Educator
Educational Experience
Music Workshops or Residencies
EducatorEducational Experience Music Workshops or Residencies |
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Producing a Community Involved Concert
Working with students to find a need in the community, writing music that addresses that need. Preparing students for a show . Finding a venue for a concert. Learning how to do publicity and public relations.
Rapping and Reading
A rhythmic look at reading comprehension. Using popular rap and song lyrics as a beginning to understanding how words go together. After analyzing familiar material students are asked to find other written passages that can be performed in a similar way. Eventually the participants are exposed to classic literature and given a new way to dicipher it. The final goal is to have each member of the class record an excerpt from a classic and record it with a beat . Creation of original text is a future goal.
Teaching Kids to Teach Kids
Putting together a show where older kids perform for younger kids to teach them things such as music, history, ecology, tolerance or any other important information.
Fiddle Workshop
Various styles of folk violin (and other strings). Including Appalachian, Cajun, Celtic, Jazz, Blues, Bluegrass, Rock. Playing with and without written music.
Improvisation Workshop
For All Instruments - Basic styles of Jazz, Blues, Latin, Freeform. Learning the tools to create music on the spot (improvising) and the protocol of interacting with other musicians.
Songwriting Workshop
Standard forms and styles, Lyric writing, Chord progressions, How to make a demo and how to promote it.
Things a Professional Singer Needs To Know
How to put together a Repertoire. How to rehearse a band and direct them on stage. Reading road maps in songs. How to write simple chord charts and transpose music. Earning the respect of professional musicians. What is Stage Presence?
How a Rhythm Section Works
Piano, Guitar, Bass, Drums, Percussion - How to play grooves: Swing, Salsa, Funk, R&B, Dixieland and world music or ethnic styles. Standard forms of tunes. How to listen to each other and when not to play.
Music Notation for Computer
Basic and advanced instruction in Finale music notation program.
Basic MIDI and Hard Disc Recording
How a digital home studio works.
Arranging
How to write for ensembles from duos to orchestras. Basic orchestration, melody, harmony, counterpoint. How to get your Ideas on paper , create a score and parts that are easy to read .
Composition
How to take a simple musical idea from conception to performance. Planning a piece, Developing material melodically and harmonically . The importance of an effective beginning and ending.
Fugue and Canon in Music and the Spoken Word
Typically a one day workshop during which the students learn about canon, fugue and other contrapuntal devices. By the end of the day the students have composed and performed a spoken word fugue or canon. This workshop is recommended for high school and older.
Basic composing and song writing.
Explaining the different components that go in to a song or instrumental piece, such as melody, harmony, rhythm, lyrics. How to come up with ideas and follow through with them. Writing a song collectively and make a rough recording.
Basic Use of Computers for Music Sequencing
A computer and equipment are supplied and used to make electronic music tracks. The process of creating a track with drums, bass, keyboards and vocals is explained. Students are assisted in creating a track of their own.
The Many Voices of the Violin
Demonstrating different styles of violin playing such as classical, salsa(charanga), Jazz, blues, celtic, cajun, and country. String instruments are supplied to the students for a simple jam session.
Basics of Reading and Writing Music (on paper and computer)
Showing the value of reading music regardless of style. Introducing the staff and discussing how to read and write simple rhythms. Showing how it is done on the computer.
Guitar Workshop
A demonstration of various styles of playing. Basic techniques in classical, jazz, rock, funk, and latin. Workshop includes a jam session.
For the past ten years I have created and directed
the education program for the Concordia Orchestra in New York City, in
that time I have come in contact with young people of all ages and backgrounds
and have completed many school and community based music
projects.
Since 1989 I have also been the director of education
for the AIDS Resource Foundation For Children in Newark NJ, this job
gave me the opportunity to work with students with special needs on a long term
one to one basis.
I am a teaching artist for the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Some other organizations I work with regularly are:
As a Composer, Violinist and Guitarist I have given clinics in Composition, Improvisation and various other musical topics at colleges and High schools throughout the country. I feel the most important thing an artist can do is to share information and help young creators to find their voice.
Some of the projects and performances I have been
involved in are: