Mansfield ISD Holds District Art Show

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Every year, the Fine Arts Program at Mansfield ISD hosts an Art Show at the Mansfield ISD Center for the Performing Arts. This year, student artwork was displayed from April 11th - 18th.

The art show is free and open to the public to view. Teachers from all campuses chose 10 pieces from each grade level or class to be entered into the showcase.

“We feel participation in a district-wide art show is very important so all of our kids can see the talent that we have across the district,” said Dr. Chuck Roe, MISD Assistant Director of Fine Arts. “They can see other students’ work. They can see other teachers’ styles of art. They get to show off their work and have a good time.”

The artwork includes drawings, paintings and sculptures created in art classes throughout the school year.

"I like art because I can express myself,” said Jazmine Johnson, an eighth-grader at Brooks Wester Middle School. “Art makes me feel great so I can fit in with my other classmates and other artists.”

The goal in hosting the event is for the district to be able to emphasize the importance of fine arts in schools.

"Fine Arts for our students whether its art, dance, theatre or music provides our students with the opportunity to express themselves creatively,” said Roe. “It also helps them really create connections to other curricular areas. Studies have shown that students that participate in Fine Arts score better in language arts, writing and math.”

For more information on the Mansfield ISD’s fine art program, click here.

Students Provide Comfort to Patients Through Music

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Fine Arts students across Mansfield ISD are helping hospital patients recover by simply doing what they love.

A new music therapy program named Recovery Notes allows the young musicians to perform for patients at Methodist Mansfield Medical Center.

“The original intent was that these patients needed to have a reason to kind of get up and out of their beds,” said Dr. Chuck Roe, assistant fine arts director. “But even for patients who are confined to the bed, they get a little enjoyment than just watching the T.V.”

Medical center officials said music can be a good resource to manage pain and anxiety, ultimately playing a significant part in a patient’s recovery.

The students are assigned to the cardiac telemetry floor.

Students in musical theatre, choir and band participate in Recovery Notes on Monday evenings. The program is in its infancy, but it has already proven to be a benefit.

“The patients really love it and so do the students,” said Brittany Ross, a fine arts teacher at MISD. “We’ve even gotten some really great reactions from the nurses. It really does bring this feeling of joy throughout the entire hallway.”

Dr. Roe said the students start out not knowing what to expect; but after they perform, he said they are excited to sign up for another session.

“I’d like to believe that maybe their days got better because of this, and I would love to do anything that I can to make their days better,” said senior Jisella Ayala from Legacy High School.

Students who participate in Recovery Notes have an opportunity to win a $500 scholarship to the college of their choice. Dr. Roe said the program will continue in the summer months.

MISD Program Fosters Appreciation for the Arts

Not everyone has the means to see world-renowned performances of music, dance, and theatre and art. That’s why the Mansfield ISD Fine Arts Department brings those special acts into the district, and it’s absolutely free for students.

The Center Arts Program began as a fourth-grade tradition. Each year, the students would dress up and take a field trip to see a symphony perform. The response was so great that Fine Arts administrators knew they had to expand it.

“Students loved the acts we brought in, so now different professional performances are available to second-graders through eighth-graders,” said Dr. Chuck Roe, assistant fine arts director. “We have all kinds of organizations come in like the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, The Dallas Opera, Fort Worth Opera, Symphony Arlington, Texas Ballet Theatre, and so much more.”

Students visit the MISD Center to watch professional classical acts.

The Center Arts Program has since added more components for the benefit of students and the community. Local artists are featured in various gallery residencies throughout the year, and area high schools are invited to take part in project-based competitions.

The latest addition to the program has been securing Grammy-nominated artists to perform at the MISD Center for the Performing Arts. MISD students are the opening act.

“It exposes students of all ages to many genres of music,” said Jeanne Cassidy, sales and marketing coordinator for the MISD Center for the Performing Arts. “My hope is that this program will continue to grow and these kids will be able to create memories that they will remember for the rest of their lives.”

The next big act coming to the MISD Center for the Performing Arts is Amos Lee. He performs Saturday, Dec. 2. Tickets are on sale now.

Students Open for Grammy Award-Winning Artist

What’s it like to be the opening act for a man who has spent the last two decades topping music charts? The students in Mansfield ISD’s newly formed All-District High School Gospel Choir will be able to answer that on Friday night.

Kirk Franklin, who has won many prestigious awards for his singing, songwriting and producing on gospel songs, will grace the stage of the Mansfield ISD Center for the Performing Arts on Nov. 18.

Wright conducts his choir class at Mansfield High.

The concert will feature select students and community members as the opening act. The all-district gospel choir will then break away from the mass choir and perform to the crowd on their own.

Choir Director Reginal Wright from Mansfield High School said he envisioned having a gospel choir for all MISD high school students, and his vision quickly turned into a reality with a surprise visit from Superintendent Dr. Jim Vaszauskas.

“Dr. V walked into my office about two weeks after that and said, ‘We have Kirk Franklin coming to town, and I want a gospel choir,’” Wright recalled.

Auditions began in September. Katie Swan said she was thrilled to make the cut.

“Gospel music is a way to express yourself, and it’s energetic, and it’s fun,” said the sophomore.

The student gospel singers have spent hours each day perfecting the music.

The opening choir consists of students and community members.

Junior Dylan Ngo said he likes the music, but also enjoys the inclusiveness he feels among his fellow singers.

“It’s so hype,” Ngo explained. “It’s like you can be yourself around them, and there’s no judgement."

The fact that the students are going to open for Kirk Franklin is definitely an added bonus, especially for senior Anyse Dawson whose parents have been listening to Franklin before she was even born.

“That's the coolest part," she said. "I’ve never met somebody famous and someone of that relevance."

Wright said the choir gives students a change from the traditional classical music that is taught in the classroom. He added that he sees the choir continuing for years to come. 

More information about the Kirk Franklin concert is available here.

MISD Students Explore the Sounds of Strings

A new type of sound can be heard in the hallways of Mansfield ISD intermediate schools this year. Students are getting the opportunity to participate in the district’s new orchestra program.

“I love that orchestra is important to the district,” said Kevin Pearce, orchestra instructor at Mary Lillard and Mary Orr intermediate schools. “I think it’s an essential part of a well-rounded music program in school.”

For its inaugural year, the program serves as an exploratory class to expose fifth graders to string instruments. Students are learning various techniques, such as bowing and plucking. Pearce said he is impressed with how quickly his classes are learning the concepts.

Pearce led the orchestra class during a recent mini-concert.

“I’ve seen some really nice progress in them, especially considering how they’re not practicing at home,” Pearce explained. “They’re still moving as quickly through a method as other school districts where they did have instruments that they’re taking home.”

Lilan Jackson, fifth grader at Mary Lillard Intermediate School, said although she loves singing, being able to play a stringed instrument brings a different dynamic that she appreciates.

“For singing, it’s my voice, so I know how to control it; but for music, I can control it with my fingers, but I don’t control the sound,” said Jackson. “I like how it just comes out, and I like to hear that.”

The MISD orchestra program will expand in phases to the middle school and high school levels. For more information about the district’s fine arts programs, visit the MISD website.

Eighth Grader Picked to Perform at House of Blues

At the start of the school day, you can find Damoyee Janai Neroes walking through the halls of Coble Middle School on her way to honors band rehearsal. She may seem a bit reserved at first, but the 14-year-old has no problem letting her voice be heard loud and clear when it comes to music.

“I started playing the piano when I was two,” said Neroes. “I discovered my passion for singing when I was eight or nine, and then I joined band to play the clarinet in the sixth grade.”

And it’s that passion for music that led her to compete in the Bringin’ Down the House contest. The program, sponsored by House of Blues Music Forward Foundation, allows artists between the ages of 13 and 19 to gain exposure and more stage experience by getting a chance to perform on the legendary House of Blues stage.

The odds were not in Neroes’ favor. Only six aspiring artists would be chosen from the Dallas area, and a total of 4,000 teens entered the contest.

But Neroes, who goes by Damoyee Janai when performing, said she thought she had a chance. She submitted one of her original songs titled Dreaming with You, and a few weeks later, she received the email she was waiting for.

“I got the email and I didn’t know what to think or what it meant, so I let my mom read it. She started screaming and said, ‘It means you won!,”’ said Neroes.

Neroes’ performance will be at 7 p.m. on Monday, April 6, 2015 at The House of Blues Dallas. Admission is free.

“I’m nervous, but I know I can do it,” she said.

The musician didn’t hesitate to spread the good news. She invited all of her family, friends, and even her band director— who said this is a well-served opportunity for Neroes.

“Damoyee is a leader by example,” said Stephanie Bonebrake, Coble Middle School band director, “She is the epitome of a well-rounded student who balances extra-curricular activities while still excelling in advanced academic classes.”

Neroes has big dreams for her future. She plans to attend The Julliard School in New York and be signed to a record label by the time she graduates.

Science Coordinator Displays Artistic Side

An attendee admiring Garza's artwork.

As art enthusiasts toured the Mansfield High School library viewing an amazing 35-piece exhibit of paintings, one of the patrons turned to her friend and said, "And to think, this was all painted by some science guy!"

That was the sentiment of several people who attended Tuesday's debut of "Shadows and Reflections" by Dr. Fred Garza, which featured paintings of literary novels brought to life or kitchen tools through the eyes of a cooking aficionado.

Dr. Garza is Mansfield ISD's science curriculum coordinator who has been with the district for more than 20 years.

Science and art aren't typically used in the same sentence. However, for Dr. Garza, those two words sum up his greatest passions.

"It's all about creating to me. In chemistry, you're creating a new product. In art, you're creating a new piece," said Garza.

Garza always had a knack for the arts because both of his parents were artists. He said he would always critique his mother's artwork, which led her to tell him to take art classes and make his own creations. And that's exactly what he did.

Dr. Fred Garza and Suzanne Moncuse enjoying the exhibit.

Although this is the second year the former science teacher displayed his artwork at Mansfield High School for the public to see, he said he wasn't always comfortable showing off his creative side to outsiders. It took some nudging from his friends.

"Once Suzanne Moncuse [Mansfield High School's librarian] found out that I was an artist, she pushed to have me showcase my work in the library," said Garza. "Now, I wouldn't have it any other way. She shows a true appreciation and care for the artwork."

Moncuse said the honor is all hers to be able to host such a local artist in the library.

"With the level of talent he has, he could easily be showing his pieces in art galleries. I'm glad to support him, and even happier that our district also supports the arts." said Moncuse.

Garza hopes his story will encourage others to not be afraid to tap into their own passions.

"Everyone has potential," he said. "They just need to dive in."

Garza's work will be on display at the Mansfield High School library until March 1.

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