Saturday night, the 13th of April, something magical is going to happen in Rockford and you can be a witness.
Seven years ago when I interviewed Alonzo Russell for ArtsPlace, I knew he was remarkable. His energy, demeanor, and confidence were palpable. Two years later I was at the Arts Council on a Saturday morning working on a grant and Alonzo showed up. He was intense and anxious and I thought something terrible had happened. Turned out he was having auditions for his own dance troupe and needed more forms. I made copies as he paced and talked about his …
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The Rockford Public Schools has re-instated the Middle School Music Program and hundreds of kids signed up for band and orchestra next year. They need instruments and donations to restore them.
My Bundy Flute has made it through fifteen moves. My parents bought it for me in fourth grade and I once loved it. I taught myself how to play tunes from my favorite television shows and used it for anger management after fights with my brothers.
In Middle School I decided flutes were too plentiful, switched to Bassoon and learned how to play the creepy Alfred Hitchcock theme. Bassoons …
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Depending on the website, March 11-17 was “Illinois Arts in Education Week” (as Mayor Morrissey proclaimed at city council), or the whole month of March is “Illinois Arts in Education Month”, OR nation-wide it’s September. Some states opt for April or May.
Regardless of when it is observed, the message is the same: If we want our children to receive the best education possible, that education has to include the arts. Longitudinal studies conducted by the US Department of Education show statistical evidence of increased academic success by those students who participated in long-term sequential study in one or more …
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I promised I wouldn’t say anything publicly until he did. So for three weeks I have told only a few people…a couple dozen isn’t that many.
Last night on my son’s Facebook page, there was this:
“Honored that my play “The Wind and The Breeze” was selected as the winner of the 2012 Lorraine Hansberry Award. Especially as Lorraine Hansberry is one of the writers I most look up to. Thanks to all the folks who have contributed to this play’s development thus far.”
The Kennedy Center will send out an official press release soon, but for now, this is …
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CulturalDC announced the 25 Finalists for the “2013 Source Festival” full length plays. One of the 25 finalists is Rockford native, Nathan A. Davis. I learned about this because someone posted the press release on his Facebook page. I have not heard of this festival, but a friend who lives in Washington DC tells me this IS a big deal. For those who may not know the connection…Nathan A. Davis is my son.
While I don’t know much about CulturalDC, I know about this play. It’s called “The Wind and the Breeze” and this isn’t the first time it’s earned …
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