How the Be An Artist Program works
A guitar. A microphone. A sense of humor. And a roomful of curious, open minds. That’s all it takes for Darden Smith to bring the Be An Artist Program to life in your classroom.
Darden tailors each session to the group at hand, depending on its size, age range and background.
He begins by talking with students about his work, how he started as a musician and songwriter, and how the creative passion of his youth became his lifelong profession.
Being an artist is like shooting an arrow, Darden says: You have to know what you're aiming for.
In an entertaining, approachable manner, he encourages questions, weaves his own experiences into the conversation, and, of course, plays a couple of his own original songs.
He introduces inspiration as a key to the artistic process and shows students how they can recognize and nurture inspiration in their own everyday lives. Darden focuses students on the idea that everyone is an artist, and that all of us can learn to recognize the artistry in everything we do, from choosing the clothes we wear to school, to how we interact with fellow classmates, to how we decorate our walls at home. It’s all around us, he says — we can’t escape it.
The best part about creating a song together? Listening to it moments after it is recorded.
Darden then draws awareness to the three ingredients to making art: attention, intention and the love of doing something you enjoy. Guiding them through a simple visualization process, he helps students recognize what they love to do, emphasizing individual differences and the importance that each student follow his or her own path. Even two students who may love to do the same thing will enjoy it in different ways, he reminds them.
To show students how easily the creative process can unfold — and to illustrate the rewards in trying something new — Darden leads the group in a fast-paced exercise of writing an original song. Every student is encouraged to contribute, whether it is a word, a few lines or a theme for the song. Darden acts merely as a guide and an editor, keeping the song on course, as the students themselves become the songwriters.
From the outlandishly wacky to the sweet or serious, song ideas and lyrics fly about, and within just a few minutes the students have created an original work. Then, with his laptop computer and a microphone, Darden and the students sing and record the song together. At the close of the day’s sessions, the schools receive CDs with the students’ recorded songs.
What you need to know
• Ages: Sessions are designed for students ages 9 and older, and are customized for different grade levels up through high school and university levels, depending on the needs of the school.
• Group size: Each session typically accommodates up to 50 students; sessions work best with at least 20 students. The program can easily be adapted to assembly-type settings; please contact us to customize sessions for your school or facility.
• Setting: For groups fewer than 50 students, a classroom or other enclosed room is preferable to an auditorium-style space.
• Duration: Each session lasts about 50 minutes; up to four sessions can be scheduled per day.
• Scheduling and pricing: Please contact Darden directly.
Photographs by Matt Lankes