It’s a week to celebrate the transformative power of the arts in education. Here at Arts for Learning Virginia, we served more than 78,000 students during 2019/2020. We’ve collected thoughts from some of those we’ve impacted plus from some of our talented artists. Enjoy! Strings Impact Mila Stith, student violinist, Portsmouth Public Schools: “I liked […]
About Me
Mosaic is not just a name; however, it is the underlying concept of the ensemble as its membership’s demographics are representative of a variety of ages, races, socio-economic backgrounds and cities of residence. The ensemble’s repertoire is a mosaic, which demonstrates the versatility of the steelpan art form. The orchestra’s set list includes the Soca and Calypso styles generally associated with the instrument, but also consist of works from the genres of Classical, Jazz, Afro-Cuban, and American popular music; giving Mosaic Steel Orchestra a broad appeal.
Immediately following their debut performance in July 2007, Mosaic Steel Orchestra’s first summer season was completely booked with engagements throughout the region. Since its establishment, the group has performed at various events on the campuses of Hampton University, Norfolk State University, James Madison University, Old Dominion University, The College of William & Mary and Elizabeth City State University exposing members to various college-life settings. On the national scene members of Mosaic Steel Orchestra performed in the New York Steelband Panorama with Sesame Flyers Intl’ Steel Orchestra, which provided members with invaluable experience in an authentic large band Trini-Style performance. The orchestra has also presented out-of-region on the campuses of Miami University of Ohio, University of Delaware and at the Pan Masters Steel Band Jamboree in Brentwood, MD.
In August of 2015, Mosaic Steel Orchestra was invited to compete at the inaugural International Panorama held in Trinidad and Tobago. The honor of being invited to participate in this event was extended to only 3 bands from the United States. Joining with members of the Cordettes Steel Orchestra from Sangre Grande, Trinidad, and the Rising Stars Steel Orchestra from the U.S. Virgin Islands, Mosaic Steel Orchestra went on to be named one of the top 20 steel bands in the world. As the word continues to spread about this captivating ensemble you can expect many more local, regional, national, and international performances.
