MS Choir Spends Day at Lakeside with Tesfa

Solid wood doors could not contain the beautiful sound coming out of Evans Theater on the Lakeside School campus Thursday. That’s because four local independent schools including Overlake spent the day with nationally renowned conductor and composer Tesfa Wondemagegnehu who led the middle school students in a choral workshop.

Music teachers Andy Jackson and Erin Gabriel joined Overlake’s 54-singers in a collaboration of songs and vocal exercises. “Tesfa’s energy is so infectious,” says Gabriel. “He puts as much effort into working with our kids as he would with some of the world’s finest vocalists.”

The conductor isn’t shy in his teaching with recollections of his youth and singing in Memphis, Tennessee.

Now working in Minnesota, he’s in high demand for his compositions and conducting. “It’s not about singing louder. It’s about making your voice an instrument. You need to be aware of that range. Otherwise, it starts to sound out of tune,” Wondemagegnehu tells his young vocalists.

Waving his arms and moving his large frame flowingly across the stage, the students are captivated by his knowledge and techniques.

The students will put their lesson on display this Friday evening at our Singfest Concert at the Fulton Performing Arts Center.

Friday, while Overlake students have the day off, the schools will bring their upper school students here to prepare for the evening performance.

Show time is 7:00.

Click here to see Wondemagegnehu at work with our middle school choir.