September 5, 2002
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Portland, Ore. … Symphony musicians interested in exploring all aspects of presenting non-traditional music events will gather with nationally know arts educator Eric Booth for a Creativity Workshop on Friday, Sept. 27 from 1 to 5 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 28 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Reed College's Vollum Lounge. The workshop will explore the creative process in designing concerts and music events in non-traditional formats and environments. It also will address all facets of concert production, including funding, promoting and presenting concert events. The creativity workshop is presented by the Oregon Symphony and funded through a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation as part of the Magic of Music initiative.
"In a conventional concert, musicians' primary focus is on the music," said Director of Education and Community Programs Michael Kosmala. "The Creativity Workshop addresses taking ownership of all essential aspects of the event, from the conception and planning to grant writing, marketing and production." A similar workshop a year ago focused on strengthening the connection between repertoire and audience and resulted in the funding of three projects by Symphony musicians this season: "Music and Medicine," with musicians Joel Belgique, Nancy Ives, Alicia Young and Susan Smith exploring the impact of music on patients at the Oregon Health Sciences University in June; "The Look of Music/ The Sound of Art," with cellist Timothy Scott exploring the creation of visual art to live musical performance Sept. 13 at the Portland Art Museum; and Samba vs. Tango: The Cultural Contrasts of South America with Chris Perry and Erin Furbee Friday, Sept. 27, at the Pacific Northwest College of Art. Ticket information is available at 503-228-1353.
Booth is one of the nation's leading thinkers and speakers about arts and arts education, said Kosmala.
For more information, call Michael Kosmala in the the Education and Community Programs department at 503-228-4294.
Eric Booth is on the faculty of Lincoln Center Institute, The Kennedy Center, Tanglewood and Juilliard. He has worked with the musicians, administrators and Boards of six symphony orchestras in the past two years on expanding the way they think about their work and changing the ways they connect to audiences. He is leading an innovative Mentor Program that begins at Juilliard this year to build broader creative thinking into the training of young artists. He is also launching the first-ever professional publication for artists who teach, a quarterly called The Teaching Artist Journal that will publish its first issue this winter. In addition, he also consults with two dozen arts organizations, cities, businesses and arts service organizations around the country, and is a frequent keynote speaker at conferences.
As an author, he has published four books. His most recent, "The Everyday Work of Art" (Sourcebooks, 1997), won three awards (including the 1998 Award of Excellence by the Broadway Theatre Institute) and was selected by the Book of the Month Club. He has written dozens of magazine articles, and has a column in the magazine The Works.
As an arts educator, he has taught at Stanford University, NYU, and has taught classes for every level from kindergarten through graduate school. He has given workshops at over 20 different universities, and 40 cultural institutions, and is currently on sabbatical from the faculty of Juilliard, where he leads their arts-in-education program. He serves on the faculties of The Kennedy Center, Tanglewood and Lincoln Center Institute. He was the Faculty Chair of the Empire State Partnership program for three years (the largest arts-in-education project in America), and holds one of six chairs on The College Board's Arts Advisory Panel. He serves as a consultant for many organizations, cities and states around the country. Formerly the Director of the Teacher Center of the Leonard Bernstein Center, he is a frequent keynote speaker on the arts to groups of all kinds.
As an actor, Booth performed in many plays on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and around the country, has played over 23 Shakespearean roles (including Hamlet three times), and made many TV appearances. He has directed and produced in New York, and won acting awards on both coasts.
His formal education culminated in an MFA, Summa Cum Laude, from Stanford University. He is a former New York City Auxiliary Police Officer, a marathon runner and wilderness adventurer. He is married to the actress and therapist, Le Clanché du Rand who is familiar to movie audiences primarily for her roles in "Sleepless in Seattle" and "Awakenings."