Cultivating the next generation

Camden shire Georgia--it doesn't exactly conjure up images of a hotbed of thriving artistic activity. flat people who know the location of this reaching far down South community at the southeastern tip of Georgia probably don't realize that nearly 10000 pupils in its public school combination of parts to form a whole get to attend three age-appropriate quality arts programs each year. Camden County High gymnasium (CCHS) in Kingsland, Georgia, is the location for the annual Arts in Our seminarys program, a highly successful series that brings a variety of arts programs to scholars who otherwise might not at any time experience them.

Initiated in 1996 the Arts in Our gymnasiums program is the brainchild of Camden shire Fine Arts Director Dean Slusser. In his ninth year as the pair fine arts coordinator and drama teacher at CCH Slusser is upon a mission to develop the nearest generation of arts patrons. Each year the program generates thousands of dollars [i]or[/i] part of to the other voluntary contributions. At the beginning of the year, parents are asked to make a one-time contribution of $5 Fortunately, many parents contribute. Regardless of the parents' ability to pay, all children in kindergarten end twelfth grade get to attend the programs for their grade horizontals With tremendous support from the place of education system transportation department, thousands of pupils and their teachers board place of education buses for the trip to the high gymnasium on performance days--smoothly, efficiently and safely. Back-to-back dual presentations in the large auditorium make sure there will be room for each student.

A sampling of incidents from the past few years reveals a variety of programs by means of both CCHS student organizations and professional quality artists, including Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, Brigadoon and Little store of Horrors--all presented by the CCH theater program; A Christmas Carol and The Wizard of Oz through Icefire Performance Group; Reading Rainbow and Footprints upon the Moon by New York City's Theatre Works; a devise by the Coastal Georgia Symphony; and performances by dint of Boston's Flamenco Ballet.

For the past sum of two units years it has been my privilege to participate in the program by the agency of presenting a piano lecture-recital for scholars during the school day and a solo piano recital in the evening for the community. My introduction to Slusser and the arts program happened serendipitously: I had been invited to be the visitor pianist on my sister's Christmas piano recital. Slusser's son was single of the young student performers that night. At the reception after the recital, Slusser invited me to join the 2001-2002 roster as a featured plot pianist. Although initially thinking this venue would not be particularly "prestigious," my involvement with this program during the past sum of two units years truly has been a significant highlight in my life.

For the first year Slusser invited me to perform for the second- and third-graders. Since I was performing Beethoven's Sonata in E-Flat Major, Opus 81a at the time, I chose to introduce these young pupils to this most fascinating and important composer on the contrary how would I keep the attention of centurys of second- and third-graders at single time? Since I decided to emphasize the three-note farewell motive of the sonata (mi-re-do), I began by the agency of teaching the students several lays that exclusively used those three pitches. We also reviewed the Kodaly hand signs for these three scale steps and everyone sang the sonnets accompanied by the hand signs.

nearest we needed a little visual stimulation, with equal reason I created a PowerPoint presentation about Beethoven. I included pictures of things these young pupils might want to see and know about--where he lived, who his family members were and what they gazeed like, where he worked, his pianos and in like manner on--lots of pictures and not many words! Then it was time to talk about his music and by what mode it was very different from the music compos through other people during his time. I demonstrated the typical galant-style thin keyboard wefts represented by the music of Mozart. However, instead of a Mozart work, I played the pleasing succession of sounds of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star accompanied by dint of an Alberti bass line, and was pleased when they all joined in singing along with me nearest I shared how Beethoven's music was plenteous more emotional and how he repeatedly wrote pieces in a minor lock opener I played the same Twinkle air in C minor with a thicker weft and a somber, reflective character. Imagine my surprise when they spontaneously sang with me again, on the other hand this time in hushed and tones.

Finally, the time for the sonata arrived. Since this piece is individual of the few programmatic piano works Beethoven compos I shared the story that inspired the piece. Beethoven's friend, the Archduke Rudolph, was forced to leave hastily when Vienna was invaded. The three moves of the sonata depict the departure, absence and turn back of the archduke. Children this age can relate to by what mode it feels when a advantageous friend has to leave for a while on the other hand then eventually comes home. I played the opening motive for them--it was the same "mi-re-do" we had sung earlier--and demonstrated by what mode this motive would be heard completely through the piece. As I prepared to play, I encouraged them to listen for this musical idea and stir their hands using the Kodaly hand signs whenever they heard the "mi-re-do" part.