Mississippi Teachers at Nora's Ark Workshop
What a pleasure and honor it was to work with Mississippi Teachers at the Whole Schools Institute in Meridian, Mississippi July 19, 20 and 21. 3 hours a day for 3 days we worked on the workshop version of Nora’s Ark, the jazz musical by myself and Clifford Carlson. Some folks started out with a lot of experience such as Karen, singer and music teacher from Nora Davis Magnet School in Laurel. But there were others who never did anything like this before. Most hands went up at the end of the 3 days when asked, “Who feels like they could put on a jazz musical like this with their class?” So now we can’t wait to see how things unfold. Where will the next Mississippi production of Nora’s Ark take place? Thanks to Sonya Robinson, my partner teaching artist. We couldn’t have done it without you. And thanks to the Mississippi Arts Commission. I’m honored and thrilled to be a part of this great gathering of teachers and artists!
Evan Christopher, clarinetist from New Orleans, and I had a ball playing a duo concert in the historic Riley Center. What a hall…look Ma…no microphones!
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- Teachers arrive at Riley Center, Meridian, Mississippi
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- Mississippi bluesman LC Ulmer sets the tone for the Institute
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- Teaching Artist Sonya Robinson kicks off Nora’s Ark Workshop
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- LC Ulmer and Eli Yamin at the Riley Center
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- Bugsy finds her character
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- Teachers in Nora’s Ark Workshop
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- Mississippi Teachers at Nora’s Ark Workshop
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- Eli Yamin and Evan Christopher in concert at the Riley Center
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- Eli talks to the audience, “Jazz is like teaching, improvisation on a theme.”
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- Evan Christopher wails on the clarinet
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- Eli Yamin and Evan Christopher jam with Cadillac Bill and John at Riley Center
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- Eli receives book on Mississippi music from teacher at Institute. That’s Elvis Presley and B.B. King on the cover of the book!
