ALTADENA HERITAGE NEWSLETTER Music Issue Musicians – They’re Thick on the Ground by Mark Goldschmidt Throw a brick anywhere in Altadena and you are likely to hit a musician. For one reason or another, an inordinate number of professional musicians make our community home. When we decided to make Musical Altadena the theme of our spring Newsletter, it seemed a happy subject. Alas, just as we began reaching out to local musicians the order came to hunker down. Deprived of meeting in person and attending musical events, we instead worked by phone and email. It’s sad for musicians — performances have been canceled for the foreseeable future, and performing is what musicians live to do. And do to live. We invite you, however, to visit the online version of this newsletter at altadenaheritage. org, and to click on links to music of artists mentioned herein. Add Magical Musical Tour of Altadena to your shelter-in-place “to do” list! We apologize in advance that we couldn’t Cellist Sarah O’Brien mixing at Jackalope Studio in Altadena possibly get to every notable musician — but we fanned out, did considerable research, and tried our reborn as Altadena Arts Magnet offering dance, visual best to present a wide range and good smattering of arts, theater, media arts, and music. Principal Benita incredible Altadena talent in a few pages. Schekel (a trained opera singer who serenades the campus Musical education and teaching as back-up every day) writes “our school acts like a conservatory in that all students receive discrete arts instruction every Music teaching continues despite the coronavirus, day” integrated with academic core learning. The school mostly via computer screen, so the beat goes on. It’s a has newly dedicated arts spaces, including the Patrice bad break for Altadena’s youth, our future greats, who Rushen Music Studio, named for renowned r&b artist, attend their very own conservatory, Eliot Arts Magnet composer and long-time Altadena resident. Academy. John Maynard, head of the music program, Of course there are many who teach privately. Mary listed some of the remarkable curriculum offered at Jean Shaffer arrived in LA in the 1980s as keyboardist, Altadena’s middle school: an outstanding choir, a singer, and songwriter with The Holy Sisters of the Gaga regular band, a jazz band, an after-school drum line, Dada, a grunge rock all-female band with a political and a “modern band” class teaching rock. They also have agenda. She began teaching piano and voice while still a a school rock band, The Fusion, that tours nationally. band member, and has helped scores of young singers and Eliot’s gorgeous, refurbished auditorium is put to good musicians become proficient. She is known for packing use in musical productions that involve all the arts her van with students, usually girls of middle-school age, taught there, graphics for sets, dance, drama, and music. and hauling them to various performances for fun and to These are high quality, spirited productions, highly check out the talent. Over the decades, one or more of her recommended — though none this semester. students always seem to be starring in a local high school Two blocks west, Altadena Elementary has been production, having honed their chops with Mary Jean. Please turn to page 6 Events ADVOCACY & PRESERVATION ADVOCACY Golden Poppy Cool Roofs Tree Workshops Sunday, May 17 July16 Saturday Mornings Spring/Summer Golden Poppy 4 pm Third Thurs 7 pm Oct. & Nov. TBA 2020 Letter from the Chair Sharon Sand We are living in a time that seems unreal, something we glaring. Supervisor Barger responded, agreeing to replace the read about in history books — not a time we thought we’d be 4000 kelvin fixtures with 3000k ones (a big improvement, living through. I hope you are well, and that you are finding but still too bright in our estimation). We are continuing the light in your neighborhood, with views of our mountains and conversation with her staff, bringing in an environmental signs of spring blooming all around. scientist with extensive experience consulting with city I am so thankful to live in Altadena — we have an conversions from high pressure sodium to LED street lights. amazing community. I have witnessed neighborly kindness and (See story, page 11) consideration — the free pop-up produce stand on Poppyfields We also wrote on behalf of Webster’s owners Meredith and is being continuously replenished, neighbors are distributing Michael Miller, after their new building owner, Calitex, served a handmade masks, the Altadena three day notice to vacate despite a Farmer’s Market is making sure County-wide eviction moratorium. farmers can continue to sell their Our letter helped get results; produce while insuring our safety, Meredith wrote: “One thing is for and volunteers are picking up sure, Michael and I can’t thank groceries for those at high-risk. you and Altadena Heritage enough Of course we must thank the first for your continued support of responders, healthcare workers, Webster’s business and legacy, grocery clerks, and all who keep and your willingness to step up to going out to work, risking their let your voice be heard. We really health, while the rest of us stay appreciate the letter from the home to flatten the curve. AH Board and believe it made a I am thankful, too, for the difference to Calitex.” wonderful people who make up The world doesn’t stop Altadena Heritage’s Board of because of Covid, and now we also Directors. We joined together find ourselves engaged in trying via various online platforms and to preserve the Altadena Sheriff figured out what needed to be Station with other civic groups and postponed, cancelled, and what we citizens caught off guard when its could go ahead with digitally in an engaging way. Our Third closure was announced early this month. If losing our station Thursday event for March led by Val Zavala, Reducing Single disturbs you, please send in letters to our Supervisor and the Use Plastics, was postponed and became our first on-line event, Los Angeles County Sheriff voicing your concerns — if ever on the third Thursday in April instead. About 150 signed up, there was an all-hands-on-deck moment for Altadena, this is it! and 80 people actually participated. On a lighter note, I hope you enjoy this special big issue Our Golden Poppy Awards and Garden Party will go ahead of our Newsletter focused on Altadena’s amazing musical May 17 at 4pm as planned, but this year the party will have to heritage. Altadena Heritage believes in supporting local talent. be in your own garden, with your computer and refreshments. For almost 35 years we have always showcased one or more Michele Zack and film maker Pablo Miralles (a new member) musicians at our events — from Annual Meetings and Golden have created mini tours of our four winning gardens so we will Poppy Celebrations to the Boho Highbrow Weekend and Alta- get to meet their creators, and even ask questions. We have Ditty. Be sure to check out altadenaheritage.org for links to enjoyed figuring out how to hold our spring celebration with a the musicians mentioned in our newsletter — take a Magical virtual twist. Please join us. Musical Tour of Altadena! The Board continues to advocate for our community. We And boy, I can’t wait to see you around town once again, wrote to our supervisor pointing out that new LED lighting maybe at a live show at Backstage at the Coffee Gallery or the recently installed on New York Drive is overly bright and Folly Bowl! 2020 Altadena Heritage Board Sharon Sand, Chair Kathleen McDonnell Visit altadenaheritage.org/music Kenny Meyer, Treasurer Val Zavala Anne Chomyn, Secretary Michele Zack for links to listen to artists Alma Apodaca Newsletter edited by mentioned in this newsletter! Gina Chamberlain Catherine Cadogan Mark Goldschmidt 2 Altadena Heritage • Spring/Summer 2020 In Memoriam Ian Whitcomb: He turned us on By Michele Zack Longtime resident Ian Whitcomb was Altadena’s own: a one-of-a-kind, fun-loving and multi-talented musician, entertainer, and writer who arrived with the British Pop Invasion of the 1960s. His career morphed over the years from heart throb –– Ian’s You Turn Me On reached the Top 10 in 1965, and he toured with the Beach Boys, Kinks, and Rolling Stones — into one of author, radio host, musicologist, record producer, and performer of old time, mostly Ragtime, music. He was on stage less often after he suffered a stroke in 2012, but continued to perform occasionally until his death April 19, 2020. Ian’s band, The Bungalow Boys, recorded music for The Titanic and other films, and he would often join Janet Kline and her Parlor Boys as guest performer when they played the local Backstage at the Coffee Gallery in Altadena — around the and was a prolific author of books including After the Ball, (a corner from his home. Ian, in fact, was good friends with Bob history of pop music), Lotus Land: a story of Southern California Stane, Backstage manager, since Bob’s long run as impresario at (a novel), Tin Pan Alley: a Pictorial History, Rock Odyssey: A The Pasadena Ice House in its 1960s-80s glory days. Chronicle of the Sixties. He also produced and starred in several “Altadena was the first and only place Ian looked when he television documentaries here and in Great Britain, and wrote wanted to buy a house,” says wife Regina Whitcomb. “He loved widely on music and culture. to call it home.” She remembers when he performed one 1920s Ian’s scholarly career is less well-known; he conducted ditty, he would often substitute his community for Pasadena in research at the Huntington Library for years and was a sought- the lyrics: “Beneath the palms, in someone’s arms, in Al—ta— after academic speaker.