The Visual and Performing Arts Career Panel offers students the opportunity to learn about the amazing jobs and industries in which our successful alumni are working. Students hear real world experience and tips on how to be successful during and after their PVCC education.
New Degree for Fall 2020: Associates in Popular Music
Abbey Road Live! Spring 2020 Fine & Performing Arts Fundraiser
2020 FINE & PERFORMING ARTS FUNDRAISER:
ABBEY ROAD LIVE! + THE BEATLES AFTER THE BEATLES
Join us at Paradise Valley Community College as we celebrate Abbey Road Live!
These events support the Fine & Performing Arts Scholarship fund that benefits students in our award-winning Dance, Music, Performance, Creative Writing, Art, and Theatre Arts programs.
March 6th, 7th @ 7:30p and 8th @ 2:00pm
$25 adults; $20 seniors; $15 Staff/Alumni/Mim/Military; $10 students; $8 children.
*$4 additional ticket fee at the door 1-hour prior to performance.
Electronic Pioneer and 2 Time Grammy Nominee, Steve Roach Live in Concert at PVCC
Steve Roach is a leading American pioneer in the evolution of ambient/electronic music, helping shape it into what it is today. Grammy nominated in 2018 and 2019 consecutively, his career spans four decades and nearly 200 releases.
His massive catalog of landmark recordings includes Structures from Silence, Dreamtime Return and Mystic Chords & Sacred Spaces (part 1-4). Drawing from a vast, unique and deeply personal authenticity, his albums are fueled by the momentum of a lifetime dedicated to the soundcurrent.
Roach is an artist operating at the pinnacle of his artform, driven by a passion and unbroken focus enhancing the emotive, soul-stirring depth of his music. Many of his titles over the course of 40 years have been established as essential in the healing arts and Transpersonal and shamanic disciplines.
From the expansive, time-suspending deep drifts and atmospheric spaces reflecting his spiritual home in Arizona to the fire breathing, sequencer-driven rhythmic-tribal expressions woven from all things electric and organic, this innovative world of sound has been nourished by years of transcendent concerts worldwide.
Always reaching towards what’s next on the horizon, Roach refuses to be tied down to any one stylistic direction. Capturing peak moments as they occur in his Timeroom studio or in the live setting, he creates a sonic experience that breathes emotion and vital life energy that connects to an ever-growing worldwide audience.
GET TICKETS HERE
This event is part of the 3-day Phoenix Synthesizer Festival held at PVCC on February 6, 7 and 8
October Events at PVCC: film festival, jazz under the stars, saturday concert series and more!
October 2 & 23
Film Festival at PVCC Presents: The Hidden Face
October 2, 2019
2011 ‧ Drama/Thriller ‧ 1h 43m
A woman (Clara Lago) accidentally becomes trapped in her new home's panic room while trying to spy on her boyfriend (Quim Gutiérrez).
Film Festival at PVCC Presents: Ilo Ilo
October 23, 2019
2013 ‧ Drama/Family ‧ 1h 39m
Pregnant Hwee Leng Lim and her husband Teck hire a Filipino live-in maid for household chores and to help with their son Jiale, whose behaviour has deteriorated since the recent death of his grandfather.
October 4 & 5
STUDENT DIRECTED ONE ACT PLAYS
Studio Theater/M-East Building. $5 Admission.
Oct 4th @ 7:30pm.
Oct 5th, 6th @ 2:00pm
The first show is Trifles, directed by Rosemary Dann. Trifles is a show set in 1916, a very impactful piece for it's time! The show tackles themes such as gender, isolation, and justice!
The second show is Hell Cop, written and directed by Jason Jones. A hysterical comedy about, well, cops... in hell! One could say that it's a hell of a time!
October 5
CALUMET (Funk/Soul)
The Valley's funkiest good-time band since 2001, Calumet brings the best old-school jams and favorites.
Saturday, October 5th at 6:30pm
CPA Outdoor Stage
Admission is FREE!
Food Truck: Cheese, Love, and Happiness
Kids Craft Table provided by PVCC's Education Program
October 7 & 21
CAST Theatre Club Meetings
The College Artists Society of Theatre (CAST) does various activities such as workshops in all areas of theatre, parties, flash mobs trips to theaters and more.
October 7: Makeup Workshop taught by Haley Larsen
October 21: Puma Fest Planning
C.A.S.T. is open to currently enrolled PVCC students.
October 11-13
Desperado LGBTQ Film Festival
Desperado showcases quality films that are related to the experiences of the LGBT community. The event is educational, enlightening, entertaining, and enjoyable. In addition to the screening of films, local artisans, painters and photographers are showcased in the art gallery.
Center for the Performing Arts.
For additional information and to purchase tickets, click HERE.
October 22
KSC1000A
1:30-2:15pm
Sponsored by the PVCC Creative Writing Program, join Seth Michelson, poet, translator and professor of poetry for a visiting lecture in The Bridges Series.
October 23
PVCC Music presents: Jazz Under The Stars
Featuring PVCC Large and Small Ensembles and guests.
Wednesday, October 23rd at 7:00pm
CPA outdoor stage
Admission is FREE
The Divine Feminine. Christina Carmel. wwww.artistchristinacarmel.com
October 23
Opening Reception for artist Christina Carmel
Join us for the opening reception of artist Christina Carmel in the Center for the Performing Arts Gallery.
5:30-7:30pm
Center for the Performing Arts
Refreshments provided
Christina Carmel has always had a passion for humans. This is why she has chosen to use human beings and their myriad of expressions, conditions, and experiences as the subjects for her art. She hopes her art will inspire us all to find the things that connect us, that bring us together, and that tell our collective story.
A Champion for the Contralto: Piper Pack-Smith Explores The Lowest Female Singing Voice
by Piper Pack-Smith
I started teaching at PVCC in 2014 when I moved back to my home city of Phoenix after 20 years of being away. PVCC enriches my understanding of the voice because of the incredible diversity of students I've encountered. Often the students come in without their own voice classification which prompts me to wonder about how teachers assign voice types.
I have also had the pleasure of teaching theater classes (Voice & Diction and Music Theatre Workshop) both of which have inspired me to think about how we think about character in relationship to voice — a critical part of my exploration of Rossini recently published in the Opera Journal of the National Opera Association.
Women with lower voices were able to play characters that had more gravitas, heroism and intelligence, as if they were "part male.”
He wrote in an age where women had very few options. Women with lower voices were able to play characters that had more gravitas, heroism and intelligence, as if they were "part male.” The hardest part of exploring the topic was finding and reading through texts from the 1800s. There is some modern writing on the subject but most of my research involved reading through old comments and letters, sometimes in Italian.
The most surprising part of this research was learning how different opera careers could be, and how short! It emphasized the importance of teaching technique for longevity, knowing that these pieces were written for singers who often had careers that lasted fewer than 10 years.
Rossini, who wrote more operas for lower-voiced women than any other composer, saw a difference between the mezzo-soprano and contralto.
I explored the composition process, reading the entertaining stories of the singers and composers of that era. It brought me joy to explore a different but exciting culture of singers and musicians. The thesis of my paper is that Rossini, who wrote more operas for lower-voiced women than any other composer, saw a difference between the mezzo-soprano and contralto, despite modern casting that interchanges those two voices.
I am interested in our hesitation in modern voice teaching and singing to call people contraltos, usually opting for mezzo-soprano because the term is "safer." And yet at one time the professional singing world was flooded with contraltos. Was that because of taste, terminology or marketing?
Rossini had a love for the contralto and spoke about the voice type quite a bit. He is also a primary part of the opera "canon," whose operas were popular in 1813 and still are in 2019. Thus, he remains a champion for the contralto to this day!
Dr. Piper Pack-Smith joined the PVCC faculty in 2014. She currently teaches Voice & Diction, Music Theatre Workshop and Individual Voice Lessons, as well as masterclasses and workshops in auditioning and accents & dialects. As a performer, she has consistently impressed audiences with her rich mezzo voice and natural stage presence. She has appeared with a number of arts organizations across the country, including the Los Angeles Opera, the Santa Fe Opera, the Phoenix Symphony, Opera Memphis, Opera Pacific and the Bronx Opera. Piper has performed in national sold-out tours as Ruth in Pirates of Penzance and Buttercup in H.M.S. Pinafore. Following her move to New York in 2003, she created the role of Mama in the new Off-Broadway production Valentino. In 2018, Piper completed her DMA at the University of Arizona. She also holds degrees from UCIrvine and Pepperdine. She has received awards including a PVCC Arty, and an MONCA award. In 2018 she was invited to present her research on Rossini and the contralto at the Hawaii International Conference on the Humanities and is slated to be published in the June issue of the Opera Journal, a publication of the National Opera Association.
No Experience Necessary: Free Summer Music Workshops at PVCC
Welcome to NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY, the Summer Music Education Series at Paradise Valley Community College.
Presented by the Commercial Music Program, all events in this series at FREE and open to students, staff and community. Reservations are not required but are recommended. Call 602-787-7738 to reserve your space.
MONDAYS
Summer Sing-along
Mondays, 6:30pm-8:30pm, CPA 115 music room, Instructor: Phil Goldblatt
Join us every Monday evening in June to sing a wide variety of musical styles in a choral setting. Attendees will learn proper breathing and vocal technique as well as simple harmonization.
Monday, June 3rd - Selections from The Beatles
Monday, June 10th – Selections from Broadway
Monday, June 17th – Selections from Disney
Monday, June 24th – Selections from Billboard Top 40
The Art of Audio Mixing and Remixing
Mondays, 6:30pm-8:30pm, CPA 120 Electronic Music Lab, Instructors: Brett Reed and John Keenan
Monday, June 3rd – Mixing Foundations: Bass and Drums in Acoustic Music - Brett Reed
Monday, June 10th – Using Samples: Modern Drum Sounds for Stage and Studio - Brett Reed
Monday, June 17th – How to Remix: Christina Aguilera, Demi Lovato, U2 - John Keenan
Monday, June 24th – Making Beats for Radio Friendly Songs - John Keenan
TUESDAYS
Brazilian Drum and Dance Workshops
Tuesday, 6:30pm-8:30pm, KSC1000, Instructors: Joseph Goglia, Samuel Peña and special guests
Join us every Tuesday in June to explore the hand drumming rhythms, songs and dance from Brazil, Cuba and Puerto Rico. Be sure not to miss June 11th for a very special Bomba masterclass with Beto Torrens from Puerto Rico.
June 4th, June 11th, June 18th, June 25th
Collaborative Improvisation and Music Composition
Tuesday, 6:30pm-8:30pm, CPA115, Instructors: Josh Bennett and Elizabeth Kennedy Bayer
Join Oh My Ears (OME) administrators Elizabeth Kennedy Bayer and Josh Bennett to discover and experiment with modern music making techniques. This class will explore how collaborative improvisation and composition can yield exciting musical creativity. We will investigate group improvisation, graphic score composition and analysis, group composition, electroacoustic experimentation, and more! Bring your axe and an open mind!
June 4th, June 11th, June 18th, June 25th
WEDNESDAYS
Music Technology Workshops
Wednesdays, 6:30pm-8:30pm, CPA 120 Music Lab, Instructor: Tony Obr
June 5th - Introduction to Modular Synthesis- Learn the basics of analog modular synths, including tips on how to set up your own modular system. Noprior experience necessary.
June 12th - Intermediate Modular Synthesis- Learn about more advanced analog modular synthesizer topics, including how to connect a modular synth to other gear and recording a modular in a DAW. No prior experience required, but participation in the previous (June 5th) workshop is encouraged.
June 19th - Interactive Multimedia Art- Learn about creative coding and build audio reactive visuals in programs like Processing and Nodebox. No prior experience necessary.
June 26th - DIY Low Power Synthesizers and Circuit Bending- Learn the basics of handmade electronic music. Have fun building your own low power synthesizer! Participants are encouraged to bring a 9volt battery. No prior experience necessary.
Singer/Songwriter Open Mic
Wednesdays, 6:30pm-8:30pm, CPA 115, Instructors: Michael Ferraro and special guests
Please call 602-787-7738 to signed up to perform each week. Performers should prepare two songs each week.
Piano, Amps and PA system will be provided.
June 5th – Co-Hosts: JAM and Summer Welsh
June 12th – Co-Hosts: TBD
June 19th – Co-Hosts: Janae Dunn and Lois Zozobrado
June 26th – Co-Hosts: TBD
THURSDAY
Film Scoring Analysis and Live Film Scoring
Thursdays, 6:30pm-8:30pm, CPA 120 Music Lab, Instructor: Josiel Perez
During this workshop, the participants become familiar with film scoring genres such as comedy, horror, mystery, adventure, and action. The participants will also have the opportunity to score live by using their primary or secondary instrument during the session. This technique fosters creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking in solving problems because of the opportunity to score a scene on the spot.
June 6th - Comedy -Alan Silvestri
June 13th - Horror - Charles Bernsteine
June 20th - Action - James Newton Howard
June 27th - Source Music
Concert Week at PVCC: April 29th - May 3rd, 2019
Join us for for four nights of free music performed by our Spring ensemble students. This week at 7:30 p.m. in the Center for Performing Arts, it’s Spring 2019 Concert Week!
Songwriting Tips From The Trenches
Join us for the final installment of our spring series of guest artists as PVCC Music welcomes songwriters Jon Iger and Randy Brown. Jon and Randy will present Songwriting Tips From The Trenches, discussing songwriting tips and techniques, resources for songwriters, and the Arizona Songwriters Association, a group started by Jon in 1977.
Wednesday, April 24th
5:30pm-7:00pm
CPA 115
Free Admission | Open to all
Jon and Randy, Arizona Songwriters Association members, have had songs placed in many movies and TV shows with major label cuts on MCA and Capitol Records and have taught songwriting at the annual Arizona Songwriters Gathering, the Musical Instrument Museum and are co-hosts of the ASA Songs in Progress Workshop, happening the 3rd Saturday of each month at the Glendale Public Library.
Over $5,000 Raised For PVCC Fine Arts Students
PVCC's 2019 scholarship fundraiser ROCK 'N' ROLL SYMPHONY raised over $5,000 for student scholarships in the Fine and Performing Arts. The show featured 17 classic and modern rock songs and was performed by 30 musicians including PVCC music faculty, PVCC students, PVUSD high school music faculty, PVUSD high school students, members of the North Valley Symphony, and adult musicians from our community.
If you missed the show but would like to donate to the Fine And Performing Arts Student Scholarship Fund, contact Jessi Wright, PVCC's Director of Development & Community Relations.
See the show’s encore, Stairway to Heaven, recorded by Monty Scudder: