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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Adam Kubota, Press & Marketing Coordinator
(860) 685-2806 or akubota@wesleyan.edu

Photos available on request
 

ROCK CELLIST PRESENTS COME IMPROVISE WITH ME!
AT THE GREEN STREET ARTS CENTER
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World Arts Family Series Offers an Opportunity to Learn about Storytelling through Improvisation

Middletown, Conn., October 9, 2006-Rock cellist Jeff Chen presents Come Improvise with Me!, a musical workshop on Saturday, October 28 at 2pm as part of the Green Street Arts Center's World Art Family Series. In his workshop, Chen teaches about the art of narrative composition through the development of an improvised soundtrack to one's own personal story. The World Art Family Series consists of hour-long workshops to introduce children (ages 5 and up) to a world of new arts and ideas in an informal, hands-on setting. All events are free of charge and open to people of all ages. For more information or to register for the workshop, call 860-685-7871 or visit www.greenstreetartscenter.org.

About the Artist
Cellist Jeff Chen, a University of Connecticut alumni and student of Mary Lou Rylands, has received both a Bachelor of Arts in Music as well as a Master of Business Administration with concentrations in information management systems and arts administration. A classically trained cellist from an early age, Chen has spent the last 7 years studying non-traditional, improvisational and world music techniques, with such artists as electric cellist Jeffrey Krieger, improvisational cellist Eugene Friesen, Mark Summer of the Turtle Island String Quartet and jazz legend David Baker. As part of his ongoing effort to break the stereotype of the "classical" cellist, Chen has composed several original soundtracks for plays and puppet-theaters and is currently working on a suite of completely original, fully staged cello ensemble works. Currently, Chen works as the Events Coordinator for Wesleyan University's Center for the Arts.

The next World Arts Family Series String Telephones and Shadows is on Saturday, December 2 at 2pm at the Green Street Arts Center. This event will feature Ronald J. Kuivila, Adjunct Professor of Music at Wesleyan University leading a workshop in which a maze of string telephones becomes a multimedia sound installation. All ages are welcome.

About the Green Street Arts Center
The Green Street Arts Center, which opened in January 2005, is an initiative of Wesleyan University developed in collaboration with the City of Middletown and the North End Action Team to provide an anchor for the revitalization efforts already underway in the North End. Programming in the former schoolhouse at 51 Green Street includes a vibrant after school program and a wide range of affordable classes and workshops for children and adults in music, dance, visual arts, theater, sound recording, media arts and creative writing.

Participation at Green Street is open to everyone; tuition assistance is available. To receive more information about the Green Street Arts Center, call 860-685-7871 or visit www.greenstreetartscenter.org.
 

GSAC Phone:     (860) 685-7871                  Address:   Green Street Arts Center
E-mail:         gsac@wesleyan.edu                                    51 Green Street
                                                                                       Middletown, CT 06457

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