JANIS IAN, GRAMMY WINNING singer/songwriter, will share her memories and stories of her long, successful career at the Staenberg Family Complex of the JCA at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 10. Marcia Evers Levy, who heads the Jewish Book Festival said, “I’ve been trying to get her here since her memoir came out, but it’s taken this long to find an opening in her touring schedule…busy lady!” Ian’s appearance here is part of the on-going St. Louis Jewish Book Festival. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door but free to Jewish Book Festival Series PLUS ticket holders. Charge tickets by phone at 314-442-3299 or online at www.brownpapertickets.com.

“Society’s Child: My Autobiography” chronicles Ian’s 40 years in the music business. She was catapulted into the spotlight in 1966 at the age of 15 when the soul-wining hit “Society’s Child’ became a hit. In her memoir, she reminisces about doing drugs with Jimi Hendrix, shopping for Grammy clothes with Janis Joplin and singing with Mel Torme.

WENDY MOGEL, an acclaimed clinical psychologist and New York Times best selling author, will speak at the JCC on parenting from her just released book, “The Blessing of a B Minus.” It’s a special event at 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 28 at the Staenberg Family Complex co-sponsored by the JCC and Mary Institute/Country Day School. Mogel will provide advice to parents on raising confident, resilient children and teenagers as well as offer advice on parenting as formed by her faith-based perspective and psychological research. Dr. Mogel’s previous book, The Blessing of a Skinned Knee, spoke to raising confident and self-reliant young children. Immediately following her talk, Mogel will sign her book which will be on sale that evening, or if you own your own copy bring it along and she will sign it for you. Tickets are $10 for individuals or $15 per couple and can be ordered by calling the J ticket office at 314-442-3191or online at www.brownpapertickets.com.

PETER MARTIN, a sensational jazz pianist, producer, arranger and composer, will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 12 at Washington University Music Center, 560 Trinity Avenue. The concert is a benefit for Kid’s Place, Inc, a non-profit after school enrichment program serving at risk children in the University City area.  Kid’s Place provides academic, social and behavioral support to children struggling to overcome an achievement gap.  The program offers individual tutoring and extracurricular activities to develop literacy and civic responsibility.   Tickets at $50 per person include the concert and dessert while patrons donating $100 per ticket are invited to a VIP reception at 6:30 p.m. To make a reservation mail your check by March 7th payable to Kid’s Place, Inc., 6901 Washington Ave., St. Louis Mo. 63130.  Peter Martin, by the way, is a local boy who, when he is not performing, lives in University City.  One of his most recent and prestigious gigs was performing at the White House for President Barack Obama as he welcomed China’s President Hu Gintao to the State dinner.

WES MOORE, Rhodes Scholar and author of “The Other Wes Moore; One Name, Two Fates,” will be the featured speaker at Voices For Children’s annual Be the Difference Benefit on Thursday, April 7.  Moore, who has been featured in People magazine, the New York Times, the Washington Post, CSPAN, MSNBC and “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” will speak about chance, adversity and courage and what we can do to help our youth reach their full potential. Tom and Michele Klein, owners of Windows on Washington, are again underwriting this year’s benefit to be held at their venue at 1601 Washington Avenue.  A cocktail and hors d’oeuvres reception starts at 6:30 p.m. with dinner and the keynote speaker following. There will also be a variety of auction items including trips to Paris and Cabo San Lucas. Individual tickets at $200 each are available at 314-552-2454 or visit www.voices-stl.org. For your information Voices of Children speaks on behalf of abused and neglected children in St. Louis City foster care. Voice’s child advocates identify and expedite needed education, health and mental health services and progress toward a safe, stable, permanent home The result: children are given hope and a voice – the difference starts today and can last a lifetime.

SAVOYARDS, nuts like me who are nuts for Gilbert and Sullivan, should run, not walk, to the Touhill Performing Arts Center ticket office on UMSL’s campus, to buy tickets for “The Mikado.” One of G&S’s all-time satirical operettas, it will be presented by the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players (NYGASP) for one performance only at 8 p.m. Friday night, March 11 at the Anheuser Busch Performance Hall. Founded in 1974, NYGASP has presented more than 2,000 performances of G&S operettas and has performed throughout the United States and Canada. Tickets are $50, $40 and $35  and are available at the aforementioned box office, online at www.touhill.org or by phone at 314-516-4949.