Thoughts, Opinions, Rethinking and Proposals #3: The Arts and Public Education

Hello everyone. After a crazy set of set backs in my personal life (one being the loss of this original article from a hard drive failure), I am attempting to retype the post from how I initially planned on presenting it. Should it come off a little more complicated or not flow as easily as the articles on here normally write for the site, I apologize in advance. Moving back to topic, there has been a lot of debate over the past few years over removing the arts from our public education. Sources such as Americans for the Arts and Center for Artistic Activism have been making stands for defending the arts for some time now but they are known for working with the public system. In my opinion and the opinion of many others, one of the greatest assets to saving the arts is making sure they thrive in public education. We as artists need to make sure that these programs are kept alive and thriving for the future of the arts. The benefits are not only beneficial for the artistic part of the mind, but also for the arithmetic portion. The benefits are also known to benefit students with special needs or a physical disability.

Learning to play an instrument at any level of education is also like learning a new language; having to not only understand it, but translate it with perfect diction and precise pronunciations can be a tall order. The thought process behind seeing the "dots" compared to the closest line of the staff is thought in our minds as if you are understanding "the" starts with the letter "t" and it is the 20th letter of the English alphabet. Understanding how a note with multiple flags eventually line up to equal a full measure is processed just like adding 1/16, 2/8 and 3/16 to equals 1/2. This is not even going into the process behind developing an artistic style, or following a periodic style such as making baroque music sound detached or  It all relies on expanding the mind in several dimensions. This has led into research into the possibility of using music as a form of medical treatment for people who were either born with a physical or mental disability or have acquired one. There are pages upon pages of information into the field of music therapy that I wish I could explain to everyone (maybe one day!) but if this interests you then head to the American Music Therapy Association website and look into it. It ranges from helping students with an Autism Spectrum Disorder to develop emotional stability to assiting in building motor control. It is also able to help release emotions that may be left inside from complicated situations revolving around themselves that they may not be able to express otherwise.

It plays a key role in students who want to belong somewhere. It has been reported that artist of any kind are more likely to gain crucial vocal and communication skills from their art. The Atlantic reported about the benefits to using music as a stimulate for students with ASD who lack in communication skills. The article goes into details of technique called "regulation" or changing the tempo or even the feel of the music to make sure the student grows outside cues and repetition. This is merely scratching the surface of this field and it's implications but there is a pattern I'm attempting to create.

Drawing this article back towards a well rounded education, we should look towards research into SAT students. Research posted by Americans for the Arts in 2010 shows arts students scored 91.6 points higher on their SAT compared to non-arts related students between 1999 and 2009. The same group has publicized more information showing that studying an art for four or more years can increase scores by 100 points.

Before I leave this conversation to the comments section of this post, the Facebook page or the Twitter page let me leave you with these 11 facts about the arts as posted by Do Something .Org that I found interesting in my research. Next week will be the last of this series followed by a summary. There will be a surprised with this one, so stay tuned! Also for New Years Day, I will release a special post for those whom want to know the plans of the blog. I have a few announcements I am ready to publicize that I think will bring a new chapter to ASMTB.

Review: Fraley's Klotz

Sulli said I had to introduce myself, so... Hey everybody! My name is Faith, and I am a violin major at UNCC. I am also the manager at Davidson Violins and have really enjoyed learning over the past couple years about various violins, their makers and their merits. When I was asked to write a review of something interesting in the shop, I knew exactly which one I wanted to write about. (I also desperately want this violin for Christmas, but I don't think that's gonna happen.)

Hanging on the wall at Davidson Violins is a very unique violin. At first glance, it doesn’t look much different from the dozen or so other violins on display next to it. But as you stop and take another look, you start to notice the things that make it so special.

The wood is obviously old and has a fine grain of light and dark brought out by the smooth varnish. But it’s not just the wood that catches your eye. Something about the body is a little different. Chubby even. And that is what sets this instrument apart from the others. While the rib height is fairly standard, the arch of the belly is much higher than that of a traditional Stradivarius copy. This violin was made almost for sure by one of the Klotz brothers.

This family founded a violin making school in Mittenwald, Germany, in the late 1600’s. Their popularity brought fame and fortune to Mittenwald, and the town celebrates their patrons with a memorial and statuary. Their violins are so unique, and so well liked, that there has been an epidemic of badly made Klotz copies and knockoffs. So much so, that any instrument labeled as a Klotz comes under suspicion.

This particular instrument, however, carries nearly all the marks of a genuine Klotz. While there is no 100% guarantee, experts have agreed that it is, most likely, not a copy. The label inside, while not the original label that came with the instrument, is a copy of a genuine Klotz label. It reads proudly:  Aegidius Klotz in Mittenwald…1771. Aegidius (1733-1805) was a third generation violin maker in the Klotz family, and son of Sebastian, one of the more famous members of this family. Aegidius’ violins were considered quite excellent work. In fact, it is said that Mozart’s own personal violin was made by Aegidius Klotz.

This violin is in excellent condition for being over 200 years old. There is very little obvious cosmetic damage, and the imperfections around the edges only lend to its charm. There have been a few top cracks repaired, but there is little evidence that there was any damage at all. When you look at the instrument from the side, the arching is so high that you can actually see through one F-hole and out the other. While a regular violin has a body that is a little over 2 inches deep, this Klotz has a depth of 3 inches. The back of the instrument, made of a single piece of wood, has a zebra stripe flaming pattern with an obvious wear spot there the player’s shoulder would come in contact with the instrument.

A modern neck has also been grafted in with the original scroll in order to compensate for the change in string tension as violin designed moved away from the Baroque setup to the now standard classical set up. This is standard procedure for any violin made in the Baroque period.

This extra space in the body makes for a deep resonant tone. The G string isn’t as powerful as one might expect, but it has a very sweet sound. The A string in particular is clear and strong. A typical classical musician might find the setup fairly low, as this violin has been used as a fiddle for the last several years. However, it plays smoothly and responds well to any player.

While this is an excellent instrument in its own right, there is also some more modern history that may lend an extra attraction for some. The most recent owner of this instrument was the late Kentucky fiddle player J.P. Fraley. Fraley used this instrument for years, and won many awards while playing with this fiddle. Since his passing, this decision was made to put the instrument up for sale, making this unique instrument now available to the public. 

Thoughts, Opinions, Rethinking and Proposals #2: The Arts and The Public

After the overwhelming positive reception I received from last week's post, I will continue writing this series through the New Year as originally planned, however I will add a few more ideas than I originally planned. I had originally intended on making this a bi-weekly article from now until Jan. 4, but as I previously mentioned, the response and feedback was amazing. I had thought that everyone would have rejected the idea of wanting to find more artist to help teach the amazingly talented bronies would result in only negative remarks and the loss of followers. This was thankfully not the case, and I thank everyone for not following my head's initial over dramatized reaction. However, things will not be filled with nerd culture so do not fear being spammed with pony info unless you want to explore the "pony-verse". If that is the case, then I suggest following Harmonic Inferno on Twitter. Today's post will be focused more on some ideas of the Union Symphony Youth Orchestra and how they should be used more as a critical tool for arts activism. If you would like to read the previous article, then click here.

For those who do not know me, the Union Symphony Youth Orchestra is my artistic home away from Rock Hill. The Union Symphony Youth Orchestra is a youth symphony managed by the Union Symphony Society, Inc. (USSI) in Monroe, NC. Back in 2009, I was very fortunate to have been led to the formation of said youth symphony and to have been a member of it for three years, the latter two being principle cellist. I was also a member of several smaller ensembles within the symphony; Exposition, which was a cello quartet formed out of the members that commuted from York Co. SC, and Ceilidh (pronounced Cay-lee), which was a string trio with two violinist that played Celtic and Irish folk music. I was playing with them until I graduated high school and moved on to college. I am an intern with the youth orchestra, serving as an assistant cello coach, and assistants to the director of the youth orchestra, and their younger counterpart Prelude. 

The reason I'm bringing this all up is not to show you my history with them, though I am very proud of it, but to give you background information for what I think can be a very vital asset to helping build arts support in a community.

Prelude Junior String Orchestra 2012-2013
Photo by: Midori Johnson

The fact that all arts activist and arts supporters have to come to the conclusion is no matter how much work we do, or how much effort we push into spreading our craft for others, we will never get to everyone. There will always be one person that will have no clue what happens in a specific art, or any of them. Even though this guarantees a need for people who will continuously spread the arts, this conundrum also means we do not have a way to communicate with some group of people. That was the approach symphony societies like the USSI have had to come to terms with. Rather than having to market a traditional method, one of using flyers and word of mouth to communicate their existence to possible patrons, concert viewers and possible future musicians, the USSI decided they should bring the arts to the public, and here is where that information comes to play.

Along with the use of the youth symphony playing their standard concerts, they figured to begin marketing it to people who knew the reputation of the adult symphony one that had formed out of a desire of wanting a symphony in their community. They planned on combined concerts, where the adults would play the concert material with the youth symphony, and use that as a means to attract more people. This is a wonderful starting point for those whom are trying to start off a youth symphony, or start anything really. Work with another group in your community that has a lot of respect in the community. It is as if you are telling the younger audience: "Do YOU want to play with professionals?" It also works well because it shows the adults that the group exists and they will encourage the children to join too.

Union Symphony Youth Orchestra 2012-2013
Photo by: Midori Johnson

This also leads me into my next point, collaborating with local organizations to spread the word. Sometimes the power of two groups will be more powerful than one alone not to mention making each other aware of the other. As stated before, the use of a ballet company combined with a symphony in a public venue causes to bring yourselves to the attention of the unaware public. There is a likely chance an unaware person in the other group who wants to be involved with your group but never knew how or even that you existed. This tends to be a very common problem among various groups of people. There is also the possibility that you could find someone involved with the other group which had no idea yours existed and decided they should be involved with yours.

Another brilliant idea that symphonies can do to advertise to the common person is playing in public. Within the past  few years a video came to light online of an orchestra flash mob that has inspired many others to do the same. That has also been a target that many symphonies like the Union Symphony Youth Orchestra has tried to continuously hit, and what more artists need to hit: Bring the arts to the general public. Just because one has not ever attended a symphony concert does not mean said person will not enjoy it or will not become involved. They need to know that they do exist and are within reach. The more involvement that is created within a local community, attempting to incorporate the people whom are regularly involved with the arts, and the blind public, then the more one can grow.

Live at the mall!
Photo by Adam Sullivan

This idea of community involvement can be achieved in several ways, one of the more common is having smaller ensembles performing in local venues. That was the initial purpose to both Exposition and Ceilidh, someone had an event they wanted live music for or the symphony society needed music for an event they were hosting, so they would call us to play. You could also use the whole symphony to preform in the public, like mentioned above. For example, I had hinted on Facebook and Twitter about this article through sharing a picture of the symphony playing in a mall near Monroe. This has been a venue of theirs for several years now, collaborating with one of the dance studios in the local community and putting on The Nutcracker out in a location most people would be around.

There are many other wonderful ways to bring the arts to the public, but I hope these ideas will work as stepping stones towards inspiring more activist to helping spread the arts to everyone. If you have an idea you would like to share, then feel free to leave it in the comments below, or share it with us through Facebook or Twitter. Don't forget to subscribe for part 3 of the series!

Thoughts, Opinions, Rethinking and Proposals #1: The Arts and Bronies

For those who have been wondering where I mysteriously vanished to, there has been a lot of things that have arisen in my life. Some of them haven’t been so great however, others have been the most inspirational and life changing moments of my life. While in my internet vanishing, I decided to research a few arts groups online, and attend some seminars from fellow arts activists. I've also had the opportunity to study several groups of students through my involvement with community schools and from an internship with a local symphony which began me on my journey. In order to transition between now and the new year, with my New Year’s surprises I have for all my very loyal followers, I feel like I should start getting back into the swing of things involved with blogging. In order to get back into the swing of things, I must begin to write again. Between now and New Year’s, I will fulfill a transitional series about the experiences I have been through in my mysterious absence, my opinions of these events, and how I think we as artists should approach them in order to benefit from everything. I will begin with the most life changing event of my life thus far and will continue around to the ones that are the most motivational in my opinion. At the end of each article post, I will list a “proposal” that I feel is very much worth supporting and to help everyone benefit and grow as artists, leaders, and most importantly arts enthusiasts. Without further ado, let us begin with the first topic for the series: The Arts and Bronies.

In case you thought that was a typo, it was not (I would love some brownies though!). Brony, pronounced Bro-nee, is the name given to males (and some females) who are fans of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I will not go into details because clicking here (in case that doesn't work, try this video. It is longer, and a lot more detailed but it will explain everything) will take you to the best summarized explanation of the fandom I’ve ever seen or heard. Here is the gist of the story: An online TV critic ranted about The Hub's shows being really low quality and was nothing short of a sales plot that Hasbro created to sell toys. After reading the review, several other TV critics decided to watch it only to fall in love with the show. They then spread their love of the show to 4Chan and other image based boards. Once it hit the image boards, the fan base exploded. However, this is not how I became invested into this phenomenon and became a follower of this awkward, nerdy social trend. A friend of mine named Robbie (better known as Pokeboss; @PokebossPony) talked me into watching the show soon after the season 3 finale, to which I reluctantly watched a few episodes in order to try the series out. Eventually I began to like the show, and admired the quality and thought that went into it. Not only did the quality impress me, but the mere root behind the characters’ lives intrigued me. They live based on discovering their special talent that propels their life to following what they want to do. This is also reflected via a tattoo like image called a “Cutie Mark” that visually reflects their talent. For example, one of my favorite pony’s talent is to party. Her cutie mark is of three balloons, which in this world is a key sign of parties. Once I knew about the show and had seen all the episodes, I decided to present myself into the fan base, but I needed an OC (original creation) and pony “alias” to go by so I could fit in. After a week or so of creating my pony self, Harmonic Inferno was born. Following this, Pokeboss and I decided it was time for me to present myself into the fandom; and, as a result, I discovered a world of hidden treasure. I began to notice the fandom that has an unconditional love of the arts and was expresses it in the form of fan art.

Being the art activist that I am, falling in love with this wonderful group of people was almost 2^nd nature. I began to push the limits of the first group of artists I could find into artistic “corners” so I could push their talents and see what there was to draw from. The visually artistic people were asked to draw Inferno to the best of their abilities and then I judged their style and questioned their choices. The more musically inclined were given some criteria to write a song, on to which I questioned their choices to see if they could handle the pressure. Writers were asked to write a story with Inferno along with other ponies and then I questioned the plot, development and overall flow. At the end of the day, or in this case two months, I discovered that these students have a lot of untapped talent. The people invested into the fandom are artists with the most pure of intentions.

Following this series of interrogation-like nit picking, I began to persuade those who wanted to know what they should do with their lives into looking at an artistic career choice. This was where I hit a bump in my own life and the love I attempted to share with the fan base was given back to me via Trav (@HumbleTraveller), Wesley (@wesmantooth02), Marco (@redflarebrony) and Auntie Smilez (@Sol_Smilez). They have been there to support me no matter what, and I thank you guys so much for that support! Along with that, I have met a group of people who helped form a group called Team Young Spark, better known as YS (@TeamYoungSpark). This is where the proposal begins.

Young Spark is a group of bronies formed by Pokeboss and I whom are leading a change in the community to create more artists from this fandom. The way I see it, the fandom's potential is like a pile of wet clay; very easily moldable to what they would like to be. They have the talent to back it up as well. Some of them have transcended the fandom to become great artists while others need some form of push to do so and that that is why Young Spark is there: To provide that push for whatever artistic path they would like to go along. The team as of the time of writing this is Pokeboss and I as founders and co-execs, fellow founders Rocking Aurora, Jake (@Jakenew711Jake) Ben (@CrazyBA_98) Taylor (@AmyLeeLoveMe) and finally additional but very valued members Princess Roxie (@Dj_RainbowWolf), Domino (@Melody_d8), Blue Ice (@DJurbancub), Thunder Twist (@ScottiFilms), Windykins (@TempestPony), Beat (@the_kongregate) and Silly Ditzy (@SillyDitzy). We have a strong crew who all are valued members to the team and I’m also honored to call a part of my team. However, we have our flaws.

The Proposal

Our team is a strong group of artists and if nothing else, a respectable team of arts activists. Though as respectable as we are, we need some help. I have a lot planned for the group in order to bring everyone the best possible education in whatever their craft is. The talents in our group range from music to art, creative writing and animation to web design and programmer but we cannot cover all art forms such as creative dancing, woodworking, metal work and fashion design. All of these, and many more, are all valuable art forms to learn from and we would like as much help in expressing them as we can. I propose that you; the reader of this post and a very valued follower of ASMTB, to help these guys out. Please spread the word about our need for help for these extremely talented people. If you are a fashion designer and feel moved to teach/mentor someone about how to design clothing then we would appreciate it tremendously. If you can bring a new vantage point to teaching music, such as teaching someone to use Cubase then we need your help. Anyone who has the proficiency in a craft and a desire to help out, we would love your time and effort. These groups of men and women are in need to know that what they do as a hobby could become a career for them. There are even a few for whom this is all they have. I worked with one or two whom have said the only thing they have in this world is the community and their art. Please help our cause to spread the arts throughout the community. If you would like to donate your time to this group then contact me through the blog's contacts (facebook, twitter, email) or contact Young Spark directly (facebook, twitter, email).

Thank you for the first post in this series. I hope to see you next time and if you've like this post then please share the site with your friends or follow us on the social medias.