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Walther Lutheran Academy Press Releases
MUSIC ENRICHMENT SOARS AT WALTHER LUTHERAN ACADEMY @FOREST PARK (June 1, 2008) AIf you ask a typical grade school student what they think about the work of Camille Saint-Saёns or Serge Prokofiev, you might get a blank stare in response. Children at the Walther Lutheran Academy @Forest Park, however, can tell you about Saint-Saёns’ “Carnival of the Animals” and how they have experienced the changing energy through movement to the music of the “Aquarium” suite. And the older pupils will tell you that Prokofiev’s composition “Wedding of Kijé” is full of dynamic musical shifts and comes from the larger more complex work, “Lieutenant Kijé, Symphonic Suite, Opus 60” by the Russian master. Of course, not every school can boast a Kodály certified music instructor like the Walther Lutheran Academy’s Paul Lindblad. Paul Lindblad, who directs the noted “Paul Lindblad Choristers”, says his life is centered around teaching “only the best of music.” A veteran musicologist, he has instructed at a handful of schools and churches and currently serves at the Walther Lutheran Academy, as well as St. John Lutheran Church which shares its 138 year old Forest Park campus in partnership with the Lutheran school and its preschool through 8th grade students. Lindblad introduces his students to a wide range of music, including medieval, renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic and 20th century styles. His school choir sang several numbers at the recent 8th grade graduation ceremony, including Lindblad’s own composition, “Alleluia”. “The wealth of experience that Paul Lindblad brings to the Academy provides a solid foundation for understanding musical concepts, and an admirable energy and enthusiasm,” explained Walther’s principal Stephen Zielke. He added, however, that while Lindblad is the most celebrated of the Academy’s music instructors, he is not the only one. Choral director Lori Bormet works hands on with children in the classroom and while her day is often filled with vocalists at Walther Lutheran High School, she enjoys bringing her elementary and middle students up to a competitive level. A recent project with the 7th and 8th grades at Walther Lutheran Academy had Bormet in the classroom helping students write and lyricize their own compositions. The instrumental end of business is held up by Samantha Rose and Peter Finnegan of the Walther Lutheran Band Program. Rose gives lessons and conducts woodwind, brass and percussion, while Finnegan teaches strings. Rose has commented on the accomplished music knowledge of her students and boasted with a smile that their skills are advanced for their years. Walther Lutheran Academy @Forest Park serves families with children from age 3 through 8th grade and includes a comprehensive Early Childcare Center. The Academy is located at 305 Circle Avenue in Forest Park where it offers the benefits of multiage learning in a caring Christian environment. The school is open for extended care from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Educational partnerships with respected academic institutions give the Academy an emphasis on high academic standards and broad-based extracurricular opportunities. The Academy operates under the umbrella of the Walther Lutheran Association which is the parent organization of Walther Lutheran High School. The college preparatory school in Melrose Park has been a cornerstone of Lutheran Education in the Chicago area since 1954. Together the Walther Lutheran Academy and the Walther Lutheran High School campuses offer superior classroom instruction and extracurricular experience for students from age 3 through 12th grade. In partnership with Concordia University Chicago, the total Lutheran Educational experience is designed to continue into college and beyond. For information about Walther Lutheran Academy @Forest Park call 708.366.2764 or visit Walther.com. Press Release contact: Lori Solyom, Public Information Coordinator |
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