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Miami Herald
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Piano Slam: Sounds of the future, music of the present and past
Poetry combined with hip-hop, classical and pop music has young poets competing for prizes from $100 to $1,000 at this year's Dranoff 2 Piano Fusion 'Piano Slam.' The music-poetry mashup is at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts on Wednesday, April 23. Since its inception in 2007, Piano Slam has been a platform for young poets in Miami-Dade County to merge their creative writing with classical and contemporary music. 'It is a fully STEM-integrated creative writing program in schools inspired by music,' says Emily Cardenas, executive director of Dranoff 2 Piano Fusion, adding that for audiences it is a 'dynamic, professional show.' A curriculum is periodically adapted in collaboration with Miami-Dade County Public School educators and administrators in line with the annual theme and integrated into classroom activities. The districtwide poetry competition was open to all students in Miami-Dade County's middle and high schools. Finalists have already been selected. Behind Piano Slam is Dranoff 2 Piano Fusion. Founded in 1987 by Loretta Dranoff, the organization was originally known as the Murray Dranoff International Foundation and focused on promoting the two-piano artform through an international competition. As the global landscape for piano duos expanded, the foundation shifted its focus under the leadership of Carlene Sawyer, leading to the creation of Piano Slam, according to Cardenas. The program's name draws inspiration from slam, the performance-based poetry movement that emerged in the 1980s. 'It is a form of performance poetry that combines the elements of performance, writing, competition, and audience participation and it is presented at events called poetry slams. Since Dranoff has its origins in classical piano music, the decision was made to fuse the words piano with slam to create Piano Slam,' explains Cardenas. This year's theme, 'Music of My Past … Sounds of the Future,' challenges students to explore their cultural musical heritage while envisioning the future. Part of the program requires students to integrate music and science terms into their poetry writing. 'The program inspires confidence and self-expression; it propels students to believe in the power of their opinions and express them in a creative way,' says Cardenas. Brenis Bostick, a former student at Miami Norland Senior High and now an English Creative Writing major at the University of Miami, was a finalist in the 2020 Piano Slam competition with his poem 'Mother Miami.' He reflects on how deeply the program influenced his life. 'The Piano Slam program was a turning point in my life—it truly saved me; this opportunity arrived during one of the darkest periods I've faced,' he shares. For the first time, Piano Slam will have a live judging panel led by presidential poet laureate Richard Blanco and including Haitian American poet Mecca 'Grimo' Marcelin, Miami-Dade poet laureate Caridad Moro-Gronlier and Miami Book Fair executive director Lissette Mendez. 'Poetry and music are kindred spirits, having the two come together will be magical,' says Blanco. He emphasizes the importance of live performance in capturing the essence of a poem. 'No matter what, there's nothing like hearing a poem recited. When we hear a poem out loud, especially in the voice of the poet, we catch all the nuances, cadences, pauses, etc. that make the poem come alive in a new way,' he explains. Blanco adds that his role would involve balancing the technical merits of the written work with the emotional impact of its performance. He also shares his expectations of the contestants. 'Poems can be over-performed. I'm looking for honest performances—that is to say performances that are informed by real and honest emotions. Not merely performances for the sake of performance. That can come across as disingenuous.' Director Teo Castellanos, returning after a seven-year hiatus from Piano Slam, discussed the unique challenges of directing an event that fuses live music with spoken word poetry. 'The challenge is working with non-traditionally trained performers. I'm speaking of the students, not the professional musicians, dancers, choreographers or adult poets,' he says. Despite having only about 10 days to work with the students, Castellanos finds the experience 'exciting' as it brings together professionals and young talent. He noted that the involvement of experienced coaches and musicians helps elevate the performances. The musical direction of the show is led by Martin Bejerano, a Miami-born Afro-Cuban jazz pianist. He outlines his approach to blending classical, jazz, and pop music elements for the show. 'We have a collaborative approach to picking both the classical and other contemporary music selections, as well as blending or 'mashing' them together,' he says. Bejerano detailed the musical selections, noting that the event will feature works by composers such as Mozart, Ravel, Stravinsky, Chopin, and Gershwin alongside contemporary tracks by Kendrick Lamar, Bad Bunny, Coldplay, Billie Eilish, and Sly and the Family Stone. 'The music of our youth will one day become the music of our past, and thus, the popular music we feature from today will one day be the sounds of these students' past,' he says. Bejerano further emphasizes that the music is designed 'to create a special vibe for each poem,' ensuring that the powerful spoken word performances remain at the forefront. Piano Slam combines classical and contemporary elements in a way that aligns with Dranoff 2 Piano Fusion's broader mission to bring together different cultural expressions through the arts, according to Cardenas. 'Piano Slam . . . gives them a voice they didn't know they had' while also providing 'valuable exposure of classical music to young people who have never experienced it or who have had little appreciation for it until now.' To the student performing, Castellanos advises, 'Dig. Dig into your soul. Express yourself to your fullest capability. Never mind being judged. Do you, and have fun doing it.' If you go: WHAT: Piano Slam 2025 WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 23 WHERE: Adrienne Arsht Center's Knight Concert Hall, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami COST: Free with reservation; $80 VIP Seating and After Party INFORMATION: 305-572-9900 or is a nonprofit media source for the arts featuring fresh and original stories by writers dedicated to theater, dance, visual arts, film, music, and more. Don't miss a story at
Miami Herald
13-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
The 44 Percent: Youth mentorship, Kendrick Lamar, A'ja Wilson steps up
Not everyone knows the history of Harry T. Moore and his wife, Harriette Moore. But earlier this week, more than 120 Miami-Dade County Public School students from Miami Edison Senior High, Miami Northwestern Senior High, Miami Jackson Senior High, and William H. Turner Technical Arts High learned a brief history of the Moores and their untimely deaths. The Marshall L. Davis, Sr. African Heritage Cultural Arts Center, in partnership with the Miami Herald and Miami-Dade County Public Schools, held a Black History Month event, Courageous Voices: The Moore Legacy, dedicated to learning the Moores' story. Students listened to a discussion from activist and former professor Marvin Dunn about the history of the Moores, civil rights activists in Florida who died in their home from a bomb placed by members of the Ku Klux Klan in 1951. The discussion is important as we're seeing increasing efforts to limit how Black history, especially local Black history, is taught in schools and as companies scale back their diversity, equity and inclusion efforts nationwide. One person, Nakia Bowling, is leading the effort in ensuring young Black children know their history through the Art of Transformation after school program, which offers myriad activities for students and 'required reading' books from the likes of Toni Morrison and others. It's likely the programming Black students needed. INSIDE THE 305: This Miami native wants to teach Black students things they might not learn in school Race and culture reporter Raisa Habersham wrote about how Miami native Nakia Bowling is using an after school program to support and educate Black schoolchildren. On a breezy February afternoon, a cacophony of sounds can be heard from the Miami Shores Elementary School with soaring sights to match: Students in the Art of Transformation after school program are busy doing acrobatics from aerial silks, learning dance steps in the bandroom, working on art projects or building sail cars, which are powered by wind, in their STEM class. This is the vision Nakia Bowling has for young Black children in the communities she services. 'I wanted activities you typically don't find in communities of color,' she said. 'A dictatorship of indifference': Haitian priest outraged over treatment of immigrants WLRN reporter Wilkine Brutus wrote about how a Little Haiti priest is concerned about how immigration policies have scared many families into not attending church services. On a recent Sunday morning, the Haitian congregation at the Notre Dame d'Haiti Catholic Church in Miami's Little Haiti, sang the lyrics 'Glory to our God in heaven.' Presiding over the flock of followers was a familiar face: Father Reginald Jean-Mary, well known as Father Reggie, a prominent local Haitian-American Catholic priest. These days Father Reggie is especially worried. He notes that on this particular Sunday that hundreds of fewer parishioners are seated for a second service. And he's sure he knows why the church pews are empty: Many immigrant families are hiding in fear of President Donald Trump's aggressive deportation plan. OUTSIDE THE 305: Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl performance was far deeper than rap In his Herald opinion piece, Dolphins reporter Omar Kelly described how musician Kendrick Lamar's polarizing Super Bowl halftime show was about much more than rap music. Kendrick Lamar wasn't performing music on the world's biggest stage. He was administering a lecture in code that was aimed at mainstream America. The Pulitzer-winning hip-hop legend delivered a tutorial in song on what it's like to be black in America during his Super Bowl halftime performance on Sunday night. It's a complicated discussion not everyone can digest, but Lamar's performance and show illustrated how being a person of color in America is a game (his set was a Playstation joystick controller) we're all trapped inside, and forced to play. 'The Revolution is about to be televised,' Lamar said after delivering a freestyle of an unreleased song in the first minute of his 15 minute show. 'You picked the right time, but the wrong guy.' A'ja Wilson Debuts Her Long-Awaited Nike Signature Shoe After years of speculation, three-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson's shoe is coming out very soon. ELLE reporter Adrienne Gaffney spoke to the women's basketball phenom about the details of the shoe and more. A'ja got her shoe. On Monday, the Las Vegas Aces center unveiled her signature Nike A'One in Columbia, South Carolina, the capital city where she both grew up and played her college career. The moment came as the coda to a touching weekend that also saw Wilson return to the University of South Carolina to see her number 22 jersey retired. Fans of the three-time MVP have been eagerly awaiting the shoe—it was so anticipated that when she announced it was in development in May 2024, she wore a sweatshirt that read, 'Of Course I Have A Shoe Dot Com,' a URL that redirected to the announcement on Nike's website. But they are going to have to wait just a bit longer—the shoe will officially be released this May. 'I felt like, for once in my life, I didn't have to just pinpoint one thing. I could literally have it all,' Wilson, a self-described fashion girl, told me during our sit-down backstage at the A'One unveiling. HIGH CULTURE: Rastafari Day and Drum Circle at NoMi Village This Saturday, Rastafari Day and its drum circle will continue the Reggae Month celebrations in South Florida. The free event is from 4-10 p.m. and features live performances from several reggae artists like Big Youth. For good vibes this weekend, visit NoMi Village at 12351 NW Seventh Ave., North Miami. Where does 'The 44 Percent' name come from? Click here to find out how Miami history influenced the newsletter's title.
