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Interludes

Interludes provide Academy participants with the opportunity to receive cross-disciplinary training. Every afternoon from Monday to Thursday, a variety of workshops are offered in each TAA content discipline. Participants may attend any workshop in any area to learn more about a familiar topic or to explore something new.

General Interest Interludes
Please check back regularly for updates and information about the 2025 Tennessee Arts Academy.
Arts Leadership and Administration Interludes
Leading Arts Integration in K-5 Settings
Presenter: 
Taurus Hines
, Madyson Gibbins, Dottie Love, Brandon Middlebrooks, and Bekah Sauls
 and 
 
, and 
  
Tuesday
 and 
 and 
Wednesday
 and 

Leading an arts integration program in kindergarten through fifth grade settings requires dedication, strategic planning, and a commitment to fostering creativity and innovation in education. The leadership and support of principals and administrators are crucial in creating a vibrant and dynamic learning environment where the arts thrive and students excel. By embracing the principles, strategies, and best practices outlined in this discussion, leaders can successfully implement and sustain an arts integration program that benefits students, teachers, and the entire school community.

The Power of Connection: Building a School-Centered Arts Education Ecosystem
Presenter: 
Jaclyn Rudderow
, Madyson Gibbins, Dottie Love, Brandon Middlebrooks, and Bekah Sauls
 and 
 
, and 
  
Tuesday
 and 
 and 
 and 

Save The Music Foundation’s grassroots approach in communities across the United States encourages partnership and connection with the school arts program at the center. This interlude session will share a community-centered model, and will include resources for arts educators that will uplift and strengthen their programs.

Arts Rich Schools of the Year Panel Discussion
Presenter: 
Jim Holcomb, Moderator and Representatives from the 2025 TAA Arts Rich Winning Schools
, Madyson Gibbins, Dottie Love, Brandon Middlebrooks, and Bekah Sauls
 and 
 
, and 
  
Thursday
 and 
 and 
 and 

The TAA Arts Rich Schools Program and Awards seeks to celebrate and recognize innovative and resourceful schools that provide arts-rich educational curricula and programming for their students and communities. TAA Foundation board member Jim Holcomb will moderate a panel discussion featuring the 2025 TAA Arts Rich Schools of the Year winners. Audience questions will be encouraged.

Music Related Interludes
Lesson and Activity Sharing for Elementary Music Teachers
Presenter: 
Presenters: 
David Chambers
 
 
 
Monday
 and 
 and 
 and 

Some lessons and activities are repeated every year because they meet the state of Tennessee standards and students enjoy them! This session will offer the opportunity for teachers to network with other elementary music teachers across the state and share their own successful lessons and activities, along with examples from the presenter. This interlude will be excellent for teachers early in their careers, so that they can add new “tools” to their music tool kit!

Arts for All: Universal Design for Learning for Fine Arts Educators
Presenter: 
Presenters: 
Julissa Chapa
 
 
 
Wednesday
 and 
 and 
 and 

Discover how to unlock every student's potential by applying the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework in a fine arts classroom. This session will explore the UDL guidelines through engaging examples and collaborative discussions which will equip educators with practical strategies. Learn how to meet the diverse needs of all learners while fostering creativity and accessibility in teaching.

Pop Culture in the Classroom
Presenter: 
Presenters: 
David Dockan
 
 
 
Wednesday
 and 
 and 
 and 

Explore how contemporary artists and trends, including TikTok dances, can engage students and make learning relevant. The session will include creative strategies for incorporating these elements into the curriculum to foster student expression and connection. Participants in this session will discover new ways to captivate  learners and celebrate student interest in the arts.

Folk Dance and Culture: Creative Connections
Presenter: 
Presenters: 
Joan Eckroth-Riley
 
 
 
Wednesday
 and 
 and 
 and 

Make connections between music, folk dance, and cultures by experiencing easy folk dances from several continents. Participants will experience the richness of cultures and geography by exploring songs and dances from around the world. Come ready to dance and have fun as participants in this session build community through cultural connections.

Academy Chorale
Presenter: 
Presenters: 
Michele Henry
 
 
 
Tuesday
 and 
 and 
Thursday
 and 

Please come and join other participants as the Academy Chorale prepares a program of music to be performed at the TAA Finale Luncheon on Friday. The Academy Chorale performs under the direction of Michele Henry, the academy’s secondary choral instructor.

How Do We Measure Learning?
Presenter: 
Presenters: 
Janet (Jann)  Knighten
 
 
 
Monday
 and 
 and 
Wednesday
 and 

Imagine that you have arranged for a clinician or guest artist to work with your students, and when your guest asks questions, the students stare like a deer in headlights. How do you know if a student has actually learned what you are teaching? In this session, the presenter will share ideas about how students learn, as well as activities you can do with students to spark creativity and measure knowledge in as little as fifteen minutes.

25 Common Mistakes of the Young Band Director
Presenter: 
Presenters: 
Alfred Watkins
 
 
 
Wednesday
 and 
 and 
 and 

This session is designed to assist the young band director in avoiding some of the pitfalls so many educators experience during the first few years in the profession.  Although this session is designed for the young teacher, many veteran educators often find the reminders to be quite helpful.

Theatre And Dance Related Interludes
Grounding in Creative Mindfulness
Presenter: 
Presenters: 
Valerie Branch
   
Monday
 and 
Wednesday
 and 

This workshop invites educators to explore the integration of mindfulness practices with creative expression to enhance personal well-being in the classroom. Through a blend of hands-on activities and reflective exercises, participants will learn mindfulness techniques that can be seamlessly woven into creative lessons, helping students and educators alike to remain grounded, focused, and resilient. This session emphasizes the development of mindful awareness, emotional balance, and creative release, equipping educators with strategies to foster a calm, centered environment that supports both academic growth and personal well-being.

5, 6, 7, 8: Musical Theatre Dance
Presenter: 
Presenters: 
Rebecca Pogue Fields
   
Monday
 and 
Wednesday
 and 

Dust off your dancing shoes, and bring your jazz hands! In this session, participants will complete a short warm-up and learn musical theatre choreography. No prior dance experience is required.

The Musicality of Shakespeare’s Hints and Clues
Presenter: 
Presenters: 
Raymond McAnally
   
Monday
 and 
Wednesday
 and 

Raymond McAnally will lead participants in an exploration of the acting choices, subtext, and even stage directions found in the sounds Shakespeare very intentionally chose. Participants will come away with tools to share with students in the classroom and in productions to help them unlock the creativity of the text by speaking it aloud.

Red Light, Green Light, Yellow Light: Using and Losing Dramatic Tension
Presenter: 
Presenters: 
Drew Richardson
   
Monday
 and 
Wednesday
 and 

Drew Richardson offers simple exercises to increase awareness of accumulated body stress that is experienced before or after entering a rehearsal, class, studio, or performance. Participants will develop the freedom to embrace or leave behind habitual tightness. The movements used in this session can help to make strong and quick artistic choices on and offstage.

Devising Original Work
Presenter: 
Presenters: 
Sara Simons
   
Monday
 and 
Wednesday
 and 

Sara Simons will lead participants in quick activities designed to generate original material as part of the devising process. Participants will engage with writing and performance, and will learn several fun prompts to bring back to their own classroom.

Acting the Song, Musical Theatre Style
Presenter: 
Presenters: 
Adam Yankowy
   
Monday
 and 
Wednesday
 and 

Participants in this session will look at musical theatre through the years and explore various style tags to apply physical and vocal choices to different types of genres. Participants should come ready to sing and learn!

Visual Art Related Interludes
Sign Language Names with Contour Line
Presenter: 
Presenters: 
Presenters: 
Sr. Genemarie Beegan  
  
Wednesday
 and 
 and 
 and 
 and 

To experience the use of contour line, participants in this session will draw the individual letters that make up their names using American Sign Language. Students love using their own hands as models and their names as the subject. Each person will draw their hand in the shape of their ASL letters on scratch paper, then trace them in order (and close together) on long paper. Light boxes and windows will provide back lighting for tracing.

Painting Techniques Every Artist Should Know
Presenter: 
Presenters: 
Presenters: 
Summer  Brown  
  
Monday
 and 
 and 
 and 
 and 

Summer Brown will share knowledge of various painting techniques that will help educators understand and interpret art by exploring how an artist achieved a particular effect or finish. It is essential to understand some fundamental painting techniques so that painters can experiment with different styles and find their voice as an artist.

Integrating SEL: Lessons Learned from Art Educators
Presenter: 
Presenters: 
Presenters: 
Jonathan Juravich  
  
Monday
 and 
 and 
 and 
 and 

This presentation draws on Jonathan Juravich’s dissertation research exploring how ten art educators have intentionally integrated Social Emotional Learning (SEL) into their art instruction. Participants will be provided with practical and actionable strategies, resources, and discussion prompts to support students’ social and emotional growth. Though the research is rooted in the experiences of elementary art educators, the lessons learned can apply to all levels and arts content areas.

Conversations, Ideas, and Observations from an AP Portfolio Reader
Presenter: 
Presenters: 
Presenters: 
Janet Laws  
  
Wednesday
 and 
 and 
 and 
 and 

TAA visual arts facilitator, Janet Laws, has served as an Advanced Placement (AP) reader for the past five years. She will share her experience, understanding, and knowledge of the rubrics and the grading structure used by AP to score the three art and design portfolios. She will also share ideas she’s gained from the amazing AP readers and teachers she has met through this process. Join this exciting conversation to learn more about the AP art programs.  The AP process is a great way for art teachers at all levels to encourage experimentation, revision, and idea building in their students.

Spontaneity and Expression in Clay
Presenter: 
Presenters: 
Presenters: 
Clara Lieu  
  
Monday
 and 
 and 
 and 
 and 

This session will provide an opportunity to create a diverse set of small scale sculptures. Participants will utilize a comprehensive understanding of form with the use of negative space, mass, and surface. Three-dimensional form has an immense capacity to express personality and character through diverse types  of articulation. Specific hand sculpting techniques and methods for using tools to create a range of textures and forms will be shown.

A Novel Sketchbook
Presenter: 
Presenters: 
Presenters: 
Serena Rios McRae  
  
Monday
 and 
 and 
 and 
 and 

Blank-page anxiety is real, and every artist can attest to the fact that sometimes the most difficult thing about creating art is deciding what to draw! McRae will share her two favorite art projects in which she uses her love of reading to break through the art block.

CARE Approach to Art: A Well-Being Check-Up for Arts Educators
Presenter: 
Presenters: 
Presenters: 
Paige Medlock  
  
Monday
 and 
 and 
 and 
 and 

Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey write in the book What Happened to You?, “Unfortunately, our schools are typically not trauma-aware…Schools tend to minimize powerful healing and resilience-building activities like sports, music, and art. These are often viewed as elective or enrichment activities, when in fact they can be the very bedrock of academic learning, thanks to their regulatory and relational elements”. In this session, an inventory of holistic health practices in arts education will be presented, and the group will discuss the potential of arts education to provide opportunities for building resilience.

Stained Glass
Presenter: 
Presenters: 
Presenters: 
Paige Medlock  
  
Wednesday
 and 
 and 
 and 
 and 

Stained glass installations will be viewed, and consideration given to why people commission works of art and how artwork affects space and the viewer’s experience. Participants will look at sample projects that can be implemented in classrooms and workshops for secondary and community arts education contexts.

Elementary/Lower Middle Lesson Swap
Presenter: 
Presenters: 
Presenters: 
Virginia Nix  
  
Wednesday
 and 
 and 
 and 
 and 

In this session, participants will bring a successful lesson to share. At the end of the workshop, participants will leave with new lessons and ideas to bring to their own classrooms.

Exploring Opportunities for Professional Learning and Leadership Through TAEA and NAEA
Presenter: 
Presenters: 
Presenters: 
Janis  Nunnally  
  
Monday
 and 
 and 
 and 
 and 

Janis Nunnally has previously served as president of TAEA and currently serves as middle level division director for NAEA. She is an art educator at Upperman Middle School in Baxter, Tennessee.

Check Back Regularly for 2025 Tennessee Arts Academy Information and Updates
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