A Valpo Life in the Spotlight: Lindsey Springer

Lindsey-Springer-1What do Celine Dion, Beyonce, Carrie Underwood, and Frankie Moreno have in common? Former Valparaiso resident Lindsey Springer, daughter of VHS Choir Director Linda Schonbachler, has performed with each of these musicians as a professional cellist in Las Vegas!

The Valpo schools are known for excelling in many areas, including in the field of music. Through band, orchestra, and choir, many students learn new skills, but most don’t continue playing after high school. This was not the case for Springer. As a fourth grade student at Hayes Leonard Elementary, she experienced a performance from the Valparaiso High School Orchestra and fell in love with the cello. “I remember coming home and telling my mom I wanted to be in orchestra,” she recalled.

During middle and high school, Springer took private lessons from Pat White, a professor at Valparaiso University. As a high school student, she was invited to play with the Valparaiso University Orchestra, and also played with the Chicago Youth Symphony and a quintet formed with members of the VHS Orchestra. “I loved playing cello but didn’t really get serious about practicing until my junior year in high school,” she shared, discussing how she would practice to a CD of Brahms Cello Sonatas by Yo Yo Ma. “I was in love with the sound and wanted to keep getting better.”

Lindsey-Springer-2After watching the Nirvana Unplugged special on MTV and noticing a cellist playing with the band, Springer realized her desire to pursue more than just classical training. Although she pursued music education as an undergrad at Butler University, Springer realized she wanted to perform. “It was a calling. I could never get enough.” During her studies, she traveled internationally with the Lafayette and Kokomo Symphonies, as well as played a solo with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra.

Upon finishing her undergrad, Springer began to devote all of her free time to the cello. Pursuing her Masters in cello Performance at the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, she also had the opportunity to work for an Italian opera company, part of a Summer String Program at the university. Graduation came and the opportunity to perform full time with a rock band in Las Vegas arose, which brought Springer west. The gig fell through, but through networking and teaching, Springer found opportunities subbing with the Las Vegas Philharmonic and the Broadway shows ‘Phantom of the Opera’ and ‘The Producers.’

Joining an electric rock quartet, Phat Strad, led to more international travels for Springer. Awhile after, she was chosen to play full time for Disney’s – The Lion King which soon brought her to become the principal cellist for Celine Dion, her current position. While not playing for Celine, she performs with the Frankie Moreno show. “The cool thing about Las Vegas is there are a lot of opportunities for string players,” Springer shared. “As a free lance musician, I have played for many recording artists who perform concerts in town and TV/DVD recordings and award shows.” Some of these opportunities include playing for the 2013 Grammy awards for Carrie Underwood and recording on Beyonce’s Live in Las Vegas DVD.

For those looking to follow in her footsteps, Springer offers these words of advice: “Find a niche. It is not an easy road. You have to be flexible and willing to go outside the box...If you want the job, you do it. You have to stretch yourself and work hard. It takes time, dedication, and hard work.

Lindsey-Springer-3While having achieved much success, Springer is quick to speak well of her hometown community. “I think Valparaiso is a wonderful city. I’m so glad I grew up there. The schools are excellent, especially the music programs.

I would not be where I am today without the dedication of my mom, Linda Schonbachler, and Tim Kopf, Orchestra Director. I even played in the pit orchestra under the directing of Dan Pritchett, Band Director, and was the lead role in the “Music Man” under the direction of Alice Gamble. These teachers are top notch. Valpo High is a Grammy Award winning school for music!