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June 2, 2016

Meet This Artist: Leandra Strope is empowering girls to find their voices

Leandra 13
Leandra Strope is the founder of Sisters’ Voices

While other toddlers were smearing yogurt in their hair and coloring on the walls with crayons, Leandra Strope at age two was learning to play the violin. “My mother was committed to the idea that my brother and I would be musically literate,” said Leandra.

I started playing the violin when I was two.
She began playing violin at age 2

By the time she was in elementary school, she had added piano and guitar to her play list. It was during middle school that she bonded with her dream instrument – the flute – and she stuck with it through college and to this present day.

“I love music and I think making music is healthy – physically, emotionally and spiritually,” said Leandra.

“My own true art, however, is teaching. My primary focus is on making music with groups of kids and particularly on empowering girls to use their voices well.” So she turned to graduate school to study choral conducting and literature.

finishing first eason 2009 2
Leading her first Sisters’ Voices chorus in 2009

After teaching at Governor’s School of North Carolina for 10 years, she founded Sisters’ Voices in 2008, with 17 girls in grades 4th through 8th from across Chatham County.

She has since added an ensemble of 2nd and 3rd grade girls, also based in Pittsboro, and two ensembles in Chapel Hill. Simply stated, Sisters’ Voices is “a community for girls who love to sing.”

2012 start of 2nd and 3rd grade ensemble
The first 2nd & 3rd grade ensemble

They indeed do a lot of singing, practicing each week throughout the academic year and performing two main concerts – one in January and one in May. They also sing for community events and to support other local organizations. And in the process they learn a lot more than how to carry a tune.

“I believe that a chorus is an excellent place for a person to explore her voice, to take the risks involved in contributing fully to the community, to figure out the differences between making sound alone and making sound with others, to learn to balance focus on self and focus on the community, to learn to support others and to accept others’ support,” said Leandra.

spring 2012
Sisters’ Voices Spring 2012

“I want the Sisters’ Voices experience to empower girls to use their voices, even when they’re terrified. These are skills that will see them through their entire lives, even if they choose not to continue with music later,” she added.

Coming up:

Day of the books 2016
Day of the Books in Siler City 2016

Sisters’ Voices is gearing up for summer camps and next year’s ensembles: Community Camp, for girls in 3rd-9th grade, will be held July 25-29 in Chapel Hill and August 8-12 in Pittsboro. The only requirement is a desire to sing!

Registration (for Sisters’ Voices-One) and Auditions (for Sisters’ Voices-Two) have begun for the 2016-1017 season and will continue until ensembles are full.

Leandra also offers private lessons at her Wrensong Workshop. “I teach flute and singing and especially enjoy working with people – young and old – who are learning to match pitch and find their singing voices,” she said. Email or call at (919) 619-3438.

Leandra 11From the Artist:

Full name: Leandra Merea Strope

family portrait
Leandra’s step-mom Christine, daughter and father Gerald Strope.

My childhood in a nutshell: I was born in Rochester, New York, and my family moved to Chapel Hill when I was five.  My father was a pediatric pulmonologist at UNC.  My mother went to divinity school when I began first grade, and she served in several Chapel Hill churches when I was in upper elementary school and older (including Pittsboro Presbyterian Church).

My mother, Julia Strope, used to be the pastor at Pittsboro Presbyterian Church.
Leandra’s mom Julia Strope and her daughter

I thought my mother was a radical feminist – indeed, she was pioneering in the field of church ministry.  My father was always working hard and always supportive of his family.  They both had very high expectations of themselves, each other and their children.

my daughter and I are with Caryl and Wayne, best friends and godparents.
Leandra holding her daughter, with close friends and godparents Caryl & Wayne

My family includes: me and my daughter, our dog Willow and a hamster named Shamrock.  My closest friends and my daughter’s godparents, Caryl and Wayne, also share our home and our family time.

I describe my work with Sisters’ Voices as: empowering, enchanting, moving, important.

Some jobs I’ve had are: music teacher, conductor, private teacher, camp entertainer, painter, nanny …

quote
“I believe that a chorus is an excellent place for a person to explore her voice, to take the risks involved in contributing fully to the community, to figure out the differences between making sound alone and making sound with others, to learn to balance focus on self and focus on the community, to learn to support others and to accept others’ support.”

When I’m at home I like to listen to: Nature. National Public Radio. My daughter singing to herself.

When I’m not creating music I like to: spend most of my time being a mom!  (And I love being a mom.)  Someday I will find time to read, to sleep, to draw, to write, to be more attentive to my friends and companions. I also enjoy calligraphy, inventing and drawing knots, sketching, making mandalas from various media, playing in sand, observing nature.#2 mother daughter collage

Celtic collage 1
“As my family has been growing, knots have been a very powerful symbol for me — they carry dual meaning, both of binding or holding on and of letting go. These are important practices in any relationship and especially, I find, in parenting! These knots in the Celtic tradition are my doodles, white paper and black ink.”

Most people don’t know: I didn’t really learn to read until I was in my mid-twenties.  I was a great impostor throughout my school years, and although I could certainly string words together (apparently even transmitting them with great meaning), I often read without retaining anything and I certainly never understood that I was supposed to make friends with the characters.  Oh!

welcomeI’m still a very slow reader.

I came to Chatham County because: I love the creativity; the community-centered atmosphere and willingnessLeandra 4 to struggle to create community with people who are different; the generosity and easy-going-ness of the people; children’s connection to nature, curiosity and sense of awe and gratitude.

My favorite places to go in Chatham County are: downtown Pittsboro, especially upstairs in S&T’s Soda Shoppe.  My old home, behind Ayrshire Farm, where my father and stepmother live now.

Labyrinth Collage
“In 2006, the year I began to think in earnest about starting Sisters’ Voices, I designed and built this labyrinth (left) in the woods outside my home in central Chatham County. My father and stepmother live there now and the woods have reclaimed the labyrinth.” She also designed the labyrinth at Binkley Church in Chapel Hill where she worked for 12 years. A group of women joined together to construct it. It is open to the public.

Some Chatham County artists I admire are: Louise Omoto Kessel, Mike Davis, Janice Pope.  I enjoy using pottery from Cooper Mays, Stone Crow, Mark Hewitt and Janet Resnik every day in my home.A fawn stopped by just before rehearsals at Pittsboro Presbyterian Church

Ten years from now you’ll find me: Wow – who knows?!  I can’t plan that far ahead …

Links:group

Website: sistersvoices.org

Facebook: facebook.com/Sisters-Voices

Go See This article: chathamartscouncil.org/go-see-this-sisters-voices

Triangle Sings post: trianglesings.org/sisters-voices

Article: Singing in a chorus changes your brain

Pittsboro Street Fair
Pittsboro Street Fair
daughter & puppy
Dinner art! Squash and cole slaw.
Duet with Mike Davis
Duet with Mike Davis
A card Leandra made for Epiphany - 3 wise men
A card Leandra made for Epiphany – 3 wise men
A frog drops by
A frog drops by
Leandra & baby daughter
leandra & daughter 2
Leandra 2
Leandra 7
leandra with choir
Singing and dancing
Singing and dancing
Leandra's father and daughter
Leandra’s father and daughter
Spring 2015 — combined Pittsboro and Chapel Hill ensembles
unnamed (1)
a gift from a student
a gift from a student
unnamed
cousins in New York last year for Thanksgiving
"Me and Mom on the couch"
“Me and Mom on the couch”
Dress-ups!
Dress-ups!
Sleep-over
Sleep-over

 

Related

By Bett Wilson Foley | Filed Under: Meet this Artist | Tagged With: auditions, choir, Chorus, Community, concert, ensemble, girls, Music, performance, Recipients - Grassroots Arts Grants, Sisters' Voices, summer camp

About Bett Wilson Foley

Bett is a Chatham Arts Council Board member. She grew up in Chatham County, and moved back here after some years away. She spends her days gardening, arranging flowers, shooting photographs, hiking, and spending time with my family and four dogs. Her earliest creative memory is of drawing with her sisters.

Comments

  1. Jackie Faeth Frost says

    March 26, 2018 at 10:04 pm

    Wow Leander, You have become quite a young lady. I am not sure you will remember me. I am Jackie Faeth Frost. I use to be your neighbor on Cook St. in Rochester, NY. I lived kitty corner from your house on the opposite side of the street. We had 4 Children, Michele, Debbie, Christopher and Patrick. Your mom is the one I am trying to reach because she had Bible Studies in your home and she invited me. She was so kind to me and when my children were sick she let me borrow her car to take them to the Dr. I just would like to chat with her or email with her to let her know what a blessing she has been in my life and to thank her for bringing the real truth of Jesus to my life my families and my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Please let her know for me. Sincerely Jackie Faeth Frost.989 339-0779

    Reply

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