Article front page of the Santa Barbara News Press on EZ/MUZIK a new Patented method of music notation.

1. �
USC DESTROYS NOTRE DAME 38-3, CLINCHES SHARE OF PAC-10 TITLE / SPORTS
OUR 153RD YEAR $1.50
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2008
METHOD MAN Suspects wanted
in 3 S.B. robbery
attempts
By MARCI WORMSER
NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
In the wake of a third robbery attempt in two nights
involving a man with a knife, police in Santa Barbara say
they are considering whether the incidents are the work
of a “ring.”
 
The latest took place about 8 p.m. Saturday at a
    Goodwill thrift shop in the 300 block of West Carrillo
Street. The suspect is described as Latino, 30 to 40 years
Burn victim old, about 5-foot-7, with a medium build and pock-
marked face.
The man, who was wearing a brown polo shirt and blue
injuries jeans, brandished a steak knife during the robbery, said
Sgt. Gary Wolfe of the Santa Barbara Police Department.
Information on whether the suspect took any cash, or
worse than the amount, was not immediately available.
Sgt. Wolfe said it was not known if the incident was
connected to two robberies Friday night, but authorities
thought are considering the possibility that a robbery ring may be
at work.
The first of two robberies Friday took place at about
  7 p.m. A man described as being in his 30s threatened a
cashier at Rite Aid in the 800 block of State Street with a
  4-inch knife and took off with about $500, according to Sgt.
John Corre of the Santa Barbara Police Department. The
  robber was wearing a blue-gray short-sleeved shirt, blue
jeans, dark sunglasses and a white cap.
   The second robbery took place at about 9:30 p.m. A man
described as being in his mid-20s went into the manager’s
  office at Petco in the 3900 block of State Street while she
was counting receipts from the day’s transactions and
threatened her with a 6-inch knife, Sgt. Corre said. The
By SCOTT STEEPLETON
store was closed at the time.
NEWS-PRESS ASSOCIATE EDITOR
“The suspect must have hidden in the store before
closing,” said Sgt. Corre.
The grandfather of a Tea Fire
The robber stole money from the manager’s office and
burn victim said this past week
then forced her to open the store safe while holding a
proved to be one of not-so-good
knife to her throat, Sgt. Corre said.
news for the family.
The robber, who was wearing orange goggles with
Initial reports that Lance Hoff-
black rims, a black ski jacket and black gloves, made off
man’s lungs were spared when he
with $4,248 in cash, the sergeant said.
and his wife, Carla, escaped early
While robbing the store, the man yelled a tirade of
from the blaze proved incorrect,
racial epithets to a second store employee, who is black,
said James Mills, of Santa Barbara.
Sgt. Corre said.
“Lance’s lungs got scorched,” he
As the manager and the employee let the robber out of
told the News-Press. “They’ll have
the store, the man continued to yell racial epithets at the
to keep him sedated for the next
black employee and then punched him in the face, said
Sgt. Corre.
Please see VICTIM on A8
Details on the employee’s injuries, if any, were not
available.
    
Because the basic description of the man in both
                
robberies is similar and both stores were robbed at
Fear knifepoint, police officials say the crimes may have been
      committed by the same man.
“It’s a big coincidence otherwise,” said Sgt. Corre. “He
      
discouraging had the same M.O.”
Authorities say the man may have changed clothes
Arizonans after robbing Rite Aid. Police will be reviewing video
play music.
By REBECCA MOODY
surveillance tapes from Rite Aid and from local Big 5
Sitting at the grand piano in his
NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT
stores to see if a customer matching the man’s description
living room, Mr. Maiani, a classi-
from visiting purchased apparel there.
cally trained stage performer who
It’s been said that Polish com-
The man could face robbery charges along with kid-
has been teaching piano for 18
poser Frederick Chopin was a
napping charges for forcing the Petco store manager to
Mexico
years, explained the evolution of his
complete original. He wouldn’t
walk to the back of the store and open the safe. He may
idea. “I invented EZ/Muzik because
enter a room with his left foot,
also face battery charges for punching the employee in
my students were frustrated by
couldn’t sleep unless his bedside
the face, said Sgt. Corre.
traditional notation. They clearly
slippers were properly aligned and
By ARTHUR H. ROTSTEIN loved music and loved to play, but
once wrote a waltz for a dog. While
ASSOCIATED PRESS
the regular way was too difficult for
composing, he did his own thing,
many. I had some of the smartest
neither poaching notes nor style
NOGALES, Ariz. — A spate of
Parents to toy companies:
students a teacher could ask for, but
from anyone.
drug-related killings the past few every one of them hated reading
Patrik “Piano” Maiani, a
months in Nogales, Mexico, is music.”
Montecito-based musician, who
Stop targeting our kids
keeping some residents in its U.S. “One day, I asked one of my
studied classical piano with Irma
sister city from crossing the border brightest, a prize math student at his
Star, a third-generation student of
as they have long been accustomed
   
high school, why he wasn’t excelling
Chopin, inherited this originality
to doing. in this area. He said, ‘I don’t relate
gene (though fortunately only the
Even lifelong residents of the
   
to the reading of the notes.’ “
part that relates to music).
area are refusing to cross the line to This wasn’t the first student to
Mr. Maiani is a modern-day
see relatives or friends. Others are

wonder why there isn’t an easier
musical entrepreneur who has
going less frequently or restricting way.
invented an entirely new notation
themselves to daytime visits. It’s a system. EZ/Muzik, his creation,
dramatic change for what have Please see PIANO on A10 By DAVID CRARY
looks nothing like standard sheet
long been close-knit communities. music as there are no notes, staff ASSOCIATED PRESS
Shopkeeper Ernesto Chavez lines or bars; just an easy-to-read,
YOU SHOULD KNOW
said his wife no longer goes bowling NEW YORK — In a season that inspires earnest letters
straight line of letters and a few
or has lunch on Tuesdays with her about toys, one notable batch is being sent not by kids to
symbols.
sisters on the other side, a 40-year “Seven Songs You Should Know Santa’s workshop but by parents to the executive suites
Or, as the patent states, the
tradition. How to Play,” a book recently written of real-world toy makers.
method aids in the learning of tra-
Mr. Chavez, whose office supply by Patrik “Piano” Maiani is available in The message: Please, in these days of economic angst,
ditional sheet music “by providing
store sits a half-block north of the several local bookstores and on cut back on marketing your products directly to our
an intermediary, more simplified
Morley Avenue border crossing, Amazon.com. “It would make an children.
system of musical notation.”
       excellent holiday gift,” he said. “And,
With the Maiani method, he says,
it’s red.”
        
Please see BORDER on A8 Please see TOYS on A11
if you can read the alphabet, you can
SUNDAY
NATION & WORLD / B1 LIFE / D1
STRONG SHOWING REINDEERGAMES
VOICES / G1
   
BILL KOONCE OF SANTA BARBARA
   
QUESTIONS WHAT CAN BE DONE TO ALTER   
THE DESTRUCTIVE TREND OF WORSENING     
FIRE SEASONS    
INSIDE OUTSIDE SPECIAL ON SUNDAY
Books . . . . . . . D4-5 Crossword . . . . . D8 Lottery . . . . . . . . A2 Sports . . . . . . . C1-6  Books:            D4
 
Business . . . . . F1-4 Dear Abby . . . . . D8 Movies . . . . . . . . D6 Travel . . . . . D12-13 Business:              F1
 
   
California . . . . A6-7 Life . . . . . . . . D1-14 Nation/World . B1-6 Voices . . . . . . . G1-4 Travel:          D12
� Classified . . . J1-12 Local . . . . . . . . A2-5 Obituaries . . . . . B2 Weather . . . . . . . B6   B6
66833 00150
6 0