The Director and creator of The Music Machine, Janet Carr-Campbell, has loved music, theater, and arts her whole life, and has been teaching and sharing it with hundreds of toddlers, school age children, and adults as much as she can. Anyone who has children ages 3 to 18 who like to sing, dance, and perform, will love this program. It builds self-esteem, fosters lifelong friendships, and helps te
ach skills the participants will use the rest of their lives. There are many siblings, relatives, and friends that join the program, especially once they have seen someone they know performing, and can see how much happiness and excitement it brings to the participants, their families, and the audiences. The program is for all skill levels, with no experience required. Rehearsing and learning in a fun, group atmosphere will give the kids plenty to be excited about, and they can invite friends and family of all ages to watch and see what they’ve accomplished. There are several groups that form the cast of The Music Machine, Dance Machine, and Mini Machine. Which group a participant is put into is primarily based on the age of the participant, and to some extent, the skill level. Mini Machine is a short program, with two sessions, for children ages 3 to 6 years old. It is a branch of The Music Machine, but the rehearsals and performances are separate from the 6 – 18 year old groups. The participants will learn some easy songs to sing, and some simple choreography, with a performance at the end of each session. Music Machine has groups 1 through 3, for ages 6 to 18, is a 6 week program, and runs in conjunction with Dance Machine. In these groups the participants learn to sing age appropriate, clean songs while doing choreography. The choreography and singing skill levels increases with the age groups and incorporates more moves around risers, more props, and costumes. Participants in Dance Machine are taught choreography to music, similar to dance recitals. The primary dance styles used are jazz, hip hop, but others may be used depending on the theme and skill levels. In these numbers, the skill level of the participants plays a role in how complicated the choreography is. Unlike more competitive dance groups, each participant will perform in all numbers for their group. We believe this gives all participants and equal opportunity to learn and perform to the best of their abilities. Even if children have never been in any kind of performance, or even seen a show performed, The Music Machine program is meant to help children learn, and for experienced performers, improve their skills, and learn new routines. Participants get a glow of excitement and a feeling of accomplishment when they learn something new. There are also opportunities for parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends to help with the production. There’s a group of people who work backstage to make the props, decorations, and all other “Behind the Scenes” magic happen. There’s also a need for adult/parent volunteers in the dressing room areas during the shows, and many other ways to help out. Several alumni now have children, and grandchildren, in the program! All past participants are invited to come and learn a number, which will be performed on opening night, at the Discovery Theater. Please call or e-mail us for more information! After everyone’s hard work, performances are the best way to show off the numbers and skills they’ve developed. Anyone, whether a lifelong lover of performing arts, or someone seeing the children perform for the first time, will find themselves singing, clapping, and cheering on the kiddos as they put their hearts and souls into bring the “Magic of Music” to life.
