New singing opportunities at the Patel Conservatory

The Patel Conservatory has added new Vocal Arts classes to our 2015/2016 music schedule.

We’ve added more options to give students the best experience for their age and experience level. With a variety of choirs and ensembles, beginner through advanced students can experience the joys of singing while working with master teachers to improve their skills.

“This is going to be a new and exciting year of music-making! With the recent changes to our program, we are able to raise the quality of all of our ensembles and add variety to the music that we are singing. I can’t wait to get started!” said Kavanaugh Gillespie, director of Patel Conservatory’s Vocal Arts program.

Students in our Vocal Arts classes enjoy performance opportunities throughout the year, including two concerts on our Straz Center stages, and community events. They’ll also enjoy the camaraderie of social events such as our Fall Vocal Arts Kick Off Retreat, which will be Sept. 13 and includes food, fun and Frisbee, and, a trip to see the group Straight No Chaser at the Straz Center.

Check out our new Vocal Arts classes: 

Treble Choir FORMERLY JUNIOR CHOIR
Grades 5 to 8
Fridays, 5 to 6:30 p.m.
For boys and girls with unchanged voices, this class helps students build their music reading skills and develop good singing technique through classic choral and popular repertoire. This class would be a great fit for our musical theater students who want to build their vocal skills and gain large-group choral and performance experience. No audition required.

Women’s Ensemble NEW!
Grades 7 to CollegeTuesdays, 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Men’s Ensemble NEW!
Grades 7 to College
Thursdays, 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Students in these ensembles will explore challenging and fun, gender-specific repertoire for performance opportunities throughout the year. Our holiday performance will include “Mr. Santa (a play on “Mr. Sandman”) by the women, and the men’s group will perform “The Twelve Days After Christmas,” a humorous piece detailing the horror that ensues once all the fabled gifts arrived. Audition is required for both ensembles.


Mixed Choir NEW!
Grades 7 to College
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Exceptional male and female vocalists are selected for this advanced choir. The group will study exciting and challenging choral literature for performance opportunities. Repertoire will include a piece commissioned for the Straz Center’s 2015 Broadway Season and written by Jamey Ray, of Liberty Voices, a renowned a cappella group that performs around the world. The group visited our recent Summer Voice Intensive and performed at the Straz Center's President’s Luncheon. (Check them out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQ0CZB_DUzE)Audition is required for Mixed Choir. Students in Mixed Choir are also strongly encouraged to enroll in Men's Ensemble or Women's Ensemble.

To schedule an audition for advanced ensembles, contact Kavanaugh Gillespie at kavanaugh.gillespie@strazcenter.org.

For more information or to register, call 813.222.1002 or email patelconservatory@strazcenter.org.

Music auditions for Fall 2015

The Patel Conservatory Music Department will hold auditions for their 2015/2016 school year music ensembles.

Music Auditions

Tues., Aug. 18 from 5 to 8 p.m.
Sat., Aug. 29 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Auditions will be held for the following ensembles:

• Chamber Ensembles (Instrumental), Grade 7-College
• Adult Chamber Ensembles (Instrumental), Adult
• Vocal Arts Choirs and Ensembles, Grade 5-College
• Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Combo and Advanced Jazz Improvisation, Grade 7-College; Adult
• Rock School, Grade 4-Adult

Audition requirements:

• Chamber Ensembles - prepare two short, contrasting pieces and scales. Students may be asked to sight-read.
• Vocal Arts - prepare 16 bars of an art song, folk song, or musical theater song and provide sheet music. An accompanist will be provided. Students may be asked to sight-read.
• Jazz - prepare one short piece that best represents you, and scales. Students may be asked to improvise and/or sight-read.
• Rock School - prepare a piece that showcases your ability and aptitude to function in a Rock Band setting. Drums, keyboard and amps are provided, but student must bring a guitar or bass if auditioning on those instruments.

For more information, or to schedule an audition:

For chamber ensembles, jazz or Rock School, contact Allison Novak at allison.novak@strazcenter.org.

For vocal arts choirs and ensembles, contact Kavanaugh Gillespie at kavanaugh.gillespie@strazcenter.org.

Spotlight on Kayda and Thia Sandefur

Kayda and Thia Sandefur could certainly pass for twins. With similar short, bob haircuts and only a year and a half age difference, the two sisters from St. Petersburg are often seen together on Patel Conservatory stages in our theater productions.

In their first Conservatory show, they were even double cast in the same role as Alice in Alice and Wonderland, Jr. Since then, they each have played a variety of roles in our theater productions year after year, including Once Upon a Mattress, A Little Princess and Oklahoma!

“It’s good being close in age, we’re supportive of each other,” said Kayda, 14. “If someone gets a bigger role, we don’t get mad...whether you’re ensemble, or a lead, you should be honored just to be in the cast.”

“We’ve both had leads, and we’ve both been in ensemble, we’re just supportive of each other,” agreed Thia, 15.

Kayda, left, and This in Alice in Wonderland, Jr.
in 2011. Photo by Soho Images.

Although they look alike and perform in the same shows, and share inside jokes and sometimes finish each other’s sentences, the girls are each finding their own path at the Conservatory.

In Alice and Wonderland, Jr., “the director worked with the girls to bring out each of their strengths,” said mom Kelli Sandefur.

Working with different directors, choreographers and instructors over the past five years has inspired them to branch out beyond theater classes and into vocal and dance classes and private voice lessons.

This summer, Kayda will focus on voice, participating in the Conservatory’s Voice Intensive, and Thia will focus on dance in the Junior Intensive.

Kayda is looking forward to working with vocal instructor Kavan Gillespie. “He pushes you to go outside of your comfort area. You never feel nervous when it comes time for the performance because he gives you so much to prepare. You feel like you have everything you need to give your best performance.”

Thia took an interest in dance last summer when she got a chance to work with dance instructor Kelly King in Hairspray.

On the Edge,  April 2015. Photo by Soho Images.

“She made sure I did everything very sharp. It was the most intense dancing I’ve ever done,” said Thia.

That sold Thia and her sister on taking hip hop during the school year with Miss Kelly. Though they’ve picked up some dance along the way through theater experiences, neither had ever taken formal dance classes.

“At the beginning of the year, we were nervous. But by the end of year, your confidence is so built up,” said Thia.

Last year, she didn’t even know the Conservatory had a third floor. This year, she’ll spend two weeks in our third floor dance studios as she works on dance skills in the Junior Intensive.

"I want to improve in jazz so I can take Just for Kicks next year."

Ultimately, the two girls are striving for those triple threat skills that will land them professional jobs.

“From auditions to callbacks, the Patel Conservatory has prepared them for what it’s really like in the professional world. When they go to other auditions, they don’t have the unknown fear factor,” said Kelli.

The girls recently had roles as extras in the films Five Doctors and Dolphin Tale 2.

“Improv, dance, singing, drama, you don’t have to go to different places to meet all those needs,” said Thia.

“There are so many different avenues all within one building,” said Kayda. “Patel has really given us everything we need.”

For more information about dance, music and theater camps and classes, call 813.222.1002 or visit patelconservatory.org.

Featured camp of the month: Musical Theater

This month, we highlight our most popular camp, Musical Theater.

Does your child love to act out different characters, sing along to their favorite shows and dance their hearts out around the living room?

Harness that energy and budding love of the arts in one of the Patel Conservatory's musical theater camps!

In our musical theater camps, students explore music, dance and theater in one fun-filled week that lets them use their imaginations and explore the performing arts. They’ll enjoy drama-based games and activities, improvisation and scene work geared toward their age levels.

At the end of the week, they'll show off new skills in a showcase for friends and family.

Offered multiple weeks throughout the summer, with different themes each week, they’ll want to come back again and again!

Full day Musical Theater camps are offered for 2^nd through 8^th graders, and half day Mini Musical Theater camps are offered for preschoolers through Kindergartners.

Musical Theater Camp (Grades 2-8)

Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

$345 per week
Weeks offered:
July 20-24

July 27-31
August 10-14

Mini Musical Theater (PreK-Gr. 1)
Mon. – Fri., 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
$245 per week

Weeks offered:
June 8-12

June 15-19
July 13-17
July 20-24
August 3-7

To register, click here, or call 813.222.1002.

Spotlight on Catherine Chapman

When Catherine Chapman first joined the Patel Conservatory’s vocal arts program, she had no idea that she would learn so much.

“I originally added the choir class for something to put on my resume. I wanted to go to college for music, but I realized my resume wasn’t that long,” said Catherine.

Catherine, 18, began her music journey with piano lessons when she was just five years old. In middle school, she switched to viola and played with the Patel Conservatory Youth Orchestra for two years.

When she started at Tampa Preparatory School in eighth grade, she decided to join the vocal program.

“I really like vocal choir. It was small, but it was also fun. We were always in different ensembles and trios, and we did some Glee songs.”

As she approached her senior year and realized she needed a bit more experience for college applications, she signed up for the Patel Conservatory’s Senior Choir and Senior Ensemble.

“The Patel Conservatory choir is different because it’s more like an intensive with the music and concert schedule,” said Catherine.

Catherine was surprised to find that not only did her singing improve, she also found a sense of camaraderie that she hadn’t expected.

“It’s a really fun group of people to be with, they’re all very happy… everyone is there because they want to be there."

In the fall, she also took private voice lessons with instructor Kristi Beinhauer. Having seen Beinhauer perform with the St. Petersburg Opera Company, she enjoyed training with a working professional.

“I realized during my college auditions that my voice had gotten a lot better. My solo and ensemble vocals had gotten a lot better, and it helped me lead the choir at school."

At auditions, Catherine was asked to sing in various styles including opera, classical and contemporary. She felt her lessons and classes at the Conservatory helped prepare her more than she anticipated.

"I've learned a lot of different techniques, like breathing techniques that helped me project my voice."

Catherine will start this fall at the University of Florida College of Music. She'd like to major in music education.

In the meantime, she is looking forward to performing in the upcoming Vocal and Instrumental Concert in May. Her group will perform classic favorites such as Someone to Watch Over Me and Chattanooga Choo Choo.

“We have a lot of choreography and that’s going to be awesome…It’s going to be super fun,” she said.

Join us for our Vocal and Instrumental Concert on Tues., May 12 at 6:30 p.m. For tickets or more information, click here.

For more information on the Conservatory's vocal arts program, including our summer Voice Intensive, call 813.222.1002, or click here.

Free master class with Elizabeth de Trejo

The Patel Conservatory will offer a free vocal master class with Elizabeth de Trejo.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from the renowned soprano who will be a featured soloist in Opera Tampa’s upcoming L’amour Toujours A Popera! Concert at the Straz Center in Tampa.

De Trejo performed with Opera Tampa in La Traviata, Romeo et Juliette, Lucia di Lammermoor and Faust, and with North Carolina Opera as Fiordiligi in Cosi fan Tutte and the title role in Bellini's masterpiece, Norma.

She recently performed in Carnegie Hall as the soprano soloist in Carmina Burana, as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, in a tour with the Florida Orchestra as guest soloist, and in concerts of zarzuela in Mexico City and Lincoln Center. She has worked with the Metropolitan Opera in Lulu, and made her Carnegie Hall debut as a soloist under the baton of composer John Rutter.

De Trejo has performed with several opera companies nationally and has performed internationally across Europe. She has received numerous awards from prominent vocal competitions, including the Gerda Lissner Opera Competition in New York, the MacAllister Opera Competition, the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in the Connecticut and Gulf Coast Regions, the Jenny Lind Soprano Competition, the Rosa Ponselle Competition and the Giulio Gari Foundation Opera Competition and the Liederkranz Competition. She received her Bachelor of Music from Loyola University, New Orleans and her Master of Music from Yale University.

The free master class will be Sat., Mar. 1, 2014 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

RSVP is required no later than February 28. Participants are asked to submit repertoire selections at the time of registration.

For more information, or to RSVP, please contact the Patel Conservatory registration office at 813.222.1002 or patelconservatory@strazcenter.org.

Vocal Arts students spread holiday cheer

Heartfelt thanks to our Vocal Arts students for spreading holiday cheer throughout the community this season.

Vocal Arts student perform before The Nutcracker

Students in our junior and senior choirs provided carols in the Silbiger lobby at the Straz Center prior to each performance of Next Generation’s Ballet’s The Nutcracker.

They also provided caroling for the Egypt Shriners Children’s Christmas party, the Tampa Rotary Club’s holiday breakfast and Pilot Bank’s holiday party.

These are recent examples of the many performance opportunities our students enjoy through their study here.

Auditions are coming up for our spring Vocal Arts classes. For more information about our spring classes, please click here, or call 813.222.1002.

Season’s Greetings from our Patel Conservatory family to yours!

Spotlight on Julia Powell

Julia Powell, left, performs at a Rock School Blowout concert.

Fourteen-year-old Julia Powell is a longtime student at the Patel Conservatory.

"My favorite thing about the Patel Conservatory is the music program...I think it's individualized to the person, plus there are a lot of classes," said Julia.

She started in the theater program when she was young, and has participated in Rock School for the past two years as a guitarist and a vocalist. 

“I like Rock School because I want to be a musician and it’s given me an image of what it’s going to be like,” she said.

This year, she’s also taking the new Voice Rocks! (VOX) class. The class has given her the opportunity to focus on vocal training in the style of music she enjoys.

“The vocals are my favorite part of performing. I enjoy the VOX program because it allows me to have more individualized attention.”

VOX teacher Deborah Lynch enjoys having Julia in her class. Dee teaches a number of classes at the Patel Conservatory and helps coordinate our Rock School Program. 

“Julia is soft-spoken, gracious and attentive,” said Lynch. “She possesses a thirst for knowledge that is reflected in her participation in the Conservatory's Rock music programs. She brings a lovely spirit to her classes!”

This weekend, Julia will perform in the Rock School Blowout concert. She’ll play two songs with her Rock School band, the Mellow Strawberries, as well as Green Day’s hit Time of Your Life, which will be her first solo performance.

The concert will be Sat., Nov. 23 at 1 p.m. in the Jaeb Theater. Tickets are still $5 through today, and $7 on the day of the show.

For more information about the Rock School Blowout or the VOX class, contact us at 813-222-1002 or visit our website.

Camps starting this week: Music, Voice and pre-K!

Summer camps and classes continue this week at the Patel Conservatory at the Straz Center.

Today, we started three new camps, Intro to Performing Arts, Showstoppers Musical Revue and Vocal Arts Academy: Jr. Division.

Our half-day mini Intro to Performing Arts camp helps little ones in preschool and kindergarten explore their imaginations through games and storytelling.

Students in our Pre-K Mini Intro to Performing Arts camp
had a fun first day of camp!

Space is still available in our Intro to Performing Arts camps July 1 - 5 for preschoolers through eighth grade.

In the Musical Revue camp, students in grade five through college will polish their solo and group musical theater skills. They’ll research, rehearse and perform classic Broadway show-stopping musical numbers. We welcome Michael Raabe as our music director for this show. Raabe is a vocal director and music arranger for shows at Busch Gardens, and has done shows with Freefall Theatre and American Stage in the Park.

Students in our Showstoppers Musical Revue acquaint themselves with their songbooks.

Come re-live some of your favorite Broadway showstoppers as they perform Jun. 27 and Jun. 28, 2013 at 7 p.m. in the Jaeb Theater at the Straz Center.

In our Vocal Arts Academy: Junior Division, singers in grades five through eight will work on various vocal techniques. Through daily rehearsals and group voice classes, they’ll have the opportunity to sing in parts, sing in English and other languages, read music, develop a character and work on performance skills. These students will perform Fri., Jun. 28, 2013 at 3 p.m. at the TECO Theater.

Students in our Vocal Arts Academy work on choreography for their performance.

Space is still available in our Vocal Arts Academy: Senior Division for grades nine through college , which will be Jul. 22 through Aug. 2, 2013.

Our ballet Junior Intensive also continues this week and will culminate in a performance this Friday, Jun. 21, 2013 at 4:30 p.m. in Morsani Hall at the Straz Center.

Conservatory students in La Boheme this weekend

Congratulations to the Patel Conservatory vocal arts students who are performing this weekend in Opera Tampa’s La Bohème!

Jacob Fleming in his Parisian
costume for La Boheme

Students in our Junior Choir, Junior Ensemble and Musical Theater classes are portraying the children in this classic opera, playing at the Straz Center through March 10, 2013.

“The set is really beautiful. There’s old buildings with lights, and it’s very realistic,” said Jacob Fleming, 13, who is both in our vocal arts program and our Rock School program.

The students play the children on a street in Paris in the second act, and had to attend rehearsals with the Opera Tampa cast. Fleming said he was thrilled to have such an opportunity to work with professional artists.

“They’re all amazing, it was so cool to work with them and hear them,” he said.

Fleming began at the Patel Conservatory with an arts sampler camp in the summer when he was about six years old. He’s since taken musical theater classes and has participated in Rock School for nearly three years.

From rock to opera, he doesn’t care the style, he just enjoys being on stage and performing.

“It’s been a fantastic experience and I love it,” said Fleming.

The following students are also performing this weekend with Opera Tampa:

LaNora Barber, Paige Crockett, Isabella Falber, Emma Hurlburt, Alexa Lowrey, Taliyah Marullo, Samantha Money, Joshua Nelson, Abigale Pfingsten, Bianca Rivera-Irions and McKayla Whiteside.

Also performing in the show as part of the Opera Tampa Chorus are instructor Allison Novak, Kavanaugh Gillespie, Rachael Marino and Ruthie Nelson. Music instructors Catherine Michelsen, Hollis Hammonds, Lowell Adams, Dee Moses, and Jim Petrecca play in the orchestra.

Congratulations to all these students and instructors and have a great run!

Spotlight on Allison Novak

Instructor Allison Novak, right, teaches music classes for ages two and up.

Think about your favorite song, and how it makes you feel. Think about how music permeates our lives every day without us thinking about it.

Whether you crank the tunes on the radio to minimize stress while you’re stuck in traffic, or if you enjoy a live Broadway or opera performance at a theater, music has a way of touching our lives, says Allison Novak, music department manager for the Patel Conservatory.

“Music is something that everybody can relate to. It’s in everyone’s lives whether they realize it or not,” said Allison.

For Allison, music has been a major part of her life as long as she can remember. She listened to big band and orchestra music with her grandpa when she was little, sang in her school and church choirs throughout her school years, and was active in musical theater productions in high school.

“Music is just something I’ve always been doing,” she said.

Allison received her Bachelor of Music in vocal performance and commercial music from Millikin University in Illinois. She has performed professionally as a member of The Orlando Chamber Singers and spent five years working at Walt Disney World where she performed daily for thousands of guests.

She is currently a member of the Opera Tampa Chorus and can be seen this weekend in Opera Tampa’s A Masked Ball, playing Feb. 7 - 10 in Ferguson Hall at the Straz Center.

As the instructor of our preschool through fourth grade music classes at the Conservatory and music classes at our partnership schools, Allison says the classes encourage academic learning as well as creative thinking.

“Music lets your mind explore places and opens up new ways of thinking,” she said.

In addition to teaching kids about music terminology, pitch, rhythm and other music concepts, Allison tries to incorporate other academic subjects into her classes.

For example, in the preschool classes, she includes songs about the alphabet sounds and seasonal activities.

“In one of my older classes, we took math problems and turned them into music notes...adding quarter and half notes,” she said. “I try to do something different every week and make it fun for them.”

For more information about the Patel Conservatory’s music classes for ages two and up, please click here or call 813-222-1002.

Wonderland actor makes top eight on X Factor

Carly Rose Sonenclar has made it another week on the popular television show X Factor.

The thirteen-year-old from Mamaroneck, NY played Chloe in the Straz Center’s production of Wonderland  last year.

Last week, her rendition of “Over the Rainbow” got rave reviews from the judges and earned her the top spot in the popular singing competition. She is now among the final eight contestants.

The X Factor airs on Fox television on Wednesday and Thursday nights. Viewers call in and vote for their favorite performer on Wednesdays. For info on how to vote, click here.

Congratulations and good luck to Carly as she competes to be the next winner of X Factor!

Music and magic draw this artist from her shell

There’s a feeling that lives within our walls. It’s intangible, but very real for the performers and artists - the singers, actors, dancers, musicians - who spend time here at the Patel Conservatory.

Melissa Stewart-Hoffman describes it as magic.

“In life, I’m shy, but when I walk through the music note doors, and up to the third floor studio, I feel like myself,” said Melissa, a voice student at the Conservatory. “I guess singing, it just does something, it’s a certain magic."

A 16-year-old from Mulberry, Fla., Melissa first felt that magic when she was 12 years old and saw La Bohème at The Metropolitan Opera in New York City.

“It was like a lightbulb going off in my head. I’ve always loved singing, but that’s when I knew I wanted to be an opera singer,” said Melissa.

After a few years of taking local voice lessons, she decided to try the Patel Conservatory in the summer of 2011 with our Vocal Arts Academy.

“When I started at the Conservatory, I think that’s when I felt at home...It was an amazing discovery,” said Melissa.

That fall, she began private voice lessons with instructor and Patel Conservatory music chair, Gregory Ruffer. She auditioned for Opera Tampa Chorus and had the opportunity to perform with them throughout the season.

The experience of performing with the opera company affirmed her love of the art and desire to pursue a classical singing career.

“The last performance I did (with Opera Tampa) was Aida, and I think that was my favorite...it felt easier and reassured me even more,” she said.

This past summer, in addition to attending our Classical Voice Intensive, she earned the honor of attending the prestigious summer program at Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio.

She attributes her success to the training she received at the Conservatory.

“(Ruffer) is the best teacher. His experience and his honesty with me in how I need to improve, and just the environment,” helped her grow as an artist, she said.

She loves performing opera because she enjoys singing in different languages and learning about the various operas and their histories. Becoming a different character draws her out of her shell, she said.

“The music transports me to a different era,” said Melissa. "I sing not only to express myself and to be happy, but so other people will enjoy it."

A junior at Polk State Collegiate High School in Lakeland where she’s earning college credit for classes, she takes private voice lessons weekly with Ruffer in preparation for college auditions and hopes to attend Oberlin.

“I’m really thankful for the Conservatory,” said Melissa. “I feel truly like it is my second home.”