Music teacher denies lesbian affair with student, 15

Image Source:www.dailymail.co.uk

FEMALE teacher had sex with a girl student in a classroom and on a music camp, an Adelaide court has been told.
Leonie Beverly Pech, 42, also repeatedly had sex with the teenage student after music practice at her house and other locations, it has been alleged.

Ms Pech today pleaded not guilty in the South Australian District Court to seven counts of unlawful sexual intercourse and two counts of indecent assault.

The offences allegedly occurred from 1994 to 1996 when Ms Pech was a music teacher at a northern Adelaide school.

The alleged victim was 15 years old and in Ms Pech's music classes when the first offence occurred, prosecutor Emily Telfer told the court.

The offending started with kissing and progressed to digital intercourse, Ms Telfer said.

On one occasion in 1995, Ms Pech placed a chair against the door of her classroom so it couldn't be opened and the student sat on her lap, she said.

They started kissing and "the accused placed her finger inside (the girl's) vagina'', Ms Telfer said.

During a school music camp to the state's west coast, students were sleeping at a primary school, she said.

"Pech woke her up and asked her to accompany her to a nearby building,'' Ms Telfer said.

They laid on a sleeping bag and the teacher had digital intercourse with the student, before they returned separately to a hall where the students were sleeping, she said.
The offending continued until 1996 when the girl, who cannot be named, ended the relationship, she said.

''(The girl's) feelings changed when she discovered letters in Pech's house,'' Ms Telfer said.

"Those letters suggested Pech had close relationships with students before ... and she was not as special as she had thought.''

Ms Telfer said consent was not an issue at the trial because of the age of the alleged victim at the time.

The trial continues.

Source:news.com.au

New music policy to protect singers and songwriters

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 30 (Bernama) -- The Cabinet has approved a new music policy that among other areas serves to elevate the quality of the musical industry and protect the rights of singers and songwriters, said Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim.

He said that through the policy not only would the future of musicians be protected but it would also enhance the quality of the country's creative industry.

"The policy is to ensure that the local music industry and its practioners' future is better ensured.

"We must also see the scenario of CD and DVD sales which have a potential for piracy to the detriment of the local music industry," he told reporters at a news conference after the launch of the Kembara Seniman Jelajah Malaysia roadshow here today.

Dr Rais said there was also concern now that training in the world of music was mostly left to ordinary institutions, even that in his own ministry, there was no specific department that handled affairs related to music just as for films.

Dr Rais said that with a national population growth of three per cent a year the music industry had great potential and significance.

“We are now asking that the government to approve an entity, at least a music department in the ministry, to oversee the affairs of musicians in RTM and other institutions and that musical training is conducted at the highest level," he said.

Dr Rais said as of now the development of music in the country was partially dependent on work abroad leading to low local content, especially in terms of Malaysian cultural values.

"For example,to implement the 1Malaysia concept to be more entrenched and and wholly and easily to be accepted by society." he said.

Dr Rais said the time had come for the nation to see how to produce musicians who could make the music industry a rewarding one.

Dr Rais said beginning next year all producers of dramas and documentaries who had transmission slots of more than 13 hours over RTM would be asked to contribute to a fund for local artistes.

He said besides promoting the local arts industry the fund was also expected to used to aid artistes who did not have a fixed income.

"The fund is to help out...as of now we cannot set a contribution amount but we will work on the details soon," he said.

Dr Rais said as a matter of policy the matter had been implemented in RTM and Istana Budaya and his ministry would discuss it with private television stations.

Source:mysinchew.com

Alesha Dixon: 'Music comes first for me'

Alesha Dixon has said that she would still like to return to Strictly Come Dancing for another series but has stressed that her music career will take priority.

The former Mis-Teeq singer replaced Arlene Phillips on the judging panel of the reality talent contest earlier this year.

Dixon told The Mirror: "The series has gone so quickly, I'll be quite sad when it finishes.

"Obviously music is my first job. I'm making my second album and probably going to America but I'd love to do Strictly again.

"This year has been very positive. I worked for years to get my own solo tour and a successful solo album. Getting into the TV side of things as well, I think, 'Wow'."

Of her controversial appointment, she added: "I had the complete media onslaught. By the second weekend I felt like I was on trial. That was tough. But it brings out the fighting spirit in you.

"If things aren't going well you have to rise above it in the most positive way you can and show your true character. Fortunately, things are great now."

A BBC spokesman said: "Alesha has been doing a first class job and we look forward to having her back next year."

Source:digitalspy.co.uk

Six Points: “Music City Miracle Part 2″ crushes Cardinals

Vince Young hit Kenny Britt on a 10-yard touchdown pass with no time remaining, capping an unbelievable 18-play, 99-yard drive over the last 2:37 to give the Titans their fifth straight win, 20-17 over the Arizona Cardinals.

Britt had a costly fumble on the previous possession for Tennessee, coughing up the football after a 51-yard gain to the Cardinals’ 23-yard line.

The loss sinks the Cardinals’ record to 7-4 on the season, with a tough game looming on the horizon. The 10-1 Minnesota Vikings visit University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale next Sunday night.

Here’s six things that stood out from Sunday’s thrilling game from Nashville…

1
Vince Young is a winner. Period. End of story. The Titans have reeled off 5 straight wins with Young at the helm, and the much maligned quarterback has won 9 straight starts. He’ 23-11 as an NFL starter.
The Titans’ last drive for the winning touchdown was all Young. VY was 9 for 15 for 95 yards on the drive, and converted three separate fourth downs, including the final play of the game. And it wasn’t like the Cardinals sat back in a prevent either. The Cardinals blitzed on several occasions during the last drive, even getting to Young once for a sack. This was simply a case of Tennessee’s best being better than Arizona’s best for 2 minutes and 37 seconds.

2
If LaRod Stephens-Howling doesn’t win NFC Special Teams Player of the Week, there should be an investigation. Stephens-Howling was a demon on Sunday. A 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, a bone-jarring special teams tackle, and two separate occasions in the 4th quarter where he downed a punt inside the Tennessee 2-yard line.

3
Can we get off Leinart’s back now? No, he didn’t throw for 450 yards and 4 touchdowns on Sunday, but Matt Leinart played pretty well in his first start since the 2007 season. The lefty completed 21 of 31 for 221 yards on the day, and more importantly, didn’t make any mistakes.
There was a lot of debate during the week on whether or not Kurt Warner should play this week after suffering a concussion against St. Louis last week. Critics said that no Warner meant no chance for the Cardinals to win in Tennessee. Matt Leinart proved the doubters wrong with a solid if unspectacular performance on Sunday.

4
We’ve seen enough of the pitch plays to Beanie. Beanie Wells has improved mightily in the all-important area of holding on to the football. But for the second straight week, Wells has mishandled a perfect pitch from a Cardinals’ quarterback. Neither resulted in a turnover, but if the Cardinals keep running pitch plays to Beanie, it’s just a matter of time.

5
Darnell Dockett is a beast. The Tennessee Titans had allowed just 7 quarterback sacks this season before Sunday, the lowest total in the NFL. Cardinals defensive lineman Darnell Dockett got to Young three times in the ball game, giving him 6 sacks in his last 4 games. It’s hard to find bright spots on a defensive unit that allowed 532 yards, but Dockett was certainly one of them.

6
Things are about to get a little tenuous in the NFC West. The Cardinals’ loss, coupled with San Francisco’s win over Jacksonville, shrinks Arizona’s lead in the division to just 2 games. Looking ahead on the schedule, next week the Cards entertain the 10-1 Minnesota Vikings while San Francisco travels to take on the awful Seattle Seahawks next Sunday. If what’s expected happens next Sunday, the Cardinals will hold just a one-game lead over the Niners heading into a Monday Night matchup between the two teams in whatever they’re calling Candlestick Park these days in just 2 weeks. That game will be for control of the division.

EXTRA POINT
This is the first game under head coach Ken Whisenhunt in which the Cardinals won the turnover battle and lost the game. Before Sunday, the Cardinals were 18-0 under Whisenhunt when winning that statistic.

Source:fanster.com

Susan Boyle Breaks Music Records

The singer who got her start on a British television competition has now made history with her debut album.

Susan Boyle, who was first seen singing in a frumpy dress, has now broken album records in the UK.

The “Britain’s Got Talent” runner-up recently released her debut album “I Dreamed a Dream” with great success. By selling $410,000 copies, it became the best-selling premiere album in UK chart history, reports the BBC.

Simon Cowell, who is a judge on the British reality show, was pleased with the 48-year-old’s success.

“She did it her way and made a dream come true,” Cowell said. “In ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ she opened her mouth and the world fell in love with her, which is why her album has been the fastest selling of any woman making her debut.”

Boyle’s achievements extend beyond the UK. Her spokeswoman said that her client was outselling big names like Rihanna and Lady Gaga in the United States.

Watch Boyle singing “I Dreamed A Dream,” a song from the musical “Les Miserables,” during the final show of “Britain’s Got Talent” below.

Source:thecelebritycafe.com

HOT DISH: Some Thoughts About the American Music Awards

Taylor Swift was in London when she spoke to the world while giving thanks for her wins at the American Music Awards on Nov. 22. As always, she remembered to thank those who mattered. She acknowledged Janet Jackson and the Jackson family when she received the artist of the year award -- her fifth of the evening and the biggest award of all.

Nobody in the world could have been more surprised than the members of Gloriana when they were named the T-Mobile breakthrough artist of the year. The young upstarts opened shows all this year for Taylor and are set to return in 2010, but they beat out Lady Gaga, Keri Hilson and Kid Cudi for the breakthrough artist honor. With 375,000 copies sold, Gloriana's "Wild at Heart" is the best-selling single by a new country artist this year.

I reckon Lady Gaga is a superstar to some but not to those of us who love country music. It appeared to me that Gaga left more of her outfit at home than she wore to the gig. Even our own Carrie Underwood wore an outfit too short for church or the Opry, but she killed during her performance of "Cowboy Casanova." Speaking of Carrie, I see where she donated the sheet music for "I Ain't in Checotah Anymore," a song she co-wrote, to the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame and Museum. She was inducted into the hall in September.

My fave of the American Music Awards show was the great Keith Urban. He not only picked and sang "Kiss a Girl" like a saint, he also gave the finest thank-you speech of the evening. So sweet, he thanked his wife, Nicole, and their daughter, Sunday, and told Nicole, "I love you." That, pals, is about as good as it gets.

That Jason Aldean has a good-looking wife. I loved her outfit at the awards show.

Whitney Houston looked splendid. When she sang, I thought I was gonna bawl, but I didn't until I saw Reba's tears as she sat in the audience. It's great to have both Whitney and Reba under the same roof at a music awards show. God put those two on earth to sing -- and can they ever sing.

American Idol star Adam Lambert ended the live show with a provocative performance that went too far to suit anyone I've talked with.

Dirt Band Recording Added to Grammy Hall of Fame
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's 1970 recording of "Mr. Bojangles" is one of this year's additions to the Grammy Hall of Fame. Congratulations to Jeff Hanna, John McEuen and all the other members of the band and to the incredible Jerry Jeff Walker, who wrote the song.

Another Kelley Brother Gets a Record Deal
When Lady Antebellum began getting media attention, we read where Charles Kelley was brother to pop singer Josh Kelley. Josh, married to actress Katherine Heigl, is following in his brother's footsteps these days. "Country is where I'm going to live out the rest of my career," said Josh. "This is the style and level of songwriting I've always wanted. I'm coming home." Josh is signed with the Universal Music Group Nashville. He and Katherine will celebrate their second wedding anniversary in December.

More News
Dolly Parton has opened her first retail store in downtown Nashville. Located next door to the Wildhorse Saloon on Second Avenue, Dolly Parton's Trinkets & Treasures will be the place to shop for music, apparel, jewelry and more.

Kenny Chesney is not the only Kenny who can sell out concerts. Kenny Rogers can, too. When his Feb. 5 show with the Nashville Symphony at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center sold out, a second show was added for Feb. 4 -- and it's selling like hotcakes.

The Blind Side, the new movie starring Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw, scored with box office receipts of $34.5 million during its first weekend of release. It came in second to some other film titled The Twilight Saga: New Moon. I wonder if Taylor Swift plans to see the Twilight movie.

Everybody, let's send love and prayers to Andy Griggs and his family who lost their Mount Juliet, Tenn., home to fire. No injuries, thank God, but the house is a total loss.

Thanks in part to Julianne Hough's guest appearance, country radio station WCTY in Norwich, Conn., raised $15,000 for Mother's Against Drunk Drivers during a recent event billed as "MADD About Dancing."

Mark Wills, Keni Thomas and Alana Grace will entertain troops in the Middle East in December as a part of the Hope and Freedom tour.

Allen Shelton Was a Banjo-Picking Hometown Boy
When I read in the newspaper about the passing of Allen Shelton, it brought back memories from when I was a child. He was born in Reidsville, N.C., home of the American Tobacco Company, and the first time I saw Allen play banjo, the 14-year-old was onstage at Cherry Grove Elementary School with Jim Eanes. Allen was so amazing, all the overall-wearing farmers couldn't wait to get to the local store the next morning for a Pepsi and a pack of peanuts while they ranted and raved about him.

Red-faced and redheaded, Allen grinned all the time he picked, and he'd rock from left to right the entire time he played. We'd hear Allen on WDVA radio in Danville, Va., with Eanes. Years later, I saw Allen play with Jim & Jesse in Nashville on the Grand Ole Opry, where they tore up the place with Chuck Berry's "Maybelline" and "Memphis." According to The Tennessean's Peter Cooper, Allen recorded 89 titles with Jim & Jesse.

Bluegrass musicians and fans love to talk about who is the best picker. I recall hearing the great Bill Monroe say of Shelton, "No better right hand ever picked a banjo." I'll tell you what, Allen Shelton could hold your attention.

The 73-year-old Shelton died in a Nashville hospital on Nov. 21 after battling leukemia.

A Package From Kenny
Either 14 or 15 years ago, I started pitching Kenny Chesney's name to anyone who'd listen. I knew Kenny had it, and I knew he'd make it if enough people learned to spell his last name. Three or four weeks ago, I got a package in the mail from Kenny. It contained his 2009 tour book. It's a beauty, a real coffee table wonder. Plus, it's personally autographed -- pledging love. We do that, me and Kenny. And we mean it. Thanks, Kenny, for the book, the autograph and the years of friendship. Some people don't know about friendship, but we do!

Lance Smith Is Leaving CMT
There's so many great folks at CMT that I dearly love. I wish I could list alphabetically the names and why I love them all, but one of them is Top 20 Countdown host Lance Smith. Since 2001, Lance Smith has been on staff at CMT. All this time, he's daydreamed about becoming an actor. Finally, Lance has decided to take the plunge and will be leaving CMT in December. Our love and prayers go with the wonderfully talented Lance. We will miss you, my dear friend. May God continue to bless you and lead you on this journey.


Source:cmt.com

Of modesty and music

People are telling Randy Newman he may well have composed the best film score of his career for Disney's new animated musical, The Princess and the Frog.

They're also telling him to prepare for a bevy of Grammy and Oscar nominations for delivering a range of styles that include jazz, blues, gospel, Dixieland and zydeco, that unique Louisiana musical form fusing French dance melodies with Caribbean music and rhythms.

So how does the 66-year-old Hollywood veteran respond to such hype? As is his nature, with a calm and courteous "thank you" and some quiet, self-deprecating reflections on an assignment that required him to write music for such varied characters as a New Orleans princess (Anika Noni Rose), a neurotic alligator named Louis who wants to be a Dixieland musician (Michael-Leon Wooley) and a wistful firefly named Ray (Jim Cummings) -- as well as such formidable real-life performers as Dr. John and trumpeter Terence Blanchard.

After being nominated for 17 Academy Awards in the course of his career, Newman might be expected to have some thoughts about which numbers might get the nod this time -- but no.

"Oh gee, I'd like to talk about the Academy for about half an hour," he says. But that doesn't mean he'll make predictions about his own fortunes. "I have no idea," he says helplessly. "I like Down in New Orleans quite a bit." That's the introductory number sung by Dr. John as the film swoops over a mythic New Orleans and reveals its characters and their unique world. "And the waltz turned out very well. But I have no preference or expectations."

He's no stranger to Disney animation. Newman won an Oscar for his contribution to Monsters, Inc., and also worked on Toy Story, A Bug's Life and Cars. And if he sounds modest, it may because he knows that animation is very much a collaborative effort.

"I had fairly explicit instructions; that's what I asked for. The type of song is almost suggested by the assignment itself."

For example, Ray the firefly is very much "Cajun country," and that was reflected in the texture of his plaintive ballad, Ma Belle Evangeline. Then, in contrast, there was the charged energy of Dig a Little Deeper, the robust number conjured up for Mama Odie, the 197-year-old Queen of The Bayou (Jenifer Lewis) as she labours to undo the spell that has turned Princess Tiana and her prince into frogs.

In the case of Tiana, as she nears her goal of opening her own restaurant, the mandate was quite simple -- to write a "happy" song. "It's an end-of-show number. Tiana is almost there. Her goal is in sight."

Director Ron Clements was entranced with the song Newman wrote for the film's villain -- a cavorting voodoo wizard named Dr. Facilier (Keith David) who's responsible for turning the film's hero and heroine into frogs. Visually and musically, the song -- Friends on the Other Side -- delivers one of the movie's most striking animated sequences. And, says Clements, it all came out of the need for Newman to supply the music for a card-reading sequence.

Source:nationalpost.com