Falling Into Step

As the weather cools and we find ourselves more indoors than out, classes at Upstart Crow challenge our creative instincts.

Mask Making by Dr. Hoolala is a number one pick this month. With Halloween around the corner, you can design and create a mask that will make you a hit during this ghoulish season. Have fun learning how to make a life mask you can use to make a mask that is true fit to your face. Working with the master, you will learn techniques and be inspired by the artistic masks that surround you and the magic of the master himself. Classes are available for adults and kids so spend October harvesting your creative side.

Project Voice with Alli Bach is singers dream. Alli comes with rave reviews to the Studios and will teach you how to use your voice wisely and learn habits on the care and feeding of your vocal cords. The play on words to project the voice as well as making your voice the project, speaks to how the class will help with communication, theatre and singing skills. We encourage kids interested in the theatre program to work with Alli this year in these exciting classes.

We are excited to bring to you the newest performance art opportunity at the Crow. Rhythms Recycled Ensemble will be a fascinating look at using recycled materials in a performance art project with percussion, dance and rhythm. Students will work to gather materials, make them into a work of art that is functional as a pitched percussive energy that will keep the dancers hearts and feet moving to the beat. 2010 performances in local venues, including the Eugene Celebration. Join this group for some hot nights in the cold winter months ahead.

Sign up for our e-newsletter and get all the latest details and updates. Whatever you are looking for, look to the Crow for the best in youth performing arts!

Eugene's Got Talent!

Eugene's Got Talent or at least we liked to see some of it. Upstart Crow Studios is hosting a Community Talent Show and we would like to invite everyone to come on down and show us what you got. Everyone who auditions is in, as is our policy, but we are looking for family oriented material for our audiences. And it's free!

Can you juggle, sing, dance, do magic - how about comedy? Since the halls are full of laughter around here, there must be some talented people just waiting to strut their stuff. What about sword swallowing? Now that would be something different! Ask around and find out just who has talent among your crew and send them our way.

The Auditions are on October 5th in the Crows Nest Theatre from 6:30 - 8:00 pm. We want to see what kind of a line up we can present at our Brother, Can You Spare A Buck? event on October 17th. The talent show will be the headlining event along with "Everything's A Dollar". Yes, that's right - EVERYTHING is a dollar. From food to entertainment and auction items, this event is a one size fits all wallets. And the price of admission is ONLY A DOLLAR! Show us what you got and let the Crow put you on stage!

The 2009-2010 Stage Door Team!

Here it is. The moment you have all been waiting for...Upstart Crow proudly presents the Stage Door Production Team for the 2009-2010 theatre season!

Stage Door members have committed themselves to a year of study and performance. They start their season with an intense 2 day workshop with our professional instructors. This year's team will have an opportunity to work with Alli Bach, our vocal teacher, Rainey Taylor, a theatre professional from Los Angeles now residing here in Eugene and Brenda Cook, a movement artist and choreographer.

Cast members will work with each of these professionals during the year honing their skills and gaining a wealth of experience from these teachers. The workshops begin on November 7th and will be scheduled throughout the year to work on theatre skills and rehearse for upcoming performances.

This year's performances include Portland's Rave In The Nave, Little Shop of Horrors, Art In The Vineyard, Willamette Blues and Brew Festival, Hult Showcase and the Eugene Celebration. We will also be taking a group to see Disney's The Lion King in Portland. And all Stage Door members receive an additional 10% discount on any other theatrical productions they choose during the year!

Stage Door members are strongly encouraged to work more intensely with Alli Bach in our Project Voice class. Not only does this class help develop good posture, breathing and vocal techniques, it works on developing the power to project the voice enhancing volume and proper diction. Essential to all triple threat enthusiasts, this class will be offered on Mondays before the theatre production schedule on Monday nights. Perfect way to warm up the pipes!

All That! Dance Company, our resident dance company, also offers Musical Theatre class that develops the choreography and musical theatre dance steps basic to every theatrical production. These classes are available on Wednesdays at 7:00 pm. You may register for this class through All That! Dance at their website www.allthatdancecompany.com

We still have ONE spot left as we limit this group to 20 students. Could it be yours?

The team stands - Stefhani Anderson, Ben Brown, Abby Cooper, Conner Criswell, Taylor Dalton, Taylor Doble, Ila Drumm, Charlie Emery, Holley Flora, Cortney Grant, Kevin Hagel, Diamond Huynh, Emma Mowry, Victoria Richards, Cassie Serra, Maggie Shidek, Courtney Volta, Sadie Waddell, Aidan Ziegler Hansen!

Young At Arts

As our children head back to school, we fill their backpacks with school supplies and healthy lunches. We drop them off at the school door step, wish them a great day and trust that once through that door, their minds will open up and absorb all that knowledge.

But like most things in life, it really depends on that first step. The joy of learning comes from a seed that is planted long before they walk through those hallowed halls of academia. From their earliest opportunities, children begin learning. Through melody, movement and creativity, the young mind opens to learning on so many different levels. 

Research shows the inclusion of the arts as a core creates more awareness, mental agility and academic achievement. Children who participate in the arts at least three hours, three days a week for a year are 4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement, 3 times more likely to be elected to class office and 4 times more likely to participate in math and science fairs.

Upstart Crow Studios believes in the concept of arts as a core to academic development. That is the basis on which we were founded. At a time when cutbacks have become commonplace in the school budgets, UCS step up to keep the concept alive and well. This year we take it to the next level. Beyond the after school arts programming, we now offer Young At Arts, early childhood development through the arts.

A unique pre-school model for Kindergarten readiness, this program will use the arts as a core to bring music, art, dance and theatre to young eager minds. The arts core will help develop language, reading, math and science skills. The program runs September through June and will feature a three day week, three hours a day. The perfect healthy snack for those eager, hungry minds!

Moving Words

As part of the All That! Dance Company Bunhead Boot Camp this past July, the young prima ballerinas reflected on the themes of acceptance and letting go. These themes were based on Bill T. Jones ensemble piece, Still/Here - a mix of choreography and spoken words from people dealing with death and terminal illness. The study of this unique and moving piece brought the young dancers to conclusions of their own through the thoughts and words of others. During the finale of their performance there was a moment of silence as they sat on the edge of the stage and shared these thoughts with their audience.

We find by losing. We hold fast by letting go. We become something new by ceasing to be something old. This seems to be close to the heart of that mystery. I know no more now than I ever did about the far side of death as the last letting go of all, but now I know that I do not need to know and that I do not need to be afraid of not knowing. God knows. That is all that matters.   - Frederick Buechner

The hardest part of faith is the last hour. - David Wilkerson

Some people think it's holding on that makes one strong; sometimes it's letting go. - Sylvia Robinson

Forgotten? No, we never do forget. We let the years go;wash them clean with tears. Leave them to bleach out in the open day or lock them careful by, like dead friends' clothes, till we shall dare unfold them without pain. But we do not forget. - D.M. Mullock Craik

For death is no more than a turning of us over from time to eternity. - William Penn

This summer our dear, sweet Fa, grandfather to Dance Director, Sarah Beth Byrum and father in law to Executive Director, Eularee Smith passed away from this life and into that place of loving memory. He ventures into eternity with us strongly tied to him and he to us. As the spoken words moved gracefully through each dancer and across the floor, his spirit smiled on.

Be Careful What You Wish For

It began as an idea behind the walls of the costume room. The topic was how to make things easier for the costume crew and the cast when sorting, transporting and putting costumes in order for a show.

The solution seemed simple enough. Garment bags that could hold the costume and accessories. We didn't find anything suitable, let alone affordable while letting our fingers do the walking online. So we did the next best thing and invented the wheel...or the garment bag as it were. 

Mandi Bussell, our cupcake costume designer, offered to help design a pattern. We spent the afternoon putting together ideas of what we wanted, what was practical and what we could actually pull off. She plotted out a pattern on newsprint and left it with me to put the pieces together and make a working model. 

Meanwhile our trusty Board member, Stephen Brainard, talked to his mom about making a "few" garment bags. She was visiting Eugene from Colorado and eagerly raised her hand to work on the project. Unable to make a working model in the time she was here visiting, I handed her the untested pattern. 

A week later, Stephen brings in a finished product. Although she only sews in white thread (we love white thread but hate white socks!) she did a bang up job. A few weeks later, we now have almost half of the amount we were hoping for. The woman is a sewing machine addict! She must be chained to her machine to do this many so fast.

Laurie Brainard, you are an amazing woman and dedicated volunteer. There is no way to tell you how much this means to our kids. Laurie says she volunteered because Upstart Crow Studios is a good organization and it helps her grandkids even though she lives in a different state. 

It is nice to know that volunteers come in all shapes, sizes, ages and apparently from Colorado! 

Artists Come In All Sizes

The August Last Friday Artwalk signaled an intent on the part of Upstart Crow to add something new. The Crow is working on hosting youth band concerts. We found a couple of worthy candidates on the stage (indoor and out) this month.

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory (T.S.F.) took the stage to crowd of fans last night at the Artwalk. Concerned about the acoustic nature of the group, not to mention Mother Nature's unexpected rain shower, they opted to perform

inside in the Crows Nest Community Theatre. The group had a wonderful mix of harmonies and personalities that jumped out on stage. With limited instrumentation - a guitar and a set of drums, the group had almost an acappella style. An impressive set of hand crafted drums was played by a remarkable young drummer who rivaled Kings of Perscussion like Ginger Baker. What a great group and they are on the list for upcoming events.

Outside, under the stars and along a fence of paintings of musicians, Angel Torres Mann took her guitar in hand and sang heartfelt melodies, including one that was written for her brother who died tragically earlier in the year. Her sweet voice and melodious guitar touched those gathering around for the acoustic calm of the evening. You had only to look to the art hanging along the fence for the inspiration of blending art and music. She was one of the models for the artist, Erin Bucklew, in a series of paintings created on Monday nights at Allann Brothers Coffee House in Eugene. Erin, along with other artists, use their artistic talents to capture the soul of the musicians who play there on Monday nights. It was wonderful to see Angel perform to the backdrop of these paintings and the mural, all capturing the winged spirit of Upstart Crow Studios.