The National Endowment for the Arts’ Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge is a national contest for high school students presented in partnership with the American Theatre Wing, in collaboration with Disney Theatrical Productions, Concord Theatricals and National Music Publishers’ Association’s S.O.N.G.S Foundation. The goal of the program is to engage the musical theater field in nurturing the next generation of songwriters. Winners are paired with a professional theatrical coaching team consisting of a mentor and music director to hone the student’s original song into a Broadway-ready composition. Their song is then recorded by Broadway musicians and vocalists in New York City. Final songs are distributed on streaming music platforms and compiled into a songbook created by Concord Theatricals.
One of the 12 winning songs is by Floridian Alejandro Rodríguez, a Colombian composer/performer. He graduated Cypress Bay High School in Weston and is currently pursuing a degree in Music Composition at Florida State University. Rodríguez has been doing musical theatre and music since he was in elementary school, participating in various musical productions in and out of school, as well as taking voice, piano, acting, and dance lessons. He is currently writing a musical called My Elijah, a gay love story set in Europe during World War II. Some of his music for My Elijah can be heard on his recently released EP “Songs from My Elijah” on most streaming platforms. Alejandro’s winning song, “Days from Long Ago,” is taken from My Elijah. He would like to thank the NEA & American Theatre Wing for this incredible opportunity as well as his family and friends for their endless support.
The Division of Cultural Affairs would like to thank Alejandro for answering a few questions about himself and his art.
How long have you lived in Florida?
I was born and raised in South Florida, near Fort Lauderdale. My whole family is Colombian and they moved to Florida two years before I was born.
What got you started in theatre?
When I was 7 years old, I started taking voice lessons at Broadway Kids Studio in Davie, FL and was introduced to the amazing beauty that is Musical Theatre. I remember the first musical theatre song I ever sang was “Mister Cellophane” from the musical Chicago. Then a few years later, I saw my first musical which was the Broadway tour of Wicked and that basically formed my love for theatre and Broadway.
How did you find out about the Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge? What was the process of preparing and applying like?
I was doing the show 35mm at Broadway Kids back in February 2020 and my director forwarded me an email about the Songwriting Challenge and told me that I should apply. At the time, I had recently released an EP on all streaming platforms of a few songs from the show I’m currently writing, My Elijah, as part of my sister Valentina’s college senior thesis. “Days from Long Ago,” was on that EP and so I decided to submit that song. I submitted the track, the score, and the storylines of the song and the show, and how the song fits into the show. I only found out about the competition about a week before the deadline but thankfully the application process was quite simple. The NEA extended the deadline due to the pandemic, so I didn’t hear from them for about five months. Then in August, I got an email saying that I advanced on to the final round of judging and then about a month later, I got another email saying that I was selected as one of the 12 national winners for the challenge. I didn’t think I had a chance at all of being selected since it was a national competition, but I’m so thankful to have this opportunity and for the whole experience.
What are some of your artistic influences? What are you currently working on?
Lin-Manuel Miranda is probably one of my biggest artistic influences as a Latinx composer and performer. He has not only created revolutionary and inspiring masterpieces such as Hamilton and In the Heights, but also starred in them, which is basically what I aspire to do. Before knowing about Lin-Manuel, I didn’t think it was possible for that to happen on Broadway, but I’ve seen that musicians like Sara Bareilles, Dave Malloy and Billie Joe Armstrong have gone on to perform in their shows. Other artistic influences include Amber Riley, Stephen Schwartz, Stephen Sondheim, Anaïs Mitchell, and Jessica Vosk. At the moment, I am currently trying to finish writing and composing My Elijah, as well as creating other works primarily for musical theatre.
In your opinion, what is your greatest work or moment that you’ve been a part of within your local arts community?
Yikes, do I have to pick just one? I think it would be either creating my EP “Songs from My Elijah” with my sister or performing in Spring Awakening at Inside Out Theatre Company in Sunrise, Florida. Probably the EP more because I was in Philadelphia with my sister, who produced and sang on the EP, and I got to work in a recording studio and meet so many phenomenal musicians and vocalists from my sister’s university.
What do you think of when you hear our motto “Culture Builds Florida”? Why are arts and culture important to our state?
It’s very self-explanatory when you see it. Culture is what makes a civilization, no matter where you go. Arts and culture play a key role in society and I think that without those things, what are we? Arts and culture not only entertains us, but also educates us, informs us, inspires us, and allows us to see things from different angles.
Is there anything you would like to add?
Check out “Songs From My Elijah” on all streaming platforms, follow @myelijah_musical on Instagram and @myelijah on Facebook and be on the lookout for my song, “Days From Long Ago,” on the upcoming #IWriteMusicals 2020 Musical Theatre Songwriting Challenge album!
Founded in 1986 as the result of a movement to create a children’s museum by the Junior League of St. Petersburg, Great Explorations maintains a significant presence in the Tampa Bay area and nationwide. A member of the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Association of Children’s Museums, Great Explorations was the first mid-sized children’s museum to receive accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums. It is the only accredited children’s museum in Tampa Bay and one of fewer than a hundred accredited children’s museums nationwide. Great Explorations is committed to upholding museum standards of excellence through its work with children and families in the St. Petersburg community and beyond.
Since its founding, Great Explorations has remained steadfastly committed to education through a variety of avenues both inside the museum and out in the community. We provide S.T.E.A.M. based educational exhibits and programs daily on the museum floor for visitors and school field trip groups. Our Museum InReach field trips provide elementary-aged children with opportunities for unrestricted self-guided “purposeful play,” providing a unique multi-sensory approach to the traditional classroom subjects taught in school. As funding permits, Title 1 schools and nonprofits are granted free field trips and bus vouchers to ensure students access to our museum; and for many of these students, it is their first visit to a museum in their lifetime.
Our educational programming for school-aged children extends to summer camp opportunities as well as after school programming that not only provides homework assistance but extends learning opportunities beyond school hours in our nurturing, enriching and fun environment. Our community outreaches also allow us to take our educational programs mobile, bringing hands-on interactive S.T.E.A.M. activities directly into the most at-risk communities, providing access to high-quality, fun, educational experiences to those that are unable to access these programs at the museum due to monetary or transportation barriers.
After consulting with the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities, Great Explorations launched “Great Connections” in January 2014. The goal of the program was to provide a less crowded and stimulating time for families of children with special needs to explore the museum. We provide extra staff for increased safety and supervision and a “cool down room” for children who need a break.
We are thankful to be one of many organizations that have begun to offer sensory-friendly experiences. It has always been our goal to represent a more inclusive environment that might encourage families to feel more comfortable participating in other museum programs like camps, Parents’ Night Out, and special events, opening the door to a more inclusive experience for all families at all times. We are thrilled to say that we have witnessed this to be the case since the program’s inception. Many families continue exploring the museum even after we open to the general public, and many speech and occupational therapists use our “child-sized world” as a safe place for therapy during standard operating hours.
In the five years since its launch, Great Connections has been a huge benefit to our community because it connects people. It connects family members to each other through interactive engagement fostered by play, it connects families to other families facing similar challenges, and it connects families to services and support from local organizations. We hope to continue to adapt to the needs of the community and to represent the holistic benefits of providing inclusive environments that celebrate the diversity of our community’s children.
Great Explorations is also committed to engaging differently abled adults. In 2017, the museum was approached by three women, now affectionately known as the “Brain Dames”, about being involved in an ongoing program that would provide experiences that could benefit adults with memory loss. In partnership with AARP and the “Brain Dames”, as well Great Ex’s Director of Community Initiatives, Lael Arango, we launched “Memory Monday” in 2018.
Memory Monday is unique in that it goes beyond providing a social experience or a “keep Grandma occupied” experience by presenting high-quality activities that enrich and engage participants. For example, the 
Memory Monday benefits the community by reminding people with memory challenges that their brains are still able to learn and that they are still able to enjoy new experiences. We have also created numerous partnerships with organizations that aren’t necessarily on the front lines of serving families with memory loss, bringing diverse organizations together to serve a growing population in a unique and creative way.
In 2012, we were “reborn” as Arts Alive Nassau and started offering three programs: a dulcimer class, an elementary school band, and a visual art class. Originally, we worked with three elementary schools and provided the classes after school. Over the past six years, we have grown to providing 20 after school classes and two classes with the ESE program during the school day. We are now a presence in each of the nine elementary schools in the county. The schools don’t charge us anything for the use of the space and we are able to offer our instruction free of charge, in exchange. It’s a wonderful relationship because finding space and getting kids on location is often a problem. Through our partnership, the instruction happens right where they are and it has worked very well.
Jane: We offer music lessons, violin, ukulele, band… one of the elementary schools has both a brass ensemble and a drumline. We still offer our dulcimer classes as well as visual arts classes in painting, drawing, and puppetry. We also have a great partnership with a theater company in South Carolina, the Baillie Players, that has helped us produce musicals at Callahan Elementary School for the past five years. This year they are doing “Snow White”. The teacher at Callahan has all the music, scripts, choreography and casts the show and then our partner company will come down to coach the kids and bring the sets, costumes, and props. There are usually 40-50 students involved and it’s such a wonderful thing for the children. In Callahan, which has a population of around 1,300, the community members and families come out in droves to see the children perform– even the mayor usually makes an appearance! It’s a great event not only for the students involved but for the community, as well.
Jane: Each year, close to 600 students are involved in our activities. Currently, we have 255 students in our classroom-based programs. We’d love to be able to reach more students but are limited, like many organizations, by our budget.
It’s definitely seeing the children’s faces. When they get excited and they’ve just learned how to play something, they are so proud of themselves. I think that arts education presents the opportunity for children to find out who they are inside because to me, that’s what the arts give us. They allow children the opportunity to find out who they are through creativity. To see the awakening that takes place in every student and the self assurance and self esteem that comes from learning that they can perform and create in front of people is just amazing. I think that the arts are wonderful because you can have so much fun while you’re learning.
Since 2003, Art and Culture Center/Hollywood has dramatically expanded their education initiatives to include both summer and year-round programming for children, teens, and adults. They also have a successful Distance Learning program, which has provided arts education broadcasts to nearly 14,000 Broward County students since its inception.
One of their programs for teens, Arts Aspire, is a three-tier pyramid of defined, hands-on activities that promote strong leadership as well as college and career readiness for students and young adults ages 14-21. The program grew out of the Center’s thriving summer performing arts camps. It became evident to the education staff that as the campers were growing older, they were becoming interested not only in performing but in everything that was happening behind the scenes to support the productions. As a result, several interested students were invited to participate in an informal apprenticeship with the camps, exploring set design, lighting, and sound engineering, as well as leadership and business skills.
Students participating at all levels not only gain valuable work experience, but receive hands-on training in 21st-century leadership skills that are transferrable to any occupation. Arts Associates and Arts Apprentices are even paid for their work, providing many students with their very first formalized work experiences in an environment in which they are already comfortable. The Center selects up to 5 students each year as Arts Apprentices, 3-5 Associates, and around 20 Arts Ambassadors, with most spots available during the summer months. Many past participants have gone on to work in similar fields at other organizations or in college.
Founded in 1993 by a visionary group of local plant enthusiasts, Naples Botanical Garden is a 170-acre, world-class garden paradise that features plants from around the world. In 2017, Naples Botanical Garden became the youngest garden in history to receive the prestigious Award for Garden Excellence from the American Public Gardens Association. They are steadfastly committed to their local community, to award-winning horticultural design, and to comprehensive approaches to sustainability. The garden welcomes over 220,000 visitors per year in their themed gardens that include an orchid garden, a water garden, and a children’s garden, among many others.
Naples Botanical Garden presents their year-round W.O.N.D.E.R. in the Garden program, which began in July 2010. An informal educational drop-in family activity for children of all ages, W.O.N.D.E.R. is an acronym for “walk, observe, navigate, discover, explore, read.” The fun and engaging lessons are based on a monthly theme such as:
The program is appropriate for families with children of all ages, from toddlers to teens, and approximately 9,000 children and families have participated in the program since its inception.
Making Light is taking an inclusive cast — including both “neurotypical” kids and those with special needs — to the FTC’s Inclusion Festival this year. “The story of the musical is about acceptance and how differences make us stronger,” explained MLP executive director Juliet Yaques. “We are really excited to showcase, to our peers in the Florida arts community, how beautiful inclusion can look and sound.”
Making Light Productions is a Tallahassee-based non-profit organization with the mission of providing an inclusive performing arts education for children of all abilities, as well as providing job opportunities for adults with disabilities. “We began with just 21 kids in the converted garage of my Tallahassee home in 2016,” says Broadfoot. “And the demand for inclusive arts has grown to the extent – over 550 registrations in the past year – that we’ve outgrown locations twice now!”
After renovations, the new Making Light headquarters will also house a real on-site community theatre, explains Yaques. “Performance space has been a real challenge for us,” she said. “It is for all arts organizations in the area. But our challenges are unique.” She explained that children with special needs are often overwhelmed by new locations and take time to grow accustomed to the sights, sounds, even smells of a new room. “Some of our kids can’t participate in a piano recital or a theatre production if they have to do it in a brand new, rented location that they’ve only seen once before the show.” Having an on-site performance space, she said, will allow Making Light students to rehearse and perform in the same location, ensuring complete inclusion.
Making Light Productions’ inclusive cast of “Under the Rainbow” took the stage at Santa Fe College in Gainesville on Thursday, October 25, at 3:00 PM. The cast will also perform the show at Theatre Tallahassee on January 5-6, 2019. Tickets can be purchased at UndertheRainbowMusical.com.
Conductor, pianist, and Director of Education, Cody Martin, along with Pensacola Opera’s five Artists in Residence, provide mentoring and professional musical support throughout the academic year. The company also provides financial support to help underwrite the production costs associated with the students’ presentations.
The success of the program is due in no small part to the enthusiastic support provided by Angela Barberi, the Fine Arts Coordinator for the Escambia County School District, who is a strong advocate for the importance of the program. “Through our partnership with the Opera we are able to provide relevant arts integration professional development for our teachers and bring incredible Opera experiences to our most under resources students through From Words to Music and the Opera in Our Schools program.”
Culture Builds Florida 