“Champion of Artists” Awardee Jonathan C. Rappaport
Jonathan C. Rappaport is a practicing musician, composer, conductor, and the Executive Director of Arts|Learning, an organization MALC holds in the highest esteem. Arts|Learning supports professional arts teachers and teaching artists of all disciplines in the K-12 educational system and helps to engage our next generation of artists and arts supporters/lovers.
As we lead up to 11th Annual “Artists Under The Dome” Event* and the MALC 2017 “Champion of Artists” Awards on November 8th at the State House, we are highlighting each of the five “Champion of Artists” awardees. This is the second time MALC has given these awards, which will be part of the morning program (10-11am).*
The five “Champion of Artists” awardees for 2017 are:
- State Representative Chris Walsh
- Danielle Legros Georges, Boston’s Poet Laureate
- Ashleigh Gordon, viola and Co-Founder of Castle of our Skins
- Jonathan C. Rappaport, musician, composer, conductor and Executive Director of Arts Learning
- Erin Williams, playwright, theater director, dramaturg, Cultural Development Officer for the City of Worcester and Executive Director of the Worcester Cultural Coalition
For this blog post we are profiling awardee Jonathan C. Rappaport, a practicing musician, composer, and conductor. He is also the Executive Director of Arts|Learning, an organization MALC holds in the highest esteem. Arts|Learning supports professional arts teachers and teaching artists of all disciplines in the K-12 educational system and helps to engage our next generation of artists and arts supporters/lovers. MALC regularly collaborates with Arts|Learning on policy & legislative initiatives and MALC steering committee members serve on its Networking and Advocacy Leadership Team. Jonathan works tirelessly for our sector.
From the Arts|Learning website:
In addition to his post with Arts|Learning, Jonathan is the co-founder of the Kodály Music Institute in Southborough, MA, where he also teaches courses in pedagogy, materials analysis, and conducting. Jonathan is the former musical director of Shir Joy, an adult community chorus in central Massachusetts.
Jonathan is the former Head of the Conservatory Lab Charter School (Brighton, MA) and the former Curriculum Liaison for the Arts of the Worcester (MA) Public Schools. He is a conductor, educator, composer, pianist, singer, author, and consultant for school systems. He has served as the choral director of numerous schools, children’s festival honor choirs, churches, synagogues, and community choral groups. He taught music at all grade levels in public schools in New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.
Rappaport has published 18 choral works and 5 books, and is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Friend of Arts Education (MA Art Education Assn., 2014), the Visionary Leadership Award (Administrators in Music Education, 2012), the Distinguished Service and Lowell Mason Awards (MA Music Educators, 2007, 2004), the Irene Buck Service to Arts Education Award (MA Alliance for Arts Education, 2004) and the Moss Hart Theatre Award (New England Theatre Conference, 2000). He has taught music, trained teachers nationally, presented at national and state conferences in over a dozen states, and directed choruses for 40 years.
Jonathan Rappaport served on the panel that wrote the MA Arts Curriculum Framework (1999) and currently serves on numerous boards and committees, including co-chairing the Arts Education Advisory Council for the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Jonathan was appointed by MA Governor Deval Patrick to serve on a Commission to develop the Creative Challenge Index (2012), and served on the STEM plan committee which rewrote the revised MA STEM plan (2013).
About Arts|Learning
“Arts|Learning is the hub of arts education in Massachusetts. We support the inclusion of a complete arts education (dance, media arts, music, drama/theatre, and visual arts) for every K-12 student in the Commonwealth. When the arts are at the center of the core curriculum, students develop the 21st-Century skills they need to lead fulfilled lives.
“As a non-profit organization, A|L is the Massachusetts arts education alliance partnering with dozens of professional arts education organizations, cultural institutions, and public agencies to bring about changes in the way the arts are viewed and supported within public education. We bring years of experience and acknowledged expertise to bear on arts education, programming, services, professional development for educators, and advocacy.”
——————–
* More info on 11th Annual “Artists Under The Dome” Event and the MALC 2017 “Champion of Artists” Awards. These events are free and open to the public
Date/Time/Place: Wednesday, November 8th, from 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. in the State House’s Great Hall, (Boston, MA),
What: The Commonwealth of Massachusetts invites Massachusetts artists working in all disciplines (visual arts, literary, performing, crafts, new media, etc.) to thank them for all they contribute to our state’s economy and quality of life. Massachusetts is the only state in the country to hold such an event. Although not required, those attending are encouraged to register for this free event .
For more information and to register: http://www.artistsunderthedome.org/annualevent.html