The Beatles Blackbird

Teenager sings in Mi’kmaq

This radio story is heart warming and can remind us of the importance of providing avenues for young people to value their roots and use their voices to express them. CLICK HERE for the story and see the youtube video below of 16 year old Emma Stevens singing Blackbird by the Beatles partially in her family language. Listen in the transcript for the support from Emma’s teacher. The youtube was posted by Emma’s school Allison Bernard Memorial High School in Eskasoni, Nova Scotia, to recognize the International Year of Indigenous Languages.

The International Year of Indigenous Languages is a United Nations observance in 2019 that aims to raise awareness of the consequences of the endangerment of Indigenous languages across the world, with an aim to establish a link between language, development, peace, and reconciliation.

 

The Extension Cords

MAMM winners

The Extension Cords who performed at the pre-conference of the Maine International Conference on the Arts in September 2018 were just recognized at the Maine Academy of Modern Music Slam! The members, Camden Hills Regional High School students, Owen Markowitz, drummer, Katherine Bowen, electric bass, and Myles Kelley, keyboard came together in 2016. The Jazz-Inspired Trio performed at the arts education conference through the Midcoast Music Academy and their instructor Stu Gurley.

They are impressive and serious and you can listen to their music on SOUND CLOUD. They are often performing in the mid-coast so hopefully you can catch a live performance of The Extension Cords.

Congratulations Katherine, Owen, and Myles for winning the MAMMSlam and your prize of  $1,000. The Extension Cords will be playing at “Jazz in June” in Camden June 14, 7:30 p.m. at the Camden Opera House.

Sustainability Festival

Sweet Tree Arts

“Finding the Boxmaker”

Tom Luther’s album released

Finding the Boxmaker album cover

On May 1, 2019 composer/performer Tom Luther released his newest album, “Finding the Boxmaker”. The album has been released in digital-only format on Bandcamp, and can be found at THIS LINK.

“Finding the Boxmaker” is an instrumental work that was inspired by William Gibson’s Count Zero and the art of Mark Kelly. The music combines acoustic performance with electronic, improvised material with algorithmic/systems based material, and a layering of “found” sounds. The music explores different combinations of all three and alternates between “Tableaus” and “Assemblages”.

There are five “Assemblages” of slowly evolving soundscapes surrounded by six “Tableaus” of more traditional musical narratives. Like chapters in a novel, there are over-arching relationships between the Tableaus that “nest” the work together.

Much of the work is driven by the idea of assemblage, this being the collecting or curating of seemingly unlike (and often ordinary) found objects and arranging them in compelling ways. The work of Joseph Cornell (1903-1972) stands out as exemplary, and is a key narrative element in Gibson’s novel. Mark Kelly also works with assemblage in addition to working with some systems driven art which is the second primary driver of the work.

Despite the influence of Count Zero, “Finding the Boxmaker” is not a retelling of Gibson’s novel. “It is an exploration of systems, a merging of acoustic and electronic aesthetics, and a restructuring of how I think about music and art and my relationship to both”, says Luther.

Tom is on the Maine Arts Commission Teaching Artist roster and a member of the Maine Arts Leadership Initiative as a Teaching Artist Leader. Tom will be facilitating on June 17 at the Teaching Artist professional development workshop. When Tom isn’t writing music he is teaching at the Midcoast Music Academy. Not to mention Tom is a great guy and musician that you should meet if you don’t already know him and his work. 

Midcoast Music Academy

Registration open for summer camps

Every summer, Midcoast Music Academy (MCMA) in Rockland offers a variety of day camps and intensives. Each camp is run by our world-class faculty who fill every day with instruction, rehearsal, music games, encouragement, support and more. Students will have the opportunity to work individually with the faculty and hone their skills as they collaborate with other students musicians. An exciting final performance concludes each week-long intensive.

This year MCMA have expanded our offerings and now offer a total of six week-long camps!

• Songwriter’s Camp, June 24-28
• Blues Intensive, July 8-12, performance at NABF July 13 & 14
• Film Scoring, July 22-26
• Gig Camp, July 29-August 2, performance at the Lobster Festival
• Jazz Intensive, August 5-9
• Musical Theater, August 12-16

Each session costs $375, except for the Blues Intensive and Gig Camp which each cost $425. If your child enrolls in additional weeks and/or enrolls with a sibling, a 10% discount will be applied. For tuition assistance, please contact Jen for more information. Our camps runs Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m at our studio on 279 Main Street, Rockland. We will be meeting in our ensemble room (Studio 6). The day will be approximately organized as following:

• Morning Session (9:30-12:00): Direct instructional time, guest speakers, theory, improv/music games, group conversations, topics review, listening and writing sessions.
• Lunch (12:00-1:00): To be held outside every day if weather permits. Feel free to bring soccer balls, footballs, frisbees, etc. Please plan on providing packed lunches for students. We will provide snacks and a pizza party for Friday’s lunch.
• Afternoon Session (1:00-3:30): Playing time and rehearsals!

In addition to the lead teacher, all camps will have the support of a teaching assistant and specialty guest teachers to make sure students have instrument-specific instruction.

For more information, or to register, visit our website or click below. If you have any questions regarding the camps, please direct them to Abigail Nash.

Old Guys Karaoke

Schooner Fare and Bill Green

It was so fun that on Bill Green’s News Center Maine picked up Steve and Chuck Romanoff and drove around Portland Town the day before Schooner Fare had their 40th reunion concert. This was aired on March 30, 2019.

CLICK HERE!

Teaching Artist Professional Development Workshop

Space limited

The Arts Commission is providing a one-day professional development workshop for Maine Teaching Artists.

Monday 17 June 2019

8:45 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Only 20 spots available – REGISTER TODAY

Viles Mansion/Governor Samuel Cony House, 71 Stone Street, Augusta.

$25.00. Registration is required.

Purpose

The workshop is focused on the role and benefits of a teaching artist. We will address how to structure and market a residency as well as tips for communicating and collaborating teachers,  administrators, and community arts representatives. The workshop will include resources and techniques on applying your expertise as an artist to the structure of your work as a teaching artist including communication tips, connecting standards and assessments in your lessons, promotional information, funding opportunities, messaging and much more.

Outcomes

• Information on applying your expertise as an artist to the structuring of your lessons and residencies.
• Hands-on experience in relating the learning standards and assessments to your work.
• Participation in sessions that are planned to fit your specific needs as a teaching artist.
• Promoting yourself and your work as a teaching artist

Workshop Presenters

• Tom Luther – Teaching Artist, Musician, Maine Arts Leadership Initiative Teaching Artist Leader
• Lindsay Pinchbeck – Arts Educator, Founder and Director Sweetland School, Hope
• Kate Smith – Elementary music educator, Central School, South Berwick

Please note: To be eligible to apply for the Maine Arts Commission Teaching Artist Roster teaching artists must attend the one-day workshop.