Sigma Alpha Iota

sai-national.org • Winter 2023 5 ahead of them. e day began with introductions and energizing warmups from Cindy, which quickly moved into their first activity. Students were split into groups and asked to create their own staging snapshots to a well-known scene from a musical. Some examples included Annie, Cinderella, and Little Red Riding Hood. Suddenly, it didn't matter if students were in a group with complete strangers: ere was a fun task at hand! We watched the students in awe as they worked together to assign parts and construct beautiful staging with techniques taught to them by Cindy. By the end of the activity, students were engaged and told stories with their body language and facial expressions. Even if a student was portraying a tree, that tree was important and valuable to their stories. Students cheered on their fellow groups, and we could feel the excitement building in the room. It didn't matter if a student had musical theater experience, or how many shows they had been in before; this day was about true collaboration. Next, Cindy moved onto a lesson about the voice, and how students can utilize their vocal toolbox to find success in musical theater. She instructed students to visualize what their toolbox looked like, what color it was, and where they kept it. Aer completing mindfulness exercises to relax the body, Cindy isolated each vocal tool — posture, breath, range, diction, and character. She then demonstrated these tools with specific exercises that students could use to prepare for an audition or show. Following a busy morning, the students had a quick lunch break. It was delightful to see students sit and eat together regardless of where they attended school, or how old they were. Aer lunch, Cindy launched into a dance class. Understanding that these students had different levels of experience, Cindy taught dance steps that were extremely accessible for everyone. Upon learning the basic moves of a march, jazz square, grapevine, and three-step turn, students were asked to portray their own character through their movements. ey discovered that they could play any character imaginable with these basic steps. Aer this exercise, the students moved into costuming, their final activity for the day. is was exciting for the students, since they were asked to create costumes out of newspaper, tape, and cardboard. In small groups, their creativity soared as they designed their assigned characters on each other. e room filled with laughter and joy as they ended the activity with a fashion show. Before we said our goodbyes, we had just enough time to put together a number to share with students' families as they arrived for pickup. Using all the tools they were taught throughout the day, the students performed the excerpt "Freak Flag" from Shrek the Musical. Families watched in amazement as the group sang, danced, and acted with intention and intensity. It was a perfect end to an incredible day! As an alumnae chapter, we were very happy with the outcome of our workshop. Our students le feeling confident, inspired, and fulfilled. We are looking forward to hosting similar outreach events in the future. is successful workshop is just one example of how we as a sisterhood can change the world through music. Stay tuned! Keri Lorenz is a Gamma Delta initiate, Sword of Honor recipient, and a Buffalo Alumnae Chapter affiliate. SAIs In Action Buffalo Alumnae Chapter volunteers Buffalo Alumnae Chapter volunteers with Member Laureate Cindy Ripley (in red) with Member Laureate Cindy Ripley (in red) The 2023 Annual American Composers Update, featuring details about SAI Composers Bureau members' new publications and premieres, is available for download at: www.sai-national.org/resources/composers-bureau.html

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