Please describe yourself in 3 words.

Big-hearted. Kooky. Imaginative.

I love that.  What made you interested in Arts For All and arts education?

I follow a lot of the rules of theatre in my daily life, and I owe the art form a lot for making me the person that I am. Things like always being open, putting my attention on the other person, constantly asking myself what I want, and trying to fill my gaping hole—they’re sometimes really, really daunting and difficult things to do, but when they’re done right, everything just feels right. And they make you a more empathetic, kindhearted person.

Theatre is one of the primary reasons why I’m determined to cultivate empathy in the classroom—the practice of wholeheartedly listening and fully understanding the feelings and perspectives of others.  Two parts of myself that I used to consider so different from each other—the actress and social innovator—have, in turn, shaped one my greatest life goals: redefining classrooms as places of empathy for everyone, everywhere. I believe that cultivating empathy in students will not only enhance their own capabilities, but will also eliminate so much of the bullying and other hindering social qualities that infiltrate the current school systems. I wholeheartedly believe that this cultivation of empathy comes from bringing art into the classroom, in all of its forms.

I also really want to spread theatre magic everywhere! It makes you a better person. It opens up your mind. It makes you see the world in a pretty amazing way.

That’s a great answer.  And so in line with our mission.  What are you excited to learn this summer at Arts For All?

I’m so excited to learn about what it truly means to be a Teaching Artist, and to work directly with students in this new and exciting way.

What were your experiences with art as a child?  How did those experiences impact you?

I was pretty sassy as a child. There’s no denying it. But, it was all good sass, I promise. I channeled all of my sass into creative energy, and spent most of my time creating my own shows in the entryway of my house, or writing crazy stories that I unabashedly called novels. Art was and is my savior. The stage is where I feel most at home, even if the stage is the floor of my home in California. I’m a wacky, passionate performer and I’m so grateful that I learned that at such a young age.

Who do you look up to, professionally and personally, and why?

I love Jenny Slate. Along with being one of my favorite comedians and actresses, Jenny is also an empathy enthusiast.  Her creation, “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On,” is all about appreciating the gigantic world around you. It’s about perspective. And it’s fun and silly. It’s everything that I value about art. Jenny’s sense of humor is almost freakishly identical to mine, which is another reason why I value her so much. Words float out of her mouth in this funky, yet beautiful, way, and I just love it. I admire Jenny because she does what she loves without any inhibition.

What do you hope to do after college?  What’s the dream?

I want to be happy, and I want to make other people happy.  That’s the dream.

What’s your favorite piece of theatre?  What’s your favorite musical score? Why?

This is a big question! I like theatre that shakes things up—theatre that makes you see the world in a different way. I love theatre that jumps off of the stage and hits the back wall. A piece of theatre that has done this to me is this little show I saw at the Yale Summer Cabaret a few years ago called “The Phoenix” by Isabella Carmody. I went one night with my friends and was so touched by it that I went back the next night by myself. It had a magical effect on me, I think because of its fantastical, yet beautifully naïve and child-like nature. My favorite musical score is probably Hair. It’s happy and peaceful and energizing and inspiring all at the same time.

Thanks Carly!  We look forward to hearing more from you this summer.

In February, Arts For All /Chicago worked in collaboration with the Junior League of Chicago to present our first ever DAY OF ART.   Nearly 70 low-income students from the Rebecca K. Crown Center were brought together for a full day of hands-on workshops.  AFA /Chicago Teaching Artists taught 25 different workshops in Visual Arts, Dance, Music, Theater, Poetry and more.

Crown Center student artwork, created in Painting workshops led by Teaching Artist Damon Reed.

Origami created by Crown Center students, in a Paper Arts workshop led by Teaching Artist Cici Sulkowski.

Crown Center students creating poetry in a workshop led by Teaching Artist Cara Winter. Students later read their creations aloud.

A poem created by a Crown Center student (age 13).

Crown Center students performing a dance they learned during DAY OF ART 2013, led by JLC Volunteer/ Dance Instructor Hannah Saunders.

Crown Center Art Room mural, by Scott Holterhaus (pictured here, in-progress).

As a thank-you (and as a memento of the event), Arts For All/Chicago and Junior League brought in a fantastic artist, Scott Holterhaus, to create a mural for the Crown Center’s Art Room.  Throughout the day, students had the opportunity to meet Scott, ask him questions about the mural (and his work in general), and had the chance to watch him during the various stages of painting.

Creative Writing students at Hammond Elementary, brainstorming ways to incorporate images into their essays. Workshop led by Teaching Artists Cara Winter and Stacey Hall.

With the DAY OF ART 2013 behind us, we embarked on a new project in March:  an ongoing Creative Writing Workshop at Hammond Elementary, another low-income CPS school in Chicago.   Some of our projects included writing scenes for a play, poetry making, and writing essays inspired by photos (the photos we used are from a project called That Tree, by professional photographer Mark Hirsch).

Finally, with the weather warming up, we are scheduled to install the finished mural at Libby Elementary. Pictures of the finished mural, coming soon!

As we look forward to summer and fall, Arts For All / Chicago will be looking for more opportunities to serve the children of Chicago, with the Arts.

Co-host Alex Gemignani. Photo by Bonnie Wireback.

What some of our supporters had to say:

“The Arts for All Benefit was an absolutely incredible night. From start to finish, I had so much fun as a volunteer and an audience member. I had never been to a cabaret before, and I was so impressed. Every performer was so talented and brought such a vibrant energy to the stage. The event was a true success and it was all for a great cause. It was truly exciting to be a part of it all!” – Nitisha

“I have been to quite a few Arts For All events in the last couple years.  That being said, this year’s benefit, Arts For All Goes Public, blew me away.  For the first time, unlike years past, I had almost no involvement in the planning and production process, so I did not know what to expect.  For all I knew, it would be pretty much the same as our benefit last year.  Of course I always have high expectations of the amazing programming Arts For All brings to our community, our students, and our donors, but nothing could have prepared me for the experience on April 21st.  Like in the past, we had the amazing PigPen Theater Co. perform.  No matter what kind of music you like, you are glued to this group from their first note, they are addicting!  So as much as I loved PigPen’s performance, they didn’t surprise me.  What did surprise me was the venue – Joe’s Pub was so cool.  (Yes, it’s a 5 cent word, but it really is cool!) It was the perfect venue for our benefit and set the mood for a successful and fun night.  I think it was the first time we had a stage for the performers and table seating for the audience as opposed to being on risers.  The second surprise were the Broadway performers.  I was so impressed by the talent that we got to perform this year.  The Broadway stars put this year’s benefit on a whole new level and definitely raised the bar for the future!  The evening was intimate, but also not.  There were so many people in attendance, so we didn’t get to mingle much, but I am sure that every person in the room felt a connection to the performers, to Anna and Alan, and to the teaching artists and volunteers who dedicate their time to this great cause.

As always, I am constantly more and more excited to be a part of Arts For All, Inc. and I cannot wait for Arts For All’s 2014 Benefit!!!!” – Jordana

“The annual benefit was such a blast to attend – and I am now a complete fan girl of all the wonderful performers I saw that night!  Despite Aaron Lazar losing his voice, the talent on the Joe’s Pub stage was spectacular (and that stage in and of itself is such a prestigious place to be).  Since each performer read a quote from an Arts For All workshop or event before they sang, I got to hear the voices of the children we were there to support as well as the incredible voices of the Broadway and off-Broadway stars.

In addition to the cabaret, the silent auction was a huge success.  We had donations from all sorts of local businesses and local shows, from indie music groups to the JCC in Manhattan to Pippin on Broadway, to make a wide range of tantalizing items.  The silent auction was a great reminder of all that NYC has to offer.  I had never been to the Arts For All benefit before, but I know that I am excited to volunteer again next year!” – Olivia

In 3 words, please describe PigPen as an artistic company.

Stories. Music. Imagination.

When did you realize you wanted to perform professionally together?

After our second show together, friends, family, and the people we respected most kept telling us to keep going further.  That was the moment that we looked at each other and thought, “Maybe we can really do this for a living.”

How does the group work?  What is the group dynamic in creating the shows, music, etc.?

Completely collaboratively.  Any one of us can bring in a song or a story or something we want to work on, and anyone can add to it.

What’s your favorite thing about performing/creating together?

The best part is that because we have so much fun together as friends, our work doesn’t feel like work anymore.  It’s challenging still, but it constantly feels like play.

What inspired you to make your album, “Bremen”?

So many people would approach us after our shows asking, “Where can I buy your music?” So making “Bremen” was the best way to get it to them.  We found that we loved playing music just as much as we loved making theatre, so the album really became a dream come true.  Because of the excitement around “Bremen,” now we get to spend as much time developing new music projects as we do new theatre projects.

What do you want to do next as a company?

We are looking forward to performing our show, The Old Man and the Old Moon, this fall at Writers Theatre in Chicago! We are also thrilled to be touring “Bremen” through some incredible concert venues around the country.  Both opportunities allow us to experience new cities and meet incredible new people.

Oh, and we’re writing new stuff too….

Who do you all admire, personally or professionally, and why?

Steve Martin.  Have you seen that guy play the banjo?

If you were trapped on a desert island with only one musical score, what would it be and why?

Anything Ladysmith Black Mambazo has ever done.  In particular, Paul Simon’s Graceland and “Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Friends.”

What challenges have you faced on your way to success as a company?  How did you get through them?

One time, on our way to Martha’s Vineyard, we left all our ingredients to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the week at Ryan’s house.  Fortunately, some friends we were staying with gave us cold cuts and potato salad.  Crisis averted.

Also, scheduling for seven people can be the biggest challenge in itself.

What advice do you have for aspiring artists?

Keep making your own work.  Don’t be afraid to fail.  Practice.  And work with people you like.

In 1 sentence, please tell us why you support arts education and Arts For All?

If it weren’t for arts education, there would be seven less PigPen members than there are now, and we know firsthand that Arts For All inspires kids to pursue artistic futures.

Thank you!

If you were stuck on a desert island with one score and one book, what would they be and why?

That’s almost an impossible question. Right now Steve Martin’s Born Standing Up.  And, the score to Carousel is what’s in my head.

Are there other shows that you’ve done before that you want to return to at some point?

I’d love to do Man of La Mancha again.  I’d love to do Les Mes, and play Jean Valjean.  There’s so many great parts that I’d love to play that I haven’t played yet too.  I’d play Sweeney [in Sweeney Todd], that would be great.

Now I know they’re super young, but do you hope your kids grow up to be artists?

I certainly have a different take on it than when I was growing up – it was very common to just push your kids into academics and doctor/lawyer/banker thing.  I think the world is an amazingly different place with individualism and entrepreneurship.  I would certainly not mind if they were artists.  The reality is that if you want to have a family, you have to make a lot of money to survive.

I dunno… whether destiny is predestined or not – I think it’s a little bit of both.  There’s infinite possibility depending on the choices that you make.  But some people — you read biographies of Paul Newman, and the cards just fell into place.  And certainly I’m not saying that he didn’t work hard, but every door that opened seemed to be the right door.  That is fascinating to me.

So you have to learn how to make it the right door?

I think one has to learn to not limit themselves as to the doors that they think they should be walking through.  But I think that only comes from a connection to your gut.  Not doing what you think you should do, or what others tell you, but being so sure of yourself that you trust yourself.

What was it like to realize that you weren’t going to be a doctor and you were going to be a performer instead?

Well, it was this [process]: an MCAT score is good for 3 years, go to grad school for 2, live in New York for 6 months, get a tour, and come back and the MCAT scores are no longer valid.  So if I want to go to medical school, I have to take the test again, and I don’t ever want to do that.  And so, “Well, I guess this is your path.”  And it’s been an interesting one having come from such an academic place, acting is such a physical place.  You know, it’s a brain place versus an action place.  They’re just different worlds.  And I’ve spent 10 years just trying to get more comfortable in the physical world.

I think one of the things that inspires me is just knowing that I got this far with a relatively limited idea of my own self.  So, I’m looking forward to the next 10 years.

Thank you!

Thank you!  Great questions.  That was fun!

“I think I did pretty well, considering I started out with nothing but a bunch of blank paper.” – Steve Martin

So what is the new Aaron Lazar leading man model?

I don’t think there is a model, and I think that’s what’s fun.  There’s no more models, it’s just who I am.  And I’m having to just try to be open to the growth that I’m trying to enable and embrace.  And that’s not only professionally but personally too.  Just bringing whatever that is to whatever the job is.

Why the American musical?  Why that art form, for you?

That just is what seems to come naturally.  I think that American Musical Theatre feels natural to me.

How do you get through the professional tough times?

That’s a good question.  I guess that if I could go back to my younger self and help myself through the tough times, it’s about knowing that there’s always going to be tough times.  Even not-so-tough times as an actor, you know if you’re not working and you have a family, times are tough.  So it’s about knowing that tough times are ok and you’re not alone.  Everybody goes through them.

Actors have this tendency to think, “I’m the only one questioning what I’m doing with my life and should I leave and quit the business?”  And then you hear that So-and-so, who is 10 times more famous, almost quit last week, and you’re like, “If I only had that person’s career, I would never quit!” The grass is always greener.

I think the simplest advice I have is the only thing that is going to make you happy is you.  The job’s not going to make you happy; it may make you happier.  The money isn’t going to make you happy; it may make you happier.  But if you’re not happy with yourself, then no job and no money will give you happiness any longer than that brief time that it may or may not be there.

That’s great advice for everyone, not just aspiring thespians.

I think it’s a spiritual thing, you know.  If you can find your own happiness, it will translate to everything else in your life, I think.  And it’s not an easy thing to do, but I think it’s a worthy pursuit.

It’s kind of constant work and balance.  Happiness is a moving target: always finding it and re-finding it.

As long as it’s a goal along with all the other material goals – you know, I want this job and I want to make this amount of money and I want this house, all the things that we think we need – if one of those is “I need to work on myself to the point that I love myself,” then there’s a connection to something that’s bigger than all the rest of the material stuff.  I think that’s important.

Thinking about that and about striving for happiness, can you describe why you’re doing this project for Arts For All?

I’m doing it for [Arts For All Board Member] Alan Ostroff.  We go way back.  He was probably the first artist I’d ever met and was aware of that, “oh, this guy’s an artist.”  I was doing musicals in high school when we met in a summer arts program as roommates, and I was fully aware that I was rooming with a real actor. And that I had no clue what acting was.  And to support what he’s doing now, which I think is a great thing, I’m all for it.

As an artist and a parent, what do you think we should be teaching via arts education?  What’s the role of arts education?

My kids are so little that it’s hard to say.  To look back at my education, I wish there was a more comprehensive look at how it all could flow together. The arts don’t have to be separate.  I think they foster imagination and openness and a connection to joy that our educational system desperately needs.

I admire teachers more than anyone.  My best friend from growing up is a teacher, and I can’t imagine… I don’t think I have any clue what it takes to sit in a classroom with kids between 5 and 18 years olds and have any idea how to use that energy and help them find themselves every day. Maybe once.  I go in to teach a Master Class or to talk to kids and I do that a lot, but to do it every day, help those kids grow up with the arts, I think if teachers are really bringing their hearts to that it’s important work.

What do you enjoy most about those Master Classes and your work with young people?

Sharing.  We get to share with audiences when we perform, but we don’t really get to share ourselves.  We get to share someone else’s writing and someone else’s ideas and it usually has to be done a very specific way, which has made someone else’s thing the success that it is.  So sharing my ideas and the stuff that I’ve learned.  I didn’t come from a show biz family, I basically figured this out for myself, and I think it’s important to share that.

I started a blog in 2005 or 2006 called Simply Broadway, and I shared really everything that I knew and then I ran out of stuff to say.  And it was for young performers and their parents.  And then I started a company almost 4 years ago called Integrated Arts to integrate the arts into education.  It’s something that someday I plan on putting a lot of money into it and doing it right. But until then at least the idea of having it and knowing that it’s an umbrella that I can work on some things under it for another day, is exciting.

It’s fun to have that idea for when you have more time and resources to put into it.

Yeah, you know actors start theatres and run theatre companies and direct and produce.  Any way that you can to share what’s important to you in hopes that it affects other people.

Thanks, Aaron!  Remember to check out Part 1, and look for Part 3 of this interview next week!

In 3 words, please describe yourself as an artist.

(long pause)… Curious, determined, leader.

That’s great!  Is there one moment that epitomizes when you knew you wanted to do this professionally?

When I was in grad school doing the lead in Man of La Mancha, I had a moment exiting the stage after a performance when I just sort of broke down.  It’s maybe happened one or two other times in my life where something I had done I just didn’t really know how I did it.

Lawrence Olivier once said that after doing Hamlet, he came off stage and people were like, “Don’t you feel amazing because of what you just did?”  And he said, and I’m paraphrasing, “No, because I don’t know how I did it.”

But for me, it was just an overwhelming emotional feeling of, “I feel like I’m a vessel for something.”  And that probably subconsciously motivated me to want to do this as a profession.

That idea of being a vessel is so interesting. What do you mean?

I don’t think we can really take credit for the gifts that we have.  We can certainly work hard at improving them.

Have you ever had a feeling of challenge and growth on stage as an actor?

Yeah, The Light in the Piazza. It was just theatre at it’s best I think.  And rare.

You must have felt very lucky.

Certainly.  When you’re in your element doing what you’ve always wanted to do, at a level that feels commensurate with where you want to be and who you want to be doing it with, you certainly feel lucky, but the predominant feeling is one of just pure joy because you’re killing yourself 8 times a week and loving every twisted moment of it to try to give audiences a feeling they’ll never forget.  Light in the Piazza was very emotional for me and very physically difficult to endure for a long run.

That artist/leader idea is so interesting.  How would you characterize that leadership?

I feel like I’m in the infancy of what I want to do, aspirationally speaking.  I want to influence the art form in as big a way as I can, and I want to be a leader in that, and I’m just starting to plant seeds that will hopefully grow in that direction.

Do you have a specific direction in mind?  A dream project?

I’m working on a couple projects, but I just want to bring my taste to the art form and see if it measures up to what it feels like when I think of that potential.  And just see!  And if it does, then we’ll have a good thing going.  And if it doesn’t, I will, as we do in this business, find another way.

There’s always another way.  So thinking about leaders in the field, who do you admire, either professionally or personally, and why?

That’s a great question.  I admire Manny Azenberg as a producer.  He was a professor of mine at Duke.  And I admire Adam Guettel as a composer and a lyricist.  I admire Mike Nichols as a director.  The list is long.  I admire a lot of people.  I think the people are at that level are at that level not because they’re a bunch of frauds, but because there’s something about them that has endured and will endure.  And I want to be there.

You’ve achieved some name recognition and seem to be on your way to that level.  Your name and reputation are well respected.

That’s nice to hear.  It’s funny, being in Mamma Mia for the last nine months – a show that I never really saw myself doing – I’ve realize more and more that, well as Steve Martin says in his autobiography, Born Standing Up, “I spent 18 years making it: 10 years learning, 4 years refining, 4 years hitting it big.” That’s paraphrasing, but I’ve been doing this just over 10 years now, and only over the last year do I feel connected to a breakthrough in the refining phase, if we go by that model. And it’s a discovery – a discovery that I’ve been fulfilling an idea of a leading man that I was told I would be in school, and then got to New York, and you’re naturally put into boxes based on what you look like and how you sound and can you act, and all those things and that’s fine.  That’s how the business works, and many businesses work that way.

But then, in your journey, you start to define yourself by your body of work.  And in my case, I was cast in a lot of period pieces and serious romantic stuff, with departures here and there.  But over the last year, Mamma Mia has really allowed me to find myself.  And it’s funny, I’ve really found myself in a way that I haven’t been since I was 18.  And I’m excited to bring that to the work because I think it’s going to open up space in my career and be important in the next phase of my career.  But to know that any byproduct of the first phase of career is some respect for my name, that’s flattering and good to know because if there’s anything that I was trying to do in the first phase of my career, it was to honor the art form of the American musical theatre.

Thank you Aaron!  Stay tuned for Part 2 and Part 3!

Tickets are available now.

The Benefit features a Silent Auction, with items and services donated from local businesses.  The Silent Auction begins at 6 PM and the Cabaret starts at 7 PM.

• $35 – ticket to the Cabaret
• $50 – ticket, plus an Arts For All tote bag and lapel pin
• $75 – ticket, Arts For All tote bag and lapel pin, plus a framed piece of original student artwork created in our workshops
• $100 – ticket, Arts For All tote bag and lapel pin, a framed piece of original student artwork, plus a photo with host Aaron Lazar

Ticket price does not include $12 food minimum for Joe’s Pub.

Aaron Lazar, currently starring in Mamma Mia, is a near constant presence on Broadway having appeared in 8 Broadway shows over the last 10 years. He originated roles in the world premiere of Impressionism with Jeremy Irons and Joan Allen and A Tale of Two Cities, and appeared in the revival of Les Misérables (Drama Desk Award nomination), the revival of Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music opposite Catherine Zeta-Jones, Angela Lansbury, Bernadette Peters, and Elaine Stritch, The Phantom of the Opera, and the revival of Oklahoma!.  Aaron starred in the Tony Award winning production of The Light in the Piazza and the ‘Live from Lincoln Center’ PBS broadcast. Most recently, he starred opposite ‘Smash’ star Megan Hilty in Encores’ critically acclaimed production of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

Aaron appeared in the concert staging of Sondheim’s Company with Neil Patrick Harris, Stephen Colbert, and Patti LuPone at Avery Fisher Hall. Other notable appearances include: Carousel in concert with the Boston Pops and South Pacific at The Hollywood Bowl with Reba McEntire and Brian Stokes Mitchell. Aaron’s solo concert “Look For Me in the Music” garnered critical acclaim at the Kennedy Center and has played multiple venues in Manhattan.  Film and TV credits include: The Wolf of Wall Street, J. Edgar, The Notorious Bettie Page, Company live with The NY Philharmonic, ‘Person of Interest’, IFC’s ‘Onion News Network’, ‘A Gifted Man’, ‘Ugly Betty’, ‘White Collar’, ‘New Amsterdam’, and appearances on The Today Show and The View.

PigPen Theatre Co. creates atmospheric theatrical fables with a unique blend of shadow puppetry, group movement, live music, and clever lighting effects. Formed at Carnegie Mellon School of Drama in 2008, PigPen has toured nationally and became the first company in history to win the top honor for a play at the New York City International Fringe Festival two years in a row, in 2010 (The Nightmare Story) and 2011 (The Mountain Song).   The Mountain Song was presented as Arts For All’s Audience Project tour in 2011, reaching over 2,500 in-need New York City students.  Their first full-length off-Broadway production, The Old Man and The Old Moon, was a critical smash hit, landing the company on several best of the year theatre ranking lists.   Their debut indie-folk album, “Bremen”, was featured by American Songwriter and was named #10 album of the year in The Huffington Post’s 2012 Grammy preview.

Arts For All thanks our generous Silent Auction donors: PIPPIN Broadway Revival co-produced by Infinity Theatre Company, Katy Pfaffl of War Horse, Diane von Furstenberg, Playwrights Horizons, Mary Meyer Clothing, The Macallan, Highland Park, The Rubin Museum of Art, Luna Park, Rattle N Hum, The Beer Authority, The JCC in Manhattan, Levain Bakery, Broadway Demo, Alicia Marilyn Designs, Colwell, Le Boum, Ten Minute Turns, Play On! Studios, Rochelle Edelson, Lena Moy-Borgen, Steven Moy, and Students at The Green School.

Last week, I received an email from an administrator at The Green School. It’s been a couple months since Mary Meyer and I brought the Step Right Up! program there and so my mind has wandered to other corners of my life. But this note brought me back to one of the most important projects I am involved in. The title of the email was “kudos” and here is what she said:

Dear Ms. Bonnie,

Since SRU! ended, [a student whose name I’ll omit here]’s attendance has fallen off. Just wanted to reflect back to you that your program was meaningful to her even outside the play itself. You guys rock.

We are currently hosting another program that makes me appreciate even more the elements of your program that seemed to come so naturally to you: consistency, team building, understanding and channeling student energy, focus – let me say again, you guys rock. We have been so lucky to have you.

Looking forward to next fall.

My heart melted when I read that email. It made me want to jump back in and get that student back on track. It made me think about how important these creative projects are, and about how having something that the students take ownership in and can feel proud of brings positivity to all aspects of their lives. Last fall was our fourth year at The Green School, a Brooklyn public high school, and this student wasn’t the first whose attendance improved during the program. It’s amazing how having something to look forward to after school just might keep a couple students in school, too.

The Step Right Up! program is all about the community spirit. When we started at the school, there wasn’t a drama program. Heck, there wasn’t even a prom! It’s wonderful to watch the creative culture build at this school through this annual community project.

This past production was called BRAAAINS: A Christmas Story. When we’re creating a story, the first thing we do is let their wacky ideas fly and then we help them to mold and shape them into a cohesive story. This year’s story was about Emmanuel, whose family falls on hard times right around the holidays, and Jeanette, his best friend, who is determined to raise money and save Christmas. Her plan? Well, read a snippet of the script for details:

JEANETTE

Look. I’ve got it. Let’s raise the money ourselves. We can make some money for your family to at least have a few presents at Christmas. It can’t be that hard.

EMMANUEL

Oh yeah? What do you have in mind?

JEANETTE

A lemonade stand!

EMMANUEL

It’s winter.

JEANETTE

We can mow lawns!

EMMANUEL

It’s winter!

JEANETTE

Walk dogs?

EMMANUEL

And freeze to death?

JEANETTE

Wash cars!

EMMANUEL

Have you forgotten what season it is?

JEANETTE starts to go deep in thought. Then it hits her!

JEANETTE

I’ve got it!

EMMANUEL (sarcastic)

What? A bikini contest?

JEANETTE

We’re going to put on a play!

EMMANUEL

Now I KNOW you’ve lost your mind.

JEANETTE

It doesn’t have to be a cheezy Christmas story. We can do the show we’ve always wanted to… The Zombie Apocalypse show! Only we’ll make it a musical!

JEANETTE starts dancing around. She’s very excited about this idea.

EMMANUEL

Now I know you’ve lost your mind.

JEANETTE

I’ll get everything together! Auditions are tomorrow! This is going to work, Manny. I really really think this is going to work! Zombie Apocalypse Musical. This town is going to eat. It. UP!! Like Braains! Braaaaaaainnnnsss!!!!!

Scene ends with JEANETTE’s wheels obviously turning and EMMANUEL looking more skeptical than ever.

And so the zaniness ensues from there. We captured lot of the dialogue that is in the final script by recording improv exercises. It’s always a mad dash to write and produce a play in just two and a half months (let’s be real, you could spend years on any one element) but the rawness of these productions is what really make it so special.

We performed Braaains: A Christmas Story on December 13, 2012 in The Green School Auditorium to a full house of family and friends, and even some former Step Right Up! students who graduated last year but came by to relive some of the magic. And that’s just what it is when you let kids unleash their inner creative spirit… magic. This is why we do it—Mary and I, and all other Teaching Artists, working so hard to bring these programs to the schools that need them. We do it because we get to be part of the magic, too. It’s not a job. It’s life. And it’s the best way to live it.

So, Dear Green School, I think you rock too. I’m looking forward to the next program too. Hang in there till then. <3

The social media sphere is happily abuzz with the news that the Grammy Awards will recognize music teachers next year.  This is a huge opportunity to put arts education front and center, garner a lot of national attention, and publicly thank some hard working arts and music educators.

Did I mention the national attention?  That is a much-needed boost for so many arts educators and arts outreach/education organizations, like this one, that seem to toil on the fringes.  By that, I do not mean that the work is small-scale, but rather that it does not get central support.  STEAM and other models that integrate arts into the classroom have gotten more attention in the press, online, and from policy makers in recent years, but these models are still not mainstream.

Now seems a particularly good time to make our case for arts and for creative learning.  You can read AFA’s November post on nonprofit organizations to learn more about our thoughts on supporting these groups, but today we focus on what we can prove that arts integration does for students.  I am not a scientist, so I am using others’ research. Please do follow the links to read more.

Steven Ross Pomeroy of Scientific American, wrote “By teaching the arts, we can have our cake and eat it, too…. Several studies from the [2008 Dana Arts and Education Consortium] report correlated training in the arts to improvements in math and reading scores, while others showed that arts boost attention, cognition, working memory, and reading fluency.” (emphasis added)  Mr. Pomeroy’s argument in the rest of the article is that integrating arts into the classroom will boost American prosperity in the math, science, and technology sectors.

He is right: by teaching creative skills and with creative methods, arts education helps to build neural pathways that create problem-solving skills.  The arts have been shown to improve long-term memory, brain plasticity, self-control, language and self-expression skills, collaboration, critical and creative thinking, and more.  These ideas are not new – Americans for the Arts has long said that children involved in the arts are over 4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement.  In addition, there are recent studies that show arts education improves math and science SAT scores and builds what have been called 21^st century skills and human capital.  If you want to know more about human capital, brain plasticity, and 21^st century skills, you can just Google them!  The information is out there.

These are all the qualities that employers look for in their employees, and will continue to look for as the job sector changes.  The American economy is always seeking new qualities in the workforce.  We must teach the arts to help make our children employable in all sectors, and build the creative tools that youth need to enter the world as informed and engaged citizens (see this February editorial in The Ithican).

Edutopia’s Mariko Nobori uses a case study of an arts integration school to argue that we need whole-school reform to engage students in this type of learning.  This does not mean education only for artists.  The goal of arts education is not necessarily to create the next generation of artists: it is to integrate the arts into the science, math, English, social studies, and other classrooms to provide all students with cognitive benefits.  We need to start to see the arts as a skill-building model of education that can be utilized in every classroom.

Harvard Professor Jeremy Kagan said it best in his Keynote at the Dana Consortium conference, “The argument for arts and music in the curric­ulum does not have to be sentimental, but can rest on pragmatic grounds. Americans reserve their respect for pragmatic products and associated skills that make money, cure disease, or permit a gain in status, and believe that art and music are luxuries with no useful consequences. However, if an arts program helped only one-half of the seven million children who are behind in reading and arithmetic by providing them with a sense of pride and the belief that they might have some talent, the high school dropout rate would fall. This program might also help children gain a richer appreciation of their emotional life and what it means to be human.” (emphasis added)