|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Quotes | Programs | Bio | Library Songs (MP3) | Why I Am An Arts Educator "I've seen Andy Offutt Irwin work with students from rural Georgia and inner city New York – both were eating out of the palm of his hand! He has that extraordinarily remarkable ability to make people laugh and lose themselves in the moment of his performance.
He was a huge hit at LaGuardia! Not a week goes by that some student doesn't walk up to me and say "When's that guy from Georgia coming back?"
Andy Offutt Irwin, music and young people: A magical combination..."
Jerry Ulrich
Director of Choral Studies LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and the Performing Arts (The "Fame" school) - New York City
"You could think of him as just a singer who blends leaping, jumping, bare-footed dragons and libraries in sixty seconds. Or you could think, 'now here's a man who understands the importance of language and language acquisition as it relates to emergent literacy learning and family literacy.'"
Dr. Molly S. Kinney,
introducing Andy as the Keynote Speaker/Performer at the Library of Congress-Virburnum Foundation Conference on Family Literacy "It was like a whole year’s worth of music therapy in one afternoon!"
Crossroads Psychoeducational Center
Newton County Public Schools "First of all, Andy is funny! They told me he could work with younger and older kids... He can! He related to all ages. He’s so warm, Nobody knew they were learning (and they were)!"
Vivienne Kurland
Davis Academy "...his composing lyrics on the spot is and fun for all ages ...he even created songs around our theme at a camp for children with disabilities... I have dealt with Andy as a Physical Therapist and PTO President, and I was always amazed at his performances!"
Linda Reagan
Physical Therapist Newton County Schools "We loved hanging around with Andy, working with Andy and seeing what he could do with our audiences! It doesn't get much better than that!"
Susan Hester Edmunds
Iberia Parish Library System New Iberia, Louisiana "...a healthy way for our students to relieve stress by providing an atmosphere of laughter... ...insightful, flexible, personable, and a pleasure to work with... ...I highly recommend Andy Offutt Irwin..."
Jennifer Taylor
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts "Andy Offutt Irwin was wonderful! The students were thrilled!"
Gene Pinion
Spivey Hall Claton State University “Wow!”
“Fantastic!” “Andy’s really great!” “We enjoyed learning from Andy!” “Does he have to go?” This is a sampling of remarks that middle school students from Tallulah Falls stated as Andy ended his one-week residency. Andy had a keen interest in the students and spent extra time and effort to get to know them individually. He made them feel extra special and developed a bonding relationship within a short period of time. Andy also created a non-threatening environment for the students in the classroom. This allowed students to express themselves freely in their own creative manner without fear of failure or ridicule.
As a teacher, I was extremely pleased with his strategies and techniques in the classroom a he actively involved the students every day. The emphasis of our residency was telling stories, which was easily accomplished by Andy. As a result of this residency, students used skills they had learned from Andy and applied them to developing stories with a greater depth and creative dimension. I would highly recommend Andy for your residency; the students will love his caring, warm, and witty personality.
Killeen Jensen
Tallulah Falls School "An incredibly talented entertainer! Andy totally engages the audience through delightful stories and songs. Each performance is an action packed, fun filled experience for children and adults!"
Becky Walstrom
University of Missouri – St. Louis Director, St. Louis Story Telling Festival
Andy Offutt Irwin Since 1991 he has very much enjoyed his part-time day job at Oxford College of Emory University. He has served as the Interim Director of Theatre, Flunky to the Chaplain, and Underling to Everyone in Campus Life. He was the 2001 recipient of the Sammy Clark Award for Exemplary Teaching and Service. Andy spent the first five years of his career writing, directing and performing shows with the comedy troupe SAK Theatre at Walt Disney World. Now a much happier singer/songwriter/storyteller and arts educator, Andy has presented workshops and residencies for LaGuardia High School of Art & Music and Performing Arts in New York (the FAME! School), City University of New York, Georgia College & State University, Atlanta City Schools, and many other school systems around the Universe. In 2000, Andy was the featured performer/speaker at the Library of Congress/Viburnum Foundation Family Literacy Workshop. He is world famous with children and children's librarians in the South. He is an artist with Young Audiences of Atlanta and receives fee support from the Georgia Council for the Arts as a member of the Touring Artists Roster. He is an Artist Partner with Character through the Arts, and Artful Learning (TM) in which the Leonard Bernstein Model is taught through a series of ongoing professional workshops and mentoring relationships with teachers. He can design programs and residencies around just about any idea or subject. Honest. In 1983 he received a B.S. in Sociology from Georgia College.
Here's a little essay by Andy called "Why I am an Arts Educator." Library SongsHere is music Andy wrote for Vacation Reading Program
|
|
|
