Alaina Orchard

Master of Science in Higher Education - College Teaching

Alaina volunteers as a performer with the Lafayette Master Chorale and the Civic Theatre of Greater Lafayette. Both are not-for-profit organizations committed to enriching community life by providing access to the arts and educational opportunities for all ages. Alaina began volunteering with these local arts organizations as a way of getting to know her new community after moving to Greater Lafayette in 2017. Since then, each year on average she has performed in about five concerts and productions, in addition to singing with the Lafayette Master Chorale’s outreach ensemble. This smaller travelling group represents the organization and volunteers performances for charity and community events.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lafayette Master Chorale and Civic Theatre are both finding new ways to continue producing and sharing local cultural content with the community. In fall of 2020, Alaina participated in the Lafayette Master Chorale’s “Behind the Scenes” interview series and its virtual performance of a song that traditionally closes the organization’s holiday concerts. Alaina also contributed to Civic Theatre’s “Natural Distancing” project, a festival of nature-themed performances filmed under social distancing protocols within a shared art installation. This production was recorded and streamed as a fundraiser for the theatre when all planned programming for the season had to be cancelled or postponed.

Involvement with the Lafayette Master Chorale and Civic Theatre has been very rewarding for Alaina, who believes their work is vital in fostering creativity, culture, and a feeling of connectedness in her community. Alaina also shares that her work with these organizations has introduced her to lots of wonderful people including her partner, Ted. Both onstage and off, participation in the arts allows performers and audiences opportunities to engage with perspectives and experiences they might not otherwise encounter.