Thursday, February 7, 2013

Amazing LPM Graduate...12 years later!

Let's Play Music has hundreds of students graduate each year, but have you ever wondered what happens to them after graduation? Every month this blog will spotlight a Let's Play Music graduate and the wonderful music he or she has continued to develop as a result of a Let's Play Music foundation.


Cameron Behning, class of 2001

 
 
When did you graduate from LPM? 

"I graduated Let's Play Music in 2001 as part of the second graduating class. This was before the fancy thing that Let’s Play Music is now. There were no bells or professionally printed books. In fact, if I remember correctly, we had tapes instead of CDs until the last year."
 
 
What do you remember most about your LPM experience?

"I remember I hated echoing the rhythms and clapping. Miss Shelle would clap the rhythms and I would sit there super stubborn not saying or doing anything. However I really loved the puppet shows. I found it a challenge to hear all the parts, especially the skeleton in the Halloween song."


What are you doing now with music?

"I am currently studying at the University of Arizona. I am pursuing a Bachelors in Music for Piano Performance with an emphasis in Dance Accompaniment. I also am pursuing a second degree in Architectural Design. I hope to be able to work either as a professional ballet company rehearsal pianist back east or to design actually logical concert and performance spaces."


How do you think LPM best benefitted your musical development?

"Let's Play Music has really helped me better understand, interpret, and learn my pieces over the years. I still uses some of the rhythmic devices from then such as "butter fly" or "sho-ot the ar-row". When I am creating the interpretation, I create story lines, much like the puppet shows. Different themes will create different characters and thus be played with a different intent. Really, everything we learned from rhythm to note names to even the chord progressions still helps me lead my classes in understanding and make them easier."

Click below to hear a composition written by Cameron. He was inspired by his composition experience in Let's Play Music and continues to write music today.

 
Congratulations, Cameron. It is so exciting to see the long term results from a program that is so dedicated to internalization. The effects are broad and deep!
 

3 comments:

  1. How FUN to see a LPM graduate 12 years later! Congrats!

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  2. Well, as Cameron's 3rd grade school teacher this is wonderful! I am so excited to see what other wonderful accomplishments the graduates have achieved.

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  3. That was a beautiful composition! Impressive!!! I am excited to see what the graduates have accomplished over the next few months, and what an impact this program will have had on music 10 years from now.

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