Atlanta Public Schools

Home

May 1, 2009

{Simmons header}

NEWS RELEASE April 30, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Atlanta soul singer Anthony David stays after school to share his 'Words' with Deerwood Academy

ATLANTA â€” Singer Anthony David was pretty familiar with Deerwood Academy before taking time Thursday to share life and music experiences with about 60 Atlanta Public Schools students who participate in an after-school program.

{Anthony David}
Soul singer Anthony David explains his artistic inspiration to Deerwood Academy students.

David's manager has two sons who attend the elementary school. Cornelius Barnes, who co-wrote the singer's Grammy-nominated single, "Words," also has family members at Deerwood. Those connections helped reinforce his decision to share his artistic inspiration and career challenges in between a cappella versions of notable tunes.

"It's a great opportunity to show kids this age how I write about topics that maybe they can relate to their lives," said David. "A lot of my friends are teachers, and my friends have kids in the school, so I like to use lyrics I've written that can be used to explain poetry to students."

David's appearance is part of a partnership between Deerwood Academy, which focuses on arts education, and Preferred School Care, an after-school program that operates in 23 Atlanta Public Schools. Preferred School Care arranged the visit through the non-profit Threshing Floor Academy of Arts and Sciences.

"This program gives our students an opportunity to experience the arts and maybe home in on what their particular artistic interests might be," explained Rita Lawrence, Deerwood's fifth-grade leadership team chair and site director for Preferred School Care.

Prior to David's visit, Lawrence said students listened to his music and researched his career online. One students mother even sent a copy of David's latest CD, Acey Duecy, to be autographed. She didn't have to worry; David brought boxes of CDs that he autographed and handed out to students.

But first David explained his writing process and fielded a range of questions from the eager students who clapped and sang along to "Words" as well as "Kin Folk" and "Georgia Peach."

Threshing Floor Academy's Meisha Card facilitates a Q&A session between Anthony David and Deerwood Academy students.

{Threshing Floor Academy}
Threshing Floor Academy founder Meisha Card facilitates a Q&A session between Anthony David and Deerwood Academy students.
"When I was your age, I loved to read," David, 30, told the students. "And I loved to write, so much that my teacher had me read my work to my class. At first I didn't sing much at all, really until I was 20."

David's appearance has a particularly positive impact on fifth-grader Kobe Lawson, who brought her own copy of Acey Duecy in David to sign afterward.

"I really like how he sings," said Kobe. "He also tells us to dream big, to try to achieve your goals."