LiveConnections to Honor Drexel ExCITe Center's Youngmoo Kim at 2017 BIG HURRAH

LiveConnections, the Philadelphia-based organization that creates unique programs which inspire learning and build community through collaborative music-making, will honor YoungMoo Kim, director of Drexel University's ExCITe Center, with the 3rd annual Connector Award at this year's Big Hurrah.

The event, which is LiveConnections' annual feel-good, music-making, fundraising extravaganza, will take place on Tuesday, November 14, 2017 at World Cafe Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia).

LiveConnections' Connector Award honors someone who shares LiveConnections' vision for crossing boundaries and who works to build bridges, create collaborations, and fuel innovation through the power of connection and relationship. Youngmoo embodies that-he's an innovator at the intersection of science, technology, digital literacy, education, the arts, design and entrepreneurship. He and ExCITe are LiveConnections partners, spearheading the design of LiveConnections'"Cybersounds" Bridge Session, an interactive live experience that uses computing and large screen projections to help kids visualize and learn about how sound works and how technology enables us to make music. He will also be a partner in an upcoming project LiveConnections is launching for people with disabilities, in which he and the ExCITe Center will create a way for those who are hard of hearing to visualize music and participate in a large community singing event.

New this year, LiveConnections will also present the Young Connector Award to a Philadelphia student who demonstrates creativity, leadership and the ability to foster connections among people. Teachers from LiveConnections' partner schools will submit nominations, and the awardee will be announced in October.

The Big Hurrah will also feature a variety of performances that showcase LiveConnections' innovative and collaborative music-making, including "Cybersounds" trio Andrew Lipke, Angela Zator Nelson, and David Rosen, "African-American Spirituals" trio Allen Pinkney, Luke Carlos O'Reilly, and Kwasi Burgee, students from partner schools, and plenty of other surprises. A star-studded guest list includes a cross-section of the people who make up LiveConnections' community: artists, students, teachers, donors, and music-lovers of all ages.

Additionally, World Cafe Live's signature appetizers and themed food stations will be available throughout the event. Draft beer, house wine, and non-alcoholic beverages are included, plus a cash bar is available for other drinks. All proceeds from the event support LiveConnections' educational and community programs.

LiveConnections' Big Hurrah will take place on Tuesday, November 14 from 5:30-8:30PM at World Cafe Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia). Tickets ($100 in advance/$125 day-of) are currently available via LiveConnections' website, liveconnections.org/bighurrah17.

IF YOU GO:

LiveConnections Big Hurrah

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

5:30PM-8:30PM

World Cafe Live

3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia

Tickets $100-125

www.liveconnections.org/bighurrah17

About YoungMoo Kim: YoungMoo Kim is Director of the Expressive and Creative Interaction Technologies (ExCITe) Center and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Drexel University. He received his Ph.D. in Media Arts and Sciences from MIT in 2003 and also holds Master's degrees in Electrical Engineering and Music (Vocal Performance Practice) from Stanford University as well as a B.S. in Engineering and a B.A. in Music from Swarthmore College. His research group, the Music & Entertainment Technology Laboratory (MET-lab) focuses on the machine understanding of audio, particularly for music information retrieval. Other areas of active research at MET-lab include human-machine interfaces and robotics for expressive interaction, real-time analysis, synthesis, and visualization of sound, and K-12 outreach for STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Design, and Mathematics) education.

Youngmoo is recipient of Drexel's 2012 Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching. He was named "Scientist of the Year" by the 2012 Philadelphia Geek Awards and is a member of the Apple Distinguished Educator class of 2013. He co-chaired the 2008 International Conference on Music Information Retrieval (hosted at Drexel) and was an invited organizer for the National Academy of Engineering's 2010 Frontiers of Engineering conference. He currently serves on a National Academies committee exploring the integration of higher education in the arts, humanities, sciences, engineering, and medicine. His research is supported by the National Science Foundation and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

Youngmoo also has extensive experience in music performance, including 8 years as a member of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, the chorus of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He has performed in productions at American Musical Theater of San Jose and SpeakEasy Stage Company (Boston) and currently sings with The Tonics, a local a cappella ensemble. He has also served as Resident Technologist with Opera Philadelphia.

About LiveConnections: LiveConnections creates unique programs that inspire learning and build community through collaborative music-making. In 2008, a team of artists, educators and entrepreneurs founded LiveConnections to address declining music education in Philly schools and tap into the people-connecting power of music.

Each year, LiveConnections brings more than 5,000 students from city schools to World Cafe Live for our signature Bridge Sessions. These interactive educational programs blend live performances with hands-on activities, introducing students to diverse musical cultures and building skills in listening, expressing ideas and synthesizing new information. We also offer a number of in-school and after-school residencies at partner schools, providing sustained, in-depth music-making experiences for young people.

LiveConnections prioritizes accessibility for people with disabilities who face barriers to participation in the arts. We present several Bridge Sessions annually targeted for youth and adults with cognitive and physical disabilities, and our interactive, adaptive approach means individuals may fully engage at their own ability levels. Live webcasts of select sessions allow people unable to travel to the venue to participate.

In the spirit of innovative community-building that drives our organization, LiveConnections curates a critically acclaimed concert series featuring adventurous, boundary-crossing collaborations. Our LiveConnections Presents series puts together Grammy winners, local talent and rising stars. We frequently commission new music that blends musical styles and cultures.

For more information, visit liveconnections.org.

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