|
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Arts Education Background:
Laura started her arts education early with dance lessons when she was 2 1/2 and piano at age 4. Music instruction continued with harp lessons at age 10 and vocal instruction.
Entering sixth grade, she was accepted into Classen School of Advanced Studies and Performing Arts. This school meets and exceeds the state and national standards in all areas. She has sung and performed on piano and harp, both alone and with others. Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments as well as composing and arranging have also been areas of work. She has also exceeded the national standards in the areas of understanding relationships between music, and the other arts and its relation to history and culture. In fact, Laura also worked it into the natural sciences with her science fair project entitled "Music and Its Relationship to Scientific Form."
In the area of dance, she not only performs, but also choreographs works that are performed by herself and by groups at annual recitals and shows. Understanding dance as a way to create and communicate meaning is especially interesting to Laura as she performs and choreographs.
Laura is grateful that her parents exposed her to these areas of culture early in life, and gave her the opportunity to be instructed in the arts, as they have become a major focus of her life and education.
Laura Elise Payne is thirteen years old. She is the oldest of four children. Her parents are Terry and Barbara Payne. Laura lives in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and attends Classen School of Advanced Studies.
She enjoys reading, writing poetry and composing music for the harp and piano. She also enjoys dancing and has taken tap, ballet and jazz for eleven years.
Laura attends the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is active in their young women program. They do community service and learn homemaking skills. She is also the young women's music coordinator.
Laura loves music and enjoys most everything related to it. She hopes to continue her studies in harp, piano, and dance. Her goals are to perform in the Youth Symphony Orchestra and major in Music.