[Perform-talk] First Edition of the Performing Arts Division's Newsletter!

[Lizzy]

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