"Circus" to top Billboard 200!

Photo credit: Jive Records
According to hitsdailydouble.com and other album sales predictions, Britney Spears' sixth studio album, titled "Circus", will top the Billboard 200 chart this week. Far exceeding expectations of 300,000 copies, "Circus" is looking to sell between 450,000 and 500,000 copies in its first week of release, making it one of the years top selling albums (and second highest female debut of the year). The astounishing figures come thanks in part to a flurry of media appearances including Good Morning America, New York & Los Angeles' tree lightining ceremonies, MTV's VMA's, Madonna's Los Angeles tour stop, and a documentary titled "For The Record" which was one of the most watched shows on MTV this year. First single "Womanizer" has been topping the charts for several weeks now and shattered several records, new single "Circus" is already picking up a lot of spins on radio. Spears' last effort, "Blackout", opened with about 290,000 copies but quickly experienced a decline in sales because an enormous lack of promotion (other than the tragic 2007 MTV VMA's performance) and negative press left and right which saw the pop star lose custody of her kids, shave her head entire bald, drink and drug fueled episodes all over Southern California and multiple involuntary psychiatric stays in the UCLA mental health facility. Akon's new album is expected to come in behind Spears with the 2nd highest debut with sales in the 80,000-90,000 range.

Update: "Circus" sold 505,073 copies in its first week of release in the U.S.

Here's the video for her new single "Circus":

Comedian Jean Jacques Draws Big Support

He's at it again! He is making people laugh! That's right, it's upcoming comedian Jean Jacques! All About M.E. caught up with the comedian after his latest show at a private function this past Friday in Studio City.

All About M.E.: You're pretty good at this thing.
Jean Jacques: You know, I try. You're only as good as your worst show and tonight wasn't my worst show. So I'm pretty good, I guess.

All About M.E.: Way to be modest.
Jean Jacques: I'm trying.

All About M.E.: Try harder. What do you think is the most difficult thing when it comes to being a comedian?
Jean Jacques: Making people laugh. A lot of times people will assume that because we're in comedy, that we're good at making people laugh. I've had sets where I felt like I was going to die because the room was silent.

All About M.E.: Sounds like a very humbling experience.
Jean Jacques: It is. Scary too. Sad part is nobody is there to rescue you. You just have a terrible set and forget about it.

All About M.E.: Finally, what's next for Jean Jacques?
Jean Jacques: Good question. I'll have to keep you guys guessing (laughs). Seriously, there are movie plans in the works as well as a book I am trying to get published. So just keep your ears to the streets.

All About M.E.: Will do. Thanks a lot and good luck.
Jean Jacques: Likewise. Thank you!


For those interested in Jean Jacque's comedy, please visit Jean Jacque's MySpace for more information and continue to stay connected with All About M.E.

Miley Cyrus May Be Filing a Petition of Emancipation

Photo Credit: Vanity Fair

Miley Cyrus, of Hannah Montana fame, is reportedly in discussions with her attorney about filing a Petition of Emancipation form. Sources say she has been repeatedly butting heads with her parents, country singer/father Billy Ray Cyrus and manager/mother Tish, over her relationship with 20-year-old underwear model, Justin Gaston, that started in May 2008.

Star Magazine insiders say Billy Ray is beginning to have doubts about his daughter’s relationship with Gaston.

Miley was left in tears after her dad ordered her to stop seeing Justin during a recent confrontation.

"Billy Ray also thinks Justin is a bit of a mooch and doesn’t want him taking advantage of Miley,” a source close to the Cyruses tells Star Magazine. Miley told her dad to back off. She is sick of him trying to hold her down, and feels she is old enough to make her own decisions.”

CSUN Wind Ensemble

Photo Credit: Shant Kazandjian

On the evening of November 25th, 2008 the California State University, Northridge's (CSUN) Wind Ensemble performed “...and This Is Now”, the second of four shows scheduled throughout the 2008/2009 school year in honor of the university's 50th anniversary.

The follow-up to their October 7^th performance, “That Was Then...”, began with the conductor, Lawrence Stoffel, taking his place on stage and welcoming the audience to the second performance of the 2008/2009 year.

“It is a great time to be alive,” said Stoffel. “Music is changing at a rapid rate. The music played when I was a little boy is much different than the music my ensemble will be playing tonight. Everything you will hear tonight was written after the 1990s, which coincidentally is the year the freshman students at CSUN were born,” said Stoffel with a smile.

Lawrence Stoffel assumed the position of Director of Bands at California State University, Northridge in 2004. There he serves as conductor of both the internationally-recognized Wind Ensemble and the Wind Symphony. Stoffel holds the degrees Doctor of Music from Indiana University, the Master of Music from the University of Colorado, and both the Bachelor of Arts in Music and the Master of Education degrees from the University of California–Los Angeles.

One of the contributers to Tuesday night's performance was Elizabeth Sellers, director of the Media Composition Option for the Music Department at CSUN.

“In Spring of 2008 I was approached by Larry Stoffel about writing a new fanfare for the Wind Ensemble, to mark the 50^th Anniversary of CSUN and its band program,” says Sellers. “As I did preliminary research before beginning to write I thought about all the CSUN students who come from very different ethnic backgrounds. My hope is that the optimism, vitality and exuberance of our great CSUN students, past and present, speak to you.”

Sellers' graduates have won local, national and international awards. Sellers is also in demand professionally. Scoring credits include UnBowed, which premiered in Hollywood, won festival awards and aired on cable television. Sellers received Primetime Emmy honors for contributing to the Emmy Award winning achievement of Outstanding Music Direction for the 2002 Winter Olympics.

“The performance we played in October's performance, “That Was Then...”, was music that was around when CSUN first opened 50 years ago. Tonight, we played music that current students have probably heard throughout their life. The concerts we perform during the 2008-2009 year are a tribute to the evolving music that CSUN students have experienced during their lifetime,” says Brayan Morales, one of the ensemble's oboe players.

The Wind Ensemble's next performance will be in February titled “Hurray for Hollywood!” Stoffel explained the performance will include songs from motion pictures that have been made famous because of Hollywood Blockbusters. He thought it would be appropriate to dedicate a part of CSUN's history to Hollywood, because it is so close to what we call “home”.

California State University, Northridge's (CSUN) Wind Ensemble perform Peter Graham's "The Red Machine" during their "...and This Is Now" performance.