Monthly Archives: April 2011
Anna Gaeckle: March
Jacquelyn Lanphear: March
Mary Charles Byers: March
Larkin Dodgen: March
Jamie Marsicano: March
My parents are huge advocates for the arts, and they made sure that my two brothers and I experienced the power of the arts from a young age. Whether we were taking instrumental lessons, watching or acting in performances on stage, or walking through museums (especially the Mint, my dad’s favorite), the three of us had a lot of exposure to the arts.
You can imagine that consequently, I became very interested in the arts as hobbies. I’ve always loved acting, and as I’ve gotten older, visual art has become an import outlet for me as well. But why? What I’ve realized is that art is a way of communicating. It can appeal to any of the senses, depending on the activity, and it can hit deep emotions within both the creator and the viewer. That’s why Playing for Others is such a good thing. As teens involved, we’re guided to take our interests and communicate with the community through our art. That’s how we make effective change. What’s more, with so many different teens and so many different ideas, we can hit those deep emotions everywhere we go.
I guess I owe my parents a thank you. Without them, I wouldn’t know my passions for the arts. Nor would I know Playing for Others. Can you imagine?
Thanks for reading, journey group. Check out some other teens’ blogs if you want to learn about their experiences in Playing for Others!
Yours truly,
Jamie Marsicano.
Daniel Morrice: March
Hello Journey Group!
Needless to say, thanks for taking your time once again to read my blog.
One of the basic principles of PFO is using your passions to create change within the community. A passion that many PFO teens share is one for the arts. Personally I believe art is incredibly powerful. The sound coming from a trumpet, the swirls designed on plaster, or the beautiful movements of a dancer all carry very distinct meanings. They also carry the power to invoke emotion and bring about change. About 3 years ago my grandfather began to develop Alzheimer’s disease. He lost many things from his memory, and now has a hard time recognizing faces. But 3 years ago, while the family was gathered in the dining room listening to my father play the piano, he began to sing. My normally quiet grandfather began to sing along with an old battle tune that he had learned while serving in the army. The simple action of playing music had brought back the memory of song lyrics to my grandfather, who at the time had trouble remembering the names of his grandchildren. It was remarkable. Music, distinctly, I believe can be very powerful. As you may have heard before “music is a universal language”. I’ve never heard something more true. It bonds us together and promotes understanding between people.
A most extraordinary feature of PFO is that it harnesses the arts to change the community. Whether by using music to bond with a child that cannot speak, raising money through a play, or publicizing important issues through your visual creations, art can be used to affect and change things for the better.
PFO is using art in just this way.
Daniel Morrice
Meredith McDonald: March
Hey Journey Group!
Hope you all are doing well! So it’s already March- can you believe it? I know I can’t! I had my last buddy event on Sunday and it was very bittersweet. I am going to miss Eric but I know that this is by no means the end of our relationship! Also ending are the committee meetings. I was part of the Publicity Committee and we worked the entire 8 weeks on promoting our play, “The Pied Piper.” It was so much fun working on it and I got close to everyone. Well as y’all know, when one door closes another opens! The ARTS EXPERIENCE is about to begin! Sadly I am not a part of an experience this year due to calendar conflicts. Even though I am not in an experience, I will attend all of the performances and I absolutely cannot wait! So long till next month journey group!
As always, thanks for your support!
Meredith
Derek Fulton: March
In PFO we had our last buddy event which was sad to me, but there will be more next year! But this month I want to talk about the arts.
I am a musician, this is my main art. I am very excited for the new open house, PFO in NoDa and most importantly the arts experience! I haven’t been able to play much music with PFO except at the first open house and the C.A.S.T. I am extremely excited. For the open house I am going to be part of a string ensemble including viola, violin, cello and me on classical guitar. I’ve already brainstormed some ideas for songs that we could play with that odd arrangement but I believe it will sound good.
Well, hopefully see you at the open house/NoDa!
Until next month.
Derek
Victoria Nebolsin: March
Art is defined on dictionary.com as “the quality, production,
expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles of what is
beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance.” But that
can’t be a real definition, because art is much greater than that
simple sentence. Art is pure human emotion poured onto a canvas, into
words, into musical notes. Art is love, pain, jealousy, regret,
happiness, hope, sorrow, rage. It can wrench your heart and make you
weep, or it can fill each molecule of your body with happiness and
make you soar. How has it affected me? I don’t mean to sound drastic,
but art is the reason why I am living. Without art, I cannot function.
Art shows me the beauty in the simplest of things. People go about
their daily lives, blind to the glory that surrounds us, but art helps
awaken us. Gives us glasses through which to look and see the world’s
workings, inventions, surprises, marvels. I feel more alive when I am
experiencing art. I feel like a human being when I am experiencing
art. We’re surrounding ourselves with money, technology, cars,
expensive gadgets which make us happy, but we forget about the simple
things that can make us happy as well. Art can show us. It unites us,
binds us through the emotions we all experience. It makes me see life
as beautiful, because it is. I was just too worried about other things
to notice. Even pain can be beautiful, if expressed through art. In
fact, living itself is an art. So the next time you feel your life is
mundane, or may just be feeling down in the dumps, slow down, take a
deep breath, pick up a poetry book, go to an art gallery, go to a
concert. Let art envelop you, soak into your pores, travel from your
feet through your spine and into your brain. Forget everything, obey
emotions. Everything is alright, if you’ll just let art show you.
Josh Hyzy: March
In English class yesterday, we were talking about Friedrich Nietzsche and some of his philosophical opinions. One that caught my attention was his idea that art is the only remedy for the inquiring mind’s realization of the fundamental limitation of reason. If one takes the philosophy out of this statement, he is saying that art is the ultimate remedy. This is true for me and every person I know.
Art, to me, is any creative form of self-expression. Expressing the self is probably one of our most fundamental needs, which is why it is so soothing and comforting. When one paints, writes, makes music, or does any other form of art, they experience the joy of creation as well as relief from the letting out of emotions. The arts are both true remedies for any negative feelings and great accompaniments for positive ones.
I have been involved in the arts for the majority of my life. I started playing trumpet in fourth grade, and I’ve learned how to play eight other instruments since then. I’ve also been writing for several years. I even experimented with visual art over winter break, which was something I never thought I’d try. These art forms are more than just hobbies — they’re ways of life and activities that define those who participate in them.
Thanks so much, and be sure to check out some other teens’ blogs!
Gabriella Hunt: March
Hey everybody, I am so very excited for the next couple of months. The Arts Festival Weekend is only about a month away! We are starting rehearsals next week for all the experiences. I’m in the music experience and I’m so stoked to be a part of it. I absolutely love music. It’s been a way for me to release emotions, both good and bad, in a creative way. For me, music brings such relief and an outlet for thinking out of the box and creating new sounds. I love finding incredible music to listen to, and experimenting with my own ability to play by finding ways to improve and improvise. I know it’s cliché, but music is a language that everyone speaks, which I think is super awesome, because even if I don’t speak the same language as another person, I can communicate a message through the sounds that I play. SO, with that being said, I can’t wait to start music experience rehearsals to spark some fresh creativity!
Leah Whitehead: March
So this month’s blog is about art and its role in my life. I wanted to write an ode but also use every letter of the alphabet. As a compromise here is my…
Alphabet Ode to Art
Art.
a Beautiful babbling brook by a bed of begonias
Canvas can create the most calming and caustic effects
Diving deep into the depths and divulging originality
Every brush stroke entertains the eyes
For me it forms a fleeting feeling of freedom
Gingerly gaiting across the mind, it
Heals the hurts and
Ignites the insatiable passion that
SoJourns the judgment of the world.
the Key to kindling the knowledge
Leaving me left with paint lining my nails
Moment by moment, I make meaning from meaningless
Nearing the notion of not knowing
Or organizing the objects to obstruct the ordinary and
Persuade people to pursue their passions
a Quiz of the quintessential
Reveling in creativity reveals the raw reactions of one’s
Soul and sends a startling sensation shooting sideways.
Through art I move the moment
Unveiling the unknown
Visualizing the invisible
While water washes away wishful memories, images are
eXperienced and exhilarating
Yearns to be
…zesty?
In summation, visual art is my passion
Through it I can inspire others to explore
I create art in my own unique fashion
From the realms of non-fiction to the bends of folklore
I hope you enjoyed my alliterations! I can’t wait to share more next month!
Arrivederci Journey Group!
Anna Bickers: March
Hey there Journey Group!
It’s going to be really difficult for me to sum up what the arts mean to me, but I’ll do my best.
I’ve been involved in the arts literally for as long as I can remember. I think it was my mom that got me started with all those Kindermusic classes. Thanks mom! It is true that my family got me started on my passion for the arts. My mom used to make my brother and I sit still for what felt like hours so that she could photograph us with the very same Canon AE-1 film camera that I use today. My grandfather used to sing me half-English half-Polish lullabies at night. When I started in private school, my mom always encouraged me to take art classes, to sing in chorus, and to perform in theater productions. So, I guess it’s thanks to my family that I appreciate the arts as much as I do today.
Nowadays, I’m a singer, a ukulele player, a guitar player, a bit of a piano player, a photographer, and a doodle-drawer supreme. The arts are a crucial part of my every day life. It’s so easy and fulfilling to use art as a form of expression, to show how you feel through music, painting, theater, or whatever it is that you do. There are times when people don’t understand me, when I don’t understand myself, but when I play music or sit down and write about it, or take my camera and go out for a shoot, everything seems to make a bit more sense. The arts, to me, free up the mind, and open so many doors of possibility. Art isn’t just about technique, or pleasing people. To me, it’s all about how you perceive the world. How it’s beautiful, how it’s sad, how it’s raw, and I think it’s amazing that art allows people to do that, in any way they see fit.
Until next month.
Hunter Reavis: March
Hey Journey Group!
In Playing for Others, one of the most exciting parts is the opportunity to be, well…artsy! Expression of creativity is something that I am very passionate about and having the ability to share that with people through PFO amazes me. Whether you paint to release stress, or you sing and dance when no one is watching — art is art. Painting has gotten me through some of the toughest times in my life and also some of the happiest times. To be able to sit down with a blank canvas and produce something that you are proud of just by combining colors in a certain way really allows you to get in touch with yourself and keep you grounded. I like to think that music and art are my canopies of protection. When I am within them, I worry about nothing else.
Thanks so much for your support!
Clara Howell: March
Hello journey group! As many of you know, my family is completely involved in the arts, especially music. I’ve been playing piano since I was in kindergarten and my legs were too short to reach the pedals without help. The arts have always been a central force in my life, and with PFO, I have been able to turn this passion into something productive and beneficial. I’ve expanded my interests in the arts from piano to singing, flute, photography and even a new found interest in collaging! I have used all of these skills at some time or other in PFO. Whether it’s creating pages for a children’s book or improvising a flute solo for the music experience, the arts have allowed me to express myself and reach out to others. The arts help reach out to our buddies. One of my favorite buddy experiences was the music experience, where we got to use the arts as a way to communicate and release the emotions we often felt but couldn’t express otherwise. Being in PFO has not only allowed me to develop my skills, but to use them in a way which benefits both me and others.
Emily Barker: March
Art personally affects me in many ways. I believe one of the most prominent ways is through music. I believe that it does not matter who you are, but some type of music can speak to you. Before I joined PFO, I listened to mostly Broadway music. Now I LOVE Broadway music, but it can be a little overpowering at times. I guess you could say that the majority of people in PFO listen to the same kind of music: artsy bands and artists who are not extremely well known by the public. Before PFO even started for the year, my friend Marina, who I met through PFO, made me a mix cd. My music style was forever changed at that moment. Music helps me when I am stressed. When I listen to it, I do not have to worry about what is going on in my life.
PFO is full of different artistic abilities including visual art, photography, music (instruments and voices), dancing, and theatre. There is a place for all of these talents. There are visual art, music, and theatre experiences. The costume committee designed the costumes for the theatre experience, and the photography committee chose photos to display at the arts festival. There is dance at the open houses and in the theatre experience. PFO is basically a group of artsy kids who get together to make an impact on the world. It is just a marvelous group where I can be my artsy self.
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. Next month I will be talking about the art experiences! I will catch you next time!
Molly Grubbs: March
“I have found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way – things I had no words for.”
~Georgia O’Keeffe
Throughout my life, I have always loved art. I take photography classes at school, and it has grown to be something I really love.
I also enjoy doing different mixed media things, and arts and crafts. But once I joined Playing for Others, it put even more passion behind art for me.
Art is one of the driving forces behind this organization: we are teens that believe change can be created through the power of art. That is a bold statement, and through what we do, we must prove that.
That is why I think the Georgia O’Keeffe quote applies to my life so well. Art can express what we really think and feel. Through visual art, poetry, theatre, music–all of these things speak the truth to me and to like-minded teens in PFO. I think that is the number one reason art is important to me, because it expresses what I sometimes can’t on my own.
Art has provided me with passion, and applying my love of art through PFO has become such an important part of my life.
Thanks for reading Journey group!
Caterina Giammarresi: March
Hello Journey Group!
Art plays a major role in Playing for Others. It is the basis for most
of our buddy events, it is the basis for many strong friendships among
PFO teens, and it is the basis for an integral component of this
organization: the Arts Experiences. PFO’s strong focus on the arts was
one of the things that initially drew me towards it.
Art has been present in my life for as long as I’ve been alive. But it
was not until recently that I discovered how important its presence
really is. It may be difficult to identify on the surface, but I am at a
constant struggle to communicate effectively. I rarely seem to find
the words to accurately represent how I feel and what I am trying to
communicate. Art has this incredible ability to hold a mirror to one’s
soul. Without using any words, I’ve been able to successfully express
myself through my art, so I have begun to use it as a means of
expression. Without the presence of art in my life, I would be trapped
inside of my own mind. So I have art to thank for my growing ability
to communicate and PFO to thank for allowing me yet another
opportunity to express my art.
Thanks for reading,
Caterina Isabella
A Note From Jen
This weekend, PFO will open the 5th show in its history,
For the past several weeks I have watched a cast of 30 come together to not only put on a show, but also learn from each other, laugh with each other and bring a beloved story to life. To say I’m proud of these young people is an understatement. I have always been passionate about theatre, about breathing life into a script. But lately I’m reminded of the magic. It’s magical to watch a kid “get it”. It’s magical to see deep friendships formed. It’s magical to see the costumes and the set for the first time. But more than any of those things, it’s magical to watch the passion of 30 people simply create. Directing a show is such a strange experience. You spend months envisioning, creating and working to articulate what’s in your head to the actors and production team. And even though that’s where the process starts, it’s nowhere near where it ends. These young people are then charged with bringing their ideas, thoughts and talents to the table. It is truly a collaboration, a team and ultimately a family that walks out onto that stage to bring the magic to the audience. I hope this year that everyone who reads this will remember a time when they were swept away by a story, lost in the characters, excited by the plot and moved by the performances. Because what I will remember from this show long after the curtain closes is that every time I laughed during the show, there were tears of pride behind it for these kids. I am so blessed. I hope you come and experience the magic with us. Trust me, it’s a memory that you won’t soon forget.
Hope to see you there,
Jen
P.S. Check out the town crier’s blog (talk about a creative writing exercise)
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Town Crier Blog
Greetings, brethren. As Town Crier, the duty falls upon me to report all of the happenings within Hamelin Town, good and bad. Much has happened over the past few months, but the biggest news by far is of the rat plague. It all began on a Tuesday morning. I was hard at work polishing my bell when suddenly I felt this strange tickle on my leg. I looked down expecting to see Pattycake’s kitten up to her usual antics but instead I saw right before my eyes a rat the size of a small child! At this sight, I jumped back in terror, only to land on another rat. I looked around and saw that the whole room was filled with the squeaking, gnawing and chomping little beasts! Knowing my job, I picked up my bell and ran to the town square to warn the citizens.
Over the next few weeks, the rats practically took over the town. They chewed the flowers, destroyed the school, and ate the baker’s food. Needless to say, the whole town was suffering, and if something weren’t done soon, the rats would have destroyed everything our forefathers worked so hard to build when they established Hamelin Town. In a time like that, the citizens of Hamelin Town needed a strong leader, but sadly, we just had the mayor, and everybody knows that the mayor is a simpleton. It’s his wife who actually runs the town, but she is a greedy and cold-hearted woman. Under their “leadership” we were all told to simply ignore the problem. At that point, when it seemed that all hope was lost, a mysterious man appeared. He called himself the “Pied Piper”, and he promised that he would be able to get rid of every last one of the nibbling pests. Normally, we would never believe such talk, but there was something magical about this man, something that drew us to him. However, his service required a fee, one thousand guilders. At first, the news of this fee made us citizens despair, but then, surprisingly, the mayor offered to pay the fee and even more if the Pied Piper did what he promised. A few hours later, we all witnessed the rats drown in the river, led there by the sound of the Piper’s flute.
In the following days, I was proud to report nothing but good news within Hamelin Town. Now that the rats were dead, everyone wanted to celebrate, and business was booming. It seemed like the good times would never end, that is, until the Piper returned asking for his money. Earlier, blinded by our desire to get rid of the rats we had not realized what a great sum of money he was asking for. Because of the rats we were all very poor, and now that they were gone it just seemed pointless to have to pay so much money. Why pay for a job that has already been done? Unanimously, we agreed that we would not pay even one cent to the Piper. When we told him of our decision, he had this warning for us “I play more than one tune.” At the time, we all laughed at his threat, but I can’t help feeling a certain sense of dread for what’s to come. Perhaps I am only being silly. Nevertheless I will be sure to keep you all informed. Thank you for reading!
Children’s Cast Director – Kaitlin Wightman Ausman
Playing for Others has taught me so much over the years about working with kids and taking on leadership roles, but that did not make attempting to direct children in a musical any less of a challenge. For the first time in PFO history, children who are not a part of the Playing for Others program participated in the show this year. I have had the honor of being the show’s children’s director.
The Pied Piper calls for multiple kids to play the roles of pesky rats in the first act and then charming children in the second. Auditions were held in order to find kids who were able to think on their feet, able to follow directions, and not afraid to act a little crazy. I along with the assistant children’s director, Anna Gaeckle, the choreographer, Emma Foley, the assistant choreographer, Anna Claire Joyner, and the director, Jen, chose eleven kids in grades 4 through 7 to join PFO teens in putting on the Pied Piper.
My job as children’s director has been to block the scenes involving the kids, help run the children’s rehearsals, and basically be in charge of the kids in the cast. I’ve been involved with theatre for a while, and last year I took a directing class, so I wasn’t too worried about filling the role. However, I quickly realized that directing children is a completely different animal than directing teenagers and adults. Children think and respond differently than what I had become used to in working with an older crowd. I had to re-think many of my usual tactics of getting what is needed from actors. I have learned so much in this area by watching Jen. I remember glancing over during the first rehearsal as I was setting the stage to see Jen sitting next to a girl who had seemed particularly shy that day. The next time I looked over the two had their feet pressed together and were giggling like crazy. Soon the entire children’s cast had created a new greeting by lying on their backs and pressing their feet together. Through this seemingly silly action, Jen had managed to make this group of kids who barely knew each other feel comfortable and at ease. This allowed them to then open up on stage and be okay with acting like a silly, food-minded rat.
It has been through these sorts of events that I and the rest of the Production Dream Team (as we so lovingly call ourselves) have really learned how to effectively direct children. The kids have grown so much over the few rehearsals that we’ve had, and I can’t wait for them to showcase all of their and our hard work when the show opens. This has been such a great experience, and I have been honored to act as PFO’s first ever children’s director.
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Spotlight On The Costume Committee
Clothes may not “maketh the man”, as the saying goes, but they sure do maketh the character. And what incredible characters make up the citizens of Hamelin town! The Mayor, the Mayor’s wife, the Town Crier, a Hatter, a Baker, a Flower Shop keeper, and many more… including the Piper, himself, of course! In this year’s musical production, “The Pied Piper”, we can look forward to a fantastic cast of characters, and – it’s only fitting! – an amazing costume design.
This year, the PFO Costume Committee took on the huge task of planning for and designing the costumes for “Pied Piper – The Musical”. The teens researched Medieval and Renaissance costumes, and discussed character traits and how they could be expressed through costume. They learned how to do color renderings, and spent weeks designing costumes, revising their designs, and making necessary edits to accentuate casting choices and accommodate the overall look of the show. They learned how to budget for the costumes they were planning, and even took a trip to Mary Jo’s to learn how to fabric shop for such an extensive design.
Then came the fun part: taking the color renderings and translating them into costumes! With the help of a crew of super sewers, including parents, teens, volunteers, and even a girls’-night-out turned hat-making-party, the vision began to take shape! With strong designs, exquisite fabric choices and an eye for detail, the Costume Committee created a stunning visual complement to the actors’ expressive character interpretations.
Costume Advisor Hope Johnston is thrilled. “This year’s costume committee was a creative powerhouse!” she exclaimed. “I was impressed by their ability to understand the design process and their ability to translate character traits into costume choice. I was equally impressed by their overall sketches and fabric selections. I feel strongly that their design decisions will enhance the audience experience.”
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Spotlight on the Photography Committee
Through the eye of a camera, PFO Photography Committee teens capture the heart of Playing for Others. As Photography Advisor Brandy Winn puts it, while taking photos at PFO Buddy Events, they get to see “the magical moments of connection between teens and their buddies.”
This year, the Photography Committee strove to do a few things differently. To build upon the success of last year’s committee, the teens began by examining what makes a good picture. They studied the market for teen/buddy photographs, and discussed design and layout options. Each week, they selected inspirational photos, submitted design/edit ideas, and searched for the perfect quote to be coupled with each photo. In this way, the pictures became collaborative art projects. The teens also added a new element to the committee’s plans: designing a 3-panelled photography display! This stronger focus, and incorporating more of a teaching emphasis in the committee meetings, supported the teens’ creation of storyboards – or groups of pictures that tell a story – comprised of 3 photos and a quote that ties them together. They also arranged photos of a variety of PFO T-shirts, as a colorful retrospective of PFO, “through the years”. And they created an online display for their heartfelt photo collection, with uniformity of design between the standing display and the online transfer.
“The way the teens worked together was phenomenal,” Brandy mused. “The way they helped each other design their pictures was impressive. They were on the same wave length from the beginning.”
The Photography Committee’s pictures capture the connection, love, and acceptance that is at the heart of PFO. “In these pictures,” Brandy reflects, “you see the lifelong lessons we try to learn and teach every day. The pictures are a beautiful reminder of these lessons!”
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Spotlight On The Publicity Committee
How do you get people curious about “The Pied Piper”? How do you create a little buzz?
PFO’s 10-teen publicity committee considered the story, the traditional way of promoting shows and – true to PFO’s nature – gave it a twist all their own! What better way to publicize this year’s Theatre Experience production, “Pied Piper – The Musical”, than to show Charlotteans doing hard-to-interrupt work, being interrupted by a mysterious piping sound? With PFO’s strong community ties and the generosity of local celebrities, plus a dynamite teaching session with filmmaker Tony Elwood and advice from social media experts – all topped off with a good dose of humor – teens were able to film Mayor Anthony Foxx, local theatre stars Dennis Delamar and Susan Roberts Knowlson, and more. These videos were edited, using a catchy piping tune from the musical’s score, and posted to their own YouTube channel: thepiperiscoming.
Facebook friends “broke” the videos – at first, with no mention of Playing for Others – and then followed a few days later with new videos, explaining the connection to PFO and the production of “Pied Piper – The Musical”, running April 29th – May 8th at Actor’s Theatre. The videos have prompted a social media stir: to date, they’ve received more than 1,100 views, and the Mayor Foxx video was featured on Fox News Charlotte!
“Did YOU hear that?” Don’t worry, you still can!
Visit www.youtube.com and search “thepiperiscoming”, or just click here!
The Publicity Committee teens also learned how to use the intricate software Photoshop to create a hilarious, four-segment version of the musical’s storyline, as it would appear if the characters were all on Facebook. And in “Picture the Piper,” teens designed and distributed an art contest for students in which they were encouraged to draw the Piper as they imagined him to be, or color in (for our younger friends) one of several teen-generated outlines. The Piper is coming!
For tickets to the “Pied Piper – The Musical”, please visit www.playingforothers.org/buy-tickets.
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Maggie Hubacher: March
Hey Journey Group!
Art. That one all-encompasing word, only three letters long, makes everything somehow worthwhile. I am a firm believer that love makes the world go ’round, but I’m pretty sure whatever forces are at play there, art is somehow involved. Art can bridge all gaps. It overcomes language, disabiltiy, race, gender. I think if I can sum up PFO in one sentence, it would be something along the lines of that. The teen-buddy relationship in PFO, and even the relationship among each other, is all connected by art. Whatever our medium may be, visual, music, dance, theatre, it connects us in a way that I don’t believe any of us can understand. The buddies as well, find common ground with us in art. Even if they don’t understand what we’re saying, through our art, there are no misinterpretations.
As far as my own experience with art goes, from the beginning, arts have always played a focal point in my life. Even though this point was originally me running around in a pink tutu, dance especially has provided me a place of solace and self-confidence. This year, visual art has become another little bit of self-discovery I have made. Visual art has always fascinated me, and I can’t wait to begin preparing for the visual art experience next month!
As always,
thank you so much for your support!
Liza Jane Branch: March
Art affects my life in more ways than I can count. I am surrounded by
art everywhere I go. My parents have collected many pieces of art in
our home, and I have posters of famous art pieces in my room. Also, I
take art class every other day at my school. I love art, almost more
than anything else in the world. Art is sometimes my outlet, much like
music. I feel like without world, the earth would be without
creativity. Art is many people’s way of expressing themselves. Art has
taught me to be patient and careful. When I finish an art piece, it’s
like no other feeling in the world. I know that I have created
something really unique. My parents and my sisters encourage me to
keep up with doing art and they support my artwork. Art means a lot to
me, and I really don’t know what I would do without it.
Marina Hoggan: March
Welby Byers: March
Hello journey group!
The arts experience is fast approaching! For most of my life, the arts
have had a powerful impact on my life. For the past seven or eight
years, much of my time has been devoted to music. I enjoy the
classical side of music while playing the oboe and most other genres
while playing my guitar. The arts have acted as an outlet to where I
can just forget about everything that is happening in my life and just
play. There is not a doubt in my mind that I will continue my artistic
pursuits into my college and adult life as the effects are so
beneficial. I’m really excited for upcoming arts experiences and to
spend so much time doing what I love with fantastic friends.
Welby