Page 50 September 2014 Grammy Foundation honors local high school teacher By Alessandra Dagirmanjian As the creator and facilitator of the Contemporary Music and Sound program at Arcadia High School, Richard Maxwell has given his students the unique opportunity to experiment with modern instruments and recording technology. In acknowledgement of his success with this innovative approach to music education, Maxwell has recently been nominated, % 2015 Grammy Music Educator Award, presented by the Grammy Foundation. The Foundation’s committee selects 222 % & "[[[ nominations each year. Maxwell is one of only two music educators from Arizona still in consideration for the award, the other nominee being his former student. With a Bachelor of Music, and a Master of Music in Conducting as well as Composition and Theory, Maxwell has a diverse musical background. Prior to his career as a teacher, he both toured as a member of several bands and conducted classical symphony orchestras. After conducting for several years, though, Maxwell decided to apply his musical talents elsewhere, eventually arriving at education as a formal profession. Maxwell has now reached his 16th year teaching music at Arcadia High, where he directed band and strings students for nine years, ultimately transitioning to teaching more modern forms of music and developing CMAS. " % recognizes and supports the innovative education he has granted students, who are interested in contemporary music. “[The award] validates, to some extent, this experiment of CMAS. Knowing that there are people out there completely " what we’re doing; that’s pretty cool,” said Maxwell. Through CMAS, Maxwell teaches students how to independently work with recording and sound technology, and also & & music. He especially enjoys seeing his students take pride in their work during performances. “There’s nothing like watching somebody create something of their own. The sense of accomplishment for them is just overwhelming,” said Maxwell. Maxwell believes his success so far in the award process is directly related to the # & gained through their dedication to the program, and that the recognition might & & own musical endeavors. CMAS students & program and their own musical skills is due in large part to Maxwell’s encouragement and support. One student explained how he gave her the tools to further pursue her artistic niche. “A lot of the members of my band weren’t in my class so he helped me pick out the people I needed and then he let us practice at lunch. He also critiqued us on what we needed to work on, which really helps in our future performances.” The Grammy Foundation will announce " in January. For now, though, Maxwell % allow CMAS greater exposure, so that he can help other local teachers develop similar programs in the future. What’s Happening, Arcadia? National Theatre Live: Medea 2 p.m., Sept. 7 Phoenix Art Museum 1625 N. Central Ave. Enjoy a showing of Euripides’s classic Greek Tragedy directed by Carrie Cracknell. phxart.org Fall Mothers Who Write Workshop 6 p.m., Sept. 11-Nov. 20 Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art 7374 E. Second St. If you’re a mom who loves to write, join this workshop taught by Amy Silverman from Phoenix New Times and Deborah Sussman from ASU Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. smoca.org Annual Chile Pepper Festival 5-11 p.m., Sept. 27 721 N. Central Ave. The third annual Chili Pepper Festival will have live music and great food, ranging from mild to extremely spicy, as local chefs compete to create the best chili pepper- infused dish. chilepepperfest.com Constitution Fair 6-9:30 p.m., Sept. 20 Gilbert Town Square Civic Center 1040 S. Gilbert Rd., Gilbert, AZ Celebrate the United States and its founding documents with games, music, activities, food and entertainment! Suggested donation is $5 per person. constitutionweekusa.com Brazilian Day Arizona 12-6 p.m., Sept. 6 Virginia G. Piper Theater 7380 E. Second St. Enjoy a screening House, M.D. episode “Cane and Able,” while eating dinner from local food trucks. After the episode, Dr. Catherine Seiler, scientific liaison at ASU’s Biodesign Institute, and a second medical research expert will speak. scottsdaleperformingarts.org Baby Bear Goes to School 10 a.m., Wednesday-Friday 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Saturday 2 p.m., Sunday Sept. 17-Oct. 5 Great Arizona Puppet Theater 302 W. Latham St. This show is perfect for students from preschool to second grade, who are gearing up to go to school. azpuppets.org Arizona Restaurant Week Sept. 19-28 Various Participating Restaurants Taste some of the finest cuisine in the Valley without emptying your wallet, as chefs from about 100 different restaurants offer prix fixe three-course meals during Arizona Restaurant Week. arizonarestaurantweek.com Monarch and Milkweed Saturdays 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Sept. 27-Nov. 8 Desert Botanical Garden 1201 N. Galvin Parkway Check out the new Mariposa Monarch Butterfly exhibit, while learning about monarch life cycle patterns and butterfly conservation efforts. dbg.org Experience Italy 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sept. 7 Musical Instrument Museum 4725 E. Mayo Boulevard Check out performances from the Arizona Opera singers and the Tetra String Quartet, while enjoying an Italian-style menu from Café Allegro. mim.org Sounds of New Orleans 7:30 p.m., Sept. 26-27 and 2 p.m., Sept. 28 Symphony Hall 75 N. Second St. This tribute to Louis Armstrong includes songs like “St. Louis Blues” and “Sweet Georgia Brown” performed by trumpeter and singer Byron Stripling. tickets.phoenixsymphony.org Birds ’n Beer 6:30 p.m., Sept. 18 Rio Salado Audubon Center 3131 S. Central Ave. Enjoy a Four Peaks brew while watching a presentation on wildlife and meeting conservation professionals. riosalado.audubon.org Pop-Up: Workshop with Rossitza Tordorova 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sept. 6-7 Shemer Art Center 5005 E. Camelback Rd. Learn about the world of two-dimensional art and create amazing pop-ups from paper in a two-day intensive workshop with book artist Rossi Todorova. shemerartcenter.org S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 4 E V E N T S To have events considered for the Calendar, submit information to calendar@arcadianews.com by the 15th of the month prior to publication. Calendar listings may be edited and published by Arcadia News as space allows and at the discretion of the editorial team. Richard Maxwell is the creator of Arcadia High Schools successful CMAS program.
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