555 Gallery Exhibition @ DSA

May 21, 2013 By Leave a Comment

555-Gallery-at-Detroit-School-of-Arts

It’s not just chemistry. It’s generous parts of inspiration, collaboration and guidance. Discover the amazing results when professional artists from 555 Gallery work with Detroit School of Art students. The process is like a chemical catalyst, accelerating creative works of genius.

The 555 Gallery Exhibition at Detroit School of Arts is on exhibit May 1 through May 31, 2013. There will be a Closing Reception Wednesday May 29 from 5-6:30 at the DSA. The Detroit School of Arts is located at 123 Selden Street, Detroit, MI, 48201.

Details from DSA:

During the month of May, the visual arts department has had guest artists come in every Wednesday to do an artists workshop with students in Mr. Wood and Mrs. Braxton’s visual arts classes. The interactive, engaging workshops have highlighted various forms of the arts and issues relevant to the community. Not only have the presentations allowed the artist to present unique artwork, but the students also have had opportunity to create through hands-on workshops. Issues addressed through the workshops have included: bullying, alter egos, the environment, and social justice, among other topics.

An exhibition with the pieces from the artists’ collection is set up in the DSA 5th Floor Gallery, installed by the visual arts instructor and DSA students. Students will also be featured at the reception, as the work they created as part of the workshops will be on available for viewing.

The closing reception will take place on Wednesday May 29 from 5-6:30 and will feature music, art, food and engagement with DSA visual arts students, 555 Gallery artists, and the school community.

Please come out to participate in this wonderful event.

Visual Arts May Series

Curated by DSA Students: Daniel James, Alex Collier, A’leetzia Burns, Deontae Lyles, Adam McQueen, Sierra Dillard, and Latasha Davis.

Collaboration with Detroit Arts Community and Detroit School of Arts. 555 Gallery is a not-for-profit art gallery founded to develop new and emerging artists, and to advance arts and culture in Michigan.

Filed Under: Art & Design, Detroit Inspires, Detroit Public Schools, Feature, News, Painting, Sculpture Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Detroit Performs: Tim Janis’ Celebrate America

March 20, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Detroit Performs: Tim Janis' Celebrate America

Southeastern Michigan’s gifted young vocalists star in the Detroit Public Television spectacular, Detroit Performs: Tim Janis’ Celebrate America. Orginally aired on WTVS Channel 56, the special program is available online here.

In Detroit Performs: Tim Janis’ Celebrate America, students perform songs that have  uplifted and inspired the nation in times of war and times of peace. Hundreds of talented young singers from schools throughout metro Detroit step into the spotlight on DPTV with renowned producer and musician Tim Janis, a man who’s worked with some of America’s biggest stars and entertainers.

Beautiful songs, outstanding soloists and talented choruses fill Detroit Performs: Tim Janis’ Celebrate America. School performers are featured as a group and close-up, as the program also includes historic and patriotic archival images and video for a most moving musical story that celebrates the people and the nation. The magical television concert features 19 Southeast Michigan high school, middle school and youth choirs. The program was recorded in October and includes talents from :

  • Avondale Middle School
  • Avondale High School
  • Birmingham Groves High School
  • Carter/Johnson Upper Elementary Schools
  • Community Chorus of Detroit
  • Detroit Children’s Choir
  • Detroit School of the Arts
  • Emerson Middle School
  • Garden City High School
  • Lakeview High School
  • L’Anse Creuse High School
  • L’Anse Creuse North High School
  • Livonia Franklin High School
  • Livonia Stevenson
  • Oakland Homeschool Music
  • Redford Union High School
  • Royal Oak High School
  • Southfield Lathrup High School

“(The program) is designed to give our youth the opportunity to showcase their choirs,” Janis said. “The talent our teachers and students have is extraordinary. The project was and is a team effort with DPTV. I am thrilled at the incredible talent, hard work and dedication each choir and its teachers brought to the songs.”

When it comes to America’s love of choral music, Janis knows what he’s talking about. He has produced and worked with Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, Ray Charles, and the New York Philharmonic. Janis’ work includes raising funds for public television with George Clooney and James Earl Jones, yet he views his involvement with high school choirs as his most important and rewarding work.

 

Filed Under: Art & Design, Classical, Community, Detroit Public Schools, For Students, Fun, Jazz, Music, Reviews, Who We Are, Words Tagged With: , , ,

DSA Performers Star at Carnegie Hall

March 20, 2013 By Leave a Comment

DSA Wind Symphony

The Detroit School of Arts Wind Symphony won overall “Best Group” for its performance at Carnegie Hall the weekend of Mar. 29 & 30.

The DSA Wind Symphony, under the direction of Ronald Malabed, and DSA Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Sean Smith, participated in the National Band and Orchestra Festival held at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

The Detroit School of Arts Achievers Ladies Ensemble, under the direction of Connie Malabed, will perform at Carnegie Hall on April 28.

The National Band and Orchestra Festival featured performances from six schools across the country. DSA students were diligently working toward being adjudicated, a technical critiquing process where judges evaluate performances, and were pleasantly surprised when the judges unanimously decided that their group outperformed all other school groups.

DSA’s award-winning performance pieces included: “Robinson’s Grand Entrée March,” by Karl L. King; “An American Elegy,” by Frank Ticheli; and “Gavorkna Fanfare,” by Jack Stamp. The judges awarded DSA with a detailed vinyl banner measuring roughly 12 feet in height listing all of the participating schools.

“I was so excited when all four of the judges told me that our DSA group performed the best, and that we were also being awarded with the banner. I had no idea anyone was going to be awarded anything,” said Ronald Malabed, DSA Director of Bands.

In recent years, DSA’s bands have traveled to Chicago, Orlando and Washington D.C. through fundraising and student payments. The Carnegie Hall performance was their most marquee trip yet, and the cost for each participant was covered completely through fundraising.

The DSA Achievers Ladies Ensemble is still accepting donations to help support their trip to Carnegie Hall. All donations are tax deductible. If you would like to make a donation, checks and money orders can be made to:

Detroit School of Arts HS, C/O Connie Malabed
123 Selden Ave. Detroit, MI 48201

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Classical, Community, Culture, Detroit Inspires, Detroit Public Schools, Music, News, Who We Are Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Cranbrook Music Guild-WRCJ Spring Brass Concert

March 1, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Christ Church Cranbrook

The majestic sounds of brass herald the arrival of the season of new beginnings when Cranbrook Music Guild and WRCJ present the Spring Brass Concert.

The benefit concert will be held Sunday, May 5 at Christ Church Cranbrook in Bloomfield Hills. The program begins at 3 p.m.

The concert stars top brass players of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra performing the music of Monteverdi, J.S. Bach, Arnold and more. Proceeds benefit WRCJ 90.9 FM, one of the organizations that help produce Detroit Performs.

Performers:

Robert White, trumpet

David Ammer, trumpet

Bryan Kennedy, horn

Kenneth Thompkins, trombone

Dennis Nulty, tuba

Christ Church Cranbrook is located at 470 Lone Pine Road, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

Tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for students. Tickets are available at the door or may be purchased in advance via credit card at http://www.wrcjfm.org. For reserved tickets, call Cranbrook Music Guild at (248) 645-0097.

Filed Under: Classical, Community, Detroit Inspires, Detroit Public Schools, Music, Reviews, Who We Are Tagged With: , , ,

Congratulations, Hadiya, Tasha and Adam!

February 18, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Interlochen Competitors

Congratulations to Hadiya Knight of Renaissance High School on winning the $9,000 Schrock Interlochen Scholarship Competition! Tasha Wiggins of Detroit School of Arts and Adam Woodberry of Cass Technical High School also received top rankings.

The students were among the 15 Detroit Public School students from Renaissance High School, Cass Technical High School and Detroit School of Arts competing for the $9,000 scholarship to the internationally acclaimed summer music and arts camp. The scholarship enables Ms. Knight to attend the six-week Interlochen Summer Music Camp June 22-Aug. 5.

The students selected in ranking order were:

1. Hadiya Knight, 10th grade of Renaissance HS (center, photo above)
2. Tasha Wiggins, 9th grade of Detroit School of Arts (right, photo above)
3. Adam Woodberry, 12th grade of Cass Technical HS (left, photo above)

The competition was held Wednesday, Jan. 30 at Spain Elementary-Middle School. Students showcased their talents with solo performances on the harp, oboe, violin, viola, cello and piano, and vocal performances from sopranos and tenors.

 

From The Detroit News:

15 DPS students compete for $9,000 scholarship to Interlochen music camp

By The Detroit News
January 31, 2013 at 1:00 am

Detroit — The 22nd annual Schrock Interlochen Scholarship Competition held Wednesday in Detroit featured 15 Detroit Public Schools students from Cass Technical High School, Renaissance High School and Detroit School of Arts competing for a $9,000 scholarship to attend Interlochen’s six-week summer music camp.

DPS officials said students showcased their talent with solo performances on the harp, oboe, violin, viola, cello and piano, and vocal performances from sopranos and tenors at the Spain Elementary-Middle School auditorium.

The Interlochen Arts Camp is an international summer arts program for aspiring artists in grades three through 12. It attracts students, faculty and staff from all 50 states and more than 40 countries. Each summer, 2,500 students come to Interlochen to train intensively with renowned instructors, producing more than 400 presentations in music, theater, dance, visual arts, creative writing and motion picture arts.

Original Article

 

 

Filed Under: Classical, Detroit Inspires, Detroit Public Schools, Music, News, Who We Are Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Please Support WRCJ 90.9 FM (and Detroit Performs)

February 17, 2013 By 1 Comment

Bike Parade at DLECTRICITY

Please support a great partnership, classical music and music education. Join us now through April 20 for great music, special guests, and more!  Thank you for keeping classical and jazz music alive on the radio with a tax deductible gift at (866) 909-9725. Click here to see our thank-you gifts. Click here for our line-up of challenge grants and guests.

If you believe Detroit needs a classical and jazz radio station which promotes local events, celebrates music education, and broadcasts live concerts by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Michigan Opera Theatre and many of the other cultural institutions like the Detroit International Jazz Festival that make Southeast Michigan a most special place, we hope you’ll contribute to WRCJ 90.9 FM today during their important spring membership drive.

WRCJ is a partnership of the Detroit Public Schools and Detroit Public Television. WRCJ produces DetroitPerforms.org.

Thank you!

The image above is from DLECTRICITY 2012.

Filed Under: Community, Detroit Inspires, Detroit Public Schools, Reviews, Who We Are Tagged With: ,

You Can Make History – Thanks to Kroger

February 7, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Cadet Henry Ossian Flipper, United States Military Academy

Help Kroger celebrate Black History Month with the annual “I Can Make History” contest. The program is open to 4th through 12th grade Michigan students.

Kroger will award more than $67,000 in prizes in four categories – art, essay, music and poetry. All entries must be received by 5 p.m., Thursday, February 28, 2013. Winners will be invited to an awards luncheon held Saturday, April 13, 2013.

New this year, Kroger will honor one school with the School Leadership Award and $5,000 and the student that receives the highest score among all four categories will receive the $3,000 Best in Show Scholarship.

All entries should tie into the contests themes. Artwork entries must be original drawings, paintings, paper collages, and/or photographs. Essay entries must be the student’s own work and at least 500 words in length. Music entries must be an original work and a minimum of one minute (not exceeding four minutes). Poetry entries must be the student’s original work and no longer than 30 lines in length.

All entries must be received by 5 p.m. Friday, February 28, 2013. Learn more at http://www.icanmakehistory.com.

The image above is a photograph of Cadet Henry Ossian Flipper. Born a slave, he was the first African American to graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point. He served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army, where he encountered racism, bigotry and hypocrisy on the parts of his superiors, subordinates and fellow officers. After being drummed out of the Army, he continued his career as an engineer, land surveyor and land use scholar. Click here to learn more.

Filed Under: Art & Design, Community, Detroit Public Schools, For Students, History, Music, News, Painting, Photography, Sculpture, Words Tagged With: , ,

The Future of Education in Michigan: The Public’s Agenda

January 28, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Michigan Capitol Rotunda

Please join Detroit Public Television this morning for a statewide broadcast/webcast on the future of education in our state. We’ll explore The Center for Michigan’s in-depth look at what our citizens want from our K-12 system with a panel of some of the state’s leading voices. The conversation begins at 10 a.m.

The Future of Education in Michigan: The Public’s Agenda

From The Center for Michigan and Detroit Public Television/Ch. 56

Thursday, March 7 – 10 a.m. to noon

The Center for Michigan will host a broadcast / webcast town hall meeting in partnership with Detroit Public Television on the future of education in Michigan. The program will discuss the findings of the Center’s latest report: “THE PUBLIC’S AGENDA FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION: How Michigan citizens want to improve student learning.”

The town hall meeting will be hosted by veteran journalist Christy McDonald and will have expert panelists from across Southeast Michigan to lead discussions and answer questions about strategies identified by conversation participants for improving student success. The coverage will also feature an interview with Governor Snyder on the future of education in Michigan.

Featured Panelists include:

Panel 1:

  • Pat Convery, President, Howell Area Chamber of Commerce
  • Scott Menzel, Superintendent, Washtenaw Intermediate School District
  • Denise Smith, VP, Early Childhood, Excellent Schools Detroit
  • Phil Power, Founder and Chairman, The Center for Michigan

Panel 2:

  • Amber Arellano, Executive Director, Education Trust-Midwest
  • David Campbell, Superintendent of the Livingston Educational Service Agency
  • Sharlonda Buckman, Executive Director, Detroit Parent Network
  • Tyrone Winfrey, Chief of Staff, Educational Achievement Authority

The Town Hall will be live on-air from 10 a.m. – noon on DPTV’s Channel 56.2 (Channel 287 on Comcast, Channel 155 on Brighthouse and Channel 432 on Charter) as well as streaming live at centerformichigan.net.

You can join the conversation on twitter and ask questions, which the panelists will answer during the town hall event. To join the conversation, follow and send your questions to @CenterForMI using hashtag #FutureEdMI.

You can embed the live webcast on your personal or organizational website, using the code you’ll find here: http://bit.ly/13pgbue

The image above is the Michigan Capitol Rotunda. From the Michigan Senate website:

Above you, the rotunda rises 160 feet to an opening at the top of the inner dome. Called the oculus, or eye of the dome, it provides a glimpse into the vastness of the universe, represented by a starry sky. The rotunda and inner dome are beautifully decorated with elaborately hand-painted designs, as are the walls and ceilings throughout the Capitol. Over nine acres of hand-painted surfaces have been carefully restored to look exactly as they did originally.

Filed Under: Community, Detroit Public Schools, Education, For Students, Reviews, Who We Are Tagged With: ,

Fidelity Investments Invests $20,000 in DPS Music Students

January 27, 2013 By Leave a Comment

DPS Marching Band Member

The musicians of Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School in Detroit were in for a huge surprise – School of Rock style.

On Wednesday, Jan. 23, members of the staff and faculty, along with representatives from Fidelity Investments’ Detroit Investor Center, presented the music students, who have been making tunes with old and in some cases inferior instruments, with $20,000 in brand new instruments and equipment.

Organizers reported the students performed a brief concert for a guest audience. Then the school principal, teachers and members of the Fidelity team marched into the auditorium and hand off instruments and equipment to the kids. Among them:

- 5 pairs of marching cymbals, 3 flutes, 2 trombones, and 1 xylophone

- Mouthpieces: 6 clarinet, 5 trumpet, 4 alto sax, 4 trombone, 2 tenor sax

- Clarinet, alto sax, baritone sax, and tenor sax reeds

Fidelity has partnered with the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation nearly 100 times to make such a donation to underprivileged students and every-single-time it’s been a rousing success. The kids’ reactions are priceless and made to be caught on camera. In fact, Fidelity made a similar donation to Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School in September 2009 and the kids were beyond ecstatic.

 The image is a detail of a photograph by HB Meeks/Tell Us Detroit. The image was not taken at today’s event, but shows the top quality of the Detroit Public School marching band students, district wide.

 

Filed Under: Community, Detroit Inspires, Detroit Public Schools, News Tagged With: , ,

Resources to Prepare and Recover from Crisis

December 18, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Mumford High School

In the aftermath of the horrific events in Connecticut, we have been working with Michigan’s State Superintendent of Schools, Mike Flanagan, to gather resources to share with our community.

Please share this message with your own network:

From: Flanagan, Mike (MDE)
Sent: Monday, December 17, 2012 3:55 PM
Subject: Resources for Schools to Prepare for and Recover From Crisis

Dear Colleagues,

Many of us who work with or have children may be searching for ways to help them understand Friday’s tragedy in Connecticut. Sadly, we all know events like these are difficult to prevent. Even when it happens in a different part of the country or world, it can have a significant impact on children in Michigan and in OUR schools.  We thought the following resources might be useful in discussions with your children, your students , and your staffs.

Detroit Public Television and other local PBS stations are working together to bring trusted, helpful information today and in the days to come at http://www.dptv.org/kids/handling-scary-news.shtml.   Initial resources include:

 Major State and Federal Resources

Mike Flanagan
State Superintendent
Michigan Department of Education

Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/SuptFlanagan

Supporting achievement for EVERY student through a Proficiency-Based system of education.


Filed Under: Community, Detroit Public Schools, For Students, News, Who We Are, Words Tagged With: , ,
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