Creative Campus
CECILIA SMITH
In January 2008, the Joyce Foundation awarded the Performing Arts Division a grant to create a new work featuring composer Cecilia Smith. Titled the Creative Campus Project, the purpose is to create a new Jazz composition featuring the work and research of our students. We are nearing the end of the first phase of this project. The new work, as yet untitled, will premiere in April 2009 at the 30th annual JazzFest.
Phase I
When she was retained, we gave Ms. Smith very broad guidelines about what the piece was to be about: it had to have something to do with Cleveland and it had to in some way involve our students and faculty in determining and researching the subject matter. We encouraged faculty members to participate and involve their students in researching local historic figures, important people in their lives, noteworthy events in the history of Cleveland. After three visits to campus, into the classroom and meeting with our students in a variety of settings, the first phase is complete.
Subject Matter: Tri-C Students are Inspirational
What Cecilia found more inspirational than student research, however, were the wide-ranging student experience. The most interesting and provocative pieces were the stories about the lives of Tri-C students as told by themselves.
Cecilia’s final work, then, will be about the lives of Tri-C Students.
Cecilia has frequently commented, “This project is like Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man in elevating the stories of Tri-C students to a stature that truly represents both the difficulties and challenges of their lives, and their successes and accomplishments.”
At the moment, Cecilia is reviewing stories that she will be including in the final work and is on her way to a writer’s colony where she will be spending the next several weeks composing music for the project. The final student story list will be announced upon her return in about a month.
Continuing to Involve Students
Having toured all three campuses and seen the work of the students in the MARS program, Cecilia was impressed with the work and professionalism that Tri-C students exhibited in their classes. As a project, samples of Cecilia’s existing compositions were given to students and they were assigned to create a short digital film. The results amazed Cecilia who immediately envisioned a more integrated final performance involving Digital Media and student filmmakers in the MARS program.
Beyond JazzFest 2009
Given the excitement around this project by those who are or have been involved, The Performing Arts Division has been working with MARS students and Media Resources to document the process of creating the Creative Campus project.
The Creative Campus project itself is looking at the potential of a life beyond Cleveland and the 30th JazzFest. We are currently discussing how this project can tour to other sites and locations as a live performance. Students are taking this consideration into the final design and staging of this project. Others are looking at how to turn the Creative Campus project into a film version of the same material featuring Cecilia’s composition.
The musical program itself will feature a large brass jazz ensemble, which may include some of our students, former students and faculty.
To Learn More, To Keep in Touch with the Project
To see more about the Joyce Foundation and the overview of this project, Click here to watch a video
POST A COMMENT ABOUT THIS PROJECT
ON THE Cecilia Smith Project BLOG!