Understanding Arab Music with Simon Shaheen*

Thursday, October 1
Grades 5-8

Western music is very connected to the rich history of Arab music. Many of our Western musical instruments are direct descendents of Arab stringed and reed instruments as well as the use of complex melodies and improvisation in performance. Master musician and composer Simon Shaheen, along with his ensemble Qantara, demonstrates the unique sound and range of several Arab instruments, performs traditional Arab music with jazz and classical influences, and involves students in learning rhythms and patterns used most frequently in traditional/classical Arab music.

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Telling Stories: Bryan Collier

Friday, October 16
Grades 4-6

Illustrator Bryan Collier started painting at the age of 15 in his hometown of Pocomoke, Maryland. The eastern shore served as the backdrop for many of his early works which included–the bay, marshlands, and wildlife. At an early age, Collier developed his own style of painting that incorporated water colors and collage. During this interview with moderator Maria Salvadore, Collier shares his interest in books as a young reader, how he integrates his original style of painting into children’s books and his collaborations with authors such as Nikki Giovanni (Rosa) and Nikki Grimes (Barack Obama: Child of Promise.)

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Theater: Frost/Nixon*

Thursday, November 5
Grades 7-12

Frost/Nixon is a chilling recount of one of the most monumental interviews of all time. The fast-paced production depicts former President Richard Nixon in his first interview since his resignation following the Watergate scandal. Frost/Nixon tells the story of how the historic interview came about and how it played out on television. In this program with Stacy Keach, Alan Cox, and Professor James Thurber, students get a look into the historic context surrounding this play, and see how history and theater come together to reveal not only the facts but the human and emotional aspects of history.

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Waiting for Godot

Thursday, December 3
Grades 9-12

Two tramps meet by the roadside, and endlessly wait for someone—or something—named Godot. Samuel Beckett's most popular work masterfully examines the tedium and hope of human existence. Students experience "the closest production we will ever get to the perfect official Godot" (The Irish Times) in a discussion with director Walter Asmus and cast members Stephen Brennan, Barry McGovern, Johnny Murphy, and Alan Stanford, along with video excerpts of the production by Gate Theatre in Dublin.

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Stefon Harris and Blackout

Friday, December 18
Grades 4-8

During this session, vibraphonist-composer Stefon Harris along with his band Blackout teaches students what to listen for in jazz. Heralded as "one of the most important young artists in jazz" (Los Angeles Times), Harris leads students through a series of listening exercises as the ensemble demonstrates their eclectic sound—a hybrid of acoustic music and progressive sounds. In this program, students develop a heightened awareness for jazz music while learning the art of active listening and how to interpret music.

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The Suzanne Farrell Ballet:Deconstructing Divertimento

Thursday, January 21
Grades 9-12

Renowned ballerina and Balanchine collaborator Suzanne Farrell, along with her acclaimed ballet company, presents a performance and demonstration titled Deconstructing Divertimento. This program is designed to give students a unique vantage point as the company breaks down the choreographic theme and variations that define the classic 1956 Balanchine tutu ballet, Divertimento No. 15.

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Telling Stories: Lois Lowry

Thursday, February 4
Grades 4-8

Two-time Newbery Medalist (Number the Stars and The Giver) Lois Lowry shares her inspiration for writing, the universal themes in her stories that deal with human connections—relationships between people and their impact on the world—and how she translates her ideas to the page. The award-winning author also discusses her versatility as a writer from her futuristic settings to her colorful characters and the stories they tell.

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Ella!

Friday, February 19
Grades 7-12

Celebrating the life and work of legendary jazz vocalist Ella Fitzgerald, Grammy® winner Dee Dee Bridgewater and Janis Siegel of The Manhattan Transfer pay tribute to the “First Lady of Song” in a program that includes some of the songstress’s best-loved jazz hits. Supported by an ensemble from the Dizzy Gillespie™ All-Star Band, Ms. Bridgewater and Ms. Siegel show how Ella Fitzgerald has influenced singers of today, share film clips of this remarkable vocalist, and perform well-known favorites from Ella Fitzgerald’s repertoire.

Connections: MORE Science and Music

Thursday, March 4
Grades 5-7

Endangered species, synapses and neurons, condensation and precipitation—are these terms from a science course or a music class? In this fast-paced, multimedia performance by NSO cellist Yvonne Caruthers with her NSO colleagues Natasha Bogachek, violin, and Stephen Dumaine, tuba, students hear and see how a melody can be played on a laundry hose (or a tuba); how instrument makers are responding to the near-extinction of their favorite trees; and whether a violinist can break a world speed record...don’t miss it!

Exploring the Arts with the Masters

Friday, March 19 Web Only Broadcast
Grades 9-12

Iconic songwriting duo, Alan and Marilyn Bergman, are important pillars of the Great American Songbook. Emmy, Grammy, Golden Globe and Academy Award winners, the Bergmans’ life work spans song lyrics for film, television, and stage, and their songs have been recorded by the greatest performers of our time, from Frank Sinatra to Barbra Streisand to Luciano Pavarotti to Tony Bennett.

Come sit around the piano with these great masters as they visit with high school students at New York City’s Frank Sinatra School of the Arts (FSSA) for a conversation about their creative process, influential legacy, and the relationship between songwriter and performer. Legendary jazz and popular music singer Tony Bennett, Kennedy Center Honoree and founder of FSSA, joins the discussion providing insight into interpreting lyrics and developing his unique singing style. Exploring the Arts with the Masters is produced by Exploring the Arts, Inc. in cooperation with the Kennedy Center and The ASCAP Foundation (the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers). Exploring the Arts is a non-profit organization co-founded by Tony Bennett and Susan Benedetto.

Limón Dance Company: The Traitor

Thursday, March 26
Grades 7-12

Limón Dance Company returns to the Kennedy Center with The Traitor, one of modern dance’s most significant works of the 1950s. The Traitor was Limón’s response to the McCarthy hearings and the climate of betrayal that haunted the arts and entertainment fields during this period. Against Gunther Schuller’s musical score of violence, passion, and tenderness, the tragedy of Judas and the theme of betrayal are portrayed in a detailed demonstration and explanation of the dancers’ movements followed by the full-length performance of Limón’s signature piece.

Shen Wei Dance Arts

Thursday, May 6
Grades 7-12

Choreographer and Kennedy Center artist-in-residence Shen Wei and his dancers take students on a journey in Re- (I, II, III), a triptych inspired by his travels throughout Asia. Filled with dramatic imagery, movement, and traditional as well as recorded music, students experience Asia through the eyes of this visionary artist known for blending modern dance with elements from theater, visual arts, and opera. In this multimedia presentation moderated by Brett Egan, students experience the history and culture of Tibet, Angkor Wat, and Beijing through the choreography of Shen Wei.

Gospel Across America

Friday, May 21
Grades 9-12

In a program that celebrates gospel music—from contemporary rising stars to established traditional artists—American gospel artists come together to perform on one stage. The Fisk Jubilee Singers are considered a landmark of Tennessee’s artistic heritage and are instrumental in preserving the musical tradition known today as Negro spirituals. Join the Fisk Jubilee Singers and other gospel artists participating in the Kennedy Center’s Gospel Across America Celebration as they share this rich culture with students during a performance of both contemporary and traditional songs that bring together the past and the present.

Jerry Herman

Rebroadcast
Thursday, January 21
1–2 p.m. ET

Join Broadway legend Jerry Herman for an evening filled with personal stories and songs as the accomplished lyricist looks back on his career. In an intimate interview moderated by ASCAP’s Director of Musical Theater, Michael Kerker, Herman discusses the creation of his award-winning musicals, including Hello, Dolly!, Mame, Mack and Mabel, and La Cage Aux Folles, and shares a lifetime of stories filled with wit and charm. Broadway artists Debbie Gravitte, Jason Graae, and Ron Raines, along with longtime collaborator Donald Pippin, round out the program with performances of “Shalom,” “It Only Takes a Moment,” “Wherever He Ain’t,” and “If He Walked Into My Life,” from Herman’s songbook.

Charles Strouse

Thursday, December 3
1–2 p.m. ET

With a career that spans decades, Charles Strouse is a luminary of Broadway, Hollywood, television, and pop and concert music. Best known for his legendary Tony Award®–winning Broadway musical compositions, Bye Bye Birdie, Applause, and Annie, his other credits range from the 1958 girl group hit, “Born Too Late” to motion picture scores and the theme from All in the Family. Join Charles Strouse for an intimate interview with ASCAP’s Michael Kerker and live music by vocalists Liz Callaway, Karen Morrow, and Jason Graae, and pianist Chris Denny performing the best of Charles Strouse.

Sheldon Harnick

Thursday, February 4
1–2 p.m. ET

Tony Award®–winning lyricist Sheldon Harnick’s words have delighted audiences on Broadway and beyond for more than half a century. His long list of celebrated works includes Fiddler on the Roof, She Loves Me, The Apple Tree, and The Rothschilds, as well as the Kennedy Center original production for young people of The Phantom Tollbooth. In this special evening, join Harnick for an intimate interview with ASCAP’s Michael Kerker and live performances by vocalists Kate Baldwin, Karen Mason, and Ron Raines, and pianist Joseph Thalken sharing the best of Sheldon Harnick.

A Tribute to Cy Coleman

Thursday, March 4
1–2 p.m. ET

Come celebrate the life and sounds of legendary composer Cy Coleman, the genius behind Tony Award®–winning musicals The Will Rogers Follies and Sweet Charity and classic songs such as “The Best Is Yet to Come” and “If My Friends Could See Me Now.” Join Tony®-winning lyricist David Zippel, ASCAP’s Michael Kerker, and the musical talent of Judith Blazer, Jason Graae, Billy Stritch, Lillias White, and Christopher Marlowe as they commemorate the life and creativity of Coleman in a night of sweet melodies and memories.