Homegrown String Band from Rocky Point a Real Family Affair

Rocky Point family band making the rounds on Long Island.

Rick and Georgianne Jackofsky of Rocky Point haven't owned a TV for about 20 years. But it's part of their family's story – a family that plays music together and tours as the Homegrown String Band. Years ago, when Rick Jackofsky owned a photography lab, he'd come home and want to spend quality time with his family without relying on TV for entertainment. "So instead I read books out loud and we played music and we played board games," Georgianne Jackofsky said. "That was the way we entertained ourselves. That’s how we got so close and stayed together all these years." Together with daughters Erica and Annalee, now 27 and 24, Rick and Georgianne started the Homegrown String Band, which has played anywhere from 30 to 60 shows a year since …

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Miller Place Rapper "SoLo" Releases New Song on YouTube

Pat "SoLo" Jamieson unveils latest song, "Coolest Girl Ever."

Up and coming rapper Pat "SoLo" Jamieson, of Miller Place, released his latest song, "Coolest Girl Ever," on his YouTube channel. SoLo announcemed Monday on both his Facebook and Twitter pages that he would be releasing a new song, and he did so Tuesday evening. The song is a remix of XV's "Foreign Exchange Student," released last year. Jamieson, a student at Hofstra University, currently has three mixtapes out. In an interview with Patch a year ago, Jamieson explained what's the most rewarding part of being an artist to him. "You get messages from kids all over the country letting you know how much they love your music and how your music makes their day," he said. "Whether they’re listening on their way to school or at a party it's …

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Artist: Fiber Art Piece About Feeling a Sense of Freedom

Barbara Wyckoff explains her piece featured on Patch earlier in the week.

On Tuesday, Patch featured a fiber art piece by Barbara Wyckoff of Miller Place and asked readers what they thought of it in a series we call, First Impressions. The following is what readers had to say: Loraine Page said, "I love the colors. And to me it makes me feel free and optimistic." Corena Shuey wrote, "To me, this work represents being cared for and about. It represents a moving forward in beauty and a lightness that suggests cares and woes that weigh one down are now just a faded memory. This is an image I would happily call upon during meditation. It is lovely in all ways." Douglas Baldwin said, "That's either a really big butterfly or a really little lady. They both seem happy about it, though." K. commented, "She is lying down…

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First Impressions: What Does This Piece of Art Mean To You?

Shout out in comments what comes to mind when viewing this piece of art.

Welcome to the first installment of Patch's new weekly feature where Patch  presents readers with a work from a local artist and ask our readers to comment on what the work means to them. The following week, Patch lets the artist have their say, telling us what they were thinking when they created the piece. This week, we are featuring a piece by East End Arts Arts Council member Barbara Wyckoff, of Miller Place, who has been a fiber artist for the past 40 years. How does her art make you feel? Comment below.      Be sure to check back on Saturday to find out what the artist had to say about her piece. Editor's Note: This post is curated by East Quogue photographer Meryl Spiegel.

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17-Year-Old Violin Prodigy Impresses At Youth Concert

Massapequa Philharmonic Orchestra puts a talented young musician from Shoreham-Wading River in the spotlight.

Abi Fayette first picked up a violin at the tender age of three, and discovered then and there what so many people struggle for their entire lives to ascertain- what she wanted to do with the rest of her life. She wanted to make music. Now 17, and a senior at Shoreham-Wading River High School, she was the featured soloist at a performance of the Massapequa Philharmonic Orchestra's special annual Youth Concert, held recently at Alfred G. Berner Middle School. "It's always an exhilarating experience," she said. "The whole reason we play music is to share it with other people, so I'm so glad that I got to share it with such a wonderful, supportive audience." While the Massapequa Philharmonic Orchestra normally showcases older, established …

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YouTube: Rocky Point Idol Winner Belts Creed Hit

Watch Dan Wood's winning performance in Rocky Point Idol.

Rocky Point Idol 2012 recently wrapped up with many talented singers in the school showing their skills. The finals were held Thursday, and Dan Wood was named the winner after his performance of "Arms Wide Open" by Creed. Watch Wood's performance in the video above, which was uploaded to YouTube by user 3emzee. Click here for Patch's coverage of last year's Rocky Point Idol.

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You Review: Studio E Art Classes

Tell us what you think about the Miller Place art studio.

Grammy Winner Randy Brecker to Headline Jazz on the Vine

Randy Brecker is one of many playing at the yearly festival sponsored by East End Arts Council, Long Island Wine Council.

Jazz trumpeter Randy Brecker, a Grammy winner and 2011 Grammy nominee, will headline the 2011 Long Island Winterfest Jazz on the Vine festival, organizers announced this week. Brecker, who this year picked up a 2011 Grammy nod for "best improvised jazz solo" from his Jazz Ballad Song Book album, is slated to perform at Raphael Winery in March. Brecker, who lives in East Hampton, has won Grammys in the past and has recorded with icons including Horace Silver, Charles Mingus and Frank Zappa. But the acclaimed trumpeter is only one of the acts announced for the six-week festival. Wineries across the region will host artists including Beat Generation composer David Amram, trumpeter Alex Sipiagin and trombonist and Stony Brook University Jazz …

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10 Holiday Shows this Season

Patch's guide for seeing holiday cheer on stage.

Theatre Three in Port Jefferson is performing A Christmas Carol through Dec. 27. This the the 28th year the theater is producing the show. A Wonderful Life can be seen on stage at the John W. Engeman Theatre in Northport. The show will continue through Jan. 8. The Patchogue Theatre for Perfoming Arts is putting on many different holiday shows. Cirque Le Masque: Noel will be featured until Dec. 19. A Forbidden Broadway: Holiday Edition takes the stage on Dec. 29 though Jan. 1 and there will be a special Holiday Hop on New Year's Eve. Broadhollow Theatre Company in Elmont is performing matinees of Frosty on Dec. 17 and 27. Frosty is a popular snowman this season. The CM Performing Arts Center in Oakdale will also be telling his story through…

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New Gallery Shows Off Unique Art in Rocky Point

Gallery Z, sharing space with Paradise Advertising, displays paintings, prints and sculptures.

Rocky Point's Gallery Z recently opened in November, and it uniquely shares space with Paradise Advertising on 25A. The advertising company has brought the gallery into their space and features paintings, prints and sculptures from local artists as well as artists from New Jersey, Manhattan and Los Angeles  “In August we moved to larger quarters, a storefront that was converted to professional space," said Roy Ziedman, president of Paradise Advertising. "Because the ad business is a weekday operation and I was paying rent seven days a week I decided to dual purpose the space in a way that would be complementary to both businesses." The gallery represents artists of every genre. Artists in the gallery can range from the more conventional to…

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