Cultural Arts Coordinators Needed

8/27/2021 8:56 am

MPE students experience 3 to 5 Cultural Arts shows in a typical year. While the last couple of years have been anything but typical, MPE has still been committed to offering this important program.  Artists in the past have included musical groups (Transit Vocal Band, From Bach to DooWop), theatre performances (The Story Ship, Pete the Cat), and even Dave the Birdman and his amazing trained parrots. This year, we are planning for an on-demand virtual option from Bright Star Theater.  This NC based theatre company offers a subscription service where teachers can choose from over 30 shows across a variety of topics and play them at any time.  If circumstances permit, we will also plan a live performance in the Spring.

For the last 10 years, Eric Hall has been our parent volunteer in charge of booking and organizing performances for our school. This is Eric’s last year as an MPE parent and he is looking to pass on his knowledge to the next MPE Cultural Arts coordinator(s). 

His duties include the following:

1) Attend an information session hosted by UAC (virtual session this year took place in August)

2) Attend an artist showcase where performers show snippets of their performances to give you a sense of what they do (virtual session this year took place in August)

3) Decide on the artists we want to bring in for a given year and pick the dates (in conjunction with Mr. Regan)

4) Negotiate a price with the artists

5) Complete the application to United Arts in September

6) Be on-site or plan for a volunteer on-site on performance days

7) Complete the post performance survey

It’s a fun role and the busiest time is the beginning of the school year.  The prep work begins in August with the annual training sessions and the performer showcase.  In normal years, the showcase is held in person at a Wake County high school where you can meet the artists, learn about their programs and even see 5-minute snippets of their shows. If you are interested in helping him this year and in training to be one of next year’s coordinators, please email Natalie at vicepresident@millsparkpta.com.

Eric’s top 5 favorite showcases at MPE

#1 - The Number Drummer 

A show that teaches math through drumming.

"Number Drummer Live is a one-of-a-kind interactive performance where the entire audience “drums” up math to create a spectacular rhythmic production.  Every student plays an instrument.  It’s 100% student engagement.  It's 50 minutes of non-stop math and music.  It's up to 400 students performing simultaneously.  Number Drummer Live is the ultimate interactive math and music experience." - www.numberdrummer.com

#2 -  Trent Arterberry

A mime whose performance focuses on self-confidence.

"Trent Arterberry is an award-winning performing artist whose unique style of physical theatre variously combines masterful mime, poignant monologue, comedic characters and dramatic narratives." - www.trentshow.com/index.html

#3 - Bomani Armah

A Hip-Hop artist who teaches kids about the writing process through Hip-Hop.

"Bomani Armah (aka D’mite, aka Baba Bomani) is a Hip-Hop artist. Raised in Prince George’s County Maryland, Bomani is a fixture in the Maryland Art-Education, Hip-Hop and poetry scene... Bomani is currently touring the country doing concerts, school assemblies, residencies and professional development with thousands of teachers and students each year." - notarapper.com

#4 - Gustafer Yellowgold

Multimedia storytelling.

"Since his creation by Morgan Taylor in 2005, Gustafer Yellowgold has become an international phenomenon, acclaimed by The New York Times as 'A cross between ‘Yellow Submarine’ and Dr. Seuss.' Entertainment Weekly praised '…The most infectious original songs. It’s like tapping into some pleasure center in the brain- both adult and kid…absurdly appealing.'

Gustafer Yellowgold’s Show is a funny and touching multimedia performance of live music, colored-pencil animations and storytelling." - gustaferyellowgold.com

#5 - Leland Faulkner

Magic and storytelling.

"Leland uses the techniques and disciplines of acting, mime, story, writing, and magic to create a world teeming with characters and imagination. From the eloquence of a pair of hands conjuring a menagerie, to a piece of folded paper, or an old hat brim, these simple props become openings for creating magical theatre and appealing characters." - www.lelandfaulkner.com