The Arlington community responds

to ACMI's call for new programming

Now Showing: The Multicultural Music Magazine,

A Healer in Every Home, and The Family Food Show

    Indian classical music, alternative health practices, and home cooking are all subjects being explored in new shows on Arlington Community Media's expanding menu of programs.

The Multicultural Music Magazine ("Triple-M")

    Dr. Nishikant Sonwalkar, a new member-producer at Arlington community television says "Music, through its melodic and rhythmic components, forms a universal language that cuts across all cultural boundaries".  Arlington", he continues, "is an increasingly multicultural community, and so the goal of "Triple-M" is to showcase the talents and cultural identities existing in and around Arlington.  Dr. Sonwalkar hopes during the course of his cable-TV series to involve Arlington schoolchildren, the Boys & Girls Club, and other area organizations in producing and performing in his programs.

    Dr. Nish, as he is affectionately called by his friends, earned a doctoral degree form MIT, where he also served as the Director of Hypermedia Teaching Facility and Principal Educational Architect.  He is founder and Managing Director of Sonwalkar Consulting Group (SCG), an educational consulting company in Arlington, and Director of Research at the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA).

    But before all that he earned his Bachelors' degree in music in India, regularly performed on All India Radio and Doordarshan (Indian TV) as an accomplished Tabla (drum) player of North Indian Classical style. He has also recorded Jazz-Fusion CDs in the U.S.  Now he brings to ACMi  his love of diverse musical forms as part of his new series. Visit www.SonwalkarConsulting.com for more information.

A Healer in Every Home

    ACMi member and volunteer producer, Begabati Lennihan, RN of the Lydian Center for Innovative Medicine in Cambridge, has launched a new series on ACMI's Public channel that is designed to empower viewers to treat themselves and their kids safely and effectively at home with natural remedies. A Healer in Every Home also shares information about cutting-edge work in natural healing being developed at the Lydian Center.  Soon to become a regular series, this show's premier episode focuses on natural ways to treat the flu and supplements we can use to stay healthy throughout the winter. Visit http://www.lydiancenter.com/practitioners/begabatiLennihan.php for more info.

 The Family Food Show

    The Family Food Show - Where Families and Food Come Together - is a new cooking series now airing on ACMI's Public channel. Its producer, Cheryl Brusgulis, was a volunteer producer at Arlington's Cable Access Television (ACA) long before she became a member of ACMI's staff.  In the 1990s she assisted on several programs, and was the producer of the popular series, Inside Arlington.

    Two years ago, Cheryl joined the ACMI staff and began in 2009, during her spare time, to produce The Family Food Show.  Each episode captures members of Arlington families cooking for their relatives. Recent episodes have featured seafood and burger cooking contests between brothers-in-law. Another one follows a Brusgulis friend as she prepares a delectable fish entree for her son and husband.  Coming soon, a sister demonstrates how to prepare for her family a Mediterranean mezza (plates of savory food and dips).  So join the fun and watch your neighbors as they prepare their favorite dishes for their families. 

    Visit www.TheFamilyFood.com for more information.

    All three producers mentioned above are actively seeking participation by other Arlingtonians in their productions-both behind and in front of the camera. For more information, or to volunteer to help or star in an ACMi show, please contact these producers via their websites or contact Walter@acmi.tv .

Featured Volunteer
 

Dick Koolish
Volunteer Extraordinaire
 

    Richard M. Koolish, a retired software engineer (at least temporarily), popped in unannounced to ACMi studio last summer for three reasons:  "First, I was looking for something to do; second, I thought learning about video would make it possible to help other organizations I volunteer for, and third, ACMi is just down the hill from my home."

    Dick, as nearly everyone calls him, has been learning and helping ever since.  To date he has taken the ACMi Orientation and Field Camera workshops and has volunteered as a camera operator for the following ACMi-based productions:  College Life, You Can Emerge, Golden Opportunities, Rising Star Quilters, Ted Goodman's Akido series (currently in production), Multicultural Music Magazine, Natural Living, Just Cook It, Brian Fiore's Tango (now in production), and lst November's Veterans Day Concert.

    He has also learned by doing in our edit lab, as assistant editor for the Rising Star Quilters special, and editor of the recently aired Arlington tribute to Margaret Spengler.  He was a photographic consultant for the animated opening montage of You Can Emerge, and has produced slides for the ACMi Community Bulletin Board (CBB).  As if that weren't enough, Dick brokered the donation to ACMi of two antique film cameras and a projector for our reception-area "Museum Cabinet".

    Dick Koolish exemplifies the ideal traits and attitudes of an ACMi volunteer.  He is available and can flex with our changeable schedules; he is generous with his time; and he never gets ruffled when things don't happen exactly as planned.  We thank Dick for helping make what we do at ACMi  a pleasure, and we invite any other Arlington citizens who are reading his story to call or visit us to learn how to join the Arlington Community Media team of volunteers.      To top of page