This Year’s Resident Artist
This year’s artist is Layne Gneiting. Layne Gneiting (pronounced night + ing) is an eclectic mix of performer, musician, speaker, and storyteller. He racked up a score of trophies on the college speech and debate team, later coached, and now inspires audiences young and old through story. Gneiting holds a PhD in Performance Studies from Arizona State University, where he teaches in the Interdisciplinary Studies program. But his heart lies in stories–and adventure. In summer 2009, following in the proverbial footsteps of the troubadours, minstrels, and bards of old, Layne cycled 4,300 miles across the United States. En route he regaled museums, libraries and arts centers with a gripping program of musical tales. His ambitious crusade is to awaken 10 million souls to the power of stories and the pursuit of dreams.
Layne will be working with each student for four weeks to develop their own individual oral stories. Desert Mountain High School (our co-collaborator) will send over a group of students to add sound effects and record each oral piece for broadcasting on our PTO website. The program will enhance and enrich student vocabulary, public speaking skills, provide lessons that tie to teacher curriculum and give students the unique opportunity to learn an art form rich in tradition and self expression. They will gain lifelong skills. The program will end in a storytellers café; a fun evening for the parents to come to the school and listen to their students stories in a casual, supportive group setting.
