SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Outside of his military duties, Capt. Ian Gindes of Urbana, Illinois, with the Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC), 33rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion (BSTB) in Machesney Park, Illinois, is a professional concert pianist.

In addition to playing the piano for 28 years and around the country for more than 15 years, Gindes enlisted in the California Army National Guard before transferring to the Illinois Army National Guard in 2004. He commissioned as an officer in 2007 and is the S1, personnel officer for the 33rd BSTB.

"Captain Gindes is passionate about his music, the preparation it takes is not simple," said Maj. William Hotopp of Sandwich, Illinois, executive officer of the HHC, 33rd BSTB and has known Gindes for two years. "The high standard in which a concert pianist is held, takes weeks of preparation. The passion and preparation of his concerts carries into his military duties. The preparation he puts into his performances is valuable to the Illinois Army National Guard because he puts the same effort into his military career."

Gindes had several reasons why he enlisted at age 25.

"My family was in a time of need when I first joined the Guard," said Gindes. "I wanted to make money and give back at the same time. Plus joining the Guard sounded exciting, different and like an adventure."

Born and raised in Visalia, California, Gindes' talent was first noticed by his father, Andrew. Nurturing his son's talent, his father encouraged Gindes to study with Bonnie Farrer, a pianist who coached Gindes through many performances, which attracted hundreds while playing Frederic Chopin's works. Chopin was a pianist of the Romantic era.

"I continued to play after my father recognized my talent at age 7, for multiple reasons," said Gindes. "He used to take me to concerts and watch many different artists. Watching them play was very inspiring. From these experiences, I knew it's what I have always wanted to do."

Gindes grew up listening to his father play classical music, this being one of the reasons he chose the profession.

"Ian came to Illinois to audition for the doctoral position several years ago," said Dr. Ian Hobson, Professor of Music at the University of Illinois and concert pianist who won the Leeds International piano competition in 1981. "[When] We accepted him into the program and he came to study with me, I already knew his affinity for romantic music from his audition. He has a particular flair for that sort of music; I guided him for several years accommodating his National Guard duties. I have heard him since play at highly successful concerts. He is always persuasive with the audience; he has his own personal style. He plays very well and I am looking forward to studying with him again. I am happy for his success."

While Gindes enjoys playing music from all periods and genres, he specializes in American composers and composers of the romantic period through the 20th century whose music contains strong emotional content.

"The strong emotional music is a way to communicate with the audience," said Gindes. "My father used to get on me for not being able to express myself thorough writing, but I can through music. It's a way for me to be honest and connect with others. The connection through strong emotional music helps."

Gindes has performed at events to raise funds for military families and victims affected by terrorism and war.

"It is very important to me, to give back and use my talent for those families for relief," said Gindes. "It is imperative that I have a chance to do that."

Gindes studied with Errol Haun at the University of Northern Colorado where he obtained a Master's of Music in piano performance. Gindes earned a Doctor of Musical Arts in piano performance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), under the guidance of Hobson.

"Studying with different professors pulled together the technical and musical abilities I use today," said Gindes. "Each one of them shaped how I play. These professors knew what would work for an audience and what I needed to practice to get there."

In 2004, Gindes performed at the American Liszt Society Symposium in Champaign, Illinois, for various scholars and musicians. He said this was a substantial move in his career.

"This was the first time I actually started to play with professionals," said Gindes. "I was primarily a student, but started to play among scholars and professional concert pianists."

Later, Gindes competed and won first prize in the 2011 Bradshaw and Buono International Piano Competition, making his Weill Recital Hall debut at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

"It was a step forward. It gave me the recognition and to say I played there," said Gindes. "It showed how hard I had to work. It was an intense and a wonderful feeling! I was picked out of approximately 400 applicants."

Concerts can be competitive and require constant work. Gindes attributes his military experience in assisting with his civilian career.

"I am resilient and have a lot of courage because of the military," said Gindes. "Selfless service, an Army value, has helped shaped me. I want to continue to give back to this great country, which I have a lot of respect for."

Gindes is scheduled to perform at Steinway Hall in New York City, July 25, as part of the Alexander and Buono Festival.

"I heard all of his performances at UIUC and had many conversations with him. He is a talented pianist and a deeply dedicated and idealistic musician," said Dr. William Heiles, Professor of Music and Chair of the Piano Division at UIUC. "He has a special affinity for romantic music, especially Liszt. I've heard him play the 'Embraceable You' arrangement that he will play at Steinway Hall and I can assure you it will be a treat for the audience!"

Mark your calendars for Moondance 2014 at RME, Sat., Oct. 18th, 7 pm. Proceeds benefit Karli Rose Kell Music Scholarship Fund. Help make musical dreams come true for youth in need of financial assistance to participate in programs at RME.

Live Music by Bret Dale and Friends of the RME

Silent Auction

Cash Bar

Food provided by Woodfire Grill

$12 in advance, $15 at the door

River Music Experience, 2nd Floor, 129 Main St, downtown Davenport, Iowa   309-314-8084

Iowa's Longest-Running Film Festival to Hold Single-Day Event Aug. 2

TIPTON, Iowa?The "abbreviated" Hardacre Film Festival?without the Hardacre?is set to show some buzzed-about documentaries and short films at a single-day event Saturday, Aug. 2, at the Tipton High School auditorium.

Iowa's longest-running film festival, now celebrating its 17th year, will show films from all over the world?three feature-length documentaries and nine short films. The festival will be held at the newly renovated Tipton High School auditorium, as the festival's namesake?the Hardacre Theater?is undergoing renovation and fundraising.

"As usual, all of our selections this year have never been seen by an Iowa audience, and nearly all of them had world premieres earlier this year at some of the biggest film festivals in the world?Sundance, Tribeca, South by Southwest. They're some of the most talked-about films on the festival circuit this year," said Will Valet, festival director. "We're really glad to continue the festival in Tipton while the theater is closed and in a location that's comfortable and close to the downtown."

The one-day festival is shorter than previous years but is packed with films. Among the highlights:

Features:

• The Hand That Feeds, Audience Award winner at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, documents efforts of low-wage workers at New York City's Hot and Crusty cafe chain to battle poor working conditions and form their own independent union, making history during the course of a rollercoaster year filled with shocking reversals of fortune.

• Meet the Patels, a Top 10 Audience Favorite at HotDocs 2014, is a hilarious and heartfelt documentary about actor Ravi Patel's efforts to find love and please his traditionalist parents in the process. It turns out, love is a family affair.

• The Overnighters, winner of a 2014 Sundance Film Festival jury prize, follows a group of desperate, broken men who move to North Dakota to find their fortune in the oil boom and the local pastor who risks everything to help them.

Shorts:

• Me + Her?a dazzling, wordless short with cardboard puppet characters?tells the story of a couple separated by illness who must think outside the box to be together forever.

• Passer Passer is a hypnotic animated short in which a city symphony celebrates the hidden world of background noise.

• Scattered takes an unflinching look at the filmmaker's late father, a man who was fixated on documenting his life on film and who had been a mystery to her for most of her life, and unravels the story that he created with his camera to reveal the story that actually was.

• Verbatim is a comedy short in which a jaded lawyer wastes an afternoon trying to figure out if a dimwitted government employee has ever used a photocopier. All dialogue in this short comes from an actual deposition filed with the Supreme Court of Ohio.

• Yearbook is an animated tale of a man who is hired to compile the definitive history of human existence before Earth blows up.

The complete list of films and a schedule for the 2014 festival are available online at hardacrefilmfestival.com. Moviegoers can also watch for updates on the Hardacre Facebook page (facebook.com/hardacrefilmfestival) and Twitter feed (@hardacrefest).

Each audience member will get an all-festival pass good for the entire festival along with a catered after-party at the Spear House and Barn Bed & Breakfast, 120 E. 6th St., in Tipton. Locally made foods and wines will be available at the event.

Downtown Tipton comes alive Hardacre weekend with the Ridiculous Days sidewalk sale event, ensuring great shopping and a full weekend for attendees.

The festival's primary sponsors are the Tipton Chamber of Commerce and Produce Iowa. For more information about the Hardacre Film Festival, go to hardacrefilmfestival.com.

For more information about efforts to save the Hardacre Theater, go to thehardacre.org.

SIDEBAR

17th Annual Hardacre Film Festival

Saturday, Aug. 2

Tipton High School auditorium

400 E. 6th St.

Tipton, Iowa

Admission to the one-day event is $20, which includes a full day of films and admission to the catered after-party at the Spear House and Barn in Tipton. Passes can be purchased at the event. Screenings will run from 9 a.m. to approximately 6 p.m., with the after-party to follow.

For a full schedule or more information about the Hardacre Film Festival, go to hardacrefilmfestival.com.

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SUMMER CONCERT SERIES

FREE HILLTOP CONCERT

NOON TO 4pm, SATURDAY JULY 12

IN FIELD EAST OF FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, 1411 PERRY STREET

LIVE PERFORMANCES, REFRESHMENTS FOR SALE

BOUNCE HOUSE FOR THE KIDS. GREAT FAMILY ACTIVITY.

BRING YOUR LAWN CHAIR AND ENJOY A GREAT AFTERNOON