Review/Update Winter 2013 - Lake Forest Academy

LFA ArtsLFA’s Peg PlambeckAttends SpecializedConferenceIn early January, voice teacher and VOX directorPeg Cleveland Plambeck attended the NationalAssociation of Teachers of Singing (NATS) conferencein San Antonio. This year’s conference,“Mind, Body, Spirit: Power Performance for Singers,”focused on the importance of the mind/body/spirit connection for performers and how teachersshould keep this connection in mind.Peg attended a wide breadth of sessions and has alreadybegun implementing what she learned at theconference into her work with her students at LFA.“I am teaching them to determine the ‘stakes’ ineach dramatic moment of the song or aria, anddecipher the degree of urgency needed to achievetheir objective as an actor,” Peg relays.In doing this, Peg hopes that her students will bebetter equipped to interpret their future director’sinstructions and prompts. She also worked withother teachers at the conference on ways to employconstructive criticism for her students.Energized by her time in San Antonio, Peg reports,“I have had a great time introducing several of[the concepts I learned at the conference] to mystudents at LFA. It is remarkable to have such avibrant voice studio filled with students who reallywant to learn not just a healthy vocal technique,but the tools to bring their music to life,both physically and emotionally. I am grateful forthe positive energy and openness that exists in theVOX ensemble this year. Through our work together,I will give constant permission for them toexplore and create new levels of intensity, energyand focused work, regardless of the style of musicthey are performing.” nLFA’s Electronic MusicProgram BecomesInspiration for AreaMusic Teachers“Many music teachers and administrators wereenergized as a result and expressed intentions tofollow suit and work with us on how best toimplement this sort of program at their schools.”Adam Schlipmann presenting on the Electronic Music Program at LFA.LFA Music Instructors Grier Carson and AdamSchlipmann were invited to present at the annualIllinois Music Educators Association (IMEA) conferenceon LFA’s Electronic Music Program. Theirpresentation covered everything from advancedelectronic music studies in Laptop Orchestra andElectronic Music I to the introductory work donein Freshman Foundation in the Arts.Grier Carson reports that, “Many music teachersand administrators were energized as a result andexpressed intentions to follow suit and work withus on how best to implement this sort of programat their schools.”LFA’s Laptop Orchestra has been invited to performat next year’s conference. n10 Review Winter 2013 8 Click: www.lfanet.org