Madam Pince and the Librarians - Stacked

Yep! You guessed it! MPatL is coming out with their first full length album!

STACKED will feature older popular tunes such as:

No Squeeing in the Library
Anthony Goldstein, Are You a Jew (Electric, Live at the Sidewalk Cafe)
and 'Tis the Season to be Guilty

Also, look forward to new songs like:

Harry Potter
Whipped in the Basement
and Astoria Greengrass and the Pissed off Pince

and MORE!

STACKED will be available for pre order on July 31st and will be released on September 1st, just in time for the Hogwarts term to begin!

Love,
Ariel and Kelly

Ariel does not go to Poland/Prague Either

It's official. I was not admitted to the program. This is the second year in a row that I was denied entrance. I think I'm going to email them again and ask what I can do to be a better candidate for next year. Honestly, I don't know what more I can do. I'm a birthright alumn, a college graduate, a grad school student, and an all around nerdy girl with a strong cultural connection to Judaism. I have a full time job, and am pursuing several freelance options. It's obvious that I can handle several things at once. I have a desire to study my culture's history, and to interview and meet primary sources from World War II. I hope to begin collecting research for my future dissertation on storytelling during the Holocaust. I feel it is my duty as a Jew to learn of my people's past and pass it along to the generations to come. I want to teach and be taught.

Seriously. What more do these people want from me?!

On a happier note, I guess it's a good thing that I didn't reach my monetary goal for the summer. The remaining $700 will be rolled over into next summer's savings account for Poland/Prague. Yep. I'm applying again next year. These people are going to get so sick of me, they're going to have to let me in just to shut me up. At least this time I'll have a $700 head start on saving.

Anyway, here's a summer recap (with some minor additions)

JUNE
 - Weekend trip to Philadelphia with Sam
 - Weekend trip to DC for ALA

JULY
 - Weekend trip to Berkshires for July 4th
 - Weekend trip to Orlando for Infinitus

AUGUST
 - Weekend trip to upstate NY for camping trip with Sam

SEPTEMBER
 - Possible 10 day vacation with family

Overall, should be a busy summer. Don't forget I will be attending school the entire time. I think I have enough on my plate. It's going to be a good summer.

PLUS, my band will be releasing a FULL LENGTH ALBUM! Title and release date to come!

Golden Snitch for the Win!

You've already heard my wizard rock spiel, so I'll keep this brief.

Madam Pince and the Librarians. Winner of the 2009 WRPCA for Best Merchandise. Thank you to everyone who nominated and voted for us. We value your friendship and support greatly. It really means a lot that you've heard of us, let alone like us for what we do.

Congratulations to all the other winners, especially to Draco and the Malfoys. Lifetime Achievement award doesn't even begin to cover all you've done for the wizard rock community. You guys are amazing. Thank you.

Keep an eye out for an update on my summer plans and a special Madam Pince announcement in the near future. 

Voting is Open!

Voting is open! The Wizard Rock People's Choice Awards site is now open for voting. As I am sure you know, (unless you've missed my shameless self-promotion over the past week) Madam Pince and the Librarians is up for three amazing awards: Best Holiday Song, Best Merchandise Item, and Best Ravenclaw Band.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with MPatL's work in those categories, I've provided you with some helpful information and links.

Holiday Song:
Anthony Goldstein, You're a Jew - Jingle Spells 3. Chanukah FTW!


Merchandise:
Golden Snitch Necklaces - Designed and crafted by me. And yes, they do open at the close.













Ravenclaw Band:
C'mon. We sing about grammar.  Check out the links below for some grammarlicious songs.
No Squeeing in the Library
Strunk and White (Grammar Rap)
Whipped in the Basement

It's Here!

The long-awaited tax refund has finally graced my bank account with his presence for a few blissful hours. Now it's traveling through cyper space once more to the University of Tennessee's School of Information Sciences. Well, I was rich for a moment. Alas, such is the price of education.


With my goal in site, I can breathe easier. For one more semester I have narrowly avoided taking out a loan. My summer class is paid for in full. The leafy green thermometer to the left reflects this amazing accomplishment. With all of your help (and the $$ boost from the government) I am well on my way to making this summer both educational and mind-bogglingly awesome.

Of course, I am painfully aware that this summer is a mere two months of my life, and a small percentage of my post-graduate education. For this reason, I've filled out and submitted my FAFSA form in hopes of government aid, as well as applied for several scholarships through the University. I will also keep this blog going in order to update you on my monetary progress as well as my self-betterment process throughout the fall semester and beyond.

So, here's what's on tap for the summer.

Picture Book Graduate Course - PAID!
American Library Association National Conference in D.C. - PAID!
Infinitus Harry Potter Conference - Almost PAID!
Poland/Prague - Who the hell knows?

Well, if I get in, I only need $600 more. If I don't get in, I'll probably kick something... and roll over the remaining money to savings account for my Fall Semester web design class. Yes, I am quite excited.

Thank you to everyone who's been reading and helping me on my journey. I've come a long way from zero dollars and zero plans. Come on, guys. We're almost there.

Wizard Rock People's Choice Awards

Well, the WRPCA nominations are up. Thanks to everyone that nominated us, Madam Pince and the Librarians has been nominated for three awards. Three. I am beside myself. Being in  a wizard rock band is a dream that I had for a long time. Wrockstock 2008 finally gave me the kick in the ass I needed, and now it's been two years since the inception of MPatL, and one year since our rebirth as a pin-up girl band. Madam Pince is well on her way.

Thank you.

Hufflepuff is Victorious! (and other updates)

I want to thank all of you for your help in the Harry Potter Alliance's Accio Books Drive. Each house donated hundreds of books, but no house beat Hufflepuff's book donating skills. With 219,260 points we took the cup. Way to go, badgers!

In other news, I am moving ahead with my summer plans. Thanks to my tax refund, things are looking slightly up, and I may narrowly avoid taking a loan out to pay for school. This means that I've finalized my plans for Infinitus. Yep. That's right. "When the theme park's done,  I'm going to Hogwarts!" It's a once in a lifetime journey that I can't pass up. True it's not an eight week course on the Holocaust, but with any luck (and my tax return) I'll be able to afford both trips (if I get accepted). 


For now though, I must concentrate on looming finals, paying bills, and this Friday's wizard rock show at The Sidewalk Cafe. Madam Pince and the Librarians will be sharing the stage with The Volunteer Arms, The Whomping Willows,  Justin Finch-Fletchley and the Sugar Quills, and Draco and the Malfoys. Kelly and I are beyond excited, and looking forward to singing our ode to Ms. Astoria Greengrass once more. Hopefully this time I won't laugh mid-verse. 


Finally, I just want to thank those of you who have been reading for your support. Thanks to your help, (and the IRS) I am closer than ever to reaching my goal. If you too have been blessed by the IRS this April, consider coming out to the Sidewalk Cafe this Friday evening, or perhaps just visiting the links at left as usual. 


I hope you had a wonderful holiday, and are enjoying the glorious weather. 


Go Hufflepuff!