Washington Informer

As a toddler growing up in Louisville, Ky., Valerie Coleman, founder of the Imani Winds ensemble, used to pick up tree sticks on the ground and pretend she was playing a flute. When she reached age 11, Coleman began playing the instrument in fifth grade and within three years had written three symphonies.

“I loved the flute so much that my mother never had to make me practice,” said the New York resident. “Although I had started playing the flute somewhat late, I made up for lost time.”

That love for the flute would turn into a life-long love affair, and now Coleman, 38, is one of the most respected classical flutists in the country. With Imani Winds (the name means faith in Swahili), which she founded in 1997, Coleman travels the world with four other musicians who will perform in concert on Fri., Feb. 27 at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Eleven District of Columbia high school students rocked a packed audience of fellow students, teachers, parents and other supporters as they competed in the Poetry Out Loud State Final’s Recitation Competition at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre on Mon., Feb. 23. Poetry Out Loud is a program created by the National Endowment for the Arts and Poetry Foundation to encourage the development of public speaking and memorization skills in high school students through poetry recitation.

The D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities sponsored the contest and TV One’s Princess of Controversy hosted the event. DJ Chris Styles provided the musical interludes between each contestants’ performance.

Two attendants guarded heavy curtains that enclosed a private, V.I.P. access only area at the close of the Disney’s Dreamers Academy of 2009. Inside were 100 of Disney’s special guests, who got a rare chance to talk one-on-one with comedian, actor and nationally syndicated radio personality, Steve Harvey, who gave them straight dialogue, “like I talk to my kids”, about not letting the bad things in life deter their dreams. This was not a time for camera clickers or any interference to distract from the message that was no jokes, no chasers, a side of Harvey that many have never seen.

These V.I.P.’s were 100 nationwide high school students selected through a contest on the Steve Harvey Morning Show, for the second Disney’s Dreamers Academy with Steve Harvey held over President’s Day weekend, Feb. 12-15. Dreamers and a guardian won a trip to Orlando Disney to be transformed by four days of seminars, motivational talks and workshops designed to give them tools to rise above challenges in their homes, neighborhoods or physical disabilities and to see that their dreams have validity and can come true.

Success, for pianist Jade Simmons, once meant being on the biggest concert tours and performing on the largest stages. But for the Houston native, her goal has changed because of work with issues around teenage suicide. 

I  now ask am if I making a lasting impact. Is every day on Earth counting for something? I feel that you are a failure if you haven’t found your purpose,” said Simmons, 31. A former Miss Illinois who admits to being an overachiever as a child, Simmons will perform in a free program on Feb. 22 at the National Academy of Science in Northwest in D.C. The 3 p.m. program will be in the auditorium, and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

A native of Charleston, S.C., Simmons is a graduate of Northwestern University and Rice University, where she obtained a master’s degree and studied with Jon Kimura Parker. As a Miss America contestant in 2000, she performed Chopin’s Etude in c-sharp minor, Op 10, No. 4 before a live television audience.

Bur for the musician who regularly lectures on teen suicide, Simmons said the topic of teen suicide prevention is one that is worthy of receiving attention.

“It is the third cause of death among young teens,” said Simmons who adopted the issue as her platform when serving as Miss Illinois.

As Miss Illinois, Simmons spoke to Congress on mental health funding and was present for a national strategy session to prevent teen suicide.

Neither of Simmons’ parents were professional musicians, but she played the clarinet and viola in school, with an affinity for percussion music.