>> SINCE 2005, THE PIONEER VALLEY PERFORMING ARTS CHARTER
PUBLIC SCHOOL IN SOUTH HADLEY HAS PARTNERED UP WITH STUDENTS
FROM NEW YORK CITY FOR THE MUSIC AND POETRY SYNCHRONIZED PROGRAM,
ALSO REFERRED TO AS Â MAPS.
THROUGHOUT THE PAST 15 YEARS OVER 450 STUDENTS GRADE 7-12
HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE PROGRAM WHICH AIMS TO BRING TOGETHER
STUDENTS FROM DIFFERENT GEOGRAPHIC, SOCIOECONOMIC AND
CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS TO COLLABORATE ON MUSIC AND POETRY.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TOM WILLITS AND PROGRAM OFFICER EYE-LA-NA
MORRIS JOIN CONNECTING POINT'S ZYDALIS BAUER TO TALK MORE ABOUT
THE PROGRAM.
>> WE STARTED THE PROGRAM 14 YEARS AGO AT THE TIME I WAS
TEACHING AT PVPA AND I WAS TEACHING SONG WRITING AND I KNEW
A GENTLEMAN IN NEW YORK CITY AND ACTUALLY WAS VOLUNTEERING
TEACHING POETRY, COLLEGE-LEVEL POETRY TO SOME ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
KIDS IN THE WORST PERFORMED SCHOOL IN MANHATTAN AT THE TIME
AND SO -- HE CAME TO ME AND SUGGESTED THE IDEA AT THAT TIME
IT WAS MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS THAT I WAS WORKING WITH AT PVPA
AND SO WE CREATED THE PROGRAM THE KIDS DOWN IN NEW YORK WROTE
POETRY AND THEN THE KIDS THAT I WORKED WITH ON THE MUSIC SIDE
WROTE THE SONGS USING THE POEMS AS THE LYRICS TO CREATE A FULL
EXPERIENCE AND THEN WE HAD A CONCERT IN EITHER MASSACHUSETTS
OR IN NEW YORK -- WE WOULD ALTERNATE THE 2 YEARS AND SO WE
WENT ON THAT WAY FOR THIS -- OF COURSE AS I SAID 14 YEARS AGO
AND IT WENT UNTIL EARLY, MAYBE 2011 WE MOVED IT UP TO HIGH
SCHOOL LEVEL AND SO WE NOW HAVE A DIFFERENT PARTNERSHIP IN
NEW YORK, DIFFERENT SCHOOL, TWO SCHOOLS ACTUALLY IN NEW YORK AND
WE CONTINUE TO RUN THAT PROGRAM AT PVPA AS WELL.
>> NOW, SPEAKING OF MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS YOU STARTED IN
EIGHTH IN THIS PROGRAM AND NOW YOU'VE CON FULL CIRCLE AND NOW
ARE THE PROGRAM OFFICER TALK TO ME ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THAT
PROGRAM.
>> AT THAT TIME IN THE FIRST SEMESTER IT WAS SPLIT BETWEEN
TWO SEMESTERS AND THE FIRST WAS A SONG WRITING COURSE AND THE
SECOND SEMESTER WAS THE MAPS PROGRAM AND I MET SOME OF MY
CLOSEST FRIENDS IN THAT CLASS AND I THINK THAT THE MOST
IMPORTANT THING -- THE REALLY KEY THING ABOUT MAPS IS THE
COLLABORATION ASPECT OF IT.
THAT FROM A YOUNG AGE I WAS TAUGHT HOW TO WORK WITH OTHER
PEOPLE NOT JUST FROM CROSS-CULTURES LIKE PEOPLE FROM
OTHER SCHOOLS BUT ALSO MY PEERS WITHIN PBPA WORKING WITH GROUPS
IN BANDS TO BUILD A SONG, BUILD A COHESIVE SONG AND I ACTUALLY
FIND THAT COLLABORATION HAS HELPED ME ALMOST EVERY STEP OF
THE WAY THROUGHOUT MY CAREER UP TO THIS POINT.
I ENJOY COLLABORATING WITH OTHER PEOPLE AND I FIND MY BEST IDEAS
ARE WHEN I BOUNCE THEM OFF OTHER PEOPLE AND I THINK THAT'S
IMPORTANT WHAT MAPS TAUGHT ME AT A YOUNG AGE.
>> HOW DOES IT FEEL LIKE TO COME BACK AND BE A MENTOR IN THE SAME
POSITION AS YOU WERE IN.
>> IT'S SO MUCH FUN.
I REALIZED HOW MUCH I TOOK FOR GRANTED ALL THE AMAZING TALENT
THAT I WAS SURROUNDED BY AND GOING BACK AND SEEING THAT
HASN'T DIED, YOU KNOW, 10, 15 YEARS LATER THAT TO LOOKS --
WHAT'S THE WORD I'M LOOKING FOR -- IT'S INSPIRING TO SEE
YOUNG PEOPLE CONTINUE TO BE CREATIVE AND IT'S INSPIRING TO
SEE YOUNG PEOPLE EMBRACING WORKING WITH EACH OTHER AND IT'S
INSPIRING SEEING YOUNG PEOPLE MOTIVATED AND EXCITED ABOUT WHAT
THEY'RE DOING.
>> ONE THING THAT I THOUGHT WAS IMPRESSIVE AND YOU'RE CLEARLY A
TESTAMENT TO THAT IS ALL THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT STUDENTS
LEAVE WITH AFTER COMPLETING THE PROGRAM.
I MEAN, THEY'RE PUBLISHED POETS AND SONGWRITERS.
TALK TO ME ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT THEY
LEAVE?
>> WELL, I THINK THERE'S NO QUESTION WE'VE ALSO HAD THE
OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND THE PROGRAM BEYOND NEW YORK AND
MASSACHUSETTS.
WE'RE NOW IN CONNECTICUT AND VERMONT AND ALSO VERY RECENTLY
IN PUERTO RICO.
AND SO I THINK THAT IN ALL CASES ILANYA JUST SPOKE BRILLIANTLY TO
THE IDEA OF COLLABORATION AND THE COLLABORATION -- AS WE'RE --
AS WE'RE IN A PERIOD OF TIME WHERE SOCIAL JUSTICE, RACIAL
EQUITY, THESE -- YOU KNOW, THESE SPACES THAT PEOPLE ARE REALLY
FOCUSED ON AND SOME TO BE FOCUSED -- AND NEED TO BE
FOCUSED ON WE'VE BEEN ACCOMPLISHING FOR A LONG TIME
BECAUSE WE'RE REALLY WORKING WITH TWO DIFFERENT SORT OF
WORLDS WHERE WE REALLY HAVE THE POETRY COMING OUT OF URBAN
SPACES AND WE HAVE THE MUSIC COMING OUT OF MORE RURAL SPACES
SO EVEN FROM THAT STANDPOINT YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE --
THE GEOGRAPHICAL DIFFERENCE AND THE CULTURAL DIFFERENCE AND THE
EDGE THAT EXISTS AND THAT'S THE REASON WE'VE CONTINUED TO SORT
OF FOCUS THE POETRY IN THAT URBAN SPACE IS THERE'S A REAL
EDGE TO WHAT THEY WRITE ABOUT.
IN MANY CASES THE KIDS WHO ARE IN A MORE RURAL SPACE HAVE NOT
HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE WITH.
THAT'S NOT ALWAYS TRUE BUT I THINK THAT YOU CAN DRAW
CERTAINLY SOME CONCLUSION THAT THEY'RE DIFFERENT AND -- AND
THIS IDEA OF DIFFERENT CULTURES, DIFFERENT KIDS, DIFFERENT
LIVES -- THEY LIVE VERY DIFFERENT LIVES AND WE WORK TO
BRING THAT OUT -- NOT ONLY IN THE CREATIVE ENDEAVOR BUT ALSO
JUST IN THE TIME THAT WE WE'RE NOW ACTUALLY -- WE'VE EXPANDED A
TIME THAT THE KIDS SPEND WITH EACH OTHER.
IT USED TO BE JUST ONE DAY AND NOW WE'RE DOING TWO FULL DAYS IN
EACH LOCATION DURING A PROGRAM YEAR AND THAT'S BEEN REALLY
GREAT BECAUSE THEY GET A CHANCE TO BUILD MORE OF A RELATIONSHIP
AND FRIENDSHIP WHICH I THINK IS HELPFUL.
>> SPEAKING OF THE PUERTO RICO PARTNERSHIP, HOW DID THAT
COLLABORATION COME ABOUT?
>> ONE OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS WHO HAS ACTUALLY BEEN A BOARD MEMBER
SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE PROGRAM, HE IS -- HE HAS FAMILY
DOWN THERE AND SO ONE DAY LAST SEPTEMBER, A YEAR AGO HE JUST
SAID, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE OUGHT TO THINK ABOUT DOING A PROGRAM
AND THAT WAS ALL IT TOOK.
[LAUGH] >> AND THE GREAT THING IS THE
PVPA IS A REALLY FABULOUS SCHOOL FOR INNOVATION AND EXPLORATION
AND DOING EXCITING PROGRAMMING SO I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT WHAT
DAVE HAS DONE TO HELP US ALWAYS BUT WHEN I RAISED IT WITH THE
ADMINISTRATION, THEY'RE LIKE, ARE YOU KIDDING, THAT'S LIKE THE
PERFECT PROGRAM FOAGR * FOR PVP AND THE HARTFORD FOUNDATION FOR
PUBLIC GIVING SHALL BE GREAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S SOME OF THEIR
FUNDS THERE AND WHEREVER AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE MORE FUNDS
TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND THE PROGRAM BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE
LOOKING TO DO.
>> I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT, TOO, THAT THIS IS WAY MORE THAN
JUST LEARNING HOW TO WRITE PO
POETRY AND MUSIC.
THERE'S LIFE SKILLS COMING OUT OF THIS.
WHAT DO THESE PROGRAMS MEAN TO THESE STUDENTS TO HAVE IT
AVAILABLE IN THEIR SCHOOLS?
>> YEAH, I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH YOU.
THERE ARE A VAST AMOUNT OF LIFE SKILLS THAT STUDENTS ARE GAINING
FROM THE MAPS PROGRAM.
IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO NETWORK AND THAT'S OFTEN SOMETHING THAT
STUDENTS IF THEY HAVE THE PRIVILEGE WHO DON'T HAVE THAT
OPPORTUNITY UNTIL THEY GET TO COLLEGE IF THEY HAVE THE
PRIVILEGE TO GO TO COLLEGE AND IT'S ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY TO GAIN
MORE PRACTICAL LIFE SKILLS, PUBLIC SPEAKING -- THE END OF
THE PROGRAM WE DO A CONCERT SO THE STUDENTS WHO READ THE POETRY
CAN GO UP AND RECITE THEIR POEMS AND THEN LIVE IN CONCERT THEY
GET TO SEE THEIR POEMS BEING PERFORMED IN SONGS AND IT GETS
TO PERFORM IN FRONT OF A LIVE AUDIENCE AND I THINK IT BOOST
STUDENTS' CONFIDENCE.
IT BOOST STUDENTS' GRADES AND OVERALL IT HELPS THEM STAY MORE
FOCUSED IN THEIR ACADEMICS EVEN IN THEIR HOME LIFE IF THERE'S
DISTRACTIONS HAPPENING AT HOME IT CAN GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO
FOCUS ON. >> AND TOM BEING ONE OF THE
FIRST TWO TEACHERS OF MAPS HOW DOES IT FEEL TO SEE HOW FAR THIS
PROGRAM HAS GROWN?
>> WELL, THERE COULDN'T BE A GREATER EXAMPLE THAN ILANYA AND
SHE'S BEEN WORKING FOR MAPS IN DIFFERENT CAPACITIES SHE LET
TAUGHT THE PROGRAM AS WELL LAST JANUARY BUT HAVING HER AS SORE
OF THE QUINTESSENTIAL MAPS SUCCESS IN THAT SHE STARTED AS
SHE DID, GRADUATED FROM SCHOOL -- COLLEGE, YOU KNOW, AND
HAS A MUSIC DEGREE IS A PROFESSIONAL A GREAT
PROFESSIONAL SINGER AND THAT SHE WORKS FOR THE PROGRAM IT ONLY
WARMS MY HEART THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THAT AND
SHE'S ONE OF MANY -- WE'VE HAD ALMOST 500 KIDS GO THROUGH THE
PROGRAM AND THAT'S JUST IN ITS SMALLER SIZE.
NOW THAT WE TRIPLED THE SIDES OF THE PROGRAM, OBVIOUSLY, WE'LL BE
IMPACTING A LOT MORE KIDS AS WE GO FORWARD AND SO IT'S COME A
LONG WAYS.
I THINK WE'VE LEARNED A LOT.
I THINK RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISHING
DATA TO UNDERSTAND BETTER WHAT WE'RE SUCCESSFUL AT AND WHAT
WE'RE NOT SO WE'RE REALLY EVOLVING TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND
MORE OF WHAT CAN WE DO FOR THOSE STUDENTS TO REALLY BRING THEM
ALONG IN ALL WAYS AND HELP THEM BE MORE SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR
LIVES BEYOND AS ILANYA SAYS THE CREATIVE PROCESS WHICH HAS
CERTAINLY BEEN THE BEDROCK OF THE PROGRAM BUT THERE'S SO MUCH
MORE THAT HAPPENS. ♪