POL on MPBN

Sunday November 18, 2:00 p.m.

Poetry Out Loud State Finals

March 15, 3:00 PM, Waterville Opera House

THE MAINE ARTS COMMISSION ANNOUNCES POETRY OUT LOUD STATE FINALS
Maine High School Students Compete in National Poetry Recitation Contest

Augusta, ME—The Maine Arts Commission is presenting the 2016 Maine State Finals for Poetry Out Loud, a National Poetry Recitation Contest, on March 15 at 3 p.m. at the Waterville Opera House. The competition, presented in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, is free and open to the public. Jennifer Rooks, MPBN’s Public Affairs Host, will be the emcee. Doors open to the public at 2:30 p.m. and no tickets are required.

Poetry Out Loud encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance, and competition. Since Poetry Out Loud began, millions of students at more than 7,300 schools nationwide have been involved. This school year, almost 10,000 Maine students have participated in the program, providing them with an opportunity to master public-speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage.

“Poetry Out Loud is one of many examples of high-quality, partnership-based programs that the NEA offers to schools and communities across the country,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “By helping students foster creative thinking skills and inspire self-expression, we are laying a foundation for lifelong learning in the arts.”

Poetry Out Loud is organized by the NEA and the Poetry Foundation, and is administered at the state level by the Maine Arts Commission. It began this year in Maine’s high schools where each school selected a champion to compete in a regional competition. From the two regional finals, 10 students were selected to compete in the State Finals. One student will move on from the State Finals to represent Maine at the National Finals in Washington D.C., where students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico will compete for a total of $50,000 in awards and school stipends for the purchase of poetry books.

Congratulations to the following students who will participate in the Maine State Finals at the Waterville Opera House:
•  Lydia Caron, Bangor High School
•  Morgan Steward, Carrabec High School
•  Shiloh Munsen, Freeport High School
•  Charlotte Benoit, Greely High School
•  Danielle Barrett, Hampden Academy
•  Sylvia Holland, Maine Coast Waldorf School
•  Rose Horowitz, Mt. Ararat High School
•  Owen Sinclair, Rangeley Lakes Regional School
•  Anna Bucklin, Searsport District High School
•  Ben Millspaugh, Waynflete School

For more information, please visit http://mainearts.maine.gov/Pages/Education/POL-Home or contact Argy Nestor, Maine Arts Commission Director of Arts Education at argy.nestor@maine.gov or 207-287-2713.

The Maine Arts Commission shall encourage and stimulate public interest and participation in the cultural heritage and cultural programs of our state; shall expand the state’s cultural resources; and shall encourage and assist freedom of artistic expression for the well being of the arts, to meet the needs and aspirations of persons in all parts of the state.

Southern Region State Finalists left to right: Charlotte Benoit, Greely High School; Rose Horowitz, Mt. Ararat High School; Ben Millspaugh, Waynflete School; Sylvia Holland, Maine Coast Waldorf School; Shilo Munsen, Freeport High School

Northern Region State Finalists left to right: Lydia Caron, Bangor High School; Morgan Steward, Carrabec High School; Danielle Barrett, Hampden Academy; Owen Sinclair, Rangeley Lakes Regional School; Anna Bucklin, Searsport District High School

Maine Calling

Being an Artist

This week radio another show in ‘What Does It Mean’ series, this time looking at being an artist. What is the role of artists in Maine? Who are they, what do they do and how do they earn a living?

Host Keith Shortall was joined by:

• Julie Richard, Executive Director, Maine Arts Commission
• Don Tuski, President, Maine College of Art
• Aimee Petrin, Executive Director, Portland Ovations

And Suzanne Nance joined the show as well.

Listen to the archive at http://www.mpbn.net/OnDemand/AudioOnDemand/MaineCalling/tabid/288/ctl/ViewItem/mid/3682/ItemId/26755/Default.aspx

On February 26 the Maine Calling show topic was Teacher Evaluation with guests Commissioner of Education Steve Bowen, Lewiston superintendent Bill Webster, and MEA president Lois Kilby-Chesley. Learn more by listening to the podcast of the recorded show at this link: http://www.mpbn.net/OnDemand/AudioOnDemand/MaineCalling/tabid/288/ctl/ViewItem/mid/3682/ItemId/26488/Default.aspx

MMEA Jazz All State Festival

Maine Music Educators Association bring students and adults together

In most areas of the country, March Madness means Basketball. That happens in Maine in February, but there is also a March Madness in Maine for students in the Arts. There are Regional and State Drama Festivals, Visual Art Shows and it is Music in Our School month, meaning concerts abound. Oh…and it’s Jazz Season…ALL month long!

The Maine Music Educator’s Association (MMEA) sponsors District and State Jazz Festivals for both Middle School and High School jazz groups throughout the state.  Tonight (Monday, March 26, 2012) at 9:00, Maine Public Broadcasting Network (MPBN) will broadcast some of Maine’s finest student Jazz Musicians from the MMEA Jazz All State Festival, held in Scarborough in January. You will have an opportunity to watch individual students from many Maine High Schools participate together in Jazz Bands, a Jazz Combo and a Jazz Choir.

In March, students participate in Jazz Ensembles which are part of their school music programs and these groups then compete against similar groups from other schools. First, these groups must qualify for the MMEA State Festival at an MMEA District Festival by receiving a certain score…any number of schools may qualify.  Then, each type of group has it’s own State Festival. If you love Jazz, you will love all of these festivals and be prepared for Maine’s student Jazz Musicians to blow you away with their talent! The first of the MMEA State Festivals was the MMEA High School Instrumental Jazz Festival, held at Mount Desert Island High School on March 16 and 17. On Friday, March 16th all Jazz Combos competed and schools that have more than one Jazz Band competed in the ‘Multiple’ Jazz Band category.  On Saturday, March 17th, all of the other High School Jazz Bands competed in three different venues and 4 different divisions. The divisions are determined by school size…all of the schools are ranked in order of size and then 4 equal divisions are created. There were a total of 37 schools involved, with 30 on Saturday (7 schools participated with combos only).

Awards for the High School Instrumental Festival were as follows:

In Division IV:

• First Place–George Stevens Academy, directed by Steve Orlofsk
• 2nd Place–Maine Central Institute (MCI), Directed by Dean Neal
• 3rd Place–Old Orchard Beach, directed by Mark Manduca

In Division III:

• First Place–Old Town High School, directed by Jeff Priest
• 2nd Place–MDI (Darth Vader), directed by Dan Granholm
• 3rd Place–Fryeburg Academy directed by C. Brent LeCasce.

In Division II:

• First Place–Nokomis High School, directed by M. Stanley Buchanan
• 2nd Place–Westbrook High School, directed by Phil Rich
• 3rd Place Brewer High School, directed by Brady Harris

In Division I:

• First Place–South Portland, directed by Craig Skeffington
• 2nd Place–Brunswick High School, directed by Michael Scarpone
• 3rd Place–Noble High School, directed by Mark Mumme.

In addition to these ordinals, the following schools had students that received outstanding musician trophies:

• George Stevens Academy
• Houlton High School
• John Bapst High School
• Ellsworth High School
• MDI
• York High School
• Fryberg Academy
• Nokomis High School
• Brewer High School
• Westbrook high School
• Greely High School
• South Portland High School
• Thornton Academy
• Brunswick High School

Congratulations to all of the participants!

This past weekend, Saturday March 23rd, the MMEA Middle School Instrumental Jazz Festival took place at Stearns High School in Millinocket. Once again, audiences were treated to the reason there are so many excellent High School Jazz Bands in the State of Maine. Excellent student musicianship was apparent in these groups. Again, there were 4 divisions, with a total of 33 bands representing 30 different schools from throughout the state.

Following are the results from Divisions I and II:

In Division I:

• First Place–Falmouth Middle School Jazz  Band, under the direction of Jerry Barry
• 2nd Place–Noble Middle School Jazz Band, under the direction of Marilyn Bachelder and 3rd Place–Greely Middle School Jazz Band, under the direction of Scott Thurston.

In Division II:

• First Place–Lenonard Middle School Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Shianne Priest
• 2nd Place–Brewer Community School under the direction of Lanissa Nadeau
• 3rd Place–Reeds Brook Middle School Jazz Band, under the direction of Becky Mallory

Complete results of outstanding musician awards and Divisions III and IV will be posted soon.

Next weekend, vocalists will take the stage in Ellsworth for the MMEA State Vocal Jazz Festival. On Friday, March 30th, Middle School Show Choirs will compete against one another and on Saturday, March 31st, High School Show Choirs and High School Jazz Choirs will compete.

If you are looking for an enjoyable way to spend your weekend, I strongly recommend that you find your way to Ellsworth High School. The students are sure to impress you, and I will have my own group there, so perhaps I will see you in Ellsworth!

Thank you so much to music educator Pam Kinsey for this post!