Quad City Arts Visiting Artist Robin Spielberg -- November 5 and 7.
Tuesday, November 5, 6 p.m.
Rock Island Public Library Watts-Midtown Branch, 2715 30th Street, Rock Island IL
Thursday, November 7, 2:30 p.m.
Wesley United Methodist Church, 400 Iowa Avenue, Muscatine IA
Appearing in a pair of relaxed, 45-minute public events as a guest in Quad City Arts' Visiting Artists Series, renowned pianist, composer, actress, and author Robin Spielberg hosts respective presentations in Rock Island and Muscatine on November 5 and 7, this lauded Steinway artist and founding member of the Atlantic Theatre Company also a national celebrity artist spokesperson for the American Music Therapy Association.
As co-founder of the Atlantic Theater Company, Spielberg wrote the music for the organization's first musical, Balloonland, in 1991. She has acted in off-Broadway plays including Howard Korder's Boys' Life and The Lights at Lincoln Center, composed music for David Mamet's translation of Three Sisters (directed by William H. Macy), and had roles in two of Mamet's children's plays that aired on NPR. In 1993, Spielberg self-released her solo piano debut album Heal of the Hand, which was later released by North Star Music. It became their best-selling album in 1994 and 1995, and Spielberg was consequently added to the Steinway Artist roster in 1996. The following year, she made her concert debut in a sold-out performance at Carnegie Hall's Weill Hall. To date, Spielberg has released 24 studio albums and has had five top-10 Billboard charting albums. With her music having been nominated for a Hollywood Independent Music Award and a Hollywood Music in Media Award, Spielberg's works have been featured on PBS and the History Channel.
The artist has also toured throughout the United States and Eastern Asia, and last year, Spielberg made her orchestral debut as piano soloist with the Brazosport Symphony Orchestra featuring her original work for full symphony, By Way of the Wind. Her memoir Naked on the Bench: My Adventures in Pianoland received positive reviews, with Kirkus calling it "a well-paced musical memoir about the value of perseverance," and the importance of music therapy is a recurring theme throughout Spielberg's career. She is a national celebrity artist spokesperson for the American Music Therapy Association, and in that role, Spielberg often conducts seminars and workshops on the transformative power of music in hospitals, schools, and community centers while on tour. She has also performed fundraisers for medical and other charities, and in 2014, Spielberg gave a talk titled "The Healing Power of Music" at Lancaster, Pennsylvania's inaugural TEDx event.
In her presentation "Overcoming Performance Anxiety," Spielberg discusses how performance anxiety or "stage fright" is a common phenomenon experienced by both pro and amateur musicians, athletes, actors, speakers, and students. It is rarely discussed in the classroom, but its presence greatly diminishes our ability to do our best in public. In this workshop, Spielberg helps students identify the underlying issues that create the physical, emotional, and mental symptoms associated with PA and works with each individual using specific techniques that result in an uninhibited relaxed performance that keeps the artist focused, calm and ultimately, anxiety free. Meanwhile, Spielberg's "Music & Mental Health" demonstrates how scientific data supports that music has an impact on our health: it can elevate mood, improve focus, sleep and enhance both our physical and mental health. During this program, Spielberg explains the science of music and the brain, and provides strategies for implementing music to reduce stress and anxiety.
During her area tenure as a Quad City Arts Visiting Artist, Robin Spielberg will appear in two public presentations: at the Rock Island Public Library's Watts-Midtown Branch on November 5 at 6 p.m., and at Muscatine's Wesley United Methodist Church on November 7 at 2:30 p.m. Admission to both 45-minute events is free, and more information on Spielberg's visit and the Visiting Artist Series is available by calling (309)793-1213 and visiting QuadCityArts.com.
