DIANE HOFFMAN
(516) 431-0939
e-mail : dianehoffman@optonline.net
www.dianehoffman.org

Diane exhibited her paintings at one woman shows in NYC, Canada and Mexico from the mid 1960’s through the late 1980’s. She was a founding member of cooperative galleries in Brooklyn Heights and Soho and ran private painting and drawing workshops for teens and adults. She presented at live and televised forums on the creative process and is represented in several books on women in
the arts.

In the late 1980’s, Diane turned her creative energies to performing. She joined the St. Ignatius Choral Society in Long Beach. Diane “cut her teeth” with Little Buster and the Soul Brothers and had an official debut as a jazz singer at the legendary Sonny’s Place in 1992. Diane has been holding forth at New York area clubs, L.I.wineries and cruise ships. She is a charter member of the Long Beach Jazz Festival, Hempstead Town Hall Salute to Divas, Langston Hughes Library Women’s Day Events. Diane’s CD,“Someone in Love,” has been received enthusiastically by fans, musicians and critics, and gets airtime here and abroad. Brazilian journalist, author and music critic, Joao da Penha, wrote:

“Someone in Love” is really an amazing album to hear! You were blessed, in addition to a beautiful voice, with a prodigious capacity to capture the inner beauty of the lyrics. In short: you are one of the most remarkable voices in jazz today. You are joined on your CD by a talented contingent of musicians."

Diane studied at California College of Art (BFA), School of Visual Arts, Arts Students League, Brooklyn Museum of Art - Dennis Wilson, Carnegie Hall Jazz Band and Count Basie Orchestra, Richard Iacona, Holli Ross (Manhattan School of Music), B. Fischer (NYC Opera)

SUSAN JAMES
e-mail : James22go@aol.com

Susan's love of the arts led her to spearhead a dialogue about energizing the arts scene in Long Beach. She believes that everyone has a stake in the cultural arts flourishing because the arts touch the heart and soul of a community and its people (and helps the economy as well). She invites all artists, patrons of the arts, and businesses to join the conversation and input their ideas and talents into the development of Artists in Partnership, a not-for-profit organization. Susan's background is in theatre, film, and music. She understudied on Broadway in a revival of Arthur Miller's "The Price". She received the Best Supporting Actress Award from the American Armed Forces in Europe for her performance with the American Theatre in Germany as Stella in "A Streetcar Named Desire". She has directed and produced traveling USO musical revues and a summer cabaret series here in Long Beach with Broadway and concert hall performers. Her graduate film studies at the University of Southern California resulted in a Life magazine full page spread. She has taught acting in the Horizons after-school program in Long Beach HS and performed musical shows at local venues.

STEVEN KAPLAN
e-mail : SLK_MUSIC@msn.com
(516) 670-9143

Pianist, Organist, Vocalist, Teacher. Solo, Ensemble, Accompaniment. Offering all types of music for all occasions.

Piano lessons or vocal coaching at all ages and levels. M.M., B.M., Manhattan School of Music. International concert and cabaret Performing Experience. Mr. Kaplan, who has performed as pianist and vocalist in venues throughout the New York metropolitan area as well as in France, England and Germany, can provide easy listening background music, music to accompany dancing or main act/vocals entertainment for your party or refined affair. Mr. Kaplan's speciality is music from the 20's-60's, centering upon jazz standards and selections from American Musical Theater. Other instrumentation can be provided upon request, and Mr. Kaplan has a keyboard plus P.A. system.

Mr. Kaplan is also available for long term engagements.

GEORGE MALLIS
e-mail : gmallis@optonline.net
(516) 371-6910

PHOTOGRAPHY & DIGITAL IMAGING
Fine Art • Nature • Scenic • Photo Restorations
220 Central Avenue, Lawrence, New York 11559 USA

Visit George's work on his web site: www.georgemallis.com.

A life long resident of Long Island’s Nassau County, George Mallis draws much of his inspiration from that area’s landscapes, coastal beauty, structures and flora and fauna. Photographs from these sources are reconstructed and interpreted through the digital medium, producing a heightened sense of reality. His work is a Pantheistic celebration of nature and the glories of creation designed to bring a feeling of spiritual depth to the viewer. George graduated from New York University with a B.A. in History and holds an M.S. in Secondary Education from Hofstra University, as well as a Certificate in Museum Studies from the latter institution. He is a self taught photographer and digital artist.

George is a member of many of Long Island’s arts councils and art leagues as well as organizations dedicated to promoting the photographic and digital arts such as Photographers East of Southampton, the East End Photographers Group of Riverhead, and New York City’s Center for Digital Art. He has exhibited in many arts council, art society and museum shows, as well as galleries including the Nassau County Museum of Art, the Heckscher Museum, Ashawagh Hall, Image Gallery of Riverhead and Nexus Gallery of New York City.

He has received numerous awards including an achievement award from the International Photographic Council of the United Nations and has been published in Photographic Magazine. George is the official photographer for the Walt Whitman Birthplace, a New York State Historic Site and has taught Adobe Photoshop in continuing education programs. His works are included in many private collections, including that of Former President Gerald R. Ford and the office of Bernadette Castro, New York State Commissioner of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

Joanne J-Bird Phillips
J-Bird Entertainment, Inc.
248 West Park Ave., Ste. #180
Long Beach, NY 11561
email: joanne@j-birdlivemusic.com
web: www.j-birdlivemusic.com
(516) 431-2988

Joanne's upbringing with music began as a tiny tyke who would dance to music as soon as she could hold on to the side of a crib. Growing up in a family of drummers, she was exposed to music all of her life, and even began playing drums herself at the age of seven. By the age of sixteen, Joanne was playing drums in a neighborhood band called "We Three & She", for the neighbors' private birthday parties and sweet 16's. (Apparently, there was not a single teenage boy around who could play "Wipeout", so she got the job.) Inspired by her mother to follow a musical career path, Joanne took her mother's advice and today is truly happy in her profession. "Music is like the air that I breathe. I could not exist without it" says Joanne.

Since 1993, Joanne "J-Bird" Phillips has been the bass player/manager/agent and promoter for Turnpike Joe & The Traffic Jam, New York's Premier Classic Rock/Party Band. Joanne was Music Coordinator/Promoter of Du Jour for several years, a food and music festival to benefit the Long Beach City School District's Mini Grant and HIV/AIDS Awareness Program, sponsored by chef/owner Lenny Remo, (The Kitchen Off Pine Street and TKOPS 180), Long Beach, NY. The festival featured music from rock and country to blues and jazz, offered up by some of the best of Long Island's talent. In an effort to inspire local youth, Joanne was also proud to bring in the Long Beach High School Jazz Band to perform at this community event, along with several local teenage bands, so they could get the feel for playing in an organized and professional situation. The "J-Bird" is also an occasional contributor to the e-zine The Female Musician, as well as a member/sponsor of Artists in Partnership, a cultural arts organization based out of Long Beach, NY. The name "J-Bird" is now her legal name, an honor bestowed on her several years ago by fellow professional musicians. Not only does she know all the ins and outs of music and her business, she also knows electronics, sound and equipment and was the only woman electronic technician at Harman/Kardon. "J-Bird" has endorsed Planet Sox merchandise for two years and was the Promoter/Stage Manager for the 2003 and 2004 City of Long Beach Jazz Festivals. Joanne is a member of AFM Local 802 New York, and will be producing the first album/cd for Turnpike Joe & The Traffic Jam, "Under The Covers", in 2005

Larry Ruderman IN MEMORIAM
e-mail : larsapfli@aol.com
516-285-3747

Larry is a past Vice President of The Long Island Camera Club. He is currently a member of the South Shore Camera Club, and an 'Associate' of the Photographic Federation of Long Island. He is basically a self-taught photographer. He has a BA in Dramatic Arts from SUNY Potsdam, spent two years in the Graduate Program at U Conn, and later studied Computer Programming at NYU and SUNY Farmingdale. He has been playing the trombone since the 4th grade. He still plays in the Valley Stream Community Band and Orchestra summers at the John Smith Band Shell by the V.S. Library. At Temple Emanuel in East Meadow, he played Perchik in "Fiddler on the Roof", the Minstrel in "Once Upon a Mattress", Benny Southstreet in "Guys and Dolls", and Kate's Father in "Kiss Me Kate".

His main, but not exclusive, photographic interests are landscape photography and digital imaging. He won Best-in-Show at the L.I. Arts Council at Freeport 22nd Annual Juried Photography Show, a couple of medals in PSA/PFLI competitions as well as various other awards. He had his own Gallery Show at the Image Gallery in Riverhead. In addition, he has judged a number of photo competitions.

The Renaissance School for Children
570 W. Walnut St., Long Beach
e-mail : therenchild@msn.com
516-889-4100
516-889-3561 fax

The Renaissance School for Children provides a strong academic curriculum in a small classroom setting. Academic learning begins in our pre-k classes and continues with intensity and detail each year throughout the middle school grades. The goal of the pre-k/kindergarten program is for the children to develop competency in arithmetic, pre-reading and reading skills, second language skills and music. Our goal for the upper school is for children to have a complete, well rounded education that is challenging and diverse. Our interdisciplinary approach of the academics, second language, music curriculum, art, class, yoga, and philately provide this environment. The design of the program, which includes continuous review and practice of the academic materials, enables us to eliminate the need for homework. Curriculum related field trips and visits by educational specialists enhance and enrich this very, strong program.