Student Stories

Hi Lynn,

Denelle Smalley 11/28/81 performed in her first concert to celebrate the Olympics in the summer of 1984 at 2 ½ years old. I still have the pictures. Do you remember the outdoor concert when she sang the solo “Mr. Tickles” about a turtle when she was 4 years old?

Both girls attended summer camps for many years. Bonnie 2/1/85 got her degree in Musical Theater from Emerson College in 2007 and is living in New York. I have pictures of her and Wesley Alfvin in concert at the church, a summer camp I believe. Wesley graduated from The University of Michigan with a degree in Musical Theatre.

Congratulations on making a difference in our community! Music helps shape and enrich the lives of our children.

My best,

Linda Smalley

Martha Kleiner and Nikki Wilmot were in the Kids Make Music Too DVD. Now, graduating from high school spring 2009, Nikki is a beautiful ballerina as well as a talented singer. Martha is a sophomore at New England Conservatory, where she is an oboe performance major.

Congratulations, Lynn, on your 25th Anniversary! I've been bragging about you since we first met back at Little Red about that many years ago (Katie is 28)! I am proud to know you and very happy that my children (and lots of other children I know) were lucky enough to have you as a teacher.

Love,

Hal Hunt

Luc could sing and match pitch months before he could talk. He also had a great sense of timing, coming in with singing or playing at the exact right moments. My favorite memory of Luc was when, to my astonishment, he played the Star wars theme on recorder at only 5 years old. When I commented how wonderful it was that he figured out how to play it he answered, "well, it doesn't start on the same note as the movie". I was amazed that he would know and remember such a thing since we had not seen the movie in a long time. Now, Luc wants to be a music teacher specializing in vocal performance and choral conducting. Good luck with those college auditions Luc!

Ever since she was a wee little one, Anne Monique has been a Music Rhapsody music maker. She began in a Babies Make Music class and just finished her 10th year of summer camp. The instruments to the right have been made by Anne Monique during her many years of Music Rhapsody classes and camps.
“Making instruments is very fun! You get to pick out your materials, clean them, sand them, paint/decorate them, and varnish them (make them shine),” she says. “This might sound difficult, but Martin (shown in the photo above) helps anyone who wants assistance. It is a ton of hard work, but all worth it when you get to enjoy your instrument. These instruments bring back memories, and I will keep them forever. The entire camp is very fun, and when I become too old for camp I want to become a counselor. Music has helped me with school work, and changed my life.”

Mark Ledesma plays the hand drum at a Music Rhapsody concert at his elementary school when he was in 3rd grade. Mark Ledesma was always eager to play the drums in our Orff classes. He attended music camps and had weekly Music Rhapsody classes at his Montessori school. Now, Mark has been on the Bass Drum Line with a Division 1 DCI Corp. He is a drum line teacher at Arroyo Grande High School and attends Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Lynn,

Congratulations on your 25th anniversary! What an accomplishment! Both of our childresn, Sten and Kirstin Ericson attended your camps and took after-school lessons 15 to 20 years ago! Here's an update:

Sten (27) graduated from UCSB in 2004 and graduates from USC Dental School this month. He hopes to practice in the South Bay.

Kirstin (25) graduated from Columbia (NYC) in 2005 and has worked in a law firm in NYC for the past 3 years. She is returning "home" this summer to start Loyola Law School in August.

I'm certain Music Rhapsody got them off to a great start in life! Thank you!

Cetha Ericson

CoryAnn Pitts began Music Rhapsody as a toddler. It was there, at Summer Music Camp several years later, that she first held a violin. By the time she'd reached high school, she was Concert Mistress of the String Orchestra, moving up to the Mira Costa Symphony her sophomore year. She was first chair her junior and senior years, and along the way, played at Carnegie Hall. When she applied to college, she considered leaving music behind, even going so far as to plan for her entrance essay “Why I love the violin, and why I’m not going to study it anymore.” In the end, she simply couldn’t imagine life without music. She’s currently a freshman at UC Santa Cruz, playing duets with a dormmate, last we heard.

Jeff Mohan is a 9th grader at Mira Costa High School. His interest in music began at 2 years old in his pre-school Music Rhapsody class. He continued music classes with Music Rhapsody, playing the recorder from 1st grade through 7th grade. In 4th grade, he began playing the alto saxophone and added the baritone and tenor in the Young Musicians’ Performance Academy Big Band, where he performed jazz and big band music in venues such as the Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach and the Disney Concert Hall Keck Amphitheater. In spring of 6th grade he was asked by the Manhattan Beach Middle School (MBMS) band director to play the bassoon. By 7th grade, he played the bassoon in the MBMS Symphonic Band, the Mira Costa High School (MCHS) Symphony Orchestra, and the South Bay Youth Orchestra, which offered him the opportunity to perform in Ireland. Jeff began teaching himself the trumpet in December of 7th grade and played first chair trumpet in the MBMS Symphonic Band during his 8th grade year. As of September 2008, Jeff is a first trumpet player in the MCHS Marching Band, a trumpet player in the MCHS Wind Ensemble, and continues to play first chair bassoon for the MCHS Symphony Orchestra, which is scheduled to perform at the Disney Concert Hall in June 2009. Jeff enjoys challenging himself musically, and has just begun teaching a young trumpet player. He is honored to receive this Beach Cities Symphony Scholarship, and appreciates all his music teachers and band/orchestra directors for their wonderful instruction and opportunities they have afforded him, especially his bassoon teacher and inspiration, Melody. With the proceeds from this scholarship, Jeff is purchasing bassoon reed making tools to further his bassoon career.

Kirsten (Kohn) Strickland attended Music Rhapsody from a very young age through the ensemble in her teens. Kirsten attended summer camps year after year and then in college, worked at the camp. Now Kirsten attends the weekly Babies and Toddlers Make Music classes with her own children! Kirsten is shown here with Norah Rose and Lynn Kleiner.

Happy 25th,

Ryan Wadhams was a preschooler at Journey of Faith and was introduced to Music Rhapsody then. He also has attended at least 3 of your fantastic summer camps. Connor Wadhams was also a preschooler at JOF with Mr. Rich and had many great performances! He also took the baby music classes in Santa Monica with his Grandmother!

It has been a great enriching experience for them!

Diane Ballard-Wadhams