Monthly Newsletters - January 2024

Ring in the New Year with Music, Dance & Drama!

Dear Students and Parents,

Happy New Year! I hope that everyone had a happy holiday season with lots of time to rest and visit your loved ones. It’s been a bit too quiet here at the school over the break, and we’re so excited to have you all back to share another exciting year filled with music, dance, acting, and the performing arts!

 

Congratulations to all students and faculty for so many amazing productions this past December! It was most certainly a record December in terms of number of concerts/showcases/events! I don’t know how we all did it, but it was truly fun and exciting! From students performing on stage for the first time to our veteran professionals, everyone really stepped up their game and did a great job! For those of you who performed for the first time – we hope you had a positive learning experience, and most importantly, had fun up there! Each time you perform, you gain a little more experience and confidence, so we hope to see you again this coming Spring for LAAPAFEST, our Spring Virtual Recital, and this June for our Summer Recital and Award Ceremonies.

 

Coming up later this month, don’t forget that January 27-28 our production of Annie Jr. (featuring our River Ridge School of Music & Dance students) will be held at Fuhrmann Auditorium. They have been rehearsing now for several months and we’re excited to put on a wonderful show for our community! Tickets are selling quickly and seating is limited, so be sure to grab tickets now at laapa.com/events!

 

We’d also like to give a HUGE shoutout to all of the brand new students starting with us this month! The New Year is one of the most popular times for students to get started in music, dance, and drama and times tend to fill quickly, so give us a call/text or stop by soon to book your classes! Remember that we teach kids, teens, and adults from brand new beginners through advanced level students so everyone in our school community feels welcomed and right at home. Our faculty are trained to ensure that no matter where you may be in your educational journey, that your classes are fun, inspiring, progressive and (in private lessons) customized for your specific interests and goals!

 

Finally, if you haven’t yet met us or may be tuning in to our monthly newsletter for the very first time, “Hello there, and welcome to LAAPA! I’m Ryan – your Academy Director!” In case it isn’t obvious from everything we have going on, we really love what we do and have a passion for teaching music, dance, and acting to kids, teens, and adults in the Greater New Orleans area. Whether you’re a brand-new beginner or already have some experience, the New Year is a fantastic time to get started in Music Lessons, Dance & Acting Classes at any of our 3 campuses in Covington, Harahan, and Mandeville! Make 2024 the year YOU learn to PLAY, DANCE, SING, or ACT, and let’s have a great start to 2024! Check the back/bottom of this newsletter for a special offer to help you get started!

 

Happy New Year,

~ Ryan Cullen, Executive Director

Make 2024 the Year YOU learn to PLAY, DANCE, SING, or ACT!

Now enrolling in all programs

 

- LARGEST variety of programs in the Greater New Orleans area offered to students of all ages and levels.

- Piano, Guitar, Voice/Singing, Violin, Cello, Drums, Mandolin, Ukulele, Bass, Brass, Woodwinds, Preschool Music, Ballet, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Tap, Improv & Choreography, Parent & Tot Dance, Acting, Musical Theatre and more!

- University-trained faculty who are dedicated to teaching and inspiring students!

- Open for lessons 6 days a week to fit into your busy schedule!

- FREE weekly Music Theory classes for students enrolled in private music lessons!

- FREE weekly Improv & Choreography dance class for students ages 8+ enrolled in dance classes!

- FREE annual professional recordings for students enrolled in private music lessons!

- FREE & UNLIMITED Makeup Workshop classes offered when you miss a lesson!

- Beautiful facilities with state-of-the-art music technology, teaching software, a professional recording studio, enhanced dance floors, and large concert performance halls.

 

Register now at laapa.com/enroll, learn more by calling/texting us today at (504) 208-2301, or stop by one of our three campuses in Covington, Harahan, and Mandeville.

Send Us Your News!

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.

Recording Studio

Our recording studio is located at the Mandeville campus and features a 32 track ProTools system, 4k video cameras, premium mics and equipment. Click the button below to learn more, schedule a studio tour or Book Your Session today!

Learn More!

 

Happy January Birthdays!

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

Aaron R. (13) , Abbey C. (10) , Abby S. (6) , Abigail D. (16) , Adam Q. (10) , Agata R. , Aiden E. (16) , Alexander T. (8) , Alfunzo M. , Amber C. , Andrew B. , Anna L. (11) , Annabelle R. (14) , Annalise S. (9) , Anthony P. (15) ,Aria S. (6) , Artemis L. (9) , Austin E. (12) , Benjamin A. (12) , Benjamin B. (6) , Bentley C. (11) , Betty D. , Bill S. , Braxton W. (8) , Brennan G. (9) , Bryce C. (11) , Bryce W. (7) , Canon R. (10) , Carmen H. (17) , Carmen V. (16) , Caroline K. (22) , Cecilia V. (17) , Charlotte C. (7) , Chase K. (12) , Chase M. (15) , Chris B. , Claire B. (4) , Claire W. (10) , Connor H. (8) , Connor M. (15) , Dara F. (8) , Dilan P. (9) , Eliana J. (2) , Elizabeth D. (13) , Ella E. (9) , Eloise H. (8) , Emery B. (6) , Emily L. (13) , Emma L. (10) , Emmy R. (6) , Eryl R. , Galilee S. (10) , Gayle A. (8) , Genevieve N. (14) , Georgia T. (8) , Germany R. (14) , Grace B. (9) , Grant L. (10) , Hanna J. (16) , Heather W. (7) , Holly S. (16) , Isabella O. (11) , Isabelle M. (5) , Isaiah D. (9) , Island T. (7) , Jack F. (13) , Jacob M. (12) , Jayden E. (12) , Jayden H. (13) , Jorden S. (14) , Joseph M. (19) , Joshua W. (16) , Kailey P. (6) , Kambri J. (10) , Kayla M. , Kayla N. (20) , Landry A. (5) , Lanna S. (12) , Lawson D. (2) , Lea F. (14) , Lesly S. (16) , Lile A. (18) , Lindsey A. (10) , Lucy B. (15) , Lucy D. (12) , Luke O. (12) , Madison M. (18) , Maggie C. (5) , Margot R. (3) , Marie S. (8) , Matthew S. (11) , Maureen A. (5) , May R. (10) , Michael M. , Noelle C. (14) , Nolani G. (3) , Olivia B. (7) , Patrick C. (17) , Raymond C. (7) , Rayne W. (8) , Reagan C. (12) , Reign J. (5) , Revan A. (10) , Riley C. (12) , Rosa L. , Ryleigh W. (15) , Saaya O. (2) , Sadie D. (5) , Sadie M. (12) , Sarah L. , Serenity H. (8) , Sophia D. (16) , Pierce C. (10) , Thomas W. (7) , Travis T. , Ty O. (14) , Valentina J. (8) , Valeria S. (8)

Video of the Month - "New Year's Dream" from "The Night Before New Year's"

Flashback to one year ago and our original musical, "The Night Before New Year's" - written and directed by Rachel Theriot and Elle Jones, with music and lyrics by Daniel Jones, Olivia Gonzalez, Kilian Afzalirad, and Aaron Boudreaux and choreography by Kendra Wills & Elle Jones.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣

 

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 - Laila Martin

This month’s Student Spotlight features Laila Martin from the River Ridge School of Music & Dance! She’s been taking flute lessons for two years with Ms. Reshanda!

Outside of LAAPA, Laila is on a competition team for Trampoline and Tumbling. She also enjoys reading (mostly mystery and fantasy novels) and hanging out with her friends. She likes to listen to pop and gospel music and enjoys anything upbeat! Her favorite artists are Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Meghan Trainor and Jordi. She doesn’t really have a favorite band, but she attended a Girl Rock camp this past summer and they formed a band during camp. Laila was the drummer, and she loved it because she got to experiment with other instruments. In the future, Laila would like to work toward being an Astronomer.

Laila loves taking lessons with Ms. Reshanda because she’s always encouraging. She finds creative ways to help Laila understand notes and technique. She also challenges Laila and doesn’t let her “take the easy way out”. Laila likes taking lessons at LAAPA because of “how welcoming they were on my first day. I remember taking a picture on my first day with a sign that read “It’s my first day at LAAPA”. They made me feel very comfortable”.

Thanks to lessons, Laila has gained many skills that have lead her to be recommended to Talented Music and Honor band at her school. She believes that is all because of her lessons and the hard work she puts in at LAAPA and at home practicing. Her favorite part of lessons is learning new skills and technique.

Laila would like to add: “I’m so thankful for being selected as Student of the Month. And I’d like to tell anyone that considering learning how to play an instrument and taking lesson at LAAPA, “GO FOR IT”. They won’t be disappointed.”

Thanks for being a part of the LAAPA family, Laila! We love having you as a student here!

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

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