by Caitlyn Kamminga

2018 UTT's APA Community Recitals: In this service learning course students are mentored in designing recitals that will resonate with a particular audience. Under the larger umbrella of APA Searchlight@Schools, the focus for these performances is on children's homes, primary schools and schools for students with disabilities. Students are challenged to put the audience first, finding relevant entry points into the music through guided listening and interactive performances that are engaging and entertaining, as well as educational.  The experience is a powerful one for both the performers and the audience.

Service-learning courses at  APA engage students in a three-part process: classroom preparation through explanation and analysis of theories and ideas; service activity that emerges from and informs classroom context; and structured reflection tying service experience back to specific learning goals.  Students learn to match their art and abilities to community needs as they build skills in communication, public speaking, collaborative thinking and problem solving.

Under the mentorship of Assistant Professor Caitlyn Kamminga, this year's performances took place at Immortelle Children's Centre, Eshe's Learning Centre, Lady Hochoy Vocational School, Goodwill Industries, Holistic Primary School, Bishop's Primary School and St. Margaret's Boys Anglican School and Servol Special School.  The future is bright at The Academy for the Performing Arts!

Year 3 pan student, Stefon West asks for audience participation on his explanation of theme and variations.

Mickell Pierre, Obadele Allick and Shania James gave an engaging performance at Eshe's Learning Centre.

Abigail Cooper compares Bartok's Romanian Folk Dances to the Kalenda and the Belaire dances of Trinidad and Tobago.

Students at Bishop's Primary School are mesmerised by Tanisha Guerra's performance of ‘Into the Woods'.

Nickaela James performing Meh Caffee, a Jamaican folk song, to students at Servol Special School in Laventille.

Femi Olawoyin, a Nigerian student at APA, performed one of his own compositions to a lively bunch at the Holistic Primary School.

Students at Immortelle Children's Centre were dancing in their chairs during a performance by Rashunda Dorset-Headley and Anika Reid, year 3 pan students.

Dion Mansingh catches students at St. Margaret's Anglican Boys School off guard as he walks in from the back of the church singing at the top of his voice.