Local Musician Brings Together People of All Ages

By Jonathan Romero

ORLANDO, Fla. — Stomp, Clap, Stomp, Clap... The enthusiasm around the room was palpable as the entire audience rallied together in unison.  Stomp, Clap, Stomp, Clap...  The tension intensified and the walls rattled as they became resoundingly emphatic.  STOMP, CLAP, STOMP, CLAP... The inevitable war cry anticipated by the audience, from whom they focused their attention and energy toward, was all that was seemingly needed before the entire foundation of the building would begin to crumble.  STOMP, CLAP, STOMP, CLAP... Here it was, the moment at last: STOMP, CLAP... CHOO-CHOO?

There were smiles abound as the audience, as wide an age group as one could find, listened excitedly to Richard Peoples sing about the 'Railroad Blues'.   To his avid fans, parents and children alike, he was simply known as 'Mr. Richard', but here in a small children's book section in Barnes and Noble, he was a rock star.  A crowd of 70-80, some wearing 'Mr. Richard' t-shirts, were packed into the small nook which normally only accommodated maybe a fourth of its current capacity.

He was living his dream and enjoying the moment.  "I tell kids, 'Musicians and football players don't work, we play.'  I always tell them it's a good career choice because you never have to go to work," said Peoples, who has been playing music since the age of 14.  “I don't like anything that seems like work." In between songs, he sympathized with an audience member trying to calm her distraught infant by quoting English playwright and poet, William Congreve, advising her, "Music soothes the savage beast."

From his early beginnings in Shreveport, Louisiana to his service as a 'Story-Teller' for the Orange County Library System in Orlando 11 years ago, Peoples realized that he didn't really fit into the corporate world.   Consequently, he has spent the last six years working on his solo sing-a-long music career that sees him perform in front of children of all ages, almost 400 times a year, all around the city.  

As a result, he's garnered support from a wide variety of unlikely followers.  "It was a lot of fun! I think the adults got into it a little bit more than the kids did," said Tonya Brewer, an Orlando native and first-time audience member.  It's the versatility of his music that’s a testament to his writing and composing abilities.  "[In] any of my tunes, I could change the lyrics to a grown-up theme or topic and it could still work," said Peoples.

Peoples, who doesn't have any kids of his own, wanted to tap into a market that is almost entirely dominated by Disney and acclaimed groups such as "The Wiggles", and become part of this under-the-radar network of people who want to entertain children.  He has successfully achieved this, particularly on the local level, with the release of his three CDs: "Might As Well Sing", "Tummy Talk", and "Polka Dot Puzzle". 

"My family has all of his CDs and even my mom has all three," said Becca Braddock, a long-time follower of Peoples, who regularly travels around Orlando following him to his events with her two-year-old and seven-month-old in tow.  Even her youngest has an appreciation for his music.  "She loves it and jumps and kicks her feet,” said Braddock.  "That's all I ever hear in my house, is 'Mr. Richard'."

He's featured in the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina.  His albums have also received some acclaim, earning recognition in Parenting Magazine and winning a Children's Music Web Award for Best Recording for Children ages 5-8.

Peoples also appears regularly with his trio group, The Pound Hounds, and has another adult band, Tribulation People, with friends.  However, his real passion remains with the children he entertains and educates every day.  He introduces kids to instruments they might not have previously known of, such as the mandolin or the ukulele, to compliment his mainstay of guitar, bass and harmonica.

As for the reception he received for his show, Peoples is just grateful for the turnout and thankful to his loyal fan base.  "A lot of times, Saturdays can be sketchy because older siblings have ball games and school functions.  Normally, dads don't want to do anything on Saturday ‘cause of ball games. So, I think it went really well, especially considering the circumstances." For more information on Richard Peoples and his upcoming events, visit his website at www.mrrichard.net and become a part of his burgeoning accumulation of followers.

UCF Women's Soccer Team Maintains No. 23 Rank With Wins Over Conference Rivals East Carolina and Marshall

Second half comeback shows Knight's determination and fighting spirit

By Jonathan Romero

Valencia Voice

ORLANDO, Fla  -- In their second Conference USA match of the year, following a monumental battle in monsoon-like conditions in Friday night's 5-3 win against East Carolina, the UCF women's soccer team improved their record to 7-2-1 Sunday, with a well-fought comeback victory over Marshall to win the game 2-1.  Having conceded early, it took the Knights just three minutes in the second half to take the lead for the eventual win. 

Their Conference USA record now stands at 2-0-0 after the eventful weekend, but their opponents’ drive and vitality isn't something that is escaping the notice of Head Coach Amanda Cromwell.  "This is the kind of game we can expect in the Conference USA.  We have a target on our back and our kids can't just show up," said Cromwell after the game.  "I give a lot of credit to Marshall in the first half.  They came out and defended well, had a game plan, and really pressured our kids.  They deserved to be up in the first half."

After a dismal first half where the Knights looked flat and lethargic, the girls came out of the locker room after half time with a new mentality.  "At halftime we said to them, 'All you are right now is talented, but you're not good.  You can have all the talent in the world, but if you don't work, it doesn't matter.'  That was something we tried to slam into their heads," said Cromwell.

That message seemed to resonate with the team and motivated them to fight for each other and put in the work they lacked in the first half.  "After the halftime speech, we really wanted to work hard.  We wanted to grind it out and win.  That's something our team says a lot," said Marissa Diggs, whose game-winning goal in the 66^th minute put the team in front.

Marshall (3-4-2) opened up the scoring in the 14^th minute on a Megan Tabler goal from 20 yards out.  After a combination of passes between midfielders, Erika Duncan and Meghan Wetzel, Tabler collected a through-ball pass in the box and finished it into the left side of the net.  The Knights, who held an advantage in shots (20-7), only managed to put three on target before half-time, as Marshall keeper, Lexa Hughes, made the easy saves each time.

Coming into the second half, the Black and Gold looked sharper and started connecting with each other.  With 30 minutes left on the clock, they earned a free kick near the center circle of the field.  Defender Christina Petrucco delivered the ball into the box and found fellow Senior, Amanda Martorana, who timed her header perfectly and helped UCF pull even at 1-1 with her second goal of the season in the 62^nd minute.

Less than four minutes later, the Knights would get their game-winning goal after earning themselves another set-piece with a corner from Katie Jackson, one of UCF's top scorers this season.  Jackson delivered the ball into the 18, and amid the confusion of the Marshall defenders, it took an awkward deflection and somehow inexplicably found the foot of Diggs who tapped in the easy goal from a few yards out.  It was the defender's first-collegiate goal and one that put the Knights in the lead and in the driver's seat for the win.  From then on, UCF played a game of containment and maintained the lead for the remaining 20 minutes until the final whistle.

Looking ahead, UCF faces Conference USA teams from now until the end of the season.  Their next game on October 1^st is against reigning Conference Tournament Champions, Memphis.  As Regular Season Champions, UCF sees the game against Memphis as the game of the season.  "Memphis is the team to beat.  To win the Conference, we need to beat them," said Martorana.  Coach Cromwell reiterated that and emphasized the importance of winning against their biggest Conference rivals.  "We're both ranked and vying for the top spot in the league, so Friday we gotta go out and win; it's a statement game."

UCF Women’s Soccer Team Downs Ivy League Champions Harvard

By Jonathan Romero

Valencia Voice

ORLANDO, Fla  - The UCF women's soccer team continued their winning streak Friday with their fourth-straight  victory to improve their record to 4-1-0 with a 3-0 win over 2009 Ivy League champions, Harvard.

   

The match, at the UCF Soccer Complex, was the first meeting between UCF and Harvard since the Knights' inaugural season in 1981.  The Knights now lead the series 2-0 and proved to be too formidable an opponent for the Crimson, as they controlled the game right from the kickoff.

Katie Jackson notched her second goal of the season and opened up the scoring in the eighth minute with the first shot of the night, which put UCF ahead 1-0.  Forward Kim Newsome dribbled the ball down the left flank and crossed it into the box where she found an open Jackson waiting in front of the net for the easy put-away.

The Knights continued to control the tempo of the game and after 20 minutes  would find the back of the net again after an 80-yard sprint from Sophomore defender, Bianca Joswiak.  As Amanda Martorana pulled the attention of the Harvard defenders with her run down the right flank of the field, German-born Joswiak started her sprint from the opposite end and found a perfectly delivered cross at the far post to head in her second-career goal.

"I don't know how that happened," said Joswiak with a smile, "I just ran probably 80 yards so I knew I needed to get the ball. It was worth it. Tonight we had a lot more patience than usual so that was really good."

UCF started the second half with a 2-0 advantage, but would not relinquish their pressure and soon added a third within minutes.  Playing a give-and-go with forward Katie Bolinsky, Joswiak added to her tally in the 47th after Harvard goalie, Alexandra Millet, blocked her first shot attempt from 13 yards out, only to have it deflect back off the defender and trickle slowly in towards the net.  She gently tapped it in to finish with her second goal of the night and third for the season.

With a 3-0 lead, the Black and Gold were able to coast for the rest of the half and rest pivotal players for their upcoming match against No. 8 Florida State on Sunday in Tallahassee.   They finished with a 16-7 advantage in shots over Harvard and their third shutout of the season.

"Once we got into a rhythm, started moving forward, and finding it wide, we were pretty dangerous," said head coach, Amanda Cromwell.   "We are making better decisions in the attacking third and that's what we worked on all week.  I think we're happy with the patience we showed, the times we moved forward, and the times we took risks."

Next up for the women is a three-match away journey starting with Florida State at 1 p.m. on Sunday, followed by the University of Arizona on Sept. 17, and No. 24 Arizona State on Sept.  19.  They then open the Conference USA schedule at home against East Carolina on Sept. 24 and Marshall on Sept. 26 which can be seen on the Bright House Sports Network.

China documentary impresses judges

By Jonathan Romero

jromero@valenciavoice.com

“People always pick up on our differences and use it as an excuse to kill each other… I seek to document that which unifies us: the human experience.”

This is a personal notion that resonated with former student, Jeremy Veverka, while he was study- ing journalism at Valencia Community College, three years ago.

Veverka would later go on to receive a Bachelor’s Degree from Cornell University and co-direct/produce an Award Winning Documentary, “China: The Rebirth of an Empire,” with his brother, Jesse.

It was during his time in that year, that he found his passion for journalism and the importance of sharing his worldly experiences with others.

“We need to understand that the world is interconnected and everything that happens, affects and impacts us. You can choose to ignore it, but it’s still going to affect you,” warns a wiser and more mature Veverka.

In 2008, he and his brother, Jesse Veverka, jumped at the opportunity to cover a story about China, a country with unprecedented economic growth which had surpassed Japan as the world’s second largest economy and is now on the verge of possibly surpassing the United States within the next 15-20 years.

The question in their minds, was: With the upcoming Beijing Olympics that year, would China make a peaceful rise to power or is it already on its way to becoming a modern empire?

Sponsored by the East Asia Program, an international studies program of Cornell University and a $50,000 budget, the brothers and a film crew set off to Asia for three months.

They shot in nine different countries, weaving such diverse issues as Islamic fundamentalism, free trade and the Pro Tibet movement.

The Veverka brothers had their world premiere for the film at the Central Florida Film Festival in Ocoee on Sept. 4, and won Best Documentary at CENFLO 2010. Audience members admitted that the film alleviated previous assumptions about the region and cleared up misconceptions about the country itself.

“It opened my eyes so much,” said Bob Cook, an Ocoee native who grew up in the 1950s.

“It looked like the Chinese care more about their people and economy as opposed to building up for war, which is what we’ve been taught that the communist nations do.”

Donna Warner, another audience member, shared Cook’s sentiments and admitted that it left her wanting more information. “I really discovered how clueless I was about what’s going on in that country,” she said.

As for the Veverka brothers, this is just the beginning of a festival circuit that includes showings in Utah, Illinois, Ohio and ending up back in New York, this October. More information can be found on their website http://www.chinarebirth.com/.

Veverka hopes his movie will inspire to turn off their TVs and go immerse themselves in another culture and make friends with people whom are different. The notion of peace and understanding may be more easily attained, with this broader perspective of the world and humanity.

“I hope when people see the film, people will understand that the future will be a different place, but we need to figure out how we’re all going to live together and coexist peacefully.”