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Patricia Rickard-Lauri’s career has spanned over 50 years (elementary ages through college level) always guided by her belief and philosophy that experiences in the arts at any age bring beauty into one’s life.

With a particular focus on children’s theater, and the belief that ‘children are musical theater’, Miss Pat sought ways to evoke the innate creative skills of young people through her child-center philosophy. 

The early years of Miss Pat’s profession were developing an Arts-In-Education approach at the New York State School for the Deaf (NYSSD) and concurrently teaching hearing children at private and public schools in Rome, NY. In-school classes initiated the outcome of an after-school program at the local community arts center with hearing and Deaf participants. This culminated in public musical performances in both voice and sign language on the stage of the community theater. Due to this successful approach to bringing the performing arts, specifically musical theater to various populations of young people, Patricia Rickard-Lauri was employed as a part-time consultant by the New York State Education Department, and also as a part-time instructor in the music department of Gallaudet University, Washington, DC.

In more recent years, ‘Miss Pat’ founded and served as artistic director of Khoros Performing Arts Company for Kids, a non-profit charitable organization based in Skaneateles, NY during the winter months. In Skaneateles, Khoros collaborated with the Skaneateles Y and Community Center and the Skaneateles public schools to produce public performances.  

During the summer months, Khoros, in partnership with the Old Forge Library and ‘View’ (Old Forge Arts Center), offered musical theater classes for various ages levels. The Youth Artist Festival was the culmination at the end of the summer for Old Forge young artists and other young artists from surrounding Adirondack regions to showcase their artistic talent in both the performing and visual arts

Currently, Patricia Rickard-Lauri is publishing ‘The Complete Guide to ‘Child-Centered Musical Theater’, and soon to follow her original musicals and original musical adaptations. She resides in Baldwinsville, NY with a summer residence in Fair Haven, NY.