Live Connections at the World Café Live

Back in November, six Art-Reach member agency groups, totaling over 60 people, gathered at the World Café Live to take part in the Language of Rhythm Bridge Session. As an Art-Reach staff member and loyal XPN fan, I was excited to see what these bridge sessions were about and was beyond impressed by the musicians, the members, and the venue.

 

Josh Robinson, an Art-Reach in-facility artist (as Rhythms and Roots) and talented musician, along with two other teaching artists/musicians, led this interactive workshop to explore how rhythm and rhyming can be used to communicate and express emotion.
The program started off with the band improvising music based on the question posed to the audience “how are you feeling today?” and the answers “enamored, sleepy, and excited.” It was amazing how the music played sounded just like those emotions and the Art-Reach groups were immediately transformed into artists, musicians, performers and poets for the next two hours.

Collectively, all 60 people in the audience brainstormed words that finish the sentence “my neighborhood sounds/smells/looks like…” They then compiled these words and phrases into a poem and volunteers stood up to read along to music played on drums,

keyboards, chimes and a number of other percussion instruments.

Here is the poem written by Art-Reach members:


The soundtrack of my life
sounds like butterflies screaming in the wind
A man searching for peace after a storm, a good place to hide
Hummingbirds and bees running through traffic
Children playing in sweet & sour sewage like a
corned beef special
Honeydew in the morning
As Ghetto As It Gets

By the end of the workshop, almost everyone in the room had an instrument in hand. My favorite was the man playing a large upside-down Tupperware bucket with drumsticks. And when the 60-person jam session ended, no one seemed ready to leave. I certainly wasn’t!

Launched in 2008 by a team of artists, educators and entrepreneurs, LiveConnections.org (LCO) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to music, education and support for artists. Through its work, LCO connects all kinds of people through all kinds of music. Each program seeks to blend great art, personal contact and diverse perspectives.  LiveConnections.org’s Bridge Sessions Program brings together musicians from different disciplines and backgrounds with groups of students, seniors and disabled populations in an interactive exploration of music and cultures. By bringing together artists who cross genres and cultures, the sessions encourage participants to consider multiple points of view and build their understanding of perspectives different from their own.

The next Bridge Session will take place on April 13th.  Entitled World of Percussion this program features Doc Gibbs, who was the musical director for the Emeril Live! show. He, along with two other talented percussionists, brings instruments to life, making them sing and literally talk to tell a story. It is an interactive session that resulted in dancing, and instrument playing when Art-Reach members last took part in the program in 2009. This program is open to Art-Reach member organizations serving adults with disabilities who are high functioning. If you are interested, please contact the programming department at 215-568-2115 x4 or x5 or email Matt Bryan at mbryan@art-reach.org 

-By Rachel Robbins

Get To Know The Ambassador Of The Year

This year the 1st Annual Ambassador Appreciation event was held on September 23rd at the Arden Theatre Company’s final dress rehearsal of The History Boys. At the event, we presented the Ambassador of the Year Award to this year’s recipient, Christine White.
Christine is an Administrative Ambassador, which means that she volunteers in the Art-Reach office. “Programming” at Art-Reach is a huge undertaking and incorporates many different types of programs, including In-Facility, Livearts and Museum ticketing, and more.  Just ask Program Manager, Matthew Bryan, who has seen the programs grow firsthand. As our programs grow, we realized we needed a computerized system that could keep track of it all, so that we can best serve our members. Enter “the database”. For the past five years, Art-Reach has been developing a database that will manage our programming and streamline our ticketing system. It was created from scratch specifically to handle the work that we do here at Art-Reach. After years of development, all of the information from the past year’s events had to be entered into the database in time for our yearly audit. Thanks largely to Christine White, it happened!
Christine exemplifies what makes Art-Reach Ambassadors so special. They are committed, and always remind us through their smiles and dedication why we are involved with this organization.


GETTING TO KNOW CHRISTINE BETTER

Rachel Robbins (Art-Reach Program/Development Assistant): Christine, what made you want to get involved with Art-Reach in the first place?
Christine White: I wanted to volunteer for an organization that was involved with something that I enjoy and had a mission that I could support.

RR: What do you find most rewarding about being an Art-Reach Ambassador?
CW: Doing small acts of kindness means so much to others. That's a great feeling.

RR: What has been one of your favorite Art-Reach moments?
CW: I was at the Morris Arboretum for Earth Day. There was a group of school children who were giggling and screaming as they raced toward a straw structure in the garden. As they ran in and out of it, they were so excited. It was touching to see them having so much fun!

RR: How do you feel about winning the Ambassador of the Year?
CW: I was truly touched by the award. I'm very happy to be part of such a great organization and group of people. I smiled the entire next day (and still smile today)! Thank you!

Christine’s Favorites:
Book: Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff
Art form: Painting
Philadelphia Museum or Attraction: The Philadelphia Museum of Art and Logan Circle

Join Art-Reach on Sunday, November 1st at the 18th Annual Jazz Brunch and Silent Auction where we will honor Christine White as well as our 2009 Commitment to Cultural Access Awardees Christine Rouse (Founder & Executive Director, Acting Without Boundaries) and Arden Theatre Company.

- Rachel Robbins

Click here to learn more about the Ambassador Program and how to get involved.

Help us name the Database! Now that it will be a part of daily life here at Art-Reach, it needs a name. Have ideas? Send them to Rachel Robbins at rrobbins@art-reach.org.

A Night of Partnerships: Art-Reach and Arden Theatre Company Present The History Boys

On Wednesday, September 23rd, Arden Theatre Company presented its final dress rehearsal of The History Boys, a play by Alan Bennett. Art-Reach was there to celebrate our Volunteer Ambassadors and to support the Arden as they kicked off their 22nd season. The event served as the 1st Annual Art-Reach Ambassador Appreciation Event, where attendees were invited to “Pay-What-You-Can.” All proceeds from the night benefited Art-Reach.

It was a night to celebrate partnerships, and the event raised more than $2,200. The celebration began with the Ambassador Appreciation reception, which recognized all participants of Art-Reach's Ambassador Program, included awards and amazing food donated by Max Brenner and The Corner Bakery, as well as wine from Ristorante Panorama. Art-Reach ambassadors have contributed so much to our growth as an organization and every day help us to carry out the Art-Reach mission of enriching lives by connecting underserved audiences with cultural experiences so that they may enjoy and benefit from the transformative powers of the arts. Ambassadors help us to achieve this in the office, at events, and with our members. They are a dedicated team of individuals that continually keeps Art-Reach staff sane and entertained. We were delighted to have them all in one place and to publicly say “thank you for all you do at Art-Reach”. Stephanie Borton, Associate Director of Art-Reach read quotes from Art-Reach staff about the Ambassadors:

“Our Ambassadors are constantly going above and beyond the call of duty, performing the smallest to the largest of tasks with smiles on their faces. We’re lucky to have such a wealth of talent, compassion, and determination at our fingertips.” – Sage Young, Development Manager

“Our ambassadors are incredibly helpful and add tons of joy to our office! We are so appreciative of everything ambassadors do for Art-Reach. They help to make members’ experiences as rich as possible. They’re Grrrrrrrrrreat!” – Rachel Robbins, Program/Development Assistant

“Simply put, Ambassadors make Art-Reach possible. I am grateful to work with such dedicated volunteers and words cannot accurately express the depth of my gratitude for their efforts. Ambassadors keep me sane. There is no way that I would be successful in serving Art-Reach’s mission without their tireless efforts.” – Matt Bryan, Program Manager

Ths year, we are pleased to recognize one Ambassador in particular who has contributed greatly in the past year. The Ambassador of The Year Award was given to Christine White, an administrative ambassador who has worked diligently to help us get our programming database up and running. The partnership between Art-Reach and our ambassadors is one that we are incredibly grateful for and it was a pleasure to share in a night of culture and History at the Arden.

The Arden Theatre Co. itself is a long-time Arts Partner and a leader in accessibility (as well as in the Philadelphia arts community). It is also this year’s organizational honoree of Art-Reach’s 18th Annual Jazz Brunch and Silent Auction fundraiser. Dixieland Jam: A Celebration of New Orleans Jazz will be held on November 1st at the Park Hyatt at the Bellevue. Two tickets to the Jazz Brunch were raffled off to a lucky audience member before the show began, and the show went off without a hitch. Overall, the night was a huge success. The Arden was full of Art-Reach supporters and we look forward to seeing all of you (and more!) at next year’s 2nd Annual Ambassador Appreciation Event.

-Rachel Robbins
 Art-Reach Program/Development Assistant