Imagine That! October 2009 e-Newsletter

Greetings!

It is with great joy that I write this letter to you as the new Executive Director of Tales & Scales. After relocating to southwestern Indiana a little over a year ago, I discovered this incredible organization and their passion for bringing the highest quality performing arts experiences to young people right here in our community. At the time, I remember thinking how blessed these artists and this community are to have an organization like this for their children.

Now, in my new role, I am keenly aware of how blessed I am to be surrounded by such an outstanding team of committed board, staff and artistic/education leadership (read more...) - not to mention an incredible community that continually demonstrates a strong commitment to our young people and the performing arts! Of course, it always comes back to the children, the most creative, discerning audience we could ever find. I consider it a great privilege for us to engage with and learn from them every day.

The theme of this past month was preparation! We dedicated considerable time to intensive rehearsals and workshop/residency development in preparation for this season. We worked with Carol North and Emily Kohring of Metro Theater Company in a "Teaching Artist Lab" designed to expand our teaching tool-kit. We also partnered with Evansville ARC to make our programs accessible to all students (Photos here!).

The preparation has paid off! Just this past week, we visited six EVSC elementary schools as a part of a new corporation-wide effort (read more...). This Friday, we visit Marrs Elementary in Posey County, and next week we travel to Warrick County to perform for students at Sharon Elementary and, afterward, visit the 4th and 5th grade classrooms for workshops! Our goal this year is to visit every elementary school in our Tri-State region, and I'm so excited to see where we go next!

Sincerely,

Mary Dicken
Executive Director

T&S Nurtures Imaginations through Model
Educational Partnership with the EVSC

In the 2009-2010 school year, T Jason - Teaching

ales & Scales and the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation (EVSC) are teaming up to pilot a "core experience" program in the EVSC elementary schools. Throughout the year, Tales & Scales will visit every elementary school in the corporation, performing The Arabian Nights for all students. After the performance, T&S teaching artists will break into individual second grade classrooms for Creative Discoveries! workshops. The students and teachers will work with T&S to actively explore the connections between music, story, theater, and movement.

Tales & Scales has already visited six of the EVSC elementary schools this year - Howard Roosa, Fairlawn, Lodge, Hebron, Caze, and Cedar Hall - and will visit the remaining schools in January, February, and May 2010. Speaking about a second grade classroom workshop she just led, T&S flutist Hilary Abigana said, "As I explained how we improvised the music in 'The Arabian Nights,' their eyes grew wider and wider. Then, when I said they were going to improvise movements and sounds just like we did, they cheered. I live for that excitement!" Read on...

Camp Imagination 2009 a Huge Success!

This past July, Tales & Scales had the privilege to spend three weeks working with Tri-State youth at our annual summer camp - Camp Imagination! For the first time ever, we teamed up with two community organizations, cMoe and the Henderson Area

Arts Alliance, to present Camp Imagination! We were constantly amazed and inspired by our campers' incredible creativity and enthusiasm. Read on...

Check out photos from Camp Imagination 2009 in our online Photo Gallery!

Now Booking!

We are so excited to welcome Danielle Beebe as our new Booking Associate. Originally from Smyrna, Georgia, Danielle comes to us from the University of Southern Indiana and Leadership Evansville, where she has enjoyed the opportunity to learn from Evansville's leaders and engage with the Evansville community. As the newest member of the Tales & Scales staff, Danielle hopes her enthusiasm for the community, belief in the value of the arts, and her unique background will help to expand the presence of Tales & Scales in Evansville, the Tri-State area, and beyond.

We are now booking for:

2009-2010 School Programs
Add-on bookings for December 2009 Florida Tour and May 2010 East Coast/NYC Tour
Spring 2010 Regional Library Tour (2nd Annual)
10-11 Regional & National Tours

For more information about these tours or to reserve your date, call Danielle at (812) 425-8741 or email her today! Remaining dates for the 2009-2010 season are limited.

About Tales & Scales

Our mission, since 1986, is to ignite, nurture, and fully engage the imaginations of young people through musictelling - a unique blend of music, theater, story, and creative movement.

Tales & Scales annually reaches over 50,000 young people, touring original musictelling productions with companion workshops specifically designed for young people in schools, libraries, museums, community centers, and performing arts centers throughout southwestern Indiana and across the nation. Find out more about Tales & Scales online!

Tales & Scales programs are made possible with the commitment and support of our many donors.