Hearts in Sync with the Rhythm of Giving
Kahtleen Shaw / Daily News Record
Harrisonburg, Virginia 
December 3, 2019

It’s no secret Harrisonburg is a haven for the arts, but one competition in the Valley serves to crown the best fake artist in the region.
Lip Sync Battle in the ‘Burg is a fundraiser for the Shenandoah Valley chapter of Any Given Child, a program of the Arts Council of the Valley in partnership with the John F. Kennedy Center. Closing out its fifth year, the final show is Wednesday at Court Square Theater.
J.R. Snow, coordinator of Harrisonburg City Public Schools fine arts department, applied to bring Any Given Child to Harrisonburg five years ago. As program manager, he has worked to extend the equity and access of arts in schools throughout the Valley by joining the Arts Council to fund arts education programs for students in preschool through eighth grade.
“Our main focus is providing live art experiences, and what that looks like is either taking students to art events or bringing art into schools. Our programs are outside of the curriculum. It allows students to find their identities as artists,” Snow said.
Marc Lonnett, a faculty member at Bridgewater College, is a finalist in this year’s competition, who decided to compete after performing backup for his wife’s lip-sync career last year. Lonnett is no stranger to being center stage, with a background in theater and as a former mascot, but he said the pseudo-sing-off is only half the fun.
“You can have a medium like a lip-sync battle that will spark people’s interest, but knowing what it’s raising money for is just that cherry on top,” Lonnett said.
To celebrate both the organization and competition’s wood anniversary, alumni from previous lip-sync years will join the stage to perform together after intermission.
In previous years, the final show has sold out, but this year Court Square Theater sold out of both preliminary shows, and tickets for Wednesday’s event were sold out in under three hours. Fans can still cheer for their favorite performers with a livestream sponsored by Appeal Production at Habana Cafe from 7 to 9 p.m. for $15. Tickets are available online or at the door.
Breaking records on records for the benefit event, over 25,000 votes were cast during the last lip-sync performance, according to Snow.
Susan Morrell Comfort is the assistant director for HCPS’s one-act theater competition and has over 20 years of theater experience. She said she does not often dance unless it is to embarrass her children, but she performed “Mr. Mom” and a medley of songs that use the word “shake” in the second preliminary night on Nov. 6.
Comfort said she was terrified to climb on stage and showcase a talent she had never practiced, much less honed, but she enjoyed trying something new with the knowledge that her efforts are benefiting the region’s schools.
“I like doing things outside of my comfort zone, and I like performing, so I just got up there — no experience, no idea what I was getting into. It is so much fun; it is so entertaining. It’s silly, it’s ridiculous, it’s amazing,” Comfort said. “We raised a lot of money for a good cause and had a lot of fun with the people in it.”
While judges give commentary and feedback to the fake singers, points are actually granted by votes from the general public. Anyone can cast 15 votes for $5, and on the night of the event, voting prices are reduced to $1 and are free after the show begins.
By Thanksgiving, Team Maureen was leading with 3,165 votes followed by Team Amanda with 1,360 and Team Brad with 830, but due to the style of voting, there is no guarantee who will win until the end of Wednesday’s performances.
Any Given Child’s website said the event has raised over $50,000 for arts education since 2014, and Snow said he hopes the fun and excitement will bring in more for the fundraiser.
“People like to be silly, and we don’t allow that inner child to come out,” Snow said. “There’s an artist in all of us that was maybe prevalent when we were younger. Now you can participate or watch. It’s hilarity and creativity.”

Contact Kathleen Shaw at 574-6274 or kshaw@dnronline.com. Follow Kathleen on Twitter @shawkareport

Lip Sync Battle in the ’Burg

• Abby Church | The Breeze​

Laugh-inducing performances and nerve-racking competition are staples of Spike’s top-rated and record-breaking show “Lip Sync Battle.” LSB has become a fast favorite among TV viewers, featuring iconic, lip-synced renditions of popular songs by famous Hollywood stars. The shows feature unforgettable moments such as Tom Holland’s action-packed performance of Rihanna’s “Umbrella” and Channing Tatum’s lip sync to “Run the World (Girls)” in which Beyoncé made a surprise cameo and caused a riot among audience members and TV viewers alike.

On Wednesday, Any Given Child Harrisonburg will host its own version of the celebrated show at Court Square Theater at 7 p.m. in its event Lip Sync Battle in the ’Burg.
According to Any Given Child Harrisonburg’s website, it’s a partnership initiative sponsored by the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., focused on providing arts programming and education to kids all over the nation. A program the city of Harrisonburg and Harrisonburg City Public Schools applied to be a part of, AGCH provides art experiences for kids in pre-K through eighth grade. AGCH is currently in its third year of implementation since being selected for the national program in August 2014.
J.R. Snow, the director or AGCH and a JMU alumnus (’99), came up with the idea of hosting a lip sync battle as a fundraiser while watching the TV show. Wanting to put on an affordable event where people could have fun, Snow decided a lip sync battle would be a perfect, low-budget way to raise money for AGCH.  “We were sitting around and we were flipping through channels [and] it came up,” Snow said. “And I said, ‘You know what? I think this model could actually work if we could find some fun folks who we’d want to come out and kind of make fun of themselves a little bit, have a good time and create some opportunities for people to come to an affordable fundraiser.’”

While this is the third year AGCH has hosted the event, this year’s lip sync battle is different from years past. Previously, the event was held over three nights with two preliminary rounds and a final. This year, the event will be consolidated into one night, and five contestants will compete for what Snow calls “the illustrious title of Lip Sync Battle Champion of Harrisonburg.”
Similar to the past, Lip Sync Battle in the ’Burg has contestants prepare two songs to perform for the audience. The show will feature small interviews with the contestants as well as judges to make comments on their respective performances.

People from all over the country can cast their vote for favorite contestants online for $1 per vote prior to the event, but if they purchase a $25 ticket to the show online or at the event, voting is free. The money raised from Lip Sync Battle in the ’Burg goes directly toward arts programming for children in the community. Last year, AGCH raised close to $20,000 toward its initiative through the event. 
Instead of having star-studded contestants like the TV show, AGCH invites members of the community to participate in Lip Sync Battle in the ’Burg. This year’s show features five contestants from vastly different backgrounds, including a contestant who works at the high school, a young professional from JMU and a music teacher from the Harrisonburg school division. 

“It really has been very diverse,” Snow said. “I have the pleasure of giving them the call and [saying], ‘Hey, I think you’d be awesome at this. Are you willing to have some fun with us and do this?’ It’s a great conversation, and so lots of people have been willing to do it.”

Maggie Hagy, a music teacher at W.H. Keister Elementary School and a JMU alumna (’15), is one of this year’s contestants. Recruited by Snow during her first week of her job at Keister, Hagy knew she had to step her game up when she found out she was one of five people competing. She frequently performs all over town as a singer and says this event will be new for her.
“I can sing, right? Like, that’s my thing is I can sing,” Hagy said. “But this is not singing, this is lip syncing. And so I have had to try and work some of my talents in a very creative way ... It’ll hopefully be a little surprise, but hopefully bring in some of my own personal talents to the stage.”

Kristen Loflin is a JMU alumna (master’s in ’04) and mental health and substance abuse counselor with her own practice. Her extensive preparation has transformed into an elaborate performance, from making costumes to conducting rehearsals. While she’s attended AGCH’s past lip sync battles and said she’s never laughed harder in her life, this is Loflin’s first year as a contestant and she plans on going all out. Both songs she’s preparing involve other performers — her first with her two children and her second with a group of 12 friends who are avid supporters of the fine arts programs. 
Loflin has enjoyed getting the group together to get creative with their performance.
“Everyone in this group is so dedicated and busy and we are just having a blast laughing at ourselves, laughing at each other, getting creative, which is, you know, what Any Given Child is really all about,” Loflin said.

​Alan Quimby, a technology resource teacher and JMU alumnus (’00), is making his return to the Lip Sync Battle on the ’Burg stage this year. Some may remember Quimby from 2016’s lip sync battle, where he donned a platinum wig to play the convincing role Sandy in his friend’s performance of a “Grease” song. This year, Quimby is making a comeback as a main contestant. Previously a fifth-grade teacher, he says he’s used to making a fool of himself to get people interested and is excited to perform for this year’s audience.  “I think being on stage with the crowd reacting is what I’m looking forward to most,” Quimby said. “It’s a lot of fun for people to be laughing and smiling.”

​While Snow hopes that Lip Sync Battle in the ’Burg gives people a chance to come out and have fun, he also expects the event to help provide further opportunities for the children of Harrisonburg.
“The whole point of the initiative is about this idea of collective impact,” Snow said. “Meaning we’re going to bring the community together to kind of really battle this work. And so I think the most exciting thing is one, we get to share it with an audience about the work that we do, and two, we get to have a lot of fun with people and at the end of the night, everybody walks away knowing we provided some opportunities for kids and that kids are going to get artistic experiences because of their willingness to come out on a Wednesday night in Harrisonburg.”

Forbes Center Welcomes HCPS Middle and High Schoolers for Free Music Performance
​Union Sponsors 'Forbes Family Fun' Shows for Third Season

See the original Article HERE

More than 500 middle and high school students in Harrisonburg City Public Schools (HCPS) got to see the female a cappella group from Zimbabwe, Nobuntu, thanks to the Forbes Center for the Performing Arts. As a major presenting partner with Any Given Child (AGC) Harrisonburg, the Forbes Center has made a commitment to provide quality performing arts programming in conjunction with the AGC national program overseen by The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Locally, the AGC program is focused on ensuring access and equity for all children in grades preK-8 in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Students had the opportunity to attend a matinee on Thursday, Nov. 16. The 60-minute performance was followed by a question-and-answer session with the five members of Nobuntu.

According to Regan Byrne, executive director of the Forbes Center and a member of the Arts Experience committee for AGC Harrisonburg, the Forbes Center has promised to offer varying groups and age ranges within preK-8 the chance to experience at least one live performance per season. In addition to Nobuntu, the Forbes Center will host HCPS students for The 13-Story Treehouse by Australia’s CDP Theatre Producers in January and How I Became a Pirate by Dallas Children’s Theater in April. Nobuntu, The 13-Story Treehouse and How I Became a Pirate are all ‘Forbes Family Fun’ shows included in the Forbes Center 2017-2018 Masterpiece Season.

Now in their fifth season, Forbes Family Fun shows were introduced by the Center to provide quality performing arts programming for young audiences and their families. This year’s Forbes Family Fun series is sponsored by Union Bank & Trust, who has sponsored the series since 2015.
“Union Bank & Trust is a longtime supporter of the arts, area schools, charitable organizations, and local causes. We are excited to return as the sponsor of the Forbes Family Fun series, supporting and raising awareness of the performing arts in the Shenandoah Valley,” says Charlie Martorana, senior vice president/Harrisonburg market executive at Union. According to Byrne, “It’s always gratifying when a business leader such as Union makes a commitment to young people in the Valley. Sponsorship makes it possible for the Forbes Center to reach out to diverse audiences and to provide quality family programming.”

​For tickets to Forbes Center events, visit www.jmuforbescenter.com or call the Forbes Center Box Office at (540) 568-7000.

Any Given Child Harrisonburg, in partnership with Harrisonburg City Public Schools Fine Arts, Harrisonburg Education Foundation, Arts Council of the Valley, Harrisonburg City Council, The City of Harrisonburg, and Stonewall Jackson Inn Bed and Breakfast welcomed Charlotte Based Artist Edwin Gil to present his Faces of Diversity Project.  Thanks to WHSV for THIS COVERAGE and the Daily News Record for the article below. 

Hands-On Art Project
Any Given Child Harrisonburg Installs Mosaic in City Hall
Posted: April 21, 2017
By PETE DELEA
Daily News Record

More than 900 Harrisonburg children have left their mark inside City Hall. 
On Friday, Any Given Child Harrisonburg unveiled its Faces of Diversity social art project in the lobby of the building at 409 S. Main Street. 

The artwork include the thumbprints of every kindergarten and first-grade student in Harrisonburg City Public Schools. 

"It's the community's piece," said J.R. Snow, director of Any Given Child Harrisonburg.  "It's reall exciting.  It's leaving a lasting impression." 

Any Given Child Harrisonburg is an initiative whose goals is to ensure all students have access to arts education, and it "encourages students to creatively connect and explore the value, relevance, and impact of the arts,'" according to its website. 

Artist Edwin Gil, 45, of Charlotte, arrived in the Friendly City on Sunday and began working on the project Monday morning.  

During the week, Gil visited all five of the city's elementary schools to collect thumbprints.  

Each school used a different color of paint, and the prints were attached to recycled pieces of glass. 

Gil, who moved to the United States in 1998 after fleeing Colombia, used them to create an 8 by 8 foot mosaic. 

The thumbprints surround a face that was created by blending three students' faces. 

The pieces of glass were taken to the Any Given Child's office in The Hub on West Bruce Street, where Gil went to work creating the artwork. 

It was then moved to City Hall, it's permanent home. 

Throughout the week, Gil talked to the students about diversity.  He said explaining to them that everyone is different might make for a more peaceful community. 

"If we put a little seen in their head, it's going to change our society." he said. 

Snow said his daughter Olivia, a six year old kindergarten student at Keister Elementary School, got to see the mosaic Thursday night.  

As she looked at the artwork searching for her thumbprint, he asked her what she learned from the project. 

Her response: "Diversity is different, and different is good." 

Thanks to Early Mornings at WSVA for the opportunity to share about Any Given Child Harrisonburg.  

LIP SYNC BATTLE TO BOOST NONPROFIT
Arts Education Initiative To Host Three-Day Contest At Court Square Theater
Posted: October 15, 2015
By NOAH CLARK
Daily News-Record

At the Lip Sync Battle in The ‘Burg, the singing might be fake, but the chance to help children gain access to the arts is real. Any Given Child Harrisonburg is hosting the three-day contest at Court Square Theater on Oct. 21, Nov. 4, and Dec. 2.  

Any Given Child Harrisonburg is a partnership between Harrisonburg City Public Schools and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.  It focuses on access and equity in arts education for students in prekindergarten through eighth grade, J.R. Snow, director of Any Given Child Harrisonburg, said.  “Ultimately, our goal is for 3,500 plus kids to engage in experiences that the normal budget might not offer,” he said. “We also want to provide teachers with training in arts integration.”

Ten contestants, five on each night, will compete for the audience’s approval during the first two performances on Oct. 21 and Nov. 4. Then the top three performers from each night will advance to the final round held on Dec. 2. Contestants are volunteers from the community, Snow said.

​The first night will feature Kristin Gibson, assistant director of marketing and technology at James Madison University; Andy Perrine, associate vice president for communications and marketing at JMU; Harrisonburg City Councilman Abe Shearer; Eric Miller, vice principal at Harrisonburg High School; and actress Dawn Womack.

The second night, Nov. 4, features Cannie Campbell, director of corporate and foundation giving at JMU; Golden Pony owner Paul Somers; Q101 radio show host Brandy Lindsey; Paula Polglase, assistant director of alumni relations, communications and marketing at JMU; and Todd Gardner, president of Glass and Metals auto glass shop. Each night will feature two rounds, separated by a presentation about Any Given Child Harrisonburg and an intermission.

While the songs themselves are under wraps until the event, there will be a variety of genres
on display, Snow said. “It’s all about what makes the contestant comfortable,” he said. “So far it seems like a lot of comedy and engaging the audience. They are going to go all out and have fun with the
opportunity.” Judges will be on hand, but the decision as to which contestants advance will be in the
hands of the audience. “We are going to have a smartphone app that everybody can download, so you can vote for your favorite person,” he said.

The event offers the community something different that hasn’t been done before, Miller said. “The ‘Lip Sync Battle’ TV show on Spike is a big hit, and Jimmy Fallon does his thing on the ‘Tonight Show,’ which is a hit,” he said. “It’s a popular thing right now, which will help draw people to the event.” 

While entertaining the crowd is an integral aspect of the show, contestants understand the importance of having the arts in schools. Gibson said art was always one of her favorite classes when she was in school, and she’s glad to have an opportunity to help students gain access to the arts.

The arts serve as an essential part of any student’s education, Snow said. “Every person is organically creative in some way,” he said. “Through education, we have a responsibility to ensure that we reach that child in that space, so they can continue to build themselves as a creative body and learner.” Entrepreneurs and other professionals have to be creative to solve problems that come up in their work, Snow said, adding that people may look at the arts as just an orchestra or a museum, but the arts are everywhere. “Harrisonburg does a wonderful job of showcasing that with these First Friday art displays and live music in different genres,” he said. “Imagine the beer festival without music. Imagine
Clementine without the art on the wall. There are so many different ways art is being showcased. We wanted to create a fun, affordable way that the community can come out. We can laugh and learn about what is going on.”

Snow, who has worked with the school division for 10 years — first as a band director at Harrisonburg High School and now as the fine arts coordinator — said during his tenure, he has seen the community expand its emphasis on the arts. The next step is to educate students who will be a more active part of the community in the coming years. “We believe every child is one more piece of the puzzle in a great artistic community,” he said.

The organization has a goal of raising $150,000 by the end of the school year. There is no paid staff, so all of the money raised by the organization goes toward training teachers and providing students experiences in the arts, Snow said. However the organization has partners throughout the community, including James Madison University’s Forbes Center, Snow said. The partnerships help drive costs down. For example, a trip to a performance at the Forbes Center only costs the group what it takes to transport the students, he added.

Tickets for each show are $20 in advance or at the door. They can be purchased at Court Square Theater’s website www.valleyarts.org. At each performance, doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the shows start at 7 p.m.

Splash Of Color At Stone Spring
​Author(s):    AMELIA BRUST 
Date: September 3, 2015
Section: News (Local)

​HARRISONBURG - Students are bringing a sculpture to life at Stone Spring Elementary School this week, thanks to artist-in-residence Kevin Reese. As part of Harrisonburg City Public Schools' Any Given Child fine arts partnership with the Kennedy Center, Reese is leading the creation of mobiles for the school's cafeteria.Mobiles are hanging sculptures with objects attached to rods that balance. A common example is the type of toy that hangs above a baby's crib with objects that spin.

Work at Stone Spring started on Monday, when Reese asked third- and fourth-graders to select shapes from flags hanging around the cafeteria ceiling. Children cut shapes out of foam, which were glued to copper and steel wires.

On Wednesday, Beth Cruse's fourth-grade class painted shapes different colors, including green rhombuses and purple hearts. After the class put away their painting gear, Reese walked them through a lesson in mobile construction.  This is his second project with city schools.  Last year, he made a sculpture with students at Harrisonburg High School, which stands outside the building's north entrance.

"All the work I do is kinetic in some way, shape or form," he said.  Inspired by the mobile's originator, Alexander Calder, Reese wants his work to move in the wind.  He has created over 150 school sculptures in the last 14 years. No matter the piece, he said, the most important thing is making sure students "get an extraordinary experience."

Venwar Fateh, 9, said he tried to make his own sculptures at home - out of ice - but the mobile at school should last a little longer. "It's pretty cool helping and making stuff. It's not just for you," he said while painting a pair of different shapes, connected by a wire balanced on his finger.  Venwar predicted that future Stone Spring pupils will see his work on the cafeteria ceiling and say, "I want to do that."

Close to 110 students had a hand in creating the mobiles, said Kathleen Taylor, the school's assistant principal.  When work is finished, Reese will have about 15 mobiles, each between 5 and 6 feet wide, to hang around the room on Friday.

Reese, a Washington, D.C.-based artist whose mobile residency project School Sculptures works nationwide, did more than design the sculpture. He showed the children how to assemble the pieces "from the bottom up" and will perform a one-man play for the school on Friday.

Contact Amelia Brust at 574-6293 or abrust@dnronline.com

Support HEF Campaign
Author(s):    Emily Wells Gianfortoni 
Date: January 3, 2015
Section: Opinion (Open Forum)

To all graduating classes of Harrisonburg High School: Let's fund the Harrisonburg Education Foundation to show our appreciation to all Harrisonburg teachers, past and present. The Harrisonburg High School Class of 1964 has established a campaign to raise $64,000 by our 55th reunion in 2019. The inspiration came from the success of our very first fund raising effort during our five-year class reunion in 1969.

Class members contributed $1,000 to be awarded as a scholarship to an African-American student in the graduating class of 1969. The Class of 1964 was the last segregated class to graduate from HHS. To show the support for the long-awaited integration of Harrisonburg City Schools, class leaders decided to award the scholarship to a worthy African-American student recommended by the guidance department. Thus, Mary Ann Smith Tucker was chosen. The scholarship helped her attend Virginia State University and graduate with a degree in elementary education.

Those of us who received our education in the Harrisonburg City Schools can claim the benefits of our public school education in our subsequent careers. I have fond memories of excellent teachers such as Ms. Watkins, Mrs. Meeks, Mr. Logan, Miss Seig, Mr.Saum, and many more.

Thanks to the strong foundation I received during my years in the Harrisonburg school system, I was able to complete my education at top national universities. The education I received in Harrisonburg prepared me well for my future academic endeavors. Judging from the career paths and educational trajectories of fellow classmates, I know that my experience was not unique.

At our 50th-class reunion last August in Harrisonburg, the story of Mary Ann Smith Tucker inspired a group of class members to explore how to continue contributing to Harrisonburg schools. Fourteen members of the class formed a study committee to shape our vision and to set concrete goals and strategies. We decided to give back to Harrisonburg schools through the Harrisonburg Education Foundation. Over the course of several months the committee hammered out a mission statement which included support for the mission of HEF and a goal of raising at least $64,000 "to create an endowed fund for teachers to create educational opportunities that would otherwise not be available."

Even more important than raising the $64,000 is the goal of having 100 percent participation of all class members. One of the members of the committee has contributed $100 for each of our deceased class members to help reach 100 percent participation.

The committee sent out a letter to class members in late November requesting contributions to the HEF over the next five years. Already more than $20,000 has been pledged and over $8,000 in donations has been received.

The study committee decided to make an initial contribution of $5,000 to HEF to support the Any Given Child Program, sponsored by the Kennedy Center. The program aims to expand access to and enhance arts education (including music) in grades K-8. This was a competitive program, and Harrisonburg was one of only 15 public school systems nationwide selected to participate.

Because the program was designed to be a partnership, the Harrisonburg community is required to show its support by contributing $25,000 to Any Given Child. Thus, designating our initial $5,000 contribution to HEF for community support for the Kennedy Center program was an easy choice. We hope other graduates will join us in this effort.

The study committee voted to use the remainder of the funds generated to award annual education grants to Harrisonburg teachers. They will be able to submit applications to HEF in order to receive grants that enhance instruction and education experiences for students still attending Harrisonburg public schools.

Members of HHS Class of 1964 hope that our fundraising campaign will be successful not only in raising $64,000, but will also inspire other classes to support HEF. If the more than 7,500 graduates of HHS would each contribute to the Harrisonburg Education Foundation, imagine the programs and grants HEF would be able to fund!

Emily Wells Gianfortoni, who now resides in Richmond, is a member of the Harrisonburg High School Class of 1964 committee spearheading a campaign to increase support for the Harrisonburg Education Foundation.