It makes for a really great chest-beating sound-bite: "we just closed another low performing school!" It's all the rage in New York City, at the USDOE, and at many other urban school districts: School Turnaround. And, although the term denotes a number of possible strategies, it almost always connotes the closing of a school. And, you may ask what happens to the building after … [Read more...] about Reflections on the Possible Closing of My High School: Beach Channel High School
music
The Integration of the Arts: Composer/Performers Reach Back to the Silent Film Era
There are a few composer performers who are have associated themselves with silent film greats and other great iconic comedians. The first grouping I want to point out is Bill Frisell and Buster Keaton. Then there's Don Byron and Ernie Kovacs. And, there's Dave Douglas and Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle. There are others, most notably composers who have written new scores to major … [Read more...] about The Integration of the Arts: Composer/Performers Reach Back to the Silent Film Era
David Byrne Throws a Curveball for Arts Education
Happy New Year!I hope that everyone who visits Dewey21C had a lovely holiday. Me? I went off the work grid for a good ten days. It was a nice rendering of a professional "flat line."So, now, it's back to work in 2010!David Byrne, musician, composer, band leader, music label entrepreneur, etc., posted a blog on his web site in mid-December taking a look at excesses in spending … [Read more...] about David Byrne Throws a Curveball for Arts Education
The Counter-Intuition of Advocacy
Consider these three points: 1. The school district leader says that the overall school budget is increasing each year, and not to worry. And yes, it's true: more money was allocated to education in the city budget.2. The existence of generally supportive school district officials and government leads to increased arts budgets and administrative capacity within the district … [Read more...] about The Counter-Intuition of Advocacy
The Third Annual NYCDOE Arts in the Schools Report: Cognitive Dissonance
This week the NYCDOE released its third Annual Arts in the School Report. Along with about thirty colleagues primarily from the arts field, I attended the report presentation at the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.The document itself must be applauded for all the work that went into it. In this difficult economy, the mere existence of this report must be given its … [Read more...] about The Third Annual NYCDOE Arts in the Schools Report: Cognitive Dissonance