Greetings from Faribault,

Yesterday morning, Mr. Peter Schleif, our Vocal Performance Program (VPP) Director, dropped by my office to chat. Well, the truth is that he was waiting for someone to arrive via the Shumway Hall entrance, but as my door was open and we hadn’t seen each other in person for a while, we talked for a bit.

I asked him how he felt the students in his program were doing, how he was juggling his professional responsibilities with his own two children distance learning back in Northfield, and whether making the leap to a fulltime, online vocal director was in his future. Our brief conversation, one that once was commonplace over lunch in Morgan Refectory, was the highlight of my morning (you’d have to ask him if he ranks it as high!).

Over the years, our Vocal Performance Program has continued to grow, and students from various walks of life with various goals have found themselves and quite literally their voices, with the help of Mr. Schleif and previous directors. Many of these alums have continued on in the field of music, while others have taken different career paths and carry their appreciation of music with them. Regardless of their current paths, they all look back at their time in VPP as formative.

Over the last several months, Mr. Schleif has been interviewing VPP alumni to hear about their experience in our program and beyond. For those of us who have been here for a while, these interviews can be a walk down memory lane; for those who do not know as much about VPP, it is an opportunity to hear about this great program. I encourage you all to take some time and check out these interviews, and, if you feel so inclined, share the links with your social media circles to spread the word about this outstanding program at Shattuck-St. Mary’s School.

Stay healthy and safe,