CoPA Now
Fall 2021 Orientation
We’re delighted to welcome incoming CoPA students during Orientation Week!
All orientation activities at The New School including those for College of Performing Arts students will be held between August 23-27.
Orientation events were developed with all students in mind. Both onsite and remote opportunities will be available to accommodate students who are unable to attend in person. RSVP to let us know whether you will be joining in person or virtually for Orientation Week!
Every CoPA student will receive a personalized orientation schedule sent via email in early August. If you have not received your orientation schedule or have questions, please contact copaorientation@newschool.edu.
Learn more about the orientation events offered at CoPA!
Table of Contents
CoPA Core Workshops
These sessions will allow you to get to know your fellow students from across the College of Performing Arts through workshop experiences related to the themes and values of the CoPA Core curriculum. Participation is required for all entering undergraduate students. All students will be assigned into multidisciplinary groups that will participate in two of the following four workshops during Fall 2021 Orientation. Please refer to your personal CoPA orientation schedule to see which CoPA Core Workshops you will be attending during Orientation.
CoPA Core Workshop:
Graphic Scores as Multidisciplinary Collaborations
Led by Rebekah Heller
In this workshop, students of all disciplines will experiment with building graphic scores for one another to interpret. Using shapes, colors, and rules that we collaboratively set, students will let their creativity reign free in both their compositions and their interpretation of fellow students’ works. Performances will include instruments, voices, movement, breath, and text: the sky’s the limit!
Mannes faculty member Rebekah Heller is Co-Artistic Director and bassoonist of the renowned International Contemporary Ensemble, and has premiered hundreds of new works on stages the world over. Committed to fostering conversations around new ways music can be experienced and shared, Heller has been a featured panelist at the New York Philharmonic’s “Insights at the Atrium,” the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Miller Theater and the Abrons Arts Center.
CoPA Core Workshop:
Running To The Fire While On Fire!: Artistry as Social Practice
Led by Gayle Fekete
This workshop will kindle community. How do we give and take, ask for what we need, and hover in possibility? As socially engaged artists, what are our best practices? Tuning into body, mind and spirit, this workshop will include movement, voice, narrative, creative process and collaboration. What are the creative practices that best support meaningful social practices? Let’s lean in. Let’s listen. Let’s be accountable.
Associate Dean of the School of Drama, Gayle Fekete has been associated with Urban Bush Women NYC as guest artist and consultant on numerous international residencies and summer institutes. She is a creative consultant/dramaturge for independent performance practice. Her interests include dancetheatre, choreography, installation architecture, and performance practice that challenges class, race, culture and identity. She also is an independent producer and performs with PRISM, Mechanism Dance Theatre, Rennie Tang/Architect, Opera Del Espacio, and The Market Gallery Studio in Los Angeles.
CoPA Core Workshop:
Playing Electronics: Technology as a Catalyst for Creativity
Led by Levy Lorenzo
This interactive experience will allow incoming CoPA students to employ tools for electronic experimentation. How can you enhance and extend your artistic voice with technology? This workshop will provide a fun, engaging entry into the world of electronic sound manipulation and will preview some of the electronics curriculum available at CoPA.
CoPA faculty member Levy Lorenzo works at the intersection of music, art, and technology. On an international scale, his body of work spans custom electronics design, sound engineering, instrument building, installation art, free improvisation, and classical percussion. With a primary focus on inventing new instruments, he prototypes, composes, and plays live electronics. As an electronic art consultant, Levy designs interactive electronics ranging from small sculptures to large-scale public art installations. His work has been featured at STEIM, Harvestworks, MIT Media Lab, Darmstadt, Banff Centre, Pitchfork.com, Slashdot.org, Inspirefest, G4TV, Grey Group, Bose, The New York Times, BBC, and Burning Man.
CoPA Core Workshop:
Fostering Connection: Breath and Noticing
Led by Chaelon Costello
The workshop will offer students the opportunity to create community while drawing their own experience of that creation into awareness. Through breath, embodied exercises, short meditations, and using Jean E. Taylor’s “Strategies for Noticing,” we will gain a greater knowledge of our peers and ourselves while developing tools for ease and readiness.
Drama faculty member Chaelon Costello is an actor and teaching artist based in Brooklyn. Chaelon has served as a Resident Teacher with the Williamstown Theatre Festival and has taught in Residence at Bethel Woods Center for the Performing Arts. As an actor, Chaelon has been invited into workshops at BAM, The Old Vic, and with Frantic Assembly. Chaelon’s credits include: The American Dream by Dipika Guha (The Old Vic), The Review or How to Eat Your Opposition by Donnetta Lavinia Grays (The Women’s Project) Lulu (Dixon Place), Hamlet (Kraine Theatre), The Illusion (The Cell), Richard III, and 4.48 Psychosis, R&J: The Webseries (Ready Set Go Theatre Co.), The Art of Gaman (workshop) by Dipika Guha (Fault Line Theatre Co).
Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice at CoPA Workshop: Saying Yes
Led by Dennis Hilton-Reid and Cheryl Clark
After the events and pandemics of the last two years, it may feel like the Apocalypse is beating down the door to let Dystopia walk in.
What a time to be at The New School. What a time for innovative ideas on social justice in music, acting, writing, composing, directing, instrumentation, improvisation, and voice. What a time for self-discovery, for personal examination and experimentation, for taking risks, and for challenging yourself.
All of this is accessible if you say YES.
Yes, to new ideas.
Yes, to change.
Yes, to new people.
Yes, to the things that scare you.
Join CoPA Director of Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice Dennis Hilton-Reid and faculty member Cheryl Clark for a conversation on how we can say yes and begin building a more just and inclusive creative community.
CoPA All Student Welcome
Monday 08/23/21
10:00am – 11:00am ET
All incoming CoPA students are invited to a virtual welcome event hosted by the Deans of the College of Performing Arts.
https://NewSchool.zoom.us/j/96947318986?pwd=Q3dxcEw4b1JUNE4rOVF4SXJ6Y091dz09
Program / Advising Meetings
Jazz BFA Program / Advising Meeting
Monday 08/23/21
11:30am – 12:30pm ET
All incoming Jazz BFA students will attend this program/advising meeting.
https://NewSchool.zoom.us/j/97417690314?pwd=cjIwRWw5REo3WmttTjVJVE5GSzdTdz09
MA AME Program / Advising Meeting
Monday 08/23/21
11:30am – 12:30pm
All incoming MA AME students will attend this program/advising meeting.
https://NewSchool.zoom.us/j/92932599114?pwd=eThzL210YktNTjQ1OEc3ZklHSFc2dz09
Mannes BM Program / Advising Meeting
Monday 08/23/21
11:30am – 12:30pm
All incoming Mannes BM students will attend this program/advising meeting.
https://NewSchool.zoom.us/j/97432748762?pwd=UHdHdlZMQ0VsaEQ5MmNScURSdktjQT09
Drama BFA Program / Advising Meeting
Monday 08/23/21
1:30pm – 2:30pm
All incoming Drama BFA students will attend this program/advising meeting.
https://NewSchool.zoom.us/j/96321672362?pwd=ejlsTU5TQ0RQTDZkcjA4SEk3L21WUT09
Mannes MM / PDPL Voice Program / Advising Meeting
Monday 08/23/21
1:30pm – 2:30pm
All incoming Mannes MM/PDPL Voice students will attend this program/advising meeting.
https://NewSchool.zoom.us/j/96487309403?pwd=OS93LzFoZ01PVS9Zd2Z2QWs3bHA0Zz09
MM PC Program / Advising Meeting
Monday 08/23/21
1:30pm – 2:30pm
All incoming MM PC students will attend this program/advising meeting.
Drama MFA Program / Advising Meeting
Monday 08/23/21
3:30pm – 4:30pm
All incoming Drama MFA students will attend this program/advising meeting.
https://NewSchool.zoom.us/j/99948041665?pwd=QkdHdHlwbUR5U2pJVllZYUVWVWovdz09
Mannes MM/PDPL Piano / Guitar Program/Advising Meeting
Monday 08/23/21
3:30pm – 4:30pm
All incoming Mannes MM/PDPL Piano and Guitar students will attend this program/advising meeting.
https://NewSchool.zoom.us/j/93287032423?pwd=V3NBeXVlTDh4WEt0SzZTbG1MVERSUT09
Mannes Voice & Opera Meeting
Tuesday 08/24/21
9:00am – 10:00am
All incoming Mannes Voice and Opera students will attend this program meeting with Emma Griffin, Managing Artistic Director of Mannes Opera.
https://NewSchool.zoom.us/j/97370555132?pwd=N3FHcTJLdk9aYnh5U3Jtdy8rMHdWdz09
Mannes MM / PDPL Instrumental Performance Program / Advising Meeting
Tuesday 08/24/21
10:00am – 11:00am
All incoming Mannes MM/PDPL Instrumental Performance students will attend this program/advising meeting.
https://NewSchool.zoom.us/j/94341274150?pwd=aEJ2ak90SE4vWGpneFZiTFdDNkloUT09
Mannes MM / PDPL Comp / Theory / Conducting Program / Advising Meeting
Tuesday 08/24/21
12:00pm – 1:00pm
All incoming Mannes MM/PDPL Composition, Theory, and Conducting students will attend this program/advising meeting.
https://NewSchool.zoom.us/j/95745572112?pwd=SkZGMXpMeWlHTzFod1pwNW9QNi9Jdz09