A new study, led by the Catalan Institute for Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution (IPHES-CERCA) and published in the academic journal Geobios, has found that two caves in Mont-ral, in the southern Catalan Prades Mountains, served as feeding sites and shelter for the bird species pine grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator) more than 30,000 years ago. The species was native to the Arctic forests of northern Europe, and the findings provide evidence of the cold climate that affected southern Europe during the Pleistocene epoch, or the Ice Age. The study was conducted by researcher Mario Marqueta with Drs. Rosa Huguet and Josep Maria Vergès of IPHES-CERCA, and Dr. Carmen Núñez-Lahuerta, from the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). “What we have found in the Prades Mountains is an expectational natural archive that allows us to reconstruct, with great precision, what ecosystems were like during one of the coldest periods of the Ice Age,” said Mario Marqueta, the lead author of the study, in a statement. He added that the presence of northern birds in Catalonia shows “how profoundly global climate cooling events transformed the habitats of southern Europe.” The research focused on two caves, Cova del Cudó and Cova dels Galls Carboners, in the southern Catalan town of Mont-ral, where researchers analyzed more than 450 bird fossils. Through detailed taphonomic analysis, the group was able to gain a better understanding of how the remains got there and who their predators were. In the Cova del Cudó, most of the fossils were of smaller birds. And in 41% of the cases, the bones showed signs of digestion. According to the study, this suggests that predatory birds such as owls or falcons used the cave as a feeding and resting place. The Cova dels Galls Carboners, on the other hand, showed a predominance of immature pidgeo remains, suggesting that it may have been a breeding site. Many of the bones had tooth marks, indicating that predators could have been foxes or the Iberian lynx. The pattern of systematic predation on bird chicks by small carnivores is unusual for European Pleistocene sites, and it “opens new avenues of research into the hunting and feeding strategies” of the small animals in caves. It also shows that caves had multiple uses and that nesting birds, birds of prey, and carnivores coexisted and competed for resources. Toward the end of the Ice Age, a series of massive ice discharges known as the Heinrich Events took place, causing a sudden cooling of the entire Northern Hemisphere. The third Heinrich Event, around 30,000 years ago, was particularly intense and transformed southern European ecosystems to landscapes typical of the northern tundra. At present, the bird lives in the Artic areas of northern Europe, which indicates that the climate of the Catalan area used to be much colder and drier, with open forests and weather conditions much more typical of the north. The study is part of a broader research project on the ecological dynamics of the Iberian Peninsula during the Ice Age. “Through taphonomic studies such as this one, we get a better understanding not only of the past climate, but also of the animals’ behavior and their ecological relations,” said Rosa Huguet in a statement. Get the day's biggest stories right to your phone March 6, 2025 /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – Participants will compete for 10 slots in the TORX eXperience 2026 granting them a place at the start line of “TORX Geants,” the iconic Italian event After three editions of Spain’s longest trail running event at the 200-mile distance participants will once again face a grueling challenge and forest crossings in the heart of the Mediterranean wilderness Distances of 200, 100, 50, and 25 miles will offer diverse landscapes and surroundings, crossing Muntanyes de Prades, Costa Daurada Participants will also face an orienteering challenge using GPS devices to navigate the route and reach aid stations and India will make this the most international trail event in the Tarragona region and Costa Daurada reinforcing the internationalization goals of Trail.cat and the organizing committee with temperatures dropping close to 0°C and reaching between 8-12°C during the day Organizers will closely monitor the rain forecast to ensure participant safety The race kicks off on the night of Wednesday when the brave participants will set off to secure one of the 10 TORX eXperience slots and complete the longest event in the region Friday and Saturday will feature the 100-mile Follow the event live trail : www.trailcat200.com View all Releases by Submit Press Release Address: 4010 Sorrento Valley Blvd #400, San Diego, CA 92121   Phone: (858) 876-4705 (c) 2025 Address: 4010 Sorrento Valley Blvd #400, San Diego, CA 92121   Phone: (858) 876-4705 Editor's note: This story has been updated to acknowledge at least one other Ohio inmate was freed on DNA evidence and then re-imprisoned When former Akron Police Capt. Douglas Prade was convicted of killing his ex-wife in 1997 1997 through 2019: A timeline in the case against former Akron Police Capt. Douglas Prade I knew that he didn’t do what they said he did,” Sahara Prade told The Enquirer in a recent interview but they’ve all run out of avenues to help him “The prosecutor has painted this picture of me,” Prade told The Enquirer in a series of telephone interviews from the Toledo Correctional Institution beginning in early 2022 “They have demonized and villainized me over the years People have become comfortable with the notion that I’m guilty of Margo’s murder,” he said “So the problem that I have is that first I have to personally disabuse people of the notion of my guilt before I can get them to actually investigate her murder.” spokesman for Summit County Prosecutor Elliot Kolkovich said Prade's conviction hinged on more than a single piece of evidence Circumstantial evidence outside of the DNA-linked bite injury also pointed to Prade being the killer "Nothing has changed in the past 10 years," Pollack said there’s no need to take another look at his conviction He’d been condemned by a jury of his peers who’d heard testimony from Prade’s own colleagues with the Akron Police Department and his stint out of prison nothing more than a glitch one that will go down in the annals of Ohio criminal justice It's also an emotional one that many in Akron are reticent to revisit a former Akron Police detective who's turned private investigator since his 2001 retirement "People don't like to talk about it because it's been so long and people love Margo so much," Washington said "I know people who won't even go past the original scene because they get physically sick." Margo Prade called her staff at the medical office she ran on Wooster Avenue in Akron to let them know she was just minutes away a medical assistant who’d been hired seven months earlier Patient appointments had been set to begin at 9 a.m She went outside to smoke a cigarette and grab a soda from her car That’s when she noticed the doctor’s green Dodge Caravan in the parking lot near the fence line Collins approached and saw Prade slumped to the right Collins dropped her cigarette and ran for help after which the minivan was surrounded by nurses and bystanders trying to help to no avail Surveillance cameras captured the shooting a lawyer with the Ohio Innocence Project who's been researching the case since 2014 That's because the images captured appear simply as "extremely pixelated blobs." while another represents her killer's vehicle The latter had arrived first and "had been sitting there climbed into the front passenger seat of the blob representing Margo's van and exited again within minutes All the footage confirms is that the attack on Prade occurred soon after 9 a.m It was immediately clear Prade had been fatally shot but it would take an autopsy to determine the shooter had unloaded six bullets into her 41-year-old body it was evident she’d fought with her attacker who’d torn a bracelet off her wrist and bitten her through her doctor’s coat and blouse leaving a curved bruise on her upper left arm During Douglas Prade’s trial, dental consultant Thomas Marshall testified for the prosecution that he compared the bite mark to impressions of Prade’s teeth and found them to be a perfect match saying that no one in the world outside of Prade could have made the bite mark Bite marks left on human skin can’t be identified with such a degree of certainty and the bruise on Margo Prade was especially tough to analyze as it had been made through two layers of clothing Lowell Levine – who'd gained national fame when his testimony against Ted Bundy helped land the serial killer in the electric chair – was more conservative about the provenance of the bite mark saying only that Douglas Prade couldn't be excluded as the biter that Prade was his ex-wife’s killer that they lamented at the time they couldn’t conduct DNA testing on a biological sample believed to be saliva collected from Margo Prade’s lab coat Testing back then required a larger sample size Prosecutors assured the jury: If such testing had been available it would prove conclusively that Prade had bitten his wife which in turn would prove he was the gunman DNA testing advanced to handle smaller sample sizes with the help of the Ohio Innocence Project Prade lobbied to have that purported saliva tested The results showed the biological matter came from someone else "There were two partial Y profiles there," Howe said, explaining that meant two different men left DNA evidence on Margo Prade's coat and neither of those men were her ex-husband Prosecutors argued the matter tested might not have been saliva from the bite but rather contamination of the exact spot that corresponded with the bite beneath the coat The otherwise laundered coat had no biological matter on it elsewhere for testing it seems really implausible that you would have no killer DNA on the jacket," Howe said overturning Prade's conviction in a ruling that prosecutors appealed and was overturned the next year by the 9th District Court of Appeals Judge Croce could have ordered a new trial but instead reinstated the original conviction leading to Prade's re-imprisonment after 18 months of freedom Croce had decided there was enough circumstantial evidence outside of the DNA to point to Prade’s guilt Among that evidence: Some of Margo Prade’s family and friends testified that she had told them she feared her ex-husband. He could get violent in arguments, according to her mother, the late Lillie Hendricks Margo Prade had first contemplated divorce in the early 1990s Douglas Prade’s 21-year-old son from an earlier relationship was fatally shot He was first on the scene to discover Prescott Prade lying in a pool of blood on the ground hit by a gunman’s stray bullet after attending a concert “I just got to kind of moping around,” he said describing his off hours as teeming with unnecessary household chores – cleaning the garage He told the Beacon Journal in 1998 that his relationship with the other woman helped him survive the death of his son at the expense of his marriage It's that affair that has so many convinced Prade is guilty despite the DNA evidence "Once people heard in court about his extracurriculars during his marriage instead sleeping in a separate room in the Prades’ shared home He moved out after the divorce was finalized but still didn’t give Margo Prade the space she told friends she needed Sometimes he would enter his old home without permission The most disturbing – and damning – evidence presented during the murder trial was a cache of audio cassette tapes Prade had of his ex-wife talking on the phone in her house with friends that prosecutors said proved he had a deadly fixation on his former wife Prade told The Enquirer the recordings were much more innocent than they seemed. The device served double duty in the house, he said: Sometimes the couple would record daughter Sahara – a talented singer who today performs in Las Vegas – so she could listen back and make improvements they connected it to the family phone like an answering machine and to record medical calls Margo Prade would get in the middle of the night "She'd relisten to the conversations she was having when she was half-asleep with the people in the emergency rooms at one of the three hospitals in Akron," Prade said The tape recorder stopped working almost a year before the doctor's murder but the personal conversations played for jurors didn't help Douglas Prade's cause "They played in court where she's talking about 'Douglas is moody' or 'he doesn't stay home' or 'he does this and that,' and when they played that in court it becomes sort of an indictment of me and our marriage because she was complaining about me," he said "Once they decided they were going to convict me of her murder they could have charged me with being the second person on the grassy knoll in Dallas and I would have been convicted of that An alibi in questionFall of 1997 was supposed to be a new era for Margo Prade She had been dating in the aftermath of her divorce having relationships with fireman Al Strong and state trooper Terry Heard The two quickly fell in love and got engaged Prade even made an appointment with a doctor to discuss reversing her tubal ligation to increase the odds the new couple could have a baby together after they married The two planned to announce to the Prades’ children their engagement when they gathered for Thanksgiving dinner All of the men in the doctor’s life were questioned and a couple of her past lovers gave investigators pause But investigators quickly zeroed in on Prade stood to gain the most from his ex-wife’s death Prade would have full custody of their shared children and potential access to their inheritances until they became adults Prade had been exercising at the gym in his apartment complex testified a fellow gym-goer there who spotted him around the same time Margo Prade was killed because he was wearing a sweatshirt emblazoned with the words “Kenya’s Dad” – a nod to then-12-year-old Kenya’s role on the gymnastics team alerted him during his workout that police had been called to Margo Prade’s practice where he tried to push past officers to get to his ex-wife according to those who testified against him: Some officers described Prade's reaction to his ex-wife's death as too emotional It seemed too convenient he was wearing a shirt that so clearly identified him Another said he didn't seem sweaty enough given his statement that his workout had been interrupted meaning he was often assigned to investigate allegations of wrongdoing against other officers Investigating one’s coworkers is a fraught assignment anywhere gruff manner that he knew rubbed some people the wrong way Margo Prade's reputation was quite the opposite "I heard from several people that she caught diagnoses that other doctors missed just because of her demeanor." Prade has been on a letter-writing campaign journalists and activists to re-examine the evidence He's grateful for his 18 months of freedom especially because it allowed him to spend time with his daughters he pleads with investigators to come talk to him about unsolved murders in Akron "I'm not a crackpot and I haven't 'flipped out,'" he wrote in one he said he believes whoever killed his ex-wife might have killed three other women "Even though the DNA found in this case is not mine the prosecutor has made no attempt to find out whose DNA was found," he wrote in a third despite the ongoing support from Howe and the Ohio Innocence Project "There is no litigation pending in front of any court on this case," said Howe who noted that Prade's next best hope at release is a parole hearing in June 2025 an innocent person in prison right now for a murder he did not commit," Howe said "He was out for a short period of time and went back in and he doesn't have forever to get the truth out." The Viola thumped the defending champions 3-0 at the Stadio Franchi Prade said earlier today:  "A wonderful evening It was a special match both for what happened to (Edoardo) Bove It was an emotional match: I thank the players and the coach so much "These are the matches where heart counts We have always been good at restarting and even in the first half we were dangerous with Moise Kean and Dodo But in general I am also very happy for those who play a little less but who did very well tonight: Richardson "Beltran is someone who leaves nothing Now we will try to recover Adli and Gudmundsson and we will also have all the new players available even if I will have to tell the coach to put the exact same formation back at San Siro (laughs) I also want to thank the public: it was the extra weapon Colossal Stories come to life on the page and introspective figures explore inner worlds in the dreamlike illustrations of Simón Prades (previously) His surreal scenes often feature silhouettes of people peering into the unknown Rendered in deep hues with an emphasis on the effects of light and contrast he draws attention to human nature and universal Prades has worked as a freelance illustrator for more than ten years finding visual language to express ideas in editorial and book publishing His clients have included The New York Times “While I still love solving problems for clients I must say that the urge to work on more personal projects has been growing and might manifest in a book or something like that soon,” he tells Colossal Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member now Join more than 200,000 subscribers and get the best of art and visual culture from Colossal Copyright © 2025 Colossal. See our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Favorite vacation destination? My goodness, I feel like it’s been so long since I’ve been on an actual vacation. My favorite destination would definitely have to be any Caribbean island where there is beautiful weather and the best beaches. I’ve been to a few in the past, and there’s just something about the culture, the salt water, and the warm sunshine that brings me back to the States totally rejuvenated. Favorite food or drink while vacationing? Since my diet is pretty strict while working, I would have to say my favorite food on vacation is carbs: Any pastas, breads, seafood. . . . I’m a huge foodie, so I’m open to trying new things as long as it’s not trying to crawl out of my plate! To drink? Love me some rum or whiskey. Zacapa is the best. Where would you like to travel to but haven’t? I’m definitely on a mission to get to Italy or Fiji. I’ve actually never been overseas to Europe and I love traveling. Go figure. The culture, the sights, the food, the people . . . yeah, it’s definitely on [the list of] my top things to do within this year. One item you can’t leave home without when traveling? I can’t leave home without my vitamins. It may seem really odd, but I feel so crazy if I don’t take my vitamins in the morning. Also, my Mypurmist handheld humidifier. I’m a total nerd. Aisle or window? Always a window seat. I get kind of dizzy if I don’t look out the window from time to time. Favorite childhood travel memory? I would have to say my favorite childhood memory was always getting the surprise from my parents that we’d be going to Disney World in a couple of days. I remember always feeling as if I had won the lottery. My brother and I would have trouble sleeping the night before due to all the excitement. I love and miss traveling with my family. Guilty pleasure when traveling? My work regimen has me on a strict schedule. Workout, eat right, stay away from late nights, head home straight after shows. . . . So, a guilty pleasure on vacation? Doing the exact opposite of all of that — except working out. I’d probably find an alternate way to get some exercise in like jet skiing, rock climbing, sightseeing walks. . . . I don’t think I can stop that even if I wanted to. Best travel tip? I’m a procrastinator, so I’m really bad about doing homework before arriving in a new city. My tip would be don’t do what I do . . . do research before you go somewhere so you set yourself up for success. Be prepared. Home Delivery Gift Subscriptions Log In Manage My Account Customer Service Delivery Issues Feedback News Tips Help & FAQs Staff List Advertise Newsletters View the ePaper Order Back Issues News in Education Search the Archives Privacy Policy Terms of Service Terms of Purchase Work at Boston Globe Media Internship Program Co-op Program Do Not Sell My Personal Information This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Christie Prades who currently stars as Gloria Estefan in the U.S ahead of a June 14–August 31 run at the London Coliseum Prades will be joined by George Ioannides as Emilio Estefan the role of Gloria Estefan will be played by Philippa Stefani and Emily Perra will share the role of Little Gloria and Alejandro Puentes Motato sharing the role of Nayib/Young Emilio/Jeremy is directed by two-time Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell with choreography by Olivier Award winner Sergio Trujillo and a book by Oscar winner Alexander Dinelaris The bio-musical ran on Broadway for two year Great Performances will telecast the recent West End transfer of the Donmar Warehouse production later this month Audi transformed the derelict London lecture hall into one of the West End's most in demand theatres The play comes on the heels of a broader cultural conversation about Dahl's work and the prejudice that was embedded in many of his most beloved stories Brendan Gleeson will make his West End debut starring Catie Davis will direct the production at Leicester's Curve What's announced and what's in previews in the West End Jamie Lloyd will direct the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musical Thank You!You have now been added to the list Blocking belongson the stage,not on websites Our website is made possible bydisplaying online advertisements to our visitors Please consider supporting us bywhitelisting playbill.com with your ad blocker.Thank you Daniel Prades has been researching as the first Alexander von Humboldt Professor at Technische Universität Braunschweig since April 2024 Germany’s most highly endowed research prize were awarded on 13 May in Berlin by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Federal Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger presented the prizes to a total of 12 top international researchers who will now move to German universities Two of the twelve professorships will strengthen the Cluster of Excellence QuantumFrontiers at the Universities of Braunschweig and Hanover Daniel Prades receives the prize from the President of the Humboldt Foundation Robert Schlögl and Federal Research Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger the Cluster of Excellence has been able to recruit a second Alexander von Humboldt Professor The expert in quantum information theory conducts research at Leibniz University Hannover Peter Hecker and President of the LHU Volker Epping are delighted with the two AVH professors Daniel Prades and Robert Raußendorf With his work on gas sensors based on microscopically small light-emitting diodes Daniel Prades is using his expertise to provide new impetus for measuring environmental influences such as pollutants in the air everywhere and with little effort in order to develop early warning systems “We are delighted to have won Daniel Prades as an internationally sought-after expert for our research focus on metrology,” said Vice President Professor Peter Hecker at the award ceremony in Berlin Group photo of the 12 Humboldt Professors honoured with Federal Research Minister Bettina Stark-Watzingen and Humboldt Foundation President Robert Schlögl The ceremony was part of a three-day programme during which the current prize winners were able to exchange ideas with researchers who have already received funding from the Foundation President Angela Ittel and colleagues from the faculty institutes and research services took part in various programme items and were able to confirm Prades’ initial impressions of coming to Germany: “I am very much looking forward to my time at TU Braunschweig and would like to thank all my new colleagues who have welcomed me so warmly and have always supported me in all matters big and small – so that the many small hurdles could be overcome in the best possible way Together with our partners at Leibniz University Hannover our joint cluster QuantumFrontiers can now impress the world with two Alexander von Humboldt Professorships!” , , , "QuantumFrontiers" is dedicated to the fundamentals of quantum and nanometrological phenomena in order to achieve precision at the limits of measurability through quantum technologies Leibniz Universität Hannover and the National Metrology Institute of Germany The Cluster of Excellence is part of the research focus "Metrology" © Copyright 2015 - 2025 TU Braunschweig | Blogs Copyright © 2025 Colossal. See our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy Illustrator and graphic designer Simon Prades (previously here and here) creates illusion and intrigue through old school methods of illustration choosing to loyally stick to pen and ink as his go-to medium Despite choosing to clean up and sometimes color his work digitally Prades’ physical mark making remains apparent such as in the realistic details provided in his subjects’ faces Illustrator and graphic designer Simon Prades (previously) delights in the surreal and dreamlike where silhouettes of faces open portals to other places and strange visual metaphors for difficult subjects are brought vividly to life Prades works primarily with non-digital mediums like pen and ink using Photoshop to cleanup and occasionally animate his work for the web The German illustrator currently freelances for some of the biggest publications around including the New York Times Shown here is a selection of work from the last two years, but you can explore a bit more on Behance sending him to the ground just as he thought he had won On the first stage of the Tour of the Hellas, a UCI 2.1-ranked stage race in Greece that got underway on Wednesday, it was Aaron Gate (Bolton Equities-Black Spoke) who escaped to take the stage win and the first leader's jersey of the race He broke away on a hilly 190.1-kilometre stage from Heraklion to Chania on the island of Crete and won the stage by 1:46 on the peloton a small group was sprinting for second and Prades began to celebrate as he came to the line ahead of Trek-Segafredo's Filippo Baroncini and Luc Wirtgen (Bingoal Pauwels Sauces) But as he raised his arms in his faulty celebration sending him sprawling backwards to the tarmac Prades said in a team press release - which did not mention the mechanical failure - that he was unaware there was a rider out front "Both Trek and we have been attacking for much of the climb and in the end Jon [Barrenetxea] gave me a hand on the descent to catch the breakaway group We caught them but the truth is that we didn't have much information and the way the race was going I thought there was no one left in front that's why in the end I raised my arms," Prades said The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox! Cyclingnews is the world's leader in English-language coverage of professional cycling Started in 1995 by University of Newcastle professor Bill Mitchell the site was one of the first to provide breaking news and results over the internet in English The site was purchased by Knapp Communications in 1999 and owner Gerard Knapp built it into the definitive voice of pro cycling major publishing house Future PLC has owned the site and expanded it to include top features The site continues to be the most comprehensive and authoritative English voice in professional cycling With mood disorders on the rise during the COVID-19 pandemic people who’ve never experienced mental health issues are enduring some of the emotions I feel almost every day of my life Maybe that’s why I can finally tell my story in that liminal time between daytime and nighttime It doesn’t care that I have work to finish or that I should wash the dishes stacked in the sink or that I need to check in on how my two boys’ distance-learning schoolwork is going after seven months of mostly staying at home I have already been examining the uglier recesses of my psyche and it’s nearly impossible to explain to someone who hasn’t experienced the weight of anxiety and depression and joy of a forthcoming event—seeing a loved one a day of skiing or snowboarding in powder—and then you invert that feeling you will have some idea of what the experience is like Rather than butterflies in your stomach and a hit of dopamine or endorphins it feels like a shroud has been dropped over your senses Sometimes there’s a triggering event: a small conflict at home I frequently notice this desaturation of the world when I’m driving to work I drive up Speer Boulevard from my neighborhood south of downtown and it’s as though everything outside the windshield is dulled—the green trees that line Cherry Creek as if a child blended the colors of his paints a little too carelessly a friend checking in to ask if I’m OK—none of it helps My mood disorder is such that I sometimes think of it as a predator waiting to attack Or at least that’s the story I’ve told myself My parents loved me unconditionally and always supported me but I was a little surprised that when I reached out to them recently my mom said I wasn’t a terribly challenging kid; she said I was a good student these traits were likely early signs of the mental health issues I’d come to face later—and maybe was already experiencing as an elementary and middle school student I don’t recall feeling particularly unhappy when I was that age I don’t remember feeling sad without a reason that would make anyone feel sad like the death of a grandparent or a beloved pet I would become uneasy when my elementary school report card arrived I’d hyperventilate before class presentations I would freak out if my shirt was too wrinkly those meltdowns may have been easy to brush off as personality quirks I was the firstborn in my family; maybe that was part of it Or perhaps I was just a little bit neurotic There was nothing to worry about—except there actually was Anxiety can be a precursor to depression; it can also coexist with depression a student I’d known and been friendly with since the sixth grade died by suicide in the throes of standardized college entrance testing and after a bad breakup with a girlfriend I found myself standing in the kitchen late one night staring at the knives that sat on our counter I had gotten out of bed and somehow arrived at that place what scared me the most wasn’t the idea of going through with the act of hurting myself; what scared me was there didn’t seem to be any agency at all that I couldn’t control what I was doing or what would happen next I remembered the boy who’d died and the shock and sorrow I’d felt upon learning about his death and how it’d happened I didn’t tell anyone about my late-night brush with self-harm and their question gave me permission to be honest I had my first experience with psychotherapy For those who haven’t experienced clinical depression before 2020 and its laundry list of awfulness seem almost flawlessly designed to make someone feel depressed and anxious Psychological trauma is considered a leading cause of depression and this year has delivered its share of collective traumas from COVID-19 to widespread social unrest to wildfires burning throughout the western United States to hurricanes hammering American coastlines I’ve been reminded of this repeatedly since mid-March OK,” when I ask how they’re doing or when other friends who haven’t been diagnosed with depression say that A May Washington Post article citing Census Bureau data indicated that one-third of all Americans are experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety the Journal of the American Medical Association published a study that found searches for terms related to acute anxiety between mid-March and mid-May were the highest they’d ever been compared with 16 years of Google search data that “a long-term upsurge in the number and severity of mental health problems is likely” as a result of the pandemic and a September Wired article reported that experts fear the difficulties surrounding COVID-19 “will add up to a ‘second pandemic’ of mental illness.” that the results of a survey released by the Colorado Health Foundation in September found that a majority—53 percent—of respondents in the Centennial State have felt “increased mental health strain,” such as anxiety It also probably shouldn’t come as a shock that many of us have turned to a particular and widely accepted coping mechanism: alcohol Not long after Denver Mayor Michael Hancock announced that liquor stores would close to help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus lines formed outside the shops so people could stock up on one of society’s greatest numbing agents They wanted to replenish their fridges and bars with a substance that is wonderfully effective at alleviating anxiety and pushing away My relationship with booze was already fraught—something I’ve discussed with three different therapists over the years—and the stay-at-home orders only served to exacerbate a long-simmering problem Freed from the responsibility of having to drive my boys to school at 7 a.m I rationalized that there was no issue with having a few extra drinks on a weeknight I’d flip open my laptop by 9:30 and no one would even know if there were ever an acceptable reason to cut myself some slack Turns out I gave myself a little too much latitude I’d drink because I was depressed about the pandemic and the tragedies resulting from it and because I was anxious about work and any number of other things I’d have a headache and have to face the shame of having lost control with alcohol my mind would clear and the regret would subside but that simply made head space for the depression and anxiety that can manifest when one tries to make it through even the best days the voice that tells me the reason my company is struggling is because I suck at my job; that the reason I’ve put on 10 pounds is because I’m lazy and drink too much; that the reason my kids are bored is because I’m a crappy dad After listening to the voice berate me for a few hours author of National Book Award–winning The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression is quoted addressing what some of us who have mood disorders have been experiencing this year “[People already diagnosed with a major depressive disorder] develop what some clinicians call ‘double depression,’ in which the under-lying disorder coexists with a new layer of fear and sorrow.” This is what it has looked like for me: Over the past half year I’ve been pushed into profound misery for roughly 48 to 72 hours at least once a week I contemplate different ways of hurting myself I want to sleep so I don’t have to think about anything anymore Sometimes I’ll work the better part of the day and then crawl into bed at 4:30 in the afternoon and sleep for two hours One of the most sobering things I’ve learned during my time in therapy is that I will be dealing with this disease—or rather the combined diseases of anxiety and depression—for the rest of my life It’s not like the appendicitis I had in my early 30s or like a sinus infection that will go away with a round of antibiotics It’s more akin to a bad back or diabetes or high blood pressure it’s something to be managed and addressed consistently Conventional wisdom might suggest that as you age and mellow and your kids become more independent and you have more professional success and earn more money your tendency for feeling down or anxious might subside It was also not the case for William Styron whose book Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness has been my lodestar since I discovered it last year Styron had a nearly catastrophic deep depression at the age of 60 when he was already an accomplished novelist I’ve never experienced a lasting major depression like the one he faced but some of the particulars of his disease mirror my own “[A]fter I had returned to health and was able to reflect on the past in the light of my ordeal,” Styron writes “I began to see clearly how depression had clung close to the outer edges of my life for many years.” I once did an exercise with my therapist called a trauma timeline Everybody experiences trauma differently—no matter how minor or major it might seem to others—and the trauma timeline is designed to identify how and when the client experiences it I believe it was there when my girlfriend—now my wife—and I split up for a few months after we’d both finished graduate school in our late 20s and I thought my life was over I discovered what Styron calls the “daily mood bath” of alcohol and embarked on my ongoing struggle with that drug These kinds of things are not at all rare—for anyone They are not disastrous traumas or life-destroying events For someone who struggles with depression and anxiety both in real time and in that person’s history I have actually lived a very fortunate life but I have experienced events that one might consider classic depression-inducers things that could send almost anyone into a period of sustained melancholy My dad has beaten cancer—twice—and survived a random drive-by shooting My mom has long endured painful osteoarthritic issues for which she’s had numerous surgeries My eldest son was born via an emergency C-section after my wife suffered a potentially catastrophic placental abruption during labor my younger brother was diagnosed with a rare and potentially deadly form of leukemia when he was 26 The brutal treatment protocol that ultimately saved his life lasted the better part of two years I’m not sure why those ordeals didn’t drive me into abject sadness I didn’t feel the shroud of depression lower itself over my senses The voice that so often tells me that I’m not good enough This disease doesn’t lend itself to easy answers but I have wondered if each occasion involved a component of “good” stress that allowed me to be proactive and productive and myriad studies explain that some varieties of stress are deleterious; however it is well known too that a certain amount of stress can lead to adaptation Maybe that’s as good an explanation as any I felt like I could do something—even the smallest thing—to help someone I was close to and loved deeply from the effects of climate change—each of these issues feels overwhelming Each thing on its own is so all-encompassing and so disorienting it’s difficult to find even the smallest way to engage in a meaningful It doesn’t seem like anyone really knows what to do “Depression is the flaw in love.” This is the opening line in Solomon’s The Noonday Demon and is perhaps the most succinct accurate description of the disease I’ve ever read we must be creatures who can despair at what we lose and depression is the mechanism of that despair.” What we have all lost over the past nine months is immeasurable “Part of the problem was that I didn’t even know that what I was experiencing had a name,” Gordon who was subsequently diagnosed with bipolar disorder Something would trigger me—usually I’d be reading about religion or spirituality [or] conspiracy theories—and then I’d get stuck I would have this kind of childlike curiosity about the unexplainable and as so many professional and amateur writers know and I have discovered much over the past few months as I’ve wrestled with my mood disorder and with the words on the page Maybe my greatest revelation has been waking up to the fact that I do want to live that my thoughts of hurting myself are fleeting that I have the ability to quiet the voice when it arrives—sometimes through talk therapy; sometimes with the help of alcohol; and sometimes through the simple passage of time I’ve learned I want to get up each morning no matter how difficult the coming day might be no matter how much my mind tells me it would be easier to just stay in bed although the idea of telling my story makes me nervous there is a relief in making my history with depression known Many of my closest friends don’t know about the extent of my illness a sense of control and peace that comes from publicly “naming” my mental health issues just as I have taken solace in reading about others whose struggles are comparable to mine this confession will make someone feel less isolated—now during what is arguably one of the most tumultuous when the pain of depression might come for no reason at all what I know for sure is that I have much more to endure even as I wait for the darkness to come again Getting Help: If you are—or a loved one is—experiencing an acute mental health crisis, Colorado Crisis Services has a hotline where trained professionals can talk you through an emergency the talented merchant who ran a successful menswear store (FSB: Fashion Shoppes Boutique) and Fashionmenswear.com in Palm Beach for 50 years “Covid precipitated my final decision to switch from retailing to consulting but I was concerned about my employees many of whom had worked for FSB for 25-40 years…” So in an unusual arrangement Gio is now passing the business on to Prade Charles “Prade is an immigrant from Haiti and a U.S I hired him 25 years ago for his sense of style and his passion for selling I’m staying on for a while as the buyer/consultant taking Prade along on buying trips to teach him the ropes.” Also on the team is Gio’s sister Gloria Ciongoli “This leaves the other associates with the most important tasks of all: selling Prade opened its doors peak pandemic in a location just 10 minutes from FSB and a half mile from the Lake Worth beach in Palm Beach Florida The new store is smaller (2400 square feet vs with a strong blend of tailored clothing and sportswear much of it top-quality private label goods from Italy and Turkey with a very Italian sensibility,” says Gio whose business model involves making affordably-priced clothing look expensive with the right accessories and furnishings severe weather patterns and the growth of online shopping what are the survival odds for a new brick & mortar store Gio is an eternal optimist: “The Haitian community is big on celebrations: they love dressing up for weddings There’s no doubt in my mind that the store will be successful When the Palm Beachers come over from the island and discover Prade Menswear “I’m very thankful that all the vendors accepted me as a client and friend I hope to continue learning from the great minds in the menswear business.” Admitting that controlling expenses is challenging due to global inflation Prade now implements many of Gio’s lessons: always paying invoices on time continuing to work with existing vendors while scouting out new ones “I also realize the importance of touching our customers’ hearts with strong displays We’re blessed to have Vivian Fallon heading up our visual department: she started in the industry right out of high school as a 17-year-old art student Her displays are works of art that could be on Madison or Fifth Avenue We’re also lucky to have Natacha Sintil Jean heading up the best tailor shop in South Florida I’m so grateful to have the team that worked together for so many years smoothing the transition to becoming an entrepreneur.” We need more stories like this in the retail world right now Join Our Mailing list Join us at the Akustika Fair at the Nuremberg Exhibition Centre from April 4-6 Meet The Strad team at stand F08 and pick up a free copy of the magazine The Strad Directory Jobs The Strad Issue: January 2006Musicians: Pablo Casals (cello/conductor) Yehudi Menuhin (violin) Christian Ferras (violin) Ernst Wallfisch (viola) Végh Quartet I sometimes wonder if with these retrospective collections of great artists we’re not turning into bargain hunters snapping up anything they happen to have performed or recorded no matter what the quality Certainly this second volume of live performances from the Prades Festival offers a very mixed range of material and somewhat variable recording quality One should also note that quite a lot of the CDs are not directly related to string playing For Casals aficionados the previously unreleased 1958 recording of the Brahms E minor Sonata with Mieczislaw Horszowski is probably the item that will ignite most interest Despite the fact that the sonata doesn’t have a slow movement if the opening Allegro ma non troppo is used as a substitute it invariably creaks along although missing that spark of intensity in the concluding passage that many later recordings have brought to the work the 1955 performances of Bach’s third and fifth cello suites lack the vitality of Casals’s classic recordings despite the fact that the voicing and intellectual perception are always worth hearing Indeed for me the highlights of the set are Yehudi Menuhin’s inspired readings of the Bach Solo Partitas (1955–6) and Christian Ferras partnered by Wilhelm Kempff in an electrifying rendition of Beethoven’s ‘Kreutzer’ Sonata in 1959 Granted the playing is not always immaculate but these are live recordings in the truest sense of the word A spirited passion also imbues the 1959 Mendelssohn Piano Trio no.2 in C minor with Ferras but there is so much musical integrity to compensate Including Casals conducting Bach cantatas does of course give us a more rounded portrait of the musician but the style is rather heavy in articulation by today’s standards Victoria de Los Angeles’s lovely singing of Schubert Lieder – idiosyncratic though it may be – is a welcome bonus and emphasises one of the crucial aspects of Casals’s own art of interpretation this aspect always characterises his playing along with his humble yet formidable musicianship.    An album to seduce and thrill in equal measure A crack ensemble proves its mettle in highly varied fare An adventurous violist offers a dance through the centuries Site powered by Webvision Cloud Christie Prades has been winning new fans around the world thanks to her portrayal of superstar Gloria Estefan on stage The dancer and actress plays Gloria Estefan in the musical On Your Feet! which is currently playing at the London Coliseum having previously starred in a US touring production and told West End superfan Paul Phear that she would also love to play Gloria in a movie should one follow the likes of Rocketman and Bohemian Rhapsody that I feel like even having the camera close up… I feel I would know what to do having been born in Miami to Cuban parents She was so perfect for the role that Gloria handpicked the star herself for the US tour Speaking about working so closely with Gloria Christie said: "I feel like I’ve been very spoilt to have her very well-involved with the show "Any question that I had on any scene "She always gave me the advice of… She’d tell me what she felt 'How would you feel in this situation?' It kind of correlated with how she felt "So it just brings out a beautiful honest in how I play her and it’s just been wonderful to have her there Try this instead.' I’ve been very lucky to have the source with me from the beginning." On what she hopes to do once the show finishes Christie - who previously appeared in Orange is the New Black on Netflix - said: "I’m so hungry as far as being part of something original "But TV and film is something I’ve definitely found to be a strong interest to me Even since doing independent films in Miami I’ve always found a connection with the camera "It was so close – to get every sense of emotion So I would definitely love to be a part of a new show or a new movie or something that will be the next global sensation." On Your Feet! plays at the London Coliseum until August 31. You can book tickets from its official website here See more Latest Music News George Michael See more Latest Features Ed Sheeran ABBA TV & Film Country Cuban-American performer Christie Prades is headlining the London premiere of On Your Feet! the Broadway musical about Gloria Estefan opening June 27 at the London Coliseum following a short run at the Curve in Leicester the immediately likable Miami native was in expansive form when she spoke to Broadway.com in the run-up to the start of West End previews Mauricio Martinez plays Emilio Estefan opposite Christie Prades as Gloria Estefan in "On Your Feet!" touring to Overture Hall May 15-20 the touring cast of "On Your Feet!" includes Joseph Rivera Christie Prades plays Gloria Estefan and Devon Goffman plays Phil in "On Your Feet!" Christie Prades plays Gloria Estefan with Adriel Flete in the national tour of "On Your Feet!" 'I get to be unapologetically myself,' says the actress who plays Gloria Estefan in 'On Your Feet!' coming to Madison on Tuesday Christie Prades shrugs on the bolero of the queen of conga As the dancer, singer and actress who embodies a young Gloria Estefan in the Equity tour of “On Your Feet!” Prades has to be careful about her health “Playing a global superstar is no joke eight times a week,” said Prades Prades has been on the tour of “On Your Feet!” since last September The salsa-tinged jukebox musical that premiered in 2015 stops in Overture Hall next week Both Prades and Gloria Estefan have Cuban roots Estefan was born on the island and both women were raised in Miami Prades even graduated from The Honors College at Miami Dade College “When you hire someone from that same culture Gloria Estefan broke onto the worldwide music scene in 1985 with “Conga,” following up with hits like “Oye,” “Rhythm is Gonna Get You,” “Turn the Beat Around” and “1-2-3.” Between them Prades spoke with The Capital Times from Boston She’s been touring for more than seven months The Capital Times: What has it been like to be on the road for this long after having done the same show in New York so I actually covered about seven different tracks in the show I’ve done the show in every angle possible I wouldn’t have chosen any other show to be with this long Did you encounter this music first when you were a kid I’m from Miami and I have Cuban immigrant parents that came here Her life story was an example — not only her music but to me and my parents like what it means to be this Cuban American who came and broke the barriers in the music industry but she was proud to be living in this country I remember my mom bringing out the Gloria Estefan I remember her popping it in the car and listening from beginning to end Can you give us a sense of the feel of the show It’s the concert feel that everyone’s waiting to see But you get to see a very human side of her you get to see them create this music empire together You see the tribulations with her family — she had problems with her mom — and tribulations in the music industry itself when they want to cross over from the Spanish to the English market You see that process of all of that in the story along with the concerts Jukebox musical stories can be bland when the real people in the story want to make themselves look good They wanted to show the rawness and the vulnerability that came with them developing who they are today What’s beautiful is that it goes a lot deeper than Gloria and the concert She had problems while going through the music industry There is fictionalization as far as the time frame but as far as the story line do you have a personal connection to this role In one of the scenes we have the Cuban flag right behind us and every time I see it I’m kind of in awe because I get to be unapologetically myself You’ll get to see Emilio having to leave Cuba for political reasons and my parents went through the same thing With her mother being a teacher and nurturer and my mom being a teacher — they have the birthday And her grandma has my grandma’s maiden name We’re living in a challenging political time for Latino immigrants What has it been like to take this show into the American heartland We go to each city and people are loving it even places where we’re a little sketched out and wondering We’re actually the first show to have an almost 100 percent Latino cast It shouldn’t just be the Latins in a Latin story and Asians in an Asian story overture.org/events/on-your-feet; 258-4141 Seven Broadway touring shows on the 2018-19 season are new to Overture including "Finding Neverland," "Something Rotten!" and "School of Rock"  Become a Cap Times member today and enjoy great benefits Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device the latest bio-musical import from Broadway officially opened with a special Gala performance attended by Emilio and the "Queen of Latin Pop" herself audience members were indeed dancing in the aisles of the iconic auditorium Bringing the "Queen of Miami" to life on the London stage and making her West End debut is the gorgeous and talented Christie Prades The triple-threat performer is a Miami native herself and she even studied at the exact same college as Emilio Estefan graduating from the Honors College in Miami Dade with a degree in Mass Communications she always yearned to be a performer and followed her heart to New York City where she landed roles in productions of Lin-Manuel Miranda's In the Heights and the classic musical West Side Story journey began as a swing and the first cover for the role of Gloria on Broadway Estefan personally invited her to step up and star as the leading lady full-time during the show's National Tour with its official opening scheduled for October 2017 in.. Christie is working the role like a well-oiled machine and that showed during last night's Gala performance not missing a single (Dr.) beat and pouring all her love energy and efforts into keeping the Estefan "Tradición" alive We previously caught up with Christie to get the low-down on her early memories of Gloria Latino representation in the theatre industry How excited are you to be making your West End debut starring as Gloria Estefan in On Your Feet! It's extremely overwhelming but it's wonderful to see how excited people are to bring this story here doing it on Broadway and then going straight into our 18/19-month tour Bringing it here and sharing a story about the culture where I'm from and a story about Gloria is getting people so pumped having performed in New York and all over America Is there a special significance for you in getting to play the London Coliseum they told me that the Coliseum only recently started to house musical theatre so that in itself is pretty special - getting to do a show here that isn't an opera I think this is also one of the biggest theatres in the West End I'm still trying to gather my whole thoughts about this experience I feel like I'm getting shot out of a cannon.. I'm all these things that are also incorporated and told in the story so to bring a little bit of who I am along with Gloria to the West End is an incredible feeling and I feel very spoiled Gloria is commonly referred to as "The Queen of Miami," as well as "The Queen of Latin Pop." What were some of your first memories of her when you were growing up in Miami yourself (Laughs) I always remember the Conga at all the Birthday parties when I was little I never thought I would have to sing that song as a job "Get On Your Feet" was also really popular there "Turn the Beat Around," when she did her rendition of that and "Everlasting Love." I remember my Mom constantly playing the CD of Gloria's Greatest Hits I've been listening to all her music since I was a kid It's incredible to be able to sing those songs now and take a trip down Memory Lane a little bit I'm a huge fan of her music too and I love Latin music It was great to experience it in shows like On Your Feet I feel it's a genre that is very much underrepresented in the West End and on Broadway I think it's actually doing a bit better now There's so many Hispanics and Latinos here in London I feel that the theatre community is changing so rapidly now The fact that we're able to tell this story through this music and allow people to expand their horizons beyond what they know in musical theatre is a beautiful thing I feel very lucky to be in this generation where we can share this music and it can be taken in positively but to see people hear it for the first time or react to it in such a positive way it's opening doors and building bridges for other musicals like this in the future It started with West Side Story essentially but for such a long time there was nothing like this our tour - I think about 98% of us were Latinos That's the most that any Broadway show has ever had Gloria opened doors and built bridges as a Latina trailblazer herself back then.. Just like when Gloria crossed over from the Spanish Language to the English market you began to hear her music everywhere and in all languages what can British audiences expect from a trip to On Your Feet But you'll also get the unexpectedness of the storyline where you see that she has these struggles with her family and goes through her bus accident ordeal that leaves her close to paralysed and she has to start over and how she had a hard life by having to take care of him and help out the family You get to see a lot of raw material about who Gloria is as a person They just think of this as a jukebox musical but you're also going to get a part that you connect with so much more on a deeper It's a story about hope and perseverance which is something I think we need so badly at the moment You gotta keep at it and keep believing and that is exactly what Gloria and Emilio did On Your Feet! Tickets are available now for performances through to 31st August 2019. 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Privacy Policy 28 July 1960: The Guardian revisits the music festival started by cellist Pablo Casals in his adopted home of Prades Any concert at which Pablo Casals appears is an important musical event he has rarely performed on the public platform He has passed the years of exile at Prades undistinguished little French town at the foot of Mont Canigou in the eastern Pyrenees As a protest against fascism, he has turned his back on fame and wealth, but every summer since 1950 he has organised a music festival in his adoptive town that attracts music lovers of all nationalities but the finest instrumentalists in the world consider themselves honoured to appear under his baton Concerts begin at 9pm in the glittering blue and gold nave of the church of St Pierre Before the lights fade there is always an atmosphere of excitement others gaze around at the ornate baroque carvings and the two magnificent retables Above the altar stands an immense statue of St Peter: few people know that the mesh purse he carries is woven from the hairs of Casals’s bow Someone announces in French and English that there is to be no applause And in utter breathless silence Casals enters – a small plump figure with shining bald head and gold rimmed spectacles His face is youthful and unwrinkled although he is well over 80 the entire audience waits in the plaza outside the church to acclaim Casals Other performers – however distinguished – are scarcely noticed It is Casals who is mobbed by the crowd of joyful elated admirers We thank you.” The same feelings are expressed in many languages “I did not know that such music could exist this side of heaven … To the end of my days I shall never hear anything so wonderful.” Pablo Casals performs a Bach cello solo at Abbey of Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa in August 1954This year the concerts are devoted to the works of a number of different composers Polish-born Horszowski has played several times at Prades and has made festival recordings with Casals he and Casals recorded Beethoven’s cello sonatas at Bonn Karl Engel has recently recorded Schubert’s Schiller Lieder for HMV with the baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau played in 1956 at the Spring festival at Prague Both visitors have played before at Prades who played at the first Prades festival in 1950 has made recordings with Casals of Bach’s Sonatas for Cello and Piano He is bringing with him to Prades the Festival Strings Chamber Orchestra from Lucerne He has recently made Handel recordings in Germany Alfred Loewenguth enjoyed considerable success shortly before the war on his tours of Europe and America with the Loewenguth Quartet – a chamber ensemble he founded while still a student at the Paris Conservatoire has made many recordings with Casals and Horszowski one of the latest being Beethoven’s “Geister” trio Pablo Casals during his recording of Dvorak’s concerto for violoncello with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra in Prague Photograph: Erich Auerbach/Getty ImagesPhilip Newman is an English violinist of high standing on the continent though unknown to London concert audiences He studied at Manchester Royal College of Music but graduated at the Brussels Conservatoire and has spent his life abroad Philip Newman is a man of impressive personality When the festival opens he has the distinction of playing the first concert with Casals and Horszowski The evening begins with Bach’s Sonata in G major for viola da gamba and piano; in the third movement the piano is used in a solo Next comes Beethoven’s Sonata in D minor for piano Op 31 with its exciting allegro movement Newman and Horszowski follow with Mozart’s sonata for piano and violin in A major and the concert ends with Beethoven’s Geister trio in D major Op 70 The English violinist is playing again on 7 August with Julius Katchen and Von Tobel Newman opens with Bach’s Partita No 6 in E major for violin working from photographs of the original manuscript He and Katehen then play Cesar Franck’s sonata for piano and violin they end with Beethoven’s Trio in E flat Op 1 No 1 He will be seated in an armchair on the stage All the works in the festival have been chosen by Casals for a particular reason – to indicate the development of the concerto form to present a little known and rarely performed early work of a great composer to compare the work of two composers working in a similar manner to show the work of a composer at the height of his powers Seven works by Beethoven have been selected They include the Sonata in D major Op 102 for piano and cello (Casals and Katchen) the Sonata in C minor for piano and violin Op 30 (Horszowski and Loewenguth) and the Quartet for Strings in D major Op 18 The six works by Bach include the concerto for three violins and orchestra in D major and the concerto in E major for violin and orchestra (Loewenguth) which was once described by Casals’s friend Dr Schweitzer as “full of an unconquerable joy of life” The five Schubert items include the Fantasy Op 159 for piano and violin (Engel and Vegh) and the Trio in E flat major Op 100 with its long first movement and complicated key changes its disturbing andante con moto and its heartrending funeral march on the cello Casals has chosen the quintet for two cellos in C major Op 163 composed in the last year of Schubert’s life Sometimes he goes to the ruined Abbey of St Michel de Cuxa below mysterious Mont Canigou and holds long conversations with the monks engaged on the restorations. In 1952 he used the 10th-century abbey as the setting for the festival, the towers and cloisters floodlit. Myra Hess was the leading pianist. Casals attributes his long life and youthfulness to his habit of playing Bach’s Preludes and Fugues on the piano every morning. This communion with a great mind renews his spirit and creates in him a cheerful mood with which to begin the day’s work. “Each day I am born anew,” he says. An expert pianist, he also plays the organ – often for Sunday services in Prades church. He can play almost every instrument of the orchestra and can speak at least eight languages fluently; with his acute ear and fantastic memory, learning a language is child’s play. Much of Casals’s time is spent in practising on the cello and in composing chamber music and chorales. He has written works for string quartet, cello, cello and piano, violin and piano, organ and orchestra. A cantata called La Vision de Fray Martin is for chorus, solo organ and orchestra. In 1956 he conducted two of his own compositions at a private concert in Paris given in celebration of his 80th birthday, but he will not allow publication of his work during his lifetime. This autumn, however, he is going to Mexico to a festival given in his honour, and is to present for the first time in public his oratorio La Creche. Philip Newman is to be the leading violinist at this important world premiere. © Broadway.com • Photos by Emilio Madrid NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) chose a photograph on Wednesday taken from Prades Roig shot the 'Sh2-308' a 'dolphin-shaped star bubble' as NASA wrote on its website. The star that created the bubble, the company goes on, explains that "it was the star in the blue nebula's center, a famously energetic Wolf-Rayet star."  In fact, these stars, in general, "have over 20 times the mass of our Sun and expel fast particle winds that can create iconic-looking nebulas. In this case, the resulting star bubble spans over 60 light-years, is about 70,000 years old, and happens to look like the head of a dolphin." "Named Sh2-308 and dubbed the Dolphin-Head Nebula, the gas ball lies about 5,000 light years away and covers as much sky as the full moon -- although it is much dimmer. The nearby red-tinged clouds on the left of the featured image may owe their glow and shape to energetic light emitted from the same Wolf-Rayet star," NASA said about the picture. Photographer Aleix Roig is one of the responsible for the Astronomy park in the Prades mountains. His picture, featured on NASA's website on Wednesday, was already awarded by the London Royal Observatory Greenwich and chosen by National Geographic as one of the most popular in 2022. The photo took 58 hours of shots taken over 15 different days. For astrophotographers, getting an APOD means having "international recognition." Members of the park already say that the "dark skies in Prades have the perfect conditions" to be able to observe space. Supreme Court crushed former Akron Police Capt Douglas Prade’s hopes for a new trial in his ex-wife’s murder The high court declined to take on Prade’s appeal The decision officially ends this chapter of Prade’s 21-year odyssey through the legal system that drew conflicting court rulings and resulted in Prade being released — and then returned to prison was convicted and sentenced to life in prison in the 1997 shooting death of his ex-wife inside her van at the parking lot of her Wooster Avenue medical office Prade sought a new trial based on DNA evidence that excluded his genetic markers from the most scrutinized evidence in the case — a bite mark impression left under two layers of a lab coat worn by Margo Prade on the morning of the slaying Summit County Common Pleas Judge Christine Croce denied Prade a second trial in March 2017 saying Prade had "failed to introduce any new evidence that the jury had not already considered" in his original 1998 trial She said the DNA evidence that another Summit County judge found should exonerate Prade was "meaningless" and likely wouldn't change the verdict in a new trial Prade’s attorneys with the Innocence Project were disappointed Attorney David Alden said the court gets thousands of cases each year and hears only about 80 He said there may be another avenue for an appeal and they’ll be evaluating this over the next few weeks “We’re still thinking — still assessing what options are available for Doug,” Alden said The attorneys still think Prade deserves a new trial we are convinced Doug Prade is innocent,” said Brian Howe “I’m certainly convinced he never received a fair trial." were pleased with the high court’s decision not to accept Prade’s appeal and hope this will be the end of the lengthy appeals “This office has fought for justice for Margo since she was brutally murdered by her husband,” Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh said in a prepared statement Margo and her family can finally be at peace and rest easy knowing Douglas Prade can no longer appeal his case and will remain where he belongs Prade was freed from prison after retired Summit County Common Pleas Judge Judy Hunter ruled the DNA evidence proved his innocence An appeal by prosecutors sent him back to prison in October 2014 Croce's decision focused on whether Prade should be granted a new trial based on the new DNA evidence forensic odontology — the study of bite-mark evidence — and eyewitness testimony said DNA evidence found near a bite mark on Margo Prade's coat and under four of her fingernails excludes Douglas Prade from the act — though the man the DNA belongs to hasn't been identified He also questioned the reliability of matching teeth marks found beneath two layers of clothing on Margo Prade's body Assistant Summit County Prosecutor Brad Gessner argued the bite mark and DNA wouldn't be enough to sway a future jury She dismissed the relevance of the new evidence repeatedly saying it "does not disclose a strong probability that a different verdict would be reached if a new trial is granted." Prade is incarcerated at Lorain Correctional Institution He is scheduled to have his first parole hearing in June 2025 Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at 330-996-3705 swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com and on Twitter: @swarsmithabj who currently appears as a swing in the Broadway company of On Your Feet! will take on the role of famed recording artist and performer Gloria Estefan when the musical embarks on a national tour She will be joined by Mexican telenovela actor Mauricio Martinez Martinez will also take on the role of Emilio in the Broadway company from July 11–August 13 taking over for Ektor Rivera at the Marquis Theatre Rivera will return for the final week; the Broadway production of the bio-musical concludes its nearly two-year run August 20 September 22 prior to celebrating its official opening in the Estefans’ home city of Miami Additional stops in the 80-week itinerary include Los Angeles Prades understudies the role of Gloria on Broadway as a swing Her regional credits include In the Heights and West Side Story which returns for a second season this summer He has appeared on stages in Mexico in such shows as Beauty and the Beast He also starred as Che in Kansas City Repertory’s Evita last year Additional casting for the tour will be announced at a later date Marco Canola finished third in Philadelphia AdvertisementHow was your experience today CSUN film student Tara Lucia Prades talks to a child actor Directors like Neo-realists Vittorio De Sica or John Cassavettes took to the streets to make their films as real as possible So when the CSUN film student got the green-light to have  her film be one of the eight projects produced by the school’s film department she knew her script for “Rose Child” would only be done justice shooting on site in her native Thailand She knew she had to make it happen … and she did “I wanted to make sure that my film had a real chance of being accepted and that the decision was based on the story not that it would be shot overseas and that it would be ‘too hard’ to do,” Prades said Prades tapped into an arsenal of friends and family in Thailand and an array of advisors on the CSUN campus who helped her with the planning involved in sending an eight-person crew halfway around the world for two weeks instead of storyboarding the script or auditioning actors Prades’ time was spent looking at travel insurance brochures and available equipment in Thailand not someone who regularly takes students overseas I wanted to learn the logistics involved,” she said “I wanted the faculty to feel safe and that I knew what I was doing.” Prades proved that she did and is now cutting her film to hopefully make it into the May showcase of films at CSUN Summit County prosecutors scored a win Wednesday in the lengthy battle over the guilt or innocence of Akron police Capt The Ohio Supreme Court ruled that prosecutors had the right to file a challenge with the 9th District Court of Appeals of a 2013 trial court decision that declared Prade innocent and released him from prison The 9th District reversed the trial court’s decision in 2014 returning the case to Summit County Common Pleas Court and putting Prade back in prison Summit County Common Pleas Judge Christine Croce ordered that Prade’s conviction be reinstated and that he be denied a new trial The Supreme Court said state law allows prosecutors the “right to appeal a judgment granting postconviction relief.” “Prade has not demonstrated that the Ninth District’s exercise of jurisdiction over the state’s appeal was unauthorized by law,” the state’s highest court said in the 5-1 decision was sentenced to life in prison in 1998 after being convicted of the shooting death of his ex-wife But now-retired Summit County Common Pleas Judge Judy Hunter ruled in January 2013 that new DNA test results excluded him as a suspect and he was “actually innocent of aggravated murder.” but an appeal by prosecutors sent him back to prison in October 2014 Croce denied Prade a new trial in March 2016 Prade’s attorneys were disappointed with the high court’s new ruling “We’re reviewing it and considering our options,” said David Alden one of Prade’s attorneys with the Ohio Innocence Project The next step will be an appeal that had been on hold with the 9th District of Croce’s decision we will be able to convince the 9th District that the new evidence excluding Prade is reason for a new trial,” Alden said Alden was heartened by the dissenting opinion of Justice William O’Neill who said Prade should be granted a new trial based on the DNA evidence that discredited the only physical evidence the prosecution had He said O’Neill is the second judge who has been convinced that Prade deserves a new trial “I have no doubt that this case needs to go to a new jury,” O’Neill wrote “Justice for the defendant and the victim demands no less.” O’Neill called not granting Prade a new trial “an astounding miscarriage of justice.” “The people of Ohio and Captain Prade are entitled to a fair trial,” O’Neill concluded Beacon Journal reporter Rick Armon contributed to this report Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at 330-996-3705 or swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com President Emmanuel Macron has named Jean Castex as France’s new prime minister The new head of the French government is currently the centre-right mayor of Prades and a high-level civil servant who was in charge of planning France’s strategy for emerging from lockdown George Simion will face Nicusor Dan, a mainstream candidate, in a run-off There are five luxuries it can no longer feasibly afford Friedrich Merz’s career is one of unforced errors and puzzling missteps. But he is serious about Europe Both Donald Trump and Ukraine’s diplomats will consider it a success Don’t worry, Gloria Estefan fans. The musical “On Your Feet!” is as authentic as you can get without casting Estefan For one thing, the show features a cast of mostly Latino actors. And the touring band boasts five members of Estefan’s famous band, Miami Sound Machine “The music was a very high priority for the whole creative team from the beginning,” says Ostwald who’s played keyboards in Miami Sound Machine since the mid 80s “Gloria wanted the music to be authentic and represent the real thing.” And how’s this for authentic? Actor Christie Prades, who plays Gloria Estefan, was handpicked by the singer for the national tour and grew up in Estefan’s hometown, Miami. “On Your Feet!” visits Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall in south Fort Myers next week “I think it really helps that I’m originally from Miami and I’m Cuban-American,” Prades says “So I have the same kind of culture and I grew up in the same neighborhood “I went to the same school as Emilio (Estefan Gloria’s husband and producer/musician for Miami Sound Machine) So I definitely feel like I connected with it (the musical) just by going back to my roots and my culture and my family.” More: Top places to celebrate New Year's Eve in Southwest Florida More: Top 25 things to do in 2019: Gabriel Iglesias, 'Lion King,' Bad Bunny and more The biographical musical tells the story of the Grammy Award-winning duo Gloria and Emilio Estefan from their humble beginnings to 80s crossover stardom it’s packed with hits including “Conga,” “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You,” “Get On Your Feet,” “Turn The Beat Around,” “Bad Boy,” “Words Get in the Way” and “Anything For You.” Prades says those songs were the soundtrack to her Miami childhood “Her music was on repeat,” she says “I remember my mom breaking out Gloria’s greatest hits “And my mom was always telling me that this woman is such an example of living the American dream." She was a source of pride for the entire Cuban community “She’s the queen of pop in Miami,” she says “And her and Emilio have done so much for the community and stayed so grounded with their roots “So I feel this is kind of coming full circle for myself and my family.” Estefan handpicked Prades for the role after the actor had performed as an understudy and a swing actor on Broadway for more than a year (including playing the role of Gloria many times) Prades remembers having dinner with Gloria and Emilio Estefan so she and the actor playing Emilio (Mauricio Martinez ) could watch the couple interact and hear the stories behind many of the scenes in the show “She told me a lot of inside scoops about each scene and her thought process behind it just to help me with my interpretation,” Prades says “She definitely let me into her world so I could get the best portrayal as possible I was very lucky to have the actual source speaking with me.” It also helps to have actual Miami Sound Machine members involved with the show every night The keyboardist joined Miami Sound Machine in 1986 and was there for the band’s biggest hits in the late 80s.  “There was a lot going on,” he says about the band’s heyday “There was a lot of excitement and a lot of good times it was definitely all of the things we dreamed about doing.” Now they’ve taken those hits and turned them into a hit Broadway show And Ostwald says those famous songs sound as as close as possible to the real Miami Sound Machine playing live and on its hit recordings Just like it’s important to recreate the band’s fun and they’re going to have a great time,” he promises  “I may be a little biased,” she says and laughs Connect with this reporter: Charles Runnells (Facebook), @charlesrunnells (Twitter), @crunnells1 (Instagram) Where: Barbara B Mann Performing Arts Hall Tickets: $43-$97 (plus applicable taxes and fees Info: 481-4849 or bbmannpah.com Reading"Amazingly detailed..." 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POV Forward Thinking Review of the Year Jenny Brewer Olivia Hingley Ellis Tree Elizabeth Goodspeed Liz Gorny Extra Search and even better when put in the hands of someone with an eye for detail and precision illustrator Simon Prades has been churning out amazingly-detailed and technical work in a way that makes my hands feel like they’ll never be able to achieve anything that good His portfolio is packed full of pencil drawings ink work with slices of colour and etchings and it’s the concept in his latest project Our Books that caught our attention Choosing six books that have a personal connection to his own family and friends Prades has created a series of lovely pencil drawings that unite both of these elements Salinger – The Catcher in the Rye/Axel’s book) 2012 (John Steinbeck – Cannerey row/Father’s book) 2012 (Wolfgang Herrndorf – Sand/Erik’s book Further Infowww.simonprades.com Rebecca Fulleylove Rebecca Fulleylove is a freelance writer and editor specialising in art She is also senior writer at Creative Review Fancy a bit of It's Nice That in your inbox Sign up to our newsletters and we'll keep you in the loop with everything good going on in the creative world Instagram TikTok LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Pinterest About Careers at It’s Nice That Privacy Policy Insights Residence Creative Lives in Progress If You Could Jobs © It’s Nice That 2024 · Nice Face Logo © It’s Nice That www.simonprades.com Pencil and paper – the first tools we were given as a child after crayons and play-doh physicality-led practice reminds its audience of the person behind the piece In the newest instalment of his illustrated series Brian Blomerth explores the life of John C Lilly – the scientist that used ketamine to speak to dolphins Aysha Tengiz received a questionable contract asking her to give up rights to her own intellectual property the illustrator explains why that’s such dodgy practice and why creatives need to be more clued up about copyright Cofounded in 2022 by food industry creatives Cake Zine is back with its sixth issue: Daily Bread About Contact Advertising Opportunities Newsletters Insights + Opinion Creatives + Projects Advice + Resources Culture + Lifestyle Nicer Tuesdays The View From... POV Forward Thinking Review of the Year Jenny Brewer Olivia Hingley Ellis Tree Elizabeth Goodspeed Liz Gorny Instagram TikTok LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Pinterest Careers at It’s Nice That Privacy Policy Insights Residence Creative Lives in Progress If You Could Jobs