Mason Community Arts Academy

Mason Community Arts Academy is doing big things

Shayla Brown — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 19:12:28 +0000

Mason Community Arts Academy is doing big things Shayla Brown Tue, 11/26/2024 - 14:12

��AV’s Mason Community Arts Academy (MCAA) has been named one of the Best Summer Camps by Northern Virginia Magazine every year since 2021.

This summer, the program broke multiple records including the number of student participants at just under 1,900. The Acting for Young People (AFYP) program also broke its attendance record with 950 students.

MCAA, part of the College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA), includes summer camps, programs, and workshops that teach local children aged 4-18 in acting and theater, film and video, music, and visual art.

MCAA Children's Choir session. Photo by Matthew Geske.

“We have really honed in on our recruitment process,” said Regina Schneider, MCAA’s marketing and communications coordinator.

The summer program has also grown in its number of staff members. MCAA employees include industry professionals, George Mason alumni and students of all levels, and summer interns, including high school students.

This summer, 42 out of 90 intern applicants were hired, many of which were local high school students, George Mason undergraduate and graduate students, and as well as graduate students from across the country.

MCAA also acts as a major pathway to George Mason for students who often begin the program in elementary school. Some of them go on to become interns and eventually students in CVPA degree programs, said Mary Lechter, executive director of MCAA and professor in the School of Theater.

One of these students is Kaya Thomas, a freshman theater major with a concentration in musical theater. Thomas joined AFYP when she was in seventh grade and participated in the weekend showcase program.

“AFYP guaranteed that I would have something to do in terms of performing. You still go through the audition process, but you’re guaranteed to get in, which was really helpful for my confidence,” said Thomas.

MCAA faculty, staff, and students on the Roger Wilkins Plaza. Photo by Beth Anne Young.

Thomas now works for MCAA as an assistant choreographer teacher with the same program.

Thomas’ experience with the program was huge factor in her decision to attend to George Mason, she said.

“I'm teaching with the people who taught me when I was in middle school and I am getting to work with these kids that aren't super strong dancers yet and watch them grow too,” she said. “I was already connected with people who I had so much in common with and knew so much about these programs. There were also lots of opportunities for growth.”

Next semester, Thomas will be taking on a new role and teaching students in MCAA after school classes.

“I truly believe that you can't start early enough to create that pipeline for students to connect [to our] programs,” said William Lake Jr., director of concert bands and the Dewberry School of Music, who approached Lechter with the idea of starting a summer band camp at George Mason. It started in 2023 and runs for one week every summer.

Students have the option of staying on campus overnight and experiencing what college life is like.

“They’re staying in the dorms, eating the campus food. They have to get themselves up in the morning and practice college routines, which also reduces barriers, and makes the experience less foreign a few years down the road,” said Lake.

“The camp includes a large ensemble experience and students participate in instrument specific master classes with our school of music faculty, which are often their future teachers,” he said.

Summer 2024 saw the debut of the Children’s Choir Camp, headed by Beth Anne Young, director of Kodály at George Mason, which aims to provide children with a comprehensive music education experience.

After three years of planning, the camp was done in conjunction with Side-by-Side, a new course for adult learners who are currently working in the field of music education, and is integrated with the Kodály Levels program, allowing graduate music education students to gain hands-on teaching experience while being mentored by the highly skilled Kodály faculty.

“My dream was to have a program with current teachers from our and other programs, and even alumni could work with the children enrolled in the Children's Choir Camp,” said Young.

Children participating in the MCAA programs. Photo by Beth Anne Young.

Graduate students with the Kodály option come to campus in July for three summers to complete their Kodály Levels in person. Each level includes study in the areas of pedagogy, musicianship, folk song materials and research, conducting/choral studies, choir and special topics, including a one-week Side-by-Side course, which is offered the week before Levels Courses begin.

Kodály at George Mason is fully endorsed by the Organization of American Kodály Educators. The Kodály program also offers opportunities for international students, with participants attending from countries such as Ireland, China, and South Korea.

“The experience to work with children in real time and apply what they are learning about teaching in a Kodály-Inspired classroom is invaluable,” she said.

In This Story

Mary Lechter

Regina Schneider

Learn more about Camps and Youth Programs at George Mason

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Summer theater program was a pathway for this student-participant turned teacher

Shayla Brown — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 16:26:51 +0000

Summer theater program was a pathway for this student-participant turned teacher Shayla Brown Wed, 07/24/2024 - 12:26

Lake Rusch’s passion for acting was ignited in seventh grade when they first joined ��AV’s Acting for Young People (AFYP) showcase program. They continued to attend the program throughout high school.

“I was acting with the program for so long and I really loved the environment. AFYP nourished my love for performance so deeply,” Rusch said of their time at the Mason Community Arts Academy Program (MCAA), an organization within the College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) that offers multiple programs and camps to provide children with arts education.

“When I was selecting colleges to apply to, George Mason was in my top three,” said Rusch, now a rising sophomore at George Mason majoring in theater education with a theater performance minor. They also had a connection to George Mason through their mother, Emily Rusch, who is a development associate in CVPA.

In 2019, Rusch became an intern at the camp, and in 2022, they became an assistant teacher for the camp’s participants.

“I’ve had so many different theater education experiences in my life, and after I started working with AFYP, it just clicked that I should go into theater education,” said Rusch.

Lake Rusch. Photo provided.

AFYP offers three kinds of programming—summer camp, showcase programs, and an afterschool program. The programs teach grade school students ages 7-18 about the world of theater and allow participants to experience performing on stage during their spring and fall showcases.

Having a long history with the program means Rusch has seen it evolve over the years, and has the joy of seeing students grow in the program from the youngest to oldest stages.

“The one thing that I've seen change the most is that we are able to rent bigger spaces every year for our showcases,” said Rusch, who will teach part time in the afterschool program this fall.

“Theater education is special because we’re teaching them growth. I want them to learn new skills and help them [take those skills] wherever they want to,” said Rusch.

Rusch is also close with their boss, AFYP founder and artistic director Mary Lechter, who wrote one of Rusch’s letters of recommendation for George Mason.

Lechter was also present during their auditions for the School of Theater.

“It was a combination of factors that made me choose George Mason, but Mary was one of the biggest influences for me. I really liked the school and knowing that I had a paying job in college where I’d be working with Mary was great,” said Rusch.

As AFYP’s artistic director, Lechter says she is able to work with young actors over the course of several years and watch them grow as people and actors.

“I have had the privilege of seeing Lake come into their own over these past few years, expressing confidence in their voice and ideas,” said Lechter.

Lechter said she looks forward to working alongside Rusch for many years to come.  “In addition to Lake being a great person all around, they are a wonderful actor to work with— intuitive, receptive, bold. I can still see each of their performances vividly.”

Rusch’s position as a teacher and administrative intern allows them to guide students the way Lechter and other George Mason faculty guided them.

“There is an element of commitment and accountability that I learned just inherently by being present at the camp that I definitely uphold now, and hope to continue to uphold. That's something that’s going to be really great for teaching later,” they said.

Check out summer arts programs with Mason Community Arts Academy

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Virginia House of Delegates Honors Acting for Young People and Mason Community Arts Academy

Emily Schneider — Thu, 28 Mar 2024 18:02:44 +0000

Virginia House of Delegates Honors Acting for Young People and Mason Community Arts Academy Emily Schneider Thu, 03/28/2024 - 14:02

On Tuesday, March 19, 2024, Delegate Kathy Tran presented Mason Community Arts Academy Executive Director Mary Lechter with House Resolution 804, in honor of Acting for Young People’s (AFYP) 25th anniversary in 2022. Co-signed by Delegate David Bulova and unanimously approved by the entire House of Delegates, the Resolution highlights AFYP’s long history in the surrounding community, and the even greater impact these programs have had, made possible in collaboration with Mason Community Arts Academy (MCAA).

Delegate Kathy Tran (L) presented Mary Lechter (R), founder of AFYP and executive director of Mason Community Arts Academy, with a commendation honoring the work of AFYP on March 19, 2024.

“I’m truly humbled by this honor,” notes Lechter. “This recognition is especially meaningful, as we have had the opportunity to work with children from both the Tran and Bulova families in our Acting and Music programs over the years. Perhaps most important of all is the feedback Delegate Tran shared in person, and includes in the Resolution itself, commending our staff and faculty for the authentic experiences they provide for our students. It has always been my goal to provide a warm, welcoming, and inclusive environment in which students can learn and grow. I am touched that we’ve been acknowledged for this core value of our programs.”

Founded by Mary Lechter in 1997, AFYP started out offering classes for youth in the Fairfax area, gradually expanding to after-school and summer camp programs. In 2012, Lechter entered into a partnership with MCAA, bringing AFYP into the organization to become the theater education wing of the academy. Since that time, AFYP has received multiple area awards for its camps and year-round lessons.

The strength of this partnership is also evident in the ways that AFYP and MCAA weathered the impacts of the pandemic shutdown. Their fully online programming for summer 2020 consisted of 74 programs serving 1,023 students from 32 states and 11 countries. As the region emerged from the lockdowns and returned to in-person activities, MCAA and AFYP returned to pre-pandemic enrollment numbers by the summer of 2022, and are continuing to expand their enrollment and their impact throughout the region.

Learn more about the Mason Community Arts Academy

In This Story

Mary Lechter

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Strategic Direction

Around Mason: Summer Camps Takeover

Sarah Holland — Wed, 09 Aug 2023 13:43:20 +0000

Around Mason: Summer Camps Takeover Sarah Holland Wed, 08/09/2023 - 09:43

Summer goes by fast—whether you’re a kid, or a kid at heart. The K-12 students who attended camps and youth programs at Mason this year filled those fleeting summer days with memories. With many camp options—including music, arts, recreation, sports, science, and space, just to name a few—these kids got to experience life in the Mason Nation at an early age. And we couldn’t be happier to host them. Here are some snapshots from their summer to remember.

CONS 100: Introduction to Field Conservation, Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation

Photo by Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation

The Introduction to Field Conservation Ecology program at the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation (SMSC) offers high schoolers hands-on experience in research field methods, with an emphasis on developing observational skills. Participants also earn college credit.

Many decades ago, the land that now makes up the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute functioned as a U.S. Army remount—a space used to provide exercise to horses. Racetrack Hill now serves as the site for many SMSC field activities, as well as recreation. During the first night of the program, high school students got to take in fantastic views, knowing that they would be returning many times in the coming days for hands-on conservation activities. See more photos.

Interstellar Dreams Space Center, College of Science

Photo provided

At the Interstellar Dreams Space Center at Mason's Fairfax Campus, middle schoolers took on roles as "mission specialists" to plan a lunar space station. The mission specialists made their own websites, learned to program a micro-controller to control electronics hardware and blink morse code with a light, learned about space, physics, astronomy, and more.

Campers also checked out various telescopes at the Mason Observatory—including the second largest on-campus optical telescope on the East Coast. The week culminated with a "press conference" attended by VIPs and families, where campers presented their lunar space station design.

Conflict Resolution Youth Summit, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

Photo by Ayman Rashid/Office of University Branding

The Conflict Resolution Youth Summit, hosted by the Carter School, explores some of today's toughest problems through the lens of peace and conflict resolution. Through simulations, workshops and facilitated discussions, high schoolers delved into important conflicts and practiced the processes of promoting peace. Participants came away with new knowledge about global conflicts, social justice, peacebuilding, and collaborative leadership.

Mason Summer Band Camp, Mason Community Arts Academy

Photo provided

This summer, Mason Community Arts Academy (MCAA) kicked off the first-ever Mason Summer Band Camp. More than 100 students participated in the program led by faculty from the Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music and the Green Machine.

Gold Star Volleyball Camp

Photo provided

George Mason Women’s Volleyball Head Coach Megan Shifflett Bachmann and other Mason volleyball staff hosted Gold Star Volleyball Camp on the Fairfax Campus. The camp emphasized the development of players of all levels to become more skilled and competitive athletes.

WGMU Podcasting and Radio Camp, WGMU

Photo provided

WGMU’S Summer Podcast and Radio Camp provided campers with training in a professional radio environment. Students had a chance to produce podcasts and be deejays, playing music over the WGMU radio station. Campers also learned from broadcast professionals how to write, edit, and produce podcasts, live DJ shows, commercials, promos, and public service announcements.

Tony Skinn Basketball Camps

Photo provided

Mason Men’s Basketball Head Coach Tony Skinn hosted two weeks of basketball camps at the Fairfax Campus. Boys and girls ages 7–14 learned about the game from Skinn, who was a two-time all-conference guard with the Patriots from 2003-06 and competed in the Final Four with the Patriots in the 2006 NCAA Tournament.

Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program, College of Science

Photo by ASSIP Intern Team

The nationally known Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP) provides transformative research opportunities for high school and undergraduate students. Selected participants work one-on-one with faculty researchers at ��AV and collaborating institutions using state-of-the-art technology across many disciplines. This summer’s ASSIP program welcomed a record 266 students, including 195 who participated in person. The program is open to high school students and Mason undergraduates.

Washington Journalism and Media Conference

Photo by Rafael Suanes/Washington Journalism and Media Conference

The Washington Journalism and Media Conference (WJMC) is an interactive, youth leadership program hosted on Fairfax Campus that provides highly engaged, high-performing high school students with a unique experience exploring careers in the areas of journalism, media, and related fields. Students experience an integrated and forward-thinking approach to journalism and media while acquiring valuable “in-the-trenches” knowledge through hands-on learning with industry leaders, award-winning journalists, international media outlets, and Washington insiders.

Learn more about Summer Camps at Mason

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Around Mason (E-Files)

Instruments in the Attic donations help Arkansas schools

Colleen Rich — Thu, 15 Jun 2023 12:46:38 +0000

Instruments in the Attic donations help Arkansas schools Colleen Rich Thu, 06/15/2023 - 08:46

Just weeks after a massive tornado destroyed their high school and half of their town, music students in Wynne, Arkansas, were able to continue their music education and even keep some performance dates, thanks to ��AV’s Instruments in the Attic (IiA) program.

From left, Matt Geske, MCAA operations manager; Mary Lechter, MCAA executive director; Shawn McCracken, Wynne Schools music teacher; Matthew Cooper, Wynne Schools music teacher; and Samantha Clarke, MCAA Instruments in the Attic coordinator. Photo provided.

Instruments in the Attic, which is part of the Mason Community Arts Academy (MCAA), recycles used instruments donated by community members and gets them in the hands of students in need. In April, the program was able to provide more than 100 instruments and accessories to the middle and high school students in Wynne.

Matthew Cooper, a middle school music teacher in Wynne Schools, reached out to IiA Coordinator Samantha Clarke earlier in the academic year seeking instruments for the program. Cooper had learned about the program when he was teaching in Maryland and had received instruments from IiA, so he sought help from the program again in his current job.

They were in the midst of coordinating the details of the instrument pick-up when the tornado struck. Weeks later, Cooper and a colleague drove from Wynne to the Mason Community Arts Academy in Fairfax, Virginia with a trailer in tow, in order to get instruments and supplies back to their students.

The donation included band and orchestra instruments, guitars, percussion equipment, and various accessories, and it has made it possible for music to continue for the students in Wynne despite the hardships they are facing. While the Wynne community is on a path to recovery, it is expected to take two to three years to rebuild.

Donated instruments kept the Wynne Guitar Ensemble strumming. Photo provided.

“These instruments could not have come at a better time,” said Cooper. “This is going to help us so very much moving forward out of this disaster.”

Receiving these instruments has allowed the students to attend and perform at Music in the Parks at Magic Springs in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and the guitar ensemble to remain intact.

“It is such an amazing gift to be able to provide instruments to those in need in order for them to have access to the impact of learning and participating in music,” said Clarke, who graduated from Mason with a doctor of musical arts in May. “As a music educator, I can directly relate to the feeling of wanting to give your students everything, but not having access to the resources necessary to make it happen.”

Music teacher Matthew Cooper traveled to Fairfax to pick up donated instruments. Photo provided.

Since it was established in Fall 2008, Instruments in the Attic has provided hundreds of instruments to teachers and students throughout Virginia, with a focus on donations to Title I schools. In addition to helping local school band and orchestra programs, the program has also supplied instruments to music students throughout the United States and internationally (through special arrangements) to students in Africa, Costa Rica, Haiti, Jamaica, and El Salvador. The program also assists Mason students in the Dewberry Family School of Music training to become music educators by providing instruments to help them build their skills.

“At the heart of what we do in the College of Visual and Performing Arts is the core belief that ‘The Arts Create Community,’ and the Instruments in the Attic program is one of the most tangible examples of this that we have,” said Mary Lechter, executive director of the Mason Community Arts Academy. “Whether we are putting a single instrument into the hands of a deserving student so that they may join the community of their school music program or supplying enough instruments to create a full community orchestra in Costa Rica, the reach and impact are significant, and truly fulfills this important mission.”

Instruments in the Attic is always seeking instrument donations to help those in need. If you would like to make a donation or to find out more, please visit the program’s web page or email academy@gmu.edu.

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ARTS by George! Showcases the Arts at Mason and Raises Scholarship Funds

Zoe Harr — Tue, 06 Sep 2022 17:06:54 +0000

ARTS by George! Showcases the Arts at Mason and Raises Scholarship Funds Zoe Harr Tue, 09/06/2022 - 13:06

In This Story

Rick Davis

“An evening like no other,” ARTS by George! makes its in-person return on September 24. The philanthropic event, headlined by Emmy^® and Tony Award winner Kristin Chenoweth, raises support for student scholarships in visual arts, dance, music, theater, game design, film, arts management, as well as for the Mason Community Arts Academy, Green Machine Ensembles, and the Great Performance at Mason season at the Center for the Arts. Since its creation in 2006, ARTS by George! has raised more than $2 million for the arts at Mason.

“More than any single performance or exhibition or screening could ever do, ARTS by George! offers a window into the life and work – the very heart – of this great College of Visual and Performing Arts,” notes Rick Davis, Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA). “In fact, it’s kind of a stained-glass window, composed of many colors and shapes and designs representing the many programs we offer, and it casts a beautiful light on the interplay of students, faculty, professional guest artists, and the communities that we all serve.”

School of Music students perform at a previous ARTS by George! event.

ARTS by George! begins by bringing hundreds of CVPA students and faculty together to collaborate in a series of behind-the-scenes showcase performances and exhibits, ranging from musical cabarets to virtual reality demos. From the School of Music, a taste from the many offerings including jazz, piano, symphony orchestra, opera, as well as special performances by The Green Machine. Introducing its upcoming production of the laugh-out-loud love story Head Over Heels, Mason School of Theater will perform highlights from the musical featuring music of the Go-Go’s and more! Additionally, guests will be invited to performances from the School of Dance, student film screenings from the School of Film, and Computer Game Design demonstrations. Programming begins at 5 p.m., presented across 10 open studios and rehearsal halls on Mason’s Fairfax campus, which will also have sumptuous beverage and cuisine stations offered throughout.

Co-chairs of ARTS by George! Anne Bolger and Steven Golsch emphasize the importance of the event, stating, “This benefit raises important scholarship funds to help our talented students and community arts partners and share their art and inspire the world. We are proud to support these programs and students as they fulfill their lifelong dreams.”

Kristin Chenoweth headlines the event on September 24.

After the thrilling showcase festivities, guests will transition to the Center for the Arts for a Live Fund-A-Student Auction, leading up to the performance by Kristin Chenoweth. In this 8:30 p.m. concert, Chenoweth will sing music from her album For The Girls, a heartfelt tribute to the great female singers throughout history. The album includes Chenoweth’s personally charged interpretations of classic songs identified with such iconic artists as Barbra Streisand, Lesley Gore, Linda Ronstadt, Dinah Washington, Dolly Parton, and more. To learn more about Kristin Chenoweth, please visit her website. The evening culminates with a special champagne toast onstage with ARTS by George! ticketholders and Ms. Chenoweth.

This year, the winner of the Arts by George! 2023 scholarship is Film and Video Studies student, Tiffany Vu. Past recipients include Erblin Nushi (Film and Video Studies, 2018), Mariah Rogers (The Green Machine, 2020), and Alana Lyons (Mason School of Theater, 2021). Student scholarships allow for the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ (CVPA) students to explore creative projects while cultivating Mason’s enriching arts education and first-class performances.

Rick Davis encapsulates Mason and its community’s excitement, stating, “We’re delighted to be back to our full expression of CVPA’s contribution to the dynamo that is ��AV.”

To learn more about Arts by George!, visit the website.