Part One
The Sensoria Festival at Central Piedmont Community College began as the CPCC Literary Festival some 20 years ago, hosting literary giants and up and comers from around the world. This year, two of the major speakers for the festival include poets- one is North Carolina’s Poet Laureate who spends a lot of time working with veterans, and the other was the poet for President Obama’s 2013 Inauguration. We’ll meet them and hear how each use poetry to help bring attention to issues about which they feel strongly.
Guests
Richard Blanco- Poet for President Obama’s 2013 Inauguration, writer and teacher
Joseph Bathanti - North Carolina’s 7th Poet Laureate (and former CPCC instructor)
Melissa Vrana - Associate Dean of Arts & Communication at Central Piedmont Community College, spokesperson for Sensoria
Part Two
If you are a shy kid in Charlotte, what is one of the most fun ways to break out of your shell? To become a rock and roll musician, of course! At least that’s the recipe the folks at Charlotte’s School of Rock drum up for shy kids, kids tired of piano lessons and kids who just wanna rock. The School of Rock isn’t just a place for kids to learn loud music and pounding rhythms, for many kids it is where they find their true identity, their voice and their place among their peers. We’ll talk to the general manager of the Charlotte School of Rock as well as a parent who has seen how rock music changed her son in positive ways.
Guests:
Jill Livick—General Manager, Charlotte School of Rock
Drea Cunningham—Parent of a School of Rock student