Music Helps Alumna Connect with Church Community
When you set foot inside Lord of Life Lutheran Church for a Sunday morning service, the worship band at the front of the sanctuary may look and feel similar to other praise bands you’ve heard. However, several members of this ensemble share something special in common – they received their foundational music instruction at Sioux Falls Lutheran School.
Kadie Roozenboom, SFLS class of 2013, serves as one of the band’s two main pianists. She began taking lessons during her elementary years at Sioux Falls Lutheran School. While the school is known for its Local Best preschool, its robust K-8 music program offers opportunities for students to participate in classroom music, Suzuki-based violin instruction, band, choir, orchestra, guitar ensemble, and tone chime ensembles. Private music lessons, like the ones Roozenboom experienced, are also offered to students during the school day as a convenience for families who wish to enjoy uninterrupted family time during the evening hours.
“Mrs. Dooley gave me a great base of musical knowledge,” Roozenboom said. “I am regretful now, but I quit taking lessons in 5th grade. My older sister was one of the main piano players at church at the time, and when she had to go off to college I just started picking piano back up so I could fill in for her while she was away.”
When Roozenboom began playing again, she had no idea how much the decision would shape her church life and relationships. In addition to serving alongside other SFLS alumni in the worship band, she now helps out with Sunday school and serves as a crew leader with Vacation Bible School during the summer.
“Worship leading has had a huge impact on me,” Roozenboom said. “I know more people and have relationships with many people in my congregation, and I think that all started when I gained the confidence to play piano for church.”
A recent graduate from Washington High School, Roozenboom was also involved in numerous music ensembles during her high school career. She played in the marching band and the show choir backup band, served as the trumpet section leader in the marching band during her junior and senior years, and received the ballad solo in the WHS 2016 marching show.
“Sioux Falls Lutheran School set me up with a great education that carried over into high school and will soon serve me well in college,” Roozenboom said. “SFLS is the reason why I have the passion for music I do right now. But more importantly, it has a great, welcoming, Christ-centered atmosphere, which is why SFLS will always be such a family to me. The things I learned there gave me so much confidence in my faith when I switched over to a public school.”
In the fall, Roozenboom plans to attend the College of Saint Mary in Omaha, Nebraska, where she plans to pursue a Master’s Degree in occupational therapy.