Faculty Spotlight: Anna Nuttall Receives Governor's Arts Education Award

Anna Nuttall with Governor Maggie Hassan receiving the 

2015 Governor's Arts Education Award.

Photo by Abbigail Saffian.

PMAC couldn't be more proud of Anna Nuttall.

This year, she was one of the recipients for theGovernor's Arts Education Award, an award that recognizes an individual, nonprofit organization, school district or community that has made an outstanding contribution to arts education within the past three years.

An arts educator in Portsmouth for over 15 years, Anna has worked tirelessly to bring art to the forefront of education and community. Anna helped launch PMAC's Visual Art Education program as our first Director of Visual Arts and remains on our faculty today.

Anyone that knows her, knows how deeply and passionately the Arts and Arts Education are embedded into the fabric that makes Anna. We are honored to have her on our faculty and be a small part of Anna's creative world. We asked her a few questions to share with you why this award was perfect for Anna:

Portsmouth Music and Arts Center: First and foremost, congratulations on receiving this award! You have impacted the lives of so many students so greatly – how long have you been teaching?

Anna Nuttall: Thanks, it’s been a very special couple of weeks. I am very grateful to the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts, and to the folks who nominated me. I think the best part has been all the students past and present sending congratulations, high-fiving me in the grocery store and emailing the sweetest notes!

I have been teaching for about 16 years in Portsmouth public schools, (8 at Little Harbour Elementary, and 8 at the middle school) and I think just over 10 of those here at PMAC. Love ‘em all!

PMAC: What can an arts education do for a student?

AN: Oh, that is so quick to ask, and so long to answer!

I think what art can do for a student is only a part of what it can do for the whole child (and teenager, and adult!) The visual arts engages our intrinsic motivation to learn by igniting new individual interests and enriching existing ones – which supports all disciplines in school and life, not only art. Practicing visual arts exercises communication and expression skills, build collaborative skills, demands creative thinking skills and a lot of perseverance. And while most times art is a lot of hard work, and draws out our sweat and tears…it is also very often a lot of FUN!

An education with visual arts can also help to inspire and develop students’ empathy and compassion, things we can never have too much of. We aren’t just painting a pretty picture, we’re analyzing people in our lives, self-reflecting, developing symbol systems of expression, solving engineering feats, and yes, creating beautiful things too. Art isn’t a thing, it’s a way of thinking; a process (or many thereof). These are not just skills that prepare students for future career pursuits, but are all ‘human’ skills, needs, and qualities that prepare them for life. The question might be, “what doesn’t the arts do for students’!? (I know – I’m a little biased).  

I love teaching in public schools because I believe that visual arts education is something every child should receive. I love teaching at PMAC because it further extends and enriches those arts opportunities to youth (and adults), also regardless of socioeconomic status - as it should be. Visual art is “core content” for being human in my book!

PMAC: What is the most rewarding thing about being an arts educator?

AN: There are so many rewarding things about being an art teacher, but definitely what keeps me feeling most nourished, rewarded, engaged, enthusiastic and inspired year after year is simply working directly with the kids.

As much as I love to dream up programming ideas and curriculum (which I do love –it’s my total nerd-zone), I am still always trying to filter it all through the minds and eyes of my students the best I can. 

I am always asking for their opinions and I think that not only gives them a voice, but is instrumental in my ability to make programming and projects for them meaningful, engaging (and thus rewarding) when it comes time to actually doing it! That leads to a room full of momentum and not a room full of just following directions.

Being able to work with so many amazing minds each day and discuss and create work about their ideas, challenges, opinions and feelings is inspiring, interesting, (and sometimes hilarious, frankly). They are so incredibly smart, intuitive, insightful, creative and dynamic; I absolutely learn from them as much as I do about them.  I often find they aren’t aware of just how smart they are! Working with them challenges my own thinking, reasoning, knowledge  - everything –which is great, I grow! I credit them with keeping me sharp - if not also with some of my gray hairs.  

PMAC: You’ve done some exciting projects in the past few years working with the Seacoast African American Cultural Center and other community organizations to bring together the community and your visual arts students, can you tell us a bit about them?

AN: Yes, I really have fallen in love with doing outreach projects that partner students with our community. I it really says a lot about our community here – they have always said “yes” enthusiastically when I’ve approached them about working with my students (at either PMS or PMAC!)! The Seacoast Food Pantry, Seacoast Local/(H)EAT campaign, SPCA, Portsmouth Public Library, SAACC, In Ears 'n'Eyes, galleries and other retail, restaurants, individual artists or civic leaders – all of them have been amazingly generous with their time, and energy while working on these projects.  

The most important part of the project design for me is that quality visual arts experiences are at the heart of it, and the kids are having authentic and meaningful experiences that help them make personal connections with both art and the people and places in their community. 

A community and/or grant-funded project can look great on paper, but it has to be a collaborative experience where everyone is somewhat equal, and everyone wins – including students. Their voices aren’t often heard, nor their skills tapped at this age in the broader community, but they have a lot of great things to share. It’s always the hope with these projects that they’ll feel a bit more connected to the world outside of school and see art in a variety of new and relevant contexts.  The added bonus is the the community gets to know the kids and their work, too! 

PMAC: Do you make your own personal artwork outside of teaching? What drives you to create?

AN: Ah - I do!  Though the balance of time making art and time teaching and programming is forever a challenge, I do think it's important to keep creating in some way, be it big or small projects. If I am excited and engaged with art, I can definitely better serve to inspire and excite my students about their process, and their art! It is also important to share one’s work with students I think. Just here and there – but it helps them get to know you, your interests and skills (and areas you are working on, as there are always things to get better at!)   I’m excited to have a new studio space as of this month actually, in the Button Factory just next door to PMAC, and thus am embarking on a new body of work I'm excited about!  Some mixed media pieces (printmaking, collage, watercolor mostly). Space has been a challenge the last several years and I’m so grateful to be able to spread out a little and get creating again, full-steam ahead!

Thanks so much for taking the time to talk to us, Anna! 

Check out Anna's work during the Button Factory Open Studios Weekend on December 5 & 6. More info about Open Studios Here.

If you're interested in taking an art class at PMAC, check out all that we offer on our website.

PMAC Spotlight: Russ Grazier

Russ Grazier co-founded PMAC in 2002 and started the organization with a handful of instructors, one adult ensemble and dreams of becoming a hub for musicians and artists of all ages and abilities.

Today, PMAC hosts around 30 private lesson studios (including private visual art study), over 20 adult and youth music ensembles, music therapy classes, a digital studio for recording and digital art, the Haas Family Gallery and Recital Hall for gallery showings and performances, and visual art classes for youth and adults.

Russ continues to passionately run the organization while still maintaining a private studio and conducting a few of our adult ensembles. We've asked him about what lead him here and why he continues to do what he does!

Portsmouth Music and Arts Center: What is your teaching philosophy?

Russ Grazier: When working with a student, I always begin with the belief that we are all creative beings and my role in our relationship is to guide the student through their creative journey. Expressing our creativity, whether through music, visual arts, poetry, dance, or any other artistic discipline is a core part of being human. I am here to provide guidance, tools, and encouragement. It is important to me that the student connects with the art they create, so my instruction is tailored to the individual. That said, I believe it is important to learn new things, and venture out of our comfort zone on a regular basis, so I frequently introduce students to music that is outside of their existing knowledge and encourage them to think in new ways. Through music we can grow as individuals, and come together as a community.

PMAC: When did you start playing? How did that lead you to where you are now?

RG: I was introduced to music at a young age in school, singing, dancing and playing instruments in elementary music classes. At age eight I began to study guitar and would spend hours writing songs and learning music in my Roy Clark and John Denver songbooks. In the fourth grade I began saxophone in the school band and have never looked back. The key moment that led me on the path to my career in music was when my father took me for saxophone lessons with Kenneth Radnofsky in Arlington, MA. I was 15 years old at the time and Ken introduced me to the amazing world of classical saxophone music. He was my teacher at the Tanglewood Institute when I was 17 and I stayed with him through my Bachelors Degree at Boston Conservatory. I still consider him to be one of my top three arts mentors and we are friends and colleagues to this day.

PMAC:  What do you enjoy about teaching adults who are beginners?

RG: Adult beginners are so different than youth students. When a ten year old blows into a saxophone for the first time and makes a loud "HONK" their face lights up in excitement that they made a sound. An adult will often get a look of dismay and say "that's not how it's supposed to sound!" But it IS how your first note should sound. Adults beginning music study for the first time come with a lot of knowledge gained over a lifetime of loving music as a listener. They know what they like and what type of music they want to learn. And they get really excited about playing in groups with their peers. They express more skepticism than children, but they also tend to be more goal oriented, bringing skills from other areas of their life to their music study. Private lessons with an adult student are wonderful because they ask so many interesting questions and have a real curiosity about how everything comes together. It's one of my favorite aspects of teaching at PMAC.

PMAC: What are the benefits of making music as an adult?

RG: Too many to list, but the best ones are: more robust memory, increased verbal fluency, improvements in planning abilities, greater speed when processing information, plus many cognitive, physical and psychological benefits. Between the ages of 60 and 85, playing an instrument has a marked positive impact on quality of life and health. Plus it's fun. Do it!

PMAC: What would you say to someone who is hesitant to begin playing music?

RG: Too many people put off or avoid learning music out fear that they won't be good at it. Fear of being judged, fear of failure. At PMAC we have programs designed for everyone, including our New Horizons Band program for adults which comes with the mantra "your best is good enough." Think about that. It means that making music is about pleasing YOURSELF and growing as an individual. It's about fun and laughter, not how many notes you can play and how fast. If you love music (which includes everyone I've ever met) you should be making music singing or playing an instrument. Do it for yourself!

PMAC: Over the years, what is your favorite story of an adult music student?

RG: I have many, but one I like to share a lot is the story of a 75 year old baritone saxophonist in PMAC's New Horizons Band. We once did a combined concert with the Shapleigh Middle School (Kittery) and PMAC's adult student were integrated into the middle school band, which means our 75 year old player sat next to a seventh grade baritone saxophonist. At the end of the combined piece we were playing, there is a moment of silence right before the big finishing chord. During the performance, our adult sax player belted out a loud low note in the middle of the silence, and then the band finished the piece. During the applause, the seventh grader turned to him and said, "That was so AWESOME! If I did that I'd be in big trouble!" This immediately turned a brief moment of embarrassment into laughter and story he told for the rest of his years (and I'll continue to tell for the rest of mine). He played a note where there was none and the world didn't end. The audience still loved the performance and his best was good enough. And individuals separated by six decades connected over a musical moment.

PMAC: What are you looking forward to the most at PMAC in the upcoming year?

RG: There is so much to look forward to, but a highlight for me is Ken Radnofsky's visit on October 12th. He'll be presenting an afternoon master class for students, including some UNH saxophonists, and a recital that evening. Having studied with Ken for seven years in my youth, this is a big moment for me. It'll be his first visit to PMAC and I'm excited to share our community with him and vice versa.

PMAC: If you were a visual artist, what would your medium be?

RG: I draw in pencil. I even took drawing lessons from Anna Nuttall a few years back. I don't do it enough, but it's great to learn new art forms, especially ones I didn't grow up with. She's such a great teacher and I have kept everything I created under her guidance.

Thanks so much, Russ! Come by PMAC on September 15 between 6:30-8:30 for our Adult Ensemble Info Night. Chat with Russ and other instructors about what they do here and how YOU can get involved!

www.pmaconline.org

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT: Kendall Moore

PMAC would like to welcome Kendall Moore to our Faculty! Originally hailing from the Chicago area, Kendall attended the Chicago College of Performing Arts and then Miami University to receive degrees in Jazz Study and Studio Jazz Writing, along with being a D.M.A Candidate in Jazz Performance. A recent transplant to the Seacoast Area, he's excited to be a part of such a vibrant arts community and PMAC is certainly excited to have him here!

Check out Kendall's music and read a little bit about him below:

Portsmouth Music & Arts Center: What is your teaching philosophy?

Kendall Moore: I believe that the most important mitigating factor in learning and using music is motivation. My duty as an educator is to meet students where they are with music that they love, and motivate them in any way I can by encouraging them to learn as much about music as possible and to experience as much music as they can through recordings and live performances.

PMAC: You recently moved to the Seacoast Area - Where are you coming from? What brings you here?

KM: I have just moved up from Miami, where I just finished coursework. I have visited the Seacoast several times, and I was excited about having the opportunity to play and write music in such a vibrant and progressive scene.

PMAC: When did you start playing? How did that lead you to where you are now?

KM: I started singing in choirs in church when I was 7, and I started playing trombone when I was 10 years old. I loved how making music made me feel, and over the years I gradually made practicing, listening, and seeing live music the most important thing in my life. It wasn't until I got to college that I found that I got just as good a feeling from playing music as I did from having others perform my music.

PMAC: Who was your favorite teacher and why? 

KM: My favorite teacher was my High School Jazz Band Director Anthony Svejda. He was one of the first teachers to constantly give me recordings and encouraged me to go to jam sessions and start taking improvisation lessons. He also gave me as many opportunities as he could in jazz ensembles and combos to bring music in and to arrange for the ensembles

PMAC: What is your favorite album right now? Of all time?

KM: That is a really tough question, but I think my favorite album right now is Butcher Brown's "All Purpose Music". My favorite albums of all time are toss up between Miles Davis/Gil Evans "Porgy and Bess" and The John Coltrane and Duke Ellington Album on Impulse Records.

PMAC: If you were a visual artist, what would your medium be?

KM: I think my medium would be film. I really love watching movies and I have always admired cinematography and the way you can tell a different kind of story by capturing different lighting and angles.




Thanks so much for taking the time to talk Kendall!

To check out all that PMAC offers, head over to our website and register today!

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT: Chris Klaxton

Chris Klaxton has been teaching our Summer Jazz Workshop for two years - but teaching jazz all around for 15. Just last year he released a solo project, Starcode, but participates in many bands throughout the seacoast spanning genres from Jazz to Rock to Hip Hop.

We're lucky to have Chris teaching here at PMAC! We asked him a few questions about our Summer Jazz Workshop. Read what he has to say below:

PMAC: What are some of your favorite parts of teaching the Summer Jazz Workshop?

Chris Klaxton: I love getting to hang out with students from various backgrounds and experiences. No matter what instrument someone plays, how many years they have been playing, whether they are a veteran or new to jazz....our job is to make music and to get down to business quickly. It's a lot of fun isolating musical concepts and qualities that we all share, and using them to make music within an hour of meeting one another!

PMAC: What are the different advantages of participating in a week long, intensive summer camp as opposed to a semester long weekly class? 

CK: The amount of time spent with each other in a day really pays off. I am always amazed how quickly students get to know and appreciate each other. Spending so many hours together for 5 days in a row really keeps music on the mind. The kids don't have the opportunity for the music they've absorbed to get pushed out of their head by baseball, vacation, homework, or hanging out! We see them often enough and for long enough, it really sticks!

PMAC: What life skills can kids take away from participating in this summer camp?

CK: The most important thing I try to convey to the students, is that there is ALWAYS a way to make music...and make GOOD music. The obstacles one encounters when making music with others are usually due to, "MY tastes are...I LIKE....I DON'T USUALLY DO....I ALWAYS...."  If we learn to resign certain things, if we stop seeking in every experience our FAVORITE THINGS, then we allow the opportunity to balance with others. Shortly thereafter, one can stumble upon new favorites, new styles, new comfort zones, and new ways to relate to others...all because they gave up the "ME, ME, I, I" stuff. 

There is no better way to practice being in a family, being in a relationship, and getting out of one's own way, than by playing music. 

PMAC: What is different about Jazz than other genres that might be interesting to teens?

CK: "Jazz" is really an amalgamation of tastes and flavors pertinent to the generation that's playing it.

Jazz camp allows us to improvise, to create without NECESSITATING music on paper and without NEEDING classical instruction (of course it does help...)

Jazz camp allows students to access a rich American history, a rich cultural history, yet combine elements of what they learn with elements of their own day-to-day and their own tastes / preferences. 

PMAC: Why is Jazz important in your life?

CK: It has provided me a means to an end, the opportunity to study myself and the world around me, has afforded me years of practice of "playing well with others", has kept me out of a cubicle 9-5, and uh....um.....IS REALLY FUN!

Thanks so much, Chris! Our Summer Jazz Workshop starts on July 13. Don't miss their performance at Prescott Park on 7/17 at 5:30pm!

SPECIAL PMAC SPOTLIGHT: The Class of 2015

PMAC's Graduating Seniors. Photo Courtesy of Enna at Grazier Photography. Congratulations to PMAC's 2015 High School Graduates! This year's graduating class has a very special connection to PMAC: they were in Kindergarten when PMAC was founded in 2002. In fact, several were in our very first Kindermusik classes. The Class of 2015 has grown up right alongside us, and we are incredibly proud of their accomplishments!  Over the past thirteen years our faculty and staff have had the good fortune of working with more than a hundred of these talented students from schools throughout the region. Many were with us every year of their schooling, as PMAC became a important part of their education. We asked several to share their stories, including their future plans are and why they believe a community arts education is important. Here is what they had to say:

AUGUST

What does an Arts Education mean to you?: Having an education in the arts has helped me become a well-rounded human being. I am open-minded and emotional, all thanks to the music!

PMAC Programs: Guitar lessons from 8-14, rock ensemble from 10-14, rock camp from 12-16, various hip-hop workshops at 16.

What's Next?: I will be attending Loyola University Maryland for majors in political science and music!

BAILEY

What does an Arts Education mean to you?: An arts education means that I can learn more about art and artistic culture through visual and auditory tools, such as playing music, painting, and acting. All three of these things personally help me connect with myself, connect with other people, and connect with the community at large. Taking percussion lessons at PMAC has helped me artistically evolve into the person/drummer I am today. 

PMAC Programs: Currently, I take percussion lessons with Jim Rudolph. I have also taken part in one of the PMAC Teen Showcase Events at the facility with a band that I play in. 

What's Next?: Next year, I intend to take a 3-month trip to Costa Rica (beginning in September) to live with a family who my mother and I are both personally close to. This family (as well as the community surrounding them) strive to help enrich the land by growing crops, helping to sustain water levels in nearby rivers, and reaching out to the public about environmentalism, encouraging people to help. After this 3-month adventure, I plan to attend either an immersive acting program or a 4-year or 2-year conservatory. 

CHRISTOPHER

What does an Arts Education mean to you?: Arts education has given me the tools and abilities to take something which I love and make it a more meaningful and enriching experience.  The ability to take something like music which is already so important to me and explore it under the guidance of those who are not only vastly experienced and knowledgeable but equally passionate in that area is an experience unlike any other.  It has given me a gift that I will always cherish and be able to apply to my life wherever I go.

PMAC Programs: Piano, Music Theory, Summer Rock Band, Summer Jazz Band

What's Next?: I currently plan to attend Grinnell College in Iowa with a major in Chemistry and a second major or a minor in Music.

COLIN

What does an Arts Education mean to you?: To me, an arts education means not only developing a specific skill - such as an instrument, vocals, or visual arts - but also fostering a mindset of creativity and intellectual curiosity. My arts education introduced me to music at a young age, ignited my passion to learn various instruments both in school and at PMAC, and taught me a different way of thinking and approaching problems besides the skills developed through traditional academics. 

PMAC Programs: I began my music education at PMAC with the Kindermusik program, and in first grade I began piano lessons, which I still take today. Highlights of my experience at PMAC included performing a "piano four hands" piece with Max Grazier and playing piano for a saxophone/vocals/piano trio.

What's Next?: Next year I will begin studying Chemical and Biological Engineering at Princeton University.

HALEY

What does an Arts Education mean to you?: An arts education means learning about and enjoying different modes of visual and auditory expression. The arts have impacted my life by giving me a creative lens from which to view the world. 

PMAC Programs: I studied cello at PMAC and participated in the Bow Street Junior Ensemble and Bow Street Youth Orchestra for five years. I also attended a Summer Jazz Camp. 

What's Next?: 
Ithaca College for Film Studies. I plan on becoming a screenwriter and director. 

IVEY

What does an Arts Education mean to you?: Studying at PMAC has vastly improved my music reading and playing ability. I'm able to improvise much better in jazz songs and can fit chords into rock songs easily. I have gained so many life long friends from participating in music and I know I will always use music in my life somehow.

PMAC Programs: I studied Jazz Band and Rock Band for multiple years. I played alto sax and tenor in jazz band and alto or piano in rock band. I did the summer jazz band once that performed at Prescott park. I loved all the programs I participated in and loved the instructors.  

What's Next?: Next year I will be attending the University of New Hampshire to major in bioengineering. 

JACK

What does an Arts Education mean to you?: Arts education is a great outlet for me, and has helped me develop my guitar playing skills for years, turning a hobby into a passion.  I love playing my guitar today, and learning about music opens my mind to a new realm of creativity and allows me to escape my life and channel my feelings into music.  PMAC has molded me into the guitar player I am today, transforming guitar from a difficult instrument to something I truly connect with.

PMAC Programs: I have studied guitar at PMAC for ten years with Chris Weisman, Brian Bergeron, and most recently, Nick Phaneuf.  I also participated in numerous Rock ensembles through the years beginning with the first Junior Rock Band PMAC offered. Through these ensembles, I played at the Press Room each winter and spring and at Prescott Park for the summer Rock camps.  One of my favorite experiences at PMAC was interning for the Junior Rock Band when I was a freshman in high school. I had a blast working with the younger kids and helping them learn to play together.  My biggest regret was not having time to intern again, and breaking my arm twice keeping me off my guitar for several months. 

What's Next?: I will be attending Dartmouth College in the fall and study engineering or math.  I look forward to being active in the Dartmouth music scene in any way I can.  

JOE

What does an Arts Education mean to you?: An education in the arts educates my whole self. The Arts are where all disciplines come together, and in the arts I can apply all my interests and channel them into my work. Arts education is an integral part of who I have become and who I am working to be; it defines me.

PMAC Programs: I have participated in the Youth Jazz Combo at PMAC, where I have played at charity benefit auctions, the Press Room, and several other events where jazz was needed!

What's Next?: Next year I will be going to Colby College in Waterville, Maine. I am undecided in my major, but am leaning toward education and am positive that I will be participating in a jazz group of some sort as well.

JONO

What does an Arts Education mean to you?: Learning to play the piano at PMAC expanded my piano skills in a challenging and enjoyable way. Playing the piano has been a welcome outlet of artistic expression outside my traditional high school education.

PMAC Programs: Piano with Mike Effenberger.

What's Next?: I am off to Bowdoin to study sciences but as it is a liberal arts college I am interested in studying the arts as well.

MATT

What does an Arts Education mean to you?: An arts education has meant an opportunity for me to grow as a person, musician, and leader. Through my involvement at PMAC, I established myself as a member of a community of developing musicians throughout the Seacoast. My involvement in the arts provided me leadership opportunities such as  teaching 5th grade band students, interning with PMAC Rock Bands, and coordinating the Teen Music Showcase program.  I moved from being the student to being the teacher and a leader. One of my proudest moments was watching the Jr. Rock band I mentored, Loaf of Meatloaf, rock out on the stage at the Press Room.

PMAC Programs: Studied guitar with Nick Phaneuf for 3 years, Jr. Rock Band, Teen Rock Band, Selected for Singer/Songwriter workshop, Performer: Music Hall Singer/Songwriter showcase, Jr. Rock Band Intern , Coordinator: Teen Music Showcase, Portsmouth High School Service Learning Volunteer at PMAC

What's next?: Next year, I will attend Goucher College in Towson, MD. My plan is to major in communications with a concentration in public relations. I hope to one day assist a non-profit arts organization promote and acquire financial support for their mission. My experiences as part of PMAC, the Seacoast art community, and the Portsmouth School District have shown me how lucky I am to have grown up in a community that cares deeply about art education for all.

MAX

What does an Arts Education mean to you?: Arts education has always been the fun way of education to me. It combines aspects of academics with the creative nature academics lack. I have been so affected by arts education that I relate everything I learn to music. I would not be the same person I am now without an arts education

PMAC Programs: I've studied a lot of different instruments at PMAC and taken a lot of different classes. I started taking piano at age 6, picking up guitar at age 8. Before then, I performed in chamber ensembles, and participated in the conservatory programs. I've stuck studying guitar for the past 10 years at PMAC. I also took 3 years of drum lessons and a took a few saxophone lessons. I studied theory under Mike Effenberger as well. When I was 8-9, I also joined the Rock programs here, in which I participated for around 8 years. I joined the Jazz program, which I still do to this day. I was the first ever rock intern for the rock ensemble programs. I also studied recording engineering, which I plan to continue for the future. Currently, I study jazz guitar under Jim Dozet, and study voice under Taylor O'Donnell

What's Next?: I plan on attending Berklee College of Music on a full tuition scholarship this fall to study Recording Engineering and Songwriting.

NATHAN

What does an Arts Education mean to you?: My years at PMAC have been very important for me because it has inspired in me a deep love for music and the arts. Music has become my coping mechanism and stress reliever. My time spent performing and listening to music is some of the most precious to me, and I always look forward to playing my saxophone every day or just simply sitting down and listening to a great album.

PMAC Programs: At PMAC I started piano lessons at around 5 years old and saxophone lessons at 12. I have been an active part of the Youth Jazz Band for nearly 6 years, and I have also been a part of various other jazz bands, volunteer groups, and summer programs throughout my many years at PMAC.

What's Next?: Next year I will be attending Swarthmore College and hopefully studying religion and history. I will be continuing music through ensembles on campus as well as hopefully attending many concerts in the Philadelphia are!

SAM

What does an Arts Education mean to you?: An education in the arts has profoundly impacted my life. All forms of music education I've received have influenced me to become a greater performer and musician, and to be a better person. Music education has taught me dedication and the values of hard work.

PMAC Programs: I did rock camp for one year, took my first piano lessons that started everything when I was 8. I've done jazz band and and the singer songwriter classes.

What's Next?: Right now, my plans for next year are to go to college for music. I will be attending Berklee College Of Music this Fall.

To the Class of 2015 - Thank you so much for believing in us as much as we have always believed in you. We congratulate you as you go on to leave your positive, creative and innovative imprint on the rest of the world!