Dear Friends,
 
     As you read on, you will see that we are serious about offering a platform where young performing and visual artists can develop and showcase their talents!  These events are made possible by the generous support we have received from  the greater Austin community.  We are also pleasantly surprised that our website gets as many as 700 hits per day from places as far away as Singapore!  Austin is ripe for The Austin School for the Performing and Visual Arts, and we expect to generate more excitement as we continue to unveil new programs!
                                                                                                                  
     With that said, we'd like to welcome aboard Kelley Glover who will be teaching World Music Drumming.  Students will learn African and Afro Latino drumming patterns and techniques, intricate polyrythms in various meters, rhythmic and melodic improvisation along with the history and geography of African and Caribbean countries and their influence on music forms such as pop, jazz, hip, and R&B.  Kelley Glover is also the creator, co-producer, writer, and composer of a premier music literacy show  called, "U BETTER Sing!" which airs as a web show for KLRU Austin late 2009.  ASPVA is a proud sponsor and supporter of "U BETTER Sing!" and our students will have the opportunity to work on the show  both in front of and behind the camera.  Kelley earned her Bachelor of Music Education from Howard University with a voice minor, and a Master of Arts from the Eastman School of Music with an emphasis in ethnomusicology.  Kelley is a professional singer who has performed onstage with  Denzel Washington, Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis, Pat Benatar, Bonnie Rait, Ruthie Foster, and Kris Kristoffersen among others.   She studied voice with Grammy Award singer/songwriter, Jon Secada, and the Metropolitan Opera Mezzo Soprano, Hilda Harris.  

Happy day,
Carol de Cardenas
ASPVA Founder and Executive Director