Educators | CreativeSonoma.org

Onye Onyemaechi Individual Onye Onyemaechi has more than 30 years experience in education entertainment for schools, libraries, universities and museums. His goal is to bring the joy and soul of African music, culture and wisdom, teachings, important learning concepts, and celebration of diversity to pupils worldwide. He is a celebrated recording artist and performer who brings an invigorating powerful experience to hundreds of audiences across USA and Europe. A world-renowned master percussionist, performer and inspirational speaker, Onye is author of The Drum: Voice of the Village, and band leader and manager of Onye and the Messengers, an AfroBeat World Music Band. He has been a member of the Massachusetts Performing Arts Student Series, Young Audiences of San Jose, Arts Council Santa Cruz County,Young Imagination, ArtsBank Education programs, and is currently on the League of Volunteers-Arts In Schools roster and LBC Artist In the Schools Teaching Artist. Onye’s programs for children have earned him a McDonald’s Foundation Recognition Award and he has been featured on NBC and the Wisdom Channel.

Petaluma Arts Center Organization Petaluma Arts Center is dedicated to building our community’s creative capacity by making art an increasingly vital and meaningful part of our public life.

Petaluma Arts Center offers art programs, classes, and workshops in Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS.) Visual Thinking Strategies guides participants through an energizing, empowering discussion designed to make art accessible, enjoyable, and thought-provoking for all ages; they lead student participants on a path that helps build lifelong skills.

The Center also offers school tours and summer enrichment day camps.

Play Marimba! Organization Not your usual elementary school band! Giant instruments, earth shaking sounds and virtuosic playing combine into a music program that kids just can’t get enough of. We offer a joyful music making experience for children and teens in a technology-free social environment that stretches mind-body coordination, establishes leadership skills, and builds confidence backed by capacity. Founded at Loma Vista Immersion Academy in Petaluma by school principal Jorge Arvizu and musician Tobias Sparks, our program started in 2016 with 8 students and is growing exponentially. Loma Vista is a dual immersion English-Spanish language school with a 70% hispanic population. The program celebrates the heritage of Loma Vista students by integrating traditional music from Latin cultures into its diverse curriculum. We also offer an after school ensemble for high school and junior high school students to continue their studies after graduating from Loma Vista. Play Marimba Programs provides your students with a rigorous arts programs that celebrates and honors the diversity in classrooms. We provide complete packages for your sites including: Classroom Instrument Sets Take Home Practice Marimbas Standards Based Curriculum Student Access to our Online Video Library Robust, Ongoing Training for Your Staff.

Sandra Rose Novia Individual Sandra Novia is an artist and art instructor, living in Sonoma County for 26 years. In addition to teaching, she is a commercial and fine artist. Sandra works as a graphic designer, color consultant, and is currently providing team building and group art workshops throughout Sonoma County. Her educational programs include teaching in local Sonoma County public schools independently and with local educational programs. Most recently with the Rincon Valley Education Foundation enrichment program (virtually), The Museum of Sonoma County; Art and History and with Creative Sonoma's art in trauma education program, as a response to the fires of 2017, reaching all school districts in Sonoma County. Other organizations include local art centers, Sonoma County Public Libraries, Sonoma State University Excel programs, as well as providing private classes for home schooled students and private students. She passionately has dedicated over 26 years to ensuring that art education is firmly planted in the educational programs of our school systems and her community. An East Coast native, she received her formal education in Boston, the south of France, and San Francisco focusing on design, drawing, and sculpture. She has also founded two galleries for emerging artists. Her love of art has encouraged her to travel to different parts of the world, experiencing some of history's most amazing art and enthusiastically shares those experiences with her students. Sandra has also completed the Kennedy Center Teaching Artists professional training pilot program, hosted by the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, as well as many other Arts Integration professional development training's at the LBC.

Santa Rosa Symphony Institute For Music Education Organization The Santa Rosa Symphony Institute for Music Education has been widely recognized for having one of the most comprehensive music education programs in California, serving educators, families and nearly 30,000 students annually. Integrated programs are designed for K-12 young people beginning with Free Concerts for Youth and progress through Training Young Musicians and Community Outreach. Whether it’s training musicians of the future or fostering a love of music and a lifetime involvement with the musical arts, the Symphony’s commitment is unwavering. Music For Our Schools Music For Schools has four components that can assist teachers in the great work they are doing to provide musical experiences for their students. The programs reach approximately 30,000 elementary school children each year and includes the Elementary School Listening Program, field trips to concerts at Weill Hall, tickets for the Santa Rosa Symphony Discovery concerts, and a two year music immersion program. The programs are all at no or low cost to the schools. Training Young Musicians The Santa Rosa Symphony offers opportunities for beginners to advanced students, including a full complement of five youth ensembles and a three-week Summer Music Academy. The ensembles have a place for children between the ages of 5 and 23. String Orchestra Workshop is a non-auditioned group for beginners. The Debut Youth Orchestra, Aspirante Youth Orchestra and Santa Rosa Symphony Youth Orchestra all provide successive training. The Young People's Chamber Orchestra is a conductor-less string orchestra.

Sonoma Community Center Organization OUR MISSION: Cultivate a vibrant community through extraordinary creative, cultural and learning experiences. The Sonoma Community Center is a member-supported, not-for-profit organization since 1953, and is housed on the campus of the historic Sonoma Grammar School. For over six decades, the Center has worked to inspire creative expression and enhance quality of life by bringing world class programming to the Valley of the Moon, and to preserve and restore our grand, historic building. The Center’s campus was built in 1916 and resides just two blocks east of the historic Sonoma plaza.

Sonoma County Taiko Organization

Sonoma County Taiko has been teaching and performing Japanese taiko drumming locally since it was established in 1995. Our mission is "to build a community of acceptance harmony and respect through their love of taiko."

We perform at assemblies, cultural events, and festivals at local schools and communities. We also offer one-time or series of workshops in classrooms and at our dojo.

We can customize the presentation according to the school's/event's needs. For example, we can explain the history of taiko for cultural events or include audience participation for activity-oriented events.

Sonoma Jazz Girls Individual Jazz improv class for junior high and high school girls located in Sonoma County. About the class: Sonoma Jazz Girls is a jazz improv class for junior high and high school girls of any level. Learn to solo on trumpet, trombone, sax, and bass. Basic skills on instrument required (know a few major scales). Relaxed pace but will prepare for the professional jazz world. Starting again in the fall of 2023. Location TBA in Sonoma County. One hour a week. Drop in. Suggested $10 per class but no one turned away for lack of funds. We learn how to follow chord changes. We talk about jam session etiquette and gigging. We watch videos of women jazz musicians. We make connections that will last a lifetime. We play without worrying what anyone will think. About Sonoma Girls Jazz Instructor, Rae: I graduated from Cal State Hayward (now East Bay) in 1996 and taught elementary and junior high band for ten years. I continue to teach private trombone lessons and am in the adjunct professor pool at Santa Rosa Junior College (applied trombone). In high school I was first chair trombone in the California all state honor jazz band and have been gigging professionally since before then. Big bands used to be my favorite gigs, but now I prefer smaller combos. Besides music I love being a mom, nature, writing, telling people to vote, good food (though I hate cooking), baseball and softball, and I'm more fun than I look.

Sonoma Valley Museum Of Art Organization SVMA’s mission is to build community around art, which reflects our commitment to providing critical arts education, public art and humanities programs, and innovative, thought-provoking exhibitions tied to social and human experiences. SVMA serves the Sonoma Valley region and a wide range of visitors from the Bay Area and beyond. SVMA invites all 4th and 5th Grade students and teachers in Sonoma Valley to participate in our free A.R.T.S. (Art Rewards The Student) Program which culminates in a student exhibition at the Museum. Additionally, SVMA offers Gallery Visits year-round for K-12 students and their teachers.

The Imaginists Organization Every aspect of the Imaginists’ education programming is designed to encourage creative freedom, collaboration, and to empower the individual voice. Students learn acting, voice, movement, writing, and devising original theatre. Our programs connect students, teachers, schools, and communities with artists through long-term relationships that invest in Santa Rosa’s youth. We focus on bridging the arts equity gap by providing high quality arts experiences to students from Title One schools, mentoring aspiring artists, and offering paid internships. We provide bilingual (Spanish and English) theater residencies on site at local partner elementary & middle schools.

Valley Vibes Youth Orchestra Organization Valley Vibes Orchestra is a youth enrichment program with a mission to change lives through music. Through learning and making music together, we inspire our members to believe that everyone has the power to change their life and succeed. Every school day youth in grades K-12 meet after school and participate in two hours of intensive, ensemble-based music lessons. Open to all students in Sonoma Valley, we are especially proud to offer our program to students who would not have the opportunity otherwise and currently 80% of our members come from low income households. Beyond engaging youth in building musical proficiency, ViVO is a youth development program based on best research-based practices. ViVO's objectives are to foster (1) a sense of belonging and confidence; (2) youth voice and leadership ; (3) building skills and mastery in music ; and (4) community involvement and contribution. As such, our goals for ViVO members are not only to become proficient and engaged musicians, but also to develop life and social-emotional skills to succeed in school, community and life.

Young Actors Studio Organization Young Actors Studio is a resident theatre company of the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts providing year-round classes, camps and performances for Sonoma County youth and families out of the intimate 72 seat Left Edge Studio Theatre. Theatre Arts have the ability to inspire creativity, build confidence and teach the power of teamwork. Through classes and performances we spark young people's imaginations and bring them a love for learning that lasts a lifetime. THEATRE CLASSES Year-round classes for students age 6-16 of all skill levels are offered by professional working actors. Beginners enjoy games and exercises with fellow drama enthusiasts. Serious students can hone their craft. STAGE PERFORMANCES The process of putting on a play requires imagination, courage and commitment. Through rehearsals and performances, we aim for young people to develop new skills and experience firsthand the power theatre has to inspire and unite. We invite our community to share in the transformative power of theatre by participating in or attending our shows. We seek ways to provide low-cost and often no-cost tickets to area schools.