Tallahassee Democrat - 07/16/2018 Page : C01

Copyright © 2018 Tallahassee Democrat. All rights reserved. Use of this site signifies your agreement to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights , updated March2007. 07/16/2018July 16, 2018 11:11 am (GMT +4:00) Powered by TECNAVIA

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Tallahassee Democrat ❚ MONDAY, JULY 16, 2018 ❚ 1C

TLHLife

Planning for sustainability and resilience in ourcommunities in the face of ongoing climate change willrequire a focus on improving the social capital of ourmost vulnerable communities.

Resilience is best understood as the ability of anysystem – including a social system – to withstand pres-sure and recover from disruptions. Climate change isexpected to increasingly become more disruptive for allcommunities in Florida. For the most socially vulner-able populations and neighborhoods, the disruptionsmay be magnified.

Climate-change related stressors, such as heatwaves, increased frequency and severity of storms,flooding, and human resettlement due to sea level riseand inland migration will be felt in Tallahassee, alongwith the ensuing economic disruptions that result fromthese activities.

To mitigate these shocks to our system, it will be

Support for local events such as the South Side Farmers Market are excellent ways to invest in local social capital. CITY OF TALLAHASSEE

BUILDING RESILIENCE SOCIAL CAPITAL IS KEY TO DEVELOPING STRONG COMMUNITIES

FAMU is an excellent source of Social Capital that can be enhanced throughcommunity partnerships. SPECIAL TO THE DEMOCRAT

Bruce Strouble

Guest columnist

See COMMUNITIES, Page 4C

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For acoustic musician Mickey Abra-ham, Michael Jackson comes closest tohealing the world through music. Hegets chills when the late singer beltsabout world peace and love because hebelieves in its sincerity. Maintainingthat sense of innocence and authentic-ity is the driving force in Abraham’s ca-reer as music from almost every genreimaginable colors his tastes and stylis-tic influences.

As mandolin player for local groupBelle and the Band, the groove and mel-

odies of theme songs catch his ear,whether it’s the background jingles invideo games, the tunes twinklingthrough amusement park rides, or theopening themes for television shows“Matlock” and “Full House.” In fact,Abraham fulfilled a childhood dreamwhen the band recently won a SuncoastEmmy Award for their song “LocalRoutes.”

“It came out of nowhere and that’sgiven me a newfound confidence,” saysAbraham, who is currently gearing upfor a collaborative show with pianist

Mickey Abraham playingmandolin at the WillMcLean Music Festival.GAIL CARSON

Mandolin player keepsstretching musical rootsAmanda SieradzkiCouncil on Culture & Arts

See ABRAHAM, Page 2C

Tallahassee Democrat - 07/16/2018 Page : C02

Copyright © 2018 Tallahassee Democrat. All rights reserved. Use of this site signifies your agreement to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights , updated March2007. 07/16/2018July 16, 2018 11:11 am (GMT +4:00) Powered by TECNAVIA

Copy Reduced to 70% from original to fit letter page

2C ❚ MONDAY, JULY 16, 2018 ❚ TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT

SU | DO | KU Dave Green

Enter a numeralfrom 1 through 9 ineach cell of thegrid. Each row,column and regionmust contain onlyone instance ofeach numeral.

Yesterday’ssolution

Note: Puzzles in-crease in difficultyfrom Mondaythrough Sunday.

Singer William Bell is 79. Actor-singer Ruben Blades is 70. ActressFaye Grant (“Affairs of State”) is 61.Dancer Michael Flatley (“Lord of theDance”) is 60. Actress Phoebe Catesis 55. Actor Paul Hipp is 55. Actor Da-ryl “Chill” Mitchell (“Ed”) is 53. ActorWill Ferrell is 51. Actress Rain Pryor

(“Head of the Class”) is 49. Actor Corey Feldman is47. Actress Jayma Mays (“The Millers,” “Glee”) is 39.Actress AnnaLynne McCord (“Nip/Tuck”) is 31. Ac-tor-singer James Maslow (“Big Time Rush”) is 28.Actor Mark Indelicato (“Ugly Betty”) is 24.

CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS

Feldman

Aries (March 21-April 19). People want you to dowell, and they are rooting for you to succeed. Whenyou believe this is true, you will perform to the verybest of your ability.

Taurus (April 20-May 20). Those who take thetime to read cannot help but grow in knowledge andempathy, especially fiction, also known as “the liethat tells the truth.”

Gemini (May 21-June 21). Eyes give people away.You’ll get clues, as well as tell-all testaments, frompeople’s eyes today.

Cancer (June 22-July 22). You’ve let go of certainhabits and things you used to enjoy. Probably, theloss was appropriate; other things have becomemore important.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22). Stop with the compari-sons. The life challenges of others may seem greaterthan those you face, but it matters not at all.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Connecting with your-self, although not the only connection you’ll maketoday, is among the most important connections ofthe bunch.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). They want you at theparty, and you may or may not want to be there, butif you go, you won’t be sorry. So just say yes.

Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). There’s a myth aboutcreativity, that it happens somehow outside thespace of day-to-day life, when indeed it grows out ofthe soil of daily life. It thrives on the relentlessnessof the mundane.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You are not im-prisoned by circumstances. There are exits every-where. Notice them and you’ll stop feeling as if you“have” to do this or that.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Someone is leaningon you too hard, and that’s making you feel as ifyou’re not free. But you are free. You will be liberat-ed by your imaginings.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). It takes confidenceand trust to be welcoming. Your open attitude willattract both good and bad, which is why it’s best toadd a screen to that open-door policy.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20). Your desires, motiva-tions and spontaneous urges used to drive the day,and now they don’t. It’s just a part of growing up.

Today’s Birthday (July 16). The main themes overthe next three months will be honing skills and happytimes with family. A general area of expertise hasserved you well, but when you get specialized in Sep-tember, your compensation will be hefty. You’ll payhomage in October and be part of a sacred experience.Advances in tech make life better in 2019. Virgo and Leoadore you. Your lucky numbers are: 32, 14, 44, 48 and 1.

ASTROLOGY HOLIDAY MATHIS

Today is Monday, July 16, the 197th day of 2018.There are 168 days left in the year.

On this date in:1790: A site along the Potomac River was desig-

nated the permanent seat of the United States gov-ernment; the area became Washington, D.C.

1935: The first parking meters were installed inthe United States, in Oklahoma City.

1945: The United States exploded its first experi-mental atomic bomb in the desert of Alamogordo,New Mexico.

1969: Apollo 11 blasted off from Cape Kennedy onthe first manned mission to the surface of the moon.

1973: During the Senate Watergate hearings, for-mer White House aide Alexander P. Butterfield pub-licly revealed the existence of President RichardNixon’s secret taping system.

1999: John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife, Carolyn, andher sister, Lauren Bessette, died when their single-en-gine plane, piloted by Kennedy, plunged into the At-lantic Ocean near Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.

TODAY IN HISTORY

Monday

Begin with Blogging: In this class, we’ll reviewblogging basics, from what it is to how to do it. You’llhave an opportunity to set up a free website throughWordPress.com, and you’ll write a blog post fit to sharewith the whole world. 6 - 8:30 p.m. Tallahassee Chris-tian College and Training Center, 1717 Hermitage RoadSuite 102.

Debtors Anonymous-12-Step Recovery: 7-8 p.m.United Church in Tallahassee, 1834 Mahan Drive.

ESA Informational Meeting: ESA is working tocharter a Tallahassee chapter that will gauge public in-terest and recruit new members. 7 p.m. LeRoy CollinsPublic Library, 200 West Park Ave.

Florida Blue: Ask to meet your NeighborhoodNurse to get health advice, coaching and get a PersonalHealth Assessment. 9 a.m. Florida Blue TallahasseeRetail Center, 2116 Apalachee Parkway.

Podemos Hablar Toastmasters Club weeklymeeting: Bilingual club for members to improve theirspeaking and leadership skills. 6-7:30 p.m. La FiestaMexican Restaurant, 2329 Apalachee Parkway.

Science & History Adventures: During this daycamp youth will explore the worlds of science and his-tory all in one week. Field trips to the ChallengerLearning Center, FSU Planetarium, Florida Capitalsand Florida History Museum and more while also par-ticipating in some hands-on fun activities. 9:30 a.m.UF IFAS Taylor County Extension Office, 203 ForestPark Drive, Perry.

Tuesday

Entomology Camp: Learn about helpful and harm-ful Insects, and how to collect and pin them. 9 a.m. UF/IFAS Extension Jackson County, 2741 Penn Ave. Mar-ianna.

Robotics and Computer Navigation in Surgery:Join Dr. David Oberste for a free informational seminardiscussing the uses of robotics and computer naviga-tion in surgery. 6 - 7 p.m. Capital Regional MedicalGroup in Crawfordville, 2770 Capital Medical Blvd,

Suite 200.

Wednesday

Lake Ella Growers Market: Meet farmers new tothe community market. Noon-6 p.m. Free to attend,produce and food available for purchase. Lake Ella,229 Lake Ella Drive.

Thursday

Trivia Night at the Museum: This fun-filled, all-ages event offers teams of up to 6 members a variety ofmental and physical challenges. 6 p.m. Florida HistoricCapitol Museum, 400 South Monroe St.

CALENDAR

Children of all ages will be able to participate in atrivia night at the Florida Historic Capitol Museumthis Thursday. DEMOCRAT FILES

What’s going on, Tallahassee?Let us know what’s on your schedule. Use the onlinelink to submit: Eventful.com/Tallahassee or emailAndrew Quintana at aquintana@tallahassee.com

Mason Margut on July 20. “To win something like thatreminds me I’m doing the right thing in my life.”

Abraham began taking piano lessons before discov-ering the guitar at a young age. His parents stoked hispassion for bluegrass as they introduced him to folkmusic on guitar and banjo. Family gatherings oftentransformed into sing-alongs, and Abraham would sitfor hours practicing tunes until he mastered them.

In high school he was turned onto grunge and rockmusic in the vein of Pearl Jam and Nirvana, but circledback to bluegrass while working at Gordon’s StringMusic on Monroe Street in college. Though guitar re-mains his first love, he picked a mandolin off the wallat the shop and soon found an entirely new groove.

“The mandolin sounds like a fluttering butterfly or apleasant bell,” describes Abraham. “And two mando-lins together sound like two butterflies hanging out,”he adds with a touch of whimsy.

He credits Gordon for teaching him everythingabout bluegrass, accompanying him to festivals andplaying many gigs at The Warehouse. Abraham’s per-sonal style is often termed as “newgrass,” which boilsdown to music played on acoustic instruments likemandolins, fiddles, banjos, guitars, and basses. Heholds the history of bluegrass in high regard however,and treasures the traditions that Gordon passed alongto him.

“Gordon was my mentor in the acoustic musicscene,” says Abraham. “He taught me hundreds oftunes, introduced me to a ton of people, and I felt like Iwas part of a family immediately. He’s a Tallahasseebluegrass legend.”

Though Abraham graduated from Florida Statewith a degree in creative writing, he immediately dis-covered his own passion for teaching music. Learningfrom instructional videos, he would practice with hisfriends’ bands, teaching them guitar lines and sharingnew information. He says nothing felt more right, and20 years later still exudes just as much excitement ashe did during his very first lesson.

In Tallahassee, he teaches privately, and has alsoshared his mandolin and guitar knowledge at festi-vals like the Suwanee Roots Revival. He’s publishedin Flatpicking Guitar Magazine for a decade and wasan instructor for middle schools and the TallahasseeYouth Orchestras. Notably, Abraham valued givinghis students real world exposure to bluegrass by tak-ing them to festivals to having them learn “twentylessons in one” from some of the world’s leading mu-sicians.

“I try to have endless patience and put my mind into

the minds of the students and what they want toachieve,” says Abraham. “I’m never in a rush and Ihope that my excitement is infectious. I think that’smore important than being a good musician or even agood teacher. Being genuinely excited and passiona-te…that is the magic.”

Abraham gets just as much energy from bubblegumpop as heavy metal and especially enjoys the musicthat his students turn him onto in order to stay fed andrelevant. He sets goals, too, most recently accomplish-ing an international tour with Belle and the Band andsetting his sights on creating a new folk opera conceptalbum with bandmate, Kathryn Belle Long.

“All my licks wouldn’t mean anything without hersongs,” says Abraham. “I’m so inspired right now cre-atively, even if I don’t play as fast or as clean as mymusical heroes, I’m extremely confident in my musicalmelodies and ideas.”

For the upcoming show with Margut, Abraham islooking forward to stretching outside his comfort zoneas the pair improvises on jazz piano and mandolin re-spectively. The free concert at Northside CommunityCenter came about after they listened to an album bymandolinist Chris Thile and pianist Brad Mehldau —their favorite artists — which inspired them to try outthe new and largely rare conversation between instru-ments.

Abraham says listening and an open mind will bekey ingredients for a successful night, but is mostlygrateful for yet another chance to take up his mandolinand experiment. He’s never taken a day off or gone outof town without a carrying case, and yet is tirelesslyhungry for more opportunities to play, compose, andteach generations of families.

“My success is being around people that make mefeel good and I try to return that to them,” says Abra-ham. “I feel like a part of this living, breathing fabric ofthe community. Tallahassee has become my home.”

Amanda Sieradzki is the feature writer for theCouncil on Culture & Arts. COCA is the capital area’sumbrella agency for arts and culture (www.tallahas-seearts.org).

Mickey Abraham, shown with Belle and the Band, which recently won a Suncoast Emmy Award for their song“Local Routes.” JEREMIAH Z STEWART

AbrahamContinued from Page 1C

If you goWhat: Mason Margut & Mickey Abraham

When: 7-9 p.m., Friday, July 20

Where: Northside Community Center, 8005 OakGrove Road

Cost: Free

Contact: For more information, call 850-404-0015 or visit http://www.facebook.com/events/380941519069060/.