Secret Identity Showcase comes to LOA
Published 8:00 am Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Secret identities were revealed and marveled at during the “Secret Identity Showcase” at Lake Oconee Academy (LOA) on Thursday, November 3. The special evening was designed to reveal the “secret identity” and hidden talents of its teachers and students, and also included special performances by the Reynolds Chorus as well as Metropolitan Opera star and OPAS artist-in-residence Jeffrey Wells.
LOA orchestrated the evening in celebration of two amazing gifts received by the fine arts department this year. LOA parent Laura Carithers and her children Blake and Jay Beeker, donated a baby grand piano to LOA in memory of their mother and grandmother. “When the curtains were pulled back and I saw the piano on the stage, it was breathtaking,” said Carithers. “I knew that the piano was exactly where it was supposed to be and that my mother was smiling in heaven knowing the love and talent that was displayed that evening!”
In addition to the baby grand piano, the evening also recognized the incredible contribution of EYELEVEL INTERACTIVE™ LLC (EI™), a MADE Company, and its donation of a piano lab consisting of ten student pianos and an instructor piano. EI™ co-founders and LOA parents Michelle and Mark DeMattei, and Karly and Blair Enfield, and co-founder Jason Tyne have made the dream of musical instruction for all students a reality. Every 4th grade student receives piano instruction and in the 5th grade they will move to a band instrument. 6th graders may choose which musical path they would like to take going forward.
“Parents told me that their child went straight home from the show, got out their instrument or went straight to their piano, and started practicing,” said Amy Reber, piano instructor and general music teacher at LOA. “That is what it’s all about! Inspiring, motivating, or simply showing our students that we are more than just educators…we are people with diverse interests and talents. I know that we planted many seeds at the Showcase. I look forward to watching those seeds grow.”