|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
||||
Twenty-three Fellows Chosen for the Fourth NEA Arts Journalism Institute in Classical Music and Opera at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism
September 13, 2007 New York City -- Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism has announced that 23 critics, editors and reporters have been chosen to participate as fellows in the fourth annual National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Arts Journalism Institute in Classical Music and Opera. Through the generous support of the NEA, the Institute will take place at Columbia University in New York City from October 14-24, 2007. The program is part of a multi-year NEA initiative to offer intensive training for arts journalists and editors who work outside the country's major media markets. "The vitality of the arts depends on lively and informed criticism, especially local reviews and coverage from their own communities," said NEA Chairman Dana Gioia. "Outside our major cities, journalists who cover the arts often are over-extended with multiple beats and assignments that allow few opportunities to concentrate on various artistic disciplines. Columbia has created an exemplary program of professional development for arts journalists." "We are delighted that the NEA has continued the project beyond its inaugural three years; the current and past participants are making important contributions around the nation," said Andras Szanto, who co-directs the Institute at Columbia University with Anya Grundmann, Senior Producer of NPR Music, and Artistic Director Joseph Horowitz, the classical music historian and critic. "At a time when newspapers are pulling back from their commitment to classical music and opera, this program is helping to nurture and replenish the field. We also deeply appreciate the commitment Columbia's Journalism School has shown to this important Institute." Participants in the 2007 NEA Arts Journalism Institute in Classical Music and Opera: Stephen Marc Beaudoin, Freelance, Willamette Week, Portland, OR The NEA Arts Journalism Institutes establish the importance of arts journalism through lectures and seminars with leaders in higher education, the arts, and journalism. Participants acquire basic working knowledge of the relevant art form through pre-institute reading lists; introductory lectures covering basic vocabulary, historical roots, and contemporary trends; and by attending performances. The 2007 fellows are drawn mostly from media markets outside the nation's largest cities, though the program now accepts a limited number of journalists who work in major metropolitan regions. This year's participants represent every kind of news media outlet -- print, broadcast and the Internet -- as well as 17 states in the U.S. The program has expanded its reach even further with the acceptance of its first arts journalism fellow from a Spanish-language publication "At a transitional moment when classical music is greatly challenged, a moment of flux and ferment, sharing the knowledge needed to foster an informed journalistic response is a heady and exciting undertaking," said Joseph Horowitz, the Institute's Artistic Director. Attendees work with senior journalists and faculty members to improve their viewing, analytical, and writing skills. In addition, participants attend performances that cover a wide variety of genres and styles, as well as rehearsals and behind-the-scenes meetings with artists and administrators. Finally, journalists develop a firsthand understanding of artistic creation through a physical learning component, such as a basic lesson on a musical instrument, memorization of a monologue, or a lesson in physical movement. Some performances this year's participants will attend:
Feedback from past participants: "I have attended quite a few professional meetings, conferences and writing workshops. The NEA Institute was the most energizing, inspiring experience of my 15-year career in journalism. I didn't want it to end!" -- Elaine Guregian, Akron Beacon Journal, Akron, OH "I cannot say enough good things about this fellowship. It has changed me in profound ways. It was like a crucible that formed a new journalist." -- Edward Ortiz, Sacramento Bee "We wolfed down more music and more understanding in twelve days than I thought was humanly possible." -- Thomas Small, Freelance, Concertonet.com, Laguna Beach, CA The NEA Arts Journalism Institute for Classical Music and Opera at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism is part of the NEA's Journalism Institute triumvirate, along with the Institute for Dance at the American Dance Festival at Duke University and the Institute for Theater and Musical Theater at the USC Annenberg School for Communication. Additional information available at www.arts.gov/national/aji/index.html and at www.journalism.columbia.edu/cs/ContentServer/jrn/1165270069732/ National Endowment for the Arts · an independent federal
agency |
