Young Audiences's blog

On January 4, Young Audiences WNY teaching artists Ringo Brill & Stephen Baczkowski presented a debut performance of Ancient Voices for 6th grade students at Buffalo Public School #95 Waterfront Elementary. The performance was part of a kick-off event for Brill & Baczkowski’s upcoming residency, which is a part of the Young Audiences Network's MetLife Arts for Learning for Life program.  The program, designed for middle school students, deepens students’ engagement with quality arts experiences and utilizes the arts to enhance students’ learning and life skills.

Teacher Chris Stephens told Young Audiences staff that he was “just as excited as the students for each of the workshops” and that he “loves the hands-on creative projects” designed for the residency.

Ancient Voices immerses students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) through music. Throughout the residency, students will build musical instruments (such as a rain stick & didgeridoo) and collaboratively create a musical performance through a problem solving process in order to communicate a theme agreed upon by the class.

This program has been made possible through funding from the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, MetLife Arts for Learning for Life, and New York State Council on the Arts.

Gayle Danley, Soul Portraits: Poetry of the Heart, Mind, and Body

• Date: Tuesday, January 17
• Time: 11 a.m. to Noon
• Location: Ring of Knowledge at the Downtown Central Library, 1 Lafayette Square, Buffalo
• FREE ADMISSION
• CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK
  

Young Audiences of Western New York, in partnership with the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library, will host a midday performance by award-winning slam poet Gayle Danley on January 17 at 11 a.m. at the Downtown Central Library.  Presented in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., admission for this event is free and open to the public.  

Danley is the 1994 National Individual Slam Poet of the Year and 1996 International Slam Poet Champion. As an accomplished performer and educator, she maintains a constant tour of elementary and secondary schools across the East Coast, helping students with traumatic experiences and teaching workshops on slam poetry. In 2006, she was named the Young Audiences National Artist of the Year for her outstanding work in the classroom. Additionally, Danley has published three books: "Naked," "Soulful—A Slam Poetry Study Guide," and "Passionate—Poems You Can Feel."

The January performance, titled Soul Portraits: Poetry of the Heart, Mind, and Body defines Danley’s explosive style – combining movement and emotion as she addresses and explores contemporary issues. “We’ve hosted Gayle before at our annual Arts Abilities Conference for educators, and she has worked with young people at risk and in transition at Compass House and Renaissance Campus for us here in Western New York,” said Young Audiences WNY Executive Director Cynnie Gaasch. “She’s truly inspiring, she brings an audience through every emotion – you will laugh and you will cry.”

While in Western New York this January, Danley is the headliner for Jamestown Community College’s Martin Luther King Day celebration on the 16th, and will perform at Buffalo’s McKinley High School for students on the 17th.

One World Tribe, Afro-Caribbean Music and Dance

• Date: Friday, January 6
• Time: 7:30-9 p.m.
• Location: Auditorium at Albright-Knox Art Gallery, 1285 Elmwood Avenue
• Admission: $5 per family / Free for members of the gallery
• CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK
  

Join us for a dancing, musical feast - an Afro-Beat, Funk, Latin and World Beat Orchestra featuring a myriad of musicians and dancers. Founded in 1994 by Pennsylvania's Kennedy Thompson, One World Tribe is dedicated to bringing together musicians of various backgrounds in order to break down social and racial barriers. With members hailing from Africa, Jamaica and Puerto Rico, the band takes the audience on an urban music voyage from around the world.

Initially covering music by Bob Marley, Santana, Ruben Blades, The Meters, Stevie Wonder and Johnny Klegg, the group quickly developed a fan base in Buffalo, Erie, Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas of Northwestern Pennsylvania and Upstate New York. Original music replaced much of the cover material, as the Tribe's fan base continued to rapidly expand.

Today, One World Tribe continues to tour venues and festivals throughout the region, while also focusing on work in schools. As teaching artists for Young Audiences WNY and roster artists for Pennsylvania Performing Artists on Tour (PennPAT), the group brings world-class musicianship to young people, teaching them authentic World Music styles and demonstrating the acceptance for each other's differences that the group exemplifies.

Individuals interested in learning more about bringing a Young Audiences teaching artist or ensemble to their school, afterschool, or community venue should contact Theresa Woehrel at theresa [at] yawny [dot] org.

About M&T First Fridays at the Gallery: Young Audiences is pleased to partner with the Albright-Knox Art Gallery for M&T First Fridays at the Gallery. On the first Friday of every month—from 10 am to 10 pm— M&T Bank will cover admission to Albright-Knox Art Gallery and present an array of activities and experiences for you to share with your friends and family. Additional information is available at www.mandtfirstfridays.org.

Young Audiences of Western New York and the Erie County Youth Detention Facility have released a mural titled You Can Make a Difference, as part of a collaborative effort that began in the summer of 2011. For the past six months Young Audiences teaching artists Rodney Appleby, Kristen Crosson, and Annette Daniels Taylor have worked with youth at the Detention Facility in visual, performing arts, and poetry with a focus on self expression. Using the theme “You Can Make a Difference,” the experience resulted in self-confidence, positive recognition, and reflection on life experiences and choices made when interacting with peers and authority.

“Our partnership with Young Audiences has been extremely positive for our residents,” stated David Rust, Deputy Commissioner for Youth Services. “It is important for our young people to recognize their creative abilities to write and create art, and that they use these positive outlets as an augmentation to their service plans upon release. We are proud to display the art and written words our residents have created here in the Detention Facility as a constant reminder to our youth to work towards a bright future.”

Youth admitted to Erie County Youth Detention Center are generally between the ages 12-15, and are at risk of academic failure, substance abuse, gang activity, and repeated juvenile delinquency. Research has shown that therapy through the arts is effective in addressing psychological needs of delinquents including, the need for security and tranquility, need for affiliation and affection, expression of depression, religious and spiritual needs, childhood trauma, and more.

This project is the result of 18 months of professional development and planning conducted with support from the New York State Literary Center and the New York State Arts In Correctional Education Network.

Pictured above: Mural created by students of the Hands on Arts residency led by Kristen Crosson at the Erie County Youth Detention Center (2011).

On Thursday, December 22, Community Action Organization of Erie County, Inc. (CAO) will host the 2nd annual Hot Chocolate Showcase, a public reception celebrating 21st Century after school programming at McKinley High School. The event will be hosted at Squeaky Wheel / Buffalo Media Resources from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., and features photographs, videos, and performances by the young artists.

CAO’s 21st Century Program provides students with the opportunity to work with professional teaching artists from CEPA Gallery, Just Buffalo Literary Center, Squeaky Wheel / Buffalo Media Resources, and Young Audiences of Western New York. The program utilizes the arts to enhance students’ learning and life skills, providing the tools for them to become successful, contributing members of their communities.

Throughout Young Audiences WNY’s workshops, students have worked with hip-hop dance artist (B-Boy) Shane Fry, actress Annette Daniels Taylor, spoken word poet Alex Mead and visual artist Kyoko Roszmann. “Students with much talent have to remember that they have a responsibility. McKinley students have a lot of talent and they have to continue to work on their voice because they have something to say,” said Daniels Taylor. “I hope that the community will join us for this event to encourage our youth to continue their work in the arts.”

Admission to the Hot Chocolate Showcase is free and the event is open to the public. Squeaky Wheel / Buffalo Media resources is located at 712 Main Street in Buffalo.

Pictured above: Students at McKinley High School practice with Differential Flavor Crew's Shane Fry during an "Art of Breakdancing" workshop.

We know that arts education is engaging and hands-on. We know that it weaves together educational standards, creativity, and quality arts experiences. But more than ever, arts education plays an important part in creating a level playing field for our children regardless of economic background.

According to Eric Cooper, the president and founder of the National Urban Alliance for Effective Education, arts education gives children from a financially challenged background  the opportunity to share a more level playing field with affluent children, who statistically have more exposure to the arts in their daily lives ("Why Arts Education is Crucial," edutopia.org). As the 2011 Report of the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities argues, there is evidence from regular and longitudinal studies of general education that students who participate in arts programs are 4 times more likely to have high academic achievement, three times more likely to have high attendance, and more likely to be elected to class office. A 2009 longitudinal study that followed students into their twenties reported that "arts-engaged low-income students are more likely than their non-arts-engaged peers to have attended and done well in college, obtained employment with a future, volunteered in their communities and participated in the political process by voting" (Cattrall, 2009).

Arts education creates more level playing fields in education common core standards and character development, but it also provides skill development for future employment. Learning in the arts supports development of 21st Century skills such as team building, resourcefulness, resilience, reciprocity, flexibility, and problem solving, all skills that lead to an increased likelihood of graduation and opportunities for higher learning and/or a successful professional life. According to Champions of Change (2006), "The arts learning experiences…show remarkable consistency with the evolving workplace.  Ideas are what matter, and the ability to generate ideas, to bring ideas to life and to communicate them is what matters in workplace success."

Young Audiences WNY is proud to provide quality arts in education programming to ensure a more equal landscape for the children in our community.

Picture above: Kris Crosson leads a "Hands on Arts" workshop

Pictured above, Young Audiences teaching artist Christy Zucarelli leads a Creative Journaling workshop at Buffalo Public School #39 - Martin Luther King Multicultural Institute. The workshop, made possible through a partniship with Community Action Organization's 21st Century Program, is part of a year long residency for grades 5-8 that features several Young Audiences teaching artists. The residency utilizes the arts to enhance students learning and life skills.

Creative Journaling helps youth to develop communication and coping techniques as students grow to be adults, strengthening abilities in both literacy and  self-expression. Throughout Zucarelli's four workshops, participants used a combination of collage, drawing, and creative-writing techniques to document their daily experiences. No subject matter was too large or too small to be included in the project.

"Some students found the project a bit challenging at first because they had to look at images and choose what best described their interestes, their hobbies and their experiences," said Zucarelli, "but by the end of the series students were so enthusiastic about their journals that they asked to take them home to share with their families and to continue to create entries."

In the spring of 2011, students at Holland Elementary learned that you don’t have to be a dancer to learn to dance.  In fact, they learned far more than you may have thought could come from ballet alone.  As part of a Young Audiences residency led by Configuration Dance, Holland students studied mathematical expression, cultural history, and character education in addition to ballet dance postures, steps and terms.

Contextualizing Ballet from Young Audiences on Vimeo.

Bringing ballet into the classroom provides benefits that stretch beyond the stage.  As teaching artist Kolleen Fischer said, the residency gave students a “sense of not just watching a performance but really seeing what goes into being a dancer on an everyday basis and things that they have to practice”. 

Participating teachers were able to incorporate some of the dance movements in their morning classroom routine to help students relax and focus before learning. Several instructors noted that boys and girls alike found value and enjoyment during their daily dance instruction. “You have to work hard," said one third grader, "but you get to the point that if you work hard enough you will succeed."

Young Audiences was able to partner with LehrerDance and provide a long term residency at Concerned Ecumenical Ministries' Star Kids after school program in the Spring of 2011 with support from the Families of FANA Foundation.  LehrerDance is an energetic and interactive professional dance troupe, but don’t take our word for it. Watch our video, below, to see highlights from the after school program and to hear about this residency’s success from the young people themselves.

LehrerDance at Concerned Exumenical Ministries from Young Audiences on Vimeo.

The LehrerDance residency took place at one of the 21st Century Learning Centers led by CEM. The demographic of CEM’s program is incredibly diverse:  students come from many different countries, and English Language Learning students comprise over 75% of students in the after school program. The cultural diversity of the students and staff requires tolerance and acceptance of differences.  LehrerDance dancers were careful to create a safe space for dancing, where students of all religions and backgrounds could dance safely and appropriately.

The company members of LehrerDance are young, strong professional dancers. With LehrerDance, dance is demystified.  Anyone can dance. Everyday language describes movements, and all students learn they can excel in creative movement.  In this residency, students were involved as both performers and audience members, and this dual role helped them gain confidence in their own performance while simultaneously staying attuned to the accomplishments of others. As one young woman confided that usually “when you do something that you like to do, you never get to tell anybody.” LehrerDance gave her the opportunity to perform skills that she rarely could: instead of telling people about her skills, “you get to show it while you’re dancing.”

The LehrerDance residency spanned 12 weeks, and the students worked with the dancers to create and perform their own original dances.  Researching and choreographing for a dance like this incorporates qualities and skills students need to grow more confident and learn to work together. These skills include communication, critical thinking, problem solving, media literacy, and being collaborative, flexible, and resilient. As one excited dancer said, “It made me feel like I want to dance, and it made me so excited.” Young Audiences is also excited—about our work with LehrerDance, CEM and the Star Kids students!

Young Audiences is excited to once again be planning and expanding our relationship with the Heritage Centers After School Program, which engages youth with moderate to severe development disabilities in learning through the arts. We hope that you will watch the video linked below for some highlights from our 2010-2011 programming, which showcases our outstanding teaching artists Reynold Scott, Tom Holt, John Lombardo, and Jen Russo.

A Rhythm Runs Through It from Young Audiences on Vimeo.

This residency was targeted for students who face physical, mental, cognitive, and/or behavioral challenges.  Throughout the residency, students were introduced to a variety of art forms, so that each could find a form that they respond well to and enjoy. These creative experiences were and continue to be an important emotional and physical outlet for the students. They encourage kinesthetic learning and also give learners—who may not normally be exposed to these art forms—an appreciation of and basic vocabulary in the arts.

In a recent program review, both the staff of Heritage Centers and Young Audiences teaching artists praised the residency’s success, citing that students have increased their communication skills, developed a stronger sense of community amongst their peers, and shown a noticeable decrease in behavioral problems.  This amazing partnership continues to be a resounding success.

About the program:

In the “Whole Note Band,” Reynold Scott was able to teach and motivate students to play all kinds of instruments, from drums to trumpets. His dynamic teaching style, which involves energetic movement and constant engagement, helped students showcase their skills, work together, and feel proud of their accomplishments.

Visual artist Tom Holt helped students create a collective mural that represented their singular and group identity. Students drew pictures of themselves, but they also drew a collective background, representing the colorful and diverse world around them by swirling, bright colors and pictures from their shared, everyday lives.  In addition, John Lombardo brought music into their lives, helping students ‘find their voice’ by teaching them to sing songs from many genres: everything from hip hop to children’s folk songs.  Students sang, clapped, danced, and developed rhythm and coordination.

To cultivate an atmosphere of acceptance and cultural diversity, Jen Russo gave students the opportunity to make Daruma Dolls, traditional Japanese dolls that are a symbol of perserverance and good luck. Students conversed together about what their wishes were and what they hoped their future would look like.  Students started imagining and developing goals for their future success.

For more information on how to integrate arts education into your classroom, after school program, or community facility, contact Young Audiences WNY at 716.881.0917.