Aimee Young Hopkins is a performer, singer, and vocal instructor who has been performing and studying music since she was a child. She holds a B.A. from Middlebury College in Vermont and an M.A. from Trinity Rep Conservatory in Providence, Rhode Island. She has performed all over the country as an Artist-in-Residence with the Missoula Children's Theater, based in Montana. With this company, Ms. Hopkins performed interactive musical fairy tales in rural and economically depressed communities, casting 60 local children in each production, many of whom had never before seen a play.
Aimee's music workshops introduce students to breath control, pitch-matching, rhythm, melody, and harmony. Students form a musical ensemble, incorporating musical elements such as steady beat, tempo, dynamics, rhythm patterns, pitch, and enunciation. Sessions begin with physical, breath, and vocal warm-ups. Prior musical knowledge is assessed and students are introduced to a new concept such as melody, ABA form, composing, or pitch. Students achieve basic competence in the vocal concept-of-the-day, building toward a culminating performance where each student demonstrates what s/he has learned by singing one or more of the songs learned, with props and choreography. Basic dance and movement patterns will be co-created by the students and taught to the group. Throughout the workshop series, students reflect on what they have learned and make connections to other art forms, and to other areas of the curriculum.