The Institute formally began May 14 with the inaugural Lee & Pat Resnick Lecture Series. Composer, arranger, concert pianist and conductor Mark Hayes offered a behind-the-scenes look at his creative process and the inspiration for Psalmos, a major work that premiered at Carnegie Hall earlier this year with youth and adult members of the Continuo Arts Symphonic Chorus. The free program concluded with a reception, meet-and-greet and signing opportunity.
Continuo has organized the Institute around four signature educational pillars. The Lee & Pat Resnick Lecture Series features artists, educators, scholars and industry leaders speaking on arts, culture, education, leadership, wellness and contemporary issues. The Lily Yip Masterclass Series provides hands-on learning and mentorship with performers, educators and professionals. The Noni & Bruce MacPherson Center for Early Child Development will offer programs supporting young children’s cognitive, social, emotional and creative growth through music, education and the arts. The Suni Yara & Supra Barua Family Workshops in Youth Readiness will focus on leadership, communication, financial literacy, career readiness and life skills, with opportunities for student conducting, mentoring, internships and participation on a Youth Leadership Council.
On Oct. 18, the Suni Yara & Supra Barua Family Workshops in Youth Readiness will present College Preparedness: Making Your College Essay Stand Out, a one-hour writing workshop with career college-readiness coach Anthony Giordano for college-bound students and parents. This is the first of two planned college-preparedness programs. The Institute will host an ILLL Community Halloween Sing on Oct. 26, with Seniors Sing! welcoming guests to wear costumes, sing Halloween favorites and stay for a reception.
Programs in development include a November College Preparedness: A Successful Interview, Every Time! presentation with Giordano; an Early Childhood Development parent roundtable; a Youth Readiness Region Choir and All State Audition Prep rehearsal for high school students; and a Road to Broadway masterclass. On Dec. 9, the Lily Yip Masterclass Series will present a Film Scoring Master Class with Hollywood film composer Stephen Edwards, who will lead attendees through the process of composing for film and offer a retrospective on the music of John Williams.
All Institute for Lifelong Learning programs are open and free to the public unless otherwise noted. For information, call 908-264-5324 or visit continuoarts.com.