Pras' Master Class

27 Apr 2009, 2:07 PM by UrbanArtsAdmin

Pras’s Master Class focused on creating advocacy campaigns around the students’ work, including methods of getting the student’s work out there.  Pras shared the trailer and several poignant clips from his documentary “Skid Row” along with a preview of his new documentary, XXX.  Some of the students participating in the Master Class have completed a documentary called “In My Shoes”, documenting the issue of teen homelessness in NYC by sharing the stories of four formerly homeless teens. They are now touring the film and trying to inspire other youth to take action.

Student Quotes:

How has today influenced how you think about your art?

“This Master Class allowed me to see that I am capable of having the same quality work as a famous person if I apply myself.”

How do you feel the arts improve our communities and build multicultural understanding?

Art is the universal language when race and class separate us.

Diane Neal's Master Class

27 Apr 2009, 2:05 PM by UrbanArtsAdmin

Diane Neal’s Master Class focused on what goes into creating a good theatrical work and deciding when a piece is good enough to be a finished product. Students participating in the Master Class have been writing monologues. The students performed their monologues and focused on making a realistic connection between their character and who their character is talking to and their partners improvised back based on the monologue or will just listen and react without words. Diane provided feedback on the scenes and gave ideas on how to make them stronger, believable and funnier (when appropriate).

Ben Karlin's Master Class

27 Apr 2009, 2:03 PM by UrbanArtsAdmin

Ben Karlin’s Master Class focused on what goes into creating a good theatrical work and deciding when a piece is good enough to be a finished product. Students participating in the Master Class have been writing monologues. The students performed their monologues and focused on making a realistic connection between their character and who their character is talking to and their partners improvised back based on the monologue or will just listen and react without words. Ben provided feedback on the scenes and gave ideas on how to make them stronger, believable and funnier (when appropriate).

Student Quotes:

What did you enjoy most about Master Class?

“I enjoyed Ben’s sense of humor. He’d always have a funny little snippet.”

“His story about how in high school he didn’t have a dream job and that he couldn’t say what he was interested in. In really bugged me out because that’s how I feel. That story really touched me, and I think that maybe I have an idea of what to do now.”

How has today influenced how you think about your art?

“This has influenced me to become a writer. And that editing is a good thing.”

How do you feel the arts improve our communities and build multicultural understanding?

“It helps us to see more than one side of things. Also that talking isn’t the only way of communication.”

Darryl "D.M.C" McDaniels' Master Class

27 Apr 2009, 1:59 PM by UrbanArtsAdmin

Darryl “D.M.C.” McDaniel’s Master Class contained students from the Spoken Word/Performance Poetry Studio that focuses on themes of Empathy, Identity & Interdependence.  The studio is part Writer’s Workshop, part Hip Hop skills, and part Performance Training.  The project that the students shared during the Master Class was a series of perspective poems written revolving around the murder of Oscar Grant in Oakland, CA this past New Year’s Eve and the personal perspective poems spawned by studying this unit.  D.M.C. provided feedback on the pieces and ideas on how to make the performances stronger and more poignant.

Student Quotes:

What did you enjoy most about Master Class?

“It was inspiring, super duper inspiring, I have been to Master Class for four years, and the class greatly affected me.”

Please share one thing you learned today.
“I learned about really being you and not trying to be the next man.”

How has today influenced how you think about your art?

“It makes me want to work a million times harder.”
“The way I make art is going to be different now because of the words from DMC.”

How do you feel the arts improve our communities and build multicultural understanding?

“It gives people a chance to explain their story and where they grew up.”

Rosie Perez Master Class

27 Apr 2009, 1:55 PM by UrbanArtsAdmin

Artistic Board Chair Rosie Perez, served as host for our 4th Annual Master Class Program at New Design High School which entailed a rousing orientation speech for all participants involved; visiting, evaluating and providing master feedback at each master class in session; and leading an inspiring Q+A with master artists, teaching artists and students at the conclusion of the program.