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uss-kittyhawk · 3 months

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V.2 of my "Top Gun" Fun fact/Info ramble

(@vivwritesfics here's more, apologies for the tag, just tell me if you don't want to be tagged in any other fact posts I might make)

TOPGUN is a nickname for what began as the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School and is now known as the United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor Program. Formerly located at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California, TOPGUN is now located at Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada. A media account of a TOPGUN class formed the basis of the movie

A radar intercept officer (RIO) is a naval flight officer who occupies the rear seat of such aircraft as the F-4 Phantom II and the F-14 Tomcat. The modern-day equivalent of the RIO is the weapon systems officer (WSO), who is the back seater in the U.S. Marine Corps' F/A-18D Hornet and the U.S. Navy's F/A-18F Super Hornet. WSOs are depicted in Top Gun: Maverick.

Mav's Dad's name was Duke

It is thought that Duke is a reference to former U.S. congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham, who is a former TOPGUN instructor and the only U.S. Navy pilot ace in the Vietnam War.

One of the unused callsigns 'Tombstone' can be seen on a black fighter pilot helmet with three red arrows in promotional photos featuring Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson.

In several locker scenes, one of the lockers is labeled as belonging to "TEX". This is the callsign for one of the top gun instructors and MiG pilots that worked on the film, Lt. "Tex" William Spence.

The callsign 'Ghostrider' that Maverick uses for his plane was the name of a real F-14 squadron (VF-142), and a model of a Tomcat from that squadron can be seen behind Sundown in the shot where Maverick tells Slider he stinks.

In early drafts of the film, the character (Tim Robbins) whose call sign is 'Merlin' actually had the last name of Merlin, and his call sign was 'Wizard'.

Other real names of the pilots/RIOs were that are not otherwise mentioned in the movie, but only by their callsigns are: Hollywood: LT Rick Neven; Wolfman: LTJG Leonard Wolfe; Slider: LTJG Ron Kerner; Cougar: LT Bill Cortell; Merlin: LTJG Sam Wells.

James Tolkan's character is referred to as "Stinger" in the credits, but is never addressed by anything other than "Sir" throughout the film.

The call sign 'Sundown' is actually a reference to a squadron of F-14s called the sundowners that have the same sundown graphic on their tail fins as on Sundown's helmet.

Anthony Edwards is the only actor who didn't vomit while in the fighter jets.

When Maverick receives his orders to the carrier following the graduation ceremony, there is a pilot standing behind him, with a mustache and wearing sunglasses. The pilot is "Heater" C.J. Heatley, a real-life former F-14 air show demonstration pilot and TOPGUN instructor.

Tom Cruise actually had to wear lifts in his scenes with Kelly McGillis. Cruise is 5'7" while McGillis is 5'10".

The piano scene and the final bar/jukebox scene were shot in a San Diego restaurant called Kansas City BBQ, at the corner of Kettner Blvd and W. Harbor Drive. The restaurant housed many props and memorabilia from the film, including the jukebox and Maverick's flight helmet sits behind the bar in a locked display case. However, on June 26, 2008 Kansas City BBQ suffered a grease fire that destroyed much of the interior of the establishment. The restaurant has since been repaired to its original state, but all of the original Top Gun memorabilia on display was lost. (which SUCKS)

The scene where Maverick follows Charlie into the bathroom was filmed at the Headquarters Building at Recruit Training Command, San Diego. The Naval Training Center installation was later demolished in the late 1990's to make way for more Navy housing. Before the headquarters building could be inspected for demolition, the bathroom counter that "Maverick" leans on and "stress tests" was stolen (wonder who has it and have they "used" it??)

Riding on the back of this film's success, the US Navy set up recruiting booths in the major cinemas to try and catch some of the adrenaline charged guys leaving the screenings. They had the highest applications rate for years as a result.

^^it was later figured out that the volleyball scene was the most memorable....(the navy has the largest gay population of the U.S. Military)

The love scene between Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis was filmed after initial test screenings. Moviegoers complained that there was no love scene, so the company obliged. McGillis, however, had already dyed her hair darker for her next film. This is why the scene is tinted blue.

The motorcycle ridden by Tom Cruise in the movie is a Kawasaki Ninja 900 / GPz900R, then the fastest production motorcycle in the world.

The film was originally going to have a scene near the end where Maverick visited Goose's grave. A filmed version of this scene was never released, however still screen shots from what such a scene would have looked like are available on the special edition DVD.

^^and i'm pretty sure that's the one I have, but Idk how to get the footage off of the dvd, my laptop doesnt have a dvd slot

Filming and clapperboard of Top Gun on July 5, 1985.

In July 1985, Kansas City Barbeque served as a filming location for two scenes. The first scene features Goose and Maverick singing "Great Balls of Fire" while seated at the piano. The final scene, where "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" can be heard on the restaurant's jukebox, was also filmed at the restaurant. Both scenes were filmed consecutively. After release of the movie, the restaurant went on to collect a significant amount of memorabilia from the motion picture until a kitchen fire on June 26, 2008, destroyed much of the restaurant. Some memorabilia and props, including the original piano used in the film, survived the fire, and the restaurant re-opened in November 2008.

And that is all i have for now (July 4th, 2024) If you have any facts you'd like to share, my inbox is open. You are also free just to chat there too. Thirsting over Characters/Actors is also welcome.

#top gun maverick #top gun 1986 #top gun facts #top gun hangman #behind the scenes #film facts

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cvrsxn · 4 years

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hello friends!! i haven’t played carson in a few years, so i’m basically writing a bio from scratch while drunk. we shall see how this goes lol

(JORDAN FISHER, CISMALE) - Have you seen CARSON JAMES? CARSON is in HIS SENIOR year. The MUSICAL THEATER MAJOR is 22 years old & is a CANCER. People say HE is ADAPTABLE, LOYAL, SUBMISSIVE and DETACHED. Rumors say they’re a member of WINTHROP SOCIETY. I heard from the gossip blog that HE’S LYING TO HIS DAD ABOUT WHERE HE’S GOING TO SCHOOL AND WHAT HE’S GOING FOR.

trigger warning: death

basic info

full name: carson robert james

birth date: july 7, 1998

pronouns: he/him

hometown: assaria, kansas

sexuality: bisexual

height: 5′9″

eye color: brown

hair color: brown

build: athletic

tattoos: none

piercings: none

style: because he’s on the low end of the totem pole in terms of status, he tries to look his best even if he can’t afford to look as good as the rest of campus

favorite color: blue

favorite food: burgers

zodiac: cancer sun, sagittarius moon, virgo rising

mbti: infj

hogwarts house: hufflepuff

enneagram: type 5 wing 4

temperament: melancholy-phlegmatic

alignment: true neutral

carson was born to rob and sylvia james, the middle child and only boy. because of that, it was always his destiny to someday take over the family car repair shop. james automotive was the sole reason people stopped in assaria, being as much of a drive-through city as it is, but the james family kept a good amount of business being the only mechanic within a 30 mile radius. carson was working under the hood of some practice junkers his father kept around by the time he was six, and it wasn’t just holding the flashlight. he wasn’t terrible at it, but it definitely didn’t come naturally to him like his little sister, katie. as much as carson loved his father, the man was very stuck in his ways -- stereotypical gender roles and all.

as for his mother, the most important thing to her was keeping music in their lives. if she didn’t have one of her favorite records playing, she was humming while she washed the dishes or tittering at the piano. she taught all of her children to play at a young age, and music spoke to carson in a way that cars didn’t. music was always for fun or relaxation or church, though; he never would’ve imagined having a career in music. and after sylvia’s untimely passing, music seemed to leave the house altogether.

besides church and working at james automotive, the only activity carson was allowed to participate in was baseball. being a diehard royals fan, rob was perfectly fine with his son cutting back hours at the shop when baseball season rolled around. and carson was good; the best third baseman the school had seen in over twenty years. he had universities scouting him left and right, but carson’s path was set. he’d finish an associates in business at the local community college, and then he’d work in the repair shop for the rest of his life. at least, that was the plan, before carson’s older sister, felicia, stepped in.

felicia had left the midwest for the east coast, and she was determined to get her brother out of kansas if it was the last thing she did. with katie’s help, they put together a “demo reel” of carson singing in the church choir and randomly around the house, complete with a scene katie had convinced carson she needed to practice for class. under the guise of a weekend trip to see his sister, felicia had set up an audition with yates university (and a few other schools for good measure). on raw talent alone, carson managed to make it into every single program. the only problem was telling his dad.

if carson had actually told his dad he wanted to major in musical theater, rob wouldn’t have even laughed; it would’ve just been a flat out “no”. his sisters swooped in again and convinced rob that carson had received a baseball scholarship to a nearby university, one that happened to have a top-notch business program. rob was a bit skeptical, but ultimately took their word for it. luckily for carson, rob never had the time to make a visit to campus, so they’ve been in the clear.

it was a long road trying to catch up to the rest of his peers in the theater department. the curriculum seemed to be set for people who already had at least a base knowledge in every area, and carson was still tripping over his feet in his jazz shoes. there were few who worked harder than him, though, and after his first year, he was able to hold his own. he still had a long way to go if he was going to compete with the people who just kept getting better, but if this was what he wanted to do, he was going to put his all into it.

at some point during his first two years, carson met and dated a girl (wc submitted to the main!!) and they were very serious, but for reasons that can be plotted out she broke his heart and it took him a long time to get over it. he started getting bigger roles in mainstage productions and that became his full focus. he couldn’t afford to get distracted.

as a senior, he’s really hit his stride. he’s performing better than he ever has, and he can even keep up in his dance classes. he finally feels like he can really do this, but he has no idea how he’s going to tell his dad after he graduates.

wanted connections will be posted tomorrow probably, since it’s after 10 and i have to be up in six hours for work 😬 like this post and i’ll come find you during free time at work though!!

#yatesintro #this got................so long i'm so sorry alskdjf

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cmacws · 5 years

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New Piano Tuning, Repair and Refinishing added to CMac.ws.

Katamura Piano Service LLC in Kansas City, MO https://piano-tuning-and-repair-services.cmac.ws/katamura-piano-service-llc/4788/

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definitelynotalibrary · 7 years

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This is my Nightwish (long, under the cut)

It started with four songs.

Over the Hills and Far Away, Wanderlust, Nemo, and Sleeping Sun, mistakenly titled “Eclipse” on the file I had.

I cannot tell you exactly when I received them, or the name of the person who gave them to me. All I remember is that it was 2005 (possibly 2004), and it was a friend of a friend I met on Neopets.

Wanderlust especially intrigued me because I was deeply into Dragonlance and it reminded me of kender. Over the Hills and Far Away was cool. I have always wanted to write a short story about the plot of that song. I want to say my version of Sleeping Sun was the 2005 version, but I am not sure. Either way, I adored it. I still think of it as “Eclipse” sometimes because for the longest time, that is what I thought it was called.

But of course, Nemo is what won my heart. How many of us say the same? There is just something about that song that draws you in. You get lost in it, enfolded in its haunting beauty. It is easily Tarja’s best song and one that each of the subsequent singers has rocked in their own unique style. There are many excellent and gorgeous songs in Nightwish’s repertoire, but Nemo is the most famous and it is the song I am sure many of us use to get our friends into the band.

So the reason I know that I was introduced to the band in 2005 is because it is the year my uncle got married to his second wife. They were married in Vegas, and this was before I had an MP3 device, so I was still rocking the CD player. I burned all four of those songs onto a CD and played it on repeat. During the plane ride, while we walked around the Strip…I was solidly hooked. (Fun side fact: The real reason I know it was 2005 is because I got sick on that trip and had to stay in the hotel while my family went and saw the fourth Harry Potter movie. That was the only one I never saw in theaters, which was fine by me. I got to hang out by myself in a hotel room and watch The Mummy for the first time.)

“Woah. He looks EVIL!” <- My mother’s first reaction to Marco in the MV for Wish I Had an Angel. Again, my memory is bad, so I do not know when I started looking up music videos. But I remember that one moment very clearly. I mean…she’s not wrong.

My parents never disapproved of Nightwish though, despite their rather quiet fourteen year old anime and fantasy nerd suddenly obsessing over heavy metal. Sorry; symphonic power metal. Actually, the more I listened, the more it grew on them to the point where they were willing to drive six hours from Raleigh to Atlanta to see their show in 2007. But that is getting ahead of myself.

Learning about Tarja leaving was devastating. During the interim though, I was able to get deeper and deeper into the band. Once was my first album, and the others very quickly followed. It didn’t take me long to realize exactly why I loved this band so much.

Tuomas.

Tuomas was, and is, the heart of the band to me. The more I read about him, the more I loved him. He has such an obvious passion for his work. I love the music of the band, but it was the lyrics that sold me. I have always been a voracious reader of fantasy novels, and here he was creating these stories in song. English was my favorite subject in school (I now have a BA in Creative Writing), and I often had fun trying to decipher the symbolic and hidden meaning of his work. The songs are so full of literary allusions and metaphors…I still want to sit down and create an in-depth analysis of Song of Myself just for giggles. In fact, I DID use The Escapist in lieu of a poem in a college freshman English class. That was awesome.

As was everyone, I was apprehensive at the idea of a new singer. They announced Anette and she seemed fine. If I remember correctly, they released small previews of some of the songs and they were different, but not bad. I bought Dark Passion Play the moment it came out. I was so excited. I immediately played it when my mom and I got to the car.

That first time was breathtaking. Poet and the Pendulum regularly is cited as my favorite song of theirs. My mom immediately fell in love with 7 Days to the Wolves and Jukka’s drumming. She’s always had a thing for percussion. To this day, when we are in the car together and playing DPP, we will belt out most of the songs together in perfect time. My mom doesn’t often blast music, but Nightwish is an exception.

The concert in 2007 was a revelation. I had only ever been to one concert before, and it was an Aerosmith outdoors concert that I kind of appreciated, but we were all the way in the last row of an outdoor stadium, so it was difficult to get into it.

This one though…it was held in a small club that someone said was just waiting to fall down because the owner’s didn’t really repair it much. We were two or three rows from the front standing to the left in front of Tuomas’ pianos. Yes, I said "we." My mother stood right next to me the whole time. My dad, who it turned out was a bit of an introvert (and also was 6’6” tall), stayed in the back.

Y’all, nothing prepared me for this experience. The opening act was Paradise Lost, whom I honestly cannot remember. The sound was loud and the mics were fuzzy. Nightwish shined. The floor shook, the crowd surged behind me, I almost got kicked in the face by an attempted crowd surfer, my mom was a trooper, and I got to shake Marco’s hand. Poet and the Pendulum brought me to tears and gave me chills all over. We went home the next day with shirts and (to my surprise at Christmas), hoodies. That hoodie became my favorite article of clothing. I still have it. I wore it almost daily when it was cool enough.

The years went on. I learned to never read YouTube comments on Nightwish videos, I gained a deeper appreciation for the more “classic” albums (Century Child is my jam), and I phased in and out of my obsession.

Imaginaerum came out when I was in college. The preorder slip was one of my Christmas gifts in December 2011. I strong-armed a couple of my friends into agreeing to go to the concert in Salt Lake City with me on Sepetember 29th, 2012. Our college was in Idaho, and we did not have (reliable) cars to drive down, or the money for a hotel, but we made it. Found a ride on a rideshare board, stayed with my friend’s aunt(?), and begged a ride from a local friend two and from the concert. It was an unpleasant trip filled with too much junk food (I still cannot eat Cadbury eggs. Don’t ask; it was a bad idea).

As before, the concert was great. Kamelot was their opening act, and though I had heard some of their stuff before, I definitely fell in love with Tommy that night. I did notice Anette wasn’t quite as engaged with the audience and their whole show felt a little muted, but I attributed that to her having just been ill in Denver a day or so before.

My friends had a fun time, too. One of my friends is rather small, and we were concerned she would get swallowed by the crowd, but she was a champ. Pushed people who pushed her back. She was great. There was this annoying teenage girl in a corset or something that pushed her boobs into everyone’s faces and she was trying to brag about how her daddy paid for her ticket. We just deadpanned her and talked about how we three grown-ass college students paid for our own tickets and drove 4+ hours to get here.

The highlight of that concert was that the people behind us, more Kamelot fans than Nightwish, proved to be really cool people. We talked a bit and I expressed my love for Tuomas and later the girl caught a towel he threw into the audience. And she gave it to me. I was over the moon.

Once again, shock when it was announced Anette was leaving not TWO DAYS LATER. I was at her last concert and had no idea.

I’d grown very attached to Anette, so I was slow to warm up to Floor. She was this tall, Amazonian woman with a nose ring who headbanged like I had never seen before. I wasn’t totally sold on Elan when the music video came out.

To be honest, I didn’t WANT to like her. There was too much change. First Troy was added and I was like “OK, not surprising, he has been touring with them,” and THEN my mother’s dear Jukka announced he was stepping back and someone else was replacing him. It was all just too much change! I almost tentatively purchased Endless Forms Most Beautiful, hesitant and almost afraid. And I learned how wrong I was.

Floor was perfect. She combined what I loved about the other two singers and added her own flair on top of it. The songs were as epic and grand as any of the others, and above all, it just felt like Nightwish. I still loved Tarja and Anette, but I found that I had room in my heart for Floor, too.

So when I found out they were going to be in my town (which was now Kansas City), I of course had to go. My mom came too, though my dad passed. Standing in line, people went through and asked if anyone wanted to upgrade to VIP. I worked up my nerve and did it! I figured, why not. Third time’s the charm.

I was nervous as anything and shyer than I have ever been. And, of course, woefully unprepared. I had them sign my ticket and my phone case. Over a year later and they are mostly faded, but I had put a little clear nail polish over them, so some of them really aren’t TOO bad. I met everyone except Marco, who was bizarrely absent.

The concert started, and for the third time I was almost front row, but off to the left. Delain and Sonata Arctica were fantastic. Nightwish came on and Marco looked PISSED. He ended up throwing his guitar and walking off stage midway through the first song. He reappeared with another guitar, but still looked angry. I guess there was something wrong with his sound. After another song, he apologized and everything was alright again. They shone, the energy was intoxicating, and they left everyone wanting more.

I do not think I can adequately describe what Nightwish means to me honestly. They were my first band, really. I had liked some music before them, but not quite the same. They elevated my taste and changed me forever. I taught myself to sing by listening to Tarja (was devastated to learn I am not an actual soprano ahah), and their music has consistently helped me write when blocked. I fall asleep like a baby when listening to their music, it pumps me up when I am excited, it helps me vent when I am angry, and it calms me down when I am depressed. It helped me when we moved across states after my freshman year in high school. It was there during the worst roommates of my college time. It’s helped me get through my dad’s death. Any time I need to, I can sink into their sound, letting it envelop me once more and carry me off to a peaceful place. In so many ways, it feels like this band was MEANT for me.

#nightwish #music #tarja turunen #anette olzon #floor jansen #Tuomas Holopainen #marco hietala #jukka nevalainen #emppu vuorinen #troy donockley #kai hahto

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behindthebridgeblog · 8 years

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Luthier Spotlight: Julie Reed-Yeboah

Julie Reed-Yeboah of Reed Yeboah Fine Violins, LLC specializes in cello, viola, and violin repair and restoration work. Since 2006, Julie has provided professional musicians around the world with expert workmanship and honest consultations. At the Contemporary Violin Makers Exhibition she hosted last year, Julie partnered with D'Addario's own Director of R & D Fan-Chia Tao to include an event called "Just Listen: Blind Testing the Sound of Contemporary Violins." Julie was gracious to tell us the story of how her practice came to be.

What is your earliest musical memory?

I grew up in a house full of music. We had 2 pianos in our house and everyone played. We had to share them among 6 people. My earliest memory is probably my father playing his “heavy handed” jazz on Sunday mornings or my mother playing hymns. I have 3 sisters, 2 of whom are many years older and they were also both playing flute, piano, and violin by the time I was born. We all started piano at age 5 and chose another instrument at age 7-8. I remember listening to Jacqueline DuPre and knowing that I had to play the cello.

What was your college degree?

I went to the University of Kansas for my first year and then transferred to the University of Nebraska, studying English with a music minor on cello. I fell in love with violinmaking and continued my studies at the Newark School of Violinmaking in Newark-on-Trent in the UK, receiving my diploma in 1979.

What kind of apprenticeship experience did you have?

While I was studying at the University of Nebraska I met David Wiebe, who was working at the time in Beatrice, Nebraska. He had studied in Mittenwald and I walked into his shop and saw a double bass that he was making and I was hooked. David was gracious enough to take me on as an apprentice as I had no woodworking or practical background. Violinmaking combined so many things that I loved - music, art, and science. David was a very patient teacher and really made the work exciting. I worked with David for 1 ½ years part time in preparation for starting in Newark. In Newark we were a class of 10 people and most of what we did was very practical work. My classmates included Roger Hargrave, John Dilworth, Anne Houssay, Joe Thrift, and Malcolm Siddall to name a few. We spent our time at school and at home making violins and we were also taught technical drawing, metal work and silversmithing. We also did a 3 week internship at W.E. Hill and Sons. It was a three year course and it was a wonderful time to experiment and to work and play hard.

Image courtesy of the Contemporary Violin Makers Exhibition

What age did you make your first instrument?

I was about 21 when I completed my first violin with David Wiebe. I used it as my test piece when I applied to Newark.

How did your practice come to be?

At the end of school in Newark we each had a meeting with Charles Beare, who was also an honorary director of our school. He made sure that each of us had a job at the end of school. I will never forget his generosity in helping us start our careers. I went to Bein and Fushi in Chicago and it was a very interesting place to work after being in England for 3 years and being exposed to the English shops of J&A Beare and W.E. Hill and Sons. I went back to Nebraska and helped David Wiebe make 3 cellos as I was not allowed to make cellos in Newark. I then moved back to England in conjunction with the Welsh School of Violinmaking and took a job as the County restorer and worked there for about a year. It was grueling but I rehaired so many bows and set up so many instruments that I felt confident in my set up work. This made it possible to get a job. I moved to Munich and after spending several months in an intensive German class, I started to work in the firm of Wolfgang Zunterer. It was a great experience to work in Munich and with so many talented violinmakers. I had to repair bows part time but I also was able to learn a lot about violin restoration and repair.

"Violinmaking combined so many things that I loved - music, art, and science."

I moved up to Bremen in 1983 to work in the firm of Geigenbau Machold where I knew a lot of makers from the English School. Roger Hargrave was the head of the workshop at that time and he had assembled an extraordinary group of restorers to make a world class workshop. I worked for Machold in Bremen for 10 years. Dietmar Machold gave us a tremendous amount of responsibility in his firm so it was a wonderful learning experience and time of growth as a restorer. I moved to Chicago in 1993 when I was hired by William Harris Lee to set up a restoration department. I got to know all of the makers there but mostly ended up just dealing with set up issues and not a lot of restoration. Machold wanted to open a shop in New York and so I moved with several other people from Bein and Fushi to New York to open the firm of Machold Rare Violins. It was a very interesting experience and I ended up working another 10 years for Machold.

When Machold decided to move his US office to Chicago I decided to stay in New York and start my own shop. Luckily for me I was taken in by the people from J&A Beare and they gave me a work space in their New York office. I did some work and helped with sales for them and I was also able to develop my own business. When J&A Beare closed their business here they were generous enough to let me take over their space. I have been working here for the last 10 years and have expanded the business to have 4 restorers in the workshop and office staff. We specialize in restoration and sales of fine stringed instruments. I spend most of my days doing sound adjustments, repair work, and consulting with clients when they are planning a big restoration or the purchase of an instrument. For the last 6 years we have also been organizing the annual Contemporary Violin Makers Exhibition. Yi-Ping Yang and I gather together a small collection of some of the best violinmakers from around the world and showcase them for discerning musicians and public. It has been a huge success and we are very proud to offer fine contemporary instruments to our clients. My business is always evolving and I hope to be able to continue serving our clients in New York City.

What is your favorite instrument from another maker?

Probably the early instruments of Roger Hargrave. He was making bench copies when we worked for Machold. He made several that fooled the experts but my favorite was a Cappa copy with Fleur de Lys in the corners.

What is your favorite story of an instrument you’ve restored?

My favorite was probably a Landolphi violin which had so much woodworm in the top that I had to find someone in Bremen to X-ray it so that I could follow the course of the worm and fill all of the cavities with small patches. Another was a Vuillaume cello that was burned from the inside (perhaps a cigarette had fallen inside). We worked as a group to remake the cello. The replica is floating around somewhere I imagine.

What is your favorite tool?

My favorite tool is either my knife, which I made in Newark and still use every day, or my soundpost hammer for violin adjustment because it allows me to make a very precise sound adjustment.

What would you be doing if you weren’t a luthier?

I probably would have continued studying English and become a teacher. I was also very interested in organic farming at the time. It is hard to say as violin work has been my passion my whole life and it has evolved into a career that I love.

What projects are you currently working on?

I am currently trying to run my business and so I have many projects. I do a lot of tonal adjustments and work with musicians to get their instruments working at their best. I sell bows, violins, violas, and cellos from the classical period up to modern. I spend a lot of time also meeting with violinmakers, looking for the best makers for our Exhibition. Our shop is located on Broadway near Carnegie hall and Lincoln Center so we have a lot of traffic. We work with many soloists, orchestral players, students, and collectors from all over the world. It is a very exciting business and wonderful to be surrounded with such talent.

What is the one thing that keeps you excited about this field?

It is a very interesting field which combines so many aspects of art, music, woodworking, chemistry, and physics. I think that it must be the fact that I have never felt that I have finished learning in this profession. In restoration, there is always a problem that has to be solved, and the same goes for making as we constantly search to improve, whether it be a better varnish or working method. We learn from each other. I think that violinmakers choose to be restorers because we often get to work in workshops bouncing ideas off each other and our work is one in which you should not see your personality but rather feel the satisfaction of making a crack invisible or making the instrument much more playable for the musician. We also get to work with older instruments from the classical period in an attempt to keep them preserved for the following generations of musicians and collectors.

Julie's shop is located at 1776 Broadway in New York, NY. The Contemporary Violin Makers Exhibition is held each October in New York.

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kansascityhappenings · 6 years

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The most haunted places in Kansas City to visit this fall

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Whether you’re looking for a scare or want to admire some history, Kansas City and the surrounding area is full of haunted places to visit. Halloween is just around the corner. Also, some of these sites are great if you’re looking for a nice spot to take pictures for autumn.

Make sure if you visit any of these places, you follow the guidelines set up by them and go during operation hours. Some places are private and off limits.

Hotel Savoy (now remodeled as a new hotel) | Kansas City, MO

The Hotel Savoy in Kansas City has provided people with a place to stay since 1888. The old Savoy Hotel at 9th and Central streets has undergone a $50 million transformation and has reopened as the 21 c Museum Hotel Kansas City with modern art. The location is two miles away from Union Station and Boulevard Brewing Company.

The redesigned restaurant and lodge brings modern and historical elements together. Famous patrons included some U.S. Presidents, Harry Truman, Theodore Roosevelt, William Taft; and also entrepreneur John D. Rockefeller.

As assortment of paranormal activity has been reported at the site for more than 100 years.

Some people say it is home to a ghost of a little girl in a Victorian outfit, and a ghost of a man whose apartment used to be there.

John Wornall House Museum | Kansas City, MO

Wornall House | Wikipedia

One of the oldest homes in Kansas City is also considered one of the most haunted: the John Wornall House. It is rich with civil war history. There are tales of spirits wandering outside the home that vanish suddenly. The rumors are thick: people have reported seeing armed soldiers from the Civil War era patrolling the balconies and doors there.

People have claimed the smell of pipe tobacco lingers, as well as noises, voices, and a strange rocking chair in the children’s bedroom.

The museum, located at 6115 Wornall Road in the Brookside area of Kansas City has lavish furniture that would fit a pre-Civil War family.

John Wornall built the house in 1858. It is one of four remaining Civil War period homes in the Kansas City area.

During the Civil War, the Wornalls’ home was used as a hospital for both Union and Confederate soldiers following the Battle of Westport. 361 Union fighters and 510 Confederate fighters died in the battle. The battle is sometimes referred to as the “Gettysburg of the West.” It was fought on October 23, 1864. Union forces won the battle.

The battle was the last major Confederate offensive west of the Mississippi River.

Belvoir Winery | Liberty, MO

Belvoir Inn & Winery, Liberty Missouri

In 1900, the Odd Fellows Home District was established along with the Belvoir Winery. The Odd Fellows Home District came with multiple buildings, each with an individualized purpose including: a home for the elderly, a hospital, and a school. A cemetery nearby is the final resting place of some 600 people. The Belvoir Winery is now open for wine tastings, weddings, and other private events.

Visitors at the winery sometimes say they spot another crowd that doesn’t seem to fit with everyone else – perhaps ghosts of an old woman singing and a mischievous man. There are reports of children on the property playing, singing, and just creeping people out.

And perhaps a piano there plays of its own accord to open listeners.

Back in 2013, Belvoir Winery was featured on the Sci-Fi show “Ghost Hunters.”

Children used to learn at the top floor when the building was an orphanage.

Elms Hotel and Space | Excelsior Springs, MO

Northeast of Kansas City, the historic Elms Hotel and Spa still delights patrons. A fire damaged it in the late 1800s. The Hotel was rebuilt between 1909 and 1912.

A number of Kansas City’s and the nation’s most notorious gangsters visited the site in the 1930s including Charles “Pretty Boy” Floyd, Al Capone, and George “Bugs” Moran. There are stories that the mobsters would enjoy gambling and alcohol in the hotel basement.

Staff and guests have reported ghost sightings for years. In particular, a maid ghost from around the 1920s who appears to look after the cleaning staff.

People claiming to see ghosts report the more bizarre sightings are down in the basement.

The hotel also serves as a wedding venue. The hotel space recently had a $20-million renovation.

Epperson House | Kansas City, MO

Epperson House | Wikipedia

Uriah Epperson and his family lived in the house back in 1920. It is said to have some curious paranormal activity – from footsteps, organ music, and other unexpected sounds. It is home to a possible ghost – a woman in an evening gown who likes to wander. People claim she is the adopted daughter of the Epperson family. Harriet Barse is said to have died during construction on an organ installation in the house. Barse died on December 20, 1922, of a perforated gall bladder.

The house is now part of the University of Missouri–Kansas City.

French architect Horace LaPierre designed the four-story Tudor-Gothic structure. It contained 54 rooms, including six bathrooms, elevators, a swimming pool, billiard room, barbershop, a custom organ, and a tunnel linking the east and west wings.

Epperson was a banker, industrialist, and philanthropist. He had significant wealth from insurance and meat-packing industries.

Uriah Epperson died in 1927, only four years after completion on the house. His widow donated the building to the university in 1942. It was used as a men’s dormitory until 1956.

Coates House Hotel | Kansas City, MO

Coates House Hotel | Wikipedia

Coates Hotel has a long history. It opened in 1867.

U.S. Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, William McKinley, and Grover Cleveland all stayed there. A century after it opened, it turned into a homeless shelter. A fire broke out in 1978, killing 20 homeless people there.

Years later the building was repaired and turned into a large apartment complex. Residents have complained of seeing strange shadowy figures around the building and appliances having a mind of their own.

St. Mary’s Episcopal Church | Kansas City, MO

One of Kansas City’s most historic churches makes the most haunted list. St. Mary’s Episcopal Church was built in 1857. There are rumors that odd sounds and activity in the church are caused by Father Henry David Jardine who died in 1886. Some say he is making these sounds to clear his name of any wrong doing.

Muehlebach Hotel | Kansas City, MO

The hotel opened in 1916 and was a stopping point for several big names including: The Beatles, Elvis Presley, and all the Presidents in office from Theodore Roosevelt to Ronald Reagan. It appears Theodore Roosevelt really had a thing for KC hotels since this is the 3rd time in this article his name has been mentioned.

The Muehlebach is in operation as part of the Kansas City Marriot.

Rumors have it the hotel is home to “The Blue Lady.” Many people believe she used to be an actress in the 1920s and is in search of her lover.

Glore Psychiatric Museum | St. Joseph, MO

One of the most notorious haunted places in the nation is in St. Joseph. It used to be known as “Missouri State Lunatic asylum Number 2.” There are 2,000 confirmed deaths at this site. According to hauntedplaces.org, the Glore Psychiatric Museum is haunted by deceased patients. People who have visited here say they have heard a woman’s voice asking for help, whimpering, and crying. Others have reported a vision of a man running along the basement hallway and shouting, “Why are you here? Get out!”

The morgue at the Glore Psychiatric Museum is no longer in use. There are a number of interesting artifacts at the museum that are creepy enough without ghosts. More than 1,000 metal objects were removed from a patient’s stomach in 1929. Those objects are now on display. It includes pins, nails, tacks, and other items.

Stull Cemetery | Stull, KS

Located between Lawrence and Topeka in the town of Stull, Kansas — the Stull Cemetery has a deeply haunted reputation. Rumors started in the 1970s that the cemetery is one of the Seven Gateways to Hell. There is another urban legend that started about the same time: that Satan appears in Stull Cemetery on Halloween and the night of the Spring Equinox. The old stone church was torn down in 2002.

The rumors about the cemetery appeared in a November 1974 issue of The University Daily Kansan (the student newspaper of the University of Kansas). Students likely circulated the rumors from there and the urban legend isn’t actually founded on anything.

Those caught trespassing into the cemetery at night will likely be caught and either fined or put in jail, or both. Patrols increase around Halloween and spring.

Folly Theater | Kansas City, MO

Folly Theater 1973 | Wikipedia

The Folly Theater and adjacent Edward Hotel were the center of Kansas City’s theater world for decades. The Folly stage hosted vaudeville and burlesque acts like Gypsy Rose Lee.

Restored to its original state — employees and visitors alike report paranormal activity in and outside the theater. There are reports of a mysterious man in a bowler, believed to be the ghost of Joe Donegan. Others report seeing a woman in a long gown rushing toward the stage.

Alexander Majors Home | Kansas City, MO

The Alexander Majors Home–a historic home located on State Line Road is one of the few surviving antebellum houses in Kansas City. Some have said it is haunted by a woman — Louisa Johnston. She spent the majority of her life trying to restore the home. She died at age 89 in the caretaker’s cottage. Upon her death in 1979, she willed the house to long-time friend, architect Terry Chapman.

The house’s design includes nine rooms and nine fireplaces for each room. There are 27 interior doors and 11 exterior doors — nearly every room has a door to an outside porch or balcony. The floors are virgin white pine—non-existent today.

The house served as both a family home and as the headquarters for Majors’ freighting company.

The Sallie House | Atchison, KS

Some people call it the most haunted house in the Sunflower State. A doctor and his family once lived there. The physician operated his entire practice on the bottom floor of the house. His most famous patient, 6-year-old Sallie, is considered to be a spirit who never left there.

The ghost story goes something like this — the young girl came to the house seeking medical care for an upset stomach — she was diagnosed with appendicitis. But sadly, Sallie didn’t survive the operation.

Over the years, many have tried to make the house their home. In the early 1990s, a young couple and their child moved into it and reported strange occurrences throughout the house.

Sauer Castle | Kansas City, KS

Sauer Castle | Wikipedia

The rumors behind Sauer Castle are rather strange. One of those rumors goes like this: fires would randomly break out in the house and a man living there was the regular target of sinister attacks, leaving his abdomen and chest covered in scratches. But a wife and a child there at the same time were never harmed.

Sauer Castle is now a private residence, the 18th-century, German Gothic mansion was built by Anton Phillip Sauer. He relocated from New York City by way of Vienna after his wife passed away in 1868. Sauer lived there with his five daughters and soon remarried a young widow with children of her own. Sauer himself passed in 1879, but the Sauers and their descendants lived there until the mid-1980s.

Not much is known about the hauntings that go with the house. Regular reports include lights appearing in the watchtower, along with apparitions of both a woman and a boy standing in front of the property’s windows.

Daughter Eve Maria Sauer married William C. Van Fossen in the house, having one child named Helen before the marriage failed a year and a half later. She then married a widower with six children of his own, local Wyandotte County businessman and landowner, Mr. John S. Perkins. Together they had three children and stayed married — until he committed suicide with a handgun at age 73. One of Eve’s infant daughters drowned in the swimming pool on the west side of the house. Eve continued to live in the house till her death in 1955.

Paul Berry, bought the house after Eve’s death. He lived in the mansion until his own death in December 1986. Because of repeated ghost stories, lore, and rumors — the house has been constantly trespassed and vandalized. During Barry’s reign, he and his dog fought off vandals themselves.

Valie Mansion | Independence, MO

The impressive estate maintains a reputation as one of the preeminent history destinations in Kansas City. The home is preserved for guests to visit year-round; some say spirits have haunted the residence for several decades.

The Valie Mansion was built in 1881 by married couple Harvey and Sophia Vaile. Tragedy struck the family two years later. Sophia, who had been diagnosed with stomach cancer, was found dead at home due to a morphine overdose. Harvey was away on business. He never remarried and died in 1895. There are rumors that Sophia’s ghost wanders throughout the house, including peering out the mansion’s windows.

from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports https://fox4kc.com/2018/09/16/the-most-haunted-places-in-kansas-city-to-visit-this-fall/

from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2018/09/16/the-most-haunted-places-in-kansas-city-to-visit-this-fall/

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