Clinton Township Newsletter

8 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 6 www.ClintonTwpNewsletter.com The UPS Store 1802 Rte 31 North, Clinton, NJ 08809 908.638.3500 email: store4525@theupsstore.com p A m b y s o f f e R s u n i q u e , h o m e m A d e , g o u R m e T i C e C R e A m – i T ' s p u R e l y d e l i C i o u s ! Maeve Pambianchi's epicurean culinary skills and creativity make the ice cream at Pambys a taste experience like no other! By making the ice cream on-site and using pure, natural extracts, flavorings and herbs combined with fresh fruit, pecans, walnuts, honey, chocolate chips and other tasty ingredients, the results are a distinct but subtle combination. Just try Pambys Bittersweet Chocolate Pecan, Beryliciouss, Bordeaux Cherry, Lemon Ginger or Lavender Honey. Maeve makes new creations almost weekly and soon these will be posted on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook as well as the Pambys website. Pambys also offers these creations in quart containers. Maeve's ice cream cakes, made with the same skills and creativity, are equally unique and tasty and come in all sizes. The décor is totally new and the hats and aprons of the very friendly competent young staff will make your visit an added pleasure. Try Pamby's purely delicious homade ice cream today, conveniently located at 1211 Rt 31 in Lebanon. Call us at: 908.730.0185 or visit us online at: www.pambys.com. h o w T o d e v e l o p A T A s T e f o R C l A s s i C A l m u s i C by Valentina Jotovic, CEO, of Hunterdon Academy of the Arts Let's face it: unless you are a professional musician, or you grew up listening to classical music with your family, you probably don't care much for it, and attending a concert can be a challenge. Then again, you're probably aware of all the positive benefits this kind of music can provide to your brain, so you may feel you should listen to it more often. Since there is a lot of information online on the benefits of music, there is no need to talk about it here. Rather, I will try to help you get through a music performance, and actually enjoy it! So, here's the big ugly truth: listening to classical/serious music can sometimes feel like eating broccoli. It's good for you, but many of us would rather have pizza, chocolate, french fries, steak...The question then becomes: how can you actually start craving what's good for you? Here's how: • You have to develop a taste for it--which takes time, so start with a few bites. • You have to pick something that tastes--or in this case--sounds good to YOU! • You should learn a bit more about it. • It should be prepared by a talented music professional. What does it mean to "develope a taste for it"? I'm pretty sure that when you tried one of the following foods for the first time, it didn't taste great, especially if you were a kid. Coffee, alcohol, broccoli, oysters, maybe even a medium rare burger you now love so much--all tasted weird at first, correct? It took time to develop a taste for all these foods. This equally applies to "serious" music. Even though I am a professional musician myself who LOVES classical music, I will admit there was a time when I would fall asleep during a long concert and could not wait for it to end--which brings me to my second point: You have to pick something that sounds good to YOU and then learn more about it! My favorite composer is Beethoven. I also love Chopin, Scriabin and Rachmaninoff, but Mahler's music (for example) makes me kind of anxious (so does beer, by the way). I can appreciate it, but it's just not my taste. You can develop your own taste by listening to a classical music station on "Pandora" 5-10 minutes a day and giving the "thumbs up" to pieces that you like. My advice: go for what makes you feel something, not necessarily for the popular pieces you often hear on people's ringtones. Listen with your gut, not with your brain. Lastly, even the tastiest, fresh, locally grown, juicy organic vegetables can be ruined by an amateur cook. You've seen it happen; you know what I'm talking about. Similarly, a beautiful piece of music can be butchered when played by unskilled musicians. If you want a really meaningful experience, go to a great professional performance by New Jersey Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, or any of the visiting European professional orchestras. They are worth every penny and I promise you will NOT fall asleep. If you follow my recipe above and start training your ears ahead of time, you will be hooked for life. Does this mean you should only attend high-end concerts and not go to local events? Well, do you only eat at 5-star restaurants? Probably not. So, do attend your child's recital, attend a library performance and do support a local amateur orchestra! It will be a fulfilling experience in a very different way and a good education for you. Either way, start listening my friend. You'll be glad you did. Happy September! Valentina Jotovic is the Chief Executive Officer of Hunterdon Academy of the Arts. A professional flutist by training, Ms. Jotovic holds a Master of Music degree from Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University, and a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Belgrade in the former Republic of Yugoslavia (now Serbia). In addition, she pursued professional flute studies at the Franz Liszt Conservatory in Budapest, Hungary. Studying the performing arts in Europe as well as in the U.S. -- in vastly different cultural contexts -- has greatly broadened Ms. Jotovic's perspective on arts education. It continues to guide her work as C.E.O. of Hunterdon Academy of the Arts which has campus locations in Flemington and Lebanon. Valentina resides in Clinton Township with her husband Dr. Antonius Bittmann. Find out more at: www.HunterdonAcademyOfTheArts.com.

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