Teaching Portfolio
Natasha Kwapich
Phone:
636-634-1040
Email:
Address:
15662 S Blackfoot St
Olathe, KS 66062
Orchestra Director, MSACP Orchestras
Violin, Viola Instructor, Metropolitan Conservatory KC
Classroom Vision
In my classroom, I foster an atmosphere of student collaboration and mentorship in which students work as a team and genuinely delight in one another’s successes. Our alumni return during college breaks to play with the orchestra again, and the current students excitedly await seeing their old friends and role models. I feature student composers, conductors, and soloists, and actively involve the students in repertoire selection and creative concert planning. I distribute solos and special opportunities widely with the belief that each student has the capacity to be his or her personal best. Through patience, respect, and trust, I offer my students ownership of their success and an opportunity to invest in their own growth and the growth of their classmates.
Instrument Proficiency
Although I specialize in orchestral strings, I am an experienced conductor, arranger, and competition adjudicator. I can guide and improve beginning through advanced student ensembles of any instrumentation.
My specific instrument proficiencies are listed below.
Orchestral Strings:
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Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass​
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Plucked Strings:
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Guitar, Ukulele, Mandolin (Beginning-Intermediate)​
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Voice:
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Vocal Coaching, Choir Conducting, Musical Theatre
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Piano:
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Private Instruction, Classroom Instruction (Beginning-Intermediate Levels)
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Concert & Rehearsal Video Samples
The videos below feature my orchestras in a variety of performance venues.
Helpful parents captured most of these moments with cell phone cameras.
I. Custom Arrangements for Multi-Level Ensembles
II. Large Scale Collaborative Projects
III. Rock Camp & Rock Orchestra
IV. Selections Featuring Music Technology
V. Classical Repertoire
VI. Movie Themes
I. PERFORMANCE SELECTIONS FEATURING MY CUSTOM ARRANGEMENTS
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I teach 3 youth orchestra class levels (for ages 7-18) through a combination of private, small group, and large group instruction.
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Each class rehearses and performs individual feature pieces. As concert time approaches, the class levels rehearse together to prepare a grand finale of combined music.
"Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen (Pentatonix Cover)
Arranged for orchestra & percussion by Natasha Kwapich
MNU Bell Center 2017
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I create unique sheet music arrangements to to feature the individual class levels and unique instrumentation of these combined groups.
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This combination of ages and abilities inspires our beginners to work harder and encourages our senior players to take on leadership roles.
"Last of the Mohicans" by Randy Edelman
Arranged for multi-level orchestra by Natasha Kwapich
Kauffman Center Future Stages Festival 2017
"Jolene" by Dolly Parton
Arranged for orchestra & percussion by Natasha Kwapich
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MNU Bell Center Performance 2017
"Star of County Down" arr. by Natasha Kwapich
Combined Beginning-Advanced Orchestra Classes
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Kansas City Renaissance Festival 2013
"Hamilton Medley" by Lin Manuel Miranda
Arr. for multi-level orchestra & percussion by Natasha Kwapich
Partly based on Anny Chung's Arrangement for String Quartet
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FIRST COMBINED REHEARSAL
Beginning-Advanced Classes 2022
"Bastille" by Pompeii
Arranged for orchestra & percussion by Natasha Kwapich
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KC Live Morning Show- TV SPOT 2015
*Video taken during from backstage during live broadcast.
II. LARGE SCALE COLLABORATIVE PROJECT FEATURING:
The Kansas City Boys Choir & Kansas City Girls Choirs
Dramatic Truth School of Dance
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"The Greatest Showman" Arranged for Choir & Orchestra by Natasha Kwapich
First Combined Rehearsal with Orchestra & Choir
Special thanks to KCBC/KCGC choir directors
Ah'Lee Robinson & Pinkie Mason
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KCBC/KCGC Rehearsal Center 2018
"Finale" from The Greatest Showman
Combined Beginning-Advanced MSACP Orchestra Classes, KCBC/KCGC Choirs, & Dancers from Dramatic Truth
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Kauffman Center Future Stages Festival 2018
"From Now On" from The Greatest Showman
Combined Beginning-Advanced MSACP Orchestra Classes, KCBC/KCGC Choirs, & Dancers from Dramatic Truth
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Kauffman Center Future Stages Festival 2018
"A Million Dreams" featuring vocal soloists Henry & Leila
Sadly, this recording barely captured the vocals.
The orchestra sound quality is still fantastic, however!
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Kauffman Center Future Stages Festival 2018
III. ROCK CAMP & ROCK ORCHESTRA VIDEOS
Rehearsals, Concerts, & Local TV Spot
"Best Day of My Life" by The American Authors​
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MSA Rock Camp Rehearsal 2014
"Eleanor Rigby" by The Beatles
Arranged for orchestra & percussion by Natasha Kwapich
Metropolitan Conservatory Rock Camp 2015
"Paint it Black" by The Rolling Stones
Arranged for orchestra by the Hamilton String Quartet
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Kauffman Center Future Stages Festival 2015
"Sail" by Awol Nation
Arranged for orchestra & percussion by Natasha Kwapich
REHEARSAL Metropolitan Conservatory 2014
"Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons
Arranged for orchestra & percussion by Natasha Kwapich
REHEARSAL Metropolitan Conservatory 2014
"Home" by The Magnetic Zeros
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Kauffman Center Future Stages 2015
"Wake Me Up" by Avicci
Arranged for orchestra & percussion by Natasha Kwapich
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Metropolitan Conservatory Performance 2014
IV. SELECTIONS FEATURING MUSIC TECHNOLOGY
Virtual Performances & Student Led Creative Projects
"Star Wars Main Title Theme" arr. by Jerry Brubaker
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Students recorded individual tracks at home when our rehearsals were interrupted by the lockdown.
Videos edited & combined by Natasha Kwapich
Software: Final Cut Pro
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Future Stages Festival Virtual Performance 2020
"The Wellerman" arr. by Natasha Kwapich
"Pirates of the Caribbean" by Klaus Badelt
This Future Stages submission required adherence to pandemic safety guidelines. We recorded the orchestra in studio with masks and proper spacing. We then filmed the orchestra outdoors in three separate groups to maintain proper mask free spacing.
I edited the video groups together to match the pre-recorded audio.
Virtual Performance- Future Stages Festival 2021
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"Running with the Wolves" by Aurora
Henry Brown (Age 11) created this cover using a looping station and amplified ukulele taps for percussion after he attended my Intro to Electronic Music class.
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Student Looping Station Project- 2022
Beggar's Table- High School Student Folk Band
featuring MSACP orchestra students:
Abby Atwood & Olivia Atwood,
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Open Mic Night at Metropolitan Conservatory 2018
V. CLASSICAL REPERTOIRE
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"Passacaglia" Handel/Halvorsen
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MNU Bell Center 2016
"Scherzo" from Beethoven's Symphony No. 9
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Spring Concert 2014
"Dance of the Mirlitons" Tchaikovsky
Featuring Legacy School of Dance
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MNU Bell Center 2015
"Reins of Castamere" Ramin Djawadi
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Dragons and Folklore Concert: Mahaffie Heritage Center 2019
VI. MOVIE THEMES​
"Music from Brave" by Patrick Doyle
Arranged by Robert Longfield​
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Kauffman Center Future Stages Festival 2015
"Hatikvah" arr. by John Williams (Munich)
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MNU Bell Center 2016
"A Time for Us" by Nino Rota
Arranged for Multi-Level Orchestra by Natasha Kwapich
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MNU Bell Center 2016
"Game of Thrones" by Ramin Djawadi
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Metropolitan Conservatory Performance 2014
Highlights Montage: "Wildest Dreams" by Taylor Swift, Selections from "Encanto" by Lin Manuel Miranda,
"Hamilton Medley" by Lin Manuel Miranda-
arr. by Natasha Kwapich & Anny Chung.​
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Kauffman Center Future Stages Festival 2022