Talented young people can be found all over Detroit….and two of the Y instructors who work hard to nurture that talent are spotlighted on Metro Arts Detroit, a new show on Detroit Public TV (Channel 56).
Tonight’s episode, airing at 7:30, highlights Mr. Stevie, who teaches movement and music through the Y-Arts program. His story is pretty remarkable; as a child, he had a speech impediment and stuttered, so he taught himself to beatbox as a way to help address the problem. Now, he gives back to kids through his teaching, as well pursuing a successful career as an actor and voiceover artist.
“It’s extremely rewarding an as artist to work with kids who don’t necessarily want to do music,” he says, “We can connect to and relate to them with music and show them how music always connects everybody.”
His classes go beyond just music, with discussions about current events and learning about recording with Garage Band software.
The July 11 show will feature Margaret Edwartowski, director of arts for Y-Arts Detroit and a well-known instructor, performer and actress who founded the Improv Colony at Planet Ant Theater and was a teacher and popular performer with Detroit’s Second City improv company. Most recently, she spearheaded the Detroit Creativity project which brought improv classes into Detroit high schools.
The show itself is the work of talented young people, as it’s a project of the Broadcast Journalism and TV Production program at Wayne State University. It’s shot at the 5057 Midtown Studio, a collaboration between Detroit Public Television and Wayne State’s Department of Communication. Producer Kim Piper-Aiken, faculty advisor to the sow, says that students propose artists to feature on the show and pursue getting them to appear. The show airs every Wednesday at 7:30 pm; check out the MetroArts Detroit website for more.