Blogs
This post was written by Lauren Burns, a sophomore Multiplatform Journalism and History double major.
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The deaths of Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis, among others, remind us that our country has much to do in terms of reconciling our nation’s past sins with its present.
The play never lost focus of its message: freedom isn’t free, and not all Americans have the same amount of freedom, if any at all.
This blog post is by Emily Schweich, junior broadcast journalism major.
Telling the stories of war and the struggles of returning veterans can be a difficult task. Artists and journalists often fall back on cliche narratives and tropes to express the difficulties that these men and women face as they readjust to civilian life. Sometimes, some of the most important voices are left out of these stories – those of family and community members who are also touched by the perils of war.
As producer Anne Hamburger said in the conversation following the performance, AJ’s story was that of the “everyman.” His and Melissa’s experience reflected many common struggles that returning Marines and their families face.
The Clarice is creating the future of the arts with provocative programs that invite you to share in the artistic process, explore important social issues and enjoy the arts in your favorite local hang-out. Here is some of what's now from The Clarice.
This blog post is by Emily Schweich, junior broadcast journalism major.
My love affair with the tenor voice began in late high school. When I began seriously studying voice, I realized that not all tenors were pubescent boys who had to tip their chins to the ceiling in order to hit high notes. Since then, I’ve been hooked. A well-trained tenor voice is one of the most beautiful sounds in the world to me, and British tenor Mark Padmore delivered in his exquisite Clarice performance, a collaboration with American pianist Jonathan Biss.
It’s safe to stay that tenors are still my favorite voice part.
By Emily Schweich, junior broadcast journalism major at the University of Maryland.
To truly appreciate The Me Nobody Knows, one needs to understand where it came from.
The musical is based on the 1969 book The Me Nobody Knows: Children’s Voices from the Ghetto, which compiles the voices of 200 students from Harlem. Teachers encouraged these students, who were between the ages of 12 and 18, to write down their deepest thoughts, fears and concerns. The book’s editor, Stephen M. Joseph, asked his students to respond to four dimensions of their identity – how they see themselves, their neighborhoods, the world outside, and the things they can’t see or touch.
The result: A moving collection of young people’s voices that was adapted into a musical by Robert Livingston, Gary William Friedman, Will Holt and Herb Schapiro in 1970. Alvin Mayes and Scot Reese, co-directors of the School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies’ production, have situated these teenagers in a church basement, in a therapy/support group of sorts.
This blog post is by Emily Schweich, a broadcast journalism major.
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University of Maryland School of Music professor Linda Mabbs was honored with the Kirwan Faculty Research and Scholarship Prize at the university’s fall convocation Wednesday.
The award is one of the highest honors a faculty member can receive that recognizes research and creative ability.
“Everyone is thrilled about it, because it recognizes the school and what we do here,” Mabbs said.
This blog post is by Emily Schweich, a junior broadcast journalism major.
The UMD Wind Orchestra, under the direction of Dr. Michael Votta, presents its first concert of the season, featuring Baljinder Sekhon’s Double Percussion Concerto for Two Solo Percussionists and Wind Ensemble. I spoke with Dr. Lee Hinkle, percussion lecturer and director of the percussion ensemble at the UMD School of Music, who is one of the two solo percussionists. The other is his former teacher and mentor Robert McCormick.
For Hinkle, sharing the stage with his mentor is a special experience. “I really became a player under his leadership...[Bob] taught me how to appreciate what is quality music, and he taught me how to navigate the industry.”
This post was written by Lauren Burns, a sophomore Multiplatform Journalism and History double major.
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A band with a Spanish name would typically perform Spanish songs, right?
For some reason, I didn’t think much about this during my walk from my South Campus Commons apartment building to The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. So, embarrassingly, I was surprised to hear predominately Spanish lyrics during La Santa Cecilia’s first song.
A highlight was when she sang “Como Dios Manda,” which she described as a traditional love song, in a time when noise from Facebook and social media complicate love. La Marisoul’s voice was loud and powerful as the audience was nearly silent and the band gently played while allowing her voice to be the absolute focus of the song.
This blog post is by Emily Schweich, a junior broadcast journalism major at the University of Maryland.
One might think that puppets are just for kids. Not so. Pointless Theatre, a D.C. company founded by UMD School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies (TDPS) alumni, blends puppetry, theatre, dance, live music and visual art to create unique onstage spectacles for adult audiences.
From October 9 to October 13, Pointless Theatre is in residence at Joe’s Movement Emporium in Mt. Rainier to rehearse for and polish their performances for a showing Saturday, October 11 at 7PM. Pointless Theatre will perform two original twenty-minute pieces, Famous Birds and Nom-noms, followed by a conversation that will allow audience members to share their thoughts and feelings about the work.
“This residency has allowed us to reinvest in our company members, build skills they haven’t had before, and give them the opportunity to flex their directing muscles or design muscles in a low-risk environment,” Whalen said.
If you came to the NextNOW Fest, you might have seen PEARSONWIDRIG DANCETHEATER’s performance of A Curious Invasion on the steps of our staircase. Here are some photos from their performance of A Curious Invasion/Governors Island in the New York harbor in June 2014:
