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Seize the Summer!
Athletes, musicians, dancers
– anyone who has to perform
at a high level year in and year
out – make a point of staying in
training during the offseason.
The same goes for academic
endeavors – if you don't do
something to keep the rust off,
studies show you'll actually lose
ground over the summer.
In case this comes as news to
you, we've provided a scary link
to: "Your Brain on Summer," by
Jeff Smink from The New York
Times, 28 July 2011, the gist of
which is: use it or lose it.
If you value learning for its own
sake and want to keep your
momentum going en route
to college, Wonderworks or
something like it should be part
of your summer. Wonderworks
at the University of Houston is
more than just a change of venue
– it's fresher, more relaxed and
far more challenging than school
as you probably know it. In fact,
it's almost like being in college
but with the luxury of pursuing
a single area of interest without
distraction. And since it's only
five weeks out of three months,
you'll still have plenty of time left
to chill, travel, save the world, or
whatever else comes next.
SUPER STUDIOS
Science finds what is already there,
but the artist makes that which is not there.
Louis I. Kahn, "Talks with Students," 1969
I have sometimes cast actors in roles quite outside their normal range. This generally ends
in commercial failure, but from the artistic point of view I have known it to give excellent
results. It delights me to use an actor in a style which is not his own; he is obliged to vary
his acting in a manner hitherto unknown to himself. He may even recover some of the
freshness which makes the acting of beginners so attractive.
Jean Renoir, My Life and My Films, 1974
Architecture, filmmaking, and acting are all exercises of imagination, though grounded to
a greater or lesser extent in reality. They are not for the risk-averse. Pedagogically, they
tend to be coached more than taught, but the aspiring artist also benefits from a broader
and increasingly sophisticated knowledge of what others have done and how they've gone
about it. As a practical matter, the making of "that which is not there" involves a partially
"do-it-yourself" mode of conservatory-like, assisted exploration and practice that takes
place in design studios; on location, soundstages, and in editing suites; and in rehearsal
halls and onstage, with and without an audience. This creative semi-freedom is only part of
the process by which artists develop their talent; it also entails self-criticism and diplomatic
but pointed criticism by others in order to shape, reshape, edit or refine a building
design, film, or performance.
These studios presuppose no prior experience in the study of either architecture, filmmaking,
or acting, just a willingness to try something new the way it's taught in college (which
may also come as a revelation even if you've already gotten a taste of it in high school).
Finding your groove may be a bit frustrating at times, but mistakes are something even the
best architects, directors, and actors inevitably make from time to time – and learn from
too. With this in mind, we focus on process and learning outcomes rather than the illusory
gratification of overachieving final products; our approach is that of an age-appropriate
starting rather than finishing school. You may or may not find you have talent really worth
cultivating, but even if you don't, the not-so-random style points you pick up along the way
through lectures, films and field trips will help you appreciate buildings, movies, or plays
in new and unexpected ways.
PAGE TURNERS
A heedy reader shall often discover in other men's compositions perfections far different
from the author's meaning, and such as haply he never dreamed of, and illustrateth them
with richer senses and more excellent constructions.
Michel de Montaigne, "Various Outcomes of the Same Plan,"
Essays I:24 (1572-80)
When the mind is braced by labor and invention, the page of whatever book we read becomes
luminous with manifold allusion. Every sentence is doubly significant, and the sense
of our author is as broad as the world.
Ralph Waldo Emerson, "The American Scholar," 1837
The best moments in reading are when you come across something – a thought, a feeling,
a way of looking at things – which you had thought unique and particular to you. Now
here it is, set down by someone else, a person you have never met, someone even who is
long dead. And it is as if a hand has come out and taken yours.
Alan Bennett, "Staring out of the Window," Untold Stories, 2005
Reading comes first because writing, like speech, begins with imitation and improves with
practice. Our literature courses are taught from both a scholarly and writerly point of view,
combining the what with the how of things. We'll help you learn to read between the lines
while introducing you to authors who don't always – or even usually – find their way onto
high school reading lists. And since no one has a monopoly on insight, you'll occasionallylook at what other people have said about what you're reading, while developing your own
take on what you read.
The courses are reading-intensive, though you'll also try your hand/fingers at writing each
week. You'll be responsible for reading a long article or story or several short ones or
several chapters of a book each evening and over the weekend in preparation for the next
class, just as in college. These courses are for avid readers only – if you haven't done the
reading completely and thoroughly beforehand, you can't contribute to and benefit fully
from class discussions and lectures. Most writing assignments will also be done in the
privacy of your own home or favorite coffee shop, before they're line-edited and further
"workshopped" in class.
Most mornings are spent around a seminar table, with mixed media enhancements to
make connections to the readings via video, radio, filmclips, and music downloads. Afternoons
are reserved for an eclectic assortment of films that relate to and extend the sense
of what transpires in the morning and which, like the readings, may be destined to stay
with you for some time to come.
THE TAKE AWAY
Wonderworks gives no grades and awards no high school or college credit. But if you
take the time and make the effort, you'll not only add to your knowledge and skills, you'll
also have the opportunity to impress some very perceptive teachers who might later be
disposed, as individuals, to serve as supplementary recommenders when you apply to
college. In the meantime, they can help informally to demystify the process of applying
to college in general. In most cases, you'll also have the opportunity to develop writing
samples or other examples of your work to add to portfolios and maybe even a wellcrafted
personal statement to help put your best foot forward – though none of these is a
substitute for good grades and courses on your high school transcript and the test scores
to back them up.
When the fall comes and you go back to high school or even begin your college career, you
may find that Wonderworks has helped you learn to get more out of what comes your way
academically. Literature students may notice they're better at critical reading and, by some
process of osmosis, writing too. Filmmaking students may start thinking and watching
outside the multiplex box and even second-guessing directors. Would-be actors may realize
they've acquired a more nuanced appreciation of the ins and outs of dramatic storytelling,
while also having made the acquaintance via film of some of the most unforgettable
performers they'd never met before. And veterans of the architecture program may have
somehow gained the almost magical power to see through buildings instead of simply taking
them at face value. We can't guarantee it, but it's been known to happen.
NOTA BENE
Just because studio and class work is ungraded doesn't mean we aren't paying close attention
to how you're doing. We don't micro-manage on purpose so you can have enough
space to engage the material, get comfortable with it, and take off from there. But we do
expect you to consistently keep your head in the game; interact politely, considerately and
cooperatively with faculty and fellow-students; and be in class on time every day ready to
give it your all, all day long. You must also be able to respond appropriately to constructive
criticism of your work, which is an important part of our modus operandi. Your good standing
and continued enrollment in Wonderworks depend on getting these few things right
the first time – there are no do-overs.
Wonderworks studios and classes place a premium on process and progress, intellectual
curiosity and creativity. We favor "messy vitality" – to borrow Robert Venturi's elastic
phrase – over pat solutions and easy answers. We're here to help you try things out that
may seem difficult at first but which, once you get the knack, will help you take your
game to the next level. Think of Wonderworks as a community of teachers and students
who come together for five weeks each summer, a kind of pickup band that makes room
for both solo and ensemble work, and where you get to try your chops with some of the
best player-coaches around. Wonderworks is not for everyone, but for those who have the
patience and talent, we'll do our best to make your summer one to grow on.
For more information: info@wonderworkshouston.org