New Motion & Music Academy to Give Fourth through Eighth Grade Students a Year-Round Mix of Virtual and In-Person Extracurricular Experiences

PHILADELPHIA (Oct. 13, 2020) – Following a successful spring and summer of youth-oriented education and community engagement programming, the Mann Center for the Performing Arts heads into fall with the launch of Motion & Music Academy, a new after-school music education program for fourth through eighth grade students of Global Leadership Academy (GLA) in the Parkside neighborhood of Philadelphia. Launching today, the Motion & Music Academy is a first for the Mann in that it is a year-round commitment with GLA to provide programming to expand student understanding and abilities in the performing arts through choir, ballet, and drumline lessons.

The program was developed as a result of a multi-year study on the Mann’s education and community engagement initiatives to assess where the Mann’s support was most needed and could create the most impact.  “What we learned is out-of-school time should be a key area of focus, particularly in our own Parkside neighborhood, which has been identified by the city as a ‘desert area’ for youth enrichment opportunities during non-school hours,” says Naomi Gonzalez, vice president of education and community engagement for the Mann.  The Mann study also indicated the greatest need for out-of-school-time programming is among the middle school and high school set.  “That’s exactly why we designed the All City Orchestra Summer Academy for sixth to 12th graders, which completed its second year this summer with 90 young musicians participating, and now the Music & Motion Academy, which will work with 55 fourth through eighth graders this year,” Gonzalez says. 

Motion & Music Academy is in session on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4-6 p.m. and will conclude in May. The program is a mixture of outdoor, in-person sessions at the Mann and virtual sessions through Zoom. Choir class, for example, which is taught by artists and educators of Sister Cities Girlchoir, will be held 100% virtually on Tuesdays and Thursdays to keep students safe from possible COVID-19 transmission through the act of singing.

Ballet class, taught by artists and educators of Pennsylvania Ballet, will take place in person at the Mann on Tuesdays and will be completely virtual on Thursdays. Students will be taught traditional technical ballet methods, along with hybrid modern dances spanning a wide range of genres.

Drumline class, taking place virtually on Tuesdays and in person on Thursdays, will be taught by Mad Beatz Methods, a provider of percussion education resources and programs for upper-elementary and older students. Concepts taught will include stroke types (i.e., full stroke, tap stroke, down stroke and up stroke), marking time with their feet to feel tempos, and more. Students will engage in an experience that favors the kinesthetic and rhythmic strength from the Puerto Rican and African diasporas.

“Drumming, singing and dancing were chosen as the focus for our Motion & Music Academy because each of these activities promote culture awareness and inclusivity,” says Gonzalez. “We find that students understand the fundamentals of music when a cultural context is provided that allows them to learn the music’s rich history, feel it, and connect to it.”
Arts educators and administrative staff of GLA will assist each lead artistic partner in facilitating the sessions. In addition to providing a culturally responsive arts education for students, Motion & Music Academy is driven by two other pillars: access and community.  “All students, no matter their zip code of residence, should have access to a quality arts education and experience,” adds Gonzalez.

That kind of commitment has also inspired the creation of the Mann Music Room, a virtual music enrichment hub that features a diverse range of opportunities for kids (and adults) to take free virtual music lessons (Mann Music Room: Learn), access a library of the Mann’s most memorable moments (Mann Music Room: Remember), enjoy livestream performances and conversations with artists and educators (Mann Music Room: Stream), and learn about the Mann’s rich music history (Mann Music Room: Vault).  

Despite the challenges of this year, which included the suspension of the Mann’s entire summer concert season, the non-profit organization remains committed to its mission of education and community engagement.  Gonzalez says that more support is needed and encourages those who can to invest in this kind of programming through gifts to the Mann at MannCenter.org/Support-Us. 

About the Mann
As one of the foremost outdoor music centers in the country, the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, a leading non-profit organization, has a historical legacy of artistic excellence as a world-class entertainment destination presenting premier artists in association with Live Nation. Each summer season, renowned symphony orchestras, iconic rock stars and the latest touring artists in indie rock, hip hop, R&B and pop take the stage here. The Mann is the summer home of The Philadelphia Orchestra and has presented critically acclaimed performers in every decade since the 1930s. Located in the heart of Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park, the Mann hosts more than 200,000 visitors annually. Signature concert experiences are surrounded by Philadelphia’s stunning skyline and include seats beneath the Mann’s acoustically acclaimed TD Pavilion; picnics, blankets and music under the stars on its Great Lawn or at the top of the hill at the Skyline Stage; and dining in Crescendo, the venue’s spectacular tented restaurant.  In addition, the Mann’s Education & Community Engagement Program reaches 30,000 young people annually through free programming that this year has gone virtual.   With its new, online Mann Music Room, people of all ages are exploring global cultures through original episodes of programming that connect artists and audiences, home to home, and include printable student activity guides for further enrichment.  For more information, visit www.manncenter.org.

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