P.O.

Box 200 • Lincoln Hall 022 • College Drive • Blackwood, NJ 08012

(856) 227-3091 • (856) 232-1012 • www.mainstage.org

Dear ___________________,

___________________________ who is a ______________________ grader in your school has registered

through the Mainstage Center for the Arts for the Young Americans Music Outreach Performance workshop
being held on Thursday, Friday and Saturday September 11,12,and 13th.

Since 1993, the Young Americans have toured through out the world visiting cities and working with
students in every corner of the world. Big schools, small schools, wealthy private schools and inner city
schools, The Young Americans have successfully shown the importance of music to each community and
shown the student how to grow in self-esteem and self worth. Building principals have been quoted to call
this event. “A most positive imprint on the lives of our children.”

__________________________ will be out of school on Friday, September 12th to participate in workshops

from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. We hope that you acknowledge the educational value of this program and
determine Friday, September 12, to be as an administrative excused absence, therefore not affecting the
student’s attendance record. Mainstage Center for the Arts will fax an attendance list to your school on
Friday morning to verify that the student named above is in attendance at the workshop.

We thank you in advance for your continued support of the performing arts and hope that you will join us at
Timber Creek High School on Saturday, September 13th at 3:00 pm or 7:00 pm to see the results of this
incredible program on stage featuring your students and the Young Americans.

Sincerely,
Ed Fiscella, Artistic Director and Founder
Mainstage Center for the Arts

New Jersey Core Standards

1. Visual and Performing Arts

STANDARD 1.2, 1.3 (Creation and Performance) All students will utilize those skills, media, methods, and

technologies appropriate to each art form in the creation, performance, and presentation of dance, music, theater, and

visual art.
Strands and Cumulative Progress Indicators

Students will:

A. Dance

Perform planned and improvised sequences demonstrating aspects of time, space/shape, and energy accurately

transferring a rhythmic pattern from the auditory to the kinesthetic.

Choreograph and perform dances that communicate meaning on a variety of themes, demonstrating the ability to

work in small groups in the choreographic process.

Develop dance technique that uses strength, flexibility, balance, and coordination appropriate to age and physical

development.

Accurately identify and demonstrate basic sequences of movement from at least two different styles or traditions,

demonstrating awareness of movement principles in dance (e.g., alignment, balance, initiation of movement,

directing of focus).

Investigate arts-related careers.

B. Music

Read music from progressively complex notation, including mixed meters, compound meters, and the grand staff.

Sing independently and in groups, both melodic and harmonizing parts, adjusting to the range and timbre of the

developing voice.

Perform simple melodies and rhythmic accompaniments in expanded binary, ternary, and rondo form independently

and in groups.

Improvise simple harmonic accompaniment, melodic embellishments, and simple melodies.

Demonstrate how the elements of music are used to achieve unity and variety, tension and release, and balance in

composition.

Investigate arts-related careers.

C. Theater

Discuss and demonstrate the connection between body, movement, and voice in theatrical expression.

Create characterizations in context through manipulation of vocal and physical qualities and circumstances.

Collaboratively plan and execute group scenes stemming from improvisational scenes.

Analyze classroom dramatizations from different perspectives (e.g., playwright, actor, director, designer) and

suggest alternatives for creating and interpreting roles, arranging environments, and developing situations.

Differentiate among vocal rate, pitch, and volume as they affect articulation, meaning, and character.
Investigate arts-related careers.