The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Gotta Have Arts

The Armonk Players presents a free reading of “One Night with fanny Brice” March 3

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One Night with Fanny Brice

Thursday, March 3, 2016 at 8pm
Simply Theatre! Play Readings By The Armonk Players
Tonight: One Night with Fanny Brice
By Chip Deffaa
Featuring Christine DiTota (Fanny Brice) and Assaf Gleizner (Musical Director/Piano)
Admission: Free (voluntary donations cheerfully accepted)

Fanny Brice rose from rather humble origins to become the highest-paid American singing comedienne–a Ziegfeld star. A strong, intuitive, street-smart woman, Brice’s life story provided the inspiration for Funny Girl and Funny Lady. One Night with Fanny Brice features songs Brice made famous, including “Rose of Washington Square”, “My Man”, and “Second Hand Rose”.

Chip Deffaa will join us for a talk back of his play following the performance.

Join us for a yummy reception after the reading and the opportunity to voice your opinions about the play in a discussion with the actors and director.

No advance ticket sales for this performance.

We perform at Whippoorwill Hall (adjacent to the North Castle Public Library) at 19 Whippoorwill Road East, Armonk, NY 10504 (use the Kent Place entrance, please). You can get travel directions here.

For up-to-date information, visit our website. If you would like to make a tax-free donation to the Friends of the North Castle Public Library to support the Armonk Players, you can do so here.

Music Conservatory Students Meet a Master

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itzak
Photo credit: Kate Koenig

Music Conservatory of Westchester students were thrilled to meet internationally renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman following his performance at the Westchester County Center on Jan. 30. Pictured behind Mr. Perlman (left to right): cello student Kaseme Leckie, viola student Cen Chen, Executive Director Jean Newton, and adult violin student Harry Bright. The Conservatory, a not-for-profit community music school, is located across the street from the County Center at 216 Central Ave. in White Plains.

Inside Westchester Art Studio

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By Amy Shaw

A long and winding road…many forks, twists, turns and here we are…

Alan Reingold and Amy Shaw
Alan Reingold and Amy Shaw

Coming from very different backgrounds, Alan and I formed Westchester Art Studio in the summer of 2015 after creating and teaching art for many years. We recognized a need for an individualized art program that would offer all the elements of teaching and fun that seemed to be missing in many other art schools. We also wanted to have a school that had programs tailored to each student, and have a specific curriculum aimed at enhancing our older student’s portfolio and artistic goals. Our teaching experience in conjunction with professional expertise in the field gives our program the added dimension of tying art to career and the world beyond the classroom.

Now here’s a little bit about us, and why we believe that Westchester Art Studio is the way to go for art … With a BA in fine arts, I veered into a career in graphic design for many years as an Art Director in promotion at Readers Digest and at various Ad agencies in NYC. Meanwhile, I wanted to work with kids and get back into the fine art process, so I created a program teaching children in the Bronx on Saturdays about important artists, art history, the elements of art, etc. They also learned about art in everyday life and how it ties into math, history, science, music, nature and most things we experience. In addition, the students created mini-masterpieces while soaking up relevant historical information.

I was having so much fun teaching art that I thought: why not do this after school in Westchester and Connecticut … and I did just that. Meanwhile my daughter, who was very interested in art,
spent many afternoons studying art with Alan Reingold; her friends from Horace Greeley and their siblings (many went to top rated art schools) studied with Alan as well. He tailors his teaching to the student’s specific interest and needs. For example, if one were working on a fashion or other specialized portfolio he would help in that area. He is currently helping a student with an animation portfolio, and another with fashion design. He has taught at Parsons, MICA, and RISD for over 20 years and evenings in Westchester. In addition, Alan is in the field himself, having been to the White house drawing presidential portraits and illustrating many of the covers on TIME Magazine. With his credentials, patience and direction (and I can’t forget sense of humor), I knew starting Westchester Art Studio with Alan was a great decision.

Looking forward to a creative and fun 2016 at Westchester Art Studio… Vist: www.westchesterartstudio.com

A seven year old student inspired by Monet’s water lilies
A seven year old student inspired by Monet’s water lilies
These brothers are falling for Cezanne’s Apples... Pastel, acrylic and watercolor
These brothers are falling for Cezanne’s Apples… Pastel, acrylic and watercolor
A colorful selection of color shape and texture
A colorful selection of color shape and texture
Twelve year old student created this marvelous beast
Twelve year old student created this marvelous beast

Chappaqua’s Marianne Campolongo Photos at “Upstream Gallery” Exhibit in Hastings

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One of the most wonderful aspects of being a publisher is the opportunity to meet and get to know and be friends with talented journalists, photographers and illustrators around town. I have had the privilege of publishing photos by Marianne Campolongo many times over a 12-year period of publishing. That includes different cover photos including ones of Hillary Clinton, when she was running for her second Senate term, and of Bal Agrawal, owner of LifeWorx in Chappaqua. Marianne is also a fine and sensitive writer.

Summer Meditation
Summer Meditation

I was thrilled to learn that her photos were being included as part of an exhibit of members of the Red Circle PhotoArts Cooperative. Marianne’s and her fellow artists’ photos may be viewed (and or purchased!) at the Upstream Gallery in Hastings Thursday-Sunday, from 12:30-5:30 p.m. until August 30th. Below, Marianne (on the right) and myself in front of her photos, along with my personal favorite, Summer Meditation.

Marianne and Grace

Musical Minds

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Sasha Warm performing at our recital at MTK Tavern
Sasha Warm performing at our recital at MTK Tavern

By Kaila Allison

Kids these days are bombarded by activities. After school, the To-Do list seems endless! So how is it possible to prioritize? What activities are most effective for a child’s development?

Music lessons can be an answer. Music has been proven to help promote the growth of a child’s intellectual, emotional, and physical capacities, while also being a great source of expression and fun.

Among the many benefits that music provides, one is social intelligence. It is an aspect of intelligence encompassing emotional and cultural processing, characterized in children by their sensitivity and sympathy. Music is not only an individual pursuit, but is a timeless cultural practice. Music comes from all over the world, and not only requires discipline for personal practice, but respect for the past and the bigger picture of human development.

Music lessons also demand focus. Because kids are constantly inundated with stimuli, it is increasingly challenging to capture their attention. Music is a way to take a break from the virtual world for a while and “recharge.” It gives them a chance to make something organically with their hands or voices.

Music is also a natural de-stressor. For example, listening to and playing music releases the same endorphins in our brains released when we exercise or eat chocolate. It actually produces calming waves in our brains that positively influence our mood.

But how can we compare the minds of musical children with those of non-musical children? One way is in the classroom. Test scores show a positive correlation between students who play music and their performance on assessments. Kids that take music lessons use more of their brains than kids who do not take music lessons. Musical children’s brains are involved in more neuron activity, and as each new motor skill is acquired, both muscle memory and new connections are made that can stay with a child throughout their lives.

Music lessons are really the gift that keeps on giving. The more musicians there are out there now, the more there will likely be in the future. Let’s keep our minds musical! For more information, visit www.musicinchappaqua.com