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Times-shamrock communiTy newspapers 149 Penn Avenue Scranton, PA 18503 Phone: (570) 207-3473 Fax: (570) 207-3448 e-mail: triborobanner@ timesshamrock.com
March 26, 2015
www.thetriborobanner.com
riverside’s rising Star
ON THe iNSide
The Lady devils lost a heartbreaker in Hershey Page 2
BANNER
Teen is one of six American students accepted to famed school by Stephanie Longo
CNG EDITOR
When Riverside High School senior Tera Sheerin stepped onto the stage at New York City’s Pearl Studios this past January, she had one goal in mind — to be accepted to the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) as an acting major. “I was offered a place at LIPA on the same day,” said Sheerin, who will begin her studies this fall. “Mind you, I had not expected to receive an answer for any of these auditions until late March, let alone that weekend. Honestly, something just felt right. I took it as a sign and I accepted on the spot.” Sheerin was one of six American students accepted to the Institute this year. Out of its 734-member student body, 35 Americans currently study at LIPA, which opened in 1996. Founded by legendary Liverpool native Sir Paul McCartney and Mark Feathersstone-Witty, LIPA offers degree courses in a variety of performing arts disciplines. Breaking down the “starving artist” stereotype, 96 percent of the school’s graduates have found work within three years of graduation, 87 percent of whom are working in the performing arts field. Sheerin also auditioned for Carnegie Mellon and the University of North Carolina School of Arts. She explained that she discovered LIPA by accident and was immediately hooked. “My knowledge of LIPA actually came from a documentary I watched, in which one of the students featured ended up attending the school,” she said. “Needless to say, I researched the website after and was immediately attracted to it. I actually have never traveled outside of the eastern United States, aside from my exchange, so I won’t be visiting the school at all before enrolling.” The “exchange” Sheerin is referring to is the year she spent in Matsuyama, Japan, as a part of the Rotary’s Youth Exchange Program. Before arrival in Japan, Sheerin taught herself Japanese and is known to perform in both English and Japanese, including a translation of the song “Let it Go” from “Frozen,” at Riverside events.
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Tera Sheerin, a senior at Riverside High School, was recently accepted to the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts in England. Sheerin is one of only six American students accepted to the institute this year, where she will major in acting. “I can’t believe my dream has come true — Liverpool was my top choice,” she said.
“I remember the first time I discovered my passion for singing was in the fifth grade, when I sang the solo “Rocking Around The Christmas Tree” at Frances Willard’s fifth grade Christmas concert,” Sheerin recalled. “Two years later, around age 12, my older brother, Matt, gave me my first guitar. I’ve never really taken lessons but, rather, sort of just figured out how to play it by ear. I think maybe that’s also another reason why I’ve chosen an acting major over music — I can’t read music! Before I knew it, I was making up my own stuff.” “As for acting, that passion was discovered at age 12 when I auditioned for my first play, “Annie Warbucks” at the Little Theatre in Wilkes-Barre, where I planed an orphan extra,” she continued. “Although I’m going to major in acting, I choose to keep up with my songwriting, as well, because I consider it the easiest way to express myself whenever I like. It’s kind of like my escape.”
Sheerin, who has written songs since she was 13, has released an album of her original compositions, some of which can be seen on YouTube, and also kept a YouTube vlog of her experiences in Japan under the user name “keepinitnerd.” She said that performing live gives her a rush of energy that is unparalleled anywhere else. “I don’t know what it is about performing, especially live,” she said. “Is it the interaction with a crowd? The anticipation before a show? Even the nerves, or the possibility of making a mistake in front of a live audience? Whatever the reason, I always feel a rush each and every time I perform. Although I love playing my music, I think I feel more of a connection with acting. It’s almost like playing “make-believe” again, as we’ve all done as children. It’s the one instance in which insanity cannot be judged, and it’s just fun.”