School #15: Falcon Academy of Creative Arts

Cleveland, OH

Reported by: Timothy Allen McDonald, Founder and CEO, iTheatrics

February 7, 2012

I got to sleep two whole nights in my own bed before flying to Ohio, for my last NBC’s ‘SMASH’ MAKE A MUSICAL professional development session. This session, I co-taught with the fabulous Steven Kennedy.  Team teaching is always a welcome treat. Steven had a bit of “stage fright” as this was the first “NBC’s ‘Smash’: Make A Musical” session that he was leading.  But, I had no doubt he would do a fantastic job, and of course, he did.

We arrived in Cleveland early enough to check out the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which was very impressive.  There’s something really amazing about standing next to the piano on which Lady Gaga learned to play.  Oh, and her meat dress. And Michael Jackson’s bugle beaded jacket from his famous moon walking Grammy appearance.

Falcon Academy is a rural school. This was a change from the urban schools I’d visited so far.  The school is only two years old and seeks to infuse the arts in all subjects, especially the visual arts. I was really touched to see hand painted signs greeting Steven and I on the front doors.

Our sessions went very well and the Falcon kids were a blast to work with.  We had lunch with the entire faculty of the school which was a first.  It was really nice to chat with all of the teachers and administrators, and Steven and I were impressed by both their passion for their students and their eagerness to hear about what’s happening in the other “NBC’s ‘Smash’: Make A Musical” schools.

I have now finished my segment of the first round of “NBC’s ‘Smash’: Make a Musical” workshops feeling really proud about our work and hugely impressed by our nation’s educators who are constantly expected to do more and more with less and less.  I can’t wait to make our return visits in March. In the meantime, I’m off to San Antonio, Texas for the Texas Music Educators Conference along with 20,000 music teachers. Until next time...

“NBC’s ‘Smash’: Make A Musical” program is administered by iTheatrics under the supervision of Timothy Allen McDonald.  For more information, or to apply to become a part of the program, logon to www.MAKEAMUSICAL.ORG.