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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (April 8, 1998)
5 Wednesday, April 8, 1998 A vocal chameleon: Denbeste does it all JOEL P. SHEMPERT Feature Editor LeaAnne DenBeste stands talking with Monica Huggett, violinist and di rector for the Portland Baroque Or chestra, asking her if she would be will ing sometime to write her a recommen dation. Huggett cheerfully agrees, and the two exchange thank yous and goodbyes. The foyer empties, and DenBeste turns and asks, with a sly smile, “Is it odd for you to see your teacher asking someone else for a rec ommendation?” DenBeste has just completed a se ries of concerts as solo soprano with the Portland Baroque Orchestra and Ken Pierce Baroque Dance Company. It has been a full Sunday afternoon, and now the beautifully adorned singer prowls the Trinity Episcopal Church halls in her concert gown, seeking the dancers’ autographs. As star soprano at the completion of a smashing per formance, it is a wonder people are not seeking her autograph, yet she is clearly the dancers’ and orchestra’s biggest fan. Denbeste, who has taught voice at Clackamas since 1989, has just com pleted a series of concerts with the aforementioned Portland Baroque Or chestra. Singing airs and recitatives in Italian, English and French from Handel’s Alcina, Purcell’s The Fairy Queen, Clerambault’s Le Soleil, vainueur des nuages, and Lully’s Les festes de VAmour et de Bacchus ac companied by orchestra and inter spersed with vivid and lively dance sequences, DenBeste truly shows her range as a singer. “This is a really unique and unusual opportunity for me,” said DenBeste earlier last week, anticipating the con certs. “They [Portland Baroque Or chestra have featured an unusual num ber of singers this year. . .They don’t use vocal soloists that often, and when they do use them they use them for ‘bit parts,”’ that is, small solos within a larger choral program. Therefore be ing the sole singer backed by an orches tra for nearly two hours of music and dance is a shining moment not likely to be repeated in DenBeste’s career. But wait, you ask—is not her career that of a voice teacher? This may all seem confusing at first, but that is sim ply the result of the many hats DenBeste wears. Soloist, choral singer, music instructor—all these titles and more have been applied to her, and all are equally true. LeaAnne Denbeste is a difficult lady to pigeonhole. “I’m a chameleon,” she remarks with mirthful voice, “because I sing in so many different-sized ensembles.” DenBeste currently sings in the 40- member Oregon Repertory Singers, 20- 24 member Choral Cross-Ties, 12-16 member Capella Romana ensembles, and the Cantabile and and Schola Senexis quartets, as well as the Sospirando duet which is backed by two instrumentalists. Add to that her diverse offering of solo work and you’ve got a musician who sings in just about every vocal setting imaginable. There is, however, one exception. “I don’t do opera,” DenBeste admits. “It’s not that I hate it; actually I love it. I just don’t have a big enough voice.” This is probably just as well—oth erwise DenBeste’s plate, between her singing career and her instruction in Group Voice and private lessons here at Clackamas, might get just a bit too full. “People should realize that it’s not a simple life,” says DenBeste. “Even though I’m singing a concert tonight [Friday], I’m rehearsing stuff for one month from now.” Even so, she was able to concentrate enough to deliver a stellar performance in the “Danse Baroque” concert, show ing off both her vocal and stylistic range. “Breath control to die for,” re marked Clackamas Theory Teacher Judy Hylton, also in attendance at Sunday’s concert. This should come as no surprise as DenBeste is well known around the Clackamas Music Department as a master of imparting such control to her students. Those who have studied un der her or worked with her in Clacka mas Chamber Singers’ rehearsal may well wonder if there’s anything she doesn’t know. There is perhaps one thing. “What would it take to involve more people in singing at the college?” DenDeste asks. “I know that many people at this college are singing on their own. This is my main evangeli cal point—it would make it so much easier for them if they had a little knowledge.” DenBeste is concerned that people with little training might feel too intjmi- JOEL P. SHEMPERT / Clackamas Print Though star soprano LeaAnne DenBeste sings professionally on a variety of levels, she still finds time to hone the voices of Clackamas students. dated to take a voice class. She wants to reassure students that “I have taught voice lessons to people as diverse as punk and rock bands—I even taught a rap singer once—to an older man who wanted just to improve his voice.” DenBeste is interested in a vocal pro grams that would work with amateur singers wherever it is of use to them, such as singing country, pop or contemporary Christian songs. She hopes to receive feedback from interested students. It might seem odd that such a busy musician would want yet another respon sibility to fit into her busy schedule, but if anything is obvious about LeaAnne DenBeste, it is not only that she is a master juggler with her career, but that she places a high priority on student suc cess. It would make it so much easier for [singers] if they hada little knowledge. 99 LeaAnne Denbeste Voice Instructor Welding certification hopefully first of many ROBERT SCHOENBERG Staff Writer Clackamas student Eric Severson this month demonstrated his welding abilities to quailify for an American Welding Society certification awarded to welders who meet a na tionwide skill standard. Severson qualified by cutting and welding a pair of car bon steel plates together, a test piece called a coupon, and after finishing a set of coupons, they were mechanically tested by Braun Testing and Certification Laboratory on Swan Island in Portland. Each coupon was bent backward along the length and width to see if the weld would come apart. "Basically, we bend it into the shape of a U," said weld ing instructor John Shaw. Shaw said he has two more students nearing skill levels needed to test for certification. The welding class has about 42 students, he added. This was Severson's first attempt at meeting the national standards of the AWS. He bought a welding machine last year but did not know how to use it, so he took Shaw's class on welding to learn how. The AWS certificate is a sign of mastery at a level of skill needed to work in the industry. Severson performed his test using a gas metal arc welder. Severson hopes to use his new welding skills at the com pany he works for, a heating, ventilation and air-condi tioning service company. Severson wants to continue his education here at Clacka mas, eventually getting a degree in business administra tion. YOUR Ol ET ET I CZ WORTH MORE THAN YOU MAY THINK. If you're pursuing an associate's degree, the Navy would like to offer you -a unique opportunity. Get a job with advanced Navy training in one of more than 60 technical fields like aviation elec- tronics, computer technology and nuclear power operations. You'll automatically /start at a higher rank and salary. Other benefits include 30 days of vacation with pay earned every year, and the opportunity for worldwide travel. With superior training and an excellent starting salary, your degree ? will start paying the dividends you deserve. Call today. NAVY Welding Instructor John Shaw works hard to bring students to welding certification skill level. LETTRE JOURNEY BEGIN. • Wednesday, April 8, 1998
