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Acting Music

Academy Vocal Student Lands Major Role In Local Play

Julie K Vocal Student

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Julie Kashmanian, vocal student of Academy Voice Teaching Artist Seon Gyu Park (and a Theater student at Mason) was recently cast for a major role in an adaptation of the famous play “The Diary of Anne Frank”, which ran for 6 performances at F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre in Rockville, MD.

“I’ve been teaching Julie since the Summer of 2017,” said Ms. Park. “She was shy but had a great voice and acting skills. It’s been a wonderful journey to polish her beautiful voice and joyous time to have lessons with her. I look forward to many good things from her in the future!”

 

Julie K voice student in play

 

“Being in ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’ is a huge honor, and I am so thankful to have been given the opportunity to help tell this important story!” exclaimed Julie. “I am also very thankful to Seon for helping me to develop my voice. I had struggled with my voice for a while and her instructions really helped me recover my vocal health.”

 

Julie K voice student dancing in play

 

Congratulations, Julie – well done!

 

LEARN MORE ABOUT PRIVATE LESSONS WITH SEON GYU PARK

 

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Acting Community Outreach Music

Arts By George 2018 Performance!

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Students and faculty from Mason Community Arts Academy were invited to perform at this year’s Arts By George! fundraising event hosted by George Mason University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts. Led by directors Libby Curtis and Mary Lechter, the ensemble performed a musical number featuring actors from our theater division, a solo pianist, young violin students, an adult student singer, student flutists, and faculty violinists, pianists, guitarists, and percussionists.

“The Academy was honored to be a feature presenter for Arts by George 2018!” said Director Libby Curtis. “I was so proud of all our students and faculty – and excited to perform alongside them! – and received many wonderful comments from those in attendance. As the biggest fundraiser for the College of Visual and Performing Arts, I’m also happy to report that we received several donations because of the great work and enthusiasm that our students displayed. I can’t thank everyone enough for going the extra mile to make this a great success!”

 

Please enjoy these photos taken by students, parents, and faculty throughout the evening:

 

Approximately 500 gala event guests enjoyed the ARTS by George! Benefit on September 29th. Overall, the benefit garnered more than $140,000 in support of CVPA student scholarships and community arts programs, which include Great Performances at Mason, Green Machine Ensembles, and Mason Community Arts Academy. Thank you to all of the patrons, donors, artists, students, faculty, and staff members who made ARTS by George! 2018 such a success!

 

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Events

Aga-Boom Family Series Concert, Sunday, Sept 30th

Aga Boom Performing Group

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Looking for some Sunday fun for the whole family? As part of their Family Series, Mason’s Center for the Arts is presenting “Aga-Boom”, involving three veteran Cirque du Soleil entertainers who perform a unique style of physical comedy, blending silly slapstick with European theatrical whimsy to create madcap mayhem where the laughter never ends.

WHAT: Aga-Boom Family Series Concert
WHEN: Sunday, September 30,2018 at 1PM OR 4PM
WHERE: Mason Center for the Arts, Mason Fairfax Campus   See Map
COST: $10 for Children, $15 for Adults
PARKING: You can park in Lot K for FREE, or paid parking in Mason Pond Parking Deck

This blast of buffoonery with juggling, stilt-walking, and clowning around is exhilarating fun for the whole family. Aga-Boom’s signature ending is pure pandemonium, as toilet-paper streamers, confetti, bouncing balls, lights, alarms, and balloons overtake the theater!

 

GET TICKETS NOW THROUGH THE CENTER FOR THE ARTS

 

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Acting

FCPS Teacher Workday/ Student Holiday Theater Workshops

Disney Classics AFYP Workshop

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Parents, give your kids something fun and exciting to do when school is out for teacher work days and student holidays! Acting for Young People is thrilled to announce this school year’s Student Holiday Workshop season. Two age groups, 5-8 and 9-14, will be offered each day. Each workshop will focus on a specific acting skills such as improvisation, musical theater, playwriting, and much more!

The upcoming dates this Fall are Monday, October 8th and Monday, November 5th, with more in the Spring. The full-day program runs from 9am-3pm, located in the Mason Community Arts Academy building at 4260 Chain Bridge Road in Fairfax. Cost is $45 per student.

 

Playwriting AFYP Workshop

 

“We are incredibly fortunate to have AFYP in our community,” stated the parent of a Student Holiday Workshop last year. “The instructors genuinely want their students to succeed and have fun doing it. My daughter was greeted with big smiles and amazing energy when she arrived each morning. I knew she was going to have an exciting day before she even stepped out of the car. I have no doubt that my daughter’s passion for theatre arts is being well-supported by the team at AFYP. Every session is incredibly well organized and the communication to parents is extremely helpful.”

We hope to see you there!

 

LEARN MORE AND REGISTER NOW!

 

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Community Outreach Instruments in the Attic Music

Academy Receives Dale Earnhardt Foundation Award

Dale Earnhardt Signed Guitar

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We are thrilled to announce that the Academy has been honored with the Legend Leadership Award from the Dale Earnhardt Foundation, specifically for our Instruments in the Attic donation and outreach music program. The prestigious grant award continues the late great Dale Earnhardt’s commitment to supporting programs that focus on children, education, and environmental/ wildlife preservation.

The award includes a generous financial gift from the Dale Earnhardt Foundation, earmarked for expenses related to musical instrument repair and for scholarship funds for two Mason student “Teaching Scholars”, plus an official certificate, a book about Mr. Earnhardt, and finally a signed, limited edition Epiphone electric guitar (pictured above).

 

Dale Earnhardt Legend Leadership Award

 

“On behalf of the Dale Earnhardt Foundation, we would like to congratulate you, and the Instruments in the Attic program, as one of our selected Legend Leadership Award Winners,” stated Dale Earnhardt Foundation representative Rhonda Phipps in a letter to the Academy. “In recognition of this creative program, and the leadership of your [Mason] students, [the grant award will] help the program to continue and expand. Congratulations on all your achievements and we know that you, and Instruments in the Attic, will continue to make a positive impact with the students in your community through the universal gift of music.”

The Instruments in the Attic program accepts gently-used instruments from generous community members who no longer have need of them, but can’t bear the thought of throwing them away. As funding allows, the Academy repairs the instruments to playable condition (as necessary) and then places them in various school or community music programs and into the hands of deserving young students who might not otherwise be able to participate in the joy of music-making.

Through the Teaching Scholars program (also part of Instruments in the Attic), a select group of Mason School of Music students (often Music Education majors) are awarded scholarships based on academic achievement and passion for music education. These Teaching Scholars are sent to local schools in the community to provide auxiliary music classes for young students, as well as auxiliary support to the music teachers in those schools.

 

Academy staff with Dale Earnhardt guitar
(Academy staff with the Dale Earnhardt limited edition Epiphone guitar)

 

The financial award from the Dale Earnhardt Foundation will allow for more instruments to be repaired and “re-used”, and will increase the number of Teaching Scholar scholarship awards that can be given. The heightened exposure of the program will also provide long-term sustainable benefits.

We would like to give a very sincere thank you to the Dale Earnhardt Foundation, and the Earnhardt family, for recognizing our efforts to give access to quality music education and experiences to all community members, and for helping us “recycle” the love of music for all to enjoy!

 

Dale Earnhardt Foundation Logo
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE DALE EARNHARDT FOUNDATION

 

LEARN MORE ABOUT INSTRUMENTS IN THE ATTIC