Cultural Advocacy Day

On February 15th I had the opportunity to participate in Cultural Advocacy Day. This is an event that takes place annually planned by the Iowa Cultural Coalition. I was thrilled to take place in the planning of the event as well as writing their 2011 legislative platform. The Iowa Cultural Coalition is organized exclusively to foster and encourage development, appreciation, and promotion of Iowa's culture through communication, education, and advocacy throughout the state of Iowa. The Iowa Cultural Coalition serves as the main advocacy, technical assistance, and communications network available to people and organizations who create and appreciate all forms of art, historic preservation, museums, science, and cultural educational endeavors in Iowa. They serve the needs of every Iowan by supporting the people and resources in the state that make it a joy to live here.

Cultural Advocacy Day took place at 7am (YES, 7AM) at the State Capitol in Des Moines. It is such a beautiful building and I was very excited to be there. There was a breakfast for all of the state representatives and we had the opportunity to speak with them about why culture is important to the economic development of the state of Iowa. They were very receptive to me saying that it isn't very often they have a young face in the building who is so passionate about the arts and culture. I was asked to open and close the ceremony by singing patriotic songs. This was incredible! I sang in the middle of the hallway and it literally echoed through the Capitol. I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to participate at this magnitude.

Here is a picture of me singing in the Capitol.

 ICC President Regina Smith was the emcee for the event with presentations by Mary Tiffany-Cownie, Helen Miller, Legislator from Ft. Dodge, William Dotzler, Legislator from Waterloo, Mark Ginsberg, Iowa City Businessman and recipient of a prestigious Americans for the Arts Award. ICC Volunteer Bob Untiedt presented the new Legislative Platform. After the presentation we had the opportunity to talk with different legislators about the issues important to us and it was a great day for the cultural community. I am so grateful that Iowa has such unique and interesting cultural activities for people of all ages and the government recognizes them as a vital part of the community. Great reasons to live in Iowa!!

Here is a picture of the Legislator from Waterloo - William Dotzler and me. 

And of course, a photo with the Capitol! :-)

Check out the link on my homepage if you want to get involved with the ICC. The cultural health of Iowa determines the economic vitality and quality of life for the State of Iowa. The Iowa Cultural Coalition gives a face to cultural endeavors in Iowa and allows cultural workers to create and care for the resources which make our state an incredible place to live. 

2011 ICCA Annual Meeting and Icky Awards

Last night, January 31st, I had the pleasure of volunteering at the 2011 Icky Awards! This is a very fun night that is filled with glamour and culture. ICCA is the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance. The ICCA is an alliance of over 150 cultural organizations in the Easter Iowa Corridor of Linn, Johnson, and nine adjacent counties. The mission of ICCA is to promote varied cultural activities of its partner organizations and to nurture a sustainable cultural community. ICCA works to ensure that community members and visitors to the corridor have access to relevant information about cultural opportunities. ICCA's core values are awareness (promoting opportunities to engage in arts and culture), cooperation (working to create thoughtful collaborations between organizations and individuals), equity (focusing on serving all partners, regardless of size or budget, in an equitable manner), influence (serving as a voice for the creative community), and stewardship (creating thoughtfully planned opportunities for engagement between partners.)

The Icky Honors were created to honor excellence in innovation in the programming and events of ICCA partners. The Ickys are not to honor the best of an specific category; rather, the Ickys are to honor and showcase those that have created something unique and unexpected over the past year.

The Icky itself was designed by Tom Newport and each one is different and unique being hand-carved and crafted. The different categories of Icky awards include Dance Programming, Children's Programming, Visual Arts Exhibit/Programming, Music Programming, Locally Produced Festival, History Exhibit/Programming, Educational Programming, Theatre Programming, ICCA Collaborative, and Reaching Out. The Larry Eckholt Award was given to Mark C. Ginsberg and the Cultural Advocate Award to James Kern.

The event was beautiful and it was great to see the arts and culture so alive in Eastern Iowa. This organization is very important to me in all that it does for my platform - The Importance of Music Education. Music and Cultural activities are accessible because of this organization. Schools, communities, and students need to be aware of these cultural opportunities to see why a complete Music Education is necessary in the educational plan of our community, state, and nation's youth. Thank you ICCA for keeping the love of music and culture alive!

Here is a picture of me with the statue of the BIG Icky. Each winner was given an Icky of their own that looked just like this one! I helped by ushering, giving out programs, and helping award winners to the stage. It was a wonderful event.

Younkers Community Day and Miss Davenport

The Miss Eastern Iowa Organization is currently participating in the Younker's Community Day Fundraising Event which is taking place on February 26th. We are selling coupon booklets that contain all sorts of really great deals as well as a ten dollar off coupon! The booklets are only 5 dollars and half of the proceeds go to The Miss Eastern Iowa Organization while the other half goes to The Children's Miracle Network! It really is a win-win situation. Ashley (my Outstanding Teen) and spent Saturday January 22 selling booklets in the Younkers in Davenport and we will be back there again on Saturday February 5th from 12-2, Saturday February 12th, and Saturday February 26th! Drop in and see us - you can contact Ashley, The Miss Eastern Iowa Organization, or myself to purchase a booklet! It is for a great cause.

Here is a picture of Ashley and I at the event!

That same night was the Miss Davenport Pageant! I performed at the pageant and it was really great to watch Amanda Manning be crowned the new Miss Davenport! I can't wait to spend the week with her in June at Miss Iowa. She is a beautiful girl inside and out. I also got to see Pauli Mayfield, Miss Iowa - fresh back from Miss America! She was a beautiful as ever and I absolutely love the laughs and times that we have together. I learn something new and wonderful about myself from Pauli everyday. She is a true inspiration.

Here is a picture of me singing at the pageant. I sang Quando me'n vo from Puccini's La Boheme.

Here is Pauli and I at the pageant.

Introducing the new Miss Davenport - Amanda Manning!

Christmas Break!

Over Christmas break I spent my time in North Carolina and New Jersey visiting family and friends! While in North Carolina I had the opportunity to speak to three different chorus classes at Walter M. Williams High School in Burlinton, NC. I spoke to the students about their options in the music industry and what being a "music major" is all about. It is so interesting to me how so many of the students think that all you can do is "be a singer." They don't have any knowledge of music theory, music therapy, musicology, music technology, music business, library sciences with a concentration on music, conducting, composition, or music publishing. I think it would be great to travel to more high school music classes and talk to them about other options outside of music performance and music education. This keeps the love of music alive and fresh!

While in North Carolina I gave two concerts. The first was at The Village of Brookwood - a retirement center in Burlington, NC. I sang and my boyfriend - a very accomplished pianist - accompanied me and played some solo pieces himself. The residents loved our concert because we did a mixture of both classical music as well as holiday selections. The best part of the concert was that it was broadcast on the facility's TV station so those residents who are immobile and unable to get around easily were able to tune in and watch it from the comfort of their rooms! It was a really fun concert and it was wonderful to hear the positive feedback about the joy and emotions our music brought to the residents. Just another example of the power of music! The second concert was a duplicate of the first but performed at Alamance Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, NC. I have a very strong friendship/relationship with one member of the church who was my scholarship donor at my undergraduate. It was wonderful to see him again and share my music and talents with the people most close to him.

When I went to New Jersey I had the opportunity to give a one hour presentation at Holy Family Catholic School. This school is special and important to me 1) because my mom is a seventh grade teacher there and 2) Miss America goes to speak there almost every year! The entire school was there from Pre-K to eighth grade! This really made me stretch my abilities to keep every age group engaged for a whole hour! I performed a few songs for the students and we talked about the benefits of music, overcoming adversity, and following your dreams. After the presentation I received so many wonderful comments from teachers saying that they have not seen their students so engaged in a very long time. It is really nice to know that I captivated the students just as much as Miss America! I was also told that for DAYS after my presentation the students couldn't stop talking about! It is wonderful to know that I am making a difference and getting a message across!