Budding poets at Lovejoy Discovery School #43

Annette Daniels-Taylor worked with second and seventh graders at Lovejoy Discovery School #43 to bring to life Memoirs: Creative Writing, a YA-WNY residency funded by the Coalition of Arts Providers for Children.

Students interviewed their family, and mined their own memories, to write performance pieces based on personal experience. The following poem was created by seventh graders interviewing their parents.

Back in the Day
By Ms. Holzman’s class

Back in the day
People kicked it old school
Black and White TVs
And Boom Boxes were cool
Break dancing in the streets
Bringing booming beats
Big Cell Phones and pin-ball games
Chilling at the movies bringing the fame
Girls were wearing dresses
Men were being sexist
Bamboo gold hang on her ears
Funny outfits making everything weird
Girls walking around with really big hair
Boys on the street would stop and stare
Tagger on the train
Graffiti on the brain
Gas guzzling cars
Making acid rain

Back in the Day

Back in the day
It was truer
And gray
Black and White TVs
Make the people say “Hey!”
They listened to Marvin Gaye
“Let’s Get it On”
On the radio all day
Having house parties
Like Kid and Play
Different kinds of dances
All in your face
Fellas in baggy jeans
Girls with belly rings
Hot summer nights
Tunes on tapes
Boys outside like hairy apes
The only Mohawks that you see
Not on the principal
But on Mr. T!

YA-WNY Teaching Artist Gretchen Sepik brings history to life for grade school students. She recently shared her experiences at one of our rural schools.

Had a wonderful time today at Barker School. Maureen Misiti, fifth grade teacher, had decorated her room to look like the inside of a council house.  She even had a fake fire and subdued lighting to give it the feel of a real council house. One of her guests was a woman from the Seneca nation, Jeanie, who brought corn soup and fry bread for the kids to try.  I taught the children how to say, “thank you” in Seneca so they could thank her when she served them their food. 

— David Ng — Los Angeles Times — July 15, 2008

All the more reason why we need to continue providing young people with the tools to be consumers, makers, and performers of the arts!

Audiences for the arts in the U.S. continue to decline and age at significant rates, according to a report released Monday by the National Endowment for the Arts. But the Internet holds out hope, as more people are going online to experience culture.

Nearly 35% of U.S. adults – or about 78 million people – attended an art museum or an arts performance in 2008, said the report. That’s down from about 40% in 1982, 1992 and 2002. In particular, audiences for classical and jazz concerts have declined by double digits since 1982, the most of all the art forms.

Surprisingly, the largest drop in arts consumption comes from people ages 45 to 54, which has traditionally been the most dependable group of arts participants.

The NEA report said that college-educated Americans – including those with graduate degrees – are cutting back on their arts consumption across all forms. Ballet attendance by this demographic has dropped by 43% since 1982.

TA Melissa Kate's must-see summer performances

Melissa Kate has taught for YA-WNY for about three years, sharing her musical talent with students through performance workshops that refine vocal skills and encourage creative expression.

In addition, Melissa Kate performs Jazz, Blues and R&B as part of the Melissa Kate Project and the George Scott Big Band. Her summer calendar offers a series of don’t-miss free performances in and around Buffalo.

Saturday June 20 - Noon
Albright Knox Art Gallery
The George Scott Big Band plays for the Walk for Community: National Federation for Just Community of WNY.

Saturday June 20 - 5:00pm
Church for the Advent, Delaware Rd. near McKinley Avenue, Kenmore
The George Scott Big Band’s third year supporting its trombonist, Rev. Terry Bull, and his wonderful church. Bring some cash if you want to sample the delicious BBQ. (You will want to.)

Sunday June 21st - 8:00pm
Colored Musicians Club, 145 Broadway, corner of Broadway & Michigan, Buffalo
Father’s day celebration in honor of all dads and our male role models.

Friday July 17th-Noon
at M&T Plaza, Main Street, Buffalo
The George Scott Big Band with Mary Kate O’Connell and a Count Basie revue.

Saturday July 25th - ALL DAY
Queen City Jazz Festival on the whole block between Elm/Michigan on Broadway

Saturday August 1st - 9:00pm-1:00am
Ellicottville Jazz Festival, The Gin Mill, Ellicottville

Kyoko Roszmann’s Biomes Teach Ecology and World Culture
As part of YA-WNY’s Empire State  Partnership with the Holley School District, the third grade students at Holley Elementary School worked with teaching artist Kyoko Roszmann to create murals representing four of the earth’s  biomes, or ecosystems, using traditional origami techniques.  Students made origami animals, plants, and people, which were then arranged on the mural. 

As always, Kyoko’s playful teaching methods educate and entertain simultaneously. The monks on the peaks were inspired by Kyoko’s recent trip to Bhutan, in the Himalaya Mountains, while the men in white and the women in saris represent the people of India. The people clad in plaid depict Americans from the Blue Ridge Mountains.  If you squint, you may even spot Elvis.

June 10th Follow the Sun! Benefit a Huge Success

Supporters of YA-WNY met at Shanghai Red’s on Buffalo’s historic waterfront on June 10th for our Annual Benefit Dinner. As attendees enjoyed the silent auction, dinner, and fellowship, Executive Director Helga MacKinnon introduced and recognized honorees Garry Stone, Robert D’Angelo and Cindy Hanna.

Young Audiences of Western New York has Empire State Partnerships (ESPs) with two rural school districts, putting teaching artists into areas we would not otherwise be able to service. Garry Stone from Holland Central School District, and Robert D’Angelo from Holley Central School District, fully support the arts and recognize the added value YA-WNY teaching artists bring to the students and teachers in their districts.

Maria Hager, Susan Mikula, Cecilia Driscoll, and Principal Jeffrey Mochrie at Holland’s HO Brumsted Elementary School, as well as Karen Quaranto, Principal William Ottman and Director of Instruction Brenda Freida at Holley Central School District, were also recognized.

Our third honoree, Cindy Hanna, uses her deep knowledge of, and love for, dance, to spark the enthusiasm of even the most hesitant young dancer. YA-WNY has been delighted to partner with Cindy for many years.

Third Annual Arts Abilities Conference:
Addressing the Needs of Diverse Learners in and through the Arts

Collaborating with the Art Partners Program at Buffalo State College as well as Starlight Studio, this year’s conference included pre-service college students, educators, human service providers and teaching artists. More than one hundred attendees participated in visual, verbal and musical activities they could then use in their own work to engage diverse learners.

As our attendees told us:

• I was so impressed by the dedication and commitment of all presenters
• Very inspired to continue developing my own programs as well as moving on with more exploration into the field
• This conference is so affirming, informative, and very inspiring
• Great price, amazing presenters. I feel refreshed and connected!
• This was an excellent tool for professional development

The conference focused on the theory and practice of differentiating instruction to meet the range of learning differences found in today’s classrooms, community centers, clinics, after school programs and other settings where the arts are taught.

With support from the Buffalo Teachers Center, YA-WNY has provided Journeys and Journals: Traveling on the Erie Canal and the Phonics Program: Alphabet Awareness in Buffalo Schools for many years.  These long-term residencies were offered in 98 Buffalo Public School classrooms during the 2008-2009 school year.

Journeys and Journals: A Trip Down the Erie Canal

This residency invites students to take a personal journey down the Erie Canal by speaking through the voices of the era.  A YA-WNY poet/writer encourages students to express themselves through different literary exercises using vintage maps, photographs, drawings, and imaginative prompts.  The poet/writer can incorporate concepts that the classroom teacher would like to focus on.  Students learn to write in character, helping them develop a sense of narrative and delve more deeply into the details of daily life in a small town from the past. Over several workshops, the students create interrelated narratives involving multiple culturally and ethnically diverse characters.

The Phonics Program: Alphabet Awareness

This innovative program, created by Jerry Raven, Cindy Hanna and Marna Burstein, uses multiple stimuli to teach phonics to pre-Kindergarten through first grade students. Using songs, dances, signing and visual arts, each consonant or vowel is attached to a variety of activities which establish and reinforce the connection of the letter to its corresponding sounds. The Phonics Program addresses the needs of students who struggle with the traditional approach to reading, by acknowledging that not all students learn in the same way, or at the same rate. The Residency culminates in a celebratory performance by all participating students.

Holland Elementary School Partnership

This slideshow shows the students at Holland’s H.O. Brumsted Elementary participating in long-term arts residencies offered with support, in part from the New York State Council on the Arts through an Empire State Partnership with young Audiences of Western New York.

Images include 1st Graders working on “Community Quilts” with teaching artist Cynnie Gaasch, and Kindergarteners working with teaching artist Maggie Parks on a recycling and the environment visual arts project.

Holley Central School Partnership

This slideshow highlights the partnership between Holley Central Schools and Young Audiences of Western New York. Young Audiences provides arts-in-education programming to every student in the Holley School District. This is made possible by support secured by the school district, and funding secured by Young Audiences from the New York State Council on the Arts and the MetLife Dance for Life program.

Featured in this slideshow are 11th graders working with dancer Kip Ralabate, Elementary school students working with dancer Elizabeth Clark, Middle School students Square Dancing with Mike Callahan, 8th graders working with poet Robin Brox, and 5th graders working on memoirs and pop up memory books with teaching artists Sherry Robbins and Kyoko Roszman,