Youth & Teen Creative Workshops

This workshop allows the opportunity for youth/teens to develop individual style by applying various concepts and techniques to express their own ideas using melody, harmony, rhythm, improvisation, and lyrics.

• Youth/teens are encouraged to bring music they have been working on (optional).
• Youth/teens will have the opportunity to present at the end of the workshop – (optional).

Yolonda Lavender (local Kalamazoo artist) - Yolonda Lavender is a national recording artist with the independent label Truth Tone Records. She is a singer/songwriter, curator, composer, arranger and performing artist from Kalamazoo, whose sound is soul-based with gospel, r&b, hip-hop, blues and jazz influences. Yolonda has showcased her artistry in artistic spaces around the country and shared stages with the likes of artists such as Erykah Badu, En Vogue, Keith Murray, The Spinners and more. 

Learn creative ways to think on the spot, create characters, test your memory, build confidence with stage presence and public speaking.

Crawl Space (Tara Sytsma) - Crawlspace Comedy Theatre is Kalamazoo’s home for improv and sketch comedy. If you’ve got a craving for the odd, the spontaneous, and the hilarious, crawl space is the place to go.

Learn creative poetry structures and rhythms to express your thoughts, feelings, and emotions into a story.

• Bring material you have been working on
• Create new
• Present at end – optional

Speak it Forward, Inc – Dedicated to transforming the lives of youth and adults by using spoken word poetry as vehicle to raise awareness, challenge stereotypes, break down barriers and instill a sense of empowerment in the community.

This workshop allows the opportunity for youth/teens to develop individual style by applying various concepts and techniques to express their own ideas using melody, harmony, rhythm, improvisation, and lyrics.

• Youth/teens are encouraged to bring music they have been working on (optional).
• Youth/teens will have the opportunity to present at the end of the workshop (optional).

Jessica Ivey - Jessica L. Ivey is a Vocalist and Teaching Artist from Detroit Michigan. She graduated from Western Michigan University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Musical Arts and a minor in African American Studies. After noticing heavy Eurocentrism and suffering from a lack of coherency in her curriculum, she heard the call to decolonize music education.

Jessica has been teaching and engaging  with students for over 12 years in early childhood education, as a mentor, as a teacher, and more. Her social justice work as a community student organizer has informed her passion to teach from a culturally responsive paradigm and prioritize joy. She is a singer, songwriter, and vocal producer who performs individually and with independent band/label: Last Gasp Collective. For more information about her work and musical catalog visit singgjess.com

A beginner dance class that explores techniques from different dance genres, tips on stage presence, and simple choreography. The class is guaranteed to be energetic and fun!

Trinity Prep Center - Ms. Adiah, Ms. Courtney, and Ms. Carmilla opened the doors of Trinity Prep Center in Kalamazoo, MI in the Summer of 2014. TPC offers affordable dance lessons in Ballet, Tap, Hip Hop, Jazz, and Tumbling for youth. Their mission is to use positive influence to help youth reach their maximum potential.

Learn creative poetry structures and rhythms to express your thoughts, feelings, and emotions into a story.

• Bring material you have been working on
• Create new
• Present at end – optional

Speak it Forward, Inc – Dedicated to transforming the lives of youth and adults by using spoken word poetry as vehicle to raise awareness, challenge stereotypes, break down barriers and instill a sense of empowerment in the community.