Village Living
| April 2011 |
www.VillageLivingOnline.com
neighborly news & entertainment for Mountain Brook
Easter Egg Hunt -pg 25
Byrd wins state title - pg 14
Volume 2 | Issue 1 | April 2011
Renowned performer teaches vocal instrument By Clay Ratcliffe One glance at Amy Murphy’s calendar – color coordinated and organized to the max – would make any normal person’s jaw drop. But not Amy Murphy. She handles her packed schedule with a gleaming smile on her face because she is absolutely in love with what she does. Each day Murphy teaches the “vocal instrument” using her unique technique based on natural “vocal reflexes” that can be put in a certain order to enhance singing. “The vocal instrument is my passion,” Murphy said. “It’s an instrument everyone can play, and no two instruments are the same.” Originally from New York, Murphy has performed all over the world in esteemed New York venues such as Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall and the Dicapo Opera Theater, yet she has also always taught those who want to learn how to perfect their own voices. As a student at Julliard and The New England Conservatory of Music, one teacher laughed at her when she announced that she aspired to teach voice. Now, Murphy’s students and their vocal instruments are her life’s work, and for the past 10 years she
April Features • Editor’s Note
4
• Restaurant Showcase
5
• Business Spotlight
6
• Tuberous Sclerosis Fight
7
• City Council
9
• Spring Design Tips
10
• Summer Camps
13
• Village Sports
14
• Kari Kampakis
16
• School House
19
• Calendar of Events
24
• Around the Villages
27
Amy Murphy instructs Jane Morgan Sauls in voice warm-up exercises in her Mountain Brook Village studio. Photo by Madoline Markham.
has put down roots pursuing this passion right here in Mountain Brook. The Amy Murphy Studio, located in the heart of Mountain Brook Village, provides students with lessons straight from the “vocal mechanic” herself. Aspiring singers come from all over the
See AMY MURPHY, PAGE 12
Zoo party, Bo style Fundraiser in memory of Bo Johnson set for April 28
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state just to learn vocal technique from Murphy, and she somehow finds time to fit everyone in. It was clear to Murphy upon moving to this community that there was a great appreciation for all walks of art. She fits in perfectly among the passion for the arts she sees in everyday life in Mountain
Brook. “I love the boutique culture of Mountain Brook,” she said. “There’s a real quest for artistic and academic excellence. It’s a true gem of culture. Internationally, there are small cities that have a pocket of the arts, and Birmingham is one of them.” Murphy will not hesitate to tell anyone that her absolute favorite thing about living in this community is directing the Junior League Choral Group. She describes her experience directing the dynamic women’s chorus as being with sixty of her best friends on a mission to bring “gourmet music” to those who are not always fortunate enough to have that beauty in their daily lives. Just talking about the group’s various vocal performances all over the Greater Birmingham area makes Murphy beam, and it should seeing as how she has brought the choral group to new heights, even getting them to a performance at Carnegie Hall under the direction of the world renown composer John Rutter. Just as Murphy has been good to the community of Mountain Brook, Mountain Brook has been good to Murphy. When Murphy hosted a college-intensive program for students to perfect their voices before
Bo Johnson. Photo by Kent Oztekin.
By Madoline Markham On the last Thursday of April you’ll find quite the party at the Birmingham Zoo. Kids (and adults) taking advantage
of unlimited access to the petting zoo and riding the carousel for hours at a time. Old friends catching up over a beer. Children dancing with their grandparents. Girls squealing at exotic animals. All festivities at the annual Bo Johnson Memorial Zoo Party, affectionately known as “BoBo Fest,” are in keeping with the memory of lifelong Mountain Brook resident and avid golfer Bo Johnson, who passed away from esophageal cancer in 2006. “Bo loved to have a good time, loved Alabama football and loved his friends,” said Lauren Crow, a friend of Johnson’s since high school. The only thing missing from the party is the football. Although he had no children of his own, Johnson wasn’t just friends with adults. “Bo knew all the kids in Crestline and would go to their basketball games,” said Arlen Carpenter, Johnson’s best friend. Those kids come to the party, along with parents, grandparents, and anyone who wants to have a good time. There’s dinner from Full Moon Bar-B-Que, as well as beer and wine. Jimmy and Laine,
lifelong friends of Johnson, play acoustic rock. Johnson would go to hear them wherever they played around Birmingham in the mid to late 1980s. “It’s the kind of party where people can come by after soccer practice and eat burgers and ride the carousel,” Crow said. The festivities also raise funds and awareness for esophageal cancer. Johnson was diagnosed with the disease in September 2005 and passed away just three months later at age 45. On his birthday of that first year, May 9, 2006, his friends and family pulled together what would become the First Annual Bo Johnson Memorial Golf Tournament in his memory. Although he grew to love golf, Johnson didn’t develop his interest in the game as a kid. “He just wanted to fish and catch snakes,” said his father, Sam Johnson. Johnson started playing in his mid-20s and got hooked. He was a member at Old Overton and then at Birmingham Country Club. The festivities the first year of the golf tournament included a party the night
See BO JOHNSON, PAGE 18 Call now to receive a free, no-obligation estimate
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