March Madness: An Event for Everyone!

NZ Unveils THE ORPHEUM
March 16, 4-7pm at Neutral Zone
You're invited to the grand opening of THE ORPHEUM -- a totally teen-run recording studio. On Tuesday, March 16, at 4 pm, Neutral Zone unveils its newly remodeled recording studio. The event features guest speaker Martin Bandyke, Morning host on WQKL 107.1 FM, a special performance by SoleTransit, studio tours, and refreshments. The public is invited to come and see the area's newest option for affordable and professional recording.

Packaging Girlhood: A Presentation by Dr. Lyn Mikel Brown Thursday, March 18, 7-8:30 p.m. at Neutral Zone

Join Dr. Lyn Mikel Brown, author of "Packaging Girlhood," for a talk on what parents and girls can do to counteract the constant barrage of media messages that encourages accessorizing over academics, sex appeal over sports, and fashion over friends. The program is targeted for girls and their mothers/guardians from grades 8-12. Presented by Neutral Zone's Northstar program in collaboration with The Junior League of Ann Arbor and Strong Moms Strong Girls.

Identity Crisis
Friday, March 19, 7-10 pm at Neutral Zone
Free; open to the public.
A festival of art and performance that explores the challenges teens face in creating their own identity in the face of social influences, rules, and other pressures. Identity Crisis is sponsored by Neutral Zone’s Visual Arts Council.

2010 Ann Arbor Youth Poetry Slam Finals
Thursday, March 25 at Neutral Zone

The best local teen poets and spoken word artists, winners of the four Poet speaking.jpg

semi-finals held over the past month at local high schools, will compete for one of six coveted spots and the opportunity to represent Ann Arbor at the 2010 National Youth Poetry Slam competition in Los Angeles.

The poetry performances start at 7 p.m., but come early as this is usually a standing room only crowd! The slam will be held at Neutral Zone's B-Side. Admission to the event is open to the public; cost is $5 students/$7 general public.

Neutral Zone co-presents film “Off and Running”
with Ann Arbor Film Festival

Saturday, March 27th at 5pm at Michigan Theater
Off and Running depicts teenage girl, Avery, and her complicated exploration of race, identity, and family that threatens to distance her from the parents she's always known. To receive a special Neutral Zone discount of $2 off your ticket, use the code 48AAFFNZ when you order advance tickets online, http://48.aafilmfest.org/

NZ Leadership Forum: Not just another day off of school…

My name is Chi Tran. I’m a 16 year-old student at Huron High School, and I participate in Drop-In and the MC Workshop. Sometimes I make it to the break dancing program “The Old School” too. I am so grateful that I was offered a chance to be a part of the leadership forum at the Neutral Zone on Monday, February 15.

When I attended the leadership forum, it was so different from what I expected. I thought it was going to be some boring conference, giving us advice about how to be a better leader….but it was not like that at all. It was mind opening, exciting and lots of fun. We played games and enjoyed each other’s company. We also discussed how good communication is important to being a leader, and explored whether or not race could be an issue. Not only did I enjoy myself, but it did help me improve my leadership skills such as listening and speaking about my feelings. I loved it!

Staff Spotlight: Mike Hyter, Drop In Advisor and “Man In Charge"

Nickname: MIC (Man In Charge), Big Mike man in charge.jpg
At Neutral Zone since: 2005, staff since 2007
Famous for: Telling kids to get out the kitchen!

Favorite NZ memory as a staff member: Getting keys to the studio. They gave me all the building keys except those, and I had to convince them that I wouldn’t just sit in the studio all day and make beats.

Favorite NZ memory as a teen: Forming my first hip-hop group T5E, being the only rappers on Youth Owned Records at the time, and performing at Breakin’ Curfew in 2006.

What you were like when you were a teen: I was always rapping or writing lyrics. During lunch my friends and I would go to this empty staircase that we called the “rap cave” and freestyle for the entire lunch period. Sometimes we would forget to eat lunch! After school we would get on the bus and go straight to the NZ to record and make beats.

How the Neutral Zone has influenced you: Because of the NZ, I was able to record and release music at an early age, and meet people who I still make music with to this day. Since I’ve been involved with NZ I’ve been exposed to opportunities to perform in front of large crowds, build connections with professional artists, and learn music recording and production software without the pressure of a classroom.

Where we’ll find you when you’re NOT at Neutral Zone: Performing in one of the two hip-hop groups that I’m involved in: Celsius Electronics and Tree City Celsius Electronics.jpg Both groups include members that I met at NZ:
myspace.com/treecitymusic
myspace.com/celsiuselectronics

A challenge that you think teens are facing today: Not enough places like Neutral Zone in other cities around the country.

A goal you have at Neutral Zone this year: To establish the MC workshop as one of the most diverse, talented, and inspiring programs at the NZ.

Accomplishment you are most proud of: Finding something I was good at and sticking to it and developing it through all these last five years. Also, becoming a Neutral Zone staff member and helping to inspire youth the same way I was inspired when I came here as a teen.

Neutral Zone is a diverse, youth-driven teen center dedicated to promoting personal growth through artisitic expression, community leadership, and the exchange of ideas.