A Free Virtual Education Series MEET EXPERT A livestream designed for 6th-12th gradersacross Eagle County

The final cut and what you see on stage is just the tip of the iceberg!

LEARN ABOUT THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY—FIRST HAND! As part of a career-preparedness series, learn about the entertainment industry and the different opportunities available to those inspired by the arts! From performing on stage to production and management, there is a lot more to learn than meets the eye as an audience member. This series will consist of performers and professionals that represent many genres and those who make it happen.

Meet the Expert will provide an eye opening opportunity to understand the everyday practices of professionals in the theater world. The sessions are aimed towards 6th -12th graders across Eagle County. Meet the Expert aims to reach a new age bracket, not normally served by STARS, reaching out to middle and high school students with insightful information for career development or inspiration.

The VPAC will present artists and professionals who will lead a 45-60 minute session where they talk about their career, combined with a presentation or performance and live Q&A.

WHERE: A Zoom livestream event — enjoy it from your home or classroom. WHAT: Educational sessions exploring the many opportunities in the entertainment industry. WHEN: Select Wednesday’s at 1:00pm MST. Each session will last approximately 40-60 minutes. WHO: The series is designed for Eagle County students 6th – 12th grade. COST: FREE! Limited to the first 500 students. REGISTER: Registration required. Email [email protected] to get zoom link.

CURRENT LINEUP NOV 4 | 1PM Trace Bundy, “The Acoustic Ninja”: Guitarist/Singer-Songwriter NOV 18 | 1PM Nevin Steinberg, Hamilton’s Sound Designer DEC 2 | 1PM Riton, Grammy-Award-Winning Recording Artist, DJ & Producer DEC 16 | 1PM David Shifrin, Classical Musician (Clarinetist) JAN 6 | 1PM Eric Amada, Artist Agent, Founder: Arts Management Associates JAN 13 | 1PM Leslie Stevens, Singer-Songwriter (jazz, country, folk) JAN 27 | 1PM Kayla Catan, Actress-Singer-Writer

Registration required, email [email protected] to get zoom link • Learn more at www.vilarpac.org/STARS A Free Virtual Education Series MEET EXPERT A livestream designed for 6th-12th graders across Eagle County

OUR LINEUP!

WED | NOV 4 | 1PM TRACE BUNDY Guitarist/Singer-Songwriter Discover the wealth of knowledge that Trace bestows as a world-renowned acoustic guitar player. From Boulder, CO, he is known to fans as “The Acoustic Ninja” for his legato and finger tapping skills. Selling out shows in places as far as South Korea and Italy, this draw dropping musician will wow crowds of all ages. Discover the great voyage Trace has endured in becoming the internationally acclaimed, self-taught Artist he is today!

WED | NOV 18 | 1PM NEVIN STEINBERG Hamilton’s Sound Designer Know for his work on Hamilton, Tony Award-nominated Broadway Sound Designer Nevin Steinberg has worked on over thirty Broadway productions as a former founding principal of Acme Sound Partners and work that received five additional Tony nominations for The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Fences, Hair and In The Heights. He will be joined by additional members of the Broadway world, touching on all realms of this industry. Nevin’s long history in theatre is never-ending, always bringing to light new ideas and content that makes him thrive in a field of so many possibilities. You won’t want to miss this session!

WED | DEC 2 | 1PM RITON Grammy-Award-Winning Recording Artist, DJ & Producer Henry Smithson, best known by his stage name Riton, is an English electronic music DJ and producer. Kicking off his career in dance music during the 1990s, this initiated his big success with the label Switch Recordings. In 2016, Riton hit chart success with the track “Rinse & Repeat”; the track featured vocals from Kah-Lo. Make sure to check out Grammy-Award-Winning DJ and Producer, Riton! WED | DEC 16 | 1PM DAVID SHIFRIN Lincoln Center Classical Musician (Clarinetist) An Artist member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center since 1989, Shifrin is one of two wind players to have been awarded the , also being a recipient of the Solo Recitalists’ Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, and the 1998 Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Music Academy of the West. At the outset of his career, he won the top prize at both the Munich and the Geneva International Competitions. David’s history amongst the world of music is endless, one of his duties being the Artistic Director of in Portland, Oregon since 1981. We look forward to welcoming him back in his second virtual session with us!

WED | JAN 6 | 1PM ERIC AMADA Artist Agent, Founder: Arts Management Associates Eric Amada is the Founding Director of Arts Management Associates, a full-service booking agency for the Performing Arts, established in 2003 and now based in Wilmington, NC. A native of , Eric was raised in a family of professional classical musicians including his mother, Concert Pianist Susan Starr. Prior to founding AMA, Eric was a Vice President for Columbia Artists Managements, Inc (1988-2002) and also worked for The Florida (1986-1988), and more recently served as a Booking Consultant for CAMI Music (2018-2020). Over the years, Amada has represented world class performers such as Alvin Ailey, The New York Philharmonic, Marvin Hamlisch, LeAnn Rimes, Los Lobos, and The National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba, among many others.

WED | JAN 13 | 1PM LESLIE STEVENS Singer-Songwriter (jazz, country, folk) Originally from the Midwest, Los-Angeles based singer-songwriter Leslie Stevens is critically acclaimed for her soft, clear voice, while her alt-country sound recalls the Laurel Canyon days of The Flying Burrito Brothers. Her knack for writing lyrics brought about her recent album Sinner in 2019, continuing in curating Alternative Country, America tunes. Sign-up today and get to know more about Leslie!

WED | JAN 27 | 1PM KAYLA CATAN Actress-Singer-Writer As an NYC-based actor, Kayla has performed in higher-caliber venues, both professionally in New York and in 1,000+ seat theaters nationwide. Kayla will be discussing her journey in the theatre world, leading to her career in NYC. From attending theatre camps and participating in musicals and plays throughout middle and high school, this led her to Muhlenberg College for Theatre and English where she studied liberal arts. She learned every facet of theatre arts, not just acting. Kayla attended a semester at Academia dell’Arte in Arezzo, Italy, focusing on physical acting, clowning, mask work, and much more! Tune in to learn more about her many endeavors of the Broadway world.

Registration required, email [email protected] to get zoom link Learn more at WWW.VILARPAC.ORG/STARS