Opportunities for the Community
Community Opportunities
OPEN COMMUNITY EDUCATION ACADEMY - a series of free events at LAMP
After ten years of hosting chamber music, early music, new music, opera, voice, world, and jazz academies for outstanding performing artists from around the world, LAMP is proud to host its first ever Open Community Education Academy from Tuesday, August 27, 2024 – Monday, September 2, 2024 for non-musicians in Nova Scotia. This Academy is dedicated to giving the public a chance to explore and engage with classical music. There are no prerequisites; if you have never been to a concert before, or if you have been to a thousand, we invite you to join us for a dozen FREE educational events, during which internationally acclaimed musicians will guide you through different aspects of the musical process. These educational events are accompanied by three artist concerts, on August 28, August 31, and September 6, and a student concert on September 1.
We are excited to welcome back pianists Janice Lu and Anna Han, as well as violinist Soyoung Choi, three former recipients of the LAMP fellowship, to lead most of the the week’s activities. The activities are divided into four categories: Interactive Classes, Meet the Artists, Discussions, and Behind the Scenes. All three musicians will give presentations on topics close to their hearts, give previews of the concerts, and hold workshops that combine the physical, spiritual, and mental. Concurrently, they will teach local music students in a series of Young Artist Masterclasses, culminating in a student concert on September 1. There will also be a tour of LAMP, and piano technician Ian Gillis will give a tour of the piano.
All events will take place at LAMP - on the top floor of the Lunenburg Academy (97 Kaulbach Street, Lunenburg) and are about an hour long, unless otherwise indicated.
| INTERACTIVE CLASSES |
Lectures and guided activities which allow you to partake in the musical process
Wednesday, August 28, 5:30pm | How the heck do I listen to classical music?
Never been to a concert before? Been to many concerts but want to deepen your listening experience? Pianist Anna Han will discuss concert etiquette and guide participants through listening “warm-up” exercises. She will also discuss different ways to listen to music and how background knowledge can help or hinder the experience. This class is followed shortly thereafter by pianist Yun Janice Lu’s solo concert.
Saturday, August 31, 12:00pm | How do I deal with nerves?
What if you're too nervous to play well? This workshop on performance anxiety is geared towards musicians but open to anyone because we all deal with nerves at some point or another! Instruments welcome! The YAM faculty will share various techniques they use to mentally and physically combat nerves and walk students through the motions of giving a performance. This class may be particularly useful to students performing in the YAM Student Concert the next day.
Monday, September 2, 6:00pm | How do I build a program to perform?
The context in which a piece of music is heard can be extremely powerful. Pianist Anna Han shares her programming process, using Friday’s (September 6) concert as a case study, and analyzes other programs. This will be the first of several programming workshops this year, where participants (regardless of musical ability) learn to build their own hypothetical programs from pieces they love.
| MEET THE ARTISTS |
Guest artists of LAMP give a short presentation on a topic of their interest,
followed by a general Question and Answer session
Tuesday, August 27, 7:00pm | Janice Lu, pianist
Janice Lu is considered one of the leading Taiwanese pianists and has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in renowned halls in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Her presentation will include a preview of her solo recital on Wednesday, August 28, and we welcome you to join for a Q and A afterwards.
Thursday, August 29, 4:00pm | Soyoung Choi, violinist: Interpretive practices throughout violin history
Since making her concerto debut with the Sangrok Chamber Orchestra at age seven, South Korean violinist Soyoung Choi has performed in concerts and festivals all over North America, Europe, and Asia. Soyoung will give an overview of how the grammar of string playing has evolved throughout the history of the instrument, demonstrating pieces of music across the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern periods with interpretive practices associated with each. Q and A afterwards.
Saturday, August 31, 4:00pm | Ian Gillis, piano technician – What’s Inside a Piano?
Our seasoned piano technician Ian Gillis answers all your questions about how the piano works and what he does to make it sound good.
| DISCUSSIONS |
Artists have a “roundtable” chat with audience members about specific musical topics
Friday, August 30, 4:00pm | What on Earth is Chamber Music?
Soyoung, Janice, and Anna will share a brief history of chamber music, explain how they rehearse, and talk about what makes a collaboration work. This discussion immediately follows the 2:30pm Open Rehearsal.
Saturday, August 31, 3:00pm | Practice Makes Perfect… or Does It?
Hate practicing? Dealing with injury/soreness? Is there more to being an artist than your instrument? Soyoung, Janice, and Anna discuss the reason we practice, and give tips for effective, efficient, and fun practicing.
Sunday, September 1, 12:30pm | Help! How Can I Support My Musical Child?
How do I help if I don’t play an instrument? My child loves music; what next? Will my child become a starving artist? While the YAM students are having dress rehearsals for their afternoon concert, Soyoung, Janice, and Anna answer these and any other questions from parents of musical children.
| BEHIND THE SCENES |
Observe day-to-day events at LAMP
Tuesday, August 27, 6:00pm | LAMP and Instrument Tour
What Is Actually Up There Anyway? What is LAMP? Get to know the rehearsal spaces and instruments where the magic happens. Violinist Soyoung Choi and pianist Anna Han will also demonstrate the different acoustics of the spaces.
Friday, August 30, 2:30 - 4:00pm | Open Rehearsal
Watch Soyoung, Janice, and Anna rehearse in preparation for Saturday’s concert. Come in and out at your leisure. This rehearsal is followed by a discussion about chamber music.
August 27 – September 2 | Young Artist Masterclasses
(Schedule to be confirmed)
Soyoung, Janice, and Anna teach local music students in front of a small audience. Visitors are welcome to drop in and observe happens in an instrumental lesson.
Offered daily, schedule to be confirmed. Viewers are welcome to walk in and out between students.
All events take place at LAMP on the top floor of the Lunenburg Academy, 97 Kaulbach Street.
You can register for any of these free programs by completing the registration form: