Musical Theater Summer Program Gives Students a Sense of Agency Joy Lamberton Arcolano, the programs director, discusses her collaborative approach to teaching theater to middle-school aged students.
By
Darry Madden
April 12, 2023
Joy Lamberton Arcolano
Joy Lamberton Arcolano loves her Youth Musical Theater summer program. For one or two weeks each summer, students ages 11 to 14 sing, dance, and act, of course, but also develop what she calls their instruments of self in service to greater personal agency in everything they do.
An award-winning actor and voice actor, Arcolano brings decades of experience in theater education and a deep conviction to her program. With a master's degree from Harvard in arts in education, she developed a curriculum that challenges students to be collaborative artists and meets middle schoolers where they are developmentally.
What makes the Youth Musical Theater program unique? What we are trying to do is have each person grow in their understanding of their instrument of self. How do they play themselves as an instrument to share a story with an audience? We do instrument-of-self work every day. And then we also incorporate that with the nuts and bolts of a high-level arts education camp. We have some of the best teachers in the country. Isaac Leaverton is amazing, and Kristen Katsimpas is our choreographer on staff. Theyre both Boston Conservatory faculty and theyre top of the game.
You are cognizant of the nature of theater being a group of individuals within an ensemble. The average theater program goes, Lets put on a show. Yes, of course. But I'm also very specifically thinking about the development of the individual artist within the collective. Im holding a space for the whole group, but I am more interested that every single person gains some skills and some agency over the course of the time that I spend with them than there being a fancy show at the end.
Could you describe what the practice of teaching artistry means for you? A teaching artist is not an artist who happens to go teach and not a teacher who happens to do art. The art that I am making is a collaborative endeavor with the learners that Im working with. Ive brought that into the Youth Musical Theater program. It's different than other theater programs, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.
There is a mental health awareness component to your curriculum. Can you talk about that? Middle school is a big, transitional time. Its the separation from the parent and family community into valuing the peer group a little bit more. Youth Musical Theater is a place where the peer group is being shaped around how do we develop? and how do we celebrate what we already know?
Which levels of experience can students expect to find in their fellow campers? Our youngest are as young as 11, and some of them are just kind of trying musical theater for the first time. Other kids have been on national tours.
Is it challenging to have such a range of experience in the students? The more experienced students bring this really lovely level of dedication and professionalism that they model for the other students. And they are in with a group of people that are just excited to run around and sing and dance because this is cool and new-that level of enthusiasm is infectious and reminds some of those older kids why they loved it in the first place.
There is also an age differential at work. We use proximal development to our advantage.
Our goal throughout the week is that everybody gets a line of solo. We do that with 60 kids. Its definitely not a place where we are oriented around That one person is so amazing. Instead it's Wow, look at this ensemble. Thats a really important part of why I think mixed skill groups are really, really useful.
What is feedback you hear from alumni of the program? That the students feel included and they feel heard.
We educate all of the faculty and staff about judgmental language, and that means we do not offer empty praise either. We work towards observation-based language only when providing feedback.
A huge thing when I direct shows with students: I dont block anything. A lot of directors come in and say, Heres all the blocking. This is where you stand. Do this, do this, do this. Thats the experience that my students are coming in with. Its that theyre puppets. This program is my love letter to the death of puppetry. I really would like the students to actually be collaborating artists.
To be collaborating artists, they both need to develop their understanding of their instrument of self so that theyre making informed decisions about how they can or cannot be in a space and whether they can speak or sing or meet the note. But then I also am giving them this space where they understand what a collaborative relationship is like.
What can a student expect to take away from a week in Youth Musical Theater? Confidence in the agency they currently have. And new friendships.
Related Categories
News
Most Popular
Erica Muhl is inaugurated as Berklees president at MGM Music Hall at Fenway on April 4.
Image by Michael D. Spencer
Berklee Celebrates the Inauguration of President Erica Muhl Muhl is the first woman and fourth president to lead Berklee.
Latest
Image courtesy of Rachel Pac
Student Spotlight: Rachel Pac The music education major talks about her passion for teaching, a podcast she started as a result of a class project, and her mentor, the late faculty member Jarritt Sheel.
Berklee President Erica Muhl and Heekyung Jo Min, executive vice president and head of corporate social responsibility at the CJ Group
Image by Kelly Davidson
Berklee Renews Educational Partnership with CJ Cultural Foundation The Seoul, South Korea-based foundation will provide financial aid to Korean students for the next five years.
K
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
18/08/2026
SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...
18/08/2026
The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...
18/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/08/2026
The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...
18/08/2026
William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...
18/08/2026
DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...
18/08/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...
18/08/2026
The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...
18/08/2026
Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...
18/08/2026
Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...
Musical Theater Summer Program Gives Students a Sense of Agency Joy Lamberton Arcolano, the programs director, discusses her collaborative approach to teaching theater to middle-school aged students.
