East Liberty Presbyterian Church

Poetry Slam and Music Jam
2017-12-17 15:00 - 17:00 (America/Halifax) | East Liberty Presbyterian Church, 116 S. Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Hope Academy’s teen theater company (HAT Co) performs poetry and songs in an informal, end of the term recital. Each student will perform 2 poems, with the high school students competing to represent Hope Academy in the regional round of the national Poetry Out Loud contest. Families should bring cookies or something to share during the reception following the performance.

HAT Co Band at Hambones
2017-12-23 17:00 - 19:00 | Hambones, 4207 Butler Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15201, United States
Hope Academy teaching artist, Ben Barson, will host an all-ages Open Stage at Hambone’s restaurant and music venue in Lawrenceville. The featured act will be the Hat Co Band, performing original works and music that spans jazz, Latin and R&B traditions.

Hope Academy Teaching Artists in Concert
2018-03-04 15:00 - 16:30 | ELPC – Chapel, 116 South Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Sunday, March 4, 2018
3:00 PM – Chapel
The talented faculty members from ELPC’s Hope Academy of Music and the Arts return for another innovative and eclectic concert featuring baritone saxophone player, Ben Barson; multimedia hip hop artist, Nejma Shea; vocalist, Gizelxanath Rodriguez; pianist, Helga Scheibert; flutist, Brittany Trotter and drummer, Julian Powell.
There is no admission charge to this concert. A freewill offering will be received at the concert.
For more information about Cathedral Concerts, please contact Dr. Edward Alan Moore at EdM@coh.net.

PROGRAM
Variations on Rite of Spring, Op. 41
Nikolai Kapustin
Etude – Un Sospiro
Franz Liszt
Helga Scheibert, piano
~~~~~~~~
TBA
Gizelxanath Rodriguez, soprano
John Bagnato, guitar
~~~~~~~~
Honami
Wil Offermans
Brittany Trotter, flute
~~~~~~~~
Fishing Song of the East China Sea
Benjamin Barson, baritone saxophone
~~~~~~~~
Insurrealista
Ben Barson
Maldigo del Alto Cielo
Violeta Para
Afro Yaqui Music Collective
Ben Barson – baritone saxophonist
Nejma Shea – multimedia hip hop artist
Gizel Rodriguez – singer
Helga Sheibert – pianist
Brittany Trotter – flutist
Julian Powell – drummer

Ebene String Quartet Field Trip
2018-03-12 19:30 - 21:00
Hope Academy families are invited to a chamber music concert featuring Ebene String Quartet. Tickets have been generously donated to us by our partner, Chamber Music Pittsburgh. This performance is recommended for students whose attention span and behavior is equivalent to an 8 year old.
Please read about the performance, so that you know what to expect; and the etiquette guidelines, so that you understand the expectations; then RSVP here by Wednesday, March 7.
PROGRAM
Franz Joseph Haydn – Quartet in D minor, Op. 76, No. 2 “Fifths”
Gabriel Fauré – Quartet in E minor, Op. 121
Jazz and crossover works to be announced from the stage
ABOUT THE ARTIST

Pierre Colombet – violin
Gabriel Le Magadure – violin
Marie Chelemme – viola
Raphaël Merlin – violoncello
“A string quartet that can easily morph into a jazz band,” wrote the New York Times after a 2009 performance by the Quatuor Ebène. The ensemble opened with Debussy and Haydn and then improvised on a film music theme—with equal enthusiasm and passion. What began in 1999 as a distraction in the conservatory practice rooms for the four young French musicians has become a trademark of the Quatuor Ebène, and has generated lasting reverberations in the music scene. The four breathe new life into chamber music through their consistently direct, open-minded perspective on the works. Regardless of the genre, they approach the music with humility and respect. They change styles with gusto, and yet remain themselves: with all the passion that they experience for each piece, and which they bring to the stage and to their audiences directly and authentically. There is no single word that describes their style: they’ve created their own. Their traditional repertoire does not suffer from their engagement with other genres; rather, their free association with diverse styles brings a productive excitement to their music. From the beginning, the complexity of their oeuvre has been greeted enthusiastically by audiences and critics. After studies with the Quatuor Ysaÿe in Paris and with Gábor Takács, Eberhard Feltz and György Kurtág, the quartet had an unprecedented victory at the ARD Music Competition 2004. This marked the beginning of their rise, which has culminated in numerous prizes and awards. The Quatuor Ebène’s concerts are marked by a special élan. With their charismatic playing, their fresh approach to tradition and their open engagement with new forms, the musicians have been successful in reaching a wide audience of young listeners; they communicate their knowledge in regular master classes at the Conservatoire Paris and at the Colburn School in Los Angeles. In 2005, the ensemble won the Belmont Prize of the Forberg-Schneider Foundation. Since then, the Foundation has worked closely with the musicians, making it possible for them to play priceless old Italian instruments from private collections. The Quatuor Ebène’s debut CD, featuring works by Haydn, was praised unanimously by critics. Further recordings of music by Bartók, Debussy and Fauré have won numerous awards, including the Gramophone Award, the ECHO Klassik and the Midem Classic Award. Their 2010 album Fiction and the accompanying DVD, a live recording of jazz arrangements, has only solidified their unique position in the chamber music scene. In 2013, the ensemble put out an acclaimed CD, Felix and Fanny, with works by Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel and Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, which won a BBC Music MagazineAward. Their second crossover CD, Brazil, a collaboration with Stacey Kent, appeared early in 2014. Highlights of the 2015/2016 season included concerts in the Wigmore Hall in London, the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées Paris, Munich’s Herkulessaal, and Carnegie Hall in New York, alongside numerous festival concerts in Prague and Bremen, among others. Quatuor Ebène were the Prize Winner in Residence at the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival in the Summer of 2015.

HOW TO BE A GOOD AUDIENCE MEMBER
It is important that audience members remain quiet during the performance. Since music is mostly a listening activity, any extra sounds that are not part of the music can get in the way and will distract and disturb the musicians and other audience members.
Before the Concert
Wear something you might wear to a special event – because it is!. Please don’t wear anything that might be distracting (light up shoes, clanging jewelry, etc)
Arrive no later than 7:00 pm to get your tickets.
Before You Take Your Seat
Take care of all rest room needs.
Leave all food, drink, and gum outside, in the lobby.
Leave all cameras and recording devices outside, as well. There are strict copyright guidelines about recording concerts.
Turn off all cell phones, pagers, ipads, watch sounds, alarms, or anything that might make a noise. The only sounds that should be heard are the ones that appear in the musical score (and the audience reaction after the music).
Once You Take Your Seat
A parent or guardian must sit next to each child.
Remain seated and quiet while the musicians are playing. Do not get up during the concert or change seats.
No talking, whispering, sighing, tapping or kicking feet, or rattling of programs or papers.
Be sure to sit without fidgeting so you don’t distract your neighbors or the performers on stage.
Feel free to leave during intermission, if this is a late night for your children; and if they fall asleep during the concert, that’s okay too. This should be an enjoyable experience for them, and you!

HAT Co @ The Warhol Museum's Youth Invasion 2018
2018-03-16 17:00 - 22:00 | The Warhol Museum, 117 Sandusky Street, Pittsburgh, 15212, United States
Hope Academy’s teen theater company (HAT Co) band, The Levellers, will get funky at the Warhol Museum for Youth Invasion 2018: Stay Woke.
This program features teens’ unique take on Andy Warhol’s artwork, with their points of view, ideas, and creative expressions energizing the entire museum. The event highlights youth performers in the museum’s entrance space, theater, and galleries, as well as presents an exhibition of youth artwork from March 16–23, 2018.
The event runs from 5 to 10 pm, with The Levellers performing in the lobby and closing out the night at 9:30 pm.
The Levellers at The Warhol
Desmond Rucker – drums
James Jaap – bass
Adam Smith – guitar
Tomi Olaore – saxophone

Picture Day at Hope Academy - Winter 2018
2018-03-17 | East Liberty Presbyterian Church, 116 S. Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Group photos will be taken in all Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre (PBT) dance classes and Musical Theater Workshop during regular class time, this week (Saturday, December 9) Students will receive copies of the photo next week during open classes. Please be sure to be on time and dressed according to the dress code.
DRESS CODE
Girls are required to a wear black leotard (short sleeve or tank), pink footed tights and pink leather ballet shoes.
Boys may wear fitted black yoga pants or shorts, a white t-shirt, white socks and black leather ballet shoes.

GIRLS
Black Leotard – Capezio cc400C @ $15
Pink Tights – Capezio 1816C @ $10
Pink Leather Ballet Shoes – Capezio 2033C Cobra @ $20
(no skirts or tutus)

BOYS
White t-shirt
Black yoga/sweatpants (fitted)
White Socks
Black Ballet Shoes – Capezio 2033 C Cobra @ $20

March for Our Lives Kickoff Meeting
2018-03-19 18:00 - 20:30 | East Liberty Presbyterian Church, 116 S. Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Students going to Washington, DC for the MARCH FOR OUR LIVES on SAT March 24, are meeting to get to know each other, make signs together, and plan for the march. There will also be a t-shirt making event later that week at AIR studio on the North Side.
Chaperones and bus captains will also be trained at the kick off event. Everyone who is registered will bring their permission slips (or clearances, for chaperones) and get their bus tickets. If you haven’t registered yet, click here to fill out an online registration form.
We are partnering with One Pennsylvania and will caravan with them. There are three other buses of young people from Pittsburgh going to DC so we will have a large contingent of young people standing in solidarity with the survivors of the Parkland Florida shooting and demanding that our lawmakers make gun reform a top priority to end this cycle of gun violence in our schools and our communities at large.
This trip was made possible by the generous support of The Sherman Evans Fund at the Pittsburgh Foundation.
If you would like to support One Pennsylvania, our organizing partner, click here for their donation form.

Snow Day Club 116 & Hope Academy
2018-03-21 08:00 - 17:00
Club 116 and Hope Academy of Music and the Arts are both closed today, Wednesday, March 21. Stay home and keep safe and warm!

Helga Scheibert Piano Recital
2018-03-23 19:00 - 20:00
Hope Academy teaching artist, Helga Scheibert, will present a piano recital featuring works by Liszt, Mozart, Schubert, Scriabin and Kapustin.

Hope Academy Open Classes - Winter 2018
2018-03-24 | East Liberty Presbyterian Church, 116 S. Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Saturday Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre (PBT) dance classes, Musical Theater Workshop, and Tap classes are all “open for observation” on Saturday, March 24. Families, friends and students who might be interested in joining us in the fall are invited to come and watch – and maybe get in on the action. This is our final day of Saturday classes for the winter term, and the last chance to to register and pay to reserve your spot for the spring mini term. We will open up spots to new students on the wait list on March 26.
Please consider parking in metered neighborhood parking lots to avoid having to leave sessions to add money to parking meters. It is less expensive and you can pay for up to 10 hours at one time. For more information about neighborhood parking lots, click here. You can also download the Go Mobile PGH app that will let you pay for additional hours from your device.
Here is the open class schedule
9:30 to 12 noon Musical Theater Workshop (MTW students arrive at 9:15 am)
9:30 am Creative Movement
10:15 am Pre-Ballet A
11:15 am Tap 1 & 2
12:30 pm Pre-Ballet B
1:30 pm Ballet 2

March for Our Lives - PGH to DC
2018-03-24 04:30 - 23:30 | East Liberty Presbyterian Church, 116 S. Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Youth organizers and students from across the Pittsburgh region will take buses on March 24th to join the national March for Our Lives day of action to end gun violence. We stand in solidarity with survivors of the Parkland Florida shooting and demand that our lawmakers make gun reform a top priority to end this cycle of gun violence in our schools and our communities at large.
The time to lift your voice and change our laws has come.
Hope Academy has chartered a tour bus to leave from East Liberty Presbyterian Church around 4:30 am and return around midnight. We can take 40-45 high school students and 10-15 chaperones (college students or parents/guardians). High school students need to have parent/guardian permission documents signed before their spot will be reserved for the trip. Chaperones need to have clearances – Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History and Child Abuse History Clearance – these are free for volunteers.
We are partnering with One Pennsylvania and will caravan with at least two other buses of young people from Pittsburgh. There will be a kickoff meeting on Monday, March 19 to pick up tickets, make signs and get to know the other students attending the march. There will also be a training session for chaperones/bus captains. One Pennsylvania is organizing all of this, along with a t-shirt making event later that week at AIR studio on the North Side. Lots of plans are being made and updates will be emailed to those who apply.
Priority will be given to students from East Liberty, Hope Academy, ELPC’s youth group and Woodland Hills High School. When our bus is filled, applications will be forwarded to One Pennsylvania. Their buses will be leaving from Schenley Plaza in Oakland, with additional stops east of Pittsburgh.
This trip is generously supported by The Sherman Evans Fund at The Pittsburgh Foundation.
We have filled all of the buses for the March for Our Lives in Washington, DC on SAT March 24
Please consider supporting the work of our partner, One Pennsylvania, by clicking here to make a donation. Thank you!

Les Violons du Roy Chamber Music Concert
2018-04-30 19:30 - 21:00 | Carnegie Music Hall, 4400 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, United States
Hope Academy families are invited to a chamber music concert featuring Les Violins du Roy with Bernard Labadie, conductor, and Isabelle Faust, violin have been generously donated to us by our partner, Chamber Music Pittsburgh. This performance is recommended for students whose attention span and behavior is equivalent to an 8 year old.
Please read about the performance, so that you know what to expect; and the etiquette guidelines, so that you understand the expectations; then RSVP here by Thursday, April 26.
PROGRAM
A program of violin concerti and other works by Johann Sebastian Bach
Three Leipzig Chorales, BWV 651, 660, 655
Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 582
Violin Concerto in E major, BWV 1042
Violin Concerto in A minor, BWV 1041
Contrapunctus XIV from “The Art of Fugue,” BWV 1080
Concerto for Two Violins, Strings, and Continuo in D minor, BWV 1043 – with Pascale Giguère, violin
ABOUT THE ARTIST

Les Violons du Roy, with Bernard Labadie, conductor
The chamber orchestra Les Violons du Roy takes its name from the renowned string orchestra of the court of the French kings. The group, which has a core membership of fifteen players, was brought together in 1984 by founding conductor Bernard Labadie and specializes in the vast repertoire of music for chamber orchestra, performed in the stylistic manner most appropriate to each era. Although the ensemble plays on modern instruments, its approach to the works of the Baroque and Classical periods has been strongly influenced by current research into performance practice in the 17th and 18th centuries; in this repertoire Les Violons du Roy uses copies of period bows. The orchestra also regularly delves into the repertoire of the 19th and 20th centuries, as witnessed by its recordings of works by Piazzolla, Bartók, and Britten.

HOW TO BE A GOOD AUDIENCE MEMBER
It is important that audience members remain quiet during the performance. Since music is mostly a listening activity, any extra sounds that are not part of the music can get in the way and will distract and disturb the musicians and other audience members.
Before the Concert
Wear something you might wear to a special event – because it is!. Please don’t wear anything that might be distracting (light up shoes, clanging jewelry, etc)
Arrive no later than 7:00 pm to get your tickets.
Before You Take Your Seat
Take care of all rest room needs.
Leave all food, drink, and gum outside, in the lobby.
Leave all cameras and recording devices outside, as well. There are strict copyright guidelines about recording concerts.
Turn off all cell phones, pagers, ipads, watch sounds, alarms, or anything that might make a noise. The only sounds that should be heard are the ones that appear in the musical score (and the audience reaction after the music).
Once You Take Your Seat
A parent or guardian must sit next to each child.
Remain seated and quiet while the musicians are playing. Do not get up during the concert or change seats.
No talking, whispering, sighing, tapping or kicking feet, or rattling of programs or papers.
Be sure to sit without fidgeting so you don’t distract your neighbors or the performers on stage.
Feel free to leave during intermission, if this is a late night for your children; and if they fall asleep during the concert, that’s okay too. This should be an enjoyable experience for them, and you!

Pittsburgh Cello Fest 2018
2018-05-05 | Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Music, 5000 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, United States
Pittsburgh Cello Fest is a day-long community event for cellists, cello enthusiasts, and music lovers of all ages. Now in its 2nd year, activities include masterclasses presented by members of the Pittsburgh Symphony, workshops on classical and alternative styles, featured cello ensemble and chamber music performances, and concludes with a large cello ensemble performance. The schedule of events is below. Please consider making a donation to support this wonderful event.
Hope Academy Suzuki Cello students under the direction of Beth Goldstein-McKee:

Register for Cello Fest and in the comment box, say “bringing my own chair” if you use a small chair in group class.
You will need to bring your cello, bow and rosin; a small chair and rock stop or cello strap.
Arrive no later than 10:45 am on Saturday, May 5. We will meet in Alumni Hall at Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Fine Arts.
The Suzuki Play-In is at 11:15 am to 12 noon, but feel free to arrive earlier and stay later to see the other performances and events (see below).
Children are free. There is a suggested donation of $10 for adults, but feel free to make whatever donation you would like. The organizer would like everyone who wants to attend to be able to do so.
There will be no Suzuki cello groups or cello lessons at Hope Academy that Saturday.

Schedule of Events
9:00 am Masterclass with Anne Martindale Williams
10:30 am Performance by Cello Fury
11:05 am Sharps and Flats youth cello ensemble performance
11:15 am Children’s Suzuki Cello Concert
12:45 pm Steel Town Strings youth cello quartet performance
1:00 pm Masterclass with Adam Liu
2:30 pm FLAME performance
3:00 pm Pittsburgh Symphony Cello Quartet performance
3:30 pm Recital by Mikhail Istomin, cello, and Uliana Kozhevnikova, piano
4:15 pm Cello Choir performance featuring the world premiere of a cello ensemble piece by Nancy Galbraith

WYEP Reimagination CD Release Party
2018-05-12 14:00 - 17:00 | WYEP Studios, 67 Bedford Square, Pittsburgh, PA, 15203, United States
Hope Academy’s band, The Levellers, will be performing at a party to celebrate the release of their original song “Tell Me Why,” on this year’s WYEP Reimagination CD. The party goes from 2 to 5 pm at the WYEP studios, with the Levellers playing at 3:15 pm.
The Levellers original song – “Tell Me Why”
​
Producer:
Jon Bindley
Recorded at The Church Recording Studio by Dana Cannone
Band Members:
Sojo Bradbury, Lead Singer
Bella Bradbury,​Singer
Kira Mukogosi,Singer
Kyra Simmons,​Singer
Marvin Irish, Drums
James Jaap, Bass Guitar
Tomi Olaore, Saxophone
Adam Peters, Guitar
James Picone, Bass Guitar
Desmond Rucker, Drums
The Levellers, from Hope Academy of Music and the Arts, chose their name to reference a group of activists from the 1600s, during the English Civil War, who called for constitutional reform, religious tolerance and equal rights. While their individual musical styles range from Death Metal and Heavy Rock to Prince, The Beatles and Michael Jackson; they came together for this song, “Tell Me Why,” to write a country blues vibe to complement So​jo Bradbury’s lyrics. The song was written to describe a child’s first awareness of living in an unjust world; of having questions about the world that should have been answered long ago; and about deciding to reject the status quo and, like The Levellers, say #neveragain.

Hope Academy Spring 2018 Recital #1
2018-05-13
Hope Academy’s young musicians present an afternoon and evening of recitals! This is a great opportunity for families who are interested in private music instruction for their children to come and see Hope Academy’s program in action and meet the teaching artists.
Recitals will take place in the ELPC Sanctuary, Social Hall, Music Room and Chapel.
Families should bring something to share during a reception following each recital (cookies, brownies, cupcakes). Please make sure food items are nut free, can be hand held and are not potentially messy.
Please review our Recital Etiquette Guidelines at the end of this post
RECITAL SCHEDULE
2:00 pm
VOCAL AND PIANO STUDENTS OF DIANA ROSE BECKER & KATHERINE BELL
Music Room on the 3rd floor (rehearse with accompanist at 1 pm in 338 and 343)
3:00 pm
PIANO STUDENTS OF LAURA CARMICHAEL – PART 1
Sanctuary
Jasper Morris, Sarita Doshi, Peri Vrabel, William Butera, Elizabeth Butera,Teddy Lattan, Aaron Kahn, Grace Wright, Eliza Sider-Rose, Nuala Cloonan, Emmett Cleath, Lauren Armant, Teag Cloonan, Nicholas Taylor, Alexandria Westray
4:00 pm
PIANO STUDENTS OF LAURA CARMICHAEL – PART 2
Sanctuary
Devin Pope, Leo Mengine, Zac Balk, Quinn Seif, Solomon Alba, Oscar Jones Atkinson, Kaylin Jones Atkinson, Luna Mengine, Bella Selway, Jonny Balk, Paul Mocker, Talia Balk
5:00 pm
PIANO AND VIOLIN STUDENTS OF LEE KIKUCHI
Sanctuary
RECITAL ETIQUETTE
Recitals are special occasions designed to give students a chance to share their music and gain valuable performance experience. They provide a benchmark to measure growth from year to year, and an incentive for students to practice and polish pieces they are working on.
There will be many recital sessions scheduled throughout the day in various rooms throughout the church building. Please do not ask to have your child perform at the beginning or the end of their recital session – students and families are expected to be on time and stay for the entire recital that their children are performing in. We are organizing the recital sessions to be about an hour long.
Learning about and practicing recital etiquette is an important part of a student’s musical education, so we ask that families read and discuss these guidelines with their children.
Performer Etiquette

Dress appropriately. Choose conservative over casual in terms of shoe styles, hem length of dresses and straps for tops. Avoid jewelry that makes noise as you move; heels that are difficult to walk in; and sleeves that get in the way of playing.
Be on time. Your teacher will let you know when and where to meet before the recital to warm up. This will be at least 30 minutes prior to the start of the recital. If you are playing with an accompanist, you may be asked to arrive earlier to rehearse together.
Be prepared. Make sure you have your music, instrument and any necessary accessories before leaving home (bow, rosin, capo, tuner, etc.)
Be respectful. Refrain from whispering, talking, or using electronic devices. Show the other performers the same courtesy you want to be shown.
Enter and exit with confidence. You should bow at the end and acknowledge the accompanist (if you have one). Teachers will go over this in lessons.

Audience Etiquette

Arrive on time or a little early. Late arrivals are distracting to the audience, and they can be unnerving for the performer.
Turn off cell phones and other electronic devices. Ring tones and electronic chirps are distracting; and texting, reading emails and playing games while students are performing is disrespectful.
Do not cause distractions. Bring something (a quiet game or book) to keep young children under 8 years old occupied. Children over 8 should be able to sit quietly and watch.
Take disruptive infants or toddlers out of the recital as soon as they become fussy. Please sit close to an aisle so that you can leave without too much commotion. We will come to get you when your child performs.
Do not talk, whisper, rattle papers or eat during the recital.
Stay for the entire performance to show respect for all of the musicians.

Photos and Video

Space will be reserved so that a parent/guardian can move forward to take photos or videos of their child performing. No flash photography, please.

Reception

Each family should bring something to share (nut-free cookies, brownies, cupcakes, fruit, drinks). Make sure it is something that can be hand-held.and is not potentially messy.

Pittsburgh Classical Guitar Society Concert and Hope Academy Pre-Show Recital
2018-05-19 14:30 - 16:30
Hope Academy partner, Pittsburgh Classical Guitar Society, is performing a concert outside in our beautiful courtyard (weather permitting) as part of their spring concert series. If it rains, the concert will be moved inside to the Chapel.
A pre-concert recital, at 2:30 pm, will feature Hope Academy classical guitar students under the direction of Gil Teixera.
This is a free concert but feel free to give a donation, if you would like.

Hope Academy Spring 2018 Recital #2
2018-05-20
Hope Academy’s young musicians present an afternoon and evening of recitals! This is a great opportunity for families who are interested in private music instruction for their children to come and see Hope Academy’s program in action and meet the teaching artists.
Recitals will take place in the ELPC Sanctuary, Social Hall, Music Room and Chapel.
Families should bring something to share during a reception following each recital (cookies, brownies, cupcakes). Please make sure food items are nut free, can be hand held and are not potentially messy.
Please review our Recital Etiquette Guidelines at the end of this post
RECITAL SCHEDULE
1:30 pm – Social Hall
VIOLIN, VIOLA AND SUZUKI VIOLIN STUDENTS OF KATHLEEN ANDREWS
Rehearse with accompanist at 12:45 pm
1:30 pm – Music Room
VOICE STUDENTS OF GIZEL RODRIGUEZ
Rehearse with accompanist on SAT May 19 at 12 noon and before the recital at 12:30
GUITAR, BASS AND UKULELE STUDENTS OF EMMA COX
Warm up at 1:00 pm in 341
DRUM AND PERCUSSION STUDENTS OF JULIAN POWELL
Warm up at 1:00 pm in the drum room – 335
BRASS STUDENTS OF KAREN SLONEKER
Warm up at 1:00 pm in 335
3:30 pm – Sanctuary
CELLO AND SUZUKI CELLO STUDENTS OF BETH GOLDSTEIN-McKEE AND ANA DIAZ
Beth Goldstein-McKee’s students rehearse with accompanist at 2:30 pm in the Sanctuary.
Ana Diaz’s students rehearse with accompanist at 2:45 pm in the Chapel.
4:30 pm – Sanctuary
PIANO STUDENTS OF HELGA SCHEIBERT
SAXOPHONE & CLARINET ENSEMBLE AND STUDENTS OF BEN BARSON
Warm up and rehearse with Flute Choir at 3:30 pm in 60 (ground floor)
FLUTE CHOIR AND FLUTE STUDENTS OF BRITTANY TROTTER
Warm up and rehearse with Sax/Clarinet Ensemble at 3:30 pm in 60 (ground floor)
Rehearse with accompanist at 4:00 pm in the Chapel
RECITAL ETIQUETTE
Recitals are special occasions designed to give students a chance to share their music and gain valuable performance experience. They provide a benchmark to measure growth from year to year, and an incentive for students to practice and polish pieces they are working on.
There will be many recital sessions scheduled throughout the day in various rooms throughout the church building. Please do not ask to have your child perform at the beginning or the end of their recital session – students and families are expected to be on time and stay for the entire recital that their children are performing in. We are organizing the recital sessions to be about an hour long.
Learning about and practicing recital etiquette is an important part of a student’s musical education, so we ask that families read and discuss these guidelines with their children.
Performer Etiquette

Dress appropriately. Choose conservative over casual in terms of shoe styles, hem length of dresses and straps for tops. Avoid jewelry that makes noise as you move; heels that are difficult to walk in; and sleeves that get in the way of playing.
Be on time. Your teacher will let you know when and where to meet before the recital to warm up. This will be at least 30 minutes prior to the start of the recital. If you are playing with an accompanist, you may be asked to arrive earlier to rehearse together.
Be prepared. Make sure you have your music, instrument and any necessary accessories before leaving home (bow, rosin, capo, tuner, etc.)
Be respectful. Refrain from whispering, talking, or using electronic devices. Show the other performers the same courtesy you want to be shown.
Enter and exit with confidence. You should bow at the end and acknowledge the accompanist (if you have one). Teachers will go over this in lessons.

Audience Etiquette

Arrive on time or a little early. Late arrivals are distracting to the audience, and they can be unnerving for the performer.
Turn off cell phones and other electronic devices. Ring tones and electronic chirps are distracting; and texting, reading emails and playing games while students are performing is disrespectful.
Do not cause distractions. Bring something (a quiet game or book) to keep young children under 8 years old occupied. Children over 8 should be able to sit quietly and watch.
Take disruptive infants or toddlers out of the recital as soon as they become fussy. Please sit close to an aisle so that you can leave without too much commotion. We will come to get you when your child performs.
Do not talk, whisper, rattle papers or eat during the recital.
Stay for the entire performance to show respect for all of the musicians.

Photos and Video

Space will be reserved so that a parent/guardian can move forward to take photos or videos of their child performing. No flash photography, please.

Reception

Each family should bring something to share (nut-free cookies, brownies, cupcakes, fruit, drinks). Make sure it is something that can be hand-held.and is not potentially messy.

HAT Co Presents "Ever After"
2018-06-10 15:00 - 16:30, 2018-06-10 19:00 - 20:30 | East Liberty Presbyterian Church, 116 S. Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Hope Academy’s Theater Company, HAT Co, presents “Ever After,” their musical version of the Into the Woods story.
Performances take place in the Good Samaritan Room (formerly the Small Dining Room) at East Liberty Presbyterian Church. It is an intimate setting with limited seating. Please make sure to arrive at least 15 minutes before the show begins. There will be no late seating, for any reason, and there is no exiting until after the show ends. The run time is 75-90 minutes.
Please note: the space is not suitable for children under 5 years old, or those who cannot sit still for 75-90 mins.
To RSVP, click here

Hip Hop Orchestra Summer Music Camp
2018-07-23 09:00 - 2018-07-28 15:00
Learn to play an instrument, make beats, sing, rap, write music and then put it all together into a performance. This camp is for aspiring young musicians, from 9 to 17 years old, of all ability levels (even if you’ve never played an instrument or performed with a group before).
The camp runs from Monday–Saturday, July 23–28 | 9 am–3 pm, with a final performance on Saturday, July 28 at 2:30 pm.
Instruments: voice, violin, viola, cello, flute, clarinet, guitar, bass, marimba, percussion and more. Details and online registration at www.gosound.org. Generous scholarships are available for black youth and/or those from low-income families.
Please register by Saturday, July 14 (we will get back to you with more information).
CLICK HERE TO FILL OUT THE ONLINE REGISTRATION FORM
Hip Hop Orchestra Performing at the August Wilson Center

Hip Hop Orchestra at the Lighthouse Recording Studio

Hip Hop Orchestra visits local schools to let students try instruments

Hip Hop Orchestra Summer Camp Performance 2018
2018-07-28 14:30 - 15:30
Hip Hop Orchestra Summer Camp, at East Liberty Presbyterian Church, is a week-long immersive music experience for young people, ages 9 to 17, who want to write music, make beats, learn how to play an instrument (or play it better), while other students sing, rap and dance.
The students and their teaching artists will present their final performance on Saturday, July 28. Doors open at 2:00 pm for the 2:30 pm performance.
Please enter on the Whitfield side of the building, across the street from the Ace Hotel and the East Liberty Branch of the Carnegie Library. The performance will take place in the Social Hall in the basement of the church building.
Presented by Guardians Of Sound.

Suzuki Strings Program Info Session
2018-08-25 09:00 - 10:00
Children love music and movement; it’s natural – almost instinctual – for them to sing, clap, make rhythms, and move. But how early should they get started in more formal classes and lessons? What instrument should they play? How do you know if they are ready?
To help answer these questions, Hope Academy Suzuki Strings teachers, Kathleen Andrews and Jennifer Jennifer O’Konski (violin) and Beth Goldstein McKee (cello) will give a short presentation about the Suzuki method and answer your questions.
Please RSVP by filling out this online form.

Hope Academy Onsite Registration & Info Sessions 2018-2019
2018-08-25 09:00 - 14:00
Register and pay for fall 2018 classes and private lessons, in person, from 9 am to 2 pm. Please note: many classes will be filled before this date. Call Karly Threets at 412-441-3800 x117 to make sure the class you are interested in still has space before coming in to register and pay in person.
Other events during open registration:

Suzuki Strings Info Session for 4 to 7 year olds with Parent/Guardian @ 9 am. More Information or RSVP
Suzuki Early Childhood Education Baby and Toddler Class Info Session @ 10 am. More Information or RSVP
Dance Wear Clothing and Shoes Donate, Recycle and Swap – 10 am to 12 noon – More information
Balafon West African Dance Trial Class – 11 am to 12 noon. More information or RSVP

Saturday Dance and Theater Program course descriptions can be found online, here.
Music Program course and private lesson descriptions can be found online here.

The deadline for scholarship applications was August 1 and all scholarships for the year will be awarded by September 1; however, there are scholarships available for Suzuki Pre-Twinkle, but interested families must attend the info session.

Dancewear Recycle, Donate & Swap 2018-2019
2018-08-25 10:00 - 11:00
Recycle, Donate and Swap Gently Used Dancewear and Shoes at Hope Academy
We will have gently used dance clothing and shoes available in a range of sizes. If you are registering for Hope Academy’s Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre dance classes, tap or West African dance, you are invited to come, with your child, to try on ballet and tap shoes and find appropriate leotards and tights.
We will be accepting cash donations (pay what you can) that will be used to purchase additional shoes and clothing. Additionally, if you have any dance wear that your child has outgrown, please drop it off at the Highland entrance of East Liberty Presbyterian Church (in a bag labeled “Hope Academy”) so that another student can put it to good use.
Then stay for a free West African dance class at 11:00 am to try it out for the fall term!

Suzuki Baby & Toddler Class Info Session
2018-08-25 10:00 - 11:00
Hope Academy’s Suzuki program gives students the opportunity to build a solid foundation for their music training through the Suzuki principles of an early beginning, listening, loving encouragement, parental support, constant repetition, and learning with other children.
The first step in the Suzuki program is our new Suzuki Early Childhood Education (SECE) Music Class for Babies and Toddlers – ages 0 to 3 years old. This yearlong course uses a repertoire of nursery rhymes, circle songs and activities that stimulates movement, singing and percussion playing. Parents/guardians learn how to become keen observers of their children, which contributes to building strong emotional bonds. The child builds confidence and a strong foundation for all learning experiences; while the parent learns how to create a nurturing and supportive environment to encourage joyful learning through music.
Meet the teaching artist, Jennifer O’Konski, to learn more about this unique approach and class. RSVP here.

Balafon West African Dance - Free Trial Class!
2018-08-25 11:00 - 12:00
Kadiatou Conte-Forte (Mama K), the Artistic Director of and founder of Balafon West African Dance Ensemble, will teach this free trail class for young people aged 10-15.
Dance is integral to the culture of West Africa. Over time, the traditional dances evolved, incorporating new moves, rhythms and ideas, and influencing many popular American dance forms, such as hip-hop, salsa and jazz dance. While you’re moving in this class, you’ll also learn the meanings of the dances – and discover connections to West African culture.
You don’t need to have previous dance training but you do need to take off your shoes and socks, feel the rhythm and celebrate using your body to have a joyous experience. All levels of students are welcome to participate. Please wear comfortable clothes that are easy to move in.
RSVP for the Balafon West African Dance Trial Class here
The regular class will take place on Saturdays from 2:30 to 4:00 pm starting September 22.

CASOP: A Requiem for Rice Choral Performance
2018-09-21 19:00 - 20:30 | East Liberty Presbyterian Church, 116 S. Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
A poignant choral movement of the full CASOP: A Requiem for Rice composition, by Dr. Trevor Weston, conducted by Thomas Douglas and performed by Colour of Music Festival Chorale. The full piece will debut in its entirety on February 13, 2019 at Carnegie Music Hall.
UNDERSTANDING CASOP: THE REQUIEM FOR RICE by Edda L. Fields-Black, Ph. D., Executive Producer & Librettist
from the Requiem for Rice website
The Requiem for Rice was originally conceived of as a modern take on a classic requiem—in the spirit of Verdi, Mozart, Faure, and Britten—that mourns the souls of the enslaved who died on Lowcountry rice plantations, their bodies unburied, their suffering unmourned, and their sacrifices unmarked for future generations. As Trevor began to compose, I completed the first draft of the libretto, and we began collaboration on arranging the lyrics, we began to feel as if something was missing. The requiem genre from the European classical music tradition provided a vehicle for the piece to lament and mourn the sacrifices and sufferings of Africans enslaved on Lowcountry rice plantations; but, it left no room to protest the injustices of enslavement, exploitation, and terror, a commercial agricultural system built on the backs of people stolen from West Africa’s Upper Guinea Coast, African genius, African bodies, African labor, African tears. We thought, there had to be a RECKONING before the REQUIEM. Casop: A Requiem for Rice was born.
CASOP is pronounced kəsəp; both the “a” and “o” in casop are pronounced like the initial “a” in “cassava” or the “u” in “custard.”
Casop is a funerary tradition among the Diola-Fogny, quintessential rice farmers along the Casamance River of present-day Senegal. In the event of untimely, accidental, and suspicious deaths, Diola-Fogny ritual specialists performed casop, a “ritual interrogation of the corpse” via spirit possession. During the funeral, the deceased was asked to tell his or her story about the circumstances of death. Once the truth was revealed, the dead would be buried and harmony and peace restored to the community.
In Casop: A Requiem for Rice, tens of thousands enslaved laborers on the Lowcountry’s rice plantations and 12 million Africans who endured the Middle Passage, many of whom died untimely, accidental, and suspicious deaths, will speak. Once the dead have told their story, the lamentation will turn to celebration of the critical role enslaved Africans’ ingenuity, technology, and industry played in the economy of the US South, laying to rest once and for all, the shackles of shame, blame, guilt, and denial that pervade this painful period in our nation’s history. Casop: A Requiem for Rice reclaims African and African-American history and fosters reconciliation.
A true marriage between West African and European classical traditions, Casop: A Requiem for Rice is an African-American inspired take on a classic requiem. By telling the stories of Africans enslaved on Lowcountry rice plantations, Casop becomes a new genre, the vehicle through which oppressed and voiceless peoples from around the world can tell their stories, mourn their dead, and celebrate their contributions to the world.
The Box office opens July 15th for the September 21, 2018 “Casop: A Requiem for Rice” Choral Performance and September 22 Colour of Music Festival’s “Casop: A Requiem for Rice” Black Classical Renaissance Benefit Performance. For tickets, visit requiemforrice.com.
Casop: A Requiem for Rice Creative Team
Edda L. Fields-Black, Ph. D., Executive Producer & Librettist
Trevor Weston, Ph. D., Composer
Julie Dash, Filmmaker
David Claessen, Cinematographer
CONNECT AND FIND OUT MORE
Facebook.com/requiemforrice
Twitter.com/requiemforrice
#requiemforrice

Hope Academy Dress Up Day 2018
2018-10-27
NO tricks and NO treats, but lots of fun for those who want to come dressed in their favorite costume. Keep it G-rated for all of the little ones (nothing scary, bloody, violent, suggestive or adult-themed). Make sure they can move easily and safely and are not wearing costumes that make it difficult to dance, play your instrument or climb steps in.

Art of Justice with Alisha Wormsley
2018-10-27 09:00 - 12:30 | ELPC – Social Hall, 116 South Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Artmaking + Literature + Social Justice for young people and their grownups
ARTIST Alisha Wormsley
BOOK Parable of the Sower from the Earthseed series by Octavia Butler
THEME Afrofuturism, social justice, self-empowerment
ARTMAKING Collage, printmaking & more!
About the Project
Using collage, printmaking, text, photography and video, Alisha Wormsley will work with young people and their grownups to create art that conceptually resonates with ideas of Afrofuturism, social justice, self-empowerment and care. Please wear comfortable clothes that might get a little paint on them.
About the Artist: Alisha Wormsley
Alisha B. Wormsley is an interdisciplinary artist and cultural producer. Her work is about collective memory and the synchronicity of time, specifically through the stories of women of color. Wormsley’s body of work includes There are Black People in the Future, Homewood Artist Residency, and The People are the Light. She is currently working on a number of public art projects and exhibitions, including August Wilson Park, ArtUp South Africa at the Mattress Factory, and Pittsburgh’s Market Square.
About The Art of Justice!
Learn how artists are using art for social change and how their literary inspirations have guided their creative practice: make work alongside them to express yourself and share your vision for a just and equitable world. #artofjustice #remakelearning
Three artists, Alisha Wormsley, Max Gonzales and Darrell Kinsel will work with us on artmaking projects connected to literature, based on social justice themes. These will be suitable for all ages. Families are invited to come early, before classes, or to stay after classes to talk, read and make things together.
This series is curated by Bekezela Mguni, of the Black Unicorn Library and Archives Project, and funded by The Great Remake Learning. Workshops and artmaking activities take place in the Social Hall (basement level) of East Liberty Presbyterian Church on 10/27/18, 11/17/18, 12/1/18, 1/12/19, 1/19/19, 2/2/19 and 2/9/19.
ALISHA WORMSLEY’S LITERARY INSPIRATIONS
FOR GROWNUPS
· The Sanctified Church – Zora Neale Hurston
· Widow Basquiat: A Love Story – Jennifer Clement
· Jesus: The Son of Man – Khalil Gibran
· Lilith’s Brood – Octavia Butler
· Book of Symbols: Reflection on Archetypal Images – Taschen
· God of Small Things – Arundhati Roy
· Who Fears Death – Nnedi Okorafor
· All About Love – bell hooks
FOR TEENS (and grownups)
· Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins
· Earthseed – Octavia Butler
· Till We Have Faces – C.S. Lewis
FOR CHILDREN (and teens and grownups)
· Skin Again – bell hooks
· Be Boy Buzz – bell hooks
· Homemade Love – bell hooks
· Happy to be Nappy – bell hooks
· Grump, Groan, Growl – bell hooks
· Phantom Tollbooth – Norton Juster
· Coraline – Neil Gaiman

Hope Academy SAT Dance and Theater Classes Cancelled
2018-11-03
All Saturday dance and theater classes will be cancelled today.
Music Program (private lessons, group classes and ensembles) will not be cancelled.
If you have any questions, please email hopeacademyarts@gmail.com or call Karly Threets (412)441-3800 x117.
