HEARTS Master Classes at Landmark on Main Street

The Island Now

HEARTS and Landmark on Main Street, two Port Washington non-profits whose missions involve supporting the arts throughout the community, announce the HEARTS’ 2018-19 Master Classes. This series of four free experiential workshops for high school students through adults features skilled and celebrated professional artists in a variety of disciplines.

The Master Class series will take place in the 425-seat Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street in Port Washington. Each of the four inaugural master classes will provide up-close interactions with experienced professionals for aspiring artists in singing, songwriting, acting, and dance. Participants must register in advance. Availability is on a first-come, first served basis, with different numbers of participants for each session. All others are welcome to observe.

Melissa Cross: The Zen of Screaming on Oct. 29

Internationally renowned voice teacher and Port Washington resident Melissa Cross is the music industry’s “go-to” scream expert. Her master class will feature instruction towards modern rock and extreme vocals, as well as endurance for all genres of voice. Active in the world of vocal science and a member of The Voice Foundation, National Association of Teachers of Singing and the Pan American Vocology Association, she lectures internationally and has appeared on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” MSNBC, The Discovery Channel, HBO and National Public Radio’s “Fresh Air,” and “All Things Considered.” The class will include safely acquiring “heat” or “grit” in the singing voice, scream mechanisms used with passion and intensity without hoarseness, building range, power and endurance, and discovering your own voice without imitating others. Called “the Bible for any extreme music vocalist” by Revolver Magazine, Cross’s “Zen of Screaming” DVD series has sold hundreds of thousands of copies since 2005.

Jeff Franzel: Songwriter’s Bootcamp on Dec. 3

Led by New York City-based songwriter Jeff Franzel, this master class will provide insight into the songwriting process, including the craft of songwriting, techniques in writing melodies, chord progressions, and the art of a great lyric. The class will explore different styles, analyzing great hit songs from yesterday to today, and will discuss the business of music and how to pitch songs to TV, film and record companies. Participants may bring their own guitar. Franzel is a multi-talented songwriter and jazz pianist, with over 250 recorded songs that have collectively sold over 30 million records. He has written songs for artists such as Josh Groban, ‘NSYNC, Shawn Colvin, Clay Aiken, The Temptations and Dianne Reeves, and his music has appeared in films and TV shows from Runaway Bride to Barbershop 2.

Jonathan Goldstein: Audition and Scene Study Technique on Feb. 11, 2019

Veteran screen/stage actor and director Jonathan Goldstein, a Port Washington-native, will share with aspiring teen and adult actors how to put their best foot forward for auditions and performing. Goldstein will work on audition preparation and technique as well as script analysis while sharing his multi-faceted experience in the industry. This master class will be open to eight select participants who will be provided scenes ahead of time and should prepare to be “off-book” for the session. Observers are welcome to be a part of the learning and engage in Q&A. Goldstein’s television credits include the hit Nickelodeon show “Drake & Josh” in which he starred as the goofy but lovable dad, as well as “The Starter Wife,” “The Riches,” “Fear the Walking Dead,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” and “Parks & Recreation,” among many others. He has appeared on stages across the country and has two decades of stage/TV directing experience. Goldstein is a founding member of both The Sacred Fools Theater Company and The Atlantic Theater Co.

Roberto Villanueva: Pop Dance on March 4, 2019

Hosted by Roberto Villanueva — internationally acclaimed dancer, producer, director, choreographer, and educator — Pop Dance will teach dance vocabulary, patterns and shapes found in current day hip-hop, Pop and street dance cultures. This class uses dance elements in today’s music videos, films, public venues, and television. Villanueva is director of dance at the College of Mount Saint Vincent and founder, executive and artistic director of BalaSole Dance Company, a multi-genre and all-inclusive dance company solely dedicated to bridging gaps in the field of dance with a cross-pollination of styles. He has mentored and worked with dancers from some of the world’s most prestigious organizations including Martha Graham Dance Company, Limón Dance Company, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and Lucinda Childs Dance. He has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Baryshnikov Arts Center, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music, among others, and has taught master classes around the world.

Register for the Oct. 29 Master Class with Melissa Cross at http://bit.ly/HEARTS_MELISSA_CROSS. Registration for future classes will be available at a later date. All classes run from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

For more information about each class, visit heartspw.org/masterclasses. Contact HEARTS with questions at info@heartspw.org.

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