Click Here for Chesney’s workshop KINDNESS IS MY SUPERPOWER  

  I have worked as a teaching artist for over 20 years, working with children and young adults has remained one of my core passions. Whether in hospitals, juvenile centers, homeless shelters, community and arts centers, schools, or theaters I have consistently used my skills and background as a musician and actor to explore the healing and educational power of performance art. From conducting and leading workshops abroad in Bhutan (2015), or featured performances and lectures at the Julliard School (2016), to my work as an resident artist at Harvard University's Learning From Performers (2014-2016) at the Office for the Arts and Hip Hop Archive.

    Working at the grassroots and community level to develop award-winning artistic education programs that enrich the lives of youth and community while providing a platform to share our common dreams, explore the world, and become actively involved with social change. My students have gone on to attend some of the nation's leading undergraduate theater conservatory programs.

    I am currently a teaching artist New Victory Theater in New York City. One of the nation's leading children's theater companies. I travel throughout the country as a master teaching artist conducting performances and workshops in K-12 schools, universities, prisons, and performing arts centers.

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    In 2010 I had the honor of  working with the International Committee of Artists for Peace with Kay Yoshikawa, Patrick Duffy, and  received special recognition from Grammy award-winning jazz icon Herbie Hancock on the New York premiere of ICAP's production I-Choose.

    I co-wrote and starred in this production which was hailed as a tremendous success by community leaders, educators and students including NYC Council speaker Christine Quinn who spoke at one of the events. The production toured New York and New Jersey area schools with artistic workshop and performances.

    I have served as Cultural Arts Director for the Boy's Club of New York, Project Facilitator for Lutheran Medical Center Project Reach Youth, and has independently created numerous youth based artistic programming throughout the New York metro. Former First Lady of New York State Silda Wall Spitzer commended my work through collaborations with the “Children For Children” program.

    In 2010 I worked  with Jame's Kim BEAT Global, an ARTS Education GEM! to create and develop a beatboxing music program for the Lavelle School for the Blind. As one of the lead instructors I worked to develop the program which has been featured prominently by the Huffington Post, the Daily News, News 12 and the New York Post. Rebecca Davis' feature on the music program would go on to receive an Emmy nomination for Best Educational Feature.