Expressing artistry is at the core of the teaching philosophy of Lindsay Cummings, who teaches musical theatre voice at The Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University and at Loyola University Chicago. “A lot of teachers get hung up on teaching technique, which is great — don’t get me wrong! But, we must encourage students to show up as their full self, and tell stories that they are passionate about,” she exclaims. “I encourage storytelling immediately in the voice studio, at all ages, to create thoughtful and curious artists.”

Cummings does this by teaching students how to listen to musical phrases, the melody line, the accompaniment and the spaces between the singing, and how they all work together to tell the story. She also developed a program along with her team called Storybuilders, which uses theater to build confidence, collaboration and communication skills in students. “Through a series of teacher-led games, writing activities, prompts and creative play, students write and perform their own original material throughout a semester,” Cummings says.

In addition to her work in higher education, Cummings offers two outlets for younger students interested in music and acting. She started Chicago Music & Acting Academy in response to a need of after-school music and theater programs. “When I worked for other programs in the city, companies would try to make kids memorize 50-page scripts and complicated songs after a seven-hour school day,” she explains. “The kids were not having fun -— they were stressed! My team and I developed programming that allowed students to take the lead in the creative process and write their own stories and songs. This turned into a much more fun and creative outlet for the students.”

Currently, Chicago Music & Acting Academy serves over 200 students in its after-school programs and 100 students in the studio programs.

The second outreach program that Cummings co-founded is Downstage Arts, a performing arts nonprofit organization that provides free college audition prep to high school juniors and seniors. This  program provides students with voice lessons, acting coaching, dance classes, professional mentorship, financial aid coaching, and all the information and guidance they need to prepare for the college audition process. “Downstage Arts is in its fifth year and has admitted 100% of its participants to higher education programs throughout the country,” Cummings says proudly.