Pageant of the Masters

Last night, our campers got to see Pageant of the Masters! We started our trip with a visit to Heisler park where we had pizza and were visited by our favorite conductor Carl St. Clair! Today he talked about how we should all listen to the inner voice inside of us that tells us to follow our passion. He even said how his plans for his future are to conduct for the rest of his life! When you follow your passion, work is no longer work, but a calling. The most important lessons he shared with us yesterday were to work hard, be honest, be thankful, and to remain humble.

After our inspiring visit from Carl St. Clair, we made our way to the festival of the arts, where we had time to do some activities, look at the artwork, and even had the privilege of getting a backstage tour of the show!

Finally, we got to witness the pageant of the masters, and it was incredible. The theme this year was "The Grand Tour" which perfectly fits this week's arts-x-press theme of "adventure." Our tour started in old England and worked it's way into artwork from America. The show was all inclusive as it featured a live pit orchestra, an Opera singer and a dancer! It was a perfect outing to sum up all of our arts-x-press art forms. It has been a fun-filled week, and we are looking forward to seeing you all at parent presentation tonight!

Hey, AXP Families!
   
The campers, counselors and staff have all been having so much fun here at Arts-X-Press over these past few days. Last night, we went on an excursion to go see the Pacific Symphony play in the park! Cool, right? That's just the gist of it!

The campers were visited by a very special guest-- Carl St. Clair, the conductor of The Pacific Symphony, as well as the founder of Arts-X-Press. The campers were all given the opportunity to engage in conversations with him about why music and art is so important to artists everywhere. The campers even got to watch as Carl St. Clair conduct the orchestra on stage and do a little hands-on conducting as well! Arts-X-Press got fancy seating, VIP up in front. Listening to live music from well known scores like Superman and E.T., the Pacific Symphony played an amazing concert for the kids and everyone else there to enjoy the Symphony in the City.

After talking to the campers and learning what they thought of the excursion, they all seemed very inspired by the talent portrayed by the professionals on the stage. There were guest performers that night, two of which were female violin players performing a duet, both around the same age as the campers here with us. Experiencing music and various forms of art out in the public and within daily life, it helped the campers realize that art is something that sticks with us and follows us everywhere. Going into an environment where the expectation is to watch a symphony perform, many of the students admitted that they expected the excursion to be boring. However, many found themselves engaged during the concert, singing along to songs they might know, dancing to beats formerly unknown, helping the conductor conduct; all new experiences the majority of the campers had yet to experience and will now be happy to come home to you all and share their stories!

Although we're all so excited to come home, camp is flying by much too fast. There's still so many memories to make and much more stories to take home and share. The campers can't wait to see their families at Parent Presentation!

-- Your favorite AXP Counselors

Becky's CE Class Gets Into Visual Arts

The Laguna Beach Art Walk is kind of supposed to be an appetizer before the Pageant of the Masters main course...but really, it's a main course on its own! Beyond the awesome conversations incited by the art pieces they see as we walk around, our campers get to participate in three very different visual arts workshops (such as Scratch Art - you know, that Crayola paper that you scratch to reveal bright colors?). Campers created items they'll be bringing home using their imaginations and some basic tools, such as little pencils, ink, and even water.

Relief Prints are created by making indents in a piece of foam in their desired design, applying ink, placing a piece of paper atop the foam, and then rolling through a press. Anywhere you made an indent stays white while the rest is the vibrant color our campers chose. This year, there was a large press the campers were able to operate...and laugh a lot while they did it.

Our CE class members really let our personalities shine today - not only through the art that was created, but through the relationships that were built with each other as well! So many smiles were seen, laughter heard, and opinions for their aesthetic set free. Absolutely wonderful.

We got to participate in marbling pots (that they picked out themselves) this afternoon, too, which was a new experience for all of us. One at a time, class members would step up to the counter and give the workshop staff their choice of three ink colors which were dropped into a special solution. They then got to swirl their colors around as they saw fit, some making large designs and others making tight and sharp swirls.

Upon their okay, the workshop staff would dip their pot into the mixture, leaving them with a one-of-a-kind work of art. Every single color combination chosen by our class produced amazing and stunning results.

I'm so proud of their willingness to try these new things today; some of them certainly stepped out of their comfort zones. I didn't hear one negative comment about their own work or not being "good enough;" they simply were true to themselves in the moment and accepted themselves right where they were in ability and talent and it was a beautiful thing to experience. I so hope they will continue to give themselves that kind of grace in other areas of their lives and throughout all their new experiences to come.

Well done, friends!

Symphony in the Cities

Last night, our campers were the guests of honor at the Pacific Symphony in the cities concert. We started our excursion in our own private community room where we ate yummy boxed lunches from the Concordia cafeteria. After, we were joined by a very special guest, Carl St. Clair! The founder of the arts-x-press camp, and the conductor for the pacific symphony. Carl shared with us how he grew up in a small town and dreamed about a place where he could be surrounded by all forms of art and people who he could share this passion with. This was the starting point for the arts-x-press camp. As you know, arts-x-press also includes creative expression classes where the students get to explore the art of writing. Carl explained how this idea was birthed from his teacher and mentor Leonard Bernstein. The one thing Bernstein said everyone should do every day, is write. The arts-x-press program is about more than just expressing. It's about expressing AND sharing with others.

After our memorable meeting with Carl St. Clair, we were shown to our seats which were right in front of the stage! We were even joined by KUSC's very own Rich Capparella, and the mayor of Newport beach.

The concert consisted of a variety of works including classical, film music, and even pieces that included dancers and a children's choir.

The concert was so interactive, that our students even had the chance to go up and conduct Sousa's "hands across the sea". 

Overall the concert was a lot of fun, and we are looking forward to our Pageant of the Masters trip tonight!

Spotlight Workshops

We had so much fun this afternoon rotating through three of the different art forms - vocal, dance, and theater - in our spotlight workshops! Vocal teacher Leslie, dance teacher Melinda, and theater teacher Wendy provided us with an awesome glimpse of each of these three art forms and all of our arts-X-pressers had the opportunity to try new things and take creative risks!


Theater games in Wendy's theater workshop.


Vocal exercises in Leslie's vocal workshop.


Our choreographers display their very own dances in Melinda's dance workshop.

Hello from Michal's CE Group!

We've been hard at working creatively expressing ourselves through stories, letters, journals and poetry. Here are some examples of what we've been working on.

We got stranded on a deserted island with a partner and while on that desert island, we encountered a door. Here's a little of what we saw behind that door.

Kimberly and Naya:
Once the door is open, it becomes a passage to a world once lost.
Step inside and you find Greece in B.C.
Gods and goddesses roaming the mountains which the Greeks call Mount Olympus.
In the sea is Poseidon's land submerged hundreds of feet below ocean surface.
Travel down far below
is where the cyclopes and monsters roam
All will fear, all will hide
from the god of the underworld, Hades,
with on glimpse through this door
it's best to never open.

West and Connor: We found this wooden door on a brick building. On a deserted island in the middle of nowhere. Wondering what this door beheld, West walked in. It allowed us to bend our future anyway we like. The only twist was that we had to sacrifice the one thing that mattered to us. Dun Dun Dun....

Oliver: We walked through the door, inside was no more.


We also put ourselves into the shoes of the characters that we saw at the Tempest and wrote letters and journals from their perspectives. Here's what we came up with.

Annabel W as Stephano: Today I found a four legged, two voiced beast! On closer inspection, I realized it was made up of a normal and a fish-like monster. After feeding them beer, I offered to show them my stash of beer, and made the one with the fish scales kiss my feet.

Nikki as Miranda: Dear diary: Shipwrecked. Gone. Sunk. All of these words can describe what has happened to our boat. We washed ashore on an island. Little did we know about the Ariels. The spirits, or magical creatures on this island. Father imprisoned them. They work for him now. Oh, have I written about Ferdinand? The love of my life! He is Alonso's son! At first, father made him chop wood, but he has finally opened up. Soon we're getting married! I cant hardly believe it! Until next time...

Ali O as Caliban: Dear City of Milan, If someone gets this letter, please save me. I will serve you for you will be my god! A very powerful and evil wizard by the name of Prospero has enslaved me on a deserted island in the middle of nowhere! I have to obey him or he will kill me in the worst way possible! He has also enslaved another creature of the island by the name of Ariel! Even though he seems happy, I know he is not for who would be happy in this devil's rule, for he is evil and tortuous beyond compare! So I beg of you if you get this letter, please PLEASE SAVE ME! If you do I will serve you forever. I will kiss your feet and do anything you say! You will be my god!

Mya as Miranda: Dear City of Naples, Since the storm, I have been stuck on an island with spirits and witches. Luckily my father the sorcerer Prospero is here to I am safe and not lonely. Oh thank the heavens for this! I just found the love of my life! Who would think that the 3rd one would be the perfect one. He says hi name is Ferdinand by my father doesn't let me tell him my name....

Annabel R as Ariel: You served Prospero loyally and wonderfully. Then he gave you your freedom as you bid him a last farewell. What will you do now? Will you e in the wind, on the breezes, soaring through the air? If you will, I hope you enjoy your freedom...

To prepare for the Symphony in the Cities, we listened to music and took notes on how we felt while listening and what scenes appeared in our minds. Sometimes we were right on the nose with that the composer was thinking and sometimes, like when we thought the music expressed elegance and waltzing, it really was about naval ships during WWII!

Here's what a few of us thought about the music:

Aly A: Two people are in love and they go to a ball. They dance the night away. Then the clock strikes and someone has to go.

Enzo: I thought that it was a couple in love dancing somewhere.

Genesis: People dancing everything, blinded by the different colors of the different dresses.

Kate: I see a ballet. They are dancing about being in love. A hoedown. Soaring over the world ride.

Kaylyn: "Crack!" The sound of listening made. Waves ripping through water pushing the boat back and forth. Still, for a split second, everything was monstrous; but now still letting the water take us...

Dora: Soldiers marching. One soldier tries to get away while one sees him and runs after him. In the quiet part of the story, the soldier is tip toeing away and when it getslouder they start running.

The Tempest

Our campers had a super jam packed day that ended with a trip to the strawberry bowl to see the Tempest by Shakespeare OC. We started our excursion after finishing up with the arts workshops and creative expression classes. The students were then assigned to their family groups for the trip, and had some time to work on their talent show acts. We were treated with a nautical pre-show act outside of the amphitheater that set the stage for the Tempest. All in all, it was an amazing performance and we can't wait for the tomorrows trip to see the Pacific Symphony!

Greetings from Session 2! 

Our arts-X-pressers have loaded their busses and are on their way to campus! We can't wait to start exploring the arts with our second group of campers! In addition to all of the different workshops and activities they will participate in, we will also head out to a few artistic performances around Orange County to experience some professional artists at work!

Tonight we will make our way out to the Strawberry Bowl in Garden Grove for Shakespeare OC's production of The Tempest. They put such a cool cultural spin on the original, and we just know the students will get a lot out of it! The actors have been working so hard in rehearsal and the show just recently opened, so we can't wait to see their finished product! So excited to experience this wonderful tale at this beautiful outdoor amphitheater.




On Sunday evening, we will then attend Pacific Symphony's Symphony in the Cities concert in Newport Beach! This is always such a fun community event where Pacific Symphony plays classic American tunes and there are musical activities everywhere! Music Director, Carl St.Clair even leads a mini conducting clinic with the kids in attendance! So fun!


Finally on Monday night, we will get down to Laguna right after lunch and spend the afternoon and the evening at the Festival of the Arts and Pageant of the Masters. This performance consists of bringing various paintings, sculptures and other artwork to life using REAL people and lots of awesome make up, costuming and lighting! Not only will we get to observe these amazing artists at work, but we will also get to make some of our own art as well at the festival! CAN'T WAIT!



As you can see...busy week ahead, and lovin' every minute! More updates coming soon!

A little "see you soon" love from Counselor Vita's group!

<3 p="">

Telling Tuesday

Our eyes fixed on each other with tears overwhelming in each of the students eyes seeing that the end is near, all their voices changing the dynamic of emotion by a long over due hug of friendship or a simple high five, and their hearts stolen and captured by the Arts-X-Press journey. Every student has a different story, lifestyle, passion, art and love for what the arts are for them, but all them have one common purpose. To share their love for the arts with the world. Before we got to the moment of realization where the end was coming soon, the day was filled with constant electric energy of joy.

We started of our mornings as usual. A cup of H2O-YEAH and something naturally GROWN to get the bodies pumping. There were no excursions today but this day required more energy focused on the last creative expression, art workshops, instrumental spotlights, parent presentations and the famous talent show to summarize a Telling Tuesday.

When all the kids were gathered for the instrumental spotlights the lights were definitely in their eyes as they saw professional musicians talk about their instruments. The kids were all attentive to the wisdom all the musicians had to offer. Let me tell you when a flutist, trombonist, violist, and cellist are in a room it was nothing but smiles and open minds from all the kids. The flutist talked about how her flute can play different sounds, the trombonist talked about how his instrument used to be called a sackbut (this brought out the innocent laughter from everyone), the violist talked about how his instrument didn't have solo music until later on, and lastly the cellist had the most interesting personal story.  The cellist named Ian talked about how he got about to play cello. Ian wanted to play a violin eagerly, but when he missed the opportunity to pick to play violin-he ended up with a cello and stayed with it for life. It was a great lesson to show the kids how sometimes when we don't get something we want; it's life telling us something better is on the way. Also, he was at tugs between playing tennis and cello and could only pick one! He quickly showed us that the teacher who told him he couldn't was WRONG. Ian began to play his cello with a tennis ball to display that you can't believe in the limits other people put on you because they don't believe in you. Ultimately, the lesson is when you really want something you can't let people get in your way and when one door closes another one opens. From this moment, the kids began to play all the instruments available to them such as woodwinds, brass, strings, and percussion. Each child gravitated to a shiny golden trumpet or a beautiful resonate wooden cello and whether they were good or bad - they had a great time discovering what they like!

Arts-X-Press isn't only about the students feel joy but having a community feel joy. The parent presentations was a chance to show how performance whether it be the millionth time for some or the first time for others that it does make a impact. The perfect people to begin pleasing were the parents! Art workshops were set to teach kids new techniques and to work on parent presentations. All the workshops focused on the reality of the idea - imagination. The visual arts workshop consisted of showing how the kids got to play with different textures of canvas such as metal and painting with their fingers. When on stage most were grateful that sometimes mistakes can be made, but that mistakes can make the art even more beautiful. The next workshop was instrumental and kids used their imagination to compose their own compositions through group effort. The dance workshop used a hit-single from The Beatles called "Goodbye, hello" the students imagined the moves in their head and placed them on stage that definitely captured the greetings and farewells from both sides of the party. Following them were angelic growing voices that sang about the world and imagining a brighter future for the whole world. The final workshop was theater and the kids used their imaginations to best tell the story "The Wild Things" by roaring, dancing, and being the best acting creatures ever. At the end, all the workshops came together to reiterate the love of the theme-imagination. A beautiful arrangement of Imagine by John Lennon closed off the ceremony uniting all the workshops where all Arts-X-Press students really do hope for a better world where love and peace will reign from end to end and have a unity of people where their only problem is loving each other too much.

One of Arts X Press traditions is the end of the week talent show. Every student is required to perform for their peers in an attempt to get students to share their gifts with each other in a safe environment. The show encourages students to get out of their comfort zones, which can foster a zoo of different emotions. This year we had performances ranging from tap dancing to a mini orchestra to a reenactment of a scene in titanic. After each performance every student receives a standing ovation and is hugged and high fives on the way to their seats. We counselors also gave a stellar performance of the Arts X Press theme song on kazoos, and were eventually joined by the campers. Jocelyne, a first year counselor was surprised with a large magic moment poster, and thereafter gave a inspiring speech to the students that resulted in many tears and garnered a group hug from all the campers. 

After the talent show we watched a slideshow of pictures that were taken over the course of the week, by our wonderful senior staff member Leslie. Lastly we surprised the campers with a dance party to close out an amazing day.

Parent Presentation Anticipation

Resident Coordinator Leah here, giving you the sneak peak before the much anticipated parent presentation. I popped into some of the arts workshops as they were rehearsing for tonight. The students were joined by special guest pacific symphony musicians Cindy Ellis, Adam Neeley, Ian Mckinnell and Mike Hoffman for lunch. After lunch, the musicians did a demonstration and lead an instrument petting zoo where students could try out different instruments. Finally, the students came together in a drum circle lead by staff member Kjersti. The students are anxiously awaiting your arrival and can't wait to show you what they've accomplished here at Arts-x-press!

Hey hey there arts-X-press families! Wanted to quickly check in about tonight's PARENT PRESENTATION! We hope you all plan to attend to see how much amazing progress your young artists have made this week.

Quick reminder for time & location:

TODAY at 6:45pm at the CU Center at Concordia University in Irvine! See you all there!

Terrific Tuesday!!

Creative Expressions Teacher Linda here to let you know we are alive and well after a late night out at the Festival of the Arts and The Pageant of the Masters in Laguna.  We saw great works of art presented in tableau style.  It was hard to believe there were real people within the works of art being displayed on the stage and around the theater.  There was even an Italian gondola, a live horse,
a hot air balloon, and an opera singer in the show this year.  Something for everyone!!








In my Creative Expressions class we have been exploring this sessions's theme of Imagination.  My class is amazing!!!  My thanks to these campers who have made our class so fun to be in this week:
Sruthi
Natalie
Sophia
Amber
Caroline
Dare
Aaron
Kate
Sophie
Paolo
Marlon
& Diana

Can't wait to share their creativeness in writing with family, friends, and other campers tonight at our Presentation here at Concordia!!

The Grand Tour of the Arts Continues

Buon Giorno Family and Friends,

Creative Expression (CE) teacher Kelly here to share as our "Grand Tour" of the arts continues. Yesterday in CE, we all journeyed to far off lands to meet new people and explore new cultures. Using Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS), we looked at various artworks, which would be performed later in the day at Pageant of the Masters. Focusing on one of the artworks we answered the question, "What is going on in this picture?" by creating an original short story. From train stops to a masquerade ball and the Wild West, we IMAGINED a new world. Lastly, we took some time to reflect and create an original poem about our journey. We didn't know it before the show, but the artworks we looked at earlier in the day at CE, we saw performed in tableau vivant last night- what a fun surprise!

Just Another Manic Monday!!!

Greetings and salutations, fellow arts-X-press families!!!

These are your fellow counselors, Marissa and Brandon, tuning in at the end of an eventful day!

Our morning comprised of all of our favourite things-- pancakes, Creative Expression classes, and our various Arts Workshops! These arts-X-pressers never cease to amaze us in the creative risks that they are taking day by day. They are growing so much as artists and cannot wait to show y'all their progress tomorrow at the Parent Presentation.

After our scrumptious lunchtime, we all took a journey to Laguna Beach, where the Festival of the Arts was awaiting our arrival! When we loaded off the bus, we got an exclusive backstage tour of the show that we would watch later that evening, Pageant of the Masters: The Grand Tour. We were able to learn how the magic on stage is created as well as all the things that go into guaranteeing a successful show.

When the tour was over, all of our arts-X-pressers became visual arts masters! We broke out into our respective Creative Expressions groups and rotated between three art stations-- scratch art, print art, and marble bowl painting! Alert-- save space on your refrigerators and on your walls and on your tables... prepare for these three magnificent works of art to be coming home with your campers!

We were then all assigned to new family groups, with which we were able to observe and appreciate pieces of art that were produced by local artists. Each exhibit was unique and demonstrated different art media which taught students that the definition of art does not need to be limited to the conventional archetype of Van Gogh (though TRUST, we LOVE Van Gogh!) Rather, professional art may be in the forms of photography or even wooden sculptures. We witnessed so many campers having their magic moments. Some even got to catch glimpses of artists at work, painting in front of their booths.

We then carefully maneuvered our way around the parking meters of Laguna Beach while heading to to Heisler Park, where we played games, prepared for our talent show, and enjoyed our pizza dinner. And it brings us GREAT JOY to announce that we had a very, VERY special guest join us-- Carl St. Clair, the conductor of the Pacific Symphony and the founder of this program. He gave us an inspiring speech encouraging campers to embrace the arts, reminding us that it remains as a grand uniter amongst all people who share a passion for art.

With new inspiration and bellies full of pizza, we headed out on the walk back to the theatre to finally watch the show. The theme was "The Grand Tour" where we explored various pieces of European art and, in the second act, explored more contemporary pieces that emphasized the rising impact of American culture. The show was very enjoyable for all because of its integration of ALL the art forms (and history) to create a show in perfect harmony.

Although it was a pretty long day, we had A TON of fun with everything we did. We always stayed busy, ensuring that this Monday was Manic, but at the same time it was undeniably Marvelous. We look forward to seeing all of your smiling faces tomorrow at the Parent Presentation-- we are so proud of our campers and cannot wait for you to witness all of their artistic growth!

Supercalifragilisticxpialidocious Sunday!

'Ello chaps! Keri and Jordan checking in after an eventful day here at AXP! After a nutritious breakfast in the caf, we all headed to our Creative Expression classes where we discussed The Tempest from last night at the Strawberry Festival Bowl. After reflecting on our favorite moments of the night, we were all reminded to take creative risks and learn more about the new faces all around us.

Next, we loaded onto the bus to go eat a picnic lunch outside of the Carpenter Performing Arts Center. We split up into our family groups and ate a delicious lunch before popping inside to watch Mary Poppins, the musical! Julie Andrews was not in attendance, but the show was still practically perfect in every way. The kids got to witness professional singers in action, and a live orchestra pit gave the instrumentalists a taste of what an orchestra can do beyond classical music. The coolest part of the show, by far, was the theatrical magic that made Mary Poppins "fly" across the stage and Bert tap dance on the theater's ceiling.

We kept the magic going when we got back to campus with a scrumptious sampler of different arts experiences. With their Creative Expression groups, the kids got to try dancing, vocal, and drama in different workshops. 'Twas a fun-filled evening with nearly every single art form imaginable.

Before the day was over, the entire AXP gang gathered for a traditional bonding experience, where we all shared our thoughts on the people we appreciate at home and at camp. It was an emotional end to cap off a day of magic and fun.

We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, so we're heading to sleep early! Jordan and Keri signing off!

Mary Poppins!!

Hello Everyone! This is the resident coordinator Leah filling you in on our excursion where we saw Mary Poppins by Musical Theater West. We started off by having a  picnic on the Cal State Long Beach Lawn.

Our resident theater teacher Wendy gave us a pre-show preparation before we went into the carpenter theater.

 We were even joined by our week 2 dance teacher Shanti and her very own mini Mary Poppins.

The show was a blast and we are getting ready for our spotlight workshops this evening as well as some talent show preparation.

Day 2!

Greetings friends and family! Creative Expression teacher Alie here to report on our time at AxP so far! The last 24 hours have been so packed that it feels more like we have been here for a week! In creative expression, we have been diving in to our theme of IMAGINATION and how it plays out in the lives of artists and the stories they tell.

It has been so much fun watching the students start to use their imaginations as we play games like "Imagine if...", listen to songs and come up with stories for them, and writing poetry that fits into the song "Imagination."

The students have already grown so much and taken many creative risks in the past 24 hours, and we are so excited to continue watching them shine! This is a very gifted bunch of students!

In a few hours, we will be off to watch "Mary Poppins" and I am sure you can imagine (sorry, I had to) what a great time we will have!

Until next time!

Week 1 Day 1

Hello from the Arts-x-Press team! We wrapped up our first day today with a trip to the Strawberry bowl to see the Tempest by Shakespeare Orange County.

 Before our excursion, Linda lead a few of the staff members in a reading of some of the lines from the play, to get the campers familiar with the language:

Here's a picture from the pre-show where some of the actors gave us a taste of the nautical theme of the play:

The campers were also assigned to their arts workshop groups, as well as to their creative expression classes today. We had a fun-packed day and are looking forward to even more arts-x-press fun for the coming days!

Hello to all from Session 1!

Students have arrived and we have already been through our arts workshops and are currently getting our creative juices flowing in creative expression class! In addition to all of this artistic activity, we will be heading out on some fantastic excursions this week!



TONIGHT we will head our to the Strawberry Bowl in Garden Grove to see William Shakespeare's The Tempest, a production put on by Shakespeare OC. We are so excited to experience this magical tale set in South East Asia. It's going to be a beautiful night for a show under the stars! 





Tomorrow we will get to see dance, music, and acting come together in Musical Theater West's production of Mary Poppins! All of the actors and actresses in this show have been hard at work for months putting together all of the pieces of this theatrical production, and it is sure to be an impressive performance!  









Finally, on Monday, we will take a trip down to Laguna Beach to enjoy the Festival of the Arts and Pageant of the Masters. Getting to create artwork of our own and then seeing paintings and other artwork come to life onstage will be such a unique experience for our arts-X-pressers, and we know it's going to be such a magical time together! 



As you can see, we have got ALOT of fun to get to this week, so stay tuned for updates!