Academy Blog – Page 61

Video of Teaching Scholars in Costa Rica

Post author By Matt Geske
Post date September 8, 2017

Our resident videographer extraordinaire Scott Nurmi from Mojo Factory Productions recently completed a well-crafted video showcasing the International Teaching Scholars visit to Costa Rica last May, where select Mason Music students and Academy colleagues worked with teachers and students from the local SiNEM music program.

WATCH THE VIDEO NOW!

Thanks to everyone for your incredible involvement in this program – and we look forward to next year’s visit!

SEE ORIGINAL BLOGPOST ABOUT THIS PROGRAM

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR OUTREACH PROGRAMS

Diversity Family Concert, Sunday, September 24

Post author By Matt Geske
Post date September 6, 2017

The entire family is sure to enjoy this concert celebrating diversity and nature featuring Mason’s Wind Symphony led by Prof. Mark Camphouse. Highlights include narrators from Acting For Young People, a 5th grade guest ‘Maestro’ from Potomac Arts Academy, and the premiere of Mason Grad. Student Composer MJ Halco’s ballet “Together, Triumphant!”

WHAT: Diversity – A Gift of Nature Family Concert
WHEN: Sunday, September 24, 2017 at 3 PM
WHERE: Center for the Arts at Mason in Fairfax See Map
COST: $5 Youth, $10 Adults, $5 Seniors
PARKING: Free parking in Lot K, or $8 in Mason Pond Parking Deck

Presented together by Mason’s School of Music and Potomac Arts Academy, this special Family Concert will include:

Musical performances from the Mason Wind Symphony, conducted by Professor Mark Camphouse (including Camphouse’s original work Yosemite Autumn)
A special guest conducting from Bailey Pavitt-Graff, a 5th Grade music student attending Mason’s Potomac Arts Academy
A special piece titled “We, The People” narrated by young students from Acting For Young People, the Academy’s theater division
The world premiere of “Together, Triumphant”, a collaborative ballet composition by Mason Composition Graduate student MJ Halco which includes select dancers and choreographers from Mason’s School of Dance, visual art scenes from Potomac Arts Academy instructor Nathan Loda, and narrative by Acting For Young People’s Zachary Wilcox.

Let’s all come together to support diversity in our community and enjoy an incredible afternoon of music and the arts!

GET TICKETS THROUGH THE CENTER FOR THE ARTS

School groups – contact Mason’s Potomac Arts Academy for special offers! Call 703-993-9889.

Family Concert Flier

Film & Video

Summer Film Students Produce Their Own Short Films

Post author By Matt Geske
Post date August 22, 2017

Filmmaking Workshop director and Mason graduate Gabrielle Mitchell guided aspiring filmmakers in a two-week intensive, involving everything from script-reading, to film recording, to final editing. Select scripts from the Screenwriting Workshop were chosen, and the students decided which one they wanted to produce and edit. Here are the films!

Each short film was debuted in the Johnson Center Cinema on the big screen. Students range in age from 11 to 18. Credits are at the end of each video. Enjoy! Please keep in mind that due to some mild language content in some videos, you should treat these as PG-13 until reviewed.

Congratulations to all of our Summer 2018 students for a fantastic program and great films!

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR FILM & VIDEO SUMMER PROGRAMS
(Summer 2018 info will be updated January 2018!)

Community Outreach Music

Music Teaching Scholars Assist at Local Elementary School

Post author By Matt Geske
Post date August 22, 2017

The Teaching Scholars program is a a community outreach initiative of the Academy which places select Mason Music students in local schools to help with their band/ orchestra programs. We have placed Teaching Scholars at Woodburn Elementary in Falls Church, VA for several years. The Mason students from last year provided some insights into the program and their experience.

The program ran from early November 2016 until mid-May 2017, equaling about 20 weeks of action for the scholars. Five Mason students were involved, four (two strings and two band) at Woodburn Elementary and one at Potomac Middle School in Dumfries. Donated musical instruments from the Academy’s Instruments in the Attic program were also provided to help give children access to a meaningful music education.

“We are glad to have had the opportunity to teach in a public school prior to student teaching,” stated Teaching Scholars Madeline Espigh and Matt Pazanowski. “We truly enjoyed making music with the Woodburn band kids, and it was a pleasure to work with the Woodburn teachers and staff.”

“Students in the teaching scholars program get a glimpse of what teaching in a public school elementary classroom is like,” said Teresa Amoroso, band director at Woodburn Elementary. “Learning how to interact with 9 to 11 year old musicians is very different than conducting in a [university] lab band.”

“Through this program, I learned how to tailor my teaching to the needs of the students. It has given me new ideas and techniques for string teaching I can use in the future,” explained Teaching Scholar Sophie Hedeen. “I remember reminding one of my students to bend his pinky on his bow hand, and he asked me why. I took this opportunity to teach the class about balance points in the bow and why the bow hold is the way it is. I didn’t follow my lesson plan, but it was one of the most effective and useful things I taught them.”

Music students at in-school service program

Thanks to all of our Teaching Scholars for their hard work and dedication to music education. We look forward to welcoming our next round of Scholars for the 2017-18 Teaching Scholars program!

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE TEACHING SCHOLARS PROGRAM

Art Community Outreach

Art Students Donate Artwork to Fairfax CASA

Post author By Matt Geske
Post date August 21, 2017

At the end of our Spring 2017 semester, students from our Visual Art classes volunteered to donate some of their created artwork to the local organization Fairfax CASA, which advocates for children who find themselves in the court system. The donated pieces of art have been framed and displayed in the Fairfax CASA office, where the children they assist can see them and be inspired.

Emily Rea, Supervisor for Fairfax CASA – which stands for Fairfax Court Appointed Special Advocates – said, “I just wanted to send along photos of the artwork which has finally all been framed! It looks beautiful in our office and we are very thankful. Thank you and the kids again!” She collaborated with staff member Candy Neukam from the Academy office to make the artwork donation possible. And our art students were more than happy to contribute!

Donated student artwork

Fairfax CASA Mission Statement
The mission of Fairfax CASA is to advocate for the best interests of each abused and neglected child referred by the Fairfax County Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court through the promotion and support of quality volunteer representation.
We seek to ensure that each child’s needs are identified and addressed with the goal of living in a safe and permanent home. As permitted by our legislative charter, we also provide assistance to youths entering adulthood who have been referred to the CASA program by the Court, up to the age of 21.

Donated student artwork

The Fairfax Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program was founded in 1989 by a group of community-minded Fairfax County citizens responding to a request for a CASA program from the Fairfax County Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court (Court). Since that time, Fairfax CASA has operated as a 501(c)(3) public charity accepting support from individuals, corporations, and public funds to ensure that children who are victims of abuse and neglect are placed in safe and permanent homes as quickly as possible. This purpose is accomplished by recruiting, training, and supervising community volunteers to serve as special advocates for children whose families have been cited for abuse and neglect by the Court. It is the driving goal of Fairfax CASA to ensure that the best interests of all children referred by a judge are represented before the Court. Since its founding, Fairfax CASA has recruited and trained nearly 1,800 CASA volunteers to provide this critical service to more than 6,700 children who have been referred by the Court.

Donated student artwork