Take another walk through the USN Arts Department

by Bo Daniel Parr, USNA board member
 
This spotlight on Arts Department Co-Chair Bakari King is Part II in a three-part series on USNA’ s Tiger Arts Program known as TAP.
As winter weather arrived with scarves and runny noses, I sat down with Bakari King, to talk about performing arts. King is now in his 12th year at USN, and his fourth year as co-chair of the Arts Program.
 
Bo: Tell me about your role as co-chair of the Arts Program.
 
Bakari: I take care of all things performing arts-related at USN: theater, band, dance, concert band, jazz band, vocal ensemble, and show choir.
 
I consider myself a safety net, making sure all of the little stuff is done for performances so that the teachers can focus on the students and the material. Our goal is to provide opportunities for students to explore all the facets of performing arts like playing a wind instrument, improv, tech theater and set design. We also want to prepare students for life in the sense that at some point you are going to have to speak in front of people, whether you are ordering in a restaurant, or making a presentation at work. We want to provide opportunities for students to be aware of how they present themselves and excel. It’s not about the finished product, but the process of getting there.  
 
Bo: What stands out for you as a professional highlight?
 
Bakari: One of my favorite things about our performing arts department is the teachers in the department practice their crafts outside of the school. The band director, Joe Getsi, gigs on the weekend; the vocal coach, Dee Hammonds, has released a CD recently; the assistant band director, Kyle Barboza plays in a band called Charge the Atlantic. I work as a professional actor. I think it is great for the students to see and hear about their instructors practicing the art they teach.
 
I am also very proud of the many opportunities that USN is able to provide beyond the classroom setting. We have band competitions, theater competitions, and this year the show choir will take a field trip to New York City. I love seeing the Alzheimer’s patients at Abe’s Garden light up each year when they hear the Jazz Band play oldies for them. I loved watching the tech theater kids interview autistic children when trying to design a set for a play about an autistic child. I love seeing Chamber Ensemble play for Gernert Studio Apartment residents. I am frequently reminded through my work how important the arts are to teaching valuable life lessons, and I think that is what we strive to do at USN.
 
[Close Curtain]
 
In addition to his work leading Middle School Theater, King coaches the cheerleading team, choreographs the annual Homecoming Pep Rally, plays alongside students in the Jazz Band, and opens Music Night as trombonist with Joe Getsi and the K-12 Situation. He is dad to USN students Kari Belle '24 and Addi '26.
 
Thanks, Bakari King. Please take some time in the coming year to enjoy some of the spring performances. Happy Holidays!

Click here to read Part I on Arts Department Co-Chair Trent Boysen.
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University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.