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News and EventsArts Corps Youth Invited to White House EventYoungstown Records class attend Obama's A Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement
Eight youth from Youngstown Records - a collaborative after-school program of Arts Corps' MusicianCorps Program and Youngstown Cultural Art Center - have been invited to attend the White House historic concert and education event on February 10th entitled "A Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement." The concert will air in Seattle on February 11 at 9 p.m. on KCTS9 These students come from a variety of Seattle high schools and backgrounds and are talented and committed musicians who share a passion for social justice and independent youth voice. President and Mrs. Obama will host the concert in honor of Black History Month. Artists include Natalie Cole, Bob Dylan, Jennifer Hudson, John Legend, John Mellencamp, Smokey Robinson, Seal, the Blind Boys of Alabama and the Howard University Choir. Morgan Freeman and Queen Latifah will serve as emcees. The music special, part of the PBS "In Performance at the White House" series, will air on February 11 at 9 p.m. ET on KCTS9. The invitation to attend the White House celebration came from the Grammy Foundation through Experience Music Project and Kathleen Allen, community arts liaison with Seattle Public Schools, who was moved by the students' performances a the opening exhibit of I Wish I Knew Who I Was Before I Was Me at The Frye Art Museum on January 22, 2010. Funds to support the trip to the White House have been provided by generous contributions by the Frye Foundation, Carlo and Eulalie Scandiuzzi, and other individual donors.
I Wish I Knew Who I Was Before I Was MeIn October the Frye Art Museum met with Arts Corps to invite a group of students to the Museum to curate a new exhibition. The students began by visiting the Frye Art Museum, then working from the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center with Arts Corps teaching artist Roberto Ascalon (poet) and Arts Corps and MusicianCorps teaching artist Amos Miller (musician/producer). Over the course of several months the students were visited by Frye Muesuem educators, staff and designers. They viewed and discussed hundreds of Frye Permanent Collection works of art, narrowing the number of possible works to be included in the exhibition, until there were fewer than ten.The students then created personal responses to the artworks in music and lyrics, spoken and written word and chose the final five pieces in the exhibition and determined the theme and exhibition title. The end result is I Wish I Knew Who I Was Before I Was Me, an exhibition and soundscape offering unique insights into the Frye collection as interpreted by Seattle youth. See I Wish I Knew Who I Was Before I Was Me unfold here. A very special thanks to the beloved community that helped make this project happen:
Building the Beloved Community - a story of living the vision of Dr. King through music...In August 2009, Music National Service launched the innovative MusicianCorps - a musical Peace Corps that aims to engage youth in arts and arts learning, and serve as a prototype for a national Artists Corps as called for by President Obama. Music National Service partnered with Seattle's own Arts Corps, the largest nonprofit arts educator in the Seattle area. Arts Corps identified and recruited musician/producer Amos Miller, to serve as an inaugural MusicianCorps Fellow, recognizing his demonstrated and exemplary commitment to using his talent to meet community needs.
In under a year these youth have engaged in numerous community based performances and projects including a collaboration initiated by Frye Art Museum titled I Wish I Knew Who I Was Before I Was Me. Over the course of several months, with Youngstown Records Teachers and Arts Corps Teaching Artist Roberto Ascalon, students took part in the behind-the-scenes operations of the Frye and created personal responses to the artworks in Frye collection through music, the spoken and the written word. The exhibit opened on Jan 22nd, 2010 with an engaging and emotional response from the community in attendance. This is only the beginning for these courageous young people. Representing the diverse human geography of Seattle communities and public, private, and alternative Seattle schools, these students and their proud advocates are honored and committed to using the power of music and art in realizing the beloved community by reaching one listener at a time. This prestigious opportunity has been funded by the Frye Foundation, Carlo and Eulalie Scandiuzzi, individual donors, the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, the Grousemont Foundation, and with support from Arts Corps and Youngstown Cultural Arts Center.
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After a two-week intensive training camp and local site preparation, Amos's fellowship was initiated at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. Youngstown is a multi arts facility in the Delridge neighborhood of Seattle serving youth in high-need educational and community settings. In October 2009, alongside Youngstown program coordinator Kevin Mock, Amos and a group of eight nominated youth helped solidify the vision of Youngstown Records. Youngstown Records is a youth-driven record label and music cooperative committed to building community by empowering and amplifying the voices of the youth of Seattle. Youth develop their musical talents and leadership skills in a year-long program of artist-led workshops, studio recording, performances and training in new media.