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B4 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, September I, 1999 I:: »*• ! THE f tF t i iOAKVILLE C E N TR E y('ty'P'fp'v! Arts & Entertainment OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR OF THE OAKVILLE CENTRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS ■e» Oakville Beaver Entertainment Editor Carol Baldwin 8 4 5 -3 8 2 4 (Extension 254) F a x :3 3 7 - 5 5 6 7 T a le n t s h o w w in n e r M ayberry, a pop /rock band founded by A ndy G riffiths, w on W ate rfron t Talent Showcase its B y C a ro l B a ld w in ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Andy Griffiths, lead singer of Mayber­ry, has performed at Aunt Bee's Place and the Mayberry Music Fair, among others. The name of the band is by design, a play on the founder's last name, despite the 's' on the end of it, b'ut the other coincidences are just that. However, even though these references may take you back a few decades, Griffiths says reruns and satellite television have allowed younger audiences to appreciate the connection between his name and the band's. And, he adds, even though the music Mayberry plays may have been influenced by the Beatles and other '60s style music, it's not a tribute to that era; it's contemporary - a kind of pop/rock/altemative sound. "It ranges from softer stuff up to heavier stuff, but all of it is melodic and has harmony," says Griffiths. "Most of what we're doing is original, that's what we focus on." Mayberry, referred to as mayberry.ca before the xa was dropped, won the $500 Grand Prize at the 1999 Oakville Waterfront Festival Talent Showcase, in which over 20 bands competed. At that particular performance, Griffiths says, the band played about 60% original material, 40% cover tunes. Griffiths, who works in Oakville but lives in Burlington, has performed at the Oakville Waterfront Festival, in one group or another, every year since 1995. The musicians in the current Mayberry group haven't been together all that long, says Grif­ fiths, noting that the new lead guitarist joined only about six months before the Waterfront competition. "He was amazing, considering," says the band's founder. "Winning came as quite a sur­ prise. They didn't let us know until mid to late August. We were all on vacation at the time, so it was a wonderful surprise when we got back." Griffiths recently played his first solo gig at this year's CNE on Oakville day. For that par­ ticular presentation, he split the repertoire three ways - original, cover, and children's tunes. And it seems the latter was the most popular, at least with the kids who joined him on stage and with one particular adult. "It just so happened that a guy from the (See 'Children's ' on page B5) B ridge Lessons The Bridge Centre has offered the best in bridge lessons fo r over sixteen years. Mississauga-Oakville Bridge Centre & The American Contract Bridge League For Beginners... 10 weeks, $129 Wednesday afternoons beginning Sept. 22nd Saturday mornings beginning Sept. 25th For "Rusty" Players. ..8 weeks, $109.00 Tuesday evenings beginning Sept. 21st Wednesday mornings beginning Sept. 22nd Supervised Play For Newer Players Monday mornings weekly at 9:30...$7.0Q/visit beginning Sept. 20th Please call 274-1976 Photo by \ Rjziero Vertolli ' Andy Griffiths, founder of the band Mayberry, did his first solo gig on Oakville day at the CNE this year. " I w a n t e d s o m e o n e w h o u n d e r s t o o d m y n e e d s . " * * W e c o n n e c te d im m e d ia t e ly .* * If you're looking for the Internet service that's right for you, make a date to check out COGECO@Home. It matches up because with its incredibly simple-to-use custom browser, surfing the net and finding what you want has never been easier. And at up to 100 times faster than traditional dial-up service, COGECO@Home is there when you need it. Th e price meets your needs too! Plus, right now you can save $100 on installation. G o f u r t h e r . G o f a s t e r . G o . . . Homew w \ r A r , i : r n Call877-8-ATHOMEwww. cogeco. ca/home •For basic cable subscribers. $49.95/month for non-subscribers. Full installation charge for laptop computers. Her art has been winning v awards since grade school B y C a ro l B a ld w in ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Priti Girgla's parents bought her canvas and a box of oil paints when she was only 11 years old. Then they asked her to paint a picture to hang on the liv­ing-room wall of their new home. Now that's encouragement. The 38-year-old (39 tomorrow) Oakville artist admits that her parents' encouragement and confidence in her abilities had a lot to do with her decision to continue with her art. "Ever since then, oil has been my favourite medium. I have tried watercolours. They are a challenge. But they're the opposite of oils. I am confident doing oils."she says, noting that as far back as elementary school she was win­ ning awards for her art, and she was considered the best artist her middle school in India. After her marriage and the couple's subsequent immi­ gration to Canada, Girgla says she took a hiatus from art for about 10 years to raise her three children. But as they grew, so did her desire to return to the canvas and paint brushes. Then, when she moved to Oakville three years ago, a friend brought her an Oakville Art Society brochure and almost ordered her to join. Obviously she takes orders well. The artist has been a member of the OAS for over two years now and has enjoyed the art classes she's been taking - her first formal art lessons ever. "I like painting in the company of other artists as it keeps me continuously challenged and provides invaluable positive critique," she says. Now, the Oakville artist is pleased to be announcing her first solo art show, titled Echoes from Nature, which will feature a collection of mostly still-life oil paintings in the OAS gallery from Sept. 10th to Oct. 6th. "This summer has been an inspiration for me. I have been gardening outside. So that's what I've painted," she says, explaining that she enjoys the range of colours that can be found in nature, innumerable colours that change with the sunlight and the seasons. "Using bold colours, I have tried to echo the beauty of nature on my canvas. The paintings capture a fleeting moment in time and make it last forever." For her next exhibition, Girgla would like to concentrate more on pictures from "back home." She already has a painting of a snake charmer and another of palace ruins near the Taj Mahal. "My husband sent slides of it (the ruins painting) to the Artdex International of Vancouver compe­ tition in 1995, and I was one of the gold medal winners," (See 'Opening' on page B5) Jam ieso n S in ce 19 2 2 Vitamin C Chewable Vitamin E Natural 400 IU ^ 9 " 2 0 % OFF Regular Priced Jamieson Vitamins with this ad. Allan's Communicare Drug Mart 2442 Lakeshore Rd. West, Oakville 8 2 7 - 1 5 6 1 Arts & Entertainment Oakville Beaver Entertainment Editor Carol Baldwin 845-3824 (Extension 254) Fax:337-5567 Talent show winner Bridge Lessons Mississauga-Oakville Bridge Centre & The American Contract Bridge League " I wanted someone who understood my needs." **We connected immediately.** The price meets your needs too! Go further. Go faster. Go... ww\rAr,i: rn Her art has been winning v awards since grade school Jamieson 20% OFF Allan's Communicare Drug Mart 827-1561