Following several exciting, thought-provoking and entertaining performances in jazz, modern dance, piano, opera, acting and musical theatre, including a raise-the-roof vocal rendition of Hairspray’s “I Know Where I’ve Been,” Shenandoah Conservatory Dean Michael Stepniak, Ed.D., took the stage as the keynote speaker for the 11th Annual Shenandoah Conservatory Convocation on Aug. 24.
“You join a community that cherishes great artistry and scholarship, but you also join a community that believes the arts belong to everyone; that each individual, regardless of race, culture or financial circumstance has an innate capacity, and deserves the chance, to enjoy beauty, to find and celebrate their personal voice, and have access to the transformative power of the arts,” he said to the conservatory students gathered in Ohrstrom-Bryant Theatre.
At the event, Stepniak introduced two new initiatives: Brink, a YouTube channel and premiere venue promoting collaborative artistic work and showcasing creative student talent from across Shenandoah Conservatory; and student development grants that benefit students pursuing competitive performances or presentations in premier conferences, festivals, and competitions as well as those seeking to develop innovative and high-quality performance programs in non-traditional performance spaces within the greater Winchester area.
“We sense each of you has a personal spark, that you may have the energy to be a champion and torch-bearer for the arts, a champion in all corners of the world,” Stepniak told students, “from poor rural communities to major metropolitan centers to small elementary schools to large companies and universities.”