Stephen Mejias

Photo: Michael">http://michaelschmelling.com/">Michael Schmelling

Back in February 2008, senior contributing editor John Marks decided to hold a">http://www.stereophile.com/thefifthelement/208fifth/index.html">a competition.

Here in the office, I am (like most jerks in the corporate world) constantly juggling several tasks at once. Sometimes these tasks seem to have absolutely nothing to do with one another, and nothing to do with the making of a magazine. So it goes. To keep everything from crashing down at my nervous, trembling feet, I scribble little reminders on yellow Post-it notes and stick them to everything around me: Post-it notes on my computer screen, Post-it notes on my telephone, Post-it notes on my calendar, Post-it notes on my stapler, etc.

There has been a lot of Leonard Cohen talk going around the office this week. You will find out why when you receive your September issue of Stereophile. You will enjoy it, too, I am certain.

A couple of months ago, I heard an">http://www.wnyc.org/news/articles/128092">an interesting segment on NPR about Sam Hillmer's Representing">http://www.myspace.com/representingnyc">Representing NYC project. Hillmer, a NYC school teacher, partners his students with indie-rock musicians to create hip-hop albums. The children are given an opportunity to express themselves and gain real experience in the art of commerce, while the musicians get to contribute to the working-class communities they've recently moved into.

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