Performing Arts news update. Spring, 2007. Website: WWW.PADNFB.org Mailing Address: Brooke Fox. Performing Arts Division. PO Box 4203 New York NY. 10163 Phone: 917 903-5650 President’s e-mail: DHolston@nyc.rr.com Greetings to all performing arts members. This spring has been a busy time for the division. We have been working on the Sound in Sight album, witch is the biggest project ever undertaken by the division in its seven year history. The deadline to submit tracks was April 1. On April 11, the leadership committee began selecting songs for this compilation album. There were submissions from all over the nation, and of many different genres. When the selection was all said and done, the album had a great mix of country, pop, R and B, latten, and other kinds of music. The board voted to put 18 songs on the album. Along with lots of original tracks, you will be treated to a few famous covers. We hope to have this album out by the summer convention. Along with this album, there will be a limited amount of a CD interview with some of the artists on the album. After the convention, the album will be sent out to the general media, and made available on the internet. You will also be able to access the bios of most of the artists by going to the performing arts website. This album was financed by the performing arts division, artist’s contributions, and a few sponsors that will be mentioned in the next news update, and will be on the site by convention. Along with the interviews and other preparations for the album release, the president made the performing arts website a lot easier to go to. In May, the website address became WWW.PADNFB.org. While you will still be able to use the old address for a few more months, this new address is a lot easier to remember, and it is a lot shorter, there by making it more public friendly. More changes will be coming to the site in the next few months. As part of his plan to align the division with outside entities across the nation, President Dennis Holston visited Philadelphia in May. In that visit, he met with the head of an upcoming performing arts internet TV station and life coaching organization. The division and the TV station president will be exploring various ways to help each other and the larger performing arts community. President Holston is also working to establish ties in Atlanta, and Massachusetts. These ties will provide the division with people who run production studios, and other performing arts related services. If you plan to come to this year’s convention, it is now possible to pay your division dues before you get there. You can do this in 1 of 2 ways. You can mail your $5 check into us using the mailing address at the top of this update. Make checks payable to National Federation of the Blind Performing Arts division. If you have access to a computer, you can do it on line. Go to WWW.PADNFB.org and click on the Memberships and Donations link. Once there, you will be able to use a credit card. If you would just like to contribute money, please use the same methods. Please consider donating to the performing arts division to help fund the many programs that are in the works, and please encourage others to do the same. The more that the division raises, the more prepared we will be to offer subsidies, scholarships, and other programs. The performing arts division agenda for this year’s summer convention is now available. Below are the performing arts related activities. • June 30, Performing Arts Division presentation to children Kindergarten to Second Grade (ages 5-7) 1:45 - 5:15 pm (Session Two). Room A701, Atrium Level. • July 1, Division Exspo. 1:00 - 5:00 pm, Marquis Ballroom Salon D, Marquis Level. • July 2, Performing Arts president speaks at teen event. He is one of many division reps that will be at this event. 11:30 am - 12:30 pm Room L401, Lobby Level. • July 2, general performing arts meeting. 1:00 - 4:00 pm Room L507, Lobby Level. • July 3, Talent show. Open to all. 7:00 - 10:00 pm Imperial Ballroom Salon A, Marquis Level. If you have any issue that you would like to see the division take up, or any ideas for projects or initiatives, please feel free to send that in using one of the contact methods at the top of page 1. We hope to see you at this year’s convention. Mary Anne Parks: Secretary. Dennis Holston: President Performing Arts Division.