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Literacy Through The Arts

Enlightenment for all subjects through the arts.
HAVING FUN AND SOMETHING TO SHOW FOR IT!

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WELCOME TO OUR WEBSITE!

We've been sharing our interdisciplinary methods with many organizations

in the New York Tri-State area since the late 1990's.

That is why we have the dot.com with the phrase many are now using.

We are a team of professional artists, musicians and writers who have the greatest talents of all…
an ability to develop potential and to transfer a passion and a love for everything!

All projects begin and end with writing.

Subjects are interrelated for effective interdisciplinary projects.

No organization is too big or too small.

All projects are tailored to meet the curriculum standards

and the budget of each organization.

OUR GOAL:
1) For students to realize the need to develop the Language Arts Skills
to succeeding in everything from business to the arts.
2) For participants to realize something very surprising:
*Education can actually serve as a form of entertainment.

Our interdisciplinary/multimedia projects have been implemented
within the curriculum of private and public organization; including:

* The New Jersey Chamber Music Society
* Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts,
(Rated in the top ten nationally by Time magazine
as one of the most creative Arts programs.)
* The Songcatchers of New Rochelle,
* Downtown After 3 Club (DA3), an after school program created after the events
of 9/11 for two high schools one block south of the former World Trade Center.
(The H.S. of Ecomomics, The H.S. for Leadership)
* Summer Institute for Jazz, with The Westchester Chamber Orchestra

(References from any of these organizations upon request.)

Ken Cro-Ken, has taught Art, Music and English full time. His most memorable experience came after the tragic events of 9/11/01. Five months later and one block away from the former World Trade Center, Ken was selected to bring his "Arts-In-Education After School" to The H.S. of Economics and Finance, and their neighbor, The H.S for Leadership and Public Service. As the Arts Coordinator for the Downtown After 3 Project Ken created, implemented and coordinated this project; working directly with the gifted Program Director, David Anderson. With the concept of "FUTURE FOCUS" and LITERACY THROUGH THE ARTS, programs known as clubs these projects offered job training at Chase and J.P. Morgan. These high school students were also involved with "THE GALLERY EXPERIENCE" , learning every aspect of operating a gallery. This included: creating the art , choosing a theme, writing group and individual artist's statements, press releases, and learned about copy and layout for promotion. Then they had to organize and throw the event at a real gallery.

Programs have included: Launching a School Newspaper, Performances, Dance, Music Videos, Playwright, The Investment Club, The Latin Club, The Desi Club (students whose families are from India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan), and more... Groups, such as The Desi Club were brought together after school but not just to "hang out". They were told that this was an excellent opportunity for them to gather fashion, music, dance, food and such from their culture and share it in a performance; just as other groups wee preparing. Getting together is great. Getting into a project as the same time... even better! Emphasis was always placed on the importance to document ideas and plans. Pads were always available as I made my rounds visiting each group daily. I believe our job is to assist students as all projects are student based and student driven.

Here are some of the creative projects to choose from:
* The Nature of Sight and Sound
    includes creating a video; using the visual composition to compose the music.
* Video Production
    includes script writing, poetry, songs, narrative, open forum discussion...
* Multimedia Events
    Creating a visual composition that includes music and/or voice.
*The Gallery Experience -
Learning every aspect of presenting and promoting an exhibition:
    make art, writing a theme and artist statement, promo art and text layout,
    and then the physical preparation for and have a gallery show in Manhattan.

Our professional artists, musicians and experienced teachers will bring
two important components to success in education and beyond:
* A feeling that one can be self-empowered
* and a transference of passion!

All ages are capable of incredible growth and expression through this program.
Parents and teachers will be proudly surprised but not nearly as much as the students.

We can assist your teaching staff as they too will become more inspired!

OUR VOCABULARY LIST WILL SURPRISE YOU!
It will transform a student of any age into a young philosopher who not only understands the world better, they understand themselves more
and offers clear choices of WHO to be in life.

Some of the words we offer help them to make sense of the world
and eventual choices they will have to make in life.

What is a white collar and blue collar worker?
(Both described with equal respect.)
If they can say: Super-calla-fragilistic-expi-ala-docious,
They can learn words like: pragmatic and dogmatic.
Give them big words and they will eat it up!!!

Our vocabulary list and the awakened powers of talent
will have all of your students become empowered beyond belief.

Contact us for a free DVD in three parts:
*Our Program Introduction,
*"Earth-Alert", a student based music video
&
*"OPEN FORUM"discussion on encoding and decoding within the art making process.
The average age of participants in this OPEN FORUM was 13y.o., and they will surprise you!

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The Nature of Sight and Sound
"Why things look the way they sound and sound the way they look."

Earth Science, Language Arts, Music, Visual Arts,
History and even Math can be brought together.

(Ralph Waldo Emerson said: Our history is directly related to Natural History.)

A project will develop over a semester or school year;
while taking into consideration exams and other school events.
Time offers students the luxury of "living with a thought" over time.

CLICK ON THE NATURE OF SIGHT & SOUND TAB ABOVE
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT A SCIENCE COMPONENT TO
LITERACY THROUGH THE ARTS!!!

*Guest musicians, artists, filmmakers, writers...
Such as, Quintet of the Americas
www.quintet.org

ALSO HAVE A LOOK AT THE "WHO WE ARE" TAB
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR CORE TEAM.

Let the learning and fun begin!!!

Remember, no organization is too big or too small.

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