Look up clique in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

In the social sciences, the word "clique" is used to describe a group of 2 to 12 (averaging 5 or 6) “persons who interact with each other more regularly and intensely than others in the same setting.” ^[1] Cliques are distinguished from "crowds" in that their members interact with one another (e.g., hang out together, go shopping, play basketball). Crowds, on the other hand, are defined reputationally. Although the word 'clique' or 'cliquey' is often used in day-to-day conversation to describe relational aggression or snarky, gossipy behavior of groups of socially dominant teenage girls ('queen bees') this is not scientifically accurate. Interacting with cliques is part of normative social development regardless of gender, ethnicity, or “popularity.” Although cliques are most commonly studied during adolescence and middle childhood, they exist in all age groups.

Definition[link]

As children enter adolescence, cultural, biological and cognitive changes cause changes in their daily lives. Adolescents spend far less time with their parents and fill much of that time with both structured and unstructured peer activities.^[2](151) Adolescents spend less time in the direct presence of parents and other adults and the peer network gains force as the primary context for most socialization and activity. These social “cliques” fundamentally influence adolescent life and development.^[2](155-164)^[3] Perhaps because they are perceived as an external threat to parental authority, undesired changes in adolescent behavior are often attributed to cliques.^[4] In these situations, cliques are described as “social grouping[s] of persons that exhibits a great deal of peer pressure on its members and is exclusive, based on superficial differences”.^[1] Researchers, however, question these assumptions: based on empiric data from both experiments and ethnographies they suggest that clique structure characterizes many friendship networks within any given school, not all of which negatively affect adolescents.^[5] A more neutral and scientific definition is “a grouping of persons who interact with each other more regularly and intensely than others in the same setting.”^[1]

More specifically, although they can range from two to twelve people, cliques typically consist of five or six people who are homogeneous in age, gender, race, social status, and socioeconomic background^[2](157).^[1] More subtle determinant of group membership such as shared interests and values take precedence as adolescents develop more sophisticated, abstract cognitive functions (more here), which allow them to categorize individuals in more subtle ways and better interpret social interactions^[2](156). Consistent group identities thus allow individuals to cope with the anonymity and intimidation that often accompany the transition into large secondary schools.^[1][6]

Although similar cliques may re-emerge in adulthood in specific contexts characterized by large, undifferentiated, anonymous crowds, overall, cliques are a transitory social phase^[2][7](159). In general, cliques first form in early adolescence with strict gender segregation, but by middle adolescence, some mixed-gender activities within the peer crowds foster cross-sex close friendships, which begin to restructure the clique.^[8] During late adolescence, the organized clique structure typically dissolves into associated sets of couples, which then remain the primary social unit into and throughout adulthood.^[1]

Clique membership[link]

Common misconceptions[link]

Although the popular media portrays female cliques almost exclusively (see examples in movies, television, and young adult fiction), clique membership is almost equally prevalent in adolescent boys. Girls do, however, tend to form cliques earlier (11 years old as compared to 13 or 14 among boys), which may contribute to the greater popular salience of female cliques.^[1] Additionally, the activities central to most female cliques include gossip and emotional sharing; this behavior visibly increases, revealing female cliques to the outside observer. Male cliques, on the other hand tend to center around activities most of which occurred before the formation of the clique (common examples include basketball and videogames), and thus may draw less attention to the appearance of male cliques. Finally, male cliques may have gone unnoticed because they often appear less exclusive toward the non-clique peer group members.^[1] This last difference may arise because males more frequently reported ambitions related to acceptance and status throughout their crowd, whereas females more often aspired to status and close bonds with only a few peers (i.e. a clique).^[1][9] Males were also more likely to consider actively exclusive behavior unethical, as were younger adolescents^[2] (161). The stereotype of cruel, unwelcoming clique members is well supported in some cases, but other cliques are more open to drifters. Both attitudes appear in some cliques of both sexes and all social groups become more permeable with age.^[10] Similarly, although adolescents tend to associate with others of the same ethnicity and socioeconomic status, clique membership is equally common across ethnicity and economic background. The characteristics of the distinct cliques within each demographic group also vary equally, although members of cliques in one crowd or demographic group may not perceive all of the distinctions in others (see also crowds).^[11]

Forms of association[link]

A number of recent studies confirm that regardless of gender, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status, adolescents tend to fall into one of three categories: group members, liaisons, and isolates.^[2](158)^[1]

1. Group Member: The majority of group members’ social interactions occur within the same small group. They comprise less than half of any given school population at a time, with a higher concentration among girls and younger grades.
2. Liaisons: Liaisons associate with a few members of multiple cliques and are generally regarded positively by their peers.
3. Isolates: Characterized by few, if any, close peer relationships, these individuals do not regularly interact with any clique members. Isolated can be further classified by social agency:
   1. Volunteer status - these isolates deliberately avoid forming relationships
   2. Forced status - Peers actively exclude, mock, or victimize these isolates (see relational aggression and bullying).

Stability over time[link]

Membership type is far more stable over time than membership in an individual clique: isolates generally remain socially disengaged, liaisons remain equally consistent, and “group members” frequently switch from one clique to another, but typically remain group members over time.^[12] The objective cliques themselves remain surprisingly stable as well. On average, cliques lose around one thirds of their members over a given school year, but new members with similar characteristics tend to replace the deserters, maintaining the general identity of the clique.^[12] Clique membership becomes more stable across time, as well as more permeable, less exclusive, and less hierarchical.^[2](161) Contrary to popular belief, individual friendships are far less stable across the school year.^[12] This is particularly true of high-status cliques and individuals, in which clique members must critically analyze their friendships and socialize only with their most popular peers or risk losing membership and status.^[10]

Within clique structure[link]

Popularity[link]

A powerful, yet unstable social hierarchy structures interactions between Group Members in any given clique, always topped by the highest-status member, labeled by psychologists as the “Leader” or “Queen Bee.”^[1][10] In her now famous ethnography of adolescent cliques, ‘’Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends & Other Realities of Adolescence,’’ author Rosalind Wiseman explains the standard set of roles most frequently adopted by male and female clique members.

Females:

• Queen Bee – Leader: rules by “charisma, force, money, looks, will, & manipulation”
• Sidekick – Lieutenant: invariably supports the Queen Bee’s opinions
• Banker – Gossip: collects and employs information for her own gain
• Floater – Similar to a Liaison; closely associated with multiple cliques
• Pleaser – Can be in or out of clique: immediately adopts all of the Queen Bee and Sidekick’s opinions, yet never gains their approval
• Target – Outside of the clique; regularly excluded and humiliated

Males:

• Leader – Like the Queen Bee except well-respected: Athletic, tough, rich, & gets the girls.
• Flunkie – Like the Pleaser, he does anything asked of him, but he also responds to any member. Inadvertently annoys others with his actions regularly.
• Thug – Although often smarter than he lets on, the Thug communicates primarily through nonverbal bullying. He typically appears popular, but may not actually be well-liked or respected.
• The Get Wits – Groupies of male clique: respected by adults as high-achieving “good kids,” but only unsought tagalongs to the clique.

Although too rigid to be entirely accurate across samples, these basic denominations are useful for discussing general behavior and organization within cliques. The role hierarchies within cliques are significantly more stable than the individual members. Maintaining one’s status and power requires constant effort. Queen Bees and Leaders must work the hardest to protect their positions and typically become manipulative and disliked in the process.^[8][10][12] For example, a leader or Queen Bee) may keep objective attention off of him- or herself by unpredictably alternating praise and criticism of other members (see relational aggression). They may also change the way the clique views activities, values, and opinions of things to keep the other members unsure of where they stand in the group.”^[1][10]

The Leader or Queen Bee also maintains power over group membership -- exercised through both tacit and explicit rejection of prospective members -- as well as the final say in accepting new members, regardless of the opinions of other members.^[12] The majority of new memberships results from one of two approaches: invitation or application. The “invitation” approach originates within the clique: a current member of a clique invites a potential member either explicitly or by indirect socialization, which consists of the clique attempting to demonstrate the joys and benefits of membership. Aspiring peers who have not been invited can also “apply” by courting the lowest ranking members and progressing up to the Leader or Queen Bee who will decide whether to accept him or her.^[1][10]

Elements of popularity[link]

Advanced and adaptable social skills are the best predictors of popularity, but further predictors of popularity are difficult to identify, primarily because the schema of “popularity” represents the interaction between two distinct concepts. Popularity breaks down into sociometric status (sometimes called “likability”), which measures peers’ private feelings toward the individual, and perceived popularity, which reflects the individual’s status, prestige, and power.^[1]

Sociometric status is determined by fairly universally valuable characteristics including social skills, friendliness, and sense of humor. The foundations of perceived popularity, on the other hand, vary widely.^[2](171) Some popular adolescents are high in both characteristics, but they more often develop in distinct individuals and cliques, all considered “popular” during adolescence.^[13]

Regardless of popularity type, highly popular individuals influence local norms and behaviors in similar ways: “adolescents are easily swayed by the opinions of high-status peers to endorse activities they might otherwise reject and to run the other way from activities endorsed by low-status peers, even if they secretly enjoy them.”^[9] The popular individuals themselves, however, fare differently depending on the root of their status.^[8] Several recent studies proved the discriminant validity of the two groups and found that perceived popularity in high school is predictive of alcohol use, sexual activity, and smoking.^[1] It may also be associated with a lasting drop in sociometric status. Several recent studies suggest that long-term outcomes are generally more positive for individuals who were neither Isolates nor among the most popular during adolescence.^[2][1][8]

Between Clique Structure[link]

Personal factors[link]

A status hierarchy much like that within individual cliques organizes the various cliques within each peer crowd.^[2](157) The crowds within a given school are also perceived hierarchically. Crowd ranking can sometimes change but is generally quite stable across time and schools.^[2](162) Part of a clique’s popularity status is based on the crowd with which its members associate, thus similarly-popular cliques within the same crowd are more likely to move within the hierarchy than are similar crowds within the larger peer context.^[1]

Both because students meet and seek friends with others who share their interests (“selection”) and because much of clique members time, both free and structured, takes place in the company of the other members (“socialization”), cliques are usually defined by common attitudes and activities.^[14] Among the most powerful determinants of clique membership are orientation toward school, orientation toward teen culture, and involvement in antisocial behavior.^[2](167)

Orientation toward school[link]

Because studying time and partying time conflict, most individuals are rarely exposed to individuals from the opposite end of this spectrum during unstructured time. Membership in the same clique with peers whose values are high distinct is thus uncommon. Individuals with only somewhat different views of school, however, are likely to belong to the same clique, and socialization is likely to decrease their differences over time. For example, girls’ decisions about enrollment in advanced math are significantly related to those of their close friends.^[15] A study of 78 high schools found that even controlling for past achievement, the GPAs of an individual’s close friends reliably help predict grades; in fact “of all the characteristics of friends that influence adolescents’ behavior, their friends’ school performance has the greatest impact, not only on their own academic achievement, but also on their involvement in problem behavior and drug use.”^[5]

Orientation toward teen culture[link]

Similar taste in music and clothing signal others with potentially shared interests and values and often suggest the leisure activities and substance use patterns of which he or she approves. Thus adolescents emulating similar cultural standards are likely to become friends and these friends are likely to encourage these aspects of their attitudes, behaviors, and dress.^[16] Participation in subcultures can also reinforce belonging.^[17] In many cases, clique members can be easily identified based on dress alone.^[12][18][19]

Antisocial activity[link]

For more information, please see Juvenile Delinquency Research does not support the common belief that troubled adolescents have few or no friends.^[2](168) Instead it appears that such individuals gravitate toward one another and form their own cliques, although these friendships do often differ from the friendships of more socially acceptable children.^{[20][21][22][4][23]} This general self-sorting trend applies in different ways to specific kinds of antisocial behavior. A few of the most studied are substance use, aggression, and depressive symptoms.

• Substance use

Similarity in substance use is one of the most powerful factors in clique development and lasting membership, even serving as the earliest predictor of cross-gender friendships and the most common basis for multi-ethnic cliques.^[2](168) Alcohol and drug use are predicted by the interaction between number of substance using friends, the extent of their substance use, and perceived closeness to those friends^[2](170); a substance-free adolescent is thus unlikely to seek out or be accepted by a clique characterized by frequent substance use and even more unlikely to remain substance-free long after entering such clique^[4][24][25] Cliques typically fall into one of four categories and clique membership reliably predicts individual behavior.^[18][26]

• • High Functioning cliques consisted of “a network of high-achieving friends who were involved in school-based extracurricular activities and who reported low use of alcohol and few symptoms of depression.”
  • Maladjusted cliques “showed the opposite pattern”: uninvolved in school performance and organized activities, used alcohol frequently and to excess, and reported multiple symptoms of depression.
  • Disengaged cliques did not encourage engagement “in much of anything, including drinking.”
  • Engaged cliques consisted of friends who “engaged in school, achieved decent grades, and neither abstained from nor abused alcohol.”

Members of High Functioning and Engaged cliques demonstrated the best long-term outcomes, whereas Maladjusted clique membership predicted low achievement, chronic substance abuse, and confrontation with authorities and Disengaged clique members and others who abstained completely typically exhibited abnormally high anxiety and inhibition.^[18][26]

• Aggression

Gravitation toward similar peer groups can be especially dangerous for adolescent with aggressive tendencies. A recent observational study on antisocial, aggressive boys established that clique members tended to live in the same neighborhood, where they met and bonded through unstructured, unsupervised activities.^[22] Because antisocial groups encourage antisocial behavior, aggressive behaviors tend to escalate rapidly within groups of aggressive adolescents. In the case of bullies this effect is so detrimental that those without any friends are actually more likely to improve over time than those with friends^[20] and generally experience better long-term outcomes.^[4][23] In the most extreme cases, these groups may become gangs or practice less organized, but equally dangerous, violent delinquency^[2][17](168)

• Depression

Although these maladjusted, detrimental cliques can develop among adolescents of either gender, those based on aggression and delinquency are more often observed in males. In females, adjustment problems are more often manifested as internalizing problems, rather than the externalizing problems common among their male peers.^[17] Research shows, however, that both internalizing and externalizing behaviors are negatively related to the subjective sense of strong, reliable group belonging, even controlling for adolescent age, gender, ethnicity, family structure, and parents’ educational level.^[17]

Because adolescent females, on average, both report stronger feelings of group belonging and place greater importance on this feeling than do their male peers,^[17] girls who do not feel accepted may be more susceptible than equally excluded boys to forming and conforming to cliques based on shared maladaptive behavior. If so, differences in internalizing or externalizing behaviors of adolescent boys and girls may be magnified during adolescence, contributing to the significant gender differences observed in adult outcomes such as incarceration and mood disorders.^[2](426) For example, the same cycle of selection and socialization known to exacerbate aggression applies to the internalizing behaviors associated with depression.^[6][27] One study on the emergence of depression in adolescence found that even controlling for the effects of age and pubertal development, gender predicted several small but significant differences: (a) depressive symptoms and negative peer relations predicted increasing levels of reassurance-seeking in female subjects; (b) initial levels of reassurance-seeking predicted deteriorating friendship quality among girls and initial levels of depressive symptoms, (which were higher among girls,) predicted low friendship stability among all subjects, and (c) “reassurance-seeking combined with poor peer experiences predicted increases in girls’ depressive symptoms."^[27]

Perhaps related to the role of reassurance-seeking, those who both value and experience social acceptance are far less likely to exhibit problem behavior than those who value group membership equally, but are uncertain of their relationship.^[27] This relationships is better predicted by self-esteem than the actual quality of the relationships, although also directly related to discordance in personal and peer ratings of status.^[6][16] This effect likely arises cyclically: troubled children are rejected by their peers for their undesirable behavior, while rejected children receive less normative socialization and behave more problematically.^[2][27](167-170)

Demographic factors[link]

Although there are exceptions, demographic factors typically influence crowd membership even before real cliques begin to form and often influence clique membership more powerfully than personal or behavioral characteristics. Many of the effects on cliques composition described below may be largely attributed to crowd segregation. For more information, please see crowds.

Age[link]

Because the contemporary school system divides children by age and structures the majority of most adolescents’ time and social exposure, age is the most universal common factor among clique members; notable exceptions include friendships formed in neighborhoods or on the internet and those initiated with early-maturing pubertal girls, all of which are often detrimental to the younger friend.^[2][7][28](164)

Socioeconomic status[link]

Another, less advantageous, powerful determinant of clique formation is socioeconomic class. This trend was first published in the famous “Elmtown’s Youth Study,” which found that “almost never did adolescents from one social class associate with students from a class that was two ranks higher or lower.^[19] A diverse array of follow-up studies have confirmed that class-consciousness steadily increases throughout adolescence, so that by by mid-adolescence clique membership across significantly different social backgrounds is highly anomalous.^[2](165)

Ethnicity[link]

This section applies to the United States. For more broadly applicable information, please see cultural differences in adolescent development.

Race remains an even stronger determinant of friendship than socioeconomic status in the United States.^[11] Like socioeconomic status, ethnicity is not a strong determinant of childhood friendships, but becomes increasingly potent with age. By high school, ethnically mixed cliques are rarely observed.^[2](165) This pattern of social segregation is strongest between black students and all other students and most prevalent in schools where students are divided into academic tracks. This is unsurprising, because various factors disadvantage black children, affecting performance in some cases and adult decisions in others so that in many cases black children are disproportionately likely to be placed in lower tracks, regardless of intelligence or performance^[29] resulting in strikingly uneven distribution between tracks in the majority of American high schools.^[30] Researchers suggest that because close friends in adolescence “usually have similar attitudes toward school, similar educational aspirations, and similar school achievement levels,” early tracking may both decrease exposure to peers of other racial and socioeconomic backgrounds and decrease perceived similarity with the majority of those peers^[5][29][30] Racial divisions are most acute in tracked schools but are fundamental to crowd and clique composition in almost all American schools, and thus cannot be attributed to, nor changed by, any one educational program. More encouragingly, however, longitudinal observations suggest that interventions in early childhood may have the potential to influence social segregation: the more schools foster close cross-racial friendships in childhood the less peer group segregation manifests.^[2][30](167)

Religion[link]

Another well-established factor in clique composition is religious background, affiliation, and participation.^[19] This is somewhat confounded by overlap with socioeconomic status, but also relates to behavioral correlates of religion and selection by both individual and their peers.^[19]

Gender[link]

Gender is perhaps the strongest demographic determinant of clique composition in very early puberty. During childhood and early adolescence sex cleavage (social segregation) between cliques is almost absolute. However, unlike the factors discussed above, gender division is temporary. The effects of changes in gender norms and dynamics will be discussed below.^[2]

The Decline of Cliques[link]

During middle adolescence, the social norms that once enforced sex cleavage shift to encourage mixed-sex socialization. Single-sex cliques begin to seek out the company of opposite-sex cliques, although at first almost all direct interaction remains within the individual cliques despite the presence of the other clique(s). Gradually, intersex relationships and mixed sex cliques develop, closely followed by the first romantic relationships, which typically appear among early-pubertal, high-status, more physically developed adolescents. Over the course of late adolescence romantic relationships replace clique hierarchies as the most potent determinants of social status and networks of dating couples eventually replace more rigidly structured cliques.^[2](159)^[23]

The chronological relationship between changing gender-dynamics and the dissolution of organized, hierarchical cliques is well-established, but not fully understood. One theory asserts that sex cleavage both arises and wanes because cliques are largely sorted by common interests: girls and boys are generally interested in different activities until dating emerges, after which they share a highly-valued activity.^[2](164) This idea is consistent with the direct relationship between pubertal development and the appearance of other-sex friends^[2](165). One possible explanation for this progression argues that children are socialized from childhood to conform to gender roles and during early adolescence cognitive developments promote active self-presentation and anxiety over peer-perceptions; as a result, early adolescents become more consciously aware of both the benefits of conventional gender identity and the threat of ridicule or rejection in response to unorthodox behavior. According to this framework, gender segregation subsides because the same inculcated gender roles that prompt children to distance themselves from anything associated with the opposite sex also encourage adolescents and adults to demonstrate heterosexual desire and sexual/seductive competence.^[7] This argument would explain the drastic shift in the targets of ridicule from those who were too androgynous in middle school to those who can not or do not attract sexual attention in high school. For more on the effects of social enforcement of gender-roles, please see relational aggression, bullying, and gay bullying.

Implications[link]

Perhaps the most consequential finding from the empirical study of adolescent cliques is that they are not an inherently negative force, but rather part of normative development in our society. Although it is certainly true that certain cliques can negatively influence development, others can actually benefit adolescents. In cases in which clique influence is negative, it is encouraging to note that while most forms of interventions are fairly ineffective and peer group interventions frequently produce iatrogenic effects,^[22][31] interventions with parents have yielded encouraging results.^{[3][21][25][32]}

See also[link]

• Adolescence
• Crowds (adolescence)
• Youth subculture
• Relational aggression
• Bullying
• Juvenile delinquency
• Simmelian tie

References[link]

Andreas Vollenweider
Background information
Born	(1953-10-04) 4 October 1953 (age 58) Zürich, Switzerland
Genres	World, Classical, Jazz, New Age
Labels	Edel Records Kin-Kou Music Content Records CBS Records Columbia/CBS Records Sony Classical/SME Records SBK/EMI Records
Website	http://www.vollenweider.com
Notable instruments
Pedal harp

Andreas Vollenweider (born 4 October 1953) is a Swiss musician. His music has been categorized as World Music, Jazz, New Age and even Classical; two of his albums were number 1 on the Billboard charts simultaneously in the categories Classical, Jazz, Pop and Crossover for more than 11 weeks. His primary instrument is an electrically modified harp of his own design, but he also plays a wide variety of instruments from around the world, including the Chinese guzheng. His albums feature many musicians performing his compositions with him, ranging from simple solos to suites for orchestra and soloists. His music is mostly instrumental but he has occasionally forayed into vocal music as well.

His past collaborators include Bobby McFerrin, Carly Simon, Djivan Gasparyan, Eliza Gilkyson, Luciano Pavarotti, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Carlos Núñez, Ray Anderson, and Milton Nascimento.

Politically, Andreas Vollenweider is an outspoken pacifist and follower of the principles of non-violent conflict management of Mohandas Gandhi. On his website^[1] he features quotes from Gandhi (among others), and in an effort to spread awareness of the American war in Iraq, he has also posted a ticker reflecting the current number of casualties in the conflict, both American and Iraqi.

Biography[link]

Early Life and Career[link]

Vollenweider was born on 4 October 1953 in Zürich as the son of Hans Vollenweider, a composer and organist.^[2] Acquainted with many instruments and an autodidact, Andreas Vollenweider discovered the harp in 1975.^[3] This instrument – notably his self-modified electro-acoustic harp, would define the signature sound on all of his music albums. During this time Vollenweider also started composing for film, theater and TV.

Eine Art Suite in XIII Teilen, was his first album, released in Switzerland in 1979. Pieces of this album were performed at a concert at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1981. This first concert preceded the release of Vollenweider's second album, Behind the Garden - Behind the Wall - Under the Tree, which was released worldwide in autumn of the same year.

His next album, Caverna Magica, was released in 1982. The single Pace Verde ("Green Peace") was cut from Caverna Magica and released in 1983 as a tribute to environmental and peace movements. In the same year, he received an Edison Award in Amsterdam, Netherlands,^[3] for the Caverna Magica album.^{[citation needed]}

Mid-1980s and Early 90s[link]

The album White Winds was released in 1984 and was listed in three US charts. A US tour soon followed in 1985, including performances at the Kennedy Center (Washington, DC), New York's Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall, and the Universal Amphitheatre (Los Angeles).^[2] Down To The Moon (1986), his fourth full-length album, received a Grammy Award.^{[citation needed]} Vollenweider toured again in Europe, Japan, Canada and the US, and Australia.

His fifth album, Dancing With The Lion (1989), marked a change in the way Vollenweider produced his music. His previous albums featured a more or less fixed set of musicians, while Dancing With The Lion incorporated numerous guest appearances of musicians from all musical styles. For this album Vollenweider himself directed and produced two music videos, for which he was also heavily involved in writing the storylines, the choreography, and the design of sets and costumes.^[3] The album was followed by Book of Roses, released in 1991, which has a more symphonic sound than can be heard on the previous albums.^[3]

He received a World Music Award in Monaco in 1992^{[citation needed]} and performed at a benefit show for the child victims of the Chernobyl disaster on Moscow's Red Square.

Mid- to Late-90s[link]

The album Eolian Minstrel, released in 1994 marked another change in musical direction for Vollenweider. Previous albums had been largely instrumental, sometimes including wordless solo and chorus lyrics. On Eolian Minstrel most of the songs feature lyrics written by Vollenweider and sung by Carly Simon and Eliza Gilkyson. Although the next album with a heavy focus on vocals would not appear until almost 11 years after the release of Eolian Minstrel, lyrics would remain an important part of Vollenweider's music.^{[citation needed]}

The period of 1994 to 1997 was marked with a series of concerts, notably with Pavarotti and Friends in Modena, Italy, and at remarkable locations, including a concert at 2500 meters in Bruneck in the Southern Alps with Zucchero and in a volcanic cave at the Festival Musica Visual on Lanzarote.^[3]

1998 saw the release of Kryptos, a largely symphonic album featuring guest musicians from all over the world. During the summer of the same year, he worked on his next symphonic project. Wolkenstein, which he calls a "symphonic mind movie", was first performed to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the canton of Zürich in 1998.

The 1999 Cosmopoly is a return to a more "world music" oriented sound and included guest appearances of Carly Simon, pianist Abdullah Ibrahim, singer and poet Milton Nascimento, Bobby McFerrin, duduk player Djivan Gasparyan and trombonist Ray Anderson. A Cosmopoly tour followed, featuring many of the aforementioned musicians appearing as special guests.

2000 and Beyond[link]

Vollenweider's "symphonic novel" Tales of Kira Kutan premiered at the Warsaw Film Music Festival in 2002.^{[citation needed]} In the same year he composed and performed the music for the play Socrates — Dawn of Civilization with Rod Steiger as Socrates.^[4]

From 2002 to the present Vollenweider has been busy with performing his music at various festivals and releasing multiple compilation albums and DVDs. His second major foray into vocal work came with VOX in 2005, featuring Vollenweider himself on most of the vocals. Midnight Clear was released in 2006, followed by his most recent full-length album, A I R, released in 2009.^[2]

Discography[link]

• Eine Art Suite in XIII Teilen (1979)
• Behind the Garden - Behind the Wall - Under the Tree (album) (1981)
• Caverna Magica (1983)
• Pace Verde (single for Greenpeace, 1983)
• White Winds (Seeker's Journey) (1984)
• Down to the Moon (1986)
• Dancing with the Lion (1989)
• Traumgarten (collaboration with his father, organist Hans Vollenweider, 1990)
• The Trilogy (compilation of Behind the Gardens, Caverna Magica, White Winds and Pace Verde, with selections from Eine Art Suite, 1990)
• Book of Roses (1991)
• Eolian Minstrel (1993)
• Andreas Vollenweider & Friends - Live 1982-1994 (1994)
• Kryptos (1997)
• NANS N 50 - 50 (1998)
• Cosmopoly (1999)
• Vox (CD + DVD, 2004)
• The Essential Andreas Vollenweider (compilation, 2005)
• The Storyteller (compilation, 2005)
• Magic Harp (compilation, CD + DVD, 2005)
• The Magical Journeys of Andreas Vollenweider (soundtrack for the DVD The Magical Journeys of Andreas Vollenweider, 2006)
• Midnight Clear (2006, featuring Carly Simon)
• A I R (2009, featuring Xavier Naidoo)

• AVollenweider.jpg
• 
• Macufe4.jpg
• Palermototale.png
• Vollenweider symphonic.jpg

References and footnotes[link]

Samantha Joann Boscarino (born December 26, 1994)^[1][2] is an American actress from Ventura County, California.

Her first notable role was in the film The Clique, produced by Tyra Banks. She also appeared on The Tyra Banks Show with Elizabeth McLaughlin, Ellen Marlow, Sophie Anna Everhard and Bridgit Mendler. Boscarino also had a recurring role in Good Luck Charlie as Skyler, reuniting with Mendler. Her other television credits are JONAS, Parenthood, Wizards of Waverly Place and the film The Perfect Game.

In 2011, she was cast as Molly Garfunkel for the Nickelodeon series How to Rock. The series premiered on February 4, 2012.

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Samantha Boscarino at the Internet Movie Database
• Samantha Boscarino on Twitter

This article relies on references to primary sources or sources affiliated with the subject, rather than references from independent authors and third-party publications. Please add citations from reliable sources. (August 2011)

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (June 2008)

Lisi Harrison (born Elyse E. Gottlieb on July 29 1970s, Toronto, Canada^[3]) is a Canadian-born United States-based author of young adult novels, including the Monster High series.^[4] She is also the author of The Clique series and the Alphas series. ^[5]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Lisi Harrison interview at Teenreads.com
• Lisi Harrison's blog: Lisi Harrison Blah-g

Bridgit Mendler
Mendler in July 2011
Background information
Birth name	Bridgit Claire Mendler
Born	(1992-12-18) December 18, 1992 (age 19) Washington, D.C., United States
Origin	Mill Valley, California, United States
Genres	Pop, pop rock, soul[1]
Occupations	Actress, musician, singer, songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, piano
Years active	2004–present
Labels	Walt Disney (2009–present) Hollywood (2011–present)

Bridgit Claire Mendler (born December 18, 1992) is an American actress, singer, musician and songwriter. She currently stars as Teddy Duncan on the Disney Channel Original Series Good Luck Charlie and starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie Lemonade Mouth. She had a recurring role as Juliet van Heusen on Wizards of Waverly Place and has also appeared in the films Labor Pains, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, The Clique and Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2. She has signed with Hollywood Records, which plans to release her debut studio album in September 2012.She will be releasing her first single of her debut album, "Ready or Not" in June 30, 2012.

Early life[link]

Mendler was born in Washington, D.C. and attended Lafayette Elementary School.^[2] She then moved with her family to the San Francisco area town of Mill Valley at age eight. It was there where she first expressed interest in acting and began working in plays.^[3] She became the youngest performer in the San Francisco Fringe Festival.^[4]

Career[link]

[edit] 2006–10: Early work and Good Luck Charlie

Mendler in 2010

Mendler had a San Francisco agent when she was 11 years old.^[5] When she was thirteen, she began working in the Los Angeles market, landing her first L.A. role in the soap opera General Hospital in 2006. In that same year, she provided the voice of Thorn in the video game, Bone: The Great Cow Race. In 2007, Mendler played the role of Pamela Jones in the film Alice Upside Down and in 2008, Mendler played the role of Kristen Gregory in the film The Clique.

In 2009, she guest starred as Nick Jonas's love interest on the series premiere of Jonas. That same year, she co-starred with Lindsay Lohan in the film Labor Pains. She has also guest-starred in nine episodes of Wizards of Waverly Place as Juliet Van Heusen, a vampire that Justin Russo (David Henrie) falls in love with. In the same year, She was in the film Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel. She starred in the Disney Channel Original Series, Good Luck Charlie, which premiered on April 4, 2010.

In 2010, Mendler's credits as a singer include the theme song for Good Luck Charlie, entitled "Hang in There Baby". She also sang a cover of "When She Loved Me" from Toy Story 2 for the DisneyMania 7 album.^[6] She recorded a song for the Disney film Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue, called "How to Believe". In late 2010, Mendler wrote and performed the song "This Is My Paradise" for the motion picture Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2. It premiered on the Disney Channel on December 19, 2010.^[7]

[edit] 2011–present: Lemonade Mouth and first studio album

In 2011, she starred as Olivia White, the lead role in the Disney Channel Original Movie, Lemonade Mouth. She also starred as Teddy Duncan in the Disney Channel Original Movie, Good Luck Charlie, It's Christmas!. In the same year, she appeared in Disney's Friends for Change Games (where she was the Yellow Team captain), So Random! (where she performed with Lemonade Mouth and participated in sketches), PrankStars and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (where she made a cameo appearance with her Good Luck Charlie co-star Bradley Steven Perry).

Mendler performed songs in the film Lemonade Mouth, in which she played the lead singer in a high school band. Her first single, "Somebody" debuted and peaked at number 89 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and sold 6,000 copies in the first week in the United States according to Nielsen SoundScan. Her second single, "Determinate" peaked at number 51 in US Billboard Hot 100 and charting in 2 more countries. Songs from the film, include "Somebody", "Determinate", and "Livin on a High Wire", were played on Radio Disney. The soundtrack to the film, which heavily features the fictional band with Mendler on lead vocals peaked at number 4 on the US Billboard 200 album chart. In 2011, she co-wrote and sang the Disney's Friends for Change Games anthem called "We Can Change the World". On August 21, 2011, Mendler was presented at The Fair at the PNE in Vancouver, Canada, and sang an original song titled, "Talk to Me". She also sang a duet with Shane Harper two songs "One Step Closer" and "Wait for Me", and performed a cover of the song "Stand by Me" by Ben E. King. Mendler co-wrote and performed the song "I'm Gonna Run to You", which is featured in the film Good Luck Charlie, It's Christmas!. The song was released on iTunes on November 12, 2011.

In 2012, she guest starred in the television series, House.^[8] She provided the voice of Arrietty in The Secret World of Arrietty. Mendler played the role of Shane Harper's girlfriend in the music video, "Rocketship". She sang a song called "Summertime" for the movie, The Secret World of Arrietty. The song was released on February 2, 2012. As of March 31, 2011, Mendler was signed with Hollywood Records, which plans to release her debut studio album in Spring 2012.^[9] Mendler confirmed that her first studio album will be released on June/July 2012.^[10] Mendler will be releasing her first single of her debut album, "Ready or Not" in June 30, 2012. In an interview with Kidzworld about what the song is about, Mendler said: "It’s a fun song about a girl who is feeling like she has been the wallflower her whole life and she wants to go out there and take charge. It has the romantic element of her going for the guy rather than waiting for the world to come to her. I wrote it with some great writers and producers. We wrote most of the album together."^[11]

Filmography[link]

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

• 2012: Hello My Name Is^[12]

Soundtrack[link]

• 2011: Lemonade Mouth

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Bridgit Mendler at the Internet Movie Database
• Bridgit Mendler on Twitter

v t e Bridgit Mendler Discography Filmography Studio albums Hello My Name Is Soundtrack albums Lemonade Mouth Singles "Somebody" "Determinate" "Ready or Not" Featured singles "Breakthrough" Promotional singles "This Is My Paradise" "We Can Change the World" "I'm Gonna Run to You" "Summertime" Filmography Alice Upside Down The Clique Labor Pains Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 Lemonade Mouth Good Luck Charlie, It's Christmas! The Secret World of Arrietty Television Good Luck Charlie Wizards of Waverly Place Related articles Hollywood Records Adam Hicks Category