Riviere Fall/Winter 2012

Riviere magazine

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Italia I s su e Th re e , Fa ll & W inte r 2 012

A romantic travel journal and celebration of the timeless traditions of Italian art and architecture, fine cuisine, and beautiful jewelry

Acamaraderie DeltaCappella and Pitch Perfect, blending musicianship and friendship

M e m p h i s , Te n n e s s e e

F A L L & W I N T E R 2 0 1 2 • I S S U E T H R E E • $ 4 . 74

© D. YURMAN 2012

To our Friends In our third issue of Riviere magazine, we celebrate Italy, the joy of camaraderie, and the beauty of ďŹ ne jewelry.

My ďŹ rst visit to Italy was as a just-graduated student with a back pack and a Eurail Pass. It wasn’t until years later when my wife Elizabeth and I visited Florence and Venice on our honeymoon that I began to understand Italy’s legacy of beauty and design. Under the romantic spell of our wedding trip, I appreciated the details in a dierent way. There is certain timelessness in Italian architecture and art, as well as a rich heritage of making beautiful jewelry.

Recently, one of our customers was married in an Italian castle, and their good friends photographer Chad Mellon and his wife Jen accompanied them to record the wedding. Our ITALIA travel essay is the result of the enchanting images Chad captured as he and his wife toured Italy. Chad’s insightful commentary and intriguing photographs explain the singular magical qualities and traditions of Italy more than mere words alone.

There is a certain timelessness in Italian architecture and art, as well as a

Now, fourteen years and three children after our own honeymoon, I am reminded

heritage

ric

of making beautiful jewelry.

of the permanence of tradition each time I look at the diamond engagement ring I gave my wife years ago. That diamond spoke to me like no other diamond I had ever seen, and I still ďŹ nd myself mesmerized by the sparkles of light it scatters across the ceiling and walls when sunlight catches it through a window in our home or in our car.

With less opportunity to travel, we ďŹ nd beauty in our children and activities. For instance, the camaraderie that I enjoy with the diverse group of singers who form DeltaCappella is as important to me as the music. In this issue, writer Jon Sparks chronicles our “CatďŹ sh on the Tableâ€? retreat for the readers of Riviere. I think you'll ďŹ nd the same sense of joy in friendship and family so often identiďŹ ed with Italy in the scenes pictured of our retreat in Coeeville, Mississippi.

And of course, we hope you will enjoy the pages of beautiful jewelry that describe our own family tradition of providing an unmatched selection of jewelry to our friends and customers.

Jay A¡ Mednikow

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Table of Contents

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Issue Three FALL & WINTER 2012

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GURHAN REVEALED

ITALIA

The designer shares 10 intimate details regarding the nexus of his life, his love, and his collections

Chad Mellon’s travel journal captures the beauty of Italy in pictures

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50

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55 ITALIAN GOLD HERITAGE

Notes on a recent visit to the VicenzaOro show in northern Italy

ITALIAN DESIGNER DESSERTS Laura Bicego and Alessandro Testi share sweet family recipes

ITALIAN INSPIRED

EXPRESS YOURSELF

Elizabeth Locke responds to questions about her relationship with Italy

Statement rings amp up the conversation

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76 84

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BANGLES & CUFFS

TRENDY VINTAGE

PLAY LIST

A stunning multiplicity of styles adds to the fun of collecting these bracelets

Antique jewelry of yesterday romances today’s newest looks

The pieces we loved to love this year

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BLACK DIAMOND GLITTERATI Mysterious black diamonds take center stage

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101 ACAMARADERIE Friendships form connections between the members of DeltaCappella and movie Pitch Perfect

109 MEDNIKOW RENOVATION

EVENTS and PARTIES at MEDNIKOW

Interior designer Bonnie Manson explains her “three to five second rule”

Mednikow jewelry brings glamour and fun to the party

Riviere magazine Issue Three FALL & WINTER 2012 On the cover: Long, luminous ropes of beautifully-matched cultured pearls, secured with eighteen karat gold clasps set with pave diamonds. Available in extended lengths, from Mednikow.

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PUBLISHER: Robert M. Mednikow MANAGING DIRECTOR AND EDITOR: Jay A. Mednikow CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Jean Mathews ART DIRECTOR: Melissa Ellis ADVERTISING ART DIRECTOR: Marvin Yates

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Jay Adkins, Donna Farnsworth, Chad Mellon, Ron Saltiel, Jon W. Sparks EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS: Jean Mathews, Chad Mellon, Jon W. Sparks A publication by Mednikow, 474 Perkins Extended, Memphis, TN 38117 T: 901.767.2100 • E: riviere@mednikow.com

Published by Contemporary Media, Inc., 460 Tennessee Street, Memphis, TN 38103 T: 901.521.9000 ©2012, J. H. Mednikow & Co., Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in USA. Reproduction in whole or in part of any materials contained herein without the express written permission of J.H. Mednikow & Co. Inc. is prohibited.

T H E O R I G I N ATO R O F C U LT U R E D P E A R L S . S I N C E 1 8 9 3 .

Contributors

CHAD MELLON Collaborating with Riviere on the “Italia” travel journal was a perfect way for me to showcase images from a trip to Italy that was all I had dreamed it would be. There’s no greater honor for an artist than when people see something in you that they like — and they trust you to creatively execute their vision. Working with the amazing people at Mednikow was a wonderful experience.

DONNA FARNSWORTH Through her professional photography, Donna Farnsworth has captured many of life’s most beautiful moments at weddings and celebrations—as well as events at Mednikow. Donna also makes generous use of her lens to support charitable organizations, lending her skills and her camera to help touch hearts through her many years of work as a volunteer photographer for the Child Advocacy Center and the Germantown Charity Horse Show.

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JEAN MATHEWS Italy had me from “chiaroscuro.” I was first captivated by the art of the Italian renaissance while in college, and have continued to be enchanted by the energy of this country’s creative spirit ever since. There is an exuberant passion for beauty and design that is infused into everything from cathedrals to practical objects, and from pasta to fabulous pieces of jewelry. Mednikow, the Riviere creative team, and Italy are “simpatico” in our mutual delight in beauty, family, and tradition. Salute!

JON W. SPARKS I’m a longtime journalist who has covered entertainment, business and government in Memphis since 1981. Of everything I’ve done, nothing is better than going behind the scenes with performers and seeing them unguarded and unscripted. When it’s the vocal band DeltaCappella, the experience is unfailingly fun — I’ve heard them rehearsing in cramped spaces and doing impromptu tunes for delighted crowds. I’ve also seen the boys driving all-terrain vehicles through the Mississippi woods like crazy people.

Let’s just say that we should all be relieved and amazed they’re still around to sing their hearts out.

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Portrait Patron Muse

WOMEN IN THE DIXON COLLECTION

October 28, 2012 - January 6, 2013

JACQUES-ร MILE BLANCHE Portrait of Eugenia Huici Arguedas de Errรกzuriz 1890, Pastel on canvas Dixon Gallery and Gardens Museum purchase in memory of John E. Buchanan, Jr., 2012.1

4339 Park Avenue

Memphis

dixon.org

The River Project a world premiere at Playhouse 10/20–28

Nutcracker with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra at The Orpheum 11/30–12/2

Family Matters at Playhouse 2/22–24

Wizard of Oz America’s fairytale ballet at The Orpheum 4/20–21

Taking Flight a FedEx Hangar experience 5/11

Season Tickets start at just $30.

Visit balletmemphis.org for details.

Blue Topaz Earrings and Vintage Locket

Gurhan

Revealed WHEN IT COMES TO THE JEWELRY DESIGNS CREATED BY GURHAN, beauty is more than skin deep. Beneath the strength of the hand-hammered 24 karat gold and the choice of fine jewels that embellish them lies the lively spirit and creative genius of the artist himself, Gurhan.

Stated simply, we've fallen in love with these seductive pieces. And that's why we want to share the following ten insights that come to us directly from Gurhan, the charismatic and fascinating man behind these intriguing pieces. To know Gurhan is to understand this beautiful collection. 

1. I find inspiration . . .

Everywhere . . . from a woman in the street to nature to music to art. More than anything, I find inspiration in solitude. I am very lucky to have a wife who understands that it is my times of silence that fuel my creativity. She is naturally talkative (very!) but has come to understand that it is in the peace of our garden or in the wilds of one of our adventure trips or in the moments when I am immersed in a great Clapton guitar solo, that I find my muse.

2. I started designing jewelry . . .

When I was forty years old and quite by chance.

Who knew that I would get obsessed by a small sheet of pure gold and translate that first obsession into a lifelong passion?

3. My favorite GURHAN piece is . . .

it's hard to pick favorites. It is one of the first earrings in my collection and continues to be a top seller. It has also become known as the — Angelina Jolie — earring, as she has been seen wearing the earring multiple times. I also really love making one-of-a-kind creations, and many of them are like works of art to me.

4. My personal jewelry that I can't live without is . . .

Definitely my wedding rings—I wear a stack of three of them to mark my betrothal, my marriage, and my ongoing celebration of my love for my wife!

Oh, and I also wear an ancient Ottoman amulet on a silk cord around my neck. It is framed in a simple pure gold bezel that I made when I first started making jewelry and I never travel without it. It is my talisman. It brings me back home safely.

It centers me.

The long Splash earring is one of them, although

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5. When I’m not designing jewelry, I’m . . .

Taking photographs. I started studying photography, initially out of the desire to shoot my own jewelry, but have since developed a passion for it. I have this incredible lens that weighs a ton but I don't go anywhere without it now . . . whether dawdling along the Hudson River park in Greenwich Village or away on one of our exotic travels or lounging in our living room.

6. My personal style icon is . . .

Well to be honest, no one, because I truly follow my own style.

But there are icons that have affected me in their fields and that therefore also influenced my designs indirectly: Lou Reed, Dali, Coco Chanel, and Steve Jobs.

7. One of my proudest moments . . .

Was being chosen to design a collection for The Metropolitan Museum of Art to commemorate the exhibition, Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul. This was so special because the source of my technique is the craft of the ancient goldsmiths and this exhibition was a pinnacle of the periods in which those masters lived.

8. What I’ve learned from running a global business is . . .

That’s Fiona’s territory! Apparently, the most important thing is to ask questions and listen, and ask questions and listen. Which I don’t always do very well. But Fiona, my partner and our company president, does it all the time and very well.

9. If I weren’t designing jewelry for a living . . .

I like the designing aspect of creating jewelry. So if I were not designing jewelry, I would probably be designing something else . . .

10. The next thing for me is . . .

More jewelry! More photos! More travel!

Gurhan collects pieces of antiquity such as these micromosaics made in Italy in the mid-18th century to the end of the 19th century, and creates beautiful, one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry by encasing them in twenty-four karat gold.

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Italia

A travel journal Writ te n a n d p h oto g ra p h e d by C h a d M e l l o n

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The biggest surprise about Italy was the pace, especially in Tuscany. To say that the Italian folks are in no hurry is an

understatemen

. Amazing

how slowing down and not rushing from one thing to the next in the name of getting things done actually feels like you’re getting more real quality life done.

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MY BEAUTIFUL WIFE JEN AND I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE JOY OF TRAVELING THE WORLD FOR PHOTOGRAPHY, BUT NOTHING PREPARED US FOR THE MAJESTIC HISTORY AND AWESOME BEAUTY THAT WE FOUND IN ITALY. WHEN WE LANDED IN FLORENCE, THERE WAS A MAGIC WE FELT AS SOON AS WE LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW AT THE GROUND NEXT TO THE RUNWAY. TALL GRASS WAS BLOWING IN THE BREEZE AND THE TUSCAN SUN WAS INDEED TRULY MESMERIZING. For a photographer attempting to capture the beauty of Italy through their lens, the most challenging element is that there is not enough time or film in the world that would allow him to capture all there is to see and shoot. After a few frustrating hours, I resigned myself to the fact that I would not be able to photograph all there was that inspired me. This

was a difficult realization, but also one that allowed me to relax and literally smell the roses.

When traveling, I choose not to shoot cliché brochure shots, figuring those exist already. Instead, I am drawn to the unexpected moments of life captured in a single shot. The boy on a balcony making a silly face at the camera, the wild fish market lady slinging octopus all around while yelling in Italian, or the cafe owner in a sleepy seaside village setting his tables for the day while a lazy cat prances by. These are moments of beauty to never be captured again, because they are just that — moments, fleeting, unexpected and gone forever except for the click of my camera.

Every country comes with its own quirks, language barriers, and its own “wow, that’s different!” moments. The biggest surprise about Italy was the pace, especially in Tuscany. To say that the Italian folks are in no hurry is an understatement.

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TUSCANY: An enchanted wedding in an enchanted region. Winding back roads and tiny towns leading to Sienna. We arrived in Sienna just after the annual Palio, and although we missed the race, we were there in time to celebrate until the wee hours of the morning with this year's winners. In Tuscany, you need to be prepared to drink lots of Chianti, eat lots of pesto pasta and salted meats, and to take in an indescribable beauty.

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The most amazing and satisfying thing for me to shoot is the small thing that if you were to walk too quickly, you would pass by, leaving it

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unnoticed

VENICE: Venice is one of the most marvelous wonders of human invention, a city literally sitting on water. To our surprise, Venice was very busy and very commercialized. With so many labyrinthine streets and alleys and cafe and restaurant possibilities, we were overwhelmed at ďŹ rst, but Venice soon became a place of wonder and mystery. The haunting quietness of an alleyway so narrow that you have to turn sideways to maneuver down it, the deep green of the water brilliantly highlighted by a narrow beam of sunlight through the ancient buildings, or pastry shop owners who are up before the city is awake, baking and preparing their aky delights in tiny Venetian kitchens . . . these are the things that made Venice a place of magic and a place of wonder.

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VERNAZZA - CINQUE TERRE: The town of Vernazza is a main road stretching from the train station depot to the ocean. As you walk from the depot you are overwhelmed by a town that time forgot and in which the bells of a church can be heard hourly. No motorized vehicles clutter the cobblestone streets. The ďŹ ve towns along the mountain side are connected by a hefty hike that is both ancient and romantic.

Our favorite restaurant was in an old fort on the mountainside called Bella Forte. We were met by the owner who, though having no reservations for the evening, treated us to a glass of wine and promptly did his best to seat us. We returned the following evening with reservations because the food was magniďŹ cent, the panoramic ocean view was breathtaking, and the Prosecco was bubbly.

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ROME to FLORENCE: Rome is the most amazing city on earth. Where else can you see the world's most elaborate backdrop for an epic story of passion, power, and imperialism? Rome is a vibrant and thriving city of what man has done best and worst with his hands. You can marvel at the cathedrals built in the name of God and the coliseum built in the name of sport and the cruelty of man. In Rome you feel a city alive in both its past and in its present.

We drove in a car from Rome to Florence. It was beautiful, it was vast, and it was worth every kilometer. This was the last stop of our Journey. By this point we were exhausted and missing our kids. The beautiful thing about Florence is that it is small — compared to Rome. We were able to see more museums in Florence and also relax a bit. The pace of Rome is hustle and bustle, but Florence is on Tuscan time.

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There is a common tendency to amplify color vibrancy when trying to sell a place to people online. The truth about certain places is that the colors, the grit, the true sense of the place, are far

more beautiful

manufactured beauty.

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than

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sprawling vine covered hill. When you sit down to dinner it seems anywhere in Italy, you must plan on the meal taking close to three hours. For Americans like us who are used to eating salads and water for dinner, this was a major adjustment. We learned to stop and observe and actually have deeper, longer conversations with not only each other, but the people around us. Amazing how slowing down and not rushing from one thing to the next in the name of getting things done actually feels like you’re getting more real quality life done.

The other surprise for both my wife and me was how safe we felt. Prior to leaving we were researching and YouTubing videos that showed us the dangers of pickpockets. We traveled by car and by train and never ran into a single problem. Common sense and trying hard not to look like a tourist helped; however, anytime you have a massive camera thrown around your neck, you’re going to look slightly out of place.

The highlight of the trip for both of us would be the small seaside town of Vernazza, one of five villages making up the region known as Cinque Terre (five towns). This particular town was magical for its colorful buildings cascading down from the hillside to the coast and the powerful church spire’s hourly toll, and even more so for the amazingly slow pace with which the residents live their lives. There it was again, a sense of quality over quantity.

The older men sit and play chess and laugh and talk while enjoying multiple rounds of cafe, and the children play in the streets that eventually make their way down to the sea.

The photos I had seen online of this charming town did not do the town justice. There is a common tendency to

amplify color vibrancy when trying to sell a place to people online. The truth about certain places is that the colors, the grit, the true sense of the place, are far more beautiful than manufactured beauty.

I am a lover of life and its details. Italy has a lot of details and a lot of life. I found myself drawn to and captivated by the way an older Italian couple helped each other cross the road, the simplicity of two lovers embracing in laughter on the Ponte Vecchio, or the narrow alley in Venice that eventually led to a slowly eroding ledge to which a buffeting dilapidated boat is tied. The most amazing and satisfying thing for me to shoot is the small thing that if you were to walk too quickly, you would pass by, leaving it unnoticed.

Any trip to another place that is wildly different from our own is exciting and full of wonder and awe. Going to a place with such long and rich history both ancient and modern takes the wonder and awe to a much deeper level.

Walking the streets of Rome, knowing that history was written on those very streets, that the great foundations of democracy were in some ways seeded there for our country to learn from and grow upon was mind boggling.

The beauty of the hospitality, the laughter, the dark eyes behind flowing brown hair — that is the essence of Italy to me — the life of joy and the pain of beauty among the mess.

Being able to live with less but still have more — more smiles, more time and more knowing that it’s the little moments, the small things that make a day matter. Our trip to Italy was satisfying and memorable, not because we toured every museum, rode a gondola in Venice, or made Italy be what we had believed Italy was supposed to be, but because we slowed down, felt Italy, breathed Italy, and tasted Italy.  FA L L & W I N T E R 2 0 1 2

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P h o to by B o b M e d n i kow

Italian Gold

Heritage BOB AND JAY MEDNIKOW AND THE BUYERS OF MEDNIKOW TRAVEL THE WORLD ATTENDING THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS INTERNATIONAL JEWELRY SHOWS in order to bring the best designer lines and newest and most beautiful collections to Memphis. Many of these shows, such as the stunning VicenzaOro show and the Basel show in Switzerland, are very exclusive, with only the world’s top jewelers receiving coveted invitations.

This past September, Bob Mednikow flew to Italy, accompanied by buyers Toni Green and Julie Maddox as guests of the VincenzaOro show. Between gelatos and intimate dinners with such renowned designers as Roberto Coin and Laura Bicego, the trio studied the jewelry featured in the three-story exhibition hall and visited designer studios, factories, and showrooms — including the stunning flagship headquarters of Nanis located in Vicenza.  48 | R i v i e r e

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STRAWBERRY TIRAMISU * * Tiramisù (literally: “Uplift me!”) is a dessert consisting of layers of ladyfingers soaked in coffee and liqueur and a cream made of mascarpone cheese, eggs, and sugar, covered with powdered chocolate. This recipe is a variation on the traditional.

1 package of ladyfingers 3-4 baskets of ripe strawberries 1 lemon 1/2 cup sugar, plus extra amount for the strawberries 2 egg yolks 1 cup mascarpone cheese

I’m inspired by the beauty of my beloved Italy and the discoveries of travel. My jewelry reflects simplicity in soft and sinuous shapes and blends essences of nature with material surfaces.

— LAURA BICEGO, NANIS

Wash, and chop the strawberries into cubes, keeping some strawberries to the side for decoration. Put them in a bowl with lemon juice and a few spoonfuls of sugar. Blend carefully and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (overnight is ideal, when possible).

When the strawberries are completely macerated (they must have produced juice enough to soak the ladyfingers), separate them from their juice with a strainer and set both juice and strawberries aside.

Now prepare the mascarpone cream: beat the yolks with 1/2 cup sugar until it dissolves completely. Add the mascarpone cheese and keep on blending until you obtain a smooth cream.

On a serving dish spread a few spoonfuls of mascarpone cream. Dip the ladyfingers into the filtered strawberry juice (if it is too sweet, add a few spoonfuls of water; or, only in case the tiramisù is not meant for children, you can add some limoncello liqueur). Place the ladyfingers on the layer of mascarpone cream. Place some strawberries on top and proceed by alternating layers of cream, ladyfingers, and strawberries. Finish with a layer of cream on top.

Decorate your tiramisù with the fresh strawberries that have been set aside and refrigerate for a few hours.

Bon appetit0!

Photo by Jay Adkins

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"I love thinking about the future . . .

I spend my time exploring the contemporary nature of things, gathering the emotions of the present and giving them an interpretation through my design."

— ALESSANDRO TESTI, REBECCA

SOFT RICOTTA AND DARK CHOCOLATE CHIP CAKE

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups white sugar 1 1/2 cups fresh ricotta cheese 2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature 3 eggs, separated 1 tablespoon yeast 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350° F ( 180° C).

In a large bowl, cream the egg yolks with the sugar with a mixer until thick.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour with the butter. Combine the two mixtures and add the yeast.

Whip the egg whites in a bowl until they form stiff peaks. Add the egg whites and chocolate chips to the batter.

Bake for 40 minutes in a lightly greased 9-inch baking pan.

Photo by Jay Adkins

What better way to end our celebration of Italy than with two delicious dessert recipes provided by designers Laura Bicego and Alessandro Testi? And who better to prepare these tiny works of art than Elfo’s owner and chef, Alex Grisanti?

Before running a kitchen and a business overtook his schedule, Alex Grisanti’s first passion had been working as a pastry chef. Preparing these luscious desserts led him to muse, “As I’ve grown older and time has passed, I’ve learned to slow down and enjoy my love for pastries once again.”

Alex says, “I would like the world to know that Italians produce a lot of beautiful jewelry, linens, and leather — but as far as desserts go, there are very few special desserts in each region. Instead, there is a great appreciation for delicious fruits and cheeses. The strawberry tiramisu would make a fine Southern region Easter dessert. The dark chocolate chip would be prepared for a special guest and served with a great glass of Moscato.”

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Italian

Inspired Jewelry designer Elizabeth Locke shares her love for Italy.

B y J e a n M a t h ew s

ELEGANT AND ARTFULLY CRAFTED IN 19 KARAT GOLD FROM ROMANTIC ELEMENTS such as Venetian glass, antique micro-mosaics, and unique gemstones, the jewels created by famed jewelry designer Elizabeth Locke are inspired by the antiquities of Italy’s past and the colors and beauty of Italy as it can be seen in its cities and countryside today. Elizabeth’s well-known affection for

Italy, as well as her frequent travels there, led us to approach her recently with a list of questions in hand. Her delightful answers not only satisfied our curiosity, they also shed light on what makes her collections so exceptional.

RIVIERE: What was the reason for your first trip to Italy?

EL: I went to Italy for the first time when I was eleven. My father was a professor and loved ancient ruins so we spent several summers exploring Italy. As a child I wasn’t interested in classical ruins and spent most of my time chasing lizards but obviously some of this early exposure to classicism must have rubbed off on me!

RIVIERE: Your love affair with Italian art is reflected in the beauty of the jewels that you create. Was it love at first sight?

EL: In a sense, yes. My parents were smart enough not to make us troop through museums for endless hours. I still remember seeing Carpaccio’s murals of San Giorgio in Venice — I went to see them every day probably because there was a very friendly looking lion sitting under the saint’s desk and a scary dragon in the background with various severed arms and legs strewn over a meadow. This is how you get a child interested in art!

When I was starting out we experimented with various colors of gold and the one

RIVIERE: There must have been certain things about Italy that you expected to be impressed by . . . and there must have also been things that you discovered that surprised you?

EL: I was so taken by Italy on that first trip when I was eleven that I promised myself that I would learn to speak Italian in college and then would move to Italy forever. Forever ended up being six years in Florence. Of course you are blown away by the big things — the architecture and the art that constantly surrounds you — but it’s the details that surprise and delight the most — doorknockers, for example, and downspouts. In Italy even the most mundane object can be a work of art.

that I liked the most just happened to be

19 kara

.

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Richly colored glass intaglios made from 17th-century molds are all individually designed by Elizabeth Locke and completely handmade in nineteen karat gold.

RIVIERE: What is it about Italy that you find so inspiring? The art? An attitude?

The architecture? The colors? A sense of timelessness?

EL: There’s just an innate interest in beauty everywhere you look. And there’s that lovely faded grandeur that's so seductive. Everything has been smoothed and softened by the passage of time RIVIERE: How did you develop such a skill for collecting the beautiful artifacts that you have incorporated into your designs?

EL: I’m a very visual person so everywhere I go I am looking at everything. I enjoy discovering antique bits that can be recycled into jewelry but then I’m always buying antique bits just because I’m attracted to them. I once bought a section of wrought iron fence in India that had young Queen Victoria’s profile in it. It’s now a gate in my garden and I remember where I bought it each time I go through the gate.

RIVIERE: What is your creative process like? How do you take a particular element, such as a luminous piece of Venetian glass or a nineteenth-century micro-mosaic and envision it as part of a completed jewel? Or do you have a certain sketch or “look” in mind — and search for an element that will “fit” the setting?

EL: I buy things because they appeal to me but I never know what they will become when I buy them. Sometimes

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they sit around for years and years before they tell me what they want to be. I never sketch and then try to find a stone that will work. I always start with the stone first.

in Venice. For the last several years the organization has been restoring San Sebastiano, a sixteenth-century church that was completely decorated by Paolo Veronese. It is incredibly satisfying to see the paintings, frescoes, altarpieces and ceiling return to their former glory.

RIVIERE: Your jewels are so unique — even the gold used for the settings and mountings is unusual. Why do you use 19 karat gold?

EL: When I was starting out we experimented with various colors of gold and the one that I liked the most just happened to be 19 karat. It’s a very yellow gold and I think it flatters almost everyone who wears it.

RIVIERE: What is your favorite thing to do in Italy on a rainy weekday?

EL: If it’s winter I would go to Cafe Rivoire in Florence and order a hot chocolate with whipped cream and watch the people walking by. The faces are absolutely unchanged from the faces you see in Renaissance paintings.

RIVIERE: Could you share with our readers some of your favorite Italian cities and the must-go places on your travel itinerary?

EL: Well, of course you should see the major tourist cities — Rome, Florence and Venice. But if you have time many of the best things are off the beaten track. Torino and Genoa are both fantastic and few people ever go there. Perhaps the most fun is to rent a car and drive slowly from Rome to Florence stopping in small towns along the way.

RIVIERE: Is there a particular meal or dish that you always make a point of ordering when in Italy? Maybe there is something you have learned to prepare at home in Virginia?

EL: A real Bellini in Venice. Castagnaccio in Florence (chestnut flour and pignoli cake). Anything with artichokes anywhere.

I learned to cook when I lived in Italy so I am pretty good at making Italian dishes.

But now that I'm a carbophobe I specialize in Italian vegetable dishes.

RIVIERE: Have you developed any particular ties or personal relationships to any local Italian causes?

EL: My husband and I have both been involved with “Save Venice” for almost 30 years. We raise funds to restore and maintain works of art and monuments

RIVIERE: What time of year is your favorite time to travel to Italy?

EL: It's pretty hard to beat a beautiful May day in Italy when the temperature is perfect and there isn't a cloud in the sky but I really like going in the dead of winter when there are no tourists and you

I'm a very

visual person

so everywhere I go I

am looking at everything. I enjoy discovering antique bits that can be recycled into jewelry but then I'm always buying antique bits just because I'm attracted to them.

can walk right up to a Giotto and be the only person in the room. Because there are few visitors then doors open that are normally closed.

RIVIERE: What is your best travel advice for first-time travelers to Italy?

EL: It’s impossible to see everything so don’t even try. Just enjoy being there rather than ticking off sights you feel you must see. Go out and walk and get lost — you will find something wonderful that you wouldn't have seen otherwise. And stop frequently for gelato!

is something that you have been able to achieve. What’s that like? What do you hope the wearer of your jewelry will feel or experience when they wear your jewels?

EL: Of course I hope that whoever buys my designs will appreciate the goldsmith's skill and hard work that went into making the piece. I also hope that the jewelry makes them feel special and brings a touch of beauty to everyday life. 

RIVIERE: All artists create in order to make beauty tangible — and many artists create because they want to share their vision of beauty with others — which

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Find your passion

IRIS

Explore IRIS Orchestra 1801 Exeter Road Germantown, Tennessee 38138 901.751.7669 www.IRISOrchestra.org

Much as

diamonds

now happily

dazzle us in the daytime, statement rings have escaped the conďŹ nes of the cocktail hour.

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Express

Yourself With A Statement Ring

TALKING WITH YOUR HANDS ADDS A CERTAIN OOMPH TO YOUR WORDS, and a fabulous statement ring amps up the conversation. Singular and boldly expressive, statement rings add punctuation to becoming the go-to piece you like to wear everyday because it’s “you.”

Much as diamonds now dazzle us in the daytime, statement rings have escaped the confines of the cocktail hour.

Finding a ring that talks your language is easy. No matter what you have to say, or how you say it, there’s a beautiful ring that expresses you and your mood beautifully.

And when you find the ring you love, because it’s on your hand, you can enjoy it, too! Sometimes it's fun to talk to yourself! 

Eighteen karat gold Mednikow rings in watercolor tones of amethyst, honey quartz and citrine

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One-of-a-kind yellow sapphire ring with yellow and white diamonds by Stephen Webster.

Eighteen karat white and yellow gold and pave diamond bands by Pomellato.

Show-stopping three carat diamond ring with pave diamond accents.

Cushion-cut rutilated quartz ring with diamonds by Carelle.

Turquoise cabochon with blue zircons

by Elizabeth Locke and blue topaz watercolor ring by Mednikow.

Green quartz ring by Stephen Webster.

Handcrafted traditional signet and crest rings in eighteen karat yellow gold or sterling silver.

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Richly carved sterling silver ring featuring blue agate featuring rock crystal by Stephen Webster.

Bangles

& Cuffs

IT MIGHT BE A SPECTACULAR DIAMOND BRACELET, A BOLD CUFF OF STERLING SILVER STUDDED WITH COLORFUL STONES OR A GOLD CUFFLET DELICATELY ENCRUSTED WITH DIAMONDS. On the other hand, it could be a wristful of gold and silver bangles. And of course, it could also be a stack of fabled silver cables capped with gemstones.

No matter what adorns them, wrists are the newest center of fashion focus, and with the mad variety of bracelets available, wearing your heart on your sleeve has never been so much fun.

Bracelets offer a rainbow of ways to express a mood and accent an outfit.

Cuffs and bangles are delightfully self-indulgent and, like rings, bracelets allow a woman to see and enjoy the beauty of the jewelry she is wearing.

And for one who comes bearing gifts, a bracelet is an excellent choice. Part of the allure of wearing bangles is the creativity that comes into play when putting them together. A collection of bangles allows you to indulge in creative math, adding and subtracting, and substituting until she comes up with her perfect look — at least for that day, and tomorrow’s outfit might express a completely different mood.

On the other hand, or wrist, many women find and fall in love with a particular cuff that becomes their signature. Without their personal statement bangle on their wrist, they feel almost undressed . . . and they are right. 

Evocative wide Etruscan cuff in sterling silver, eighteen karat yellow gold and precious stones and its companion bracelet in sterling silver with eighteen karat gold and diamonds.

Bold but easy to wear wide cuff bracelet by John Hardy in sterling silver and eighteen karat yellow gold.

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Sterling silver and twenty-four karat gold cuff by Gurhan.

Contemporary but feminine eighteen karat yellow gold cuff bracelet encrusted with diamonds.

Nanis bangle bracelets feature artful textures created with pave set marcasites and engraved sterling silver.

Stephen Webster’s mysterious and edgy cuff in sterling silver with grey cat’s eye stones.

A stack of Mednikow’s “add a diamond” bracelets makes memories and marks special occasions.

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Amethyst and Prasiolite Jewelry

Trendy

Vintage WHETHER YOUR LOOK IS BOHEMIAN OR CONTEMPORARY, VINTAGE JEWELRY STRIKES JUST THE RIGHT NOTE. When paired with lace or velvet, an antique locket suspended on a handmade chain provides sweet harmony. Vintage pieces have a dreamy, nostalgic persona that whispers romance. If an outfit is casual and contemporary, a vintage piece of jewelry provides the perfect counterpoint. The takeaway from the fashion runway is that the speed-dial to chic is to accent one look with an entirely different one.

Not only do opposites attract — they make a very attractive couple. Adding a one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry to an up-to-the-minute outfit adds up to a trendy look that is uniquely all your own. 

Vintage Chanel toggle bracelet with iconic charms.

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Antique lockets on handmade fourteen karat gold chains set with precious stones.

Romantic white or yellow gold antique stick pins re-imagined as pendants.

Vintage pieces have a dreamy, nostalgic persona that whispers

romance

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Blue Topaz Earrings and Vintage Locket

The Mednikow “Shimmer Necklace” with round diamonds in white, yellow, or rose gold. Why we love: Sparkling diamonds shimmer like starlight the moment they touch the skin.

Playlist

Diamond hoop earrings

by Roberto Coin. Why we love: The beauty is in the variety — big, little, wide, skinny, inside and outside — there's a size that looks perfect on everyone.

Things we love at Mednikow WHEN YOU WANT TO FEEL GOOD, YOU CAN ALWAYS TURN TO YOUR PLAYLIST. These are the songs that instantly connect you to a special person, or a feeling, or a memory — the music with a beat or a lyric that you could listen to again and again. 

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Personalized gold necklace with hand- stamped charms and sparkling briolettes by Heather B. Moore.

Why we love: Deeply personal and fun way to express yourself, your life, your loves.

Sensual but seriously classic oval link chain of eighteen karat rose gold and onyx by Nanis. Why we love: Ingeniously designed chains and bracelets with invisible clasps allow you to take this necklace to any length.

Openly beautiful eighteen karat yellow gold cuff bracelet by Nanis with a honeycomb of pave set diamonds. Why we love: Quite simply one of the most beautiful bracelets we've ever seen.

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Opera-length golden South Sea pearl and stormy grey diamond bead necklace. Why we love: Two of our favorite things put together in an utterly original way to be worn in a variety of ways.

Antique cushion cut diamonds and sapphires in antique reproduction settings. Why we love: The authenticity of pairing real, old mine diamonds in beautiful, new handcrafted settings from the period in which the diamonds were cut.

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The Mednikow Watercolor Collection of earrings, rings, and necklaces. Why we love: Captures the clear, soft colors of nature and brings them closer.

These are the pieces of music with a beat or a lyric that you could listen to again and

again.

Mednikow's own original take on “diamonds by the yard,� featuring emerald-cut diamonds. Why we love: Like wearing Versailles around your neck, dozens of bezel set diamonds dance on this chain like mirrors in tiny gilded frames.

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Mednikow's “go to any length” pearls in 36-inch and 50-inch lengths — or strung as long as you want to go. Why we love: Because there is no such thing as too much of a beautiful thing.

For now and later, diamond studs and attachable pear-shaped diamond drops. Why we love: There's nothing more beautiful than a pair of exquisite diamond studs, at least until you add a pair of dazzling diamond drops.

A bracelet for all reasons and seasons, the Mednikow Add-a-Diamond Bracelet. Why we love: The perfect way to keep track of your life's most important moments.

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Monica Rich Kosann's eighteen karat gold compass diamond and moonstone pendant.

Why we love: Even if we were lost, this necklace would make us feel better about it.

Sterling silver and brown topaz oval locket by Monica Rich Kosann. Why we love: What better way to keep the faces of your loved ones close to your heart.

Bracelet and necklace in eighteen karat gold by Pomellato. Why we love: A style to wear today and forever everywhere and anytime — enough said!

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Black

Diamonds BLACK DIAMONDS HAVE THEIR OWN GLAMOROUS CACHET—IN FACT, THEY EVEN SOUND SEDUCTIVE AND MYSTERIOUS. And where there is mystery, people will talk. Part of the excitement and fun of owning black diamonds is in the interest and compliments elicited by this glittery gemstone.

Elizabeth Hainen, a renowned harpist and soloist who performs with orchestras all over the world, notices that when she travels, the attention-grabbing mystique of her black diamond beads leads to curious questions and comments.

Elizabeth’s husband, Dave De Peters of Germantown's IRIS Orchestra, surprised her with a strand of faceted black diamond beads for a special occasion.

Dave was ecstatic when Elizabeth was so delighted by his gift, wearing the necklace everyday and for the stage as well. Dave explains, “The great thing about her black diamond jewelry is that under the brightness of the stage lighting, it glitters so beautifully — the pieces have a special presence, but they are not distracting.

They’re perfect.”

According to Jay Mednikow, the reason black diamonds possess this kind of star quality is no mystery. With the same DNA as their clear counterparts, black diamonds are the hardest natural gemstone, and can be polished to a brilliant, mirror-like finish.

Jay explains, “Their hardness is the unique quality that allows a designer to create stunning pieces of jewelry. Every facet of the black diamond forms a glittering junction with the other facets, and the end result is a lovely counterpoint with the smooth, gleaming finish of eighteen karat rose or white gold.” 

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Black diamonds

glitter magically

in settings

of eighteen karat rose gold and white gold with white diamonds providing a sparkling contrast.

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Acamaraderie Wr i t te n a n d P h o to g r a p h e d B y J o n W. S p a r k s

WHEN SOMEONE SAYS, “IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC,” KEEP IN MIND THAT IT’S NOT TRUE. It wasn’t true for Beethoven, nor was it for the Beatles.

Because the music alone is nothing without the emotion, the inspiration, the creation. What good is the technically perfect performance that has no soul?

There’s no shortage of soul with DeltaCappella, the Memphis a cappella vocal band of twelve men who love to make music and everything it takes to make that music, which sometimes includes driving fourwheelers, appearing at movie premieres, joking around, eating in style and collaborating on everything from the music to the outfits they wear on stage.

It’s a great camaraderie and that is just about as important as the music itself for Jay Mednikow.

Jay’s day job is running the family jewelry business, which is very much destiny since he’s the fifth generation to be involved in the Memphis-based company.

But he has a roving and curious mind that appreciates far more than the beauty of a well-cut gem. When he was a student at Harvard, he was a member of Din & Tonics, the school’s a cappella singing group. Later in graduate school, he joined the Pitchforks of Duke University.

After graduation, he left the groups, but the sublime enjoyment of performing never left him. So, after coming back home to Memphis to start a family, he felt the need to sing a cappella again.

But it wasn’t easy.

For a time, Jay sang with the now-defunct Memphis Vocal Arts Ensemble. “It was more classical and art music centered

and nothing like what I did in college, so in 2006, I decided to quit waiting for an a cappella group to form — and I decided to do it myself.”

STARTING FROM SCRATCH But it took someone else to make it happen the way Jay wanted.

Meet Deke Sharon: “This music was bubbling out of Jay, so he went straight to the source,” Deke says. “He called me and said he wanted to create an a cappella group of national caliber.”

Deke comes with his own amazing story. He sang a capDeke Sharon pella when he was attending Tufts University in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He directed the school’s Beelzebubs and took it from a traditional sounding group to the forerunner of the contemporary a cappella sound.

Contemporary a cappella is a very different tune from traditional a cappella.

Here’s how Deke describes it: “It uses full, dense rich textures that are compelling and in the same vein as what’s going on on P h o to by J e a n M a t h e w s the radio. So there are different vocal techniques, percussion and beatboxing with replicated instrumental sound and having one voice per part so you have many more layers.”

For Deke, it’s important to understand the history of vocal music. “Vocal sounds were the first music,” he says, “and it has been a significant driving force throughout popular as well as church music over time. Madrigals have been around for centuries and are really a version of contemporary a cappella.”

America has put its own stamp on the art form. “Later there were all kinds of gospel music and spirituals,” Deke says.

“Barbershop quartets started as an African-American tradition, largely improvised. In doo-wop, guys would sing

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in a stairwell or under a street lamp and make up songs. Record producers got them into the studios and put instruments behind them, but at its core, doo-wop was a vocal tradition.”

Deke says that in the late ’90s, even as contemporary a cappella was making strides, musicians like Bobby McFerrin were appearing on the hit charts. “It’s another renaissance of a cappella,” he says.

While at Tufts, Deke formed the Contemporary A Cappella Society as well as the Ultimate A Cappella Arranging Service. He knew he was on to something

big and decided to make a career of contemporary a cappella. He went back to his hometown of San Francisco and changed the name of his arranging service to TotalVocal. Before long, college groups were adopting Deke’s approach to contemporary a cappella and using his arrangements.

For comparison, he says a barbershop group — which might have 50 members — will still use traditional four-part harmony. “But nowadays,” he says, “if you have a 10-voice a cappella group you have a lead, a bass, several doing vocal

What I knew was that I enjoyed the

camaraderie

and style of music I sang in college and business school.

I wanted to recreate the Din & Tonics and Pitchforks here in Memphis. — Jay Mednikow

harmonies and one or more replicating instrumental sounds making a dense rhythmic texture.”

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of watching NBC’s The Sing-Off competition during any of its three seasons, you saw not only contemporary a cappella at its best, but a great deal of Deke’s handiwork.

He was a producer on that show and also was a producer of the Universal Pictures comedy Pitch Perfect that opened in September.

So Deke’s expertise in the area was just what Jay was looking for.

“What I knew was that I enjoyed the

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camaraderie and style of music I sang in college and business school,” Jay says. “I wanted to recreate the Din & Tonics and Pitchforks here in Memphis.”

But groups like that scarcely existed out of a college environment. “Most professional groups were five to seven people, each of whom held his own microphone, had an outstanding voice and could do it full-time as a vocal band,” Jay says. “That wasn’t my goal. I wanted a post-collegiate group singing in the college style.”

In January of 2006 he hired Jean Mathews, a marketing specialist and the former executive director of the Memphis Vocal Arts Ensemble, a chorus with whom he had sung and served as board president. Jay explains that his work with the MVAE taught him that running an arts group and running a business may have some overlap — but they are still two very different animals.

“I already had a day job,” he laughs, “ So I needed someone else with energy and time to devote to making my dream become a reality. “ Jean began by providing the name of the group, DeltaCappella.

Jay and Deke talked about what would work. “My ideas were about Ivy League close harmony, but Deke had a different sound,” Jay says. “In the end, we wound up with our own sound, a Memphis sound. If we’d stuck to my model, it might not have been as successful.”

Jay and Deke wanted the sort of people that would make the group really pop.

“At the time, there was just me and two other friends I sang with,” Jay says, “and we wanted to find nine other singers.”

Deke came to Memphis to help with the auditions. He says, “We weren’t looking for just weekenders and or drinking buddies. We wanted to do something at the highest level while keeping in mind that everyone would have day jobs.”

The three started listening to the local talent. “We took the best people and the most exciting,” Deke says. “And they were in no way uniform — there was incredible diversity, with different ages, races, backgrounds, and socioeconomic status.

It was exciting that it was so varied and so musically strong. From the get-go, it represented the Memphis community in many sizes, shapes, and background.”

And so DeltaCappella came to life, singing in its own voice.

Deke recalls the challenge and reward of creating a new group, one of the first larger post-collegiate groups in the country that performed as a hobby, not a profession.

“Now there are dozens nationwide.” With DeltaCappella leading the way, other a cappella groups have cropped up in Memphis, including RIVA, an all-female group, and the all-male RSVP. DeltaCappella performed with RIVA in a collaboration with Opera Memphis and Playhouse on the Square in the singular 2011 production A Midsummer Night’s Dream, in which DeltaCappella and RIVA provided the “voicestra” in the original score written by Michael Ching.

“That sort of performance and artistic reach wasn’t even imagined, but it shows how DeltaCappella has become an incredible success,” Deke says. Even the Wall Street Journal took notice with a stellar review of the world’s first completely

a cappella opera.

Jay looks back at how the group worked its way up to performing in that extraordinary production at Playhouse on the Square.

“We started with twelve singers who had never sung together and we stuck with easy music at first,” Jay says. “Then we volunteered to sing in as many places as we could to get known out there. We’d

all show up and sing for free at black-tie galas, private parties, or even went to Beale Street and would sing for a few minutes. Soon we started getting hired by corporations and then we rented venues like GPAC and the Orpheum, selling tickets and giving concerts while establishing our reputation for variety and diversity. We’ve even done joint concerts with groups like Take 6 and Naturally 7.”

Also — and this is essential — the singers were developing that camaraderie so valued by Jay.

There are weekly rehearsals typically followed by socializing at a nearby eatery.

Joining them at rehearsals is the group’s executive director, Jean Mathews — known to the fellas as DeltaCaMama — who in addition to having a hand in the artistic direction of the group, also tends to the more literal details of herding twelve men hither, thither and yon.

Early in the formation of DeltaCappella, Jay and Jean had a conversation in which they discussed a mutual conviction — that putting music into the world is a positive thing. “Music lifts people up and raises the water table of goodness in the world,” Jean says. “That in turn can affect an entire community, just as it is an uplifting thing for the musician.”

CATFISH ON THE TABLE This past October, most of the members of DeltaCappella attended what has become their annual “Catfish on the Table Retreat” near Coffeeville, Mississippi. The location is a rustic cabin owned by one of their most enthusiastic fans, Betty Pechak, that is well out of the way and just off an unpaved county road. As soon as the men gathered, Jay handed out a new piece of music and played a version of it on his iPhone as the guys listened not just to the tune, but for the parts within it.

The vocal band’s approach is collaborative and the men enjoy taking apart a song and putting it back together again. At the retreat, they discussed what would work best, how to interpret passages and what they could do to keep it at the highest level.

After some intent studying and discussion, they started singing and then immediately

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Music lifts people up and raises the water table of

goodness in the world

. That in turn can

affect an entire community, just as it is uplifting for the musician. — Jean Mathews deconstructed what they had just done. In short order, they had gotten a handle on the song, enough that with a little more polishing, they could perform it the next day.

After the morning session, it was time for the lunch from which the retreat gets its name. Crispy fried catfish and hush puppies are prepared on site by cooks from a local diner who often join the group as they dine. At that moment, there was no better and no more welcome meal to be found in or near the Mississippi Delta. After lunch, it was recreation time and three four-wheelers that were on the property got a workout from the ensemble. Some were skilled at it and others were mounting the off-road vehicles for the first time. All managed to survive and, after a photo shoot, the men went back inside to rehearse some more.

The next day, the ensemble performed at Coffeeville Methodist Church as a thank you to their hostess, Betty Pechak.

And with Betty and her generosity lies a story of how a group that makes beautiful music inspires its supporters.

Betty, who lives in Memphis, is an original. She is strong and determined and long involved in civic and arts organizations. Betty, a friend of Jean and Jay, quickly became a fan. Jean, who knew of Betty’s cabin in Coffeeville, asked if she’d consider having the group spend a 98 | R i v i e r e

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weekend for a retreat.

The first retreat, in 2008, established a tradition that DeltaCappella has enjoyed every year since, much like a family reunion. Every year has been memorable and distinct, with skeet shooting, playing pool, and roving the land in four-wheelers.

And every time, they rehearse, perform and collaborate on the music.

Since all the members of DeltaCappella have day jobs, rehearsal is a couple of hours every Monday, Unfortunately the regular rehearsal schedule doesn’t allow for a deeper study and appreciation of making their music.

“They’re striving for the professional sound that comes from hours of rehearsal,” Jean says. “So that’s how the retreat

came to be, the desire to be able to have intensive rehearsals without the distractions of everyday life.”

The final event of every retreat is the church concert Sunday morning. The church ladies fix a potluck lunch with all manner of cakes and pies for dessert. The singers get to eat first, in part because they’re guests, but also because the congregation wants them to hurry and finish their lunches so that they can sing more.

And the members of DeltaCappella are dedicated, as illustrated by the fact that they can sing after second helpings of so many casseroles and pot roasts and fried chicken and caramel cake.

“I feel like the songs and the music that DeltaCappella puts into the world and before their audiences makes the world a more beautiful, more decent place,” Jean says, “and it is wonderful to not only hear their music and witness the specialness that is DeltaCappella, but to be a part of the camaraderie of such an amazing group of awesome guys.”

And as for the future, Jay sees lots more beautiful music on the horizon.

“We want to continue to improve our musicality and expand our audience by doing more diverse music,” he says. “Our goal is to keep doing better and better within the framework of an avocation and not a full-time job. Some former members have gone on to make music their full time profession, and some current members have full-time jobs that involve music too, such as schoolteachers and a minister of music. But DeltaCappella is not anyone’s full-time job. We’re exactly where we want to be while working to improve our music and enjoy the camaraderie.” 

Pitch Perfect The movie poster shows seven college girls in maximum take-noprisoners attitude. What could they possibly have in common with a dozen diverse gentlemen in a vocal band from Memphis?

Keep in mind that in Tinsel Town, all things are possible.

Hollywood has gotten in on the contemporary a cappella movement by way of the recent music-rich comedy Pitch Perfect.

The film is fiction but based on Mickey Rapkin’s nonfiction chronicle of collegiate a cappella groups competing in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella.

In the movie, an all-girl a cappella group does battle in singing competitions against all-boy groups as well as their own insecurities. There is comedy, romance, a few gross-out moments and, of course, music. Lots of vocal music.

It’s that vocal music that the film shares with the Memphis dozen known as DeltaCappella.

When Pitch Perfect had a sneak preview in September at the Malco Paradiso Theater, the men of DeltaCappella were invited to sing a couple of tunes before the screening.

“I loved the movie,” declares Jay Mednikow, who formed DeltaCappella in 2006. When he heard an a cappella movie was in the works, he was cautious. “The target market is twenty years younger than I am, although I knew I’d like the subject matter,” he says. “But they did a great job of translating the

book into a contemporary romantic comedy.”

Jay says one of the winning aspects was the musical selections.

“The songs are just current enough so they’re fresh, but not so new or obscure that the average music lover wouldn’t know them.”

Deke Sharon, who founded the

Contemporary A Cappella Society in the early 1990s when he was a student at Tufts University, is one of the founding fathers of the musical art form that goes well beyond glee clubs and barbershop quartets.

Deke, a vocal music arranger, was prominent in the book and was a producer of NBC’s The Sing-Off as

well as Pitch Perfect where he gave the actors a how-to in performing contemporary a cappella.

“When they contacted me, they knew for the movie to work as a comedy, it didn’t make any sense unless the music was ultimately compelling,” Deke says. “So I was brought in behind the scenes to maximize the quality. The people cast were actors, not singers. Of the core members of the all-woman Bella group, only one had any significant experience. The rest of them were all eager but it takes time, so I gave them a crash course. It wasn’t an easy experience at first, but the nature of making this work at its greatest has to be at the highest level.

They couldn’t just sing ‘Hey, Lollipop’ or ‘Mr. Sandman’ — they really needed to do amazing ten-part complicated mashups. I taught them instrumental sounds so they could get up on stage and replicate it.”

It’s been a wild ride for Deke.

“When I was in the Beelzebubs at Tufts University,” he says, “I wanted to continue this kind of music when I graduated and share it so others could experience the style, fun and camaraderie.”

He says that against all odds, it worked out wonderfully. “People said I was crazy but now I’ve got a book coming out of my own on arranging a cappella, I was involved in the movie, I was a producer of The Sing-Off and I’ve been performing overseas. So it’s really crazy — it’s exploded in such an impressive way.” 

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Mednikow

Renovation

Interior designer Bonnie Manson shares creative decorating basics and offers insight into how they figured into the redesign of Mednikow’s showroom in 2013.

COLOR: For the renovation of Mednikow we chose a warm, feminine palette. Most jewelry is bought either for a woman, or by a woman, so we wanted women to feel immediately comfortable and embraced as soon as they entered the store. I am a big believer in “the three to five second rule” which means that when one enters any space, you immediately feel comfortable . . . or not. We wanted Mednikow customers to feel welcomed by the store itself as well as by the staff.

MIRRORS: I love the twinkle and sense of expansion that mirrors create. Having mirrors in differing vertical planes allows us to assess how we look up close and far away as we try on a piece of jewelry.

Mirrors are somewhat magical, so they add to the moment of buying a great piece of jewelry.

PATTERN and TEXTURE: We selected simple, elegant finishes for Mednikow’s renovation. I designed the original store 20 years ago, so we had great “bones to work with.” The new carpet is a custom carpet with a cut and loop textured pattern in a lush, soft apricot colorway. At the entry, we designed new stone flooring utilizing Calcutta marble, soft white with gold veining, and accented with a black galaxy granite border. Walls are a soft silver, textured wall covering and the new chandeliers are elegant frosted glass bowls hung with silver cording and tassels. Very chic and yet understated.

LIGHTING: The lighting is designed to highlight the jewelry and yet be discreet at the same time. Mednikow’s customers are often buying jewelry for life's significant events — a wedding ring, an anniversary present, or to mark the birth of a child — so all elements of the store must blend together to be a proper showcase for the jewelry.

SIGNATURE TOP TIP: My best decorating tip is to select tasteful, classic finishes and fabrics and to use them with discretion. 

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Events Parties at Mednikow

Jewelry by Gurhan, David Yurman, and Rebecca added panache to the fashions modeled by the Germantown Charity Horse Show princesses at the annual Pegasus Spring Fashion Show and Luncheon which took place at the Racquet Club.

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Events Parties

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Mednikow’s designer trunk show events are the perfect place to catch up with friends for a relaxing evening of cocktails and tempting appetizers. Whether it is the annual “Girls’ Night Out Summer Party” or one of Mednikow’s dazzling designer shows, celebrations at Mednikow are always festive gatherings no one wants to miss.

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Events Parties

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The sense of family and friendship makes every party at Mednikow an event to remember.

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