Americana Project 2008

The Americana Project was developed to inspire the creativity of young people, and to demonstrate the cultural and historical significance of American roots music and cultural expression.

Through a curriculum integrating guitar instruction and the history of American music, students build a heightened awareness of the influences that help shape today’s music and culture.

As a collaboration between the Sisters Folk Festival, Sisters School District and Creative Educational Resources, LLC, the Americana Project provides a forum for self-expression and community participation.

A sense of community has been built not just within the school, but also with the broader Sisters community, including student participation in fundraising, concert production and visits by local, regional and national artists.

The celebration of art and the human condition through self-expression is thriving within the Sisters community thanks in part to the Americana Project.

Now in its 8th year, the Americana Project has had a positive impact on the lives of hundreds of young people. We are helping to facilitate and encourage people of all ages to celebrate the human spirit and the ability to communicate through the visual and performing arts.

Current Americana Project Programming

Sisters Schools American Roots Music, Songwriting and Guitar and Visual Art

• Offered for the past 7 years at Sisters High School; hundreds of students have participated in learning to play guitar, write songs, record and perform in the daily high school class.
• Offered for the past 3 years at Sisters Middle School; a class using mixed media visual art and guitar playing, including interim week projects.
• Offered for the past 3 years at Sisters Elementary School; teacher training, support and materials provided for student art projects, and music with guest artists and mentoring by high school AP students.
• Community concerts throughout the year showcase student work and the music of touring professionals.
• Community members act as guest artists, reinforcing the appreciation for music and the creative arts, and providing opportunities for professional artists to mentor aspiring young artists.
• Through Creative Educational Resources, LLC, students from Sisters High School perform throughout Central Oregon at replicating programs in other high schools. Since its origin in Sisters, the Americana Project has spread to four separate high schools throughout theState of Oregon.

Integrated Curriculum

Creative Educational Resources, LLC — in partnership with the Sisters School District — has developed an integrated curriculum including lesson-plans to incorporate history, creative writing, video production, visual art and Web design.

Brad Tisdel, the program director and co-founder, consults with teachers to integrate these lesson-plans into their existing curriculum.

Additional Accomplishments:

• The Americana Project received a $10,000 grant from the Lifeboat Foundation for hardware and program costs to create a recording studio at Sisters High School.
• Released seven CD’s in the past eight years of original music written, produced and engineered by students of the Americana Project. Artwork and graphic design by Sisters High School students.
• Awarded a new Baby Grand Piano through the Snowman Foundation in Portland, Oregon. The piano is housed at Sisters High School for use by students, the music department and by the community.
• Received a $12, 000 grant from the Oregon Community Foundation to create and implement a music program in the elementary and middle schools in Sisters.
• Has been instrumental in helping to develop a guitar-building program at Sisters High School in their advanced woodworking class in partnership with the Breedlove Guitar Company of Tumalo, Oregon.
• The 7th annual Americana Song Academy is offered to further the vision and mission of the Sisters Folk Festival and Americana Project by creating a 3-day workshop for songwriting. Students receive scholarships to work with World-Class instructors and performers at the Academy.
• The Americana Project received the 2004 “Artie Award” from Arts Central for excellence in Arts and Education in Central Oregon.
• In April, 2005 the Americana Project was featured on "Oregon Art Beat" as an innovative arts program for Oregon communities.
• In the Spring of 2007, we received an "E-Chievement" award from "E-Town", a nationally syndicated radio program out of Boulder, Colorado, in collaboration with the Argosy Foundation.

Fundraising

The Americana Project Community-Themed Art Project "My Own Two Hands" was awarded “Fundraising Event of the Year” by the Oregon Festival and Events Association  in 2006.  Over the course of 7 years it has raised over $390, 000 to provide support for arts programming in the Sisters Schools District and community.

The Americana Project has received grants from these foundations:

• Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation
• PGE Foundation
• Samuel S. Johnson Foundation
• Oregon Community Foundation
• Meyer Memorial Trust
• Pronghorn Foundation
• Snowman Foundation
• Lifeboat Foundation

For further reading...

Creative Educational Resources, LLC 2008

For more information, please contact Brad Tisdel at 541-408-0200, or email bradtisdel@bendbroadband.com.