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Week 1: Community with Mr. B featuring the Booker T Washington Arts Team

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Week 1: Community with Mr. B featuring the Booker T Washington Arts Team

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For Black History month I wanted to challenge my students. We opened the month with a lesson about spirituals, what code words were, how they were used, and how slaves used these songs to guide them to FREEDOM. We covered lessons about Stevie Wonder, Social Justice Songs, hidden messages in music and deconstruction of lyrics. For our Black History Showcase students from the Choir and Theater departments came together to recreate Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing. Black communities across the country continue to be vulnerable in very unique and unsettling ways. To sing this song is to revive that past but also to recognize, as the lyrics of the song reveal, that there is a hopeful future that might come of it.  Please listen to our song, "Our Voice" featuring singers, rappers and poets from Booker T. Washington Middle School.

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_VidOur Voice_ Booker T Washington BHS (1).mp4

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Use #ltyccreate on socia media to share the work you designed during our sharing season!

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Anthony P. Ballard is a native of Saint Louis, Missouri. He obtained his Bachelor’s in Music Education and Vocal Performance from Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University, under the studios of Richard Tucker and Dr. Ginger Beasley. Anthony began his instructional journey working as a music teacher for Huntsville City Schools and as a private voice teacher at Valley Conservatory.  Mr. Ballard went on to attend The University of North Carolina at Greensboro to complete his Masters of Music, Opera Performance under the studios of Lavon Tobin-Scott, and Dr. Robert Wells. Some of his operatic performance credits include; Tamino in Die Zauberflote; Donald in Gallantry; Alfredo in Die Fledermaus; Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni; Don Curzio in ​Le Nozze di Figaro​. His concert credits include Handel’s  Messiah,​ J.S. Bach’s ​Magnificat​ and ​Cantata BMW 61​, Beethoven's ​Christus am Ölberge Op. 8​, W.A. Mozart’s Missa Brevis, and Schubert’s ​Mass No. 2 in G​.

Anthony has been afforded the opportunity to be affiliated with world-renowned opera companies and orchestras such as The Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Roanoke Opera, Opera Carolina, Portland Opera, Orlando Opera, Orlando Philharmonic, DC Strings, Black Pearl Orchestra, Washington National Opera, and Maryland Lyric Opera. He has also had the esteemed privilege to work in Masterclasses with notable artists, including Marilyn Horne, Angela M. Brown, Susanna Phillips, Renee Flemming, George Shirley, and Denyce Graves.

Currently, he resides in Washington D.C. where he is an educator for Baltimore City Public Schools, private voice teacher, performing artist, a member on the board and planning and development team for The Coalition Of African Americans in the Performing Arts(CAAPA), and on the current roster for the Washington National Opera and Maryland Lyric Opera upcoming seasons.

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mike djembe with many children on stage performing

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Mike at the 2013 Great Rhythm Revival tent photo by Lori Savaree maybe

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mike performing somewhere in ohio or pa 2006 with jim donovan and sogbety diomande

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Me Mike with gongs at Gong Creations Seattle 2019 photo by Kathy Lester

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Tiffany Williams, a native Marylander, is a  Zumba instructor who fell in love with dance at a very young age. She began tap dancing in the kitchen in her church shoes at 3 years old and has been choreographing, performing and teaching dance ever since.

While in college at Morgan State University, Tiffany joined the Morganettes dance team as a freshman where she later served as the captain/choreographer and performed during halftime at home basketball games.

While at Morgan, Tiffany also had the pleasure of dancing backup for local artists such as Paula Campbell and Nature’s Problem at major concerts and events in the Baltimore area. She even shared a stage with Kanye West!

After earning a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Morgan State University, while working a corporate job by day, Tiffany taught dance classes at a dance studio for all ages - preparing her students for dance recitals while building their confidence and keeping them physically fit.

Tiffany, now a wife and mother, loves what she calls the 5 F’s - Faith, Family, Fashion, Fitness, and Frugality.

Her Zumba classes are a mix of African, Latin, Pop, & Caribbean vibes that will get you pumped while getting you physically fit.

Tiffany is currently offering virtual Zumba livestreams on Mondays at 5:30pm and Saturdays at 9:30am. Sign up here: bit.ly/ZumbaLadyTee-InstructorPage

Tiffany's social media handles are as follows:
Instagram @ZumbaLadyTee
Facebook @ZumbaLadyTee
YouTube: bit.ly/ZumbaLadyTee-YouTube

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-What is the earliest positive experience with music that you can remember? Where were you? Who were you with? What was happening?

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Is there an activity from today’s workshop that you would like to do again, on your own or with others? If so, which one? What did you like about the activity?

What are some of the benefits of making music together?

-Did you see or hear “found sounds” someone else was playing that surprised you? What did you like about someone else’s found sound?

-The earliest positive experience that I can remember is when I was in elementary school and I received a solo from my music teacher. An activity I would like to do again is the brain tapping exercise. I find that to be calming and stress relieving. So often, I see instructors and students need a brain break. We push ourselves hard in the virtual space and the lack of connection gets tiring but carving out time to make sounds with one another on screen can be a solution. When we used objects to make music, I liked seeing other members of the group use cups to make music. I also loved seeing Michael play the drums since it reminded me of Spanish songs I listened to as a kid.

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Summer Blake is a self-taught visual artist based in Baltimore, MD.

Through her workshops, Summer invites participants to move toward greater self-awareness. As we become more attentive to our thoughts and emotions, we begin to understand ourselves more clearly. As we deepen our knowledge of who we are, we become more comfortable with ourselves. We aren't afraid to express who we truly are + what we want out of life, and we are passionate about finding our joy. We begin to be capable of things beyond our wildest dreams!

Summer's workshops are aimed at encouraging self-acceptance through the act of self-expression. She sees art as a way to speak the language of the inner self, who often has been silenced.

Visit Summer's website to learn more about her journey, her process, and her art:
SummerBlake.com

Click here to sign up for her mailing list to be notified of future workshops: Summer's Newsletter

Check out Summer on social media: Facebook | Instagram

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Devin McKay is a Improviser, Filmmaker, and Educator born and raised in Baltimore, MD. At a young age, Devin found that he gravitated to the arts above all else, creating short stories, pictures, and even his own movies, manifesting any idea he could think up in his mind. While his parents weren’t artists themselves, he found inspiration in the oddities and mannerisms of their behavior, which not only helped to inspire his storytelling, but also, his style of comedy.

Through his college years, Devin became infatuated with the world of improv. For him, this unique artform was like seeing into the source code of the Matrix. He saw through improv that life is full of imperfections and adjustments. No one is ever truly on the right path or the wrong path, but simply questioning and adjusting along the way. This idea became not only his basis for his performance, but later his improv studies and teachings.

Devin would follow his passion all across America, studying at notable institutions such as the Upright Citizens Brigade in New York City and the Second City Training Center in Chicago. He would also utilize this newfound space to create his own works such as BIG Monsters, an improvised Muppet style musical, and the Black Impact Fundraiser an online improv telethon that helped to raise over $17,000 for charitable organizations during the Covid Crisis of 2020.

Currently, Devin is working as a instructor with the Leaders of Tomorrow, teaching both Theatre and Film. He is also working as a freelance filmmaker around the Baltimore area, recently having worked on such projects as The Maryland Masterclass Series and The Covid Monologues a new research based theatre piece crafted by the Single Carrot Theatre.

Social Handles:

Facebook/Instagram/Twitter: @deeandjello

Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/deeandjello

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devindmckay

Dribbble: https://dribbble.com/devin-mckay

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Tavish Forsyth is queer improviser and educator with New England roots. He is the founder of Bird City Improv and an adjunct faculty member at Johns Hopkins University where he teaches applied improvisation through the Center for Leadership Education. Tavish is a trained actor with two degrees in theatre. He has studied at the Baltimore Improv Group, The Powerhouse Theater, and iO Theatre. He is versed in Long Form Improv, Short Form Theatre Games, Viewpoints Movement, Stanislavsky Technique, Devising, Elizabethan Theatre, Dramatic Writing and Sketch Comedy. Through creating an atmosphere of play, Tavish empowers individuals to listen, adapt, and respond, to cultivate awareness and connectivity, creating theatre that is silly, patient, and honest.

For More Info Please Visit:
www.birdcityimprov.com

Follow Bird City Improv on IG @birdcityimprov.

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Communicate.
Collaborate.

Innovate.

We are a theatre company training communities, individuals, and organizations how to improvise, fostering communication, collaboration and innovation among peers.

Bird City has clipped its wings during the pandemic, but we're happy to visit you online for classes, workshops, and webinars.

Online Classes

Have fun and meet new people with online improv classes. No boring lectures, no cheesy presentations - just a chance to learn, play, and laugh. Classes are open to anyone. All you need is a device with a webcam.

​

Classes are FREE or pay-what-you-can.

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We are a theatre company training communities, individuals, and organizations how to improvise, fostering communication, collaboration and innovation among peers. Bird City has clipped its wings during the pandemic, but we're happy to visit you online for classes, workshops, and webinars. Online Classes Have fun and meet new people with online improv classes.

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Shawn is from a small town called Aberdeen, Maryland, approximately 30 miles north of Baltimore. He moved to Baltimore nearly 5 years ago and immersed himself in the underrated art culture. Shawn worked for Towson University Video Services where he earned his Bachelor's of Science degree in Sports Management. He has always loved working with cameras but didn't own his own camera until he met his girlfriend, now wife in 2014. Shawn's wife saw his passion for photography and gifted him her grandmother's camera who was also a photographer. Shawn met his photography mentor, E Brady Robinson in 2016 in Baltimore. He essentially interned with Robinson, working studio and event assignments between Baltimore and DC. After observing how he needed to operate as a professional and gathering a following on social media, he launched his own photography business, New Levels Photography in 2017. His brand emphasizes challenging yourself, self-growth, taking care of your mental health, getting out of your comfort zone, going above and beyond, living life without fear or limits and being heard.

Shawn has photographed small weddings, engagements, action/sports, events but has recently become more of a landscape photographer and outdoor enthusiast. He has nearly traversed the United States visiting National and State Parks photographing nature in creative ways. Shawn utilizes programs such as Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, Lightleap etc to enhance his photography; his creativity is self-taught.

Check out Shawn's journey and photographs on social media:
IG: @Newlevelsphotographybyshawnb
Facebook: @Newlevelsphotography

His photography can also be seen on his website:
https://newlevelsphotographybyshawnb.passgallery.com/portfolio

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Week 2: Service with Mr, Devin featuring the class of Oakland Mills Interfaith Center

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Week 2: Service with Mr, Devin featuring the class of Oakland Mills Interfaith Center

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A few Wednesdays ago I decided to have my students participate in an event known as 'Play in a Day'. It's exactly as it sounds, students are given a few parameters like 'must include a certain color' or 'must be based around this particular theme' and then left to their own devices to create a completely original play within 24 hours.

Due to our limited time, we shrunk this concept to be 'Play in 4 hours' and instead of making a play, the students were given an existing play and challenged with putting on an entire production in that time limit. Pretty crazy, right?

The kids were in a frenzy! Not only did they have to learn their lines, but they also had to figure out their blocking, costumes, set pieces, and even lighting. What resulted was some very crazy problem solving and the leaders truly shined.

One leader in particular, and the centerpiece of my story of 'Service,' was a kindhearted seventh grader named Levi Santos-Leon.

In the middle of his performance, Levi noticed that one of his scene partners was having a bit of trouble reading their lines on stage. In one of the most selfless acts I've ever seen, Levi came to his rescue, working double duty with his lines and helping his partner interpret his own.

In my mind, Levi represents a true leader. A perfect representation of what Theatre should be about-working together to achieve a common goal. A true act of service.

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Mike Deaton grew up in rural Virginia, where he currently resides. He was raised by two band directors, and played clarinet in school band, but the excitement for making music didn't fully ignite until he discovered West African drum music at age 20, and began playing a hand drum called a djembe. Mike has now spent over two decades performing with groups like The Charlottesville Community Drum Choir and Drum the Ecstatic and has regularly played for many high-energy West African Dance classes, where the drums are used to signal cues to the dancers and drive their movements.

On the surface, Mike loves making music but his real passion involves bringing people together in joyous improvisational music making, and teaching about music as a tool to connect people, overcome stress, facilitate self-expression, and foster human potential.

You’ll also find him using sound to facilitate movement, meditation, writing, visual arts, and well-being by creating soundscapes that integrate singing bowls, drums and percussion, and gong resonance into yoga classes and many other settings. Mike went on to collaborate with many talented musicians, poets, and artists from around the world, and has played to crowds of over 5,000 people. Once, he even had the honor of performing for Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

As a teacher, he has presented at many state and national conferences, visited hundreds of classrooms, created and taught curriculum for the Virginia Dept. of Social Services and the Virginia Alzheimer’s Association, as well as running hands-on music programs at large music festivals like Lock’n and Bonnaroo. He has also taught classes like World Drumming, Music and Wellness, and Creative Music Making as an adjunct instructor at St. Francis University in Pennsylvania. He is an organizer at youth camps like Interfaith Peace Camp at Eastern Mennonite University, James Madison University’s Summer Creativity Camp, and camps for young people who have lost a loved one.

In 2019 Mike and his wife Melissa opened a creative arts center in Dayton, VA called The Growing Space. There they work together to empower others, build community, and create a safer space for healthy expression. The center is currently not operating due to the pandemic but their work continues in online classes, wellness-based live streams, family music programs, and workshops that facilitate creativity and growth.

You can learn more at https://www.facebook.com/thegrowingspacedayton/

and https://www.facebook.com/deatonm/

and www.DeatonArts.com (Coming soon)

For a free library of musical live streams that range from relaxing gong music to high-energy drum-along sessions, visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/DeatonArtsLiveStreams

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mike at a full school assembly with frame drum

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INSTRUCTOR: Unique Robinson

Student Artist: Leilani Littleford

Leilani wrote these poems in two separate classes, and we chose the two most impactful (which was difficult, as every poem she wrote was incredible)! The "Dear World" poem was inspired by our Amanda Gorman discussion, and a prompt called "Use Your Imagi-NATION", where I asked students to create a letter poem from the following questions:

In the poem, address:
-What changes would you like to see in your neighborhood, in your country?
-What is happening that you would like to see more of?
-What would you like to see less of?
-How can you do your part to create this change?
-What do you need to create this change?

The second poem, "Air", was inspired by a discussion of their signs and elements. I asked them to create a persona poem of their specific element, and this is what she came up with!

Leilani Littleford is a 5th grader at Forest Heights Elementary School in Prince Georges County, MD. She loves writing poetry, dancing, and theater.

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Leilani Littleford - "Dear World/Air" Poems

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Unique Robinson is a writer/performer, professor, & proud Baltimore native. She received her MFA in English from Mills College, and a BA in Creative Writing/Black Studies from Hampshire College. She has served in Teaching Artist and administrative roles for nonprofits in Baltimore, and received the Emerging Teaching Artist award from Arts Every Day. She also co-founded blkottonkandy (pron. “black cotton candy”), an arts & wellness initiative, which received the Grit Fund Grant in 2019. She has published two books, flicked/forgotten/FREED, and Four Wings & A Prayer. Currently, she is Humanistic Studies Faculty at MICA, and a Poetry/Theater Teaching Artist with City Schools.

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https://www.blkottonkandy.com/

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...on Instagram!

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Unique Robinson is a writer/performer, professor, & proud Baltimore native. She received her MFA in English from Mills College, and a BA in Creative Writing/Black Studies from Hampshire College. She has served in Teaching Artist and administrative roles for nonprofits in Baltimore, and received the Emerging Teaching Artist award from Arts Every Day in 2017. She also co-founded blkottonkandy (pron. “black cotton candy”), an arts & wellness initiative, which received the Grit Fund Grant in 2019. She has published two books, flicked/forgotten/FREED, and Four Wings & A Prayer. Currently, she is Humanistic Studies Faculty at MICA, and a Poetry/Theater Teaching Artist with K-12 students in Baltimore City, and beyond.

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Week 1: Engagement with Mrs. Byerley, featuring Howard County Schools Students

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Week 1: Engagement with Mrs. Byerley, featuring Howard County Schools Students

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Instructor: Kearsten Byerley

Student Artist: Litzy Lagos

Several weeks ago, we did a project called “No Cap” where students from another class wrote about current events with “no cap,” meaning “no lie.” They were honest, to the point, and shared how they really felt about these current events.

My students then took these poems and used their knowledge of depiction and communication through art to create a painting that shared the poet’s point of view and engaged the audience to see things from their perspective. Just like the poems, the art had to be “no cap” and paint the true colors of how they felt.

Not only was this project engaging for the students, but the goal was also to engage the audience to think about these events in a different light.

“I would consider this piece as ‘engaging’ because if they knew it was by a student, it would be kind of surprising in a way. Students don’t really get their voices heard because we focus more on what adults have to say about these things, but we also have an opinion.”   - Litzy Lagos

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By Litzy Lagos

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Are you inspired to write?! This workshop will explore inspirations in creative writing, poetry, lyrics, and novels! We will discuss what motivates the expression of all forms and how to tap into that creative energy. Writer and teacher Jonathan Iredell will present strategies to turn ideas into projects and write in ways that capture and engage your audience through poetry and music!  Join us on zoom Thursday, April 22 at noon for the Master Artist Workshop with LTYC!

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82413625742?pwd=elRaR0I3cHFJR2dEcElRdFJISDE1dz09

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