ScrapArtsMusic Makes the Most Out of Trash

We have almost all heard the phrase “one man’s trash is another one’s treasure”. In the case of ScrapArtsMusic, one city’s industrial scraps, trash and throw away items have yielded a treasure trove of inventive, innovative and, yes, even beautiful, hand-crafted and to-be-treasured musical instruments. It just takes some ability as a welder, an eye for useable material and a wild imagination to envision just what a junk piece of aluminum scrap, an artillery shell or a piece of PVC pipe can become!

It has taken ScrapArtsMusic founder and percussion virtuoso Gregory Kozak and designer Justine Murdy – the heart and soul of the group- all the way to a performance at the closing ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, British Columbia, an opportunity that helped launch an amazing career expansion.

“It certainly raised our profile!” Greg and Justine commented. “It raised our confidence level, too. We got a lot more internet inquiries. People from all walks (of life) still talk to us about it. It was an incredible experience to see from behind-the-scenes…from costumes, to rehearsals, to pre-recording music, to staging on such a MASSIVE level with performers all being coordinated for a global telecast.

“Another highlight to the whole experience was that Canada had won the gold medal in men's hockey just hours before the Closing Ceremonies began, so there was an especial magic in the air that all Vancouverites -- and international visitors too -- were feeling high from. The weather had been so perfect... people were happy and high-5-ing complete strangers. It was such an unbelievable honor to be a part of something SO big. And we were the last group officially recognized during the Closing Ceremonies, so we felt pretty special to be part of that climax... the closing seconds of the biggest party Canada has hosted -- possibly ever!! Whoa! Sends shivers just remembering how cool it was!!!!!”

The duo established ScrapArtsMusic in July 1998. Greg Kozak is joined in performance by percussion artists Spencer Cole, Christa Mercey, Greg Samek, Malcolm Shoolbraid and Simon Thomsen. Their intricately choreographed routines with over one hundred forty-five instruments made from recycled materials makes them one of the “greenest” groups of performers out there, and one of the most electrifying to watch.

Kozak took a welding course to acquire the needed skills to make their unusual instruments. The instruments create visual art on the stage with their unique shapes and arrays. The performance is very physical and precision-driven, a percussion and movement mania that is both a visual and a sonic treat! They made scrap into art and art into music – thus the name!

Their music is a groove-based fusion of world music rhythmic traditions and twenty-first century pop demonstrating that there are potential musical instruments in many things heretofore unimagined. Some of the instruments include: Annoy-O-Phone, B-52 Drum, Humunga Drum, Junk-On-A-Stick, Sigh-Cordian, Ziggurat Drum and Whirlies, just to name a few.
Now, as they have become world travelers people will bring them scrap and challenge them to create an instrument.

“I’ve had springs from pilates machines, an F4 fuel baffle, a mini-submarine ballast tank casing, a giant cast metal marine propeller and so many other cool forms brought to me from people who "get" my sensibility,” Kozak relates. “ I love taking unexpected materials and re-contextualizing them by making cool-sounding instruments from them. They aren't so much a challenge as they are an inspiration!”

Greg began as a street performer busking around Vancouver and was “discovered” and invited to perform at an NBA half-time show. That led to performing at a high-profile music awards show, and soon the performance began to evolve as Greg worked to develop a precise choreography for the group. They now perform at large-scale professional sporting events, award shows, at performing arts centers, with orchestras and dance companies….the possibilities are endless and challenging.

We asked, “What will young people and families learn or gain from attending a performance?

“Our scrap materials are actually a manifestation of our ideas... so, before you throw away an idea or a scrap or whatever, we hope kids and families might give a second thought to how they might be able to re-use these in an even greater way than simple landfill,” Justine and Greg responded.

“Humanity could benefit from this big re-think! Hopefully we inspire people with a ‘Can Do’ attitude. For example, music making is not limited to patented instruments that can be bought at a store - why not design your own? And not all acceptable ways of performing have been figured out. Push the envelope. You might discover something amazing! Similarly, what one must do to live a good productive life has not all been charted out. You "can" create your own way! Our athletic choreography is a manifestation of our belief in the positivity of being physical on a regular basis, the benefits of eating natural whole foods, and the reward of working together for a common goal.”

Greg and Justine emphasized that it's never too late or too early to start studying any instrument. In order to have full expression with an instrument though, you have to develop technique and that comes only with putting in practice time.

“It's true for our invented instruments ,too,” Greg affirms. “Practice makes perfect.”

If you are coming to the ScrapArtsMusic performance which begins at 3 p.m. on Sunday October 2nd in Loeb Playhouse, Stewart Center, on the Purdue campus, come an hour early. Youngsters will have the opportunity to make their own free shaker egg from 2:00-2:45 p.m. in the West Lobby Stewart Center. Pick a colorful plastic egg; choose a “filling” that makes a cool sound, tape it shut and decorate with stickers it to your liking. Keep it handy during the performance! Members of the Convos Voice Network will assist patrons with their creations!
What is the most important thing to remember about percussion instruments and listening to a percussion performance?

“Every culture around the world has percussion instruments,” Greg says. “Percussion is a universal language.”

For more information on ScrapArtsMusic visit the Purdue Convocations website www.convocations.org.

Click here for a downloadable study guide with instrument photos and ideas for instruments:
http://issuu.com/convocations/docs/sam_studyguide_keynotes

--Laura Clavio, assistant director of Purdue Convocations

KENNEDY CENTER PARTNERS IN EDUCATION: FOCUS ON EDGELEA ELEMENTARY

Indiana 2007 is the team formed by Lafayette School Corporation and Purdue Convocations to participate in the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Partners in Education (KCPIE) program. Now in its fourth year, the team is focusing on the staff of Edgelea Elementary School where teachers are working together to implement arts integration strategies and create common bonds among classrooms.

The Kennedy Center defines arts integration as an approach to teaching in which students construct and demonstrate understanding through an art form. Students engage in a creative process which connects an art form and another subject area and meets evolving objectives in both.

Fifteen members of the Edgelea teaching staff are participating with a teacher-created steering committee to help build an arts integration plan with the goal of increasing student learning and motivation to learn. This begins with finding a common activities that can be used at all grade levels. The teachers found so much value in what they were learning from Kennedy Center workshops that they have volunteered to move forward another step with the program and begin looking at the idea of an all school focus on the arts integration approach to learning.

“The main goal for our staff this year is to get a common language”, says steering committee chair and second grade teacher Cindy Preston. “By doing this we can ensure our students will hear the same language/rules regardless of the teacher or classroom he/she is in. We have posted signs that remind students to make strong choices by controlling their body, voice, mind, imagination and cooperation.”

The school is working with teaching concepts developed by Kennedy Center teaching artist Sean Layne. Layne has more than twenty years experience as a teaching artist and has developed a method of teaching classroom discipline and curriculum for the Kennedy Center that incorporates theatrical techniques. His work focuses on creating a cooperative and supportive classroom atmosphere where group work and team work are essential elements. Students are taught how to make strong behavioral choices and how to make their activities inclusive of every class member. The program develops a strong sense of community first at the classroom level and later within the whole school.

Under the auspices of his company, Focus 5, Inc., Edgelea Elementary has worked with school coach Beth Radford, from Spartansburg, South Carolina, who was a classroom teacher for eight years prior to taking her new post as an arts integration specialist at Pine Creek Elementary. Beth has visited Edgelea three times over the past two years to conduct professional development workshops for teachers and to provide in-class demonstrations and coaching.

The teachers have seen the benefit of creating an atmosphere of uniformity among their classrooms and a common language of expectation that can benefit the school as a whole. From learning the basics of classroom cooperation teachers are now beginning to see demonstrations that show how lessons can be brought to life with an active approach to classroom participation and how students can be engaged in both a core discipline and an arts discipline simultaneously.

Laura Clavio
Assistant Director of Purdue Convocations

Chaconne Klaverenga honored by Indiana House of Representatives

Local audiences were undoubtedly thrilled to have the opportunity to hear local guitar prodigy Chaconne Klaverenga on our season this past year (March 2010). And it's clear that in short order, we'll drop the "local guitar prodigy" label in exchange for increasingly greater accomplishments as her career continues to unfold.

On Wednesday, however, another honor came from an unexpected place. Her father sent this to me:

"Today Chaconne was surprised by State Representative Sheila Klinker with a framed certificate stating (quote) "now, therefore, be it resolved that the Indiana House of Representatives does hereby congratulate and honor Chaconne Klaverenga celebrating her many accomplishments in the world of classical guitar with best wishes for future success and many thanks for her contributions to the Indiana art community" from the State of Indiana, Indiana General Assembly. We thought you might want to share in our excitement! It was a total surprise."

And, for once, here's a political issue with which we can all have unanimous, bipartisan agreement! Congrats, Chaconne, on this nice accolade (not to mention, an incredible diplomatic accomplishment).

Additional thanks certainly go to Rep. Sheila Klinker for her efforts on this, along with her stalwart belief in the role that arts & culture play in making our community.

(In photo above, L-R: Julia Klaverenga, Rep. Sheila Klinker, Chaconne, Jim Klaverenga. photo provided by Jim Klaverenga)