The Clackamas print., October 22, 2003, Page 5, Image 5

F eature
5 • O ctober 22, 2003 • T he C lackamas P rint
No barrier between new teacher, her students
and her students follow suit, leaning
and groaning.
T he C lackamas P rint
"Good things in, bad things out,"
Students buzz with chatter. says Szopa-Tabisz softly, as she and
before rehearsal for the Clackamas her students take deep breaths in and
out slowly. Shortly, without speal^ng,
Chorale.
As conductor Jolanta Szopa- Szopa-Tabisz has her class warming
Tabisz enters the room with a smile, up their voices through many differ­
students talk and joke with her right ent exercises. After this, class can
away. Soon, she begins stretching begin.
Karlin Johnson
CORY PRICE C lackamas P rint
A former Clackamas student, Jolanta Szopa-Tabisz is
now the new conductor of the Clackamas Chorale.
Szopa-Tabisz was bom and raised Szopa-Tabisz, who also appreciates
in Poland, where the high school that the way her students give her exactly
she attended prepared all of the stu­ what she asks for when she is con­
dents to become music teachers. In ducting.
Students feel the same gratifica­
her following years in Poland, the
young musician performed in con­ tion from their instructor.
"Jolanta is a wonderful conduc­
certs and competitions in Austria,
Ireland, Luxembourg, Switzerland tor," said student Michael Lyman,
and the United States. She also has a "She is very light hearted and has a
really good spirit.
Master of Music
She enjoys what she
Education
from
"Jolanta is a
does, which really
Silesian University
reflects on the choir."
in Poland.
wonderful con­
The conductor
In 2000 Szopa-
ductor. She is
shows her enthusi­
Tabisz moved to the
very light heart­ asm visibly; the
US to reside here in
ed and has a
whole time she leads
Portland.
the choir there is a
After singing
really good
smile on hef face.
in
choirs
at
spirit. She
She even begins
Clackamas with
enjoys what she hopping up and
Music Department
down while conduct­
Head Lonnie Cline
does, which
ing a song that she
for two years, she
really reflects
describes as "very
was asked by him to
on the choir/
happy."
teach herself.
Szopa-Tabisz's
This is Szopa-
Michael Lyman
teaching style also
Tabisz's first year
Student
seems to make the
teaching at the col­
music more personal
lege, and so far
there is nothing holding her back. A to the students. Part way through the
good relationship with her students class she has them gather in a circle
was not something that was difficult and make eye contact.
"Sing to each other!" she instructs.
to gain.
Language barriers don't seem to
"They are a very nice group of
people. I don't have to break the effect the class either.
"Since English isn't her first lan-
walls between them and me," said
CORY PRICE C lackamas P rint
Conductor Jolanta Szopa-
Tabisz sings along as she
leads her choir students.
guage, she sometimes demonstrates
how music sounds [with motions],
and it's fun," said student Jenna
Ellefson.
As a new teacher at Clackamas,
Szopa-Tabisz is finding her place
quickly. She will continue to conduct
the Clackamas Chorale all year.
Outside of the college she is an
Assistant Conductor of the Unistus
Chamber Choir in Oregon City. She
is also a private piano teacher and a
eurhythmies instructor.
The Clackamas Chorale will be
performing in December at the
Christmas by Candlelight concert at
St. John the Apostle Church in
Oregon City.
Staff members show artistic sides at art show, Word & Form III
«W»
BÜ ■
Word & Form III, a
show which was previ-
ously set up in the
Pauling gallery, ran
from Sept. 25- Oct. 17.
The show was initially
organized by ceramics
teacher Katy
McFadden and
English teacher Kate
Gray. The literary
pieces and three-
dimensional works on
display came from
various staff and fac-
ulty members and
were based on a cen-
tral theme of warfare.
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Photos by JESSE LAMOND C lackamas P rint