fridaynitebYtes.com

fridaynitebYtes is .comedy for screenagers, the home of the Internet’s first (and only) streaming comedy show created with, for and by our audience: tweens and teens.

Episode Three is the latest interactive installment and the next step in bringing comedy to our screenage audience.

Because the comedy is clean and funny, fridaynitebYtes is safe for kids and their parents (although we promise only that the kids will laugh).

After the laughs, new viewers can join the site to comment, interact and contribute to the next show (while learning about humor, internet production and the media arts).

Joe Keefe, Executive Producer of fridaynitebYtes, is one of the Ancient Mariners of Chicago comedy. Starting his career on Romper Room and detouring through National Lampoon and Second City, Joe went on to found and execproduce Second City Communications, the production arm of Second City Theaters. In addition to delivering the funny for fridaynitebYtes, Joe teaches broadcasting at Columbia College.

fridaynitebYtes’ ensemble of talented young writers, actors and producers are all uber-trained in the Chicago tradition but you do not need to be a professional to get involved. Already, over 50 Chicago area Screenagers have appeared in our episodes. And one of the site’s members got on-screen recognition as a co-creator when his submission to the site inspired the rap video “Hot Jam.”

At fridaynitebYtes, our audience works with our ensemble to create each show.

Check out the site and enjoy the show on 3/5/11 at 7:30 PM @ fridaynitebYtes.com!

ScreenAgers Create More Comedy at fridaynitebytes.com | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

CHICAGO, Nov. 5, 2010 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — Many see the holidays as a time to celebrate, but when does the celebrating go too far? One in three high school teens say they are allowed to drink at home for special events like holidays, according to a recent study from Students Against Destructive Decisions and Liberty Mutual Group. Among college students, studies show the numbers rise to 80 percent consuming alcohol.

But Kimberly Dennis, M.D. and medical director at Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center, one of the leading residential treatment centers for alcoholism, drug abuse and eating disorders, says in her treatment of people with addictions, she has found evidence that innocent exposure to alcohol with the family and during the holidays can too often mark the beginning of a problem.

“Drinking during the holidays and for special occasions is commonly dismissed as traditional, and therefore ‘okay,’” said Dr. Dennis. “But parents don’t realize that when children begin drinking at a young age, they are more likely to develop substance abuse problems later in life and risk becoming more susceptible to the complicating factors alcohol has for adults, both physically, emotionally and socially.”

To help parents of teens and young adults facing the “spirits” of the holiday season, Dr. Dennis offers the following advice:

Talk with your child about the realities of alcohol and substance use and abuse before it becomes an issue. Be open about your own positions and habits, and be clear with your expectations. The best conversations come from a non-judgmental, non-pressured dialogue, not from cross-examination after the fact.

Advise children about risks they face (for themselves and others) in consuming alcohol — drunk driving, spiked drinks, alcohol poisoning and blackouts. They are often exposed to “accepted” drinking at the neighborhood holiday party, and are left unprepared for the realities of consumption in an unsupervised environment. The common reaction is “it won’t happen to me,” but parents need to help their children realize the truth … it can, and it does.

Watch for signs that your child may be drinking. While denial is one of the first signs of an alcoholic, it is also one of the first reactions a parent will have to a child with a substance abuse problem. Is your child depressed, anxious, stressed, apathetic, or irritable? Be realistic about the cause for their erratic behavior or coming in the door past curfew. Address your concerns honestly and directly with your teen.

Dr. Dennis says it’s devastating to see the number of families and individuals who suffered for not recognizing and addressing problems with alcohol when they began. Model appropriate alcohol use or abstinence. Children watch their parents, though it may not be obvious. So, be a good role model while verbalizing your concerns.

Experimentation and sampling are normal parts of development, but should not be confused with risk-taking behaviors.

About Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center

Timberline Knolls is one of the leading residential treatment centers for eating disorders, alcoholism and substance abuse, with or without trauma, a dual diagnosis or cooccurring disorder. Expert treatment staff offers a nurturing environment of recovery for women and girls (ages 12 and older) on a wooded 43-acre campus in suburban Chicago. Women and families seeking Christian treatment have the option of working with a dedicated Christian therapist. For more information on Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center, call us at 877.257.9611.

SOURCE Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center

http://www.timberlineknolls.com/

Spirited Celebrations During the Holidays Can Mark the Beginning of a Problem | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

A few years ago, the same researchers thought that teens and tweens were consuming about as much media as humanly possible in the hours available. But somehow, young people have found a way to pack in even more.

In the  last five years, the time that America’s 8- to 18-year-olds spend watching TV, playing video games and using a computer for entertainment has risen by 1 hour, 17 minutes a day, the Kaiser Family Foundation said.

Young people now devote an average of 7 hours, 38 minutes to daily media use, or about 53 hours a week – more than a full-time job.

“What surprised me the most is the sheer amount of media content coming into their lives each day,” said Kaiser’s Vicky Rideout, who directed the study. “When you step back and look at the big picture, it’s a little overwhelming.”

The numbers zoom even higher if you consider kids’ multitasking – such as listening to music while on the computer. Those data show young people are marinating in media for what amounts to 10 hours, 45 minutes a day – an increase of almost 2.25 hours since 2004.

The report, “Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-year-olds,” is based on a survey of more than 2,000 students nationwide. It is the third wave of the nonprofit’s ongoing look at children’s media use, providing a glimpse at current viewing and listening patterns while also documenting changes from five and 10 years ago.

The huge increase since 2004 can be attributed to the transformation of the cell phone into a content delivery device, Rideout said.

“Kids are spending more time using their phone to play video games, watch TV and listen to music than to actually talk on them,” she said.

And, of course, the last time Kaiser took the nation’s temperature, social networking sites barely existed.

“The average day for me, if I am not at work, I will text all day or be on MySpace or Facebook,” said Felinda Seymore, 17, of Waukegan. “That’s my life.”

On Sunday, for instance, she fiddled around online from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., updating her status and commenting on her friends’ pages, she said.

“My mom thinks it’s too much technology,” Seymore said. “She says back in her day, they didn’t have that stuff. I feel like it helps us open up and learn new things … instead of sitting around at home being bored.”

Media consumption is even heavier in minority families such as Seymore’s – a trend unaffected by a child’s age, socioeconomic status or parents’ education. African-American and Hispanic  youths favor TV over mobile devices, posting nearly  six hours of tube time a day compared  with 3.5  hours for their white counterparts.

Parents aren’t helpless to limit the intake, the study found.

When parents impose limits, they work, with their offspring tallying nearly three hours less exposure a day. But only 30 percent impose some kind of parameters, the study found.

It’s not easy playing electronic cop, but the stakes are too high, said Becky Kirsh, who has been known to pack up the remote controls and bring them with her to work.

With four kids, three computers and assorted cell phones, TVs and video games, Kirsh and her husband struggle to keep media from seeping into every corner of their Lombard home.

“The bottom line is that this is my house,” she said. “There’s so much that is positive about old-fashioned family life … and I’m just not willing to give that up to technology.”

She offered one example of how gadgetry can alter relationships with her four children, who range in age from 9 to 15. In a simpler time, the car was an ideal place for heart-to-heart chats (captive audience, no eye contact).

But when her kids go right to their cell phones or immediately retreat into their headphones in the car, “it’s no different than if they were in their bedrooms, with the door closed,”  said Kirsh, an educational coordinator at a local church. “That’s when I really put my foot down.”

Right now, the biggest tussle is with her 15-year-old son over texting – a practice Kaiser didn’t include separately in its count of media use, but parents often file under the same category. The Kirshes have responded by building in some restraints, including a limit of 2,500 texts and blocking any incoming messages  from 7  to 9 p.m. (homework time) and after 11 p.m.

To most adults, a couple of thousand texts is tantamount to a blank check, but Joe Kirsh chafes under the allotment, saying it cramps his social life.

“When I run out of texts, I can’t make plans,” he said, adding that there is no way to access messages that arrive after hours and that he is the only one of his friends to have such restrictions. “I get good grades … so it’s really not fair.”

When it comes to report cards, the Kaiser report finds a difference between heavy and light media users, though researchers note that they haven’t determined cause and effect. Nearly half of all heavy media users, those who consume more than 16 hours a day (including time spent multitasking), say they usually get “fair or poor” grades compared  with about a quarter of light users (less than 3 hours).

Certainly, part of managing the media landscape means parents need to be savvy about everything from age-appropriate content to V-chips.

But it’s not just about more government regulations and stronger locks, Rideout said.

Adults also need to look at their own behavior. Do they put a computer in every bedroom? Is the TV on during dinner? Are Mom and Dad tethered to their own BlackBerrys?

“Really, parents make choices about the media environment every day, Rideout said. “We hope these findings will allow them to look at what goes on in their own families … and talk about it.”

Lisa Black contributed to this report.

–Bonnie Miller Rubin

Read the original article from Tribune News Services.

Report: Media use by teens, tweens hits 53 hours a week | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Chicago Opera Theater (COT) is proud to announce its continued partnership with the City of Chicago’s After School Matters (ASM). This collaboration between COT and ASM, now in its fourth year, will continue the apprenticeship program Chicago Opera Theater for Teens for the 2009/10 school year.

The program helps Chicago high school students to experience opera in a hands-on matter and gives students the exciting opportunity to perform in two separate public performances. COT is eager to continue this important part of its multi-faceted education outreach program that is crucial to its mission of ensuring opera for the next generation.

“Chicago Opera Theater for Teens offers students the opportunity to take part in an extracurricular opportunity that can trigger what may easily become a life long passion for opera and the arts,” said COT General Director Brian Dickie.

For this year’s program approximately 20-30 students will be chosen to participate in the program. Those selected will meet three times a week to collaborate and rehearse selected scenes for their public performances in the fall of 2009 and the spring of 2010. Drawing from musical theater, opera, and operetta the scenes will be assigned to individuals and groups based on their specific vocal skills.

Working directly with their artistic leaders, the students’ involvement with the piece goes beyond simply singing the selections on stage but they will also research their specific scenes to understand the work’s background and context. This experience allows Chicago students the unique opportunity to take part in a paid opera apprenticeship program.

In addition to this research and development of the scenes, students in Chicago Opera Theater for Teens explore the professional performing arts world here in Chicago.

In previous years students have enjoyed special field trips to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Lyric Opera of Chicago and, of course, Chicago Opera Theater. Students also have the rare opportunity to meet internationally accomplished opera singers. Renowned singers who have presented master classes in past years include: mezzo-soprano Buffy Baggott, mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung, and bass-baritone, Alan Held.

From last year’s program eight students were accepted into college vocal programs of their choice with six receiving full scholarships. Not only have students from the program gone off to vocal programs but they have been offered excellent performance opportunities right here in Chicago. Chicago’s First Lady Maggie Daley heard Sabrina Walker, one of the performers in COT for Teens’ 2009 production of Into the Woods, and asked her to perform at the dedication of Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center in Skokie. Among the guests at the dedication event was former President Bill Clinton.

The program is open to high school students who reside in the city of Chicago. Auditions will be held on September 10 from 4 to 8pm, September 19 from 12 to 4pm, September 21 from 4 to 8pm, and September 22 from 4 to 8pm at Gallery 37, 66 E. Randolph St. in Chicago. Students can fill out an application at the audition or in advance online at afterschoolmatters.org. Students should prepare to sing one song – classical preferred but not required – and a pianist will be provided.

If students have any questions they may contact COT’s education outreach department at ajwester@chicagooperatheater.org or 312.704.8420 x23. Chicago Opera Theater will announce dates and locations for the fall and spring Chicago Opera Theater for Teens productions closer to their respective performance dates.

If you would like photos from Chicago Opera Theater for Teens please contact Daniel Jackman at djackman@chicagooperatheater.org or 312-704-8420 ext. 13.

ABOUT CHICAGO OPERA THEATER

Founded in 1974 by Alan Stone, Chicago Opera Theater has carved a significant place for itself in the operatic life of Chicago and has reached an audience of hundreds of thousands through its main stage performances, outreach, education and young artist programs.

Since Brian Dickie’s appointment as General Director in 1999, COT has evolved as an opera company that is young, fresh, and colorful – an image well suited to its surroundings at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millennium Park.

Chicago Opera Theater’s 2010 Spring Festival Season opens with Rossini’s Mosè in Egitto (April 17-25), followed by the Chicago Premiere of Cavalli’s Giasone (April 24-May 2), and closes with Heggie’s Three Decembers featuring acclaimed mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade in her final Chicago opera performances before her retirement (May 8-16). On May 10th COT will also present An Evening with Frederica von Stade and Jake Heggie.

For more information on the 2010 Spring Festival Season, visit ChicagoOperaTheater.org or call 312-704-8414.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Daniel Jackman, 312-704-8420 ext. 13
Marketing Associate
djackman@chicagooperatheater.org

Chicago Opera Theater Partners with City of Chicago’s After School Matters to Continue Teen Apprenticeship Program | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.