Monthly Newsletters - August 2024

Discover YOUR Talent this Fall in Music, Dance, or Drama!

Dear Students and Parents,

Dear Students and Parents,

 

Usually, mornings are fairly quiet at our 3 campuses in Covington, Harahan, and Mandeville. Today is not one of those, as, you see, I’m writing this in the midst of July with our little campers having a blast exploring the wonderful world of the performing arts!

 

Today, as I’m typing up my thoughts for this month, I pause to acknowledge the few light knocks on my studio door, and as I turn to my left, my window glass is a bit foggy and moist, slowly revealing what appears to be three noses, six curious little eyes, and lots of big smiles. As I wave good morning, I’m also being serenaded with the sounds of Mr. Patrick’s drum ensemble in the room next door – they’ve definitely got a cool groove going on. In another room across from me, our vocalists are singing, “The Rainbow Connection” with Ms. Emma, and further down the hall, a lone tuba is working on the “Star Wars Theme” with Mr. Zach! This week’s theme happens to be “At the Movies” after all! In another class, our violinists are having a blast with the beginners playing harmonies on the open strings and the older students with some experience playing the melody. They are also working on dynamics (louds/softs) as Mr. Riccardo (their instructor) plays along, standing tall when he wants them to play loud and dropping to his knees to indicate soft! In another room, Mr. Keith plays along with piano improv class where the blues happen daily (sunglasses are always optional but welcomed). Mr. Ryan’s ukulele class is killing it playing “Lava”, and Ms. Joliet’s actors are working on some hilarious scenes with their partners. A few of our students wrote and starred in their own film with the help of Ms. Emma, and Ms. Rachael has inspired our dancers with some exciting new choreography! ! Ah yes, the sounds of learning are in full swing all day every day here at LAAPA this summer!

 

Speaking of loud sounds, summer camp can sometimes be quite a cacophony, with 30 students at a time learning new instruments! Honestly, though, we wouldn’t have it any other way! The opportunity for students to discover their talent and see what instruments or programs interest/come naturally to them is life changing!

 

Summer Camp always reminds me of the openness of young beginners who are not afraid of trying new things to discover their talent.

 

It’s important to realize that what usually begins with lots of energy and excitement, banging around the on the piano, singing along in the car when those favorite tunes come on, squeaking away on the clarinet, or even jumping up and down on the bed at home, will eventually (through weekly lessons, practice, and dedication) be transformed into something amazing in a lifetime appreciation of the performing arts!

 

I’ll use myself as an example. Since my mom started our school over 46 years ago, I pretty much grew up around music lessons and had the incredible opportunity to try out many instruments – first in the back of our house in the early 80’s, and then at our first school above Village Inn Pizza in River Ridge... Mmm, I can still smell that pizza!

 

As a kid, I was pretty full of energy and sadly (to my teachers) a somewhat annoying “clown/know it all.” I really loved coming to classes, but I had a funny way of showing it. In my piano lessons, I’d try to get Mr. Russell off track as quickly as possible to show me his famous magic tricks. Each week I had a new excuse for not practicing (my brother was hogging the piano, my damper pedal was too squeaky, and it was messing with my internal pitch causing me to hit wrong notes, my neighbor ate my pet rabbit after it got out of the cage and into their yard – ok, that last one was actually a true story – poor Lightning), and the list went on. Thanks for hanging in there with me anyway, Mr. Russell! In my violin ensemble, I’d use extra rosin to ensure maximum creakiness on the strings and sometimes initiate a bow fight with one of my classmates (sorry about that, Ms. Bobbie). The daughter of my trumpet teacher once mentioned that I was often a “topic of discussion” at the dinner table – I’m guessing that wasn’t in a good way and not sure if tears were involved (my bad, Mr. Jay). I’d like to publicly apologize to all of my former teachers if I caused any stress in your lives – I’m really grateful for your patience and everything I learned!

 

I’d also like to give a shoutout to substitute teachers while I’m at it. For those of you who skip lessons when you have a substitute, you are missing out! One of the best lessons I ever had as a kid was with a substitute who had his Ph.D. in piano performance. I only had him for that one class, so I didn’t get his name, but he was the “piano doctor.” I recall that we were learning a basic intermediate piano piece out of an Alfred book at the time, and he played through it for me as it was written. Then he said, “…but playing it like this would be a lot more fun…” and he proceeded to improvise an incredible arrangement that made my jaw drop. That was easily one of the most inspiring music lessons of my life. I couldn’t believe someone could just play and improvise something like that on the spot.

 

One of the things that I often mention to our faculty during our meetings is that powerful moments of inspiration can strike when we least expect it, and it’s these key moments of inspiration and breakthrough that will impact students for the rest of their lives! I had many of those moments too through the years, despite my goofing off. Case in point – fast forward to years later and Ryan (AKA class clown) mostly stopped goofing off (in public) and somehow holds a degree in Jazz Piano from Loyola University New Orleans (which involves lots of improvisation obviously) and Studio/Jazz composition from the University of Miami. Thank you to all of my amazing teachers over the years!

 

By the way, seriously – have you thanked your teachers this week?

 

Obviously not every student will decide to pursue the arts full time as a career, but our mission here is the same as it was 46 years ago, which is to lay a solid foundation within the lives of our students to allow them to explore and discover their talent which will ultimately offer them a lifetime appreciation of the performing arts.

 

One of my favorite things to do now is play the piano in our living room at home for relaxation (if I can get some bench time that is – it’s pretty competitive lately in my house with 4 kids enrolled in piano lessons). This is something anyone can enjoy with some training – no degrees required, and there’s just something about taking that time out that’s a relief from everything else going on. When I sit down at the piano, I tend to improvise a lot based on whatever is in my head. It’s incredibly freeing, and I highly recommend learning about improvisation either in music or dance at some point. Many of our faculty members are now offering free workshops that you can sign up for that include these types of classes; not to mention our many new lab classes that are complimentary with your membership!

 

At any rate, I would never have reached this point in my playing if I wasn’t able to have the discovery time years ago to explore my interests. My time to explore music just happened to be as a child, but as adults, we should never stop exploring and must embrace our inner child, so that we don’t worry about making mistakes or possibly embarrassing ourselves when learning something new.

 

If you missed out on discovering your talent this summer, never fear, because fall is literally right around the corner, and registration for Fall 2024 is now available in person or online at laapa.com for the Back-To-School Season! Former students, if you took the summer off and are ready to get back into the groove, we encourage you to give us a call now! While the majority of our most popular classes and private lesson times have remained booked throughout the summer, it’s possible that your previous teacher may have an opening or two, but they won’t last long. We are also pleased to welcome several new amazing faculty members who we know you’ll be equally excited to work with should your old teacher be unavailable!

 

Music, dance, and drama truly are gifts that I want all of our current families and future families to enjoy together, and you can do this regardless of your background or years of experience. Remember that everyone was once a beginner! A love of the performing arts and the willingness to invest in it together as a family is the most important thing.

 

~ Ryan Cullen, Executive Director, Mischievous Music Student, Practice Evasionist, & Former Class Clown

Tickets for “Into the Woods” are available now! Performances are Saturday August 24 at 6PM and Sunday August 25 at 2PM.

Purchase your tickets HERE!

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We love getting your news, success stories and comments. If you'd like to share your news with us, please e-mail at studentnews@laapa.com. Please note that we publish our newsletters monthly, and if you don't see your submission in this edition, it will be published as soon as space is available! Connect with us on Facebook at facebook.com/laapaface, youtube.com/laapatube, and now on Twitter at @laapatweets.

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Happy August Birthdays!

We'd like to wish the following Students a very Happy Birthday this Month!

Alexandra B. [7], Alexis L. [7], Alvin L. [12], Andrea J. [17], Anita T. [5], Annalise J. [7], Anne W., Annelys W. [5], Anya D. [18], Archer C. [4], Benjamin V. [16], Bernadette H. [11], Brennan S. [15], Brynn H. [18], Cailah F. [14], Camila R. [11], Carson M. [13], Chase C. [12], Christopher B. [18], Claire Q. [9], Daniela S. [2], Danna B. [8], Darren S. [13], David B., David L., Eddie S. [6], Elena G., Ellie D. [5], Elliot H. [9], Emerson R. [8], Emily M. [9], Emma-Lee C. [8], Erin S., Ethan D. [20], Ethan P. [6], Eva D., Finn C. [4], Finnigan B. [8], Gabrian O. [9], George D. [9], Gianluca A. [4], Grant W. [8], Grayson S. [5], Haevyn B. [5], Hunter M. [9], Isaac G. [16] Isaac I. [10], Isabella C. [11], Isabella J. [10], Jack B. [8], Jack V., Jackson O. [12], Jacqueline L. [5], JD G. [13], Jonah S. [9], Jude F. [5], Julia B. [13], Julia C. [13], Julia F. [15], Julia G., Julie L., Juliet W. [5], Kaia S. [10], Kate W. [9], Kathryn B. [11], Kenna O. [8], Khloe D. [9], Kinsley S. [12], Konrad B. [8], Kylie M. [12], Laila T. [4], Lauren A., Lawson H. [15], Leliana G. [3], Lex O. [9], Locke B. [10], Lucy D. [8], Lucy M. [10], Lynae T. [6], Mary D. [15], Marybelle T. [4], Matthew M., MattieJai C. [6], Mayari R. [11], Michael M. [8], Noah G. [5], Nora E. [13], Nuhiah T. [8], Nykia C., Oliver H. [11], Olivia W. [10], Paul B., Ray Z. [14], Remy P. [11], Riaan G. [8], Rob D., Ronelle B., Rowyn P. [4], Sage C. [3], Santiago P. [7], Sophia D. [14], Sophia T. [14], Stephen F. [10], Steve G., Thea S. [9], Travis G., Tripp W. [18], Vivi S. [8], Vivienne K. [8], Willow M. [2], Yasma F. [5], Zachary B. [11], Zane T. [8], Zehra B. [15]

Video of the Month - Faculty Profile | Ben Hurst

Important Dates

Take a moment to review the following upcoming dates:

New Artwork by Michaela Howell

We are very fortunate to work with local artist Michaela Howell. Many of her paintings and art are on display at all three of our school campuses!

Michaela recently brought in new artwork that can be viewed at both of our Northshore campuses. The beautiful piece above is available for purchase at our Mandeville location for $850.

Interested in purchasing art from Michaela? Inquire at the front desk!

With down home country humble beginnings Michaela has always been very resourceful. She cuts, sands, primes, paints, and in some cases stains her abstract versions of the wooden instruments, creating very hands-on works of art. This resourcefulness has “Played” out very nicely in her most current work. Though the recycling of varying musical instrument components including guitar strings, violin knobs, music sheets featuring the instrument showcased, Michaela portrays a ‘current’ sense of style combined with a very vivid color pallet, creating a symphony for the senses!

View More!

Student Spotlight - Charlie Diebold

This month’s Student Spotlight features Mandeville School of Music & Dance/Covington School of Music student Charlie Diebold! Charlie currently takes drum lessons as well as parent & tot dance lessons with Mr. David and Mrs. Madi, respectively. She’s been a student at LAAPA for a whopping two years already!

Outside of LAAPA, Charlie’s favorite activities include playing in the rain, dancing, singing, reading, and swimming. She really enjoys all types of music, but some of her favorites include Disney and classic rock, particularly the song “Crazy Train!” Charlie’s favorite artists are Dolly Parton and Lin-Manuel Miranda, and her favorite band is Queen. When she grows up, Charlie would like to be Mirabel from Encanto.

Charlie’s favorite thing about her teachers is that they play lots of good music and dance really well! Charlie’s favorite thing about LAAPA is the staff and faculty, but especially her teachers - Mr. David, Mrs. Madi, and Mrs. Annabelle, her old preschool music and piano teacher. She is also a big fan of Mrs. Brittany, our office manager! Her favorite part of lessons is playing her favorite songs and jamming with Mr. David!

We love having you here as a student, Charlie, and cannot wait to see you grow and flourish even more! In your own words, ROCK ON!

A HUGE welcome to our newest students who began lessons or added programs in July!

We are so happy that you’ve chosen to study at LAAPA. We know you will do great things this year!