Monthly Newsletters - July 2024

Congratulations on 21 successful performances in June!

Dear Students and Parents,

I’d like to extend my congratulations to all of our students, parents, faculty, and staff for the 21 outstanding music, dance, and drama concerts and shows held this past June!

 

Over the past few weekends, we were treated to hundreds of unique performances encompassing just about every musical genre imaginable. From contemporary pop/rock, jazz, musicals, stage plays, classical, contemporary Christian, country, 70’s/80’s hits (I’m a sucker for these, I’ll have to admit) and both classic and modern video game themes! Where else can you go to hear all of that in one place?

 

Every student has their favorite artists and styles, and our faculty love helping them find their niche and nurturing their skills!

 

Our dance students were equally as amazing with a stunning showcase titled “Masterpiece in Motion” – an art themed show conceptualized and written by Mrs. Madeline Bresette and choreographed by our fabulous dance faculty.

 

What I really enjoyed about our dance shows was the diversity of skill levels – from the brand new beginners who made their debut performances to the veteran Dance Company students!

 

Our acting and theater students were equally awesome with their intriguing monologues and amazing production quality of “The Princess Bride” and “Between the Lines”. Special shout outs to all of the theatre parents, faculty, and staff who continue to go above and beyond with helping backstage, supporting the students with snacks, set building, and transporting props. Your support is truly appreciated more than you know!

 

Stay tuned to our social media pages for photos!

 

I’m sure you will agree that there were so many special moments shared on stage this past month – many of which were defining moments in the lives of our students.

 

Maybe you just had one of the most amazing performances ever, or perhaps a clunker or two snuck its way into your ditty. Maybe you just know you could have performed 100% better.

 

As artists, we all tend to be our own biggest critics - and that’s a whole other conversation!

 

The point, though, is that every time we perform, we gain experience and grow to understand our needs for future success! This ultimately affords us a greater level of focus in our lessons, increased self-confidence, and expectations for our journey forward.

 

Watching you all use your talents and grow in your skills is truly the greatest part of my job here at LAAPA. Having personally watched thousands of performances over the years, seeing the evolution over the span of months and years is phenomenal. This is all because you and our amazing faculty members have worked hard to make it happen!

 

Remember that while all of our productions are completely optional in terms of participation, they really are an integral part of music and dance education - so if you weren’t ready this time, be on the lookout for the next ones!

 

Congratulations!

 

~ Ryan Cullen, Academy Director

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!

Auditions for “La Reine Détestée” will be held on Thursday July 11 at the Mandeville campus! Come be a part of this student-written French drama!

LAAPA's Mandeville Drama Department is pleased to announce a Student Spotlight Production written by Drama III student, Sophia Maumus and directed by Faculty, Rachael Knaps. "La Reine Détestée" is an original, historical drama that follows the tragic life of Marie Antionette, the last Queen of pre-revolutionary France. Born an Austrian Archduchess, she is sent by her mother, the Empress of Austria, to marry Louis Auguste, the future King of France, to forge an alliance between the two countries. Marie Antoinette grows from an adolescent girl to a mature adult woman. As a Queen, wife, and mother, she endures many personal tragedies, vicious attacks on her reputation, and the threats to her life. After the country revolts, the monarchy is abolished, and she is ultimately executed by guillotine. She dies as a misunderstood woman, a royal martyr and a political scapegoat.

 

Learn more and reserve your audition spot HERE!

Don't be late! Auditions for our Fall production of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland are Saturday July 20 at the River Ridge Campus!

LAAPA's Southshore Drama Department is pleased to announce our Fall Mainstage production of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" - an adapted play by Tim Kelly, directed by Bridget Zewe, and based on the novel by Lewis Carroll. Our productions will be held on October 26-27 at the Westwego Performing Arts Theater.

 

Learn more and reserve your audition spot HERE! Be sure to sign up now - spots are filling up quickly!

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 July Birthdays!

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

Abigail O. [6] | Adeline M. [14] | Adviti G. [5] | Alexander H. [5] | Alexis M. [15] | Alice M. [3] | Allie Q. [8] | Allison P. [6] | Amy B. [8] | Andrew S. | Arthur B. [10] | Atmik V. [12] | August L. [10] | Aurora B. [5] | Bethlehem A. [16] | Bo Ming Scott H. [8] | Bonnie H. | Brennan T. [14] | Bronwyn C. [6] | Brooks B. [12] | Brycelyn W. [14] | Caleb B. [11] | Carson V. [13] | Charlotte P. [9] | Charlotte W. [8] | Christian P. [15] | Christian S. [20] | Christian D. [5] | Cody L. [9] | Cruz F. [9] | Crystal K. [19] | Dillon O. [10] | Dominic G. [18] | Eleanor K. [8] | Elena V. [6] | Eli D. [7] | Elizabeth D. [24] | Elizabeth H. [9] | Elizabeth H. [11] | Ella J. [11] | Eloise R. [3] | Emilia D. [8] | Emma O. [13] | Everett P. [10] | Gabriel G. [3] | Gage D. [6] | Gerardo E. [14] | Ginger T. [15] | Gracyn D. [18] | Grayson P. [9] | Griffin G. [10] | Gummaw N. [13] | Hannah L. [6] | Harrison E. [17] | Heath P. [9] | Isaac R. [14] | Jackson H. [11] | Jas’lynn S. [8] | Javier L. [11] | Jeneen S. | Jimmy L. | John M. | Jonah G. [7] | Julian J. [7] | Kate J. [13] | Kaylee C. [10] | Kennedy R. [13] | Kyrie G. [6] | Layla W. [10] | Leah C. [13] | Leah F. [5] | Leah M. [9] | Leo P. [11] | Leto L. [24] | Levi W. [9] | Lexi L. [14] | Lilia R. [6] | Lily B. [13] | Lucas P. [9] | Lucille C. [10] | Luke O. [14] | Luna G. [2] | Lydian R. [9] | Lyla Q. [7] | Madan K. | Maddox B. [11] | Madisyn T. [13] | Maria R. [14] | Marina V. [15] | Mary L. [12] | Max P. [8] | Mayella P. [5] | Meg G. [16] | Mia V. [17] | Michael B. [9] | Mitchell J. | Molly M. [8] | Nadia G. [9] | Nathan J. [14] Nevan G. [5] | Nicco C. [3] | Nicoli H. | Oakleigh B. [5] | Oliver G. [8] | Olyna Z. [15] | Owen P. [6] | Payton R. [15] | Ryan H. [11] | Samantha K. [10] | Savannah M. [7] | Sawyer W. [10] | Silas W. [12] | Sophia P. [14] | Spencer J. [11] | Stella A. [5] | Stephanie B. [9] | Sullivan M. [11] | Theo M. [10] | Troy G. [9] | Tucker H. [13] | Violet B. [11] | Viviann D. [7] | William A. [12] | Zahara P. [10]

Video of the Month - "One Day More" from Les Misérables, as sung by LAAPA Staff & Faculty

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 - Riley Growl

This month’s Student Spotlight features River Ridge School of Music & Dance student Riley Growl! Riley takes guitar lessons with Ms. Piper!

Outside of LAAPA, Riley really enjoys taking family walks with his dog, Louie. His favorite music is, well, anything he can dance to! Riley’s favorite band is the Alphabet Rockers. When he gets older, Riley wants to be an astronaut! Be sure to play us a melody in the ISS once you’re up there, Riley!

Riley’s teacher, Ms. Piper, helps him write songs, and that’s his favorite thing about her. Riley likes attending LAAPA because he has the opportunity to try out different instruments. In fact, his teacher, Ms. Piper, is able to play guitar, bass, piano, and also sing! Riley is grateful for his lessons because he is able to put on nightly concerts for his mom and dad! His favorite part of lessons is learning something new, particularly new songs.

Thanks for being a part of our school, Riley! We love having you as a student here!

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

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