Follow along this season as freelance photographer Leah Nairn spends time with the Afterschool Music and Audio Programs offered by Stuart’s Opera House. In its 13th year, AMP uses music to foster creativity and education through music performance, song writing and collaboration. Leah will follow roughly 65 students who will form 10 bands with the ultimate goal of performing during the Nelsonville Music Festival.
NELSONVILLE, Ohio –– Before taking the stage at Snowfork Tuesday, Sept. 9, Ladama stopped by Stuart’s Opera House to give a workshop on traditional Latin American music for students in the Afterschool Music Program.
Band members Lara Klaus of Brasil, Daniela Serna from Columbia, Mafer Bandola from Venezuela and Pat Swoboda from Providence, Rhode Island, share Latin oral and music traditions in contemporary environments to “show the collective action as artists from different countries.” Students were invited to take over the musicians’ instruments learning new ways to share and express beats and rhythms.
Ladama member Mafer Bandola allows a student to work out a rhythm on her bandola as part of the workshop presented to AMP. Photo by Leah Nairn, Sept. 9, 2025.
Ladamda member Daniela Serna helps a student with a rhythm on the Tamber Alegre, or Happy Drum. Photo by Leah Nairn, Sept. 9, 2025.
Students pose with Ladama following a hands-on workshop on traditional Latin music. Photo by Leah Nairn, Sept. 9, 2025.
