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Released in 1977, “Pete’s Dragon” is a live action, animated feature film. Using a radical new mixture of live-action and animation, the story centers on a young orphan boy named Pete and his dragon, Elliott. The movie was the first Disney feature film to be released on home video in 1980. Animators chose to make Elliott an oriental dragon as oriental dragons are associated with good fortune. In “Pete’s Dragon,” Elliott is a do-gooder, constantly trying to dragon do-gooder for the protection of a little orphan boy, and those in need.

The story is set in Maine, where an orphan boy, Pete, runs away for his abusive adoptive family. While the family looks for him, an invisible dragon named Elliott intervenes. Pete thanks Elliott and the two form a close friendship. It is then that Elliott reveals he can be invisible or visible when he chooses. Pete thinks Elliott should stay invisible for his own protection. As they travel further from the Gogans, they land in the fishing town of Passamaquoddy, where the town drunk, Lampie stumbles out of a tavern and sees Pete and Elliott. Unfortunately, nobody believes him. Lampie and Nora live in a lighthouse, where Nora keeps a lookout for her missing fianc, Paul, who has been lost at sea for almost a year, after a shipwreck.

Hiding in a sea cave, Pete and Elliott are soon discovered by the lighthouse keeper, Nora. While visiting the lighthouse, Pete spies a picture of Nora’s fianc, Paul. Upon hearing how Paul was feared dead, Pete tells Nora his dragon, Elliott, can find him. Nora thinks that Elliott is an imaginary friend. Eventually, con men come to Passamaquoddy, who have learned of the dragon and try to persuade Pete to sell Elliott. The Gogans also wander into town trying to reclaim Pete. What follows madcap mania as each group tries to outdo the other.

An electrical wire pole falls, threatening the mayor and a schoolteacher. Elliott, now visible, stops it from doing so, which provokes the famous line, “There really is a dragon!” Meanwhile, off the coast a ship is headed for jagged rocks when the lighthouse is hit by a monstrous wave that shatters windows, drenching the oil-lamp that signals impending danger. Elliott arrives just in time to light the lamp with his fire when Nora comes in and is astonished to discover he exists. The ship is saved and Elliott becomes a hero. Nora’s fianc, Paul finally returns, the sole survivor of the shipwreck. Paul lost his memory until intervention by Elliott made it return and he was on the ship that Elliott saved.

When all the action dies down and life returns to normal, Nora and Paul ask Pete and Elliott come live with them. Pete is overjoyed, but Elliott insists he must move on. Since Pete is safe in a loving family, he must move on to help the next child in need. As the film ends, Pete bids his flying friend a bitter-sweet farewell.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment by Fabian Toulouse
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If you want to improve your singing style, whether you are a professional or an amateur, you’ll find that one thing that you need to think about is your vibrato. Most people understand it to be an impressive natural occurrence when your voice wavers slightly or a lot as you sing. Most singers would love to have a fine sounding vibrato as audiences love to hear it in a good singer, and some have to work on it when they practice.

Vibrato can be described as the very slight variation in pitch in your voice when your vocal cords are allowed to move freely, and a specific vibrato can be the signature of a singer’s work. There are plenty of musicians who have brought their own definition to the idea of good vibrato, and if you are looking to develop your own, there are a few things to keep in mind. As a singer, you should customize your vibrato so you have your own unique style.

How exactly does vibrato work? The throat area must be not be closed down but the vocal cords are closed down instead. Proper breath support is key to being the source of good vibrato, including good body posture so that there is a constant flow of air from your lungs.

There as many kinds of vibrato as there are languages spoken today. In some cultures, singers will sing a quickly moving vibrato, and other cultures don’t promote vibrato at all, or if they do, it barely noticeable. Again, vibrato is attractive to some cultures such as China where a vibrato in a very high register sung slowly is considered beautiful, and in European style choral music the vibrato is not encouraged for singers.

When working to develop vibrato, there are a few things to keep in mind. First you will find that the development of a good vibrato does take time and practice, with a good choral vocal blend being developed through discipline when it comes to a good alignment of the singing voice. It is important to make sure that a singer who is trying to sing vibrato will have a good balance when it comes to support and to really understanding what their body is trying with this oscillation of pitch

When a singer works on developing a vibrato there are some issues to look for while practicing. A vibrato that sounds too quivery or shaky takes place if the singer does not completely concentrate on the notes, or the vocal cords may be too weak or strained. Or a vibrato that is moving too fast or is too shaky sounding is brought about too much stress on the tongue area that results in a unappealing sound.

If you are looking to develop a healthy vibrato, you will find that the first thing that you need to think about is your posture and positioning. Are you in a good place to get the sound that you need? Are you properly warmed up and ready to reach those high notes easily?

There are many different methods to getting a healthy vibrato, but it all starts with good basics. Speak with your voice teacher or a singer that you know and trust so that you can find out what method he or she recommends for you. Also, any excellent online course in singing has lots of advice and exercises for you to practice, as good vibrato means good singing!

Tags: Music by Elizabeth Schohl
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Washington has increased its number of wineries by 400 percent in the last decade. Connoisseurs and the average wine consumer have found a new place to get great wines.

Modern technology has made the process of making wine more sophisticated but the talent to produce great wine is all in the hands of the vintner who uses skills developed over generations of great wine makers sharing their knowledge to have some of the best wines now available at the wineries in Washington.

If you were in France and drinking wine in the regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy you would be at the same exact latitude of the wine country in Washington. With all the positive things going for wine in Washington being designated as American Viticulture Area is certainly a plus!

No crowds, no hurry, no pressure. Isn’t that what a vacation should be? You will experience the peace and pleasure of great countryside and great wine on a wine tour in Washington. Find the wine you like by going to the wine tastings offered by the different wineries. Find a great place to stay while in the area and make it the most relaxing and enjoyable vacation you have ever taken.

It may be dinner time at your house and what better way to set a relaxing environment than to have a wonderful glass of wine with dinner. Perhaps you are having something that a dry white will enhance or maybe you want a full bodied red to wake up your taste buds. Either can be obtained from one of the wineries in Washington.

It’s swirling, sniffing and slurping time when you get a good glass of wine. Swirl the beautiful wine in your glass to get the full color beauty and incorporate some air into the wine. Now it’s time to sniff, what a pleasure to smell the wonderful fragrance the wine gives off. With slurping you get the air mixed with the wine to bring out the full flavor of the choice you have made. Just remember to slurp gently and quietly, it still works and doesn’t drive your guests or family mad with the noise.

If just 1% of the wine grapes of Washington are grown on the eastern side of the Cascades then you would think that it was a poor area for wine growers. In fact, it is a great area where the soil is right, the climate perfect and the growing season long to provide fully ripened, fruit flavored grapes with good acid levels and pleasing aromatics. This area will certainly become more of a draw to vintners in the time to come.

The French, Italians and Germans began planting wine grapes in the state as early at 1825 for their own use when they were settling the area. Commercial planting of wine grapes didn’t being in Washington until the 1960′s with rapid expansion of the industry occurring in the mid-70′s. Now there are new wineries opening every couple of weeks for your enjoyment.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment by Penelope SanMateo
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