Lov-3

Syracuse’s success saturated in simplicity

RALEIGH – Easy to scout; hard to beat.

That piece of basketball coaching slang has been around for so long that it predates bulky kneepads, stirrup socks and playing shorts barely bigger than a fig leaf.

But when N.C. State’s Mark Gottfried used the line Friday to describe No. 1 Syracuse, it summed about an hour’s worth of questions and answers in six words.

In 36 years under Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim, the Orange have changed their basic concepts very little.

Boeheim’s teams have won 866 games (with only 301 losses) and a national title primarily because they execute a 2-3 zone defense and a 1-3-1 zone offensive attack better than anyone else in college basketball.

Obviously, Boeheim has had more than his fair share of talented players.

Dating back to Louis Orr and Marty Byrnes on that first team in 1976-77 and straight through Kris Joseph and Scoop Jardine on the 10-0 team that the Wolfpack (6-3) will face at 6:30 p.m. today at the RBC Center, Boeheim has recruited better than some fans think.

But as much as the skill level, the Boeheim system has kept the Orange among the nation’s elite programs.

“Sometimes coaches end up with a playbook of a thousand plays,” Gottfried said. “Every time we see something on TV, we want to put it in – ‘Let’s do that. Let’s do this. Let’s add this.’

“Boeheim has been great because he’s been simple … Jim’s learned that this is what we do, and they get really good at what they do. He doesn’t have to re-invent an offense.”

Although Boeheim and his program have been drawn into a storm of controversy involving longtime former assistant coach Bernie Fine, the team has been remarkably unruffled against a difficult early schedule.

Five Syracuse players are legitimate 3-point threats even though only three – senior forward Joseph, reserve wingman Dion Waiters and Brandon Triche – average double-digits in scoring and none higher than 13.7 ppg.

The zone defense has been suffocating at times – 123 steals, 69 blocked shots and 203 total turnovers.

“Their length in the zone is really hard to work around,” Gottfried said. “They convert turnovers into points about as fast as anyone you’ll find. And we’ve had too many turnovers lately.”

The turnover outbreak has involved several Wolfpack players – point guard Lorenzo Brown, several big men, even team leader C.J. Williams on the wing.

“I don’t want our guys so worried about what they’re doing with the ball that they’re afraid to make plays,” Gottfried. “But we’ve just got to get better at completing passes. That’s the simple way to put it.”

Simple as in simply Syracuse, you might say.

Al Thornton, DeShawn Stevenson are reportedly potential Jeff Green replacements

After announcing that Jeff Green will miss the entire 2011-12 season after undergoing surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm, the Boston Celtics have a crater on their bench and only veteran’s minimum contracts to throw at potential replacements. And they will certainly need replacements. If the regular season began today, the Celtics would begin the year with and injured Paul Pierce and two backup small forwards: Marquis Daniels (coming off spinal surgery) and Sasha Pavlovic (coming off a vomitacious four-year stretch during which he was literally one of the NBA’s worst offensive players).

The pickings will be slim and whoever the Celtics sign (assuming they do sign somebody) will likely be a marginal role player. Comcast’s A. Sherrod Blakely reports the Celtics will look at Al Thornton, DeShawn Stevenson and James Posey, but the Celtics will be hard-pressed to find legitimate help available for the veteran’s minimum.

With only the veteran’s minimum to offer, it becomes even less likely that the C’s will be able to find a player not currently on the roster, to help replace Green’s contributions.

Some of the possibilities for the C’s include former Celtic James Posey, Al Thornton and DeShawn Stevenson.

For now, the Celtics will try to make due with the current roster.

Because the 6-foot-8 Green could play both forward positions, a team source said the C’s are likely to rely on multiple players to fill the void he leaves behind.

Al Thornton is green beans. I despise green beans. Hate everything about them — their texture, taste, even the way they look on my plate. But if I was starving for a few days and green beans was the only thing I had in my pantry, they’d start to look a lot more appetizing. Same goes for most of the other small forwards Boston will be able to target using the minimum. Fucking green beans.

I would actually like Stevenson, who played a role on a contender last season and would surely be an upgrade to Sasha Pavlovic. I love Posey, but he’s about 95 years old in NBA years. Other names I’ll toss out there that I wouldn’t mind include Peja Stojakovic (washed-up, but still a pure shooter), Michael Redd (ditto) and, um — am I really going to say this? — Jamario Moon. Other than that, green beans. Unless I’m missing someone. Feel free to tell me if I am.

James Posey, Boston Celtics could reunite if Jeff Green is lost for awhile
Jeff Green reportedly may need procedure, likely okay long-term, short-term iffy
On re-signing Jeff Green
Michael Redd reportedly still an option for Boston Celtics
Jeff Green falling short of expectations, unless you expected him to remain Jeff Green

What we miss about the NBA: Dirk, Rondo-like starts and road trips

For those of us who cover the NBA for a living, it has been a summer (and now, a fall) spent stalking hotel lobbies and awaiting the doom-and-gloom press conferences put on by David Stern, Adam Silver, Derek Fisher, Billy Hunter and (if we’re lucky) Jeffrey Kessler. We’ve talked with labor lawyers and former union executives, we’ve talked with agents and players exploring the European market, we’ve talked with arena employees who are bearing the brunt of the lockout.

But we have not been able to cover what drew us into the business to begin with: games. As Celtics forward Jeff Green said after an exhibition game on Saturday, “I miss being out there in games that matter. I am sure fans miss watching, miss being in the stands. Even you guys miss writing about it.”

Early last season, we got an idea of just how strong the Bulls would be. With the lockout, we’re missing those surprising hot starts. (AP photo)

Indeed. And the more we think about what exactly we’re missing out on, the more unbearable this lockout becomes. So, each week, we’re going to step back and look at three things we’re missing in the NBA. For starters, we have:

1. Dirk. Arguably, no athlete in American sports raised his profile and redefined his legacy in the past year quite like Dirk Nowitzki. By leading the Mavericks to the NBA title, Nowitzki completely upended the reputation he had established in Dallas as a very talented player who just didn’t quite have the gumption to push a team to a championship level.

A quick refresher on what he did over 21 games last spring: Nowitzki averaged 27.7 points, and shot 48.5 percent from the field, 46.0 percent from the 3-point line and 94.1 percent from the free-throw line. And, in the end, his Mavs took down the much-despised Heat, with Dirk cast as the antithesis to LeBron James.

“It was one of the most incredible performances I have ever seen,” teammate Jason Kidd said. “He carried us time after time.”

2. Crazy early stats. At this point last year, there was some discussion that the MVP would be a young star point guard. But it wasn’t Derrick Rose—it was Boston’s Rajon Rondo, who was piling up assists at a stunning rate. Through this date last year, Rondo was averaging 14.3 assists, which put him within striking range of John Stockton’s record (14.5). In the Celtics’ first 12 games, Rondo had at least 15 assists seven times, and had a 24-assist game in a win over the Knicks.

Of course, Rondo got hurt and would later struggle in the wake of the Celtics’ February trade of Kendrick Perkins. He wound up averaging 10.2 points and 11.6 assists, and not only was he not in the MVP conversation, but he did not make any of the three All-NBA teams.

3. The circus trip. An early indicator that the Bulls were on their way to being a contender in the Eastern Conference came last November during the annual road trip they are forced to take each year when the circus comes to the United Center. It was a modest success—they went 4-3—but considering they were without free-agent signee Carlos Boozer and that they traditionally struggle on the trip (they were 6-20 on the trip over the previous four seasons), it was a positive step.

This year, the circus junket was slated for eight games, an especially intriguing challenge for Rose and the defending East champs. The Bulls would be playing their fifth game of the trip on Monday night in Utah, having already faced Washington, Portland, Phoenix and the Clippers.

Vanessa Bryant Files For Divorce From LA Lakers Star Kobe Bryant » Celeb Gossip Dot Net, Celebrity Pics & Videos, Hollywood News & Entertainment – CelebGossip.net

| | It sounds like Vanessa Bryant has had ENOUGH. After a little over 10 years of marriage, she has filed for divorce from LA Lakers’ star player Kobe Bryant , reportedly because she thinks he’s cheated on her again . A source told TMZ: “She’s been dealing with these incidents for a long time and has been a faithful wife, but she’s finally had enough. This one is the straw that broke the camel’s back.” Another source says Kobe “desperately” wants Vanessa back, but that doesn’t seem likely. To make matters worse (for Kobe): there is NO prenup. Vanessa has requested primary physical custody of their daughters while Kobe gets visitation. They’ve reportedly already determined how to divide their marital property: Vanessa gets the family’s Newport Beach Mansion (Kobe’s already moved out). But while Kobe is worth a lot, it’s not the $400 million some are saying: it’s more like $150 million . Kobe should be able to manage, and Vanessa should be able to do well with half of that . Photos by Juan Rico/FAME & Apega/ WENN.com

Visit site:Vanessa Bryant Files For Divorce From LA Lakers Star Kobe Bryant

zynga stock

Skip to content Manji Line :: Indian Music Modern and Classic Indian Music end header Home Contact Me Favourite Sites end nav The Hzynga stocktory of Indian Music end post-header Indian classical music originated in the most ancient scriptures of Hindu the Vedas. It was influenced quite significantly by Indian folk music as well as the music of Persia. It zynga stock described at length in one of the four Vedas the Samaveda. Indian classical music zynga stock highly elaborate and exquzynga stockitely expressive, and zynga stock by nature monophonic and based upon one melody line. Thzynga stock melody line zynga stock played over a constant drone. Indian music has been taught orally, by tradition. Until the 20th century, it was not taught or transmitted through any other method. The rules and songs themselves were taught from teacher to pupil in face-to-face lessons. In the 17th and 18th centuries, scholars in Europe became interested in Indian music and began searching for a way to record the sound of it, looking for a system already in exzynga stocktence that would be able to express the sounds. The highly complex sounds of Indian music were hard to record in writing, however. Indian music has one of the longest continuous hzynga stocktories of any musical tradition in the world. Classical music in the Indian tradition zynga stock based upon scales and melodies called the ragas, which provides it a solid foundation. While classical music in the Western world tends to be quite set in stone, where notes and performances are concerned, classical music in India allows for a great deal more of improvzynga stockation and personalization by the person performing it. Thzynga stock means that each performance of the same piece might be very different. Indian classical music zynga stock not composed, per se. It evolves over many years centuries, in some cases as performers change and add to a piece. The Hindustani ragas found in north India are often correlated with particular seasons or times of the day, and while there exzynga stockt thousands of ragas, there are six that are considered fundamental Shree, Dipak, Megh, Malkauns, Hindol, and Bhairav. The Carnatic ragas in south India are based upon 72 fundamental ragas. Purandara Dasa zynga stock considered to have been the founder of the Carnatic school in 1494. Thzynga stock type of music zynga stock mainly religious and vocal. It zynga stock also played on different instruments than those used to play Hindustani ragas. Carnatic ragas are played on the sitar, table, tambura, and sarod. Hindustani ragas are typically played on the vina sitar, mridangam drums, and ghatam clay pots. The age of Syama Sastri, Mythuswami Dikshitar, and Tyagaraja around the early to mid 1800s zynga stock considered to have been Carnatic musics golden age. Indian music was largely unheard in the Western world until the 1950s, when Bangladeshi musician Ali Akbar Khan played in a New York concert. After thzynga stock, curiosity surrounding Indian music paired with the hippy phenomenon to become one of the great symbols of the 1960s. Hzynga stock music remained reasonably popular all the way into the mid-90s. One of Ali Akbar Khans fathers students, Ravi Shankar, because quite a star in the world of Indian music. Ravi toured the west in the mid-50s and had friends among some of the most popular pop stars of the era, including the Beatles George Harrzynga stockon in the mid-60s. He experimented with the fusion of Eastern and Western music, using everything from the medium of symphonic orchestra to electric keyboards. Debashzynga stockh Bhattacharya altered the Hawaiian slide guitar in the 1970s with the addition of droning and resonating strings, as well as a high speed picking technique using three fingers. A young sitar player named Nikhil Banerjee was considered a great virtuoso during thzynga stock time, as well as Vilayat Khan and Shahid Parvez being thought to be great vocal stylzynga stockts in Indian music. Hariprasad Chaurasia, a bamboo flute player, and Lakshmiarayana Subramaniam, a violinzynga stockt were considered instrumental masters in the last 70s and throughout the 80s. In the late 1980s, Ilaiyaraaja experimented with a fusion of Indian music and Bach. Indian classical music zynga stock not purely an instrumental art it zynga stock also vocal. The oldest vocal style of Indian music zynga stock called dhrupad, which was considered religious as well as arzynga stocktocratic. A form called khayal began to emerge over a few hundred years as a more romantic style that began as the dhrupad, though it was more accessible to the everyday person. It zynga stock theorized that sitar and table instruments were introduced to complement the khayal style of singing in the 18th century. Before India and Pakzynga stocktan were separated, Amir Khan and Bade Ghulam Ali Khan were some of the greatest vocalzynga stockts in the Hindustani style. end entry end post-box end content end sidebar-image Search Manjiline Search NAVIGATION Contact Me Favourite Sites Blogroll LinkWiz Directory Conservatories Net Comply Link Cruncher end sidebar Copyright 2011 Haribat Manji. All rights reserved. end copyright end wrapper [if IE]>

New home, new start! Britney Spears moving into luxurious $25,000 a month mansion with Jason Trawick and her boys

By Dianne King

Last updated at 7:57 AM on 12th December 2011

Britney Spears has had a difficult few years with her breakdown and well-publicised issues.

But it appears the starlet is turning the corner in her personal life and is ready to make a new start in a gorgeous new home just as she has turned 30 and as her world tour ends.

The Slave 4 U singer is going to be moving into a gorgeous mansion in Thousand Oaks, California – perfect for her boyfriend Jason Trawick and her two young boys.

New start: Britney Spears is reportedly set to move into this luxurious new mansion in Hidden Hills, California at a cost of $25,000 a month

Gorgeous: The luxurious new home comes with many amenities including a large pool

End of an era: Britney wrapped up her Femme Fatal world tour in Puerto Rico last night

But Britney is actually downsizing and moving into a smaller place – albeit in a coveted gated community.

Her current abode is just a stone’s throw away from her new home and is nearly twice the size.

The pop star was leasing a 19,100 square-foot mansion with 10-bedrooms and 13-bathrooms in Hidden Hills.

Support: Britney was joined onstage for her farewell concert by boyfriend Jason Trawick, her two sons and other members of her family

Where the magic happens: The master suite is a delectable room with space galore and a wall of windows and french doors to let lots of light in

Big enough for two: The gorgeous bathroom has a sunken tub where Britney and Jason can have bubble baths and look out to the hills

But her new two-story deluxe house is a little over 10,500 square-feet and has five bedrooms and six-and-a-half bathrooms. Still larger than most people could dream of.

The spacious home has inlaid marble and wood flooring and wrought-iron staircases with exposed-beam ceilings in varous rooms throughout.

Britney’s sons; Sean Preston, six, and five-year-old Jayden James, will not be spoiled for choice for amenities and things to do around the house.

Breathtaking: The loved up pair who are reportedly getting engaged soon can have their morning coffee on the patio that leads off of their bedroom

Great garden: The house is a large 10,500 square feet but is nearly half the size of Britney’s current home

Get together: Britney and her family can gather around the large dining room for family suppers

Sumptuous: The more formal dining room would be for special occasions

Comfy: The living room appears to be very conservative – a far cry from Britney’s raunchy image

The home comes with a large entertainment room, custom theatre, swimming pool and a large back yard for them to run around in.

Jason, who is a Hollywood agent, can get some of his work done in peace in the wood-panelled library and maybe rustle up his famous girlfriend a bite to eat in the chef’s kitchen.

The house actually more resembles a resort than a residence and looks over the nearby golf course and has a huge cabana with outdoor kitchen area that is perfect for entertaining guests.

Many areas: Steps from the two-story home lead down into a waterfall area and a fire pit

Have friends round: The outdoor cabana is right by the pool and perfect for entertaining in the sunny climate

Stocked up: The patio is complete with an outdoor kitchen and grill for making meals

The couple can use the home gym to keep in shape and it would be a pleasure to do so as it has floor to ceiling windows that look over onto an amazing view of the surrounding mountains.

When they retreat to their master bedroom, they will be met by an oversized bedroom with a ton of windows and french doors that lead on to a private patio with gorgeous vistas.

Their en-suite bathroom has a sunken tub that also looks out onto nearby hills.

The whole home is light and airy and a perfect place for Britney to raise her children, and if rumours are to be believed, host an engagement party soon amid reports that Justin will soon be popping the big question.

Peace and quiet: Britney’s boyfriend is a Hollywood agent so the wood-panelled library would be a great place for him to work

Work out: A gym with lots of windows will be the perfect place for the couple to keep fit

The pop superstar hit the stage in San Juan, Puerto Rico last night for her final show on her Femme Fatale tour.

She was joined on stage by Jason, her two sons, sister Jamie Lynn, niece Maddie and mother Lynn for the track I Wanna Go.

Britney said in a recent interview that while she would be happy for her sons to follow in her footsteps career-wise, she would be very protective of them.

She said: ‘I’d definitely keep an eye on them, but if that’s what they wanted to do then I’d let them go after it. I’d just be very protective.

Fun times ahead: The entertainment room has a pool table with a theatre room nearby

Tee-off: The home is in a gated community with a golf course on the grounds

‘I wouldn’t want them to go into it feeling fearful, and also nobody can really prepare you for this industry and what you experience, so I’d just have to trust that they have the instincts to know what’s right and wrong and help guide them along the way. I think I have the experience.’

Britney has been delighting fans all over the world with her Femme Fatale tour over the past six months, and took to her Twitter page after last night’s show to express her upset that the tour is now over.

She tweeted: ‘That’s a wrap! The Femme Fatale tour is officially over ‘

Barry Bonds avoids prison, gets house arrest and probation

Today in sports: Barry Bonds avoids jail time, Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blaine Gabbert looks like a historically bad player, and the NFL is going to upgrade its technology. Former San Francisco Giants outfielder Barry Bonds won't go to jail for

This story is about how the US Attorney's Office in Chicago said now-former Chicago Bears receiver Sam Hurd would likely be processed and released on a $100000 cash bond Friday evening. Many readers reacted by blaming the incident on the sudden wealth

16 (Bloomberg) — Barry Bonds, Major League Baseball's career home-run record holder, was sentenced to two years of probation for obstructing a US probe of steroid use in professional sports. US District Judge Susan Illston in San Francisco also

Barry Bonds, baseball's home run king, will avoid home confinement pending appeal of his felony conviction. Prosecutors deride the sentence as 'a slap on the wrist.' Barry Bonds greets a fan as he leaves federal court in San Francisco after being

Disgraced baseball great Barry Bonds was sentenced to 30 days house arrest and probation today. Basically a slap on the wrist for the juiced up record-breaker.

Revelations From Tim Tebow’s Mic’d Up Sunday

If it’s true that nobody actually KNOWS Tim Tebow, it’s also true that we see in him whatever we want to see. That holds for his public appearances, his interviews, and his play from a bird’s eye television angle. But thanks to NFL Films’s Sound FX, we can get a little closer to Tim Tebow, actual NFL quarterback. Tebow wore a mic during Sunday’s comeback win over the Bears, and it’s an audio ink blot for your own personal Rorschach test. Everyone will take something different, for Tim Tebow contains multitudes.

The religious Tebow? He’s on display. His day begins with a solitary prayer to “put a wall of protection around [him] and [his] teammates,” and a promise to honor God with everything he does on the field. This isn’t out of the ordinary for pro athletes, but how many of them sing a tone-deaf version of “Awesome God” to themselves as they toss the ball around during warm-ups?

But where does piety end and sport begin? During Matt Prater’s tying and winning field goals, Tebow kneels on the sidelines, head down. It is either prayer, or it is the overwhelming stress of competition, or it is both. Multiple times throughout the game, Tebow exhorts his teammates with one word: “Believe.” It is either faith, or it is a motivational technique, or it is both. Absent a definitive answer, you choose your own.

The microphone catches an assured leader and a great teammate. Whether it’s shooting the shit with veteran Lance Briggs about fishing in Florida (the same Briggs who said he’d be “frickin’ pissed” if he lost to Tebow), or joking with Demaryius Thomas that his dropped touchdown just means he now has the chance to catch the game-winner, this is a guy who sounds like he’s been playing football for a decade, not 11 starts.

You can take from this video what you will, but I see a quarterback who can’t do this for long. Not because he’s not good enough or confident enough or lucky enough, but because Tim Tebow simply can’t survive it. Because he scrambles and doesn’t slide, the hits put on him by a salivating defense are wince-inducing. The microphone picks up the crunch and thud of hit after hit, and the grunt as Tebow goes down…and the silence as he has to collect himself and regain his breath to do it all over again. The laws of physics and averages dictate that this man will break ribs before he breaks records, or separate a shoulder before his team separates itself from the rest of the AFC West.

So it’s telling that Tebow doesn’t pray for victory, only for his health. If you were a scrambling quarterback who relied more on brute force than speed or agility, you might reconsider your foxhole atheism too.

Barry Bonds is put on probation in BALCO steroids case

Story by Lance Williams

Barry Bonds, holder of baseball’s career home run record and former San Francisco Giants superstar, was put on probation today for obstructing justice in the BALCO steroids scandal.

U.S. District Judge Susan Illston rejected a plea by federal prosecutors to punish Bonds with a 15-month prison term on his felony conviction for obstruction of justice. She also agreed to postpone imposing the sentence pending appeal.

In April, the former slugger was found guilty of equivocating under oath about his use of banned drugs in 2003 testimony before a federal grand jury. In Bonds’ trial, the jury deadlocked on three perjury charges. Bonds’ lawyers have said they would appeal his conviction.

Bonds declined to speak at the hearing. He listened impassively as the judge read the sentence.

The judge put Bonds on two years’ probation. She ordered 30 days of electronic monitoring and restricted him to his Beverly Hills home for that time. He also was ordered to perform 250 hours of community service with youth programs, and fined $4,000.

“I think the jury got it exactly right,” the judge said of the verdict. “Mr. Bonds did make an effort to obstruct justice here, but he didn’t succeed.” Despite Bonds’ evasive testimony, federal investigators managed to take down the steroid ring centered at the Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative in Burlingame, convicting the drug dealers.

Sports leagues also cracked down on steroid use, she noted, and the nation was educated on the issue of performance enhancing drugs.

“To the extent that was the point” of the BALCO probe, “that point has been has been carried out over and over again,” she said.

Earlier, prosecutor Matt Parrella described Bonds as “unrepentant and unapologetic,” and said he had taken steroids for years, “made a lot of money from it” and lied about what he was doing. He urged the judge to impose a prison term.

The sentencing hearing at federal court in San Francisco brought an anticlimactic end to the federal investigation into steroid-dealing at BALCO.

The drug lab supplied steroids designed to beat state-of-the-art drug tests. More than 30 elite athletes in baseball, Olympic track and field, and NFL football became customers, court records show.

Nationwide, most defendants who are convicted of obstruction of justice in federal court serve some prison time, said New York lawyer Patrick Mullin, a federal sentencing expert.

But in the long-running probe of BALCO, easy sentences have been the rule.

Victor Conte, BALCO’s proprietor and mastermind of the conspiracy to corrupt sports with undetectable steroids, was sentenced to four months in prison via a government plea agreement.

Three other sports figures convicted of lying about their involvement with BALCO drugs – former San Francisco 49ers lineman Dana Stubblefield, elite track coach Trevor Graham and bicycle racer Tammy Thomas – avoided prison.

Greg Anderson, Bonds’ weight trainer and his reputed steroid supplier, served more than a year in prison. But most of that sentence was for contempt of court after Anderson refused to testify about Bonds and drugs.

Grace Woodroofe on FasterLouder.com.au

You’re a 16-year-old girl from Perth and you’ve just decided to be a musician. You upload the first two songs you’ve ever written onto the triple j Unearthed website and tell a couple of friends to check it out. The next thing you know, you’re on the phone to Heath Ledger who says his sister sent him your songs and he loves them. He organises for you to fly to Los Angeles and for Ben Harper to produce your first album. From there, you release your debut album and tour the US with Harper, playing to packed stadiums. New York Times names you as one of the best acts to see in the US.

This is Grace Woodroofe’s reality. Here, she talks about her whirlwind discovery; losing one of her best friends; harmonizing with Ben Harper and her plans to get in Jack White’s face.

How did you learn to sing? By listening. I was always into music, but when I first started listening to blues, when I was about 15-years-old, that’s what first triggered a feeling in me to want to sing and want to express myself in that way. It all turned from there – female artists like Etta James and Nina Simone completely turned my artistic visions upside down.

Did you ever have any formal training? No, I didn’t. I find that I learn so much from listening and I just became so enamored with these women and their stories and felt such a strong connection to it and that’s how I learnt.

You’ve talked about your mature taste in music from a primary school age, such as Bob Dylan, The Beatles and The Beach Boys. Were your parents responsible for that?Yes. My Dad is a music lover and player and I had always grown up with him playing guitar around the house and playing records and stuff. It wasn’t until I was 12 or 13 years-old that I went. “hang on a second, this is actually really cool!” He gave me some Beatles records and I just devoured them and said “give me more, give me more” and that just led onto everything else, like Bob Dylan and The Beach Boys. It’s just a huge spiral once you discover those artists; you just keep going through the decades and that’s how it begun. So my Dad definitely stirred that movement. Do you have a favourite Beatles song?Nowhere Man. It’s a hard decision and it can change all the time, but I think I’ve decided that that’s the song.

Was it an easy transition for you to go from writing and playing for yourself to all of a sudden being in front of an audience? That was a huge leap when I first had to do it. It’s definitely something that gets easier – or something that I get more comfortable with it – but initially it was a huge shock. It’s just something that with more experience I find I can deal with better.

You have an incredible discovery story, can you take me through that?When I was 16-years-old, I first started writing and singing and I put up two demos of the first two songs I’d ever written up on the triple j Unearthed website and sheepishly told a few friends at school to go check it out and one of my friends sent the link onto her brother who happened to be Heath Ledger. He really responded to it and wanted to get involved, because he liked it so much and brought me over to Los Angeles – where I am now. He sent the demos onto Ben Harper and Ben ended up producing my first album and that’s how it all began.

How did it immediately feel to be told that Heath Ledger was into your music? It was very surreal, almost to the point where I didn’t believe it; like I wanted verified proof that it was real. When we finally got on the phone, that’s when I knew no one was playing a trick on me. I remember thinking “wow, now I truly believe anything is possible”, because it’s just such a crazy opportunity and I’m extremely lucky that it happened, because I wouldn’t be here right now if it hadn’t.

How did you find Heath Ledger? One of the things that I remember thinking when I first met him, and we first started hanging out, was that he was so real. Just really grounded and down-to-earth and a complete Aussie boy – he was just such a boy [laughs]. But also immensely talented and passionate for the arts – film, music, photography – he was just so immersed in all of it and that’s what I really respected about him, because I felt the same way.

Your song H was written about Heath Ledger. It’s a deeply moving song and left me with a sense you had a great deal of respect and love for him. How did Heath Ledger’s death affect you? I lost one of my best friends; there’s not really any explanation.

Did it have a large impact on your music career at the time? Yeah, it’s the same with anyone who loses a loved one. Everything in your life takes a step back, but I work hard for him and everything that I do, I do it hoping that he would approve and that he’s guiding me with it.