POW! Foundation Arts in Education Initiatives
Proudly serving more than 3,000 Local Students

  • The Poway Center for the Performing Arts Foundation was created to meet the cultural needs of Inland North San Diego County through an annual professional entertainment season. Another goal was to help fulfill the instructional need for Arts in Education in area schools through an assortment of programs.
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  • These programs include in-school workshops and assemblies, Master Classes with visiting artists, and a one-week, all-expenses paid theater camp held at the Poway Center for the Performing Arts.
  • For the past 12 seasons, the Missoula Theatre has presented fun and educational interactive Theatre workshops for Poway Unified School District elementary students.
  • Complimentary to our Arts in Education Initiatives,  the POW! Foundation offers special discount pricing for youth attendees eighteen years of age & under for all shows.

The Arts in Education Initiative is sponsored by The Betsy Dam Fund for Arts Education, the Theodore and Elizabeth Schmidt Foundation, the Phillip and Shauna Schneider Family Foundation, Wells Fargo and Target.

 

"Up Close and Personal" with Michael Doucet and BeauSoleil

January 21 at 2pm.  Free Admission

The Poway Center for the Performing Arts Foundation is proud to present the next installment in its Up-Close-and-Personal Series on January 21, 2012. Michael Doucet of the Grammy Award-winning Cajun band BeauSoleil will host a discussion on the history and style of Cajun music. Like the gumbo made famous by his home state, Doucet’s presentation- which will include all members of BeauSoleil- will be heavily spiced with lively playing and tasty anecdotes. Doucet’s discussion will be followed by a Q&A with the audience.

Grammy Award-winners and 11-time Grammy nominees plus multiple wins and nominations for OffBeat Magazine's Best of the Beat Awards, BeauSoleil are the preeminent practitioners of Cajun music in the United States. They hold the distinction of being one of the most frequent guests on Garrison Keillor’s "A Prairie Home Companion" and count Bob Dylan and Alan Toussaint among their outspoken fans.

This Cajun band still knows how to put on a show after 30+ years. BeauSoleil's success has led to some major gigs including the Super Bowl XXX Halftime Show, a Bravo television special, "Dancing to New Orleans" and regular appearances at New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival where they received one of their Grammy's for Best Zydeco Or Cajun Music Album: Live at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (2009).

“Up Close and Personal with Michael Doucet” is brought to you by AT&T.

 

  • "Up Close and Personal" Experience

    with Street Beat Drum and Dance Clinic  

  • Visiting drum and dance troupe Street Beat presented a clinic with local dance and drum students on Saturday, October 22. The clinic featured dance students and drummers who worked with the Los Angeles-based Street Beat Creator, Director, Composer & Drummer Ben Hansen and choreographerRyan Johnson.  After 60 minutes of instruction and an on stage rehersal, the two groups came together for a dazzling production number.

Thank you to Home Depot who supplied the "drums".

 

  • Max Weinberg "Up Close and Personal"

  • Max Weinberg found more than an attentive audience when he hosted a Q&A and Master Class at the Poway Center for the Performing Arts. He may have found his replacement.

  • Billed as an “Up Close and Personal Experience with Max Weinberg,” the 1pm Q&A and Master Class was presented by the Poway Center for the Performing Arts (POW) Foundation as part of its Arts in Education Initiative. A 45-minute speech/Q&A session was followed by a performance by the Poway High Jazz Ensemble. Mr. Weinberg commented enthusiastically about the quality of the performance, the sophistication of the players and the beauty of the venue. Weinberg reserved special praise for the Jazz Ensemble's 16 year-old drummer Ryan Shaw whose playing style Weinberg compared to Buddy Rich, Weinberg’s drumming idol.

  • “Look at this,” Weinberg enthused, “you’ve got the next Buddy Rich right here!” Weinberg then took the kit to play with the ensemble.

  • The afternoon began with Max sharing stories about his life as a young musician in New Jersey. He was playing in a Broadway show band when he spied a classified ad asking for a drummer- “no Jr. Ginger Bakers need apply.” The ad referred to flamboyant drummer Ginger Baker (Cream/Blind Faith) whose complex jazz style is the antithesis of Weinberg’s ‘four-on-the-floor’ rock minimalism. The ad, of course, was placed by singer/songwriter Bruce Springsteen, and the meeting lead to the formation of one of rock music’s most enduring touring bands, the E Street Band.

  • Following the Up Close and Personal session, Weinberg and his manager headed to La Jolla in search of San Diego’s famous fish tacos. From La Jolla’s Crab Catcher Restaurant Weinberg’s manager texted POW Foundation CEO Michael Rennie.

  • “If we’re late getting back for the sound check, have Ryan/Buddy sit in for us.”

  • The show went on as schedule with Weinberg leading the Max Weinberg 7+, an all-star band that featured Bill Champlin (Chicago, Sons of Champlin) and smooth jazz saxophonist Mindi Abair.  More than 500 attendees gave a “dancing ovation” to the band.

Introduction to Instruments Program

Underwritten by the Phillip and Shauna Schneider Family Foundation

  • For six years the POW! Foundation has hosted an Introduction to Instruments program designed to offset the district cuts to the 4th grade music program.  Each year, the Foundation sponsors a team of Poway Unified School District high school band students who host assemblies with all the 4th graders in the district.
  • Under the direction of the band director, high school students present the various instrument groups - woodwind, brass, percussion and more - in an environment that is entertaining, delightful and engaging with an emphasis on encouraging participation in the 5th grade music programs.
  • Serving all 25 PUSD elementary schools, the four PUSD high schools, approximately 3000 students, educators have deemed this program critical to the preservation of the instrumental music program in a school district held in high acclaim nationwide.   

Missoula Children's Theatre

Underwritten by the San Diego Foundation's Betsy Dam Fund for the Arts and Education and Target Stores

sponsor

  • For twelve seasons the POW! Foundation has presented The Missoula Children's Theater, the nation's preeminent participatory youth theater program. More than 50 area youth participate in a one-week, all-expenses paid theater camp that takes them from auditions to rehearsals to a full-scale musical production in just six days. In March of 2012, MCT Actor/Directors will return to present The Tortoise Versus The Hare with 60 local children cast in the roles.

Arts in Education Sponsors

Phillip and Shauna Schneider Family Foundation

San Diego Foundation's Betsy Dam Fund for the Arts and Education

Target Stores

Theodore and Elizabeth Schmidt Foundation

 


POW! Foundation Arts in Education Reports


Featured Children's Shows

2010-2011 Season

  • Kennedy Center Theatre for Young Audiences ON TOUR Barrio Grrrl!
  • Missoula Children's Theatre The Wizard of Oz

2009-2010 Season

  • Marlee Matlin's Nobody's Perfect
  • Missoula Children's Theatre King Arthur's Court

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