Week 3, Day 1- Symphony in the Cities

Mural dedicated to Carl St. Clair and the Pacific Symphony

What a great day!  Everyone arrived safely this morning and we had a great time getting to know each other as our counselors led us in icebreaker games.  Then, after a nutritious lunch, everyone discovered what art workshops they would be in for the duration of Arts-X-Press.  After the first meeting of the arts workshops, they were assigned to a Creative Expression class. 

Enjoying Symphony in the Cities

After an already productive day the fun began! We headed to Mission Viejo for Symphony in the Cities, singing some catchy tunes along the way. We took a backstage tour and saw what it takes to put on such an event. Before the concert, Pacific Symphony Music Director Carl St. Clair took the time to come see us! He gave some great advice and shared his experiences!  After a terrific outdoor concert under the stars, we have finally returned home, headed to bed and are excited for whats in store for tomorrow.

We hope to see you at the parent presentation on Aug. 3 at 6:45 at the church at Vanguard.

Mo & Yolanda

Counselors

Week 2 Parent Presentation

We can't wait to see everyone at the Parent Presentation tonight! It begins at 6:45 pm at Newport Mesa Church, which is at 2599 Newport Blvd. in the corner of Vanguard's campus. The whole family is welcome, and your campers can't wait to show you what they've accomplished this week.


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Week 2, Day 3: Pageants, Pottery, and Pizza

Yo yo yo amazing Arts-x-Press parental units! Hope you all are doing well out there. This is the seasoned vets, James, Kit, and Jacob reporting to you live from the wonderful dorms of Vanguard University. Yesterday was a jam packed day full of fine arts and spicy beef for lunch (sooooo good). Let's get started so you can relive our magical adventure!

First off, after a bacon filled breakfast, your students hit the classrooms running by tapping into their creative juices in Creative Expression. We as counselors had to deal with them having high energy afterwards, so we know they got their creative juices flowing. After spending more time in their arts workshops, they already invested a good amount of energy into their day. But here at Arts-x-Press, we like to keep them busy every minute, so lunch seemed like a good call at the time. Lunch time was the time your young artists discovered a new passion for spicy beef and steamed rice. MMmm good! Plus, the ice cream machine that offers the "nectar of the University" was operational again. Let us tell you: 50 kids + staff with a sweet tooth = no bueno situation. I don't know who was more upset about the ice cream machine being broken before: the staff or the students. Ask your artists about that one later.

So after 30 minutes of healthy eating, ice cream munching, and kids asking "what are we doing next?", we jetted off to Laguna for the Festival of the Arts! After a memorable (and final) bus ride with bus songs for Jacob, we arrived at the Festival grounds. Now we can blog about this part all we want, but the young artists had SO MUCH fun at this point that they'll just have to tell you all about it. Once we got to the Festival, the awesome crew treated us to a backstage tour of the Pageant of the Masters! Afterwards, we got the chance to be creative and make our own art by scratch art, printmaking, and raku pottery. It's totally wicked!

After having tapped into our artistic sides (and after all the folks at the festival complimented the kids on how darn cute they are), we became (urban) wilderness explorers and trekked through Laguna to reach the amazing and beautiful Heisler Park (overlooking the beach too!). Once the kids plopped down and rested (they acted like they were so tired... they have great believable acting!), us counselors gave the young artists their room scores for room checks. I have a feeling these students will go home and have the sudden urge to keep their rooms clean (cross your fingers). Then the more than delicious pizza came for dinner (man do your kids love pizza!!). Following that, the counselors started engaging the students with their awesome new games.

We then headed to the Festival of the Arts where our lovely students were able to walk around to see the various masterpieces that were on display. Following that we headed to the highlight of the night, "The Pageant of the Masters". The show this year was awesome, make sure to  ask your student what their favorite art piece was. After the show we hopped on the bus after a very long day (you should have seen how fast your little ones went to sleep). When we got to Vanguard, it was kind of scary waking up your children on the bus when they're that tired, but we did!!! We got them their three minute showers and in there own comfortable bed.

Parents we hope to see you tomorrow at the parent presentation. See you there, and bring your cameras!

Sincerely and ever yours,
James, Jacob, and Kit

Over and out. Peace.

P.S. The picture to the right is not a picture of us amazing counselors just so you're not confused. As you can see, there are no guys in the picture. It's a lovely photo of instrumentalists, and it just looked like it fit nicely down here at the end. So just so we're clear: picture of instrumentalists- not James, Jacob, and Kit. Cool.

Week 2, Day 2

After another terrific morning of creative expression and arts workshops, we were joined by Amy Louise Sebelius, regular AXP faculty member and Director of Shakespeare By the Sea's production of Twelfth Night.  Amy Louise provided an extremely useful cheat sheet so we could follow along with this tale of disguises and mistaken identities!

Small groups worked on theatrical portrayals of emotions, then we ended up with some rousing renditions of Viola's soliloquy.  Amy Louise then accompanied us to Crown Valley Park to see Twelfth Night, and we even got to meet the actors and ask questions afterwards!  An unexpected bonus was the fabulous full moon over the hills of Laguna Niguel.

Today after lunch, we're headed for the Festival of Arts and the Pageant of the Masters.  We can't wait to see everyone at the Parent Presentation tomorrow!

Pacific Symphony violists Carolyn Riley (far left) and Cheryl Gates (far right) joined us for lunch.  We had to get a picture of them with their fellow AXP violists, especially since manager Molly Pontin remembered to wear her favorite shirt for the occasion!

1st Dayyyyy

Hey  parents,

So your little ones are currently catching there sleep to be all energized tomorrow. First, we started out the day with the students experiencing the new games which was lead by the awesome counselors. Following that the students had there first meal here at Vanguard. All of them enjoyed the great fruit and the H2-oooohhh yeeaahhh. After lunch we hopped on the arts-x-press party bus where we learned the classic "arts-x-press song" and many others. We headed to the Laguna Playhouse  where we enjoyed a wonderful musical "Life Could be a Dream" which was filled with many popular and talented actors. Following the show, the students were able to ask the actors questions about their experience as actors. After the very long ride home the students enjoyed their dinner. Then came the moment the students were looking foward to the whole day.  They recieved their arts workshops assignments that they will be participating in all week.

Then they went to their Creative Expression classes where they were able to expand their artistic minds. We ended the day with the highly anticipated 3 minute showers and a special night talk with their counselors.

We really look forward to keeping you posted on the rest of the week.

                                                                               Your cool counselors,

                                                                              Leah and Jacob!!!!!!!!

Getting ready for Week 2

We're on our way!  If you have lost your packing list, bus schedule, or medicine form, you can find them here:
Packing list
Bus Schedule
Medicine Labeling Form

If you have a problem on your way to the bus, call the hotline at (714) 876-2336.  Be sure to leave a voice mail including your cell phone number--we will be checking the voice mail frequently throughout the morning and will get back to you in 15 minutes or less.

We can't wait to see you!

Week 1: The End

Week 1 is done, and we had such a great time with all our creative young artists.  You'll be happy to know that MJ was found at last night's talent show.  We can't wait to meet another great bunch of students for Session 2!

From the Counselors: Where's Michael?

Where's Michael?!  Everyone is busy investigating the disappearance of Counselor Cadre Jack's favorite tote bag that features Michael Jackson.  Things are heating up as a suspicious ransom note has been found concerning Jack's beloved "MJ."  Hopefully with the help of our attentive campers, Michael will be found soon!

Session 1, Day 2

Day 2 brought lots of fun, including arts workshops and a trip to Musical Theater West to see the musical "1776."

After another yummy dinner, we were joined by guest instructor Wendy Tobiska for a theater workshop where we staged "Where the Wild Things Are."  We're off to bed to get ready for a great day tomorrow as we visit the Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters.

Day One: From the Counselors

Hello there lovely parents, families and followers of the arts-X-press BLOG!!


we had a lovely day today.  It started with some tea and crumpets in the morning.  On the bus.  And then on the patio.  The butler, Garret, was very hospitable and courteous.  JUST KIDDING!!  Your LOVELY artists arrived to campus excited and ready for the first activity of the day: NEW GAMES!!  We played the Human Knot, Concentration, the Name Game, Little Sally Walker, Who's the Chief?, the Number Game and MUCH MUCH MORE :)  It was a splendid way for the campers to meet and learn new names.

Then we had lunch in our LOVELY cafeteria with special guest Ian McKinnel.  He spoke with a few students about being a cellist in the Pacific Symphony.  We all got really excited to see him perform in the evening!

Then we got to go to our Arts Workshops and Creative Expression classes.  Everybody was raving about all the fun they had singing their songs and dancing their dances and drumming their drums and painting their paintings and acting their acts.  We can't wait to show you what we've done at the Parent Presentation on Tuesday night!

Finally we got on the bus to go to the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater for Cirque de la Symphonie.  We learned the arts-X-press song and other various LOVELY camp songs.  La la la la!  Upon our arrival on the special "limo road," we were treated to an EXCLUSIVE arts-X-press ONLY backstage tour.  Then we got to meet the LOVELY conductor himself, Maxim Eshkenazy.  He was AWESOME!  Did you know that he is a pilot?  Of airplanes, and helicopters.  And he parachutes too!  But most importantly, he taught us to pursue our passions through thick and thin.  He practices many hours a day and he sure puts on a great show!

We ate dinner and then had a surprise visit from another special guest!  It was Josh Roach, conductor of the Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble.  He gave us a few inside secrets of the concert and then we were off to our seats in our little family groups.  The concert was FANNNNTASTIC!!  Splendid, awesome, and LOVELY.  The music was inspiring and the acrobatics mind-boggling.  I'm sure you'll hear all about it after the Parent Presentation on Tuesday during your three minutes of LOVELY time together.

The bus ride back was very m ellow and now everybody has showered (3 minutes is up!!!) and gone peacefully to snoring sleepy sleep in the LOVELY dorms.  Everyone loves to be in college (dorms.)  We'll be waking up bright and early, so this is Darlene and Tina SIGNINGGGG OFFF.  Good night, friends.

(written 12:43 am after Day 1.  Posted late due to continuing internet outage on campus!)

Session 1, Day 1!

We have had a great day so far at arts-X-press. The students all arrived safely this morning to Vanguard University. First was orientation, then "New Games!" New Games (ice breakers) are an arts-X-press tradition lead by our wonderful counselors. Before we knew it, it was lunch time at Vanguard's delicious and nutritious cafeteria- everyone made great food choices!

This (very warm) afternoon brings Creative Expression class as well as finding out which Arts Workshops everyone is in. In the (hopefully cooler) evening we will travel to Verizon Wireless Amphitheater to hear Maxim Eshkenazy conduct Pacific Symphony in a very exciting concert: Cirque de la Symphonie (complete with acrobats)!
 
Here are a few pics of our excursion to Verizon Wireless to see the utterly amazing "Cirque de la Symphonie."

Get on the bus!

We're on our way!  If you have lost your packing list, bus schedule, or medicine form, you can find them here:
Packing list
Bus Schedule
Medicine Labeling Form

If you have a problem on your way to the bus, call the hotline at (714) 876-2336.  Be sure to leave a voice mail including your cell phone number--we will be checking the voice mail frequently throughout the morning and will get back to you in 15 minutes or less.

We can't wait to see you!

Excursion Spotlight: Target Symphony in the Cities

For many, it's a must-do summer tradition - a visit to the local park for a free outdoor concert by Pacific Symphony, led by Music Director Carl St.Clair!  Week 3 AXPers will travel to Mission Viejo for Target Symphony in the Cities.

For the fifth year in a row, Target returns as the title sponsor for the 2010 Target Symphony in the Cities concert series, a popular event throughout Orange County's many communities which attracts more than 10,000 people each summer.  Ninety minutes before the concert there are many interactive and hands-on activities at a "musical playground" for children, which includes a conducting clinic. Children who participate have the opportunity to assist Maestro St.Clair in conducting during a portion of the concert.

For more information about these free community concerts, check out www.pacificsymphony.org.

Are you ready?

This week, staff and counselors spent the day on the Vanguard campus getting ready for all kinds of summer fun!  We hope everyone is ready to let their creative juices flow for a fantastic summer.

Here are some handy links to must-have documents in case you've misplaced them:
Packing list
Bus Schedule
Medicine Labeling Form

See you soon!