On a recent Thursday morning, the Linden High School auditorium was alive with rhythm, imagination, and bold self-expression. But what might have looked like a special event was, in fact, just one moment in a powerful six-week creative journeyโ๐๐ง ๐ข๐ง๐ง๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ข๐๐๐ง๐๐ฒ taking place during regularly scheduled classes led by Music and Theatre Director Howard Whitmore, with support from ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐ญ๐๐๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ (๐๐๐๐๐).
Thanks to Title IV funding, ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ญโ๐ฌ ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ & ๐๐๐ซ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฑ-๐ฐ๐๐๐ค ๐ข๐ง-๐ฌ๐๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ฅ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ข๐๐๐ง๐๐ฒ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฆ for students in Whitmoreโs Madrigals and Musical Theatre classes. Every Thursday from early March through April, the workshops are designed to spark creativity, build performance skills, and give students the tools to express themselves in powerful new ways.
According to ๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฐ ๐. ๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ณ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ข, ๐๐ฎ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐ฌ๐จ๐ซ ๐จ๐ ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ & ๐๐๐ซ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐๐ & ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐ฌ, the collaboration serves a deeper purpose.
โWorking with NJPAC aligns with my departmentโs goal to bring real-world opportunities to our students,โ said Lorenzetti. โFor students to strive for a higher level of performance, they need to see and hear what that looks and sounds like. Bringing professionals to work with our students gives them an opportunity that students typically cannot access. Itโs been fun watching their interaction.โ
๐๐ก๐ฒ๐ญ๐ก๐ฆ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ: ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ข๐ง๐
First up each Thursday morning is Whitmoreโs Madrigals class, where students are immersed in NJPACโs โHip Hop Emceeinโ/Rap (Rhythm and Poetry)โ workshop. In these sessions, students use percussive and melodic rhythms to create original written-word pieces that reflect what matters most to them. As NJPAC describes it, the residency delivers โa high-energy experience where students make a statement about whatโs important to them.โ
On April 3, NJPAC teaching artist Kyleel Rolle, a Newark-based MC and educator, challenged students to think of their chorus as a thesis statement. โItโs what your whole song is about,โ he told them. โAs an MC, your goal is to move the crowdโwith your words, your story, and your energy.โ
Rolleโs sessions blend musical technique with self-empowerment, encouraging students to confidently express themselves. โIf you feel something, speak on it,โ he said. โChances are, someone else feels the same way. Thatโs what connects us.โ
๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ฌ: ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ
Immediately following the Emceeing session, the focus shiftsโbut the creativity doesnโt stop. Whitmoreโs Musical Theatre class transitions seamlessly into ๐๐๐๐๐โ๐ฌ โ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ โ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฉ, where students trade rhymes for scripts and explore the foundational elements of dramatic storytelling.
On April 3, under the guidance of NJPAC teaching artist Henry Gardner, ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ง ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ฒ ๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ญโ๐๐ง ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ featuring two daughters lost in the desert, a magical camel with opposable thumbs, and a quest to grow a money tree. The whimsical story showcased the studentsโ imagination, teamwork, and understanding of scene structure.
โThey took every idea, justified it, and turned it into something cohesive,โ Gardner said. โThatโs what playwriting is all aboutโcollaboration, creativity, and crafting a story through character and conflict.โ
The workshop, as described by NJPAC, helps students โgain a better understanding of what makes a playโ while developing short scenes or one-act plays of their own by the end of the residency.
๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ซ๐จ๐จ๐ฆ, ๐๐ฐ๐จ ๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐ ๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐ฌ, ๐๐ง๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ
Though our visit on April 3 offered just a snapshot, it reflected the full scope of this dynamic residencyโone that unfolds entirely within Howard Whitmoreโs classroom, under his watchful eye. With his leadership and NJPACโs expert teaching artists working hand-in-hand, students engage in real-world arts education experiencesโwithout ever leaving campus.
As the six-week program continues through April, students will continue refining their creative projectsโEmceeing students sharpening their lyrical performance and Playwriting students shaping original dramatic scenes.
And whether theyโre delivering rhythm and poetry or performing from the page, one thing is sure:
Lindenโs young artists are finding their voices, telling their stories, and rising boldly into their moment in the spotlight.