Bryan, Quinn’s has no giant landmark plans but is continually adding new lines and reworking its use of space.

“We want to keep the website growing, keep traffic growing, and kind of spread our network of musicians,” said Bryan. “Continual growth is our overall plan.”

Quinn’s is located four blocks from campus at 210 S. Michigan Ave., across from the movie theater. If you would like further information on their selection of instruments or equipment, or just want to tour the store, you can visit their website, quinnsmusic.com.

I was never a Nintendo kid. I got my after-school thrill from confronting Doctor Robotnik in Sega Genesis’ “Sonic the Hedgehog.”

Sonic was my hero, of course until Knuckles came along. But, I have to honest, the only thing these fighting video game characters helped me accomplish was successfully obtaining all the chaos emeralds in order to hit the jackpot in a special level.

Boy, have times changed. Peacemaker, a game in which players can be the role of either the Israeli prime minister or the Palestinian president, has its designers arguing that it is a medium for change.

According to the game’s designer Asi Burak, in an interview with the New York Times, “People get very engaged. They really try very hard to get a solution. Even after one hour or two hours, they’d come to me and say, you know, I know more about the conflict than when I’ve read newspapers for 10 years.”

For several years, advocates and nonprofit groups have joined together to form a “serious games” movement, in which they find new ways to reach the generation likely to explore the gaming world.

I recently read a story on wral. com about a man who saved a car accident victim’s life by using the first aid techniques he learned in the free online game America’s Army.

Who needs nursing school when you can play a game that teaches you how to evaluate casualties, control bleeding, treat shock, and give aid when victims are not breathing? And for free at that!

How about those Guitar Hero and Rock Band games? I know from my personal experience with Guitar Hero, and with the dust collecting on my own guitar and bass, that the game has not made me a better musician.

Besides, I am a cheater and use the hand controller, rather than the plastic sticker-plastered guitar. I admit it, my fingers are not coordinated enough to strum the white tab, while moving up and down the neck on a rainbow of frets at high speed.

According to joystiq.com, one teacher revealed that Guitar Hero was responsible for “building rhythm in a musical context.”

I’m not sure the big picture is being able to pick up a guitar after mastering expert level songs, but it is interesting how it has sparked so much interest in kids today to want to learn an actual instrument.

According to Joe Martin on bi-tech.net, the past three years has seen a striking increase in the business for guitar teachers. Guitar Hero may have helped save the music, but could it save the aspiring musician from years of practice. Unlikely, but I’ll still rock out.

So, you have created world peace, saved a life, and mastered a few notes on the guitar. There’s only one last thing left do, well maybe two or three things.

How about a relaxing game of golf or some intense boxing? It’s no doubt that after a game of boxing on the Nintendo Wii, the next day I was barely able to lift my arms to pull the box of Wheaties from the pantry shelf.

This may be the most revolutionary game made to target the problem that video games created in the first place! I’m sure results will vary among players, but there is proof that you can shed some extra baggage from swinging a paddle at your T.V. screen.

One guy on wiinintendo.net, started the Wii Sports Experiment six weeks ago. He continued all of his normal daily activities and eating habits, but just added 30 minutes of Wii Sports to his day. The results were a whopping nine pounds!

So, whether you’re looking to gain world recognition as a peacemaker, or the satisfaction of saving a life, all while rocking out and losing weight, maybe video games aren’t so bad after all.