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."
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!