Gino Rosaria Won't Stop

throughout my teenage years, I never had a piano. But I would always go to people's homes and practice on their pianos, because a lot of people I knew had pianos as decoration in their living rooms, so they would let me come over and practice. I would be there for hours practicing."

When he turned 18, he moved to the U.S., and everything changed. It was a big transition moving to a country where everything was readily available and in abundance, he said.

"I was not used to that—even for music," Rosaria said. "I thought I knew a lot about music before I came here. I realized that there was so much that I did not know because we didn't have that information available to us on the island growing up. It just wasn't there. Internet wasn't big back then like it is now. I didn't even know what a viola was, that a viola existed until I came here. I was able to go see an orchestra play. I had never seen an orchestra."

He took viola lessons for two years, just out of curiosity.

Rosaria's family hadn't pushed music in his life. There, you couldn't make a living through music.

"I've been exposed to so many different cultures, to where when I play, I can bring all these elements together and create my own sound I think is different from what a lot of other people are doing," Rosaria said.

The title track of his new album is a boogie type of song, he said.

"You can almost play it on repeat, and it just makes you want to dance the whole time," Rosaria said. "A lot of people tell me that they play that song a lot, and never get tired of it."

While Rosaria isn't a big dancer himself, he likes to make others dance.

"I love to be able to create something that allows people to enjoy themselves to it," Rosaria said. "I feel like through that, I can be a blessing in their life. People go through a lot of things and have rough days and sometimes you can just dance it off and for a little while you can forget about your problems and have a good time."

"Interlude," is different from any other on the album.

but album, "Still Waters Run Deep," in 2019, and, to his surprise, it hit Billboard the first week.

"A bunch of radio stations picked up my music, and it just took off from there," Rosaria said. "When I released the second album, I named it 'Don't Stop Now,' because I was on a good roll and I decided, I can't stop now and I gotta keep going."

Rosaria's latest album is two years in the making, and he's excited to finally release it after being postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The concept was to make it fun.

"Even though it's instrumental music, I want people to be able to get up and dance to it," Rosaria said. "A lot of people hear jazz, and they think of music you lounge to or music you sit by the fireplace and listen to. I wanted to bring that to a different level and make it more fun aspects of jazz, where people can enjoy and have a good time to music that doesn't have words in it."

for a bigger venue at Pensacola State College.

The concert will feature opening act Adrian Crutchfield, who played saxophone for Prince the last five years of Prince's life.

"He was the one who was in charge of the choreography for the horn players," Rosaria said. "He worked very closely with Prince, but he's also an amazing sax player. It's going to be an exciting and high-energy show and we're going to have a good time."

The truth is, not much has ever stopped Rosaria—not even not having an instrument. He's loved music since he was a kid, always wanting to be around musicians and listening to music where he was born and raised in Curacao in the Caribbean.

His first instrument was a child's keytar from his parents around age 2 or 3.

"I started taking piano lessons at 12, but even then, I still didn't have a piano," Rosaria said. "All

"Those kinds of opportunities are just not available as they are here," Rosaria said. "They were more into, 'Focus on your schoolwork,' and all of that stuff."

Because of it, Rosaria hustled, double majoring in computer science and music and working simultaneously. He earned his master's in classical music performance.

While Rosaria studied and loved classical music, jazz won him over—he was inspired by the likes of jazz pianists Oscar Peterson, Art Tatum and Michel Camilo.

"Most of them had a classical background and then they switched over to jazz," Rosaria said. "I like the freedom of it. I like the ability to be able to create on the spot. I can play the same song at three different concerts, and it never sounds the same because it's jazz. It's just whatever you feel in the moment."

What Rosaria believes sets his music apart is where he was raised. His culture is a blend of many others, he said.

"I just sat at the piano and played the first thing that came to my mind, and I recorded it," Rosaria said. "I never changed it. I didn't edit it. I left it the way it was. And I put that on the album. So it is some raw ideas that I put on the album and that's a pretty brave thing to do."

Brave is certainly a theme in his life.

"I never thought that someday I would be flying all over the U.S.," Rosaria said. "Growing up, I heard of musicians who did that, like, 'Man, it's so cool that they get to do that,' but I never thought I would be able to do it myself one day." {in}

Gino Rosaria Album Release Concert

WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday, March 25

WHERE: Jean & Paul Amos Performance Studio, 1000 College Blvd., Bldg. 23 COST: Tickets start at $45 DETAILS: ginorosaria.com

NONPROFITS & FUNDRAISERS

THE ESCAMBIA-SANTA ROSA BAR FOUNDATION ACCEPTING GRANT APPLICATIONS FOR 2023 The Escambia-Santa Rosa Bar Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Escambia-Santa Rosa Bar Association, is currently accepting grant applications for 2023. Grants are awarded to organizations that successfully demonstrate how a proposed program aligns with one or more of the tenets of the mission of the Foundation, which are to foster greater accessibility to the judicial system, improvements to the overall quality of the administration of justice, law-related education and increased public awareness of the judicial system, and improved management and operation of the court system.

Grants awards are typically in the $500$1,500 range. For more information on the Foundation and to download an application form, visit esrba.com/bar-foundation/about-esrbf.

Sock Hop For Centre 4 Excellence

The Sock Hop is a fundraising event for The Centre 4 Excellence of Pensacola to fund Jamie's Mom's House, an organization that helps those who have lost loved ones from the opioid crisis, and the A.W.A.R.E Initiative, which is taking part in the fight against human trafficking. The SOCK Hop is 5-9 p.m., Saturday, March 25, at Moose Lodge, 8851 Lewis St. More information at centre4excellence.org.

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O'RILEY'S IRISH PUB MARCH MADNE

ZZ FUNDRAISER O'Riley's Irish Pub's March Madnezz charity fundraiser is Saturday, March 25, from 4-7 p.m., located at 321 S. Palafox. The event is open to people 21 years of age and up. Proceeds benefit the Boys & Girls Club of The Emerald Coast. The fundraiser will feature several opportunities for attendees to donate. A live and silent auction will each be held, featuring prizes donated by both local and national businesses. A form for cash donations and prizes for the auction is available on the official event page on orileyspub.com. Tickets to the event can be purchased for $25 on the March Madnezz Event-

ANIMAL ALLIES BINGO Animal Allies hosts bingo twice a month at Scenic Hills Country Club, 8891 Burning Tree Road. 10 rounds of bingo for $10 with cash prizes for winners. Food and drinks are also available for purchase. A full bar and restaurant offer special adult beverages just for Bingo Nights. Must be 18 to play. The next event is Tuesday, March 28. For more information visit facebook.com/animalalliesflorida.

CARING & SHARING MINISTRY FOOD

DRIVE The Gloria Green Caring & Sharing Ministry is attached to the Historic St Joseph Catholic Church, 140 W. Government St. On Tuesdays, the ministry feeds the homeless at 10:30 a.m. The ministry's food pantry opens at 11:30 a.m. and has clothing. Food donations needed are pop top canned goods, Beanie Weenies, Vienna sausage, potted meat, cans of tuna and chicken, and soups. Clothing donations needed include tennis shoes for men and women and sweatshirts and new underwear for men sized small, medium and large. Call DeeDee Green at 723-3390 for details.

Grant Program

VISIT PENSACOLA EVENT GRANT PRO -

GRAM Visit Pensacola is now accepting grant applications for its event marketing program for events in Escambia County occurring between Oct. 1, 2023-Sept. 30, 2024. Grant submissions are due by June 6 at noon and must be emailed or timestamped by drop off at the Visitor Information Center at 1401 E. Gregory St.

Grant workshops will be hosted at the dates and times below in the Bowden Building at 120 Church St. to aid the submission process. All grant applicants are required to attend one of the workshops.

Dates:

• April 4: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

• April 14: 8:30-9:30 a.m.

• April 14: 3:30-4:30 p.m.

• April 17: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

• April 17: 3:30-4:30 p.m.

The Visit Pensacola Grant Committee will meet to review and score applications on June 20 at 8:30 a.m. at the UWF Historic Trust Bowden Building, First Floor. Applicants are required to attend to present to the committee. Following, the Visit Pensacola Board of Directors will vote to approve grants on June 28 at the monthly board meeting.

For more information on grant guidelines, scoring and the application process, please get in touch with Nicole Stacey at nstacey@visitpensacola.com.

Call To Artists

309 ZINE FEUD 309 Punk Project announced a Zine Feud. Requirements include a minimum page count of 16, minimum print run of 15 and no reprints. Deadline is June 1. Send or deliver at least one copy of your zine before 5 p.m. on June 1 to Alabama Contemporary Art Center, 301 Conti St., Mobile, AL 36602, or 309 Punk Project, 309 N. Sixth Ave. Pensacola, FL 32501.

Submitted zines will be included in the 2023 Zine Challenge and be part of the 309 archives. For more information, visit 309punkproject.org.

ARTS & CULTURE

PENSACOLA LITTLE THEATRE PRESENTS: THE ADDAMS FAMILY From the creators of the "Jersey Boys," Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, and Drama Desk Awardwinning composer/lyricist Andrew Lippa, the frightfully delightful world of Gomez, Morticia, Uncle Fester, Grandma, Wednesday, Pugsley and Lurch comes to life on the PLT stage. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m., Fridays, March 24 & 31; 7:30 p.m., Saturdays, March 25 and April 1; 2:30 p.m., Sundays, March 26 and April 2. Two Thursday showtimes are 7:30 p.m., March 23 & 30, at Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. Tickets are $9-$33. Visit pensacolalittletheatre.com for details.

SPECIAL EFFECT MAKE-UP WORK-

SHOPS Learn basic stage makeup and special effects techniques with makeup artists Lia Malamo and Dana Bracewell. Workshops are 10 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m., Saturday, March 25, at Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. Tickets are $50-$100. Register online at pensacolalittletheatre.com.

GLORY: A HOCKEY PLAY THAT SWINGS

For Women's History Month, PenArts presents a true story, written by Tracey Power, about a group of women who formed an ice hockey team in 1933. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. ThursdaySaturday (March 23-25) and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, March 26 at The Gordon, 306 N. DeVilliers St. Tickets are available at eventbrite.com

PENSACOLA'S 3 MAYOR DAY DINNER

Join the board of directors and staff of the UWF Historic Trust as they welcome Joe Vinson to share Pensacola's 1936 political intrigue with his presentation, Pensacola's 3 Mayor Day, at its 87th Annual Dinner on Thursday, March 23 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tickets are $35 per person. Get yours at historicpensacola.org.

LIBERATION! The next Liberation Pensacola is Friday, March 24 from 9 p.m.-3 a.m. Drag show and dance party at Easy Going Gallery, 701 N. V St. Find Liberation Pensacola on Facebook for details.

GULF BREEZE CELEBRATES THE ARTS

FESTIVAL The Gulf Breeze Celebrates the Arts Festival will be held at the Gulf Breeze High School parking lot on March 25 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and on March 26 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. There will be over 100 local and national artists displaying a wide variety of Fine Arts. There will also be a Student Art Show, a local artists show, a silent auction and artists demonstrations. McGuire's Pipe Band will perform on Saturday. Proceeds support local school art programs and a Pensacola State College scholarship fund. Visit gulfbreezearts.com for more information.

CHELCIE LYNN: TWO FINGERS AND A

12-PACK TOUR Comedian Chelcie Lynn will perform at the Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox, 8 p.m., Sunday, March 26. Tickets are $29.50$54.50. Visit pensacolasaenger.com for details.

PENSACOLA UNITED AGAINST NAZIS

Rally is 4 p.m., Sunday, March 26, at the Seville Square gazebo.

IHMC'S SCIENCE SATURDAY 2023 SESSIONS ON HUMAN HEALTH PERFORMANCE, SMART CITIES AND ROBOTICS

Science Saturdays is a series of 90-minute educational enrichment sessions geared toward families and children in grades three-six. Topics in 2023 will include robotics, roller coasters, animal adaptations, human performance and more. The sessions are free to the families who attend. For more information, visit ihmc.us/life/ science_saturdays.

• March 25: Dr. Lakshmi Prayaga, University of West Florida, Smart Cities

• April 22: Dr. Gwen Bryan, IHMC, Robot Hands

INFERNO BURLESQUE

The next Inferno Burlesque show is 8 p.m., Friday, March 31, at Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. Tickets are $25-$500 and available at vinylmusichall.com.

MILLION DOLLAR TIME MACHINE A roundup of impersonators from the past decades. Show is 7:30 p.m., Friday, March 31, at the Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. Tickets are $59$89. Visit pensacolasaenger.com to purchase.

TABLE TALKS AT THE TRUST

Join the Historic Trust for a monthly lunch and learn series on the third Wednesday of the month at the Voices of Pensacola Multicultural Center, located at 117 E. Government St., from noon-1 p.m. The program is free—just bring your lunch and enjoy a casual opportunity to learn about a variety of topics. For more information, please email hparchives@uwf.edu or call (850) 5955985, ext. 125. The next date is April 19 with John Sledge about the architecture and historic preservation in Mobile.

CABARET DRAG SHOWCASE AT AMERICAN LEGION POST #193

Don't miss Cabaret drag showcase every second and fourth Saturday at the American Legion Post #193, 2708 N. 12th Ave. Doors Open at 8 p.m. Show -