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Signal Mountain Happenings

Check back often for all the latest Signal Mountain news between issues of the Mirror.

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Learn the Art of the Singer-Songwriter

2/20/2018

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PictureLearn the art of the singer-songwriter from Butch Ross and Trish Wileman at the MACC this spring.
Trish Ferrell Wileman, vocal/performance coach, and Butch Ross, singer-songwriter, are bringing back The Art of the Singer-Songwriter class. This popular class, which features local speakers such as storyteller Jim Pfitzer and singer-songwriters Amber Fults, Ryan Oyer, Anthony Quails and others, is scheduled for this spring at Mountain Arts Community Center. The class opens with a concert by former students Mike Crowder, Joylene Green, Derick Anderson, Howard Tillison, John Harr, Eric Jordan, Wilson Von Kessler, Lee Shuff and others.

In this class, emerging singer-songwriters are guided by Butch and Trish in the areas of songwriting, vocal technique, mic skills, and performance skills. The class culminates in a coffee house concert, highlighting each student and his or her original work. This unique class offers a safe place to work together with other singer-songwriters to build confidence, find inspiration, and build lasting friendships.

“I have been songwriting for a couple of years and wanting to play more. I came to the class because I felt it was the right time to put more energy into the art and craft of songwriting and performing,” says Joylene Green, a recent graduate of the class. “The class showed me that I want to be performing more, and I am willing to put the work in to feel good about the process. I gained some really solid ideas about how to take a song in a beginning rough format and really polish it, edit it, and finish it out so it is ready to be performed. I used to have this idea that you are born with natural talent or not, which I found discouraging. But this class showed me that a lot can be accomplished with practice and instruction and editing. Since the class, I have continued working on my vocal confidence with Trish and continued songwriting. I played at the Backstage Bar and Casual Pint with another songwriter because of a connection I made in the class, performed for the holiday show of River City Sessions because of the credibility I gained from taking the class, and was asked to perform in a songwriters-in-the-round event at the Creative Arts Guild in Dalton, where I performed new songs I’ve written since the class that were very well received. I also played at Puckett’s and The Spot. I am on my way to being a singer songwriter who gets to play and perform regularly for pay!”

The class takes place at the Mountain Arts Community Center, 809 Kentucky Ave., on Signal Mountain. Classes begin with an off-site concert on Tuesday, March 6, (location information given upon registration), and all classes thereafter take place each Tuesday from March 12 to April 9 from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Tuition discounts are available if registration is paid in full before March 1. Accompanying instruments are helpful, but not required. Ages 16 and up are urged to sign up. Space is limited.
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For more information, visit the MACC website, email Trish Ferrell Wileman at tfwileman@gmail.com or call (941) 330-5547.

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Town Tree Lighting Event is December 2

11/16/2017

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PictureZachary Huseman lighting the Christmas tree at MACC
Saturday, December 2, marks the official annual Town Tree Lighting event at the MACC. Located on the grounds at 809 Kentucky Ave. from 4-6 p.m., the affair features choral groups, wandering minstrels, Santa and various crafts and games. The tree will be officially lit by a child, as the awe and wonder of the holiday season is introduced.

Several choral groups will perform. Rebecca Clark will lead a choir from Nolan Elementary, and Betty Julian will showcase a group from Thrasher Elementary. Life Care Center of Red Bank will provide hot chocolate and cookies to keep merry-makers toasty warm.

Games and crafts with a Christmas motif, along with hot dog and coke sales from the Signal Mountain Lions Club, will complete the festivities.

Rented heaters and tents will assure all of a comfortable and fun time. Come celebrate on the grounds of this historically significant building in the heart of the mountain. Find out more on the MACC website.


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"Seeds of Hope" Opens April 7 at MACC

4/3/2017

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Picture"Little Bird" by Denis Ivanov, age 15
A local charitable organization, the Chernobyl Children’s Program of Greater Chattanooga, led by Eve Soltau, will put on an exhibit of children’s art works at the Mountain Arts Community Center during the month of April. The opening reception is slated for April 7 from 5-7 p.m. in Gallery 5 at the MACC. There will also be a screening of "The Babuskas of Chernobyl" at 4, 5 and 6 p.m. during the opening. (Watch a trailer of the film here.)

The art works on exhibit are produced by 9- to 17-year-old students from the Republican College of Art in Minsk, Belarus. Students are chosen to attend this prestigious school for the caliber of their art and by rigorous exams. They must reapply each year to continue in the school.  

Studies encompass media arts, including sculpture, and the performance arts. Approximately 500 students from all over Belarus attend the school. All the works included in the show were completed at the Republican College. Extensive vetting is required for these works to leave Belarus, and the CCP of Greater Chattanooga is the only U.S. entity allowed to import from this school.
 
It is interesting to note that student identification is noted on the back of the works. While they are students, they are not allowed to sign their works on the front.

Originally, orphans and children from Belarus who were impacted by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster 28 years ago were brought to the states to visit. The Chattanooga group was formed in 1992 to meet the spiritual and physical needs of the Belarusian children through these visits. CCP began to bring in art in 1993, in concert with a similar program in Petaluma, Calif. However, a defection while the group was in California in 2008 ended the ability to bring children to the U.S.

 In 2008, the Belarusian government prohibited relief trips for children. However, the CCP of Greater Chattanooga maintained their relationship by sponsoring a summer camp in Belarus, and by hosting a Christmas celebration for Belarusian orphans. They work with the Minsk Family Home for young women and the Timothy House for young men.

This summer, a combined choir from Lookout Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Chattanooga will travel to Belarus and perform at Camp Nadezhda (Hope) for an audience of 500. MACC Director Barb Storm plans to accompany them for this event. 



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Donate to SMSS Holiday Baskets

11/29/2016

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PictureBring unwrapped toys, clothes and nonperishable food to the MACC to support SMSS this holiday season.
For many years the annual Town Christmas Tree Lighting has been held at the Mountain Arts Community Center. The event has always featured a wide array of vendors, performances, activities and other festivities. It has consistently been one of the most popular, and best attended, MACC events of the year. Unfortunately, the facility is now unable to accommodate this kind of occupant load, whether associated with a concert, a play or the tree lighting.

Before large events can be held inside the building, a sprinkler system must be installed. The town had the necessary water main installed and was ready to move forward with the sprinkler installation when the discovery of other structural issues led to a comprehensive study of the facility. A Physical Needs Assessment identified a wide range of necessary repairs and renovations, which would require a multi-million dollar investment in the facility.  The town is now exploring a variety of options to most effectively address the town’s overall facility needs, with a focus on providing an efficient and functional space for the valued MACC programs. This course of events has obviously delayed the installation of the sprinkler system. The state fire marshal’s office has been very helpful and officials have worked closely with town staff to facilitate continued daily operations, such as music lessons, art and dance classes and small meetings, but MACC will not be able to host large events like the tree lighting inside the building.

In lieu of the Christmas Tree Lighting event, the MACC will collect unwrapped children’s toys, clothing and nonperishable food items in support of Signal Mountain Social Services. Donations will help SMSS’s client families throughout our community have a happy and healthy holiday season. Items will be collected at the MACC facility between December 1 and December 16.

This is a great opportunity to teach children about the benefits of being generous. So, bring the whole family to the MACC at 809 Kentucky Ave., and let your children put items in the barrels. MACC is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m.-8 p.m., and Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

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MACC Birthday Bash is Saturday

8/24/2016

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PictureSignal Mountain Grammar School in 1926
by Helen Barrett
The Mountain Arts Community Center will celebrate 90 years of community service, with a name change along the way, on Saturday, August 27, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The celebration marks a career as an icon for Signal Mountain, beginning with its opening as Signal Mountain Grammar School for the 1926 school year. During its years from 1926 until 1999 as an active grammar school, generations of students passed through its doors, played on the playground, pulled pigtails, tormented teachers and made memories that lasted for lifetimes.

This building has never been vacant since opening day! Ending life as an active educational facility, it was reborn as the Mountain Arts Community Center, building upon the years of service and giving once again to the community that birthed it.

The celebration involves alumni who will tell stories and remember good times, patrons of the arts programs at the MACC, and mountain residents and their families who will join each other on the grounds. The blacktop will host traditional games like Go Fish, hopscotch, a jump rope competition and a bean bag toss. It wouldn’t be a birthday without a special birthday cake, provided by B’s Sweets’ Brianne Hager. Brianne has taught many cooking classes for eager bakers at the MACC in recent years.

Teachers and students will demonstrate art, music, martial arts, and drama. Folk dancers will dance and artists will demonstrate all sorts of crafts. Forms of drama such as mime, storytelling and puppetry will titillate the interest of observers and participants alike. The strong music program currently offered by the MACC will provide a showcase of talent to enchant the ears of listeners.

Past projects that have a continued life, such as the fairy garden Little Root, will be on display. Of paramount importance is the Signal Mountain Lion’s Club car raffle. The Lions will also cook hot dogs and assist with parking.  

This event is sponsored by the MACC Patrons organization, which hosted a potluck dinner on June 3, in preparation for this big event. At the dinner, alumni shared memories and stories of the teachers and the students who passed through the doors, and the importance they played in the lives of families now spread far and wide.

Land for the school was donated by C.E. James. The structure was erected by R.W. Arnold, low-bidder, for the lofty sum of $27,942. The building, now on the historical register, reflects the rich architectural values of the time, and the dedication to the mountain setting both in the placement and the design. The generously-sized, light-filled classrooms provide an ideal setting for the art and music classes which fill the air with enchanting sight and sound. The jewel box of a theatre, which seats 250 on a raked floor, is currently awaiting necessary repairs to restore it to its original beauty. This treasure generally hosts 25 to 30 performances and concerts each year. The unique venue often sells out to eager patrons.

Come visit the old school that has new life again! Find out more on the MACC website.

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