By Judy Shuler-
One of the great voids in our collective shut-down and slow-down, was live performance. Infinity Arts Café in downtown Jamestown is stepping in with its first live performance in nearly three years.
“While we had many live online events throughout the COVID era, November 17th’s show will be our first in-person performance with a live audience since February 2020. We are all very excited,” says Shane Hawkins, executive director of Infinity Visual and Performing Arts. Show hours are 7-8:30pm at their Lynn Building location; the performance entrance is at 300 E. Third St. The roster of performers is still being finalized.
The theater space features a new mural by Ashley Pickering, new lighting, and coming in December, a theater curtain. Founded by Ron Graham in 1998, the performance will also celebrate the 24th anniversary of the founding of Infinity. Like many ideas, it began in a private living room. The concept was to create opportunity for aspiring young musicians to build and enhance their creative talents and performance skills through working with local professional musicians and educators. Since then it has evolved into a multi-faceted music and arts education non-profit organization housed in a 14,000 square foot performance and learning center. Infinity was chosen as the name to represent boundless potential for growth.
Pre-COVID, “Infinity worked with 1,500-2,000 students annually, with 300-400 of those being onsite membership students taking private lessons and group classes weekly,” Hawkins says. “While we are still rebuilding post-COVID, we are at about 85 percent of pre-COVID numbers for our onsite membership students.” Returning to live performance is a critical part of what Infinity offers students, she adds.
Access to the program is guaranteed to any student with demonstrated desire to pursue learning in the visual and performing arts, without regard to gender, ethnicity, social or religious background, prior experience, performance level, or ability to pay.
All instructors have practical experience such as touring, performing, or working for theaters or dance companies, and many also have bachelor’s and master’s degrees within their fields.
Artistic director is Jamie Lee. A staff of some 30 instructors offer guidance and training in piano, strings, dance, photography, theater, art, voice, horn, percussion, composing, sound technology.
Alumni of the program credit it with life-changing skills; some have returned or remained as staff helping today’s students.
Double bassist Alexander Svensen, who now lives in New Haven, CT, has played with chamber ensembles across the Northeast and Midwest, and performs as principal, section and section soloist with professional symphony orchestras in the Northeast. “Much of my success in classical music is due to the practice regimens and theory study I learned from my studies at Infinity.”
Cale Hawkins, a full-time recording and performing artist in Brooklyn, says “if I had not joined Infinity, my life would be very different right now. It’s impossible to find a better environment in which young musicians can hone their individual abilities, while also learning how to work with others in musical and professional environments.”
Eric Pearson went on to become Director of Community Guitar Programs in Austin, TX. “Overall, my experiences there (Infinity) helped define my passion for both music and working with young students. I have been an educator and went on to work in non-profit community programs.”
Mitchell Alpaugh, Ft. Wayne, IN, provides technical support for Sweetwater Sound. “Infinity had so many benefits, but the one benefit that really carried in to my professional life was the musical chops it had helped me develop.”
Stephanie Rogers now works for Infinity as grants and marketing coordinator.
More of their stories, plus names and backgrounds of instructors, can be found at infinityperformingarts.org. Class registration is also available on that site.
“Music and the arts are for everyone,” Hawkins says. “All students find a place to belong at Infinity. It is a wonderful thing to be a part of.”