A.A.C. takes poetry to new heights with it’s second edition of Poetic Notions. This DVD is jam-packed with the essential elements of life: love, culture, honesty, and expression. This DVD offering is guaranteed to please and it can be yours today.
Proceeds from the DVD help support Art as an Agent for Change, Inc. and its arts education programs. With your help, our mission to create a better world through education and artistic engagement draws ever closer.
As founder and Artistic Director of the non-profit organization SIDEWAYS, Charlotte Foster never ceases to facilitate performances that express the need for social and political change.
“The creative process for SIDEWAYS begins with extensive research on the topic to be addressed,” said Foster. “The annual repertory concert usually revolves around one central theme.”
In July, SIDEWAYS performed POP! a pop culture themed dance concert. For the concert the group researched ways in which the media and advertisement industries have shaped our lives, addressing social problems including body image issues, gender stereotypes, sexual exploitation, and lack of originality.
“We never present a piece of choreography without performing this research and the research heavily influences the movement produced,” said Foster.
SIDEWAYS’ thoughtful choreography has not gone unnoticed. Nationally acclaimed dance choreographers have complimented Foster’s method, including Alvin Ailey’s Steve Rooks and Mia Michaels from So You Think You Can Dance.
“The concerts, unlike traditional dance concerts, do not include any black-outs,” said Foster. “The concert includes transitions that make one piece flow to the next and thus presents a cohesive idea.” The cohesive idea of this summer’s performance of POP! brings attention to society’s obsession with fame, power, and greed.
The company of SIDEWAYS does not work solely toward performance to bring about social change. They donate their time and talent to organizations in the community to back up their no-apology message of social change.
SIDEWAYS partners with the Foster-Schmidt Dance Academy to present weekly dance classes to the Down Syndrome community. “The classes include motor coordination exercises, balance exercises, and dance technique,” said Foster.
“The dancers learn a piece and perform it in the Annual recital of Atlanta Dance Central.”
This year, SIDEWAYS also partnered with Wholistic Stress Control Institute and helped inner-city children choreograph two pieces for an abstinence skit to present to peers within the community.
You can donate time or money to help SIDEWAYS in the media and marketing department, as well as fundraising and development. Additionally, you can support SIDEWAYS by becoming a sponsor of a dancer or a sponsor of a program or concert.
We wish SIDEWAYS much luck and applaud them for continuing to SHUT IT DOWN. www.sidewaysdance.org
Written by
Chrissy Begemann www.chrissybegemann.com
A.A.C. Staff Writer
Edited by
Paul Ayo
As founder and Artistic Director of the non-profit organization SIDEWAYS, Charlotte Foster never ceases to facilitate performances that express the need for social and political change.
“The creative process for SIDEWAYS begins with extensive research on the topic to be addressed,” said Foster. “The annual repertory concert usually revolves around one central theme.”
In July, SIDEWAYS performed POP! a pop culture themed dance concert. For the concert the group researched ways in which the media and advertisement industries have shaped our lives, addressing social problems including body image issues, gender stereotypes, sexual exploitation, and lack of originality.
“We never present a piece of choreography without performing this research and the research heavily influences the movement produced,” said Foster.
SIDEWAYS’ thoughtful choreography has not gone unnoticed. Nationally acclaimed dance choreographers have complimented Foster’s method, including Alvin Ailey’s Steve Rooks and Mia Michaels from So You Think You Can Dance.
“The concerts, unlike traditional dance concerts, do not include any black-outs,” said Foster. “The concert includes transitions that make one piece flow to the next and thus presents a cohesive idea.” The cohesive idea of this summer’s performance of POP! brings attention to society’s obsession with fame, power, and greed.
The company of SIDEWAYS does not work solely toward performance to bring about social change. They donate their time and talent to organizations in the community to back up their no-apology message of social change.
SIDEWAYS partners with the Foster-Schmidt Dance Academy to present weekly dance classes to the Down Syndrome community. “The classes include motor coordination exercises, balance exercises, and dance technique,” said Foster.
“The dancers learn a piece and perform it in the Annual recital of Atlanta Dance Central.”
This year, SIDEWAYS also partnered with Wholistic Stress Control Institute and helped inner-city children choreograph two pieces for an abstinence skit to present to peers within the community.
You can donate time or money to help SIDEWAYS in the media and marketing department, as well as fundraising and development. Additionally, you can support SIDEWAYS by becoming a sponsor of a dancer or a sponsor of a program or concert.
We wish SIDEWAYS much luck and applaud them for continuing to SHUT IT DOWN. www.sidewaysdance.org
Written by
Chrissy Begemann www.chrissybegemann.com
A.A.C. Staff Writer
Edited by
Paul Ayo
A huge part of our mission to Educate, Inspire, and Entertain involves performance poetry. We encourage and embrace all forms of the Arts, but Spoken Word is our biggest vehicle to deliver our message of inspiration to our audience. In the next two videos, Antonio Davis and Paul Ayo present their proclamations for the betterment of the world. Enjoy!
From Antonio Davis
“Getting people out of the red and onto the positive side of life, by changing the way we think, and making sure everyone listens and hears the message, no matter their way of thinking is the purpose of this piece. My inspirational moment came while I was at work looking at all of the people around me and I looked at my pen. It was literally a red ink pen, and it just flowed from there. I try to write about all view points to help people relate better. I try to see what I can do to change the negative things in the world. Therefore, I start with my self as the test subject for positive change. ” -Antonio Davis
From Paul Ayo
“When I wrote this piece, I was thinking about my approach to living and how I can serve as a testament to a purposeful life. I always lead by example, and if my example isn’t a good one, I like to rehash it and think of a better way to fulfill my mission or goal. I’m not going to lie and say purpose is easy to find or it’s easy to pursue. It’s often easier to aim low or not challenge yourself to fulfill the dreams you have in mind for yourself. Whatever you do, don’t be afraid to go out on a limb and do something purposefully incredible.” – Paul Ayo
A huge part of our mission to Educate, Inspire, and Entertain involves performance poetry. We encourage and embrace all forms of the Arts, but Spoken Word is our biggest vehicle to deliver our message of inspiration to our audience. In the next two videos, Antonio Davis and Paul Ayo present their proclamations for the betterment of the world. Enjoy!
From Antonio Davis
“Getting people out of the red and onto the positive side of life, by changing the way we think, and making sure everyone listens and hears the message, no matter their way of thinking is the purpose of this piece. My inspirational moment came while I was at work looking at all of the people around me and I looked at my pen. It was literally a red ink pen, and it just flowed from there. I try to write about all view points to help people relate better. I try to see what I can do to change the negative things in the world. Therefore, I start with my self as the test subject for positive change. ” -Antonio Davis
From Paul Ayo
“When I wrote this piece, I was thinking about my approach to living and how I can serve as a testament to a purposeful life. I always lead by example, and if my example isn’t a good one, I like to rehash it and think of a better way to fulfill my mission or goal. I’m not going to lie and say purpose is easy to find or it’s easy to pursue. It’s often easier to aim low or not challenge yourself to fulfill the dreams you have in mind for yourself. Whatever you do, don’t be afraid to go out on a limb and do something purposefully incredible.” – Paul Ayo
Saturday June 25, 2010 A.A.C. visited A-Town Day, Atlanta’s largest Health Care Festival, Concert, and Day of Awareness. We met some talented artists and delivered a spirited performance.
During the day we set up a table and rapped with folks who visited our table.
We couldn’t miss the chance to build and connect with new artists. Meet our new poet friend, Chris-Free-Will from Richmond, VA. He had a dope set, as well.
Tameka sharing info about A.A.C.
Paul Ayo couldn’t resist the urge to get out a Shut it Down 3000 and… SHUT IT DOWN!!!
A-Town Day was a day filled with connecting, building, and Shutting Down to the A-Town. Stay tuned; there are more exciting developments to come as we continue to educate, inspire, and entertain.
Posted by
Paul Ayo
Saturday June 25, 2010 A.A.C. visited A-Town Day, Atlanta’s largest Health Care Festival, Concert, and Day of Awareness. We met some talented artists and delivered a spirited performance.
During the day we set up a table and rapped with folks who visited our table.
We couldn’t miss the chance to build and connect with new artists. Meet our new poet friend, Chris-Free-Will from Richmond, VA. He had a dope set, as well.
Tameka sharing info about A.A.C.
Paul Ayo couldn’t resist the urge to get out a Shut it Down 3000 and… SHUT IT DOWN!!!
A-Town Day was a day filled with connecting, building, and Shutting Down to the A-Town. Stay tuned; there are more exciting developments to come as we continue to educate, inspire, and entertain.
Posted by
Paul Ayo
Born and raised in Pine Bluff, AR, Christopher K.P. Brown entered his first poetry contest as a freshmen in high school after winning a Martin Luther King, Jr. essay contest and $50. His teacher asked him to enter both contests.
“I’d never written any poetry before, hadn’t been exposed to that much poetry,” he says. “I entered the contest, wrote a poem called Teenage, Not Danger, and it won first place. That was my first poetry contest, and [I’ve] been writing since then.”
When he was around 16, Brown compiled 100 of his poems in a book and ended up selling around 200 copies. Making money from poetry and writing caused him to take his craft even more seriously.
Although he attended Mercer University in Macon, GA, he really didn’t want to go. He knew he wanted to do poetry full-time since he was 14.
“My only reason for going to college was so that I could leave Arkansas. I left [there and] went to college primarily to get to an open mic scene,” Brown says.
After his first semester, he did consider dropping out. But he released a CD his freshmen year and ended up selling around 150 copies in just a couple of months. The feedback he received from his fellow students made him want to stay.
“The people at school supported my poetry at that time,” he says. “Because I was away from home, I didn’t know that many people so the fact that people embraced the poetry and bought it was one of the things that actually kept me at Mercer.”
Brown wrote poetry and participated in open mics throughout college. And in 2003, he and his brother created 2 Pens & Lint so friends and family could get any work he released. The Company is now an LLC with the primary goal of printing chap books for other poets and selling and promoting them through the website.
The first Straight No Chaser Mixtape was created in 2008 after the 2007 killing of 23-year-old Sean Bell in New York.
“I took that personally, being a young, black male; I felt like it needed to be addressed,” Brown says. “It was 2008, and people wanted to talk about change, how far we’ve come, but any day you could get killed, and nobody would get punished for it.”
“Because it impacted me, it impacted my poetry, too….Straight, No Chaser is just really raw poetry. It’s not holding anything back. I felt like that was the only way you could really respond to something like Sean Bell’s killing– to be completely truthful, raw, say what you need to say no matter what because we’re being killed no matter what, so it’s like an equal response.”
The name Straight, No Chaser was inspired by one of his favorite artists, Thelonious Monk, who had a song with the same moniker. He also gave it the name because he says the poet has to be completely truthful.
Brown began working on the album after Haiti’s earthquake, and it addresses issues he feels needs to dealt with. One reason Brown put a second Straight, No Chaser out because of things going on after President Obama was elected.
“Everybody was like, ‘Ok, we’re really moving in the right direction.’ People were talking about the dream of Martin Luther King Jr. being accomplished. It was like, ‘No, these things are still happening…,” he says. “Yes, we have a black president, and I’m glad we do, but at the same time, we can’t sleep, we can’t act like America is completely changed, that it’s a utopia now.”
The album has 10 tracks which covers a few different subjects. One piece, New Day Nefertiti, concerns purchasing, respecting and preserving the black arts culture. The album also features several hip-hop beats and most were chosen for a specific reason.
Because Brown listens to a lot of hip-hop, choosing the songs basically came down to beats that match the speed of the poem. For example, New Day Nefertiti is about Brown actually buying Erykah Badu’s latest album as opposed to burning it.
“I knew with that poem, since it was about Erykah Badu, I wanted to use [one of her] beats,” he says. “I ended up using Danger from Worldwide Underground.”
“Most of the other beats were just [from] artists that I like. You have a Common beat on there, one Wu-Tang beat, two Outkast beasts, one Nas. So the artists that I respect, those are the beats I use.”
When it comes to Straight No Chaser Volume 2, Brown really just wants people to enjoy it.
“I want them to enjoy the CD, play it, and put it into their normal rotation of music just like they would play any other CD. Secondly, I just want them to take the individual messages of each song…take it in and try to use it in their life somehow…I want them to at least think about the subjects that I’m talking about, really, critically think about [them] and try to apply that to what they see in society.”
When it comes to the social change 2 Pens & Lint makes, Brown says he ultimately wants to build an institution inside the community than can depend on them.
“If you don’t have the institution, if you don’t have any kind of organization then we can’t get anything done, we can’t make these other small changes that need to me made,” he says. “Yeah, we have a president that’s making changes, but we also have to have people in the community…that’s organized and can take action, also. That’s my thing– being community-oriented and being organized enough where we can move and make these small changes that still need to be made.”
If you’re a poet interested in publishing a book or just want more info, visit the 2 Pens & Lint website.
Download Straight No Chaser, Volume 2 for FREE: http://christopherkp.bandcamp.com/
Edited by Paul Ayo
Written by Jamie Fleming (www.mochawriter.com)
Born and raised in Pine Bluff, AR, Christopher K.P. Brown entered his first poetry contest as a freshmen in high school after winning a Martin Luther King, Jr. essay contest and $50. His teacher asked him to enter both contests.
“I’d never written any poetry before, hadn’t been exposed to that much poetry,” he says. “I entered the contest, wrote a poem called Teenage, Not Danger, and it won first place. That was my first poetry contest, and [I’ve] been writing since then.”
When he was around 16, Brown compiled 100 of his poems in a book and ended up selling around 200 copies. Making money from poetry and writing caused him to take his craft even more seriously.
Although he attended Mercer University in Macon, GA, he really didn’t want to go. He knew he wanted to do poetry full-time since he was 14.
“My only reason for going to college was so that I could leave Arkansas. I left [there and] went to college primarily to get to an open mic scene,” Brown says.After his first semester, he did consider dropping out. But he released a CD his freshmen year and ended up selling around 150 copies in just a couple of months. The feedback he received from his fellow students made him want to stay.
“The people at school supported my poetry at that time,” he says. “Because I was away from home, I didn’t know that many people so the fact that people embraced the poetry and bought it was one of the things that actually kept me at Mercer.”
Brown wrote poetry and participated in open mics throughout college. And in 2003, he and his brother created 2 Pens & Lint so friends and family could get any work he released. The Company is now an LLC with the primary goal of printing chap books for other poets and selling and promoting them through the website.
The first Straight No Chaser Mixtape was created in 2008 after the 2007 killing of 23-year-old Sean Bell in New York.
“I took that personally, being a young, black male; I felt like it needed to be addressed,” Brown says. “It was 2008, and people wanted to talk about change, how far we’ve come, but any day you could get killed, and nobody would get punished for it.”
“Because it impacted me, it impacted my poetry, too….Straight, No Chaser is just really raw poetry. It’s not holding anything back. I felt like that was the only way you could really respond to something like Sean Bell’s killing– to be completely truthful, raw, say what you need to say no matter what because we’re being killed no matter what, so it’s like an equal response.”
The name Straight, No Chaser was inspired by one of his favorite artists, Thelonious Monk, who had a song with the same moniker. He also gave it the name because he says the poet has to be completely truthful.
Brown began working on the album after Haiti’s earthquake, and it addresses issues he feels needs to dealt with. One reason Brown put a second Straight, No Chaser out because of things going on after President Obama was elected.
“Everybody was like, ‘Ok, we’re really moving in the right direction.’ People were talking about the dream of Martin Luther King Jr. being accomplished. It was like, ‘No, these things are still happening…,” he says. “Yes, we have a black president, and I’m glad we do, but at the same time, we can’t sleep, we can’t act like America is completely changed, that it’s a utopia now.”
The album has 10 tracks which covers a few different subjects. One piece, New Day Nefertiti, concerns purchasing, respecting and preserving the black arts culture. The album also features several hip-hop beats and most were chosen for a specific reason.
Because Brown listens to a lot of hip-hop, choosing the songs basically came down to beats that match the speed of the poem. For example, New Day Nefertiti is about Brown actually buying Erykah Badu’s latest album as opposed to burning it.
“I knew with that poem, since it was about Erykah Badu, I wanted to use [one of her] beats,” he says. “I ended up using Danger from Worldwide Underground.”
“Most of the other beats were just [from] artists that I like. You have a Common beat on there, one Wu-Tang beat, two Outkast beasts, one Nas. So the artists that I respect, those are the beats I use.”
When it comes to Straight No Chaser Volume 2, Brown really just wants people to enjoy it.
“I want them to enjoy the CD, play it, and put it into their normal rotation of music just like they would play any other CD. Secondly, I just want them to take the individual messages of each song…take it in and try to use it in their life somehow…I want them to at least think about the subjects that I’m talking about, really, critically think about [them] and try to apply that to what they see in society.”
When it comes to the social change 2 Pens & Lint makes, Brown says he ultimately wants to build an institution inside the community than can depend on them.
“If you don’t have the institution, if you don’t have any kind of organization then we can’t get anything done, we can’t make these other small changes that need to me made,” he says. “Yeah, we have a president that’s making changes, but we also have to have people in the community…that’s organized and can take action, also. That’s my thing– being community-oriented and being organized enough where we can move and make these small changes that still need to be made.”
If you’re a poet interested in publishing a book or just want more info, visit the 2 Pens & Lint website.
Download Straight No Chaser, Volume 2 for FREE: http://christopherkp.bandcamp.com/
Edited by Paul Ayo
Written by Jamie Fleming (www.mochawriter.com)
This year’s trip to the Be the Change Youth Convergence at Koinonia farms was an exciting endeavor. The event is sponsored by the Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition and each year we choose an issue or cause and unite in a joint state action to make a difference. This year’s (2010) topic centered on Public Education. From budget cuts to the simple right to be educated,
Art as an Agent for Change will be in charge of the Art portion of the campaign and we are ready to get the ball rolling. But most importantly, we hope you’re ready to join the campaign and Shut it Down! Stay tuned to find out how you can get involved and what you can do to make a difference.
Always Shuttin’ it Down,
A.A.C. Out!
