HARLEM SCHOOL OF THE ARTS INC

DEVELOPMENT: IN FY23, IN ADDITION TO HOSTING MULTIPLE SITE VISITS AND INFORMATIONAL SESSIONS WITH INDIVIDUAL DONORS, FOUNDATIONS, AND CORPORATIONS, HSA WELCOMED BACK THE SPRING FUNDRAISING GALA IN MAY 2023. THE EVENT, HELD AT THE LEGENDARY PLAZA HOTEL, RAISED ALMOST $600,000 AND HONORED PHYLICIA RASHAD, NATALIE COLE AND NAT KING COLE, CHARLES HAMILTON, MARY SCHMIDT CAMPBELL, METLIFE FOUNDATION, AND AMERICAN GIRL. STUDENT PERFORMANCES WERE THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE EVENING, PLUS A VIDEO TRIBUTE FROM CLIVE DAVIS. FY23 WAS A PRODUCTIVE YEAR FOR DEVELOPMENT, AS WE FULLY EMERGED FORM THE PANDEMIC AND REALIZED THE PARTIAL RETURN OF PHILANTHROPY FROM INDIVIDUALS AND INSTITUTIONS.STUDENT SERVICES: THE STUDENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT IMPROVED REPORTING TO SENIOR LEADERSHIP BY COMPILING WEEKLY, BIWEEKLY AND MONTHLY REPORTS THAT INCLUDED INFORMATION ON REVENUE, ENROLLMENT, FINANCIAL AID, AND TUITION ASSISTANCE. THE TEAM BEGAN WORK TO TRANSITION TO A MORE USER FRIENDLY AND COST EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION SYSTEM. THE PREP PROGRAM LED BY THE MANAGER OF STUDENT SERVICES HELD A NUMBER OF WORKSHOPS FOR OUR STUDENTS INCLUDING A COLLEGE ADMISSIONS WORKSHOP, A FINANCIAL LITERACY WORKSHOP AND A COLLEGE FAIR.PROGRAMS: HSA REACHED OVER 620 STUDENTS AND OVER 4,000 FAMILY AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN FY23 THROUGH OUR CORE PROGRAMS: CHILDREN'S ENRICHMENT GROUP AND PRIVATE INSTRUCTION IN MUSIC, DANCE, THEATER, AND MEDIA & DESIGN; HSA PREP TUITION FREE, CONSERVATORY-LEVEL PRE-PROFESSIONAL INSTRUCTION FOR ARTS-CAREER-FOCUSED STUDENTS AGES 8-18; SUMMER INTENSIVES IN DANCE, THEATER AND MEDIA AND DESIGN FOR YOUNG ARTISTS AGES 8-25; HARLEM SUMMER ARTS EXPERIENCE FOR CHILDREN AGES 4-12; AND FAMILY PROGRAMS PERFORMANCES, WORKSHOPS, EXHIBITIONS, AND EVENTS. SELECTED PROGRAMMING: THE HARLEM SUMMER ARTS EXPERIENCE RETURNED TO IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING FOR SIX WEEKS IN JULY/AUGUST TO STUDENTS AGES 4-12 FOCUSING ON INTERDISCIPLINARY PROGRAMMING IN MUSIC, DANCE, MEDIA & DESIGN, THEATER, AND MUSICAL THEATER. THE CAMP THEME WAS CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF HIP HOP WITH A FOCUS ON THE GRIOT AND STORYTELLING.PRIVATE LESSONS WERE EXTENDED THROUGH THE SUMMER SEASON, AND EXPANDED FROM MUSIC ONLY TO ALL DISCIPLINES, ENABLING INTERESTED STUDENTS TO CONTINUE HONING THEIR CRAFT THROUGH INDIVIDUALIZED INSTRUCTION FOR THE DURATION OF THE SUMMER. THE SUMMER DANCE INTENSIVE OFFERED A DEEP-DIVE IN DANCE TRAINING FOR STUDENTS AGES 8-25. COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS EVENTS INCLUDED WORKSHOPS IN ESSAY WRITING, A COLLEGE SEARCH SESSION, FINANCIAL AID AND SCHOLARSHIP SEARCH SESSION AND AUDITION PREPARATION.FALL AND SPRING PROGRAMMINGCHILDREN'S ENRICHMENT PROGRAM SERVED NEARLY 500 STUDENTS, AGES 3-18, IN FY23, WITH STUDENTS ATTENDING THREE CLASSES PER YEAR ON AVERAGE. ENRICHMENT STUDENTS HAD OPPORTUNITIES TO SHARE THEIR WORK WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS THROUGH MID-YEAR PERFORMANCES IN DANCE, THEATER, AND MUSICAL THEATER, AS WELL AS MUSIC RECITALS IN PIANO, VOICE, STRINGS, AND JAZZ ENSEMBLES. THE DANCE PROGRAM RETURNED WITH THE SPRING BLAZE EVENT AND THE MUSICAL THEATER STUDENTS GAVE A PERFORMANCE OF THE "MATILDA". TO FINISH THE YEAR OUT THE THEATER PROGRAM PRESENTED SKIN OF OUR TEETH AND END YEAR, PERFORMANCES, RECITALS AND EXHIBITIONS HAPPENED IN JUNE OF 2023SPRING CAMP - HSA'S FIRST EVER SPRING CAMP WAS A SUCCESS AS WE SERVICED OVER 50 STUDENTS FOR 4 DAYS OF ARTS PROGRAMMING. EACH DAY THE STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN ONE OF HSA'S DISCIPLINES AND EACH SESSION ENDED WITH A PERFORMANCE/EXHIBITION. DURING LUNCH TIME, THE STUDENTS WERE ENTERTAINED BY A SELECTED MOVIE WHILE ENJOYING THEIR LUNCH. SPRING CAMP PROVED TO BE AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO ENGAGE OUR COMMUNITY AND A NEW REVENUE GENERATOR. WE WILL CONTINUE THIS INITIATIVE FOR WINTER BREAK AND SPRING BREAK IN FY24.PRIVATE LESSONS WERE EXPANDED THIS YEAR FROM MUSIC ONLY TO OFFER ONE-ON-ONE INSTRUCTION IN ACTING, DANCE, AND DRAWING; AS WELL AS VOICE, STRINGS, PERCUSSION, GUITAR, PIANO, WOODWINDS, AND BRASS INSTRUMENTS. HSA ENGAGED 155 UNIQUE STUDENTS IN PRIVATE LESSONS THIS YEAR, WITH 188 TOTAL ENROLLMENTS. IN FY23, HSA PREP, OUR TUITION-FREE, PRE-PROFESSIONAL PROGRAM, ENROLLED A TOTAL OF 70 STUDENTS AGES 8-18 ACROSS HSA'S ARTISTIC DEPARTMENTS. STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN A MINIMUM OF TWO TO EIGHT COURSES OF PERSONALIZED INSTRUCTION AND PRIVATE LESSONS PER WEEK FOR TWO 16-WEEK SEMESTERS, SEPTEMBER THROUGH JUNE. PREP PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT EVENTS INCLUDED SEVERAL WORKSHOPS ON TOPICS INCLUDING FINANCIAL LITERACY, COLLEGE ADMISSIONS AND COLLEGE AUDITIONING. MASTERCLASSES FOR JAZZ STUDENTS PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LINCOLN CENTER JAZZ, A WORKSHOP BY 7 TIME GRAMMY WINNER TERENCE BLANCHARD ; A MASTER CLASS FOR STRING STUDENTS WITH HARLEM CHAMBER PLAYERS AND NEW YORK YOUTH SYMPHONY AND HSA'S MASTER ARTIST SERIES WHICH INCLUDED WORKSHOPS AND INTERVIEWS BY SEVERAL ARTISTS AT THE TOP OF THEIR INDUSTRY.PERFORMANCES: THE HSA HOLIDAY SHOW, LED BY DANCE CHAIR, LEYLAND SIMMONS RETURNED IN FY23 WITH SOLD OUT SHOWS AND SPECTACULAR PERFORMANCES. THE SPRING BLAZE CONCERT, ALSO LED BY LEYLAND SIMMONS, WAS A GREAT SUCCESS FOR ITS SECOND YEAR IN A ROW ALSO BOATING SOLD OUT SHOWS. THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT CELEBRATED INTERNATIONAL JAZZ DAY AND DUKE ELLINGTON'S BIRTHDAY IN COLLABORATION WITH THE JAZZ POWER ORGANIZATION. MATILDA - FIVE SOLD OUT SHOWS IS HOW OUR COMMUNITY RESPONDED TO HSA'S PRODUCTION OF MATILDA! WITH OVER 60 STUDENTS CASTED, THE SHOW WAS A FEAT TO ACCOMPLISH BUT WENT OFF WITHOUT A HITCH THANKS TO MATILDA'S TWO DIRECTORS, AMANDA MACDOWALL AND LATISA HARPER. THE STUDENTS' PERFORMANCES WERE SHORT OF SPECTACULAR, ONCE AGAIN CONFIRMING THE UNBELIEVABLE TALENT AT HSA!WE GOT THAT SWING- THE JAZZ POWER INITIATIVE IN COLLABORATION WITH HSA BROUGHT TOGETHER SOME OF THE MOST GIFTED YOUNG MUSICIANS AND SINGERS FROM ACROSS THE CITY IN PERFORMANCE WITH LEGENDS. HOSTED BY LEE HOGANS AND DR. ELI YAMIN, JPI'S MANAGING AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, THIS COLLABORATION WAS PART OF JPI'S ONGOING SERIES INTERGENERATIONAL JAZZ POWER JAM AND INCLUDED PARTICIPATION BY HSA ALUM AND VIOLINIST CURTIS STEWART, THE NEWLY APPOINTED ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF THE AMERICAN COMPOSERS ORCHESTRA, BOB STEWART, THE WORLD-RENOWNED TUBA PLAYER AND EDUCATOR, THE LAGUARDIA HIGH SCHOOL OF JAZZ BRASS ENSEMBLE,HARLEM SAMBA, A BRAZILIAN PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE AND HSA'S ADVANCED JAZZ BAND. THE PROGRAM ALSO CELEBRATED ONE OF AMERICA'S GREATEST COMPOSERS AND BANDLEADERS, DUKE ELLINGTON, ON HIS BIRTHDAY, SATURDAY, APRIL 29TH. PRIOR TO THE CONCERT, A WORKSHOP ON THE BLUES WAS HELD FOR THE STUDENTS BY DR. YAMIN, BOB STEWART AND LEE HOGANS.