[musictlk] Performing Arts Newsletter, Issue 1 vole 1

Wed Aug 19 03:17:10 UTC 2015

Greetings fellow federationists, 

The Performing Arts Division  hopes this message finds you all doing well!

For some the publication did not come through in its entirety. For your
convenience the text has been pasted  below.

Happy reading. 

Jordy D. Stringer 

Hi All

Here's the newsletter you've all been hearing so much about and waiting for!
Please contact me with any articles or inquiries.

Happy Reading!

Lizzy

Spotlight

Performing Arts Division of the National Federation of the Blind

Volume 1, Issue 1

August 17, 2015

Editor: Lizzy Muhammad

President: Jordy Stringer

Spotlight

Los Ciegos del Barrio

by Jordy Stringer

                Los Ciegos del Barrio is a band whose members have varying 

degrees of blindness.  They are frequent donors to the NFB's 

Performing Arts Division, and they have given yet another 

donation to this year's annual talent show at national 

convention.  Some of us may remember them for their version 

of "Brown Eyed Girl" from the NFB Performing Arts 

compilation entitled, "Sound in Sight".  The bilingual Latin 

band, from New York City, has recently released its brand 

new single, "Mama Used To Say".

                The band members had a busy summer in 2015.  On July 12, 

they played at the first annual Disability Pride Parade in 

New York City.

                On July 18, in further unbiased support of all members of 

the blind community, they played at an ACB fundraiser at the 

Music Conservatory of Westchester, 216 Central Avenue in 

White Plains New York.  The show began at 1:00P.M.and the 

audience loved every minute.

                On July 24, The band played at the Brentwood Public Library,

94 2nd Avenue, in Brentwood New York.  The event was free, 

open to the public, and enjoyed by all ages.

                On July 29, the band flew to Milwaukee Wisconsin for the 

annual "Live At The Lake Front" summer series at Discovery 

World Rotary Amphitheater, located at 500 North Harbor 

Drive.  In 2012, the band broke the all-time attendance 

record...  And was ready for more when they returned for 

their sixth consecutive year.

                If you have any questions about the band including its 

performance availability, please call the band's director 

Alvin Suarez at: (718) 886-8686.  He is also the business 

and press contact for bookings and interviews.  You may also 

send an email to:losciegosdelbarrio at gmail.com

  Your support is always appreciated at any of their social media 

networks: YouTube,HTTP3WWW.YouTUBE.COM/LOSCIEGOSDELBarRIO?

  Facebook,HTTP:WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/LOSCIEGOSDELBarRIO?

  You can also friend request them on Facebook for a more 

personal experience.

  Twitter:HTTP:WWW.TWITTer.COM/LOSCIEGOS?

  Want to pick up their new single Mamà Used to Say? It is 

available on iTunes.  Don't have iTunes? It is also available on 

MP3.

  Los Ciegos Del Barrio salutes all Federationists, and wishes 

all members of the NFB Performing Arts Division, a prosperous 

rest of the year.

Around the Division

Meet Kaiti Shelton: A Musician in the Performing Arts Division 

and Our Newest Board Member

by Jordy Stringer

                Kaiti Shelton is currently pursuing her undergraduate degree

in Music Therapy at the University of Dayton in Ohio.  

Though she plays the clarinet as her primary instrument, her 

career requires her to be skilled in other areas of musical 

performance as well.  The necessity to be a well-rounded 

musician has given her the opportunity to perform in a 

variety of ensembles and to learn various skills.

                Kaiti does clarinet recitals each semester for music majors 

at her school.  She has also played in the Clarinet Choir; 

the Pride of Dayton Marching Band; the Symphonic Wind 

Ensemble (where she usually sits second or third chair); and 

in other groups including the Flyer Pep Band and Sigma Alpha 

Iota performances.  Before attending the University of 

Dayton, she played as a guest soloist for two major bands in 

Cincinnati: Lee's Junction and Blue Stone Ivory.  She played 

in regional honor bands during her sophomore and junior 

years of college, and was accepted into the prestigious 

Cincinnati Youth Wind Ensemble hosted by the CCM preparatory 

program in her freshman year.  Through the program, Kaiti 

learned that she did not want to be a conservatory clarinet 

student.  But the experience was positive in that it helped 

her to become a better player along with establishing the 

skills needed to perform in other prestigious music groups.

                Kaiti's other interests are in the guitar and vocal 

performance.  She has performed several times at open mic 

nights and played everything from 80s hits to modern pop.  

Her favorites to play are soft pop and alternative songs by 

a wide range of artists including: Ingrid Michaelson, The 

Lumineers, and Of Monsters and Men.  In the beginning of 

summer, she took on a gig opening for a country band at a 

local bar, and performed songs by Darius Rucker; Toby Keith; 

Miranda Lambert; Carrie Underwood; Rascal Flatts and a few 

others.  Interspersed in her country set were some light pop 

hits, along with a few summer/island-esque numbers.  The gig 

helped her raise funds for humanitarian aid in Jamaica where 

she volunteered and studied this past summer.  Kaiti is 

hoping that her opening act gig will be the first of more in 

depth performances in the Dayton area in addition to the 

open mic nights.

                Kaiti's other diverse musical interests are in: Javanese 

Gamelan; bonong playing; playing viola de gamba in the UD 

Early Music Ensemble and classical guitar which she studied 

with Jim McCutcheon.  In addition to these musical 

achievements, she performs regularly with the University of 

Dayton's Choral Union.  In this choir, she sings everything 

from Mozart to jazz standards in sacred and secular 

concerts.  She has studied vocal performance for the past 

two years with Andrea Chenoweth Wells, who has performed as 

part of the Dayton Opera Company and across the country.

                Outside of School, Kaiti has sought other performance 

opportunities for both personal enjoyment and professional 

development.  She loves to sing in church and school choirs 

alike, and is growing more comfortable with singing as a 

soloist in the classical genre as well.  She attended the 

Summer Braille Music Institute and was a student of the 

Braille Beats Fine Arts Program for seven years.  At Braille 

Beats Kaiti typically sang alto in the choir, and performed 

in the annual talent show.  She also performed in an 

original full-length musical aboutJ.S Bach, where she played 

the role of Bach's wife and sang the opening number.

                Kaiti understands the importance of having strong vocal 

skills for her career in music therapy.  For jobs in the 

field, she knows everything from songs of the 1930s to 

children's tunes and uses them regularly in her work.  While 

it is not necessary to be an accomplished vocalist in order 

to facilitate songs with clients, she strives to use proper 

technique and skill to hone her craft to the highest 

quality.

If you know a performer who would like to be featured in the 

"Around the Division" section of "Spotlight" please contact 

editor Lizzy Muhammad or president Jordy Stringer 

atnfbpad at gmail.com

Who's on Stage?

Letter to the Performing Arts Division of the National Federation 

of the Blind:

by Julie McGinnity

Dear friends and colleagues,

                I am writing to spark some thought, discussion, and 

eventually action in the Performing Arts Division of the 

National Federation of the Blind.  The NFB raises 

expectations of blind people every day with its philosophy, 

programs, and network of mentors.  Our 75th year brought 

with it a new tagline and increased determination to 

redefine the meaning of blindness in society.  With the 

recent passing of a landmark convention, I ask you to think 

about what role our division will play in the next 75 years.

  As performers we are often held back by the misconceptions of 

others.  Casting directors expect us to play only blind 

characters, and we encounter colleagues who expect us to fall off 

the stage every time we face the audience.  We also wrestle with 

difficult questions as we audition for roles and compete against 

fellow performers.  How does my blindness fit into the character 

I must portray? What does it mean to me to look blind on stage, 

and is it at all acceptable to do so? What mobility tool can I 

use, if any, on stage, and in what situations does this change? I 

have found in my own journey as a performer that these are just a 

fraction of the questions I ask myself.  I do not believe our 

division is ignorant to these issues, but I believe we do not 

discuss them while simultaneously implementing strategies to 

solve them and teach younger performers.

                There are various ways we can begin working together as a 

division to learn from each other, devise new solutions, and 

ultimately increase the success of blind performers.  

Perhaps we start with research.  Through the listserve and 

the eventual formation of a mentoring program, we can gather 

knowledge on the most prevalent issues challenging us.  In 

addition, I believe that we can learn much about the present 

from our past.  A class I am taking has motivated me to 

research blindness, entertainment in the 20th century, and 

their intersection.  I think we can gain insight by studying 

representations of blindness, blind performers, and 

significant representations of other disabilities since the 

entertainment industry has such a large impact on society.  

We learn from songs, remember characters from movies and TV, 

and are influenced by the lessons taught to us by the actors 

and singers we admire.  As performers we strive to entertain 

and affect our audiences, and the blind certainly have a 

place in this alongside our sighted colleagues.  We need to 

find that place in the worlds of stage and screen, so that 

we can share our expertise as critics of blindness-related 

entertainment, and become advisors on national policy of 

such work.

                I am confident that if we continue to build our division, we

will be leaders in this arena.  The limitations that hold us 

back are the ones we impose upon ourselves.  It is time to 

address these limitations honestly and fix them collectively 

in order to raise expectations of all blind performers.

                To make this a reality, we need your input.  Your 

participation is of priceless value.  Your questions deserve 

answers, and your problems deserve solutions.  Do not 

hesitate to contact me with questions, ideas, or 

suggestions.  My information is below.  Thank you for 

reading these words, and I hope to meet many of you during 

future conventions.

Your friend,

Julie A McGinnity, Vice President

Performing Arts Division of the National Federation of the Blind

Jordy D. Stringer

President, Performing Arts Division, National Federation of the Blind

E-mail: president at nfbpad.org

The national federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raze the
expectations of blind people because lo expectations create opsticals
between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want;
blindness is not what holds you back.