Consulting Music Director Extraordinaire

Mary Howarth’s work with Lundstrum Performing Arts dates back to her days as a freelance pianist, playing Dorothy Lundstrum’s pink grand piano at the studio in Ascension Parish. “There was a deep indentation in the wood floor under the sustain pedal where Dorothy’s sister, Marion, had pounded her heel into the wood floor for 75 years playing swing for tap and classical for ballet,” says Howarth.

“Lundstrum is a place where change happens, where you can develop and grow as an artist, where people of all ages are doing what they love and showing the world how to love.”

Mary is the heart and soul of Lundstrum, here she is with Lundstrum Sing & Dance kids.

When the Casserly sisters took over the organization after Dorothy died, Howarth took on the role of Consulting Music Director, drawn to the dream of Lundstrum becoming a mini-Julliard. In her position, she prepares all the music scores and arrangements for shows and the curriculum in collaboration with the Casserlys. Howarth also schedules more than a dozen pianists for classes, shows, and special events.

“We go through an unbelievable amount of music year-round,” she says. “Everything is developed to incorporate elements of Broadway production with a big emphasis on including lots of dance music. Our music scores continuously evolve and focus on great music and selections with messages of hope, love, and anything designed as a force for goodness.”

Howarth says the exposure to elements of Broadway arrangements and a “deep awareness of the sacredness, beauty, and purpose of the fine arts” set Lundstrum apart. “Lundstrum builds a passion for the arts in young people,” she says. And most of all, she says youth learn a critical life skill: “The show must go on for the waiting patrons.”

She especially appreciates the intergenerational, family-focused environment at Lundstrum and the collaboration between artistic soulmates that makes the magic come alive on stage. “Lundstrum is a place where change happens, where you can develop and grow as an artist, where people of all ages are doing what they love and showing the world how to love.”