Jack Firneno, Managing Editor:

Sometimes I want a carefree romance again or think about what makes a grown-up relationship work. Other times I want to go all Little Rascals and nail up a “No Girls Allowed” sign. Fortunately, with two kids in the house, there’s never a shortage of love around here.

Taking a Chance on Love – Tony Bennett
Rosalita – Bruce Springsteen
Sarah Saturday – The Bouncing Souls
Dreaming – Blondie
For Emily, Wherever I May Find Her – Simon and Garfunkel
M for Me – Billy Bragg
She’s Right on Time – Billy Joel
I Want You – Elvis Costello
I’m Tired – Lily Von Schtupp
Isn’t She Lovely – Stevie Wonder

David Pearson, Publisher:

This might read like some sort of rock opera so to speak, but what’s a relationship without some drama? They start, they end and then you get to fall in love again. It might be the story of my life but one I wouldn’t trade for anything.

This Year’s Love – David Grey
In Your Eyes – Peter Gabriel
Porcelain – Moby
Frying Pan – The Lemonheads
Living on a Prayer – Bon Jovi
Dance With Me – The Ramones
Josie – Blink-182
My Best Girl – Lucero
When the Angels Sing – Social Distortion
Warning Sign – Coldplay

Justin Elson, Editor-in-Chief:

I haven’t always been lucky in love. Until now. With my recent engagement, I like to think this list tells the story of my relationship. Past, present and for a future that will certainly surpass even my expectations

This Modern Love – Bloc Party
Punk Rock Girl – The Dead Milkmen
Oh My Love – John Lennon
Rocksteady – No Doubt
I Only Have Eyes for You – The Flamingoes
I Fall in Love Too Easily – Chet Baker
True Love Waits – Radiohead
I Love You More Than Words Can Say – Otis Redding
Protection – Massive Attack
You are the Everything – R.E.M.

Wendy McCardle, Photographer:

If you’re anything like me, the standards of Elvis, Billie and Bennett won’t win your whole heart. You’d rather receive a mixtape that begins with the punch of loud guitars, a bouncy rhythm section you can dance to and quirky lyrics. Here are a few suggestions sure to charm your alt-rock honey.

(She’s Making Me) Nervous – Wyldlife
This is Love – PJ Harvey
Noticed – Mutemath
Achin’ To Be – The Replacements
Wonderwall – Cat Power
I Follow Rivers – Lykkel Li
Without You – Junip
Hysteric – The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Rites of Spring – The Bravery
Around the Way Girl – LL Cool J

Lyndsay Jurema, Graphic Design:

As a hopeless romantic, I’ve fallen in and out of love too many times to count. There are the butterflies, the sweaty palms, the blushing and the heart thumping in your throat excitement all juxtaposed with the disappointment, the jealousy and the self-doubt. My list reflects the highs and lows that keep two people bonded in a relationship.

Green Eyes – Coldplay
Steal My Kisses – Ben Harper
First Day of My Life – Bright Eyes
West Coast – Coconut Records
Just Like Heaven – The Cure
Never Tear Us Apart – INXS
Somewhere Only We Know – Keane
Wonderful Tonight – Eric Clapton
Can’t Help Falling in Love – Elvis Presley
Love Me Do – The Beatles

While musicians’ opinions are a welcome addition to our list, we couldn’t necessarily convince them to write us a paragraph. I suppose that’s why they make records, and we make magazines. Check out a couple local favorites and what moves them when it comes to romantic sounds.

Damien DeRose aka Peasant –

Say Yes – Elliott Smith
One Evening – Feist
The Fairest of the Seasons – Nico
Good Woman – Cat Power
Jealous Guy – John Lennon
Valentine, NE – Rachel Ries
Vomit – Girls
You Make it Easy – Air
She Belongs to Me – Bob Dylan
Wouldn’t it be Nice – The Beach Boys

Paul Wiese, singer/guitarist for the Birmingham Six -

A Rainy Night in Soho ¬– The Pogues
Hold Me Now – The Thompson Twins
Today, I Feel Like I’m Evolving – River City Extension
The Luckiest – Ben Folds
Falling Slowly – Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova
Peggy Gordon – The Dubliners
For the Good Times – Kris Kristofferson
All I Want is You – U2
Lola – The Kinks

Peasant’s new album, Bound for Glory, will hit store this April. Go online at iampeasant.bandcamp.com

Look for Paul Wiese and the Birmingham Six in the next issue of dtown, or go online at birminghamsix.com

Turn on any radio station or flip through your iPod. Odds are the majority of the songs you hear and see are about love in some form or another. But with so many out there, what makes a great love song – the kind people choose for weddings or remind them of their own love lives, for better or worse? To find the answer, dtown spoke with song- writers, musicians and producers to find out what goes on behind the scenes.

The Panel

Singer-songwriter Christy Jefferson has played her songs for thousands at music festivals and sporting events, on television and on the East-Coast college circuit. In 2011, she took her work abroad, touring the Falkland Islands and England. This year, she’s focusing more on teaching voice, piano, guitar and songwriting from her studio in Bucks County.

Chris Archibald and drummer J.P. Kuyper of the Doylestown-based band Illinois have covered the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to love. Their previous release, The Adventures of Kid Catastrophe, was culled from hundreds of songs the band wrote and made major waves in the indie-rock scene upon its release in 2009. Their upcoming album, distilled from over 700 demos, promises to do the same.

Award-winning music producer and manager Steve Muhic “relays the human condition in four-and-a-half minutes or less – preferably to a good beat.” The Bucks-County native, currently located in California, has worked with musicians ranging from R&B to indie rock and contributes audio work to television shows and web series’. He’s currently developing his own television show and is planning his first project to perform and release his own songs.

How should a good love song make the listener feel?

» Archibald: My favorites are the ones that make you feel vulnerable. It’s like pillow talk. Those moments where time kind of pauses and you’re at the mercy of something else. That’s what love is. It’s when you people will fill in the blanks and choose their own path.

» Jefferson: I like to use opposites. For any subject but especially love. It’s important to get the whole picture. When there’s something beautiful, you use black and white to color it. Love and fear, beauty and ugliness. Complimentary ideas will make a song well-rounded.

» Muhic: It depends on the genre. In modern pop, there are lots of colorful metaphors. In R&B, hip-hop and soul, the best songs are direct and literal. Ultimately, you’re giving a glimpse into just one aspect of love, a detail that you’ve harped on and said in a way that no one else has. You can’t cover the entire emotion in three minutes.

Is there anything that necessarily has to happen musically?

» Muhic: You have to create emotion and energy. Otherwise, the song will fall flat. first hear a song, and it could make you drive off the road or miss a turn. Just that vibe. » Muhic: Coming from the sadder side of things, that comfort or camaraderie. A good love song gives voice to an otherwise mute emotion; the artist has given voice to something we all feel.

» Kuyper: The songs I listen to over and over are the ones that stir up feelings of people I’ve known in the past or present. For all we know, the guy could be singing about his dog, but it’s what you perceive it to be about that’s important. Happy or sad, it will tell a story that speaks to you. What lyrical elements do you look for in a great love song?

» Archibald: I go specific. You want people to be able to relate and say, “I swear that happened to me.” That’s why couples have “our song” about going down the shore or something they did together. If what you write is close to their experience,

» Kuyper: Dynamics are very important. You want to hit harder on the choruses, things like that. As a drummer, less is more here. The most important parts are the lyrics and the melody in a love song. Everything else is just background.

» Jefferson: The actual performance has to be intense and authentic. It’s like acting. The person or group has to have gone deeply to the root of the place where the song comes from. You have to find the energy that exists there and capture it on tape.

What clichés or overused ideas do you avoid in a love song?

» Jefferson: Generally, if it’s been written, it shouldn’t be written again. Come up with a different way of saying what you want to say. There are infinite possibilities.

» Kuyper: A lot of today’s mainstream music is saturated with sexual songs, especially in R&B and hip-hop. There’s not much emotion in it. I was listening to some country guy sing about going to a bar, picking up a girl and bringing her home. That’s kind of weak, too.

» Muhic: I can’t even think of any, because I block them out [laughs]. I hear some Top-40 stuff that’s so cliché, but it rhymes so they use it. It doesn’t give me anything to feel good or bad about. How natural is it for you to write love songs as opposed to other topics?

» Muhic: I have the most fun writing and producing lost-love or love-gone- wrong songs. When you’re feeling bad, that’s when you’re questioning – Is anybody out there? Does anyone understand? When I need to hear those songs – and it’s a guy singing – it’s a big brother feeling. You’re not alone. If it’s a female, there’s empathy and compassion.

» Archibald: I’m always throwing the “L” word in there. It doesn’t have to be a romantic or relationship kind of love. It can be a John Lennon peace- on-earth kind of love. I usually start my songs with the titles, and they always have love in them.

» Jefferson: It’s pretty natural, because in my spiritual perspective, the baseline of everything is love. The thoughts and characters you create and the metaphors you use, they are always going to root back down into that rich, organic soil that is love.

What are some of your favorite love songs?

» Jefferson: Beautiful Day by U2. I saw them a few months ago, and there was nothing like thousands of people singing it. The energy of the crowd was amazing. It’s a love of living for the moment. We Belong by Pat Benatar. Not a cookie-cutter love song but I love the performance and the intensity with which she sang it. There’s this compelling intensity that sweeps me away every time. It stirs up deep emotions about loving humanity. And it may sound cheesy but I absolutely love Christmas songs, the feeling of family and people coming together. And the story itself is so profound. There’s no deeper love than that of God and Jesus.

» Kuyper: The Air That I Breathe by the Hollies. It’s emotional even if you don’t relate to it right then. And it’s got a huge chorus. In My Life by the Beatles. It’s very simple, but right away, you know the writer has gone through exactly that. It’s deeply affecting. Everything I Own by Bread. It’s just a great story. That’s key.

» Muhic: Angel by Sarah McLachlan. I can’t say enough good things about her writing. When it comes to love songs, she just does it for me. The song is about the times when you feel nobody’s there for you. I could listen to it over and over again. Classic Girl by Jane’s Addiction. It may be cliché but it’s a great summertime, bouncy groove. Next Lifetime by Erykah Badu. It’s about meeting someone you’re interested in, but they’re taken at the time. It’s a very specific emotion. I remember working as a DJ in Mexico and meeting a girl there. I literally had to translate the song to her.

Go online at:
christyjefferson.com
illinoistheband.com
youtube.com/LAmusicandmix

Illinois will be performing at the TLA in Philadelphia on February 25.

Check out this article for dtown’s staff picks to create your perfect Valentine’s Day playlist.

Sometimes, clothes do make the man. But for Shael Fisher, owner of Estetiks Sneaker and Clothing Boutique in Doylestown, the designer wear that fills his store is about more than just looking good. “I’m still here for a reason,” he says. “I show others how to ‘ball’ on a budget. It makes me feel good when they love what I love.”
Located at 5 South Main St., near the corner of State Street, Estetiks greets each customer with the fresh scent of leather and new fabrics. The shelves are lined with custom-designed shoes along with hats, jackets and shirts from names like 10 Deep, Alife and Crooks & Castles with more brands coming this spring. “Sneakers and clothing is fine; that’s enough to handle,” Fisher says. “I am always good with working with what I have.”

For Fisher, working with what he has is also how he developed his own sense of style. Growing up on hand-me-downs from his cousin and older brother, occasionally he’d luck into some designer clothes by Ralph Lauren. Other times, being fashionable was a roll of the dice. “My brother had a pair of pink corduroy pants that he hated wearing. He’d even change out of them once he was on the school bus,” Fisher recalls. “By the time they got to me, I had already grown out of them, but I wasn’t always so lucky. I did get stuck wearing lederhosen.”

I show others how to ‘ball’ on a budget. – Shael Fisher

Fisher eventually learned how to find his fashion – and his passion – through skateboarding. “I got my first board at a yard sale for eight dollars, and it was the greatest thing ever,” he remembers. “I realized that if you want something you have to work for it.” As a teenager, Fisher landed more than a few gigs to pay for his new lifestyle. “People used to call me the mayor,” he says, recalling juggling up to five jobs at a time. “I worked for everybody.”

Soon, he was “clearing out” the sneaker selections in his favorite stores, collecting shoes made by Airwalk, Vans, Nike and Vision Street Wear. “I just had to have them,” Fisher explains. “I’d see famous skaters wearing them in magazines and thought, ‘Why can’t I?’ I’d buy a new [skate] board and sneakers every week, even using some of my lunch money.” He’d often sell an old board to a friend after using it for a week to get cash for his growing collection. “The hustle I got from my mom,” he adds, laughing. “She is still in denial about how many pairs of shoes she owns.”

Fisher’s sense of style and beat for business eventually turned to thoughts of opening his own storefront, where he could share his enthusiasm for footwear and clothes with a wider audience. While he says the concept that eventually became Estetiks was a topic of numerous conversations and planning for almost six years, it became a reality when the “perfect spot” became available in the center of Doylestown. With open doors for four years, Fisher’s now-realized business is still growing. Estetiks’ Facebook page boasts over 1,500 fans and counting, and Fisher’s Web site takes orders from as far as Japan and South America. “There is one guy in particular that keeps ordering from Australia,” he says. “It’s cool to know that this subculture that’s been such a big part of my life reaches around the world.”

But whether his clients are abroad or spending an afternoon in Doylestown, there’s at least one customer with whom Fisher shares a certain bond. He loves catering to eager area youth, who sometimes spend their entire allowance or hard-earned paychecks in the store. “So what if a kid has 40 pairs of sneakers?” he laughs. “I’m sure he or she either saved or worked hard for what they want. And at least you know what they’re spending their money on.”

Go online estetiksonline.com

If art is for everyone then some creators, collectors and brokers missed the memo. But don’t tell Laura Muraco. While her work exhibits a level of sophistication found in only the finest of trained artists, perhaps the most satisfying aspect of her paintings is that they are not meant for a solely elitist crowd. “Art is for the non-artists. When I paint, I do so with a reverence to the viewer,” Muraco says. “It’s sad when people are intimidated by art and feel they cannot access the work. But the work is dead if no one ever sees it.”

Muraco’s artistic process is symbiotic in nature. Her paintings often feature young female figures in abstract settings. In many of the pieces, their eyes seem to be directly addressing the viewer. The audience brings the work to life, Muraco says, while the work exposes the viewer to a consistently honest and raw perspective on the human condition. “My philosophy going into each painting is that the worst thing you can be is a liar,” she offers. “It is confusing enough to be a human being.”

On one level, the viewer becomes engaged by Muraco’s mastery over her materials. She creates harmonious color palattes that set the mood of each piece. With a balance of subtle brushwork and tightly rendered details, Muraco brings a believable personality to each of her subjects. But Muraco’s true expertise lies in her ability to make a deliberate statement every time she adds more paint to her canvas. Muraco’s work is devoid of fluff, created out of passion rather than pressure. “In the lack of urgency, there is more honesty,” she explains.

Muraco’s skillfully crafted and insightful body of work began as a result of an emotional revelation early in her career. While studying illustration at the Pratt Institute in New York City, Muraco found it difficult to create a cohesive series. In an effort to please a wide audience, it was nearly impossible to develop one distinct, signature style. “In school, I was shy and needing of approval,” she says. “I made one thing for one professor and something completely different for the next.”

But with time away and space from an academic agenda, Muraco found the freedom to paint from personal experience. “I started to get inspiration from those moments right before you fall asleep, where the dream world meets the conscious world,” she recalls. Focusing on these moments, Muraco began to channel a world of unobstructed creativity and symbolism. “Sometimes these moments can even be scary,” she adds, “ but the meaning just comes out clearly in the end.”

Muraco’s breakthrough piece, entitled Potential, is a self-portrait in which she depicts herself as a strong figure with an assertive gaze that seems to travel right through the viewer. Muraco leaves us to unpack the meaning of the piece with a few universal symbols: a snake, an egg, a butterfly. “I realized that it is okay for people to feel how they do in reaction to the work as long as I am sharing it,” she says.

And while Muraco began developing similar characters in her work while still living in New York, her move to Bucks County has not only had a geographical impact, but is now reflected on her canvas, as well. Muraco’s older pieces reflect a compact lifestyle, sometimes hauntingly claustrophobic, with little open space in each painting. “I am currently building more of a world around the characters now that I have space around me,” she explains.

So who are the women in Muraco’s work? “Everything is a self-portrait,” she says. “How can it not be?” And in a language Muraco wants us all to read, she depicts the facets of her nature and experience: “As an artist, you have to figure out what’s unique about how you see the world.” Laura Muraco’s work will be exhibited in a group show on Mar. 31 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Our Garage Space in Easton, Pa.

Go online at lauramuraco.com

When it comes time to improve your property – whether it’s a new backyard patio for spring cookouts at home or a new veneer to impress clients at your business – there’s the correct way to do the work and the not-so-correct way to do the work. Hire the wrong company to come in and lay brick and you might be doing it all over again a few years down the road. Hire the right guy and you’ve made a lasting investment. We sat down with David Nagle, owner of David B. Nagle Masonry and Excavation, to find out how to avoid some common pitfalls and the head-in-hands frustration that comes along with them.

Strength in Small Numbers

While it might seem counterintuitive, Nagle believes that a small team is a big advantage when making a hefty investment, especially when compared to his larger competitors. After a decade plus of working for bigger companies, he says he knows the confusion customers can experience when trying to navigate through a firm and figure out just who is responsible for what. “Sometimes it can feel like you’re getting the runaround, whether intentional or not,” Nagle says, who finally took the leap and went into business for himself last year after the birth of his second child. “If there’s ever a problem, there’s only one person to come to: me. It’s one less thing to worry about in a sometimes-complicated process. Between my clientele and me, it’s really intimate. They know I’m the bottom line, and that gives them peace of mind.”

A Man for All Seasons

While having one point of contact might make navigating through a renovation that much easier, who will handle the wide variety skills needed for a successful construction project? Nagle says finding a contractor with an array of talents is a must. “It’s easy for my customers since I’m a one-stop guy,” he explains, relying on his architecture degree from Penn State University to give him greater insight into his work. “Instead of finding one place to pay for designs, going to another for construction and then a third for any maintenance, it’s just one call. From start to finish and from design to follow-up, it’s just me. I can provide design, installation and maintenance. I work on everything from landscaping to patios, from retaining walls to any kind of brick or veneer work, really all facets of masonry.”

Traditional Service, Innovative Designs

With all things green on the forefront of nearly every business and consumer these days, Nagle says it’s an important facet of the construction business despite some popular misconceptions. Oftentimes, a major sticking point for both a prospective and environmentally friendly project is cost. Nagle says finding a contractor to incorporate these ideals is easier than you might think. “I’m a really big advocate of using recycled materials,” he explains. “Rather than go out and buy it new, I try to reuse when I can. I’ll work as closely as I can with each client to figure out cost-effective means. I try different methods depending on what works for them. Many times there’s actually really nice materials that you can’t even buy anymore. I identify them and try to use something twice whenever I can.”

For more information on Nagle’s full range of service, call him at 267-491-5387 or 215-669-7365. He can also be reached via email at nagle_david@hotmail.com.

Shannon Presti believes that love comes in many forms and has spent the past year portraying as many as possible. Her project, 52 Weeks, 365 Days, One Year of Love, began on Valentine’s Day 2011. By its conclusion, she’ll have 52 pieces, each one-of-a-kind painting telling a different story. “Everybody experiences love differently. I wanted to capture that,” Presti says.

The paintings depict subjects from a couple on their 30th wedding anniversary to a pet owner with her dogs and a baby boy surrounded by the things he loves. One woman, a mother of three, asked Presti to portray each of her children’s love of music on canvas. Another commissioned a painting for her husband, which she will surprise him with when Presti features the project in a gallery environment. “She’s going to see if he can pick out which one is for him,” Presti explains.

The ambitious project has its roots in Presti’s “day job” as a wedding photographer. Traveling nationwide to capture a happy couple’s big day, she says she loves getting to know the bride and groom, observe their relationship firsthand and share the ceremony with them. “Everybody’s happy,” Presti says. “The more comfortable everyone is, the better the pictures are.”

Last year, Presti’s cousin and his wife commissioned a painting that would express them as a couple. This would become the catalyst for 52 Weeks, 365 Days, One Year of Love. “The painting was so awesome and so personal and so special to do, because I knew them,” Presti explains. “It was a symbol of them. It’s not like I was doing a painting for painting’s sake. The result was so meaningful. I wanted to do more of them.”

And the more she does, the bigger her project becomes. Originally slated to last one year, Presti decided to double its length. “I’ve gotten so many requests, and there are so many great stories to tell,” she says. “I want to tell them all.”

Go online at shannonprestiphotgraphy.com

Ed. Note: Some names have been changed to protect the innocent. Or guilty depending on how you see it. Others asked to be identified by first name only – especially those who dished a little dirt.

This June, Vince and Sherry will be married. When Vince proposed last July, the question came as a surprise, but it wasn’t totally unexpected. “We were at a friend’s wedding nine months before, and we both realized we wanted to get married,” Sherry recalls. “But we weren’t ready just yet.” The couple met in 2008, and, after a few dates, soon realized they had found something special. “I liked spending time with him,” Sherry says. “Family is important to both of us, and I liked how he responded to meeting mine.” Vince felt the love connection, as well. “She [Sherry] was getting her master’s degree when I met her, so I knew she was a smart cookie,” he recalls “And as time went on, I saw strong core values in her that were the same as mine.”

Initially, what drew Vince to Sherry was the sight of her with a huge Margarita glass. “I figured she was laid back,” he laughs. But they didn’t meet at a bar or a party or a concert. The picture was posted on Match.com, an online dating site where both were members.

A New Path to Happiness

With the rise of social media as a cultural phenomenon, online dating has become more prevalent and less stigmatized than it was only a decade ago. Web sites like Match, OkCupid, Chemistry, eHarmony and myriad niche sites for anyone from single parents to vegans to animal lovers abound, each with anywhere from hundreds to thousands of members. “Some older people I know were shocked to find out we met online, but I have a couple friends who have met husbands and boyfriends in the same fashion,” Sherry notes. And Vince agrees: “It’s becoming more common now that more people are comfortable with it.”

Online, I can say, ‘Here I am. Here’s all the good stuff you won’t find out about me in a bar.’ – Vince

For many, meeting people over the internet is simply a better option than finding dates over drinks. “I had no game picking up girls if I were out, and I didn’t think it was the best way to meet people anyway,” Vince says. “Online, I could say, ‘Here I am. Here’s all the good stuff you won’t find out about me in a bar.’” Julie, another online dating adventuress, was also not impressed with the bar scene. “I had been divorced for years before I started dating again,” she says. “It’s hard to meet people at a bar if you’re not in your twenties. I’m usually watching the coats and purses. I’ll see one guy go up to every single girl in the place. Maybe I’m too picky, but I don’t want to waste my time again.”

A similar problem drew April to the ethereal world of digital romance. “It wasn’t because I was having difficulty meeting men,” she says. “Every time I went out, men would flock to me. I like to think it’s because I am super-cute with a great personality. But in reality, I think we all know their true intentions. Fending off unwanted advances really dulled my dating experiences.” Perhaps on the flip side of April’s argument is Allen, who says he makes it plain online that he’s not looking for long-term relationships: “I have an office job. I’m always bored at work, so I figured, ‘Why not try to meet chicks while I’m here?’”

And he’s not the only one who’s used online dating as an alternative to clock-watching. Meghan met her fiancé, Jared, in 2007 via a post on Craigslist. “I had just broken up with someone I didn’t even really like at a time when work was really slow,” she recalls. “One day, I decided to post an ad to see what kind of people I’d attract. People would respond and I’d forward them to a friend for a laugh. I had something like 40 e-mails at the end of the day.” But fate seemingly intervened at the last second. “In the 15-minute window from when I deleted the post to when it was actually removed from the site, Jared e-mailed me,” she continues. “His response was funny and awkward, and I got a case of the giggles reading it. He sent me his Myspace page and seeing all his interests on the screen made him all the more appealing. He gave me his number, we met the next day and we’ve been inseparable since.”

Can You See the Real Me?

While many have found advantages to dating online rather than meeting people in social settings, it’s still not all smooth sailing. The avenue has its problems, some similar to the “real world” and others specific to it. Vince, for example, preferred laying out all his best qualities in a profile. But the “how” proved difficult. He was managing to get a few dates here and there, he says, but things turned around after some of his co-workers “adopted” him, helping him re-write his profile and even taking new photos for him to post. “It was neat, because I got an outsider’s view of myself,” he says. “I realized I wasn’t being open enough and was downplaying important parts of my personality.”

April also had trouble translating her personality into an online persona. “While I like to think I’m attractive, I also photograph very well. In a way, you could say this misrepresented who I was,” she admits. “I certainly couldn’t walk around with my famous head tilt and a picture-perfect smile. Creating a profile also gave me considerable time to think about ‘myself.’ Whatever kind of man I was looking for at the time, I filled in the blanks to attract that person. In that regard, I don’t consider it an honest experience.”

Julie, who used online dating occasionally over two years, says she met people who hid behind their profiles. “Some guys would either lie or post pictures that were 20 years old,” she recalls. “One guy only posted a tiny picture and would never talk to me on the phone. He’d only text me. As soon as I saw him in person, I wanted to run.”

And whether online or in person, some things never seem to change. After Britney posted profiles on Zoosk and OkCupid last summer “just to see what would happen,” the results echoed the kind of advances she doesn’t appreciate in person either. “I put it up to see what kind of people would find me. But it was the same as usual,” Britney says. “Guys wouldn’t message me with a simple, ‘Hi, how are you?’ Instead, I’d get, ‘Hi, you’re really sexy.’ It was pretty much what I thought was going to happen.”

The Best of the Worst

What would a dating story – online or otherwise – be without a few horror stories? April’s reservations about the honesty of her own profile came back to haunt her the first time she went out with someone she met online. Talking to Anthony via emails and texts, she says he gave thoughtful answers to questions and liked the same kind of movies she did. In person, however, he was a different story. “I barely uttered, ‘Nice to finally meet you’ before he launched into an hour-long diatribe about himself,” she says. “From there, he almost started a fight with someone who tried to buy me a drink and then literally began showing off his martial- arts moves in a crowded bar before he got kicked out. Funny, I didn’t recall ‘intense’ or ‘crazy’ listed on his profile.”

Britney’s worst experience wasn’t even with her own online rendezvous. A friend met someone on a dating site who, turned out, landed a position at the same seasonal holiday job where they worked. “He taped a note to my car saying I was beautiful. Then I found out he did the same with all the girls who worked there,” Britney says, laughing at the absurdity. But the situation turned serious after he sent a barrage of extremely vulgar and vaguely threatening text messages, because she wouldn’t hang out with him, prompting her to contact the police. “I Googled him, and it turns out he was in jail five years ago for assault,” she says.

And while Julie never encountered anyone that intense, she’s dealt with a few guys who wouldn’t take a hint. “I was polite with one guy and finished our date even though I had no interest in him,” she recalls. “I told him there was no chemistry, but he said that would happen over time. He kept texting me for weeks until I flat out told him it wasn’t going to happen.” Another date got upset when she wouldn’t commit to him. “We went out on one date and suddenly he’s texting me with ‘Sweetie’ and ‘Dear’ all the time,” Julie adds. “Then he asked me if we were going steady. Am I still in high school?”

And as for Vince? “I had a lot of first dates that didn’t go anywhere. Maybe I am a few girls’ horror stories,” he laughs.

Making it Work

People like April, Julie and Britney may be soured on the idea of online dating, but others’ happy endings make it hard to deny that online dating works for many. “In retrospect, I still can’t believe Jared and I survived,” says Meghan, who has now been with Jared for five years. “I didn’t do any online dating beforehand, and normally, I have apprehensions about everything. We agreed to meet outside a bar, and when I saw him walking down the street, I just started smiling. We got to talking, and I felt like I knew him forever.”

Vince and Sherry point out that they never would have met each other without the help of a dating Web site. She was living in Cherry Hill when they met; he was in Bucks County. However, while online dating solved that problem, there are still some old relationship issues that an internet connection just can’t fix. “When did we get engaged? I’ve got that one,” says Vince, proudly and assuredly. “July 29, 2011!” Sherry’s reply begins with a pregnant pause. “July 28,” she says. Better luck next time, Vince.

Tim Hendricks provides a vital link between musicians, fans and the industry at large.

BY RICH PIETRAS
PHOTOS COURTESY OF TIM HENDRICKS AND BRANDEE NICHOLS

Not since Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877 has the music industry gone through seismic changes as powerful as those it’s experienced in the last few years and continues to manage. Depending on where you fall on the demographic scale, the days of going to the local record shop, the mall or the newest big-box retailer to buy records or CDs are quickly becoming a relic of the past. Even the tactile product itself is becoming a dinosaur, giving way to digital technologies as the preferred means to collect, store and consume your favorite tunes. And it all leads to one conclusion: declining numbers in the traditional revenue stream for record labels and distributors alike.

According to a report by the International Federation of the Phono- graphic Industry (IFPI), a nonprofit organization that represents the worldwide interests of the recording industry, recorded music revenues fell 8.4 percent last year, down $1.5 billion. Overall sales of products like CDs fell more than 14 percent, now down to “just” over $10 billion annually. Today, fans can find the artists they want through social-media Web sites and YouTube while legal downloading and illegal pirating has weakened what was long perceived as an unsinkable ship. Digital sales currently account for approximately 30 percent of worldwide recorded music revenues. Last year, according to IFPI, people spent $4.6 billion on their digital music, but illegal downloading has taken its toll on that market as well, typically cutting its numbers in half annually.

Music is not at arm’s length anymore. People are invested in their music, and it is exciting. – Liz Schiller

And while the statistics spell bad news for corporate interests, one avenue has consistently remained open for musicians and their fans: the live show. Sure, music lovers can download live albums and bootlegs or watch concert clips online, but no amount of broadband wizardry can replicate standing shoulder- to-shoulder with fellow fans, feeling the rush and thunderous applause when the house lights go down and being up close and personal with their favorite acts.

Bucks County-native Tim Hendricks has seen first-hand that, while the recording industry is taking a hit and crying foul, people continue to go out to see and hear the music they love. Eight months ago, Hendricks took over as the production/operations manager for the Theater of the Living Arts, also known as the TLA, in Philadelphia. Originally a single-screen movie house on South Street in the 1970s that showed cult classics and midnight screenings of the Rocky Horror Picture Show to film audiences, the TLA converted to a music venue in the early 1980s. Since then, it’s risen to the top of the charts, so to speak, in providing and promoting national and local acts from every corner of the musical universe and continues to evolve as the industry around it changes.

From Water Boy to Head Coach

Hendricks called Point Pleasant home as a child and graduated from Central Bucks East High School. He now lives just a few blocks from his second home, the TLA, where he oversees both the day-to-day operations of the building while handling all the artist’s needs before, during and after each show.

Hendricks, who admits he was “never that into college,” says his new gig grew from humble beginnings. After taking a few courses here and there at Bucks County Community College, Hendricks fell in with local caterer Max Hansen in 1999. Hansen’s company grew to serve thousands of visitors to the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, as well as artists and select visitors to the many music venues in and near the city like the now Susquehanna Bank Center, the now Wells Fargo Center and the Electric Factory. “I really worked my way from the bottom,” Hendricks recalls. “I washed dishes. I served. I even used to get beverages for the performers. People used to call me the water boy.”

That experience led to Hendricks to Live Nation, the international music- industry giant that now owns the TLA. His six years there included working as a production assistant on shows like Live 8, which drew hundreds of thousands of fans to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, in 2005. “I guess that is where I got a lot of ‘big show’ experience,” Hendricks says, on working with acts like Linkin Park, the Dave Matthews Band and Jay-Z. “I’m obviously working on a smaller scale now, but I learned a lot from that experience.”

At the TLA, Hendricks does everything from coordinating food and parking when an act arrives in town to overseeing equipment load-ins and proper security for the show. And, if all of this for an estimated 180 shows annually doesn’t seem like enough, Hendricks is also responsible for the daily operations of the club, including its bar.

Perhaps oddly enough, Hendricks does not consider himself a huge music expert or fan. “I like the old stuff like Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, all that old soul,” he says. But his new responsibilities at a club that is a stop for countless national touring acts is not lost on him either. “I am pretty proud,” Hendricks adds. “This is a historic venue.”

Striking a Chord With Social Media

While the digital age has helped drive traditional music sales down, it has had the opposite effect on live music and the artists that count on it to make their living. Liz Schiller is the marketing manager for the TLA and calls digital tools like Facebook and Twitter invaluable. She works closely with Hendricks and the rest of the staff of about a dozen employees to secure acts and promote the shows. The TLA holds up to 1,000 people, and Schiller says that last year approximately half the venue’s shows sold out.

Featuring an eclectic mix of local artists and national acts like Lauryn Hill, Good Charlotte and Jon Anderson, who rose to fame with the iconic prog- rock band Yes, Schiller says the TLA strives to find a happy medium between promoting new talent and welcoming marquee names. “We have become a regular stop for national artists, but we also work hard to cultivate local artists like Good Old War, who played our New Year’s Eve show.” The Philadelphia-based indie-folk band performed a version of Auld Lang Syne as part of a “Good Old New Year’s With Good Old War” promotion on Youtube.

Schiller says that is just one of the latest examples of how artists and the club are digitally spreading the word and getting the audience involved even before the curtain goes up. “Our fan engagement is growing every day. It’s growing for musicians, as well,” she explains. “People are tweeting and tagging [on Facebook] not only before show, but during shows, too. And so are the artists. Music is not at arm’s length anymore. People are invested in their music on Facebook and Twitter, and it is exciting.” Schiller says she now interacts with music fans herself, asking them online who their favorite artists are or posting questions and offering a couple of tickets for those who participate. “I think that more often than not people are paying to see a show live, and it makes music more special because of this new involvement,” she says. “The artists are involved, and the audience is involved. It really is a whole new conversation. Music fans are rabid, and the fact they can be engaged personally is huge.”

For more information on the TLA and a complete list of upcoming shows and other LiveNation events, go online at tlaphilly.com.

It’s the rare individual that recognizes their true passion in life, pursues their goals and realizes their dreams, all on their own terms. For Jodi Schad, pastry chef and owner of J. Scones in Doylestown, her improbable path became a fruitful reality. And it happened almost by accident.

Coming from a long line of food aficionados, Schad caught the cooking bug early. Originally from Churchville, she began baking as a teen and had already started her own catering operation by the time she had graduated high school. The next logical step was formal training. “I went to culinary school before it was all the rage,” explains Schad, who graduated from Johnson and Wales University. After finding a kitchen position in Providence, RI, she returned home to Bucks County and landed a job as a pastry chef at the Lambertville Station.

Still, even with her degree and a job at an upscale restaurant, Schad’s epicurean education and maturation was hardly complete. “I chose to study further under the European chefs because of their discipline,” she explains. “It’s a totally different school of thought, but it’s a huge part of becoming a successful chef.” Schad also learned what gives her baked goods their distinct, delectable taste. “I wanted to learn all the old-school techniques,” she continues. “What I’m doing today is taking the European style and adapting it to what I learned from my mother.”

But while Schad’s style is born of both formal and informal training, the defining moment in her career came quite by chance. While working at a gourmet shop, Schad took a leave of absence to attend to her ailing sister in California. Before leaving, she left some dough in the freezer. Upon Schad’s return months later, she baked the dough on a whim. “I thought it was going to be freezer-burnt or worse, but it was fine,” she says. The surprising results put her career on an entirely new track: “The integrity of the dough had remained intact. That’s when the light bulb went off. I had a product I could sell everywhere.”

What I’m doing today is taking the European style [of baking] and adapting it to what I learned from my mother. – Jodi Schad

Since opening J. Scones in September 2004, Schad’s frozen dough has taken off. Coming in 10 different seasonal varieties, her product is nearly foolproof. “You keep it frozen and thaw it over- night,” she explains, describing the preparation process. “It comes wrapped in the parchment paper you use to bake it on. All you have to do is cut the dough into small triangles, wash with a bit of cream or milk and put it in the oven. It’s easy to make and tastes great.”

While Schad’s scones may take center stage, like any good bakery, you’ll find the traditional cookies, brownies, cakes and other tasty treats in her case, as well. And just in time for Valentine’s Day, if your sweetheart has a sweet tooth, Schad is unveiling a sure hit: cupcake flowers. From the red velvet topped with silver dragees to the chocolate-chocolate complete with a sugar-paste flower, from the citrus chiffon with pink buttercream icing and coconut shavings to the chiffon featuring a Nutella-based icing and ganache, there’s a flavor for every taste. “They’re all cream-filled too,” Schad says. “So they’re way better than getting a rose.”

Next month, in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, Schad’s Irish soda bread returns. “We have two varieties: traditional and rustic,” she explains. “The traditional is baked with currants [dried seedless grapes] and is a little sweeter. The rustic is made with wheat bran and is savorier. It pairs well with soups or a hearty meal. Caraway is optional in either, and both are wonderful.”

And while Schad’s wholesale and mail-order dough business has proved to be successful a formula over the years, the slow economy has reminded her of the benefit of having not only a traditional storefront, but a community minded spirit, as well. More than just another means to sell her baked goods, Schad sees her counter as a “way to do more” for the people who’ve supported her. “The local business community has really pulled together lately, and it’s working,” she says. “I’m receiving so much support. It’s wonderful. I’m living my dream. I have my family around, and I’m where my roots are.”

For more information on J. Scone’s products or to place an order, call 215-489-9198.

Once upon a time, my corner kitchen cabinet held a half bag of flour, enough granulated sugar for a few cups of coffee, unopened baking soda, expired baking powder and some cinnamon I used mostly for stews.

Ironically, Chopped is my favorite TV show, which I watch every Saturday afternoon on the Food Network. The challengers get three baskets of doesn’t-usually-go-together stuff to turn into a tasty and “pretty” three- course meal. Without a recipe, they spend the next “television” hour crazed, which is pretty much how I roll in the kitchen. For you TV foodies, you know that Chopped precedes Cupcake Wars, another challenge to create something yummy and glam.

So I kind of slid into “Wars” and, for a time, watched while doing something else like vacuuming. But cupcakes soon called to me. When my husband asked what I wanted for the holidays, I replied, “A cupcake boot-camp kit.” Now that my cabinet is filled with chocolate and cocoa powder, food coloring, candied sprinkles, candy molds, pastry bags with more than 25 decorating tips and Dior-caliber cupcake liners, I am cranking out delights every Sunday.

To be honest, my motives at first were entirely selfish. As a dessert-lover but chronic weight-watcher, I could keep a few for us and give the rest away to avoid temptation. When I explained my plan to Mom, she said, “Bake a cake, eat what you want and freeze what’s left.” Really? Does that work for anyone? Aren’t most people sawing through a block of chocolate ice with a serrated knife for a sliver to throw into the microwave for 20 seconds at 10:30 at night?

I could give the rest of a cake away, but a “leftover” just doesn’t have the same charm – or effect – as a perfectly formed cupcake that is all yours and has been equally loved and doted upon as the others. I’d never drive anywhere to deliver a slice, whereas last Sunday, I drove an hour back and forth to deliver two lemon cupcakes. They were freshly decorated and I wanted my friends to smile, which, in turn, made me smile. I can make lots and lots at one time and share lots and lots of love. And even in this crazy got-to-have-it-all world, even if they could eat more, people are delighted and appreciative to get only one apiece. This is like the Tao of Cupcake.

Anyway, I need to pick up a bag of marbles – to slide into the tins to create heart-shaped cupcakes. No cards this year. Just lots of driving. May your Valentine’s Day be as sweet.