How to Launch Your Creative Project Now

Marshall Ayers Acting, Career Advice, Film, Getting Started, How To, Performing Arts, Tips

Actor and director Charlie Kennedy shares his tips for turning your dream creative project into a reality.

One of my favorite college professors said: “why make something easy, when it can be fun?” That’s a pretty good description of the spirit in which any creative project is done. Now that I’m out of college, I know first hand that getting started on creating your own independent entertainment can be tough. Without all the resources you had at school the realities of self-producing – finding a crew, getting equipment, etc. – can be challenging, but it can also be very fun. Here are some tips from a guy with the fresh experience of being inexperienced:Read More

LA <3 YoungArts

Marshall Ayers Events, Performing Arts, Student Resources, Visual Arts, Writing

Young Artists from LA to Participate in Regional Program Offered by National YoungArts Foundation.

Los Angeles area teen artists will be feeling the love post Valentine’s Day, February 16-21 when YoungArts comes to town. Over 100 talented students from throughout LA who have been designated National YoungArts Foundation 2016 YoungArts winners will have the opportunity to experience an intensive, week-long regional program in the visual, literary, performing and design arts. During the program the young artists will work with masters in their field and will present their work through public exhibitions performances—including a photography and visual arts exhibition, a jazz performance, writers’ readings, film screenings, and a multidisciplinary performance and music concert.
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CSSSA College Connection Visits Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

Marshall Ayers College, Drawing & Painting, Getting Into College, High School, Sponsors, Student Resources, Summer Program, Visual Arts, Visual Arts

Meet Chuck

Chuck Alston attended California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA) in 2013 and studied painting. He is currently a freshman at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) in Philadelphia.

Growing up in Richmond, CA in the San Francisco Bay Area, Chuck knew from a very young age that art was part of his identity and he was fortunate to attend schools that supported his development.

“I was always drawing since I was little. In elementary school I was always drawing on my homework, so my Mom knew I had an interest”

Chuck attended the San Francisco School of the Arts for high school, and had an immersive summer experience at CSSSA at CalArts in southern California his junior year, so as his college application process began he felt he needed to get away from home. He decided to head to the east coast to challenge himself and to broaden his outlook because as an artist, challenging yourself comes with the territory.
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Stand-Up Comedians to Watch in 2016

Samantha Jacobs Acting, Performing Arts, Writing

Here are some hot stand-up comedians to be on the look out for in 2016.

If your New Year’s resolution is to have more fun and not take life so seriously, then we have a suggestion for you – watch stand-up comedy. Whether you’re an avid stand-up fan already, a comedy connoisseur or an SNL aficionado, stand-up comedy is a great way to learn to laugh at yourself and the world around you. And while you may know these comedians primarily as stand-up comics, it’s no surprise that their careers are multi-faceted and include work as actors, writers, producers and directors.

Jenny Slate

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Your College Application Super Power for Artists (and everyone else)

Mo Hyman Getting Into College, How To, Parent/Educator, Performing Arts, Student Resources, Tips, Visual Arts

The college application process can be challenging, but not if you know what your super power is and how to use it.

So you know how X-Man Scott Summers — or Cyclops — has these really powerful laser eyes that he can’t control until he puts on those glasses that kind of look like the ones Geordi La Forge from Star Trek Next Generation wears?

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Say you are a high school artist/actor/musician, etc. and prepping for college, you’re Cyclops. You’re really powerful. But you need to wear your glasses.

There’s something — or maybe two or three things — that you love to do…and that you may even be really good at. Photography. Reading books. Dissecting frogs. Hiking in the San Gabriel Mountains.

Great! Colleges desire candidates who are passionate. They also desire candidates who illustrate dedication to those passions. If at all possible, this dedication should be illustrated through participation in sanctioned and structured activities.

What did that last sentence mean? Let’s yank it apart a bit.Read More

How Doing a TEDx Talk Changed My Life

Marshall Ayers Events, Poetry, Writing

Spoken word poet, writer and college student Connie Martinez reflects on her experience giving a TEDx Talk.

At the age of 17: Malala Yousafzai became the youngest recipient to become a Nobel Peace prize winner. Lydia Ko ranked third among pro women golfers (AND she’s the youngest millionaire in Ladies Professional Golf Association history), Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor (most commonly known by her stage name Lorde) had sold 1.33 million copies of her album Pure Heroin. And me? I gave a TEDx Talk.

Back in December of 2014, I realized I wasn’t completely accomplishing my high school senior year goals: to find happiness, to break off the rest of my shell, and end my last year on the right foot. I was missing one thing, showing people something that meant so much to me–my writing. That month during my winter break, I wrote like crazy because I knew the only chance I would have to showcase my writing would be in a school assembly or something of that sort and I had to have something to perform. When February came around, I took the opportunity to recite two poems at my school’s Black History Month assembly. It was a bold move to perform for the first time and having it be in front of my entire school, but the audience reaction was like no other.Read More

5 Things to Never Say to Your Bandmates: Tips for Playing in a Band

Ben Muller Career Advice, Getting Started, Getting Started, Music, Performing Arts, Tips

Being in a band can be tough. Learning how to work well with your bandmates is essential.

Getting better as a group, from recording to playing live to writing songs, takes patience and time. After playing in a regularly gig-ing band for three years, my bandmates and I learned how to work together effectively, and naturally, we learned some things NOT to do along the way. Along those lines, here are 5 things to never, ever, say to your bandmates:
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7 Must See Holiday Movies For Artists

Andrea Davis Film, Performing Arts, Screenwriting, Writing

Artzray presents our list of offbeat holiday movies that artists will love.

Film has the power to transport you worlds away from the aggravations and absurdities of Black Friday, Cyber Monday or grandma getting run over by a reindeer. Film can also hold your eyes open and make you think, “I guess I don’t have it so bad this Christmas. (Or Hannukah. Or New Year’s.) As winter approaches, it’s up to you to decide which cinema prescription will help either temper or enhance your holiday experience. Below are a few suggestions that go beyond the traditions of “It’s A Wonderful Life” and “How The Grinch Stole Christmas”. Because sometimes it’s good to start NEW traditions. If these films pique your interest but you don’t know where to pick them up or watch them, you may want to check out some of the best torrent sites available to you or you can find a streaming platform that has them on, to get your tradition started up as soon as possible.
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The CSSSA College Connection Visits Bennington College

Brennan Dignan Music, Performing Arts, Sponsors, Student Resources

Meet Isabel, CSSSA 2012

Los Angeles native Isabel Wing attended the California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA) music program in 2012. If you asked her in high school if she would end up in rural Vermont for college she would have said it wasn’t even on her radar.  Isabel came to CSSSA when she ran across an advertisement for the highly selective summer program in a magazine, decided to apply, and was accepted.

“…I was in a program with other singers who were there for singing and not just theater…and then I was surrounded by jazz musicians and I had no experience with jazz…it was just very eye opening.”

The CSSSA Foundation’s CSSSA College Connection is a web-series featuring CSSSA alumni in their college setting. Currently a freshman at Bennington College in Vermont, I was able to catch up with Isabel on a beautiful fall day and talk with her about the college application process which admittedly can be a bit challenging and filled with highs and lows. Initially, Isabel said, “I had this sort of vision of me going to USC because I really liked their popular music program and I met with them at the CSSSA college fair…I had them as the dream school, which didn’t end up happening.”

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