We are Water

Charleena Lyles.
 
Say her name.
 
Say her name.
 
This weekend, Charleena Lyles was shot and killed in her home, in front of her children, by two police officers. Charleena Lyles was a 30-year-old Black mother. Charleena Lyles was a member of the Sand Point community. Charleena Lyles was pregnant. Charleena Lyles was shot and killed Sunday morning by two White police officers while they investigated her report of an attempted burglary. 
 
We at Arts Corps, grieve for Charleena’s four children, for the child in her womb, for her extended family, and for her community. There is a hole in their hearts that can never be filled.  We also feel saddened for the school community at Sand Point Elementary where Charleena was a parent and where Arts Corps’ Creative Schools Initiative  integrated arts into academic curriculum, boosting students’ confidence and creative freedom.  
 
It is too early to determine if the officers involved will be brought up on charges. It is not too early, however, to advocate for justice. Arts Corps calls for a fair and thorough investigation into these events. Knowing that the criminal justice system disproportionately affects people of color, we ask that the police departments reexamine how officers are trained. Police in other countries are trained to deescalate a situation, fire warning shots, or aim for non vital areas. Yet, that seems to be missing from US training protocol. Why?
 
Black people are repeatedly killed by police officers. The police officers responsible for the shootings are either acquitted, or not indicted at all. We, at Arts Corps, mourn. We cry.
 
We demand justice.
 
Charleena Lyles is the most recent victim of police violence, but unfortunately she is not the only one. Arts Corps continues to grieve the countless other black lives lost at the hands of police officers, including Philando Castille, whose shooter was acquitted in court on Friday. In May, the Department of Justice decided not to bring charges against the killers of Alton Sterling despite cell phone footage of the incident. Officer Betty Shelby was recently acquitted of murdering Terence Crutcher, though that was also caught on video. The officer that killed thirteen year old Tyre King killer was recently acquitted, and his actions justified. 
 
Say their names.
 
The criminal justice system in our county has deep-seated biases that urgently need to be addressed, and Arts Corps lends our voice to the growing movement of individuals and organizations calling for reform, namely the Black Lives Matter movement  and its work to “build and nurture a beloved community that is bonded together through a beautiful struggle that is restorative, not depleting.”
 
Fred Hampton said, “you can’t fight fire with fire, you fight with water.” Arts Corps knows the power of the arts, and wants to extinguish inequity in our communities. We need to come together as a community to help end this brutal cycle of police violence and create a better world for all of us.  
 
If you wish to donate directly to Charleena’s family, please visit her gofundme page: https://www.gofundme.com/bdgbc8pg
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Timeline: the MusicianCorps Seattle pilot year

What does MusicianCorps Seattle look like?

The pilot program launched in 2009 by Arts Corps — along with national partner, Music National Service (MNS) and groups and musicians in Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco/Oakland and New Orleans — stepped forward to make the call for an Artists Corps a reality.  In Seattle, Arts Corps sent four outstanding musicians — all experienced and passionate teaching artists — into low-income schools and community settings. These MusicianCorps Fellows committed to a year of service to do transformative work with youth, schools and communities through music instruction and civic engagement.

One year later, 250 students have been served by on-going, direct music education, and 2,500 youth and adults have been reached by civic engagement and service events. Beyond numbers, the first MusicianCorps Seattle year was a resonant one, full of rewarding and challenging class time, civic engagement and service events, remarkable journeys, community performances, and needed lessons upon which to build and model what a full Artists Corps could become.

One detailed story of the pilot year can be seen through a timeline of the program, which follows.

Fall 2008: Candidate Obama calls for an Artist Corps
During his Presidential campaign, Candidate Obama calls for the creation of a national “Artist Corps” to bring artists as public servants into low-income and underserved communities to engage youth in arts and arts learning.

Image from signing of Serve America Act 2009

March 2009: Artist Corps formalized in Serve America Act
“Musical Peace Corps” is formalized in the passage of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, which includes the following amendment:
“A musician and artist corps program that trains and deploys skilled musicians and artists to promote greater community unity through work in low income communities, education, healthcare and therapeutic settings, and other work in the public domain with citizens of all ages.”

Spring 2009: Music National Service partners with Arts Corps
Music National Service partners with Arts Corps—the largest nonprofit arts educator in the Seattle area—to lead the MusicianCorps Seattle program, drawing upon the strengths of Arts Corps’ existing program and partnerships, and the vibrant arts and cultural legacy of the city.

Summer 2009: MusicianCorps Seattle Placement Sites Selected
Four MusicianCorps Seattle placement sites are selected based on diversity of settings (city, school district, neighborhood and community-based organization), a definable need, and the opportunity for a full time fellow placement to do transformative work with youth and communities through music instruction and civic engagement.

Inaugural Class of the MusicianCorps Fellows

August 2009: National Gathering for the inaugural MusicianCorps Fellows
Music National Service holds a two-week National Training Camp in the San Francisco bringing together the 20 MusicianCorps Fellows from the four pilot cities: Seattle, Chicago, New Orleans and San Francisco/Bay Area.

MusicianCorps Seattle Fellows: Amos Miller, Carla Moreno, Eduardo Mendonca & Aaron Walker-Loud

Fall 2009: MusicianCorps Seattle Fellows begin full-time direct music service
MusicianCorps Seattle Fellows + placement sites are
: Eduardo Mendonca (Seattle Center and Seattle Parks & Recreation), Carla Moreno (Low Income Housing Institute), Amos Miller (Youngstown Cultural Arts Center), and Aaron Walker-Loud (Central Area Schools Cluster).

September 25, 2009: Day of Service at Griffin Home
MusicianCorps Seattle Fellows visit Griffin Home – Friends of Youth for a day of service. They performed music and provided engaging music instruction to twenty adolescent boys ranging in age from 12-18.

October 16, 2009: The Fellows perform at the Imagination Conversation
MusicianCorps Seattle Fellows open the Imagination Conversation—a series of moderated public panels on imaginative thinking and passionate engagement in public life—with an engaging performance.

October 23, 2009: MusicianCorps performs at AmeriCorps launch
MusicianCorps Fellows perform an interactive performance at the AmeriCorps Launch Event to the 1,000 new AmeriCorps Members who took an Oath of Service at Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center. This performance will lead to many of the Fellows’ subsequent service activities.

Why Music

October 25, 2009: Why Music
MusicianCorps Fellows direct and perform in “Why Music,” a benefit for MusicianCorps Seattle held at the Moore Thaetre to an audience of 350. In the spirit of service, 85 performers donated their time to this performance.

Read and see more about “Why Music.”

Watch Seattle Channel’s coverage of “Why Music”: “Why Music” on Seattle Channel

December 11, 2009: Day of Service at Bart Harvey Senior Center
MusicianCorps Fellows accompany Carla Moreno’s students for a day of service at Bart Harvey Senior Center.

MusicianCorps Fellow Carla Moreno with students at MLK Celebration

January 18, 2010: MusicianCorps Seattle at MLK Day Celebration!
MusicianCorps Fellows perform to an audience of 500 during the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration at Seattle Center. The performance includes a song written and performed by students from Carla Moreno’s class from the Low Income Housing Institute.

Watch video from the MLK Day performance: MusicianCorps at MLK Day Celebration.

January 20, 2010: Brazilian Rhythms Workshop at Seattle Center School
The Fellows visit Seattle Center School, and accompany Eduardo Mendonca on a Brazilian Rhythms Workshop.  The Fellows also introduce playing techniques, and end the workshop with a school-wide performance.

Youngstown Records working in the Frye Museum's Collection

January 22, 2010: Youngstown Records exhibition at the Frye Art Museum opens
I Wish I Knew Who I Was Before I Was Me, an exhibition curated by Youngstown Records (led by MusicianCorps Fellow Amos Miller) opens at the Frye Art Museum.

Read more about I Wish I Knew Who I Was Before I Was Me.

January 29, 2010: Service learning performance at the Guiding Lights Conference
MusicianCorps Fellows present an opening exercise for the Guiding Lights Conference, which features the nation’s best inspirational leaders to teach about mentoring and community building. This year conference focused on “Closing the Opportunity Gap.”

Watch video featuring MusicianCorps at the Guiding Lights Conference 2010

Youngstown Records at the White House

February 2010: Youngstown Records goes to the White House!
Youth from Youngstown Records—a youth-run record label led by MusicianCorps Fellow Amos Miller—go to the White House for “In Performance at the White House: Songs of the Civil Rights Movement.” The concert was hosted by United States President Obama and the First Lady, celebrated Black History Month, and featured Bob Dylan, Jennifer Hudson and Smokey Robinson and other legendary artists performing songs from the Civil Rights era. Snowed in for a few extra days, Youngstown Records led “The Perfect Storm,” a talent show with youth from around the nation.

Read more about the historic White House trip.

Check out the White House’s coverage of the historic concert & workshop.

February 19, 2010: Workshop on Music Service Learning for Seattle Public Schools
The Fellows lead a two-hour workshop on music and service learning to 25 teachers and leaders at the Seattle Public Schools Service Learning Symposium.

Carla Moreno's Early Childhood Education Class

February 25, 2010: Early Childhood Education begins
Responding to the needs of new transitional families, MusicianCorps Fellow Carla Moreno begins a new class, “Early Childhood Education.”  This program exposes children to music at an early age and provides a meaningful opportunity for parent/child bonding.

MusicianCorps Seattle lead Washington Reading Corps workshop

February 26, 2010: Day of Service Learning with Washington Reading Corps
The Fellows present a three-hour workshop on “Musical Tools of Service Learning” to 55 Washington Reading Corps members. The Workshop provides the Reading Corps members with new musical techniques to engage literacy.

Read more about the Music as Service Learning Workshop with Washington Reading Corps.

March 13, 2010: Eduardo Mendonca performs for Art for Peace Exhibition Opening
MusicianCorps Fellow Eduardo Mendonca provides music accompaniment for the opening of “Art for Peace,” an exhibition at Columbia City Gallery (in Seattle, WA) featuring art by Arts Corps students.

Monishia Schoeman in Studio with MusicianCorps Seattle

March 26, 2010: Studio Session with Kennedy Center Fellow
MusicianCorps Seattle Fellows compose “Hold on Tight” with Monishia Schoeman, a Kennedy Center Fellow and hip-hop activist visiting Arts Corps from South Africa.

Read and watch more about the collaboration.

March 31, 2010: Low Income Housing Institute students provide day of service
Carla Moreno and her students from the Low Income Housing Institute revisit Bart Harvey Senior Center for an afternoon of service, music and folk dancing. They were accompanied by folk artist Mary Sherhart.

Teaching artist and students from "Soulful Expressions" Festal to Parks MusicianCorps Mentors Class

April 2010: MusicianCorps Fellow Eduardo Mendonca launches “MusicianCorps Mentors Festal to Parks.” This spring quarter program—funded by a grant from 4Culture—brings teaching artists from Festal (the year-long Seattle Center festival honoring the diverse cultures of the Pacific Northwest) into community centers to lead free, 8-week music courses celebrating cultural diversity. The classes are “Beginning Taiko Drumming” with Gary Tsujimoto and Nancy Ozaki from One World Taiko at Bitter Lake Community Center; “Band Workshop” with Daniel Pak from Kore Ionz at Rainer Community Center; “Soulful Expression” with Miz Floes at Jefferson Community Center; and “Afro-Peruvian Percussion Workshop with Monica Rojas from De Cajon at Northgate Community Center. These classes serve 35 students with ongoing classtime during Spring 2010.

April 5, 2010: MusicianCorps Fellow Aaron Walker-Loud profiled on KOMO News
Brian Calvert of KOMO News radio profiles the work of MusicianCorps Fellow Aaron Walker-Loud at Washington Middle School.

Read/hear the KOMO News story, “Musician gives back to the next generation.”

Flashcard from Leschi Elementary student inquiring about middle school music

April 9, 2010: Music learning fieldtrip for Leschi Elementary school students
MusicianCorps Fellow Aaron Walker-Loud leads Leschi Elementary fifth graders on a field trip to Washington Middle School exploring middle school music opportunities. MusicianCorps Fellows (and team), and the team from Seattle Music Partners chaperoned and interviewed the students.

Read more about the fieldtrip.

April 15, 2010: Professional development at the POP conference
MusicianCorps Fellows attended the opening session of the POP conference (held at Experience Music Project), which included a keynote roundtable with Chic frontman and Madonna producer Nile Rodgers, singer-songwriter and roots music producer Joe Henry, and rising cybersoul artist Janelle Monáe. The Fellows also met with EMP staff including Experience Music Project Education Director Margie Maynard, Manager of Instructional Program, Carrie Akre, and Michael Richter, and discussed meaningful partnerships for arts education.

April 23, 2010: Day of Service at World Rhythm Festival
The Fellows volunteered during the opening day of World Rhythm Festival at Seattle Center by answering questions, directing attendees, passing out programs, and providing other event support.

May 6, 2010: MusicianCorps Seattle on KUOW
Journalist Marcie Sillman profiles MusicianCorps Seattle on KUOW.

Read/hear the KUOW news story.

Aaron Walker-Loud with students from Washington Middle School drumline perform at Festa del Arte

May 6, 2010: Festa
Arts Corps throws Festa del Arte, its annual fundraiser at The Triple Door and features performances by MusicianCorps students and Fellows.

May 11, 2010: The Stranger profiles MusicianCorps Seattle
Jen Graves, The Stranger’s Arts Editor, writes “Make Art Anyway,” an article about the MusicianCorps Seattle Pilot Year.

Read The Stranger article, “Make Art Anyway.”

Students from Afro-Peruvian Percussion perform at Downtown Parks

May 21 – 22, 2010: MusicianCorps Seattle in Downtown Parks
Two days of free community concerts reaching 750 take place.  On Friday, the MusicianCorps Seattle Fellows perform in Westlake Park, along with students from Miz Floes Festal/Parks “Soulful Expressions” class. On Saturday, students and teaching artists from the Festal/Parks classes—Beginning Taiko Drumming, Brazilian Percussion, Band Workshop, and Afro-Peruvian Percussion Workshop—performed. MusicianCorps Seattle Fellow Eduardo Mendonca orchestrated these events.

May 22, 2010: Washington Middle School Drumline places third at Bulldog Drumline Expo
Under the guidance of MusicianCorps Fellow Aaron Walker-Loud, the Washington Middle School Drumline wins third place at the Bulldog Drumline Expo.

May 27, 2010: Eduardo Mendonca at Olympic View Elementary
MusicianCorps Fellow Eduardo Mendonca engages elementary school students and parents with a participatory performance at Olympic View Elementary School’s Multicultural Night.

May 28, 2010: Return Day of Service at Griffin Home
The MusicianCorps Fellows return to Griffin Home for a day of service, where they teach music principles and play music with the youth.

MusicianCorps Seattle (Eduardo, Carla, Tina & Elizabeth) at Northwest Folklife Festival Narrative Stage

May 30, 2010: MusicianCorps Seattle at the Narrative Stage at the Northwest Folklife Festival
The MusicianCorps Seattle Team (including Elizabeth Whitford, Arts Corps Executive Director; Tina LaPadula, Arts Corps Education Driector and MusicianCorps Seattle Team Lead and MusicianCorps Fellows Carla Moreno and Eduardo Mendonca) speak about the pilot year at the Narrative Stage at the Northwest Folklife Festival to an audience of 40.

May 31, 2010: Arts Corps Showcase
Arts Corps Showcase at the Northwest Folklife Festival takes place.  Performances feature MusicianCorps students from Youngstown Records and Washington Middle School drumline, and reach over 150.

Carla Moreno's students perform at the Celebration

June 2, 2010: MusicianCorps Seattle Community Celebration
Fellows, students, partners, Arts Corps staff and community members celebrate the groundbreaking pilot year of MusicianCorps at the MusicianCorps Community Celebration at Seattle Center.   The event, includes performances by MusicianCorps Seattle students and Fellows and a report on highlights from the year from Elizabeth Whitford, Arts Corps Executive Director and Tina LaPadula, Arts Corps Education Director and MusicianCorps Seattle Team Lead.

Read more about the Celebration.

June 8, 2010: LIHI Students Studio Session
Carla Moreno’s class from the Low Income Housing Institute records “Oasis of Love” at Litho, a studio in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle, WA.

June 8, 2010: Seattle Music Partners Spring Concert
Seattle Music Partners, a site partner of MusicianCorps Fellow Aaron Walker-Loud, holds their year-end concert featuring students who benefited from free instrumental music lessons.

MusicianCorps Seattle Team 2009-2010

June 11, 2010: MusicianCorps Seattle 2009-2010 Pilot Year comes to a close
MusicianCorps Seattle ends its first pilot year. The program reached the community through:

* 4 MusicianCorps Seattle Fellows working in full time service to communities
* Ongoing music learning and service in 5 public schools and 5 community centers, as well as in one housing residence and on cultural arts center
* 234 students served by on-going, direct music education
* 20 one-time civic engagement and service events
* 2,500 youth and adults reached by civic engagement and service events

MusicianCorps Gathering 2010

June 15-17, 2010: National Gathering
Music National Service holds end-of-pilot-year National Gathering for MusicianCorps Fellows in San Francisico, CA. The National Gathering brings together MusicianCorps Fellows, city leads, team leads and AmeriCorps VISTA members from the four cities (Chicago, New Orleans, San Francisco and Seattle) to review outcomes & lessons learned, and to make music. MusicianCorps Seattle Fellows present “to get there, together,” a presentation about their year as Fellows, and lessons learned.

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