MAUREEN MARSHALL LITTLE
As a result of the efforts of Frederick l'Ecole des Arts, Inc., a nonnprofit corporation, our culture has been perpetuated. Read the invitation Virtual Bistro Chef Maureen Marshall-Little has received from the Matoury event called "Fete de Cuisine.
JOE HALL
Read Joe Hall's success story in OFFBEAT magazine. CLICK HERE
IN ADDITION:
It is a pleasure to write a success story about Joe Hall.
How do we measure success? Maybe we simply can't; but, as I walked quietly into one of Joe Hall's accordion classes recently, I heard him calmly explaining to two aspiring accordion artists that the instruments were not to be "banged around." It seems that these two young boys had fallen in love with their teacher and their accordions. Having started Joe's classes with beat up, borrowed instruments, now ready for the next stage of development, had talked their parents into buying them new ones.
Now, I am a parent. I know how frequently children decide they will try something new only to give up when it became obvious that the hobby required work and more work. Joe Hall had bridged that gap.
And, not to be deterred, these lads were serious. Joe Hall is serious too. He can recognize talent and he sees something that makes him work at developing that talent. I am certain he would not have let the parents "waste" money (probably $3,000 for an accordion). But, the proof is there -- Two new accordions in Joe's class.
In a cultural economy, how do we measure success?
Well, maybe it is not a huge commercial contract, but because of sponsorship from the Acadiana Arts Council (Decentralized Arts Funding "DAF") the accordion maker sold two accordions, Joe earned a little money from teaching, musical tradition was passed on, and all because Frederick l'Ecole des Arts, Inc., our nonprofit 501 (c) (3) volunteer-driven organization provided an opportunity for an artist to share his talent with those who seek to learn.
We call that SUCCESS!
Betty Roy
Executive Director
PATRICE MELNICK
The 2nd Annual Festival of Words is scheduled for October 27 - 30, 2009, and Patrice has pulled off something that surprises even her. The scheduled performers include Darrell Bourque, Professor Emeritus in English at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette; Cornelius Eady, the author of Brutal Imagination (G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2001); Kendra Hamilton, a poet, a scholar of the literature and culture of the South, an award-winning journalist, and an essayist; Ravi Howard, author of the novel Like Trees, Walking, a fictionalized account of a true story, the 1981 lynching of a black teenager in Mobile, Alabama; Jessica Powers who has spent several years working as an editor and publicist for Cinco Puntos Press; Mona Lisa Saloy, author and Folklorist, currently Associate Professor of English and Director of the Creative Writing Program at Dillard University; and
Andrew Hunter II most recently played a star roll as “Buzzbee,” in Gnostic Coincedence. He is an actor, director and drama instructor. On Saturday, September 19, 2009, Patrice held a fundraiser at Barnes and Noble to help pay to bring all these wonderful authors and presenters to the area. Darrell Bourque and some of ULL faculty presented readings. Thank you to the presenters, Barnes and Noble and Mr. Herman Fuselier and congratulations to Patrice Melnick for a job well done!
We call that SUCCESS!
Betty Roy
Executive Director
