Instructors

Brent Alan Goodrich is a resident of Hammond and is the Executive and Artistic Director of The Octavian Foundation For The Arts, where he teaches voice, piano, acting.  He is the current music teacher at St. Scholastica Academy in Covington and the 11:00am Pianist at First Presbyterian Church of Hammond. Brent is an alumnus of Southeastern Louisiana University and holds the degrees of Bachelor and Master of Vocal Performance. He has appeared in productions at Southeastern, including:

The Mikado (Pooh-Bah), the world premiere of Evangeline (Father Felician), “Opera by the Slice,” playing the role of Gianni Schicchi, Sweeney Todd (Judge Turpin), Pirates of Penzance (Major General), and Hänsel und Gretel(Peter), and assistant directed It’s Only Life. While at Southeastern, Brent taught the Voice Class and participated in SLU’s Concert Choir. In Southeastern’s Concert Choir, he was a featured soloist in Bach’s “Aus der Tiefen” BMV 131, Handel’s Messiah and Olin Blitch’s solo from Floyd’s Susannah. At SLU, Brent directed scene work from Christoph Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice. Brent also appeared in productions and scene work with the McNeese State University’s Sidedoor Company, including: Don Pasquale (Malatesta), Guys and Dolls (Sky Masterson), Le nozze di Figaro (Figaro), Cosi fan tutte (Gugliemo), and “A Retrospective Tribute: The Operas of

Keith Gates” (Huck Finn). Brent performed in the 2014 season of Opera in the Ozarks and worked as the tour manager for the OIO studio company at Inspiration Point and Fine Arts Colony and assisted with Cosi fan Tutte.

While at OIO, Brent performed in Gianni Schicchi (Marco), and scene work from Street Scene. Brent has also worked with regional theatres, including Playmakers Theatre in Covington, La. (Jekyll and Hyde) and 30 x Ninety Theatre in Mandeville, La., where he music directed Schoolhouse Rock! and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and is currently playing the role of 'David' in "The Boy in the Bathroom."  Brent has also played the role of “Snake and Cain” in a staged reading of The Diaries of Adam and Eve at First Presbyterian Church under the direction of Donna Gay Anderson. Brent has also as-

sistant directed Holy Ghost Catholic School’s production of Disney’s Peter Pan Jr. and is grateful to Suzanne Gautier for her guidance in directing junior productions. Brent is also an accomplished pianist. He has accompanied his private voice students and students at McNeese State Universi-

ty, SLU and at various church services. Brent recently brought the Acting Upon Faith Productions troop to the iTheatrics’ Junior Theatre Festival in Atlanta, Georgia, where they received positive feedback and completed master classes in voice, acting and dance. Brent’s students have won everal singing and acting competitions, including: 30 by Ninety Musical Theatre Competition, The Donald Wood New Orleans Opera Vocal Competition, Ponchatoula’s Got Talent and others. Brent looks forward to continue teaching music and theatre on the Northshore with the copious

amount of talent on this side of the lake.

Kayla Blanchard has a Bachelor of Music with concentrations in Vocal performance and music education from Southeastern Louisiana University. She is currently a 3rd year teacher at Abita Springs Elementary and Lancaster Elementary. 

While at SLU, Kayla participated in Southeastern’s Concert Choir, Women’s Choir, and was also a member of Delta Omicron Professional Music Fraternity. 

Kayla has appeared in Southeastern’s productions of Street Scene, The Magic Flute, The Pirates of Penzance (Ruth), Cendrillon (Armelinde), It’s Only Life, and La Perichole. Kayla has been in Regional Theatre productions including: 30 by Ninety Theatre’s production of Schoolhouse Rock Live!, Cutting Edge Theatre’s The Great American Trailer Park Musical. Kayla has also taken on the role of director and music director for musicals at 30byninety theatre in Mandeville.