It was an honor to be invited as a guest to attend the Arts in Corrections conference at the beautiful campus of the University of San Francisco. There were people from all over the United States, England and Japan who came together to discuss delivering arts programming to incarcerated youth and adults. Some of these artists have been working in this field for over thirty years and they shared such heartwarming stories. Also attending were family members of incarcerated adults, those who used to be incarcerated, some local politicians and even people from the corrections side. Everyone gave such amazing testimony of how the arts are making a huge difference in the lives of so many inmates. There are not a lot of artists who work in this field and it can feel a bit lonely at times, so to be around so many people of like mind was such an encouragement. A huge thank you to The California Arts Council, William James Association, The University of San Francisco and California Lawyers for the Arts for making this conference happen. More funding is being allocated to delivering arts programming to incarcerated individuals and Southland Sings teaching artists and I look forward to continuing to work with this very under served population.

VSA California, the State Organization on Arts and Disability, recently contracted Southland Sings to bring Poetry to Song Workshops to Hope High School as the music component of VSA California’s Once Upon a Thyme multi discipline arts residency. Hope School is dedicated to preparing students with special needs for lives of purpose, quality, contribution, and independence.

Diane Sawyers, one of Southland’s vocal and composition teaching artists, has been working with two classrooms at Hope.

When attending the VSA California Planning meeting at Hope High School in late February, I was thrilled to hear that the chosen music genre for this year’s “Pageant of Hope” was Jazz. I have been a long time Jazz aficionado and I was excited to have the opportunity to share my love of Jazz music in an Educational setting; however, I was not prepared for the profound effect this genre would have on the Music students at Hope

The element that has really opened doors for these students is a type of Jazz vocal improvisation known as scatting. For those who may not be familiar, scatting is when a Jazz vocalist sings seemingly random syllables in an improvisational style, often having characteristics similar to an instrumental solo. Here is a definition I think is particularly helpful: A type of jazz singing characterized by improvised vocal sounds instead of words.

I believe that the key here is “improvised vocal sounds instead of words”. The opportunity to make any vocal sound they wish, with no judgment of what is right or wrong, has created a freeing opportunity for the Music students at Hope. For example, one of the female student enjoys scatting with the word “Puppy”. She repeats it in a rhythmic fashion along with an instrumental track, often elongating the first syllable. The result is amazingly musical! Many of the students are able to duplicate simple rhythmic patterns using their scat syllables(s) when the pattern is demonstrated for them.

The live microphone also seems to have magical effect. When these students come up to the front of the class to take their turn, they all seem to understand what the microphone is for. Some of the most astonishing examples involve students who have been challenged in their verbal skills and/or those who are usually shy and cautious in their verbal communication. In my most recent session, one young man came up to the microphone, put his mouth almost right on it and joyously began making many different types of sounds. I have never heard him speak a word in any of our previous sessions. Adults in the room who have known this student for a while kept saying “Wow!” He had such a great time with his turn at the microphone we finally had to gently let him know “Great, thank you! Now it is time for someone else to have their turn.”

Another young man hasn’t mastered vowel sounds yet, but is doing very well with extending the “M” consonant and with various humming sounds. He also doesn’t usually exhibit strong verbal skills; however, he does extraordinarily well with the word “Yeah”! With encouragement, he is able to repeat the word “Yeah” rhythmically with the music, with the most infectious smile on his face. Another student who has some hearing impairment, enjoys saying “bah, bah, bah” with a good sense of beat. One boy enjoys punctuating scat syllables with people’s names. Some of the names he incorporates are those of his fellow students, some are of Paraprofessionals, and in one exuberant moment he even gave a shout out to Betsy Ross!   One of the female students started out her scatting with lots of dah, dah, dah; she has a great “d” consonant. At first she was shy about vocalizing and needed lots of encouragement. By Session 6, she was able to come up to the microphone by herself, say her name and sing all of the lyrics of the Chorus of our original piece (not scatting but actual words) with a great sense of rhythm and pitch! It was so exciting to see her achieve that level of confidence.

For those students who don’t generally exhibit verbal abilities, the Big Macks have proven to be a great way for them to participate. A Big Mack is a device, which can be used to record words or sounds. The Classroom Music teacher and I record various scat syllables for them. When it is their turn to come to the microphone to scat over the instrumental background, they can play back the sounds that have been recorded by pushing the button on their Big Macks. Sometimes they need a little encouragement to start pushing the button but once they understand how their sound fits with the music, they often continue pushing it on their own with giant smiles on their faces.

While none of these students are yet scatting with the elegant musicality of Ella Fitzgerald or the complexity of Al Jarreau, every one seems to be enjoying the opportunity to take their turn at the microphone and vocalize using the sound(s) they like best. The growth in the responsiveness to the rhythm of the instrumental loops they are singing with has been to me, extraordinary. Even more important is the joy they have all discovered by participating in the creation of Music, both as individuals and as a group.

Diane Sawyers, Soprano, has been performing professionally in the Southern California area for over 20 years. She has performed in many genres including Opera, Oratorio, Operetta and Theater. Diane’s favorite roles performed include Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro, Despina in Cosi Fan Tutte, Musetta in La Boheme and Peep Bo in The Mikado. She has toured nationally with Opera a la Carte, the renowned Gilbert and Sullivan repertory company. Diane has performed at the Ambassador Auditorium, the San Antonio Opera House, the Lied Center at University of Nebraska, the Cohan Center in San Luis Obispo and the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center.

Diane has also performed with Southland Sings in five different school outreach productions for over 15 years. This has allowed her to perform for and interact with thousands of students throughout the Southern California area. This opportunity has given her invaluable experience in connecting with young people of diverse ages and backgrounds.

Diane is just as passionate about teaching as she is performing. She has been teaching privately as well as in group settings since 1991. Her educational experience includes directing children’s musicals and youth choirs. She feels strongly that Arts Education is essential for young people. “Participating in the performing arts is so important for students, to discover their own ability to create and to recognize the importance of what the Arts contribute to a flourishing culture. To me, a really good teacher is one who provides their students with the tools and guidance to be able to think for themselves, trust their own creative ideas and make their own discoveries. Whether I’m teaching them acting, singing, musical interpretation, or how to create a story, my biggest goal is to instill in them a sense that they have something important to contribute, hoping they will find great joy in creative expression.”

Diane has a Master’s degree in Vocal Performance from the University of California, Irvine and she maintains a private voice studio in the city of Orange.

Here are some poems from Duarte and Monrovia Students who were part of our performance at the Duarte Performing Arts Center. This performance was made possible by  the City of Duarte Cal Grip Grant.

The Raggedy Doll

By Isabella

The raggedy doll’s oval black

eyes stare into my skull from afar.

Its little mouth makes an “O” shape.

The hair is pink the outfit blue

The hat is frilly and so is the skirt.

The nose looks misshapen the head too

The arms and legs are barely sewn on

The raggedy doll can’t even stand on its own.

The arms and feet are barely sewn on.

The raggedy doll that usually scares me and my fearless cat too.

Flying

By Antonio

On Wednesdays, just at mid-day I am going to fly with some might

right, right by the Statue of Liberty.

I caught sight of her crown

and her flaming torch…..

On Thursday I saw myself

on television, wearing an awesome cape,

zooming right by the Statue of Liberty.

Right, Right by the Statue of Liberty.

On Friday it was reported

the Statue of Liberty was missing.

I flew with all my might searching for her.

I looked high…. I looked low

still couldn’t find her.

On Saturday, it was a bad day,

searching on the computer

for the Statue of Liberty

till my eyes watered.

On Sunday the sun was shining bright with all my might

I flew towards the harbor and there she was

The lady wearing her crown, holding her torch…….

Batman

By Andrew

On Saturday I saw Batman

Not on television.

He was flying in the sky

I saw his shadow.

No one would believe me

when I told them Batman was flying in the sky.

I ran to tell my parents

They laughed and told me

to eat my breakfast…..

I put my Batman cape on

picked up my bowl of Sugar Pops

clicked the remote and Batman appeared

not in the sky, but back on channel 7

I have been working as the voice teacher once a week for about five weeks at Blend School for the Blind/Van Ness Elementary in Hollywood.

The students have written a musical that they will perform this week. The students themselves vary in musical strength. Some of the children are shy, particularly as performing is new to them. So, often my focus is on diction, projection, posture and body language.

One little girl, Natalie, likes to play piano chords while we warm up. Two weeks ago, I asked her to focus on good posture to help her singing. So, she did not get to play piano that week but I promised her she could the next week.

Last week, when it was Natalie’s turn for a voice lesson, I remembered I had promised she could play piano before we sang. I knew she had a good ear – when we do vocal warm ups she is able to pick out the notes we are singing on the piano.

Natalie sat down at the piano and proceeded to play every song from their musical. She also sang the lyrics to each song while she played and figured out chords to link one song to the next. I felt as if I were listening to the overture of the musical. I was not expecting her piano skills to be so advanced because I had only heard her play a few chords in the past. She appears to have taught herself all the songs by ear and to have made up her own chordal transitions to each song.  I don’t think she reads music. I was blown away by her performance. I asked her if her teacher, Ms. Bell, had taught her but she said “no.” I said “Wow! You play better than I do.” She said “I know.” Later, I told Ms. Bell about her playing all the songs from the show and asked if she had helped her at all but Ms. Bell said she hadn’t and that she believes Natalie is a savant. I suggested Natalie play her medley of songs as the overture.

This young girl is obviously extremely gifted. I hope she will have the opportunity to have the musical education she deserves.

Saturday, May 30th 6:00 PM:  Poetry To Song Performance at Duarte Performing Arts Center

Saturday, May 30th at the Duarte Performing Arts Center at 6:00 PM (1401 Highland Ave Duarte, CA) We have a our Poetry to Song students performing in a showcase. Admission is Free

Free Poetry to Song Workshops at Monrovia Boys and Girls Club

Free Poetry to Song workshops that will be offered at Monrovia Boys and Girls Club beginning on Monday, June 22nd and will meet every Monday through August 10th with dress rehearsals and performances throughout the week of August 10th
Contact Ann Noriel at 626-357-9156 for more information or to register.
Monday workshop times and locations:
1:30-2:45 Monrovia Boys and Girls Club 843 East Olive Ave Monrovia CA
3:30-4:45 Pamela Park 2236 Goodall Ave. Duarte, CA

Originally from San Francisco, soprano, Carol Winston, studied at University of California, Santa Barbara, where she received her B.A. in Music.

Carol has performed and toured nationally with the Pasadena based Gilbert and Sullivan company Opera a la Carte. Roles include “Mabel” in The Pirates of Penzance, “Yum-Yum” in The Mikado, “Gianetta” in The Gondoliers and “Laeticia” in The Zoo.

She has sung “Zerlina” in Don Giovanni for Repertory Opera Company. Recently she sang the role of “Duchess Carolina” in the popular Zarzuela Luisa Fernanda at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica.

Solo concert work includes Orff’s Carmina Burana, Mozart’s, Exultate Jubilate, the Mozart Requiem, the Mozart Vespers, the Beethoven Chorale Fantasy, the Bruckner Te Deum and Vivaldi’s Beatus Vir with the Laguna Beach Chorale. Carol was the soprano soloist for Ballet San Jose in a ballet version of The Pirates of Penzance.

She has worked with Los Angeles Opera, Opera Pacific, Southland Sings, Guild Opera and Orange County Opera in their outreach programs for students, singing such diverse roles as “Little Red Riding Hood” (by Seymour Barab), “Marie” (Daughter of the Regiment), “Gretel” (Hansel and Gretel) and “Ginger” (The Night Harry Stopped Smoking). She originated the title role of “Estrella” in Guild Opera’s bilingual children’s opera and has performed in Zarzuelas with the Jarvis Conservatory in Napa.

Carol began teaching voice and piano in earnest about four years ago. Her studio includes children as young as six to adults over 60. Drawing on her own experiences learning to sing and read music has helped her relate to her beginning students’ concerns. Carol finds teaching fulfilling when her students are able to utilize techniques they have worked on together. “Once in a while I’ll get a new, very beginning student and I’ll think ‘Oh, dear, they have no idea what I’m talking about; I don’t think they’ll be able to get it.’ But, they come back the next week having practiced and amaze me with their improvement.”

Carol has worked with Southland Sings as an outreach performer for many years. This has enabled her to work with elementary age children. Thus, transitioning into teaching this age group has worked well.

Carol has performed for children with disabilities and recently began teaching these students. Watching their growth as they improve musically and have more confidence has been very rewarding.

Here are a few poems from our incarcerated students who are in the Orange County Department of Education’s  ACCESS Program.

My New Home

These are song lyrics by a female student who wanted to write about the new home that she will create for herself once she is released. A home full of peace and joy.

Reminiscing, smiling

wondering where I’ll go

on the sandy beach

the warm sand under my toes

I don’t want to fly home

let the waves sway me

away from home

bring me to a place

filled with joy

that will be my new home

that will be my new home

Why Didn’t I Listen?

We saw a lot of growth in this male student, he was ready to make some big changes in his life.

Why didn’t I listen to the

street lights when they told me

to go home at night?

Why didn’t I listen to my mother,

when she told me to do right?

Why didn’t I listen to my parole officer

when he told me to stay out of the hood?

Why didn’t I listen to the judge

when he said, “I’ll give you a chance.”

Yet I knew in advance that living a life of sin is playing a game

I’ll never win. I know I’m smart I have a brain

this jail routine is driving me insane.

I think it’s time for a change

before my life goes down the drain.

My freedom is what I’m missing

but why, why didn’t I listen?

Sheep

These song lyrics speak about this female student’s life in prison                                                                                                            

The paint you left started to chip

The lies you speak fall off your lips

And I know I tend to let it show

Paper wasted loss of tree

Carved out log set out to sea

But I’ll save the human race

Without leaving a trace of me

Chorus

Well I’ve spent days counting sheep

Who won’t shut up won’t let me sleep

I know the hill you run is steep

But it doesn’t excuse the life you choose

Or why all your talk is cheap

Twenty girls locked up so tight

Inside a box with angles right

Eyes cover the wall, vampires in the halls

On the outside looking in

We’re the ones who never win

To them we look all the same

So we must be alike in some way