(Updated at 2:25 p.m.) Annandale High School’s orchestra director is on her way to Los Angeles for the upcoming Grammy Awards.
Annie Ray, who teaches music and leads the orchestra program at the school, is the winner of the 2024 Grammy Music Educator Award, CBS Mornings announced today.
Given out by the Recording Academy and Grammy Museum, the award honors music teachers who make a “significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and who demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education” in schools. It can go to public and private school teachers of students in preschool through college.
Ray’s family, students and colleagues erupted in cheers when her name was announced during a watch party in Annandale High School’s auditorium, according to Fairfax County Public Schools.
“It’s been a whirlwind experience!” Ray said in a press release. “I’m so thankful to all the people who have poured love into me to allow me to make music. I am honored to have been selected from a remarkable group of educators.”
As the award winner, Ray will get a $10,000 honorarium and a matching grant to support her school’s music program. She was chosen from 10 finalists and more than 2,000 nominees.
Recognized by FCPS just last year as its Region 2 Outstanding Secondary School Teacher, Ray’s three-year tenure at Annandale High has already included the creation of a Crescendo Orchestra for students with severe developmental or intellectual disabilities and an FCPS Parent Orchestra where parents learn to play the same instrument as their kids.
The parent orchestra attracts over 150 parents every year, according to FCPS, which describes Ray as a “passionate advocate for universal access to quality music education.”
“Annie is known for her passion, skill, and belief that every student can achieve greatness,” Annandale High School Principal Shawn DeRose said to FCPS. “Her impact and dedication has made a positive difference in the school community. She truly is an inspiration, and we are so proud of her.”
Before joining Annandale High, Ray taught at Glasgow Middle School in Lincolnia and Annandale Terrace Elementary School.
In an interview with CBS News correspondent Jamie Waxman, Ray said playing in Annandale’s symphony orchestra teaches students confidence and gives them the willingness to make a wrong note. Students describe her as a leader “who doesn’t lead” but instead talks to and encourages them.
The show surprised Ray with a congratulations video from British singer-songwriter Jacob Collier, whose song “Little Blue” became a source of solace after a close friend of hers died.
Ray will officially receive the Music Educator Award at the 66th annual Grammy Awards ceremony, which will air at 8 p.m. this Sunday (Feb. 4) on CBS.
A Vienna business started by a 9-year-old got a national spotlight yesterday (Wednesday) when its young founder appeared on “The Drew Barrymore Show.”
Smell of Love Candles CEO Alejandro Buxton, now 13, was invited to the daytime talk show for an episode celebrating Black Entrepreneurs Day, which was created in 2020 by FUBU founder and CEO Daymond John to promote and raise money for Black-owned businesses.
In addition to getting advice from John, who co-hosted the episode with Barrymore, Alejandro received a $10,000 check from the Alexandria-based human resources company TriNet.
“It was the most amazing experience that I have had in my life,” Alejandro told FFXnow. “In preparing for the show, every emotion that you could feel…happy, nervous, shy, excited; I was overwhelmed and was feeling everything. I didn’t know how it would go and then once I got on the show and when I got on stage, Drew was so nice and Daymond as well so they made me feel really comfortable. Daymond gave me really good advice and I’m really grateful to Drew and her staff for everything they gave me on the show.”
As he recounted during the show, Alejandro launched Smell of Love Candles to create candles for his mom, Patricia Buxton, who “really loved candles” but got headaches from the ones they previously had in the house. Those candles also triggered Alejandro’s asthma.
The company’s candles are made out of soy wax and use carefully handpicked and tested fragrances, according to its website. A pop-up stall at Tysons Corner Center that opened last fall closed at the beginning of this year, but Smell of Love Candles has found success as an online store and at local weekend markets around the D.C. area.
Alejandro shared on “The Drew Barrymore Show” that he had sold more than 16,000 candles by the end of 2022, impressing both the host and John.
“It’s just so inspiring. On behalf of all moms, thank you for being you,” Barrymore said after the teen credited his mom’s love as his motivation.
Now four seasons in after premiering in fall 2020, “The Drew Barrymore Show” has drawn praise for its intimate interviews of normally guarded celebrities, but the “E.T.” actor faced a fierce backlash this fall when she attempted to film while the Writers Guild of America was on strike. She soon backtracked and shut down production until the strike ended on Sept. 27, though three writers in the WGA still declined to return.
Barrymore introduced Alejandro to her audience yesterday as “an absolute cutie pie” and noted that he’s “a huge fan” of John.
“We want to surprise him, because he has no idea you’re here right now,” she told John.
Alejandro confirms he “had no clue” that he would meet John, who’s regularly featured as an investor on the reality TV show “Shark Tank.”
“It’s the only thing I watch almost every episode, and he’s one of my favorite sharks,” Alejandro said. “So, seeing him in person and him giving me advice, that was really big.”
John advised Alejandro, who asked how to get his products in physical stores, to essentially keep doing what he’s doing, selling directly to customers instead of working with other distributors.
“If the store sells it, you don’t know who bought it, but if you sell it direct, you know who bought it,” John said. “…You want to super-size everybody’s fries, and the way to do that is having this communication of growing a community like you’re doing already.”
Alejandro says he plans to follow that advice. Having the $10,000 from TriNet certainly can’t hurt when it comes to operating a business. The candle-maker told FFXnow that he plans to use the money to buy supplies — both for Smell of Love Candles and for classrooms in need.
“My mom used to be a teacher, and it’s hard to be a teacher, so we’re fulfilling teacher wish-lists,” Alejandro said.
Reston was under the lens on Friday (Aug. 25), as FOX 5 featured the planned community in its series on notable neighborhoods in the D.C. region.
The series, called Zip Trip, broadcast from Reston Town Center’s pavilion in the morning. The show highlighted the top five attractions in Reston: Reston Community Center (#5), Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art (#4), Lake Fairfax Park (#3), Lake Anne Village Center (#2), and the town center (#1).
Reporter Erin Como said that Reston Town Center “offers all forms of fun,” ranging from the iconic Mercury fountain to shopping and events under the recently renovated pavilion.
Featured businesses and other organizations included:
- Ted’s Bulletin
- Scrawl Books
- The St. James Performance Club
- Reston Museum
- Cornerstones
- NOVA Wild
- South Lakes High School
- Lake Anne Brew House
Bike Lane Brewing & Cafe and the Lake Anne Brew House put their drinks to the test in a battle of the brews, while NOVA Wild presented its animal friends — including recent additions to the rebranded zoo’s family.
The feature also included a roundup on the real estate market in Reston.
Rob Tucker, a local pickle ball and tennis instructor who works for Reston Association, was recognized at the a hometown hero during the trip.
“My work is to promote the live, work, play motto,” Tucker said.
The last Zip Trip for the year will take in National Harbor on Friday (Sept. 1). FOX 5 visited 15 cities in the summer tour.
Screenshot via FOX5
Jeopardy!, a popular quiz show, will have some local flair today (Thursday).
Suzanne Goldlust, a marketing manager from Reston, will compete on the show tonight. The show — which is produced by Sony Pictures Television — is in its 29th season of syndication.
Goldlust said she has enjoyed watching Jeopardy for years and enjoys trivia.
“I have a lot of trivia in my head and was always able to call out a lot of the answers – well, questions – at home,” she said.
Goldlust first tried out in 2013 but did not make it beyond the audition stage.
“I was super nervous beforehand, just trying not to get my hopes up too high or build up expectations. I only told a few friends and family members that I would be playing. Since my taping, I’ve been nervous about accidentally spilling the beans! But I have literally told no one—not even my sister or my kids! And of course I’m nervous about looking like a dork on national TV,” Goldlust told FFXnow.
She says she’s excited for her friends and family to see how she did on the popular quiz show.
The episode featuring Goldlust airs tonight on WJLA (ABC).
The Town of Vienna has a chance to make the nation envious with its upcoming appearance on the PBS TV show “If You Lived Here.”
The D.C. area house-hunting series will take its hosts, Washingtonians John Begeny and Christine Louise, on a tour of Vienna’s history, landmarks and residential real estate offerings in an episode set to air Monday (Feb. 13).
While the show is now in its third season, the producers say Vienna has long been on their radar as a potential destination.
“We have folks on our film crew that live in Vienna, so they were thrilled to see it on our list for Season 3,” executive producer Jeffrey Eagle said. “It’s also a place that’s often mentioned as being wonderful for families and a community that’s connected through outdoor spaces, local events and a Main Street that feels both cozy and historic.”
Launched in February 2021, “If You Lived Here” brings its hosts together with local realtors to guess the list prices of local houses and visit attractions in neighborhoods around the D.C. region.
The show’s team researches each location extensively before visiting, according to series producer Paige Smith Lee, who cites local news outlets like the Washington Post and DCist as good resources. They also often get stories and tips once they start contacting interview subjects.
“Each individual area…has a history to share and a great community spirit,” Louise said in a statement. “When we tour the individual homes, we are digging even deeper into specific neighborhoods learning what makes each special from the folks who live there and work in each.”
Vienna is ready for its close-up! Monday, Feb. 13 at 9 p.m. is a must-see TV moment for the Town of Vienna! That's when the town will be featured on the popular @PBS program #IfYouLivedHere on @wetatvfm channel 26. Click here for more details: https://t.co/uBsd4d4Xo9. pic.twitter.com/weLzrzISZr
— Town of Vienna, VA (@TownofViennaVA) February 8, 2023
For Vienna, the team wanted to highlight the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad, since the tracks — now the W&OD Trail — ran through the heart of the town. The train will give the show a way to discuss how the local population has grown and changed over the years, Eagle says.
“The Freeman Store and Museum was an easy choice to make as one of our stories,” Eagle said. “The conversion of those tracks to the W&OD walking and bike trails also meant the chance to see residents on the go, exercising and in their daily lives.”
Led by local real estate agent Lex Lianos, the episode will feature tours of three houses: a “fixer-upper” in Stonewall Manor, a renovated home sitting on an acre lot, and a modern home built in 2020, according to WETA.
The old train depot, the Vienna Town Green, popular bar and concert venue Jammin’ Java and Mayor Linda Colbert will also get moments in the spotlight.
Not everything filmed during the show’s three-day shoot last spring made it into the final cut. Smith Lee says she found the history of the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department “really interesting,” but it didn’t fit into the episode’s 28-minute runtime.
The episode will air at 9 p.m. on WETA PBS and 8 p.m. on WETA Metro. It will also be available to stream on the PBS app.
“If You Lived Here” will return to Fairfax County for its penultimate episode this season, which will focus on Annandale and air on March 6.
A famed comedian and actor won $250,000 for local charity Alice’s Kids by playing “Celebrity Jeopardy.”
At the finale of the annual “Celebrity Jeopardy” tournament that aired Sunday (Feb. 7), Patton Oswalt finished in second place and was awarded a quarter of a million dollars to donate to a charity of his choice.
As first reported by On the MoVe, the stand-up comedian/actor perhaps most known for voicing Remy in the Pixar movie “Ratatouille” chose Alice’s Kids, a Mount Vernon-based nonprofit that provides money to disadvantaged kids for small items like soccer cleats, school trips, and birthday parties.
Our friend and smart guy, @pattonoswalt, just won $250,000!!! He fell ONE DOLLAR short of winning the whole thing! I just spoke to him and he said he was thrilled to get us this money and ordered me to spend it on as many kids as possible. We will, Patton!!!
OMG.
— Alice's Kids (@alicewillhelp) February 3, 2023
“It’s a huge boost to our budget,” co-founder Ron Fitzsimmons told FFXnow. “This is also now an excuse to go out and tell even more people about what we do.”
This isn’t the first time that Oswalt has contributed to the organization, but this large donation was recognized by Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay at the board’s meeting on Tuesday (Feb. 7).
Alice’s Kids was founded about 12 years ago by Fitzsimmons and his sister, Laura Fitzsimmons Peters. Naming the nonprofit after their mother, Alice Fitzsimmons, the siblings grew up in poverty in New York and knew what it meant not to have the money for the opportunities that other kids might.
When Fitzsimmons moved to the D.C. area for law school, he also began to substitute teach at Mount Vernon High School. Once, when he encountered a student who was crying because they couldn’t afford a prom ticket, he helped the student and realized there was a real need for an organization that helps kids with seemingly small items that can make a big difference.
That could mean money to throw a birthday party, a new pair of basketball shoes, or a costume for a part in a school play. Alice’s Kids provides the funds anonymously, often working through schools and social workers.
“We don’t pay for food. We don’t pay for medical assistance,” Fitzsimmons said. “So many other charities do that. We want to be totally unique.”
While Alice’s Kids initially focused on the Mount Vernon neighborhood and surrounding areas, it has expanded to become a national organization and now helps kids across the country.
With that growing reach came attention from some notable figures. It was perhaps 2016 when Fitzsimmons noticed a familiar name on a form for a very generous donation to Alice’s Kids. Read More
Fairfax County is still working through negotiations with Comcast for cable service in Reston.
Although discussions are still underway, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved an interim agreement that would extend the terms of Comcast’s cable franchise through June 30, 2023.
So far, a long-term renewal agreement has not yet been reached. Federal law — namely the Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984 — lays out the process by which local communities can renew a cable franchise.
Rebecca Makely, director of the county’s Department of Cable and Consumer Services, said that active negotiations are underway to achieve a “mutually satisfactory resolution.”
“Changes in the video service market in recent years, along with potential changes in the law, have impacted cable franchise renewal negotiations around the country. In Fairfax County, as in many other jurisdictions, this has led to a protracted negotiation process,” Makely wrote in a statement.
In the county’s case, the county is negotiating with the cable operate for a new franchise agreement.
Until a final agreement is reached, the limited extension will remain in place.
Comcast announced last month that it plans to expand its network in Reston to include businesses by the end of the year.
Photo via Mike Conway on Unsplash
McLean High School teacher Jeffrey Brocketti can’t wait to tell everyone what he discussed with host Pat Sajak during a “Wheel of Fortune” commercial break.
He will soon be allowed to share that story and more after his episode — the 10th of the game show’s 40th season — airs at 7 p.m. Monday (Sept. 26) on ABC.
When it comes to solving the hangman-style word puzzles, though, even Brocketti may draw a blank when he turns on the TV next week — a common phenomenon, based on conversations with fellow contestants.
“They don’t remember all the puzzles from their show, which sounds ridiculous,” Brocketti told FFXnow. “You’d think this would just be burned into your brain, but it’s not. So, I’m kind of looking forward to seeing the episode, just seeing how it went and does it match my memory of it.”
Brocketti, who has taught physics and astronomy at McLean High for over a decade, describes the experience of filming a show he watched as a child as “surreal.”
He applied to become a contestant “on a whim” in April 2021 at the suggestion of his wife and one of his kids. Initially, he dismissed the idea, but while “sitting around” a few weeks later, he decided it couldn’t hurt, especially since the pandemic had pushed the entire tryout process online.
After submitting the form and a 30-second video pitch, Brocketti admits he forgot about the whole enterprise until this past January, when an unexpected email appeared in his inbox: he’d been selected to participate in a virtual audition.
“The first thing I did was check the email address to make sure it wasn’t some sort of phishing email,” he said. “I thought it was a scam, and once I figured out it was legit, then I realized, oh, this might actually happen.”
Told in February that he made the cut, Brocketti set his DVR to record “Wheel” and watched each night with his family, pretending to compete against the contestants on screen with a pen as a mock buzzer.
He fell out of the routine around mid-April, though, so a backlog of over 70 episodes had accumulated by the time he was told that his episode would film at the Sony Pictures Studios lot in Culver City, California on July 28.
“I watched over three months’ worth of episodes in two weeks,” Brocketti recalled with a laugh. “So, that was my preparation. Just watch the show and play against the people on TV and try and get better at it.”
In some ways, competing in person was easier than at home, Brocketti says. Unlike on TV, contestants can always see the boards displaying each puzzle and the used letters, and after going through two dress rehearsals, his nervousness evaporated once the real game started.
However, the “flood of information that you have in your brain” made it hard to focus and fully digest the experience, he added.
Brocketti isn’t the first person to represent Fairfax County on “Wheel,” following in the footsteps of a former Chantilly Little League coach who won nearly $123,000. He encourages anyone interested in competing on the show to give it a shot.
“Just try it out, and see what happens,” he said.
A former Chantilly little league coach has another title: “Wheel of Fortune” winner.
Mike Halpern won $122,903 in cash and prizes during his appearance on the TV game show yesterday (Monday), an outcome that he mostly kept secret even from his family and friends.
“I wanted them to be surprised,” he said. “They had a little bit of a hint of the fact that I didn’t completely bomb.”
With over half the letters missing in the final puzzle, Halpern guessed a two-word phrase that won him $100,000, leading him to make a snow angel in the prize confetti that rained down around him.
Talking with host Pat Sajak at the beginning of the episode, Halpern said he was a baseball coach with Chantilly Youth Association Little League for 14 seasons. He coached both of his sons there, too.
“I loved being on the field, and it was great to watch them grow up,” Halpern said on the show.
Halpern filmed his appearance in Culver City, California, near the Los Angeles Airport on March 23. He arranged a watch party at Mustang Sally Brewery in Chantilly, which found a way to open on a closed day for them.
Early in the game, both of his competitors lost their prize earnings with a spin and mystery wedge that led to bankruptcies. One contender lost her earnings twice.
Halpern also won a $9,003 trip to Aruba, which he’s never visited before.
A regular viewer of the show since he was a kid, Halpern and his wife decided to share the news of his appearance on the show with their two teenage sons by creating a “Wheel of Fortune” puzzle on a piece of paper. The boys took turns guessing until they revealed the answer: “I got picked to spin the wheel.”
The family also helped him prepare.
“We would pause every night’s episode before the bonus round,” Halpern said. “They would watch it. I would…leave the room.”
To complete the simulated experience, one of their sons set a 10-second countdown with a timer on his iPhone.
At the brewery watch party, Halpern’s friends also released confetti cannons to help recreate the experience.
“I knew what happened, but like, no one else in the entire place had any clue,” Halpern said.
When Sajak opened the envelope with the prize, the Chantilly watch party lost its mind.
“It felt like a dream,” he said. “It was just awesome.”
Almira Zaky has always been, in her own words, a little girl with a big voice.
A native of Herndon who is of Indonesian descent, Zaky has been singing since she was a young girl. She now represents Virginia on “American Song Contest,” NBC’s take on the yearly Eurovision music competition that has been around since 1956.
An R&B artist who released her first independent album “Learn to Love” this month, Zaky takes influence from many artists in that genre that were popular in the 1990s and early 2000s, including Aaliyah, JoJo, and Destiny’s Child.
“My influence comes from women in R&B who were able to express themselves so freely and unapologetically,” Zaky told FFXnow. “I feel that women from that era are bold and not afraid to tell it like it is with their emotions.”
When she was a student at Virginia Commonwealth University, Zaky learned the ins and outs not just of performance, but the business side of music as well.
She originally enrolled as a health science major but soon switched to business. She also began to help with campus events, booking artists and performers like Travis Scott and Torey Lanez.
“Being able to bring people together through music brought me back into music and on the music industry side,” Zaky said. “That experience, throwing these concerts and events in that genre turned into networking opportunities that I have now.”
Nicknamed “Boss Lady,” which reflects her personal philosophy of inspiring people to be their own boss no matter where they’re from, Zaky advanced her music career while still in college by recording in Los Angeles and hosting events while her fellow students went on spring break.
“I’ve taken advantage of all the opportunities that have been presented and I want to inspire people to do that as well,” she said. “To take control of their lives, it doesn’t matter where you come from or what you may know, go after your dreams as long as you work hard, stay passionate, and maintain a good heart.”
Zaky’s dedication goes back to her childhood in Herndon, when her mother would take her to music lessons. In addition to her R&B diet, she absorbed the music of the D.C. area though local station WKYS 93.9.
“I’d go to lessons every weekend so I’d listen to go-go bands playing on WKYS 93.9, it definitely added to my music as well,” Zaky said. “Like the Jump or the Bounce with its own groove and style, artists like Wale who was a trailblazer. Being a part of the next generation and taking the torch is just inspiring.”
A reality competition where the public votes for their favorite contestants, “American Song Contest” is hosted by hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg and original “American Idol” winner/talk show host Kelly Clarkson. The show debuted on March 21 and airs at 8 p.m. on Mondays.
