TEACHING
I have been teaching since 1985, first in Paris and then in New York City.
I have taught all ages and all abilities in many different settings (private lessons, group lessons, workshops . . . ) and I have always enjoyed it immensely!
For me, teaching is a great pleasure, a privilege and a responsibility.
Rates: $80/hour; $70/45 min.;
$60/30 min
History
Starting in France, teaching has always been an important part of my life.
I have taught in three conservatories in the Paris region (Arcueil, Epinay Sous Sénart, and Chevilly) and was a teacher at the Ecole de Musique et de Danse in Pré-St-Gervais, specialized in providing education to children with disabilities, for 8 years. My experience includes teaching classes and private drum lessons as well as various percussion and rhythm workshops.
In New York, I taught for music programs in schools in Manhattan and The Bronx, with educational companies such as Cisum, Inc., the Multicultural Music Group, the Harlem School of the Arts, Harlem Children's Zone, and LEAP. I also teach private students.
Rhythm Workshop Project
Rhythm is a basic, vital part of our life: it's inside us with our heartbeat, our breathing and our sleep pattern and also outside us in nature: in the planets' motion that governs day and night and the seasons. All these have two properties in common: regularity and repetition.
Rhythm is the perfect introduction to the joyful universality of music.
The workshop is built on three main parts.
1- Performing
Even extremely simple rhythms performed as a group provide a glimpse into the magic of playing music. This develops motivation, improves focus and concentration as well as physical coordination. It also builds lasting positive relationships between participants who, are, in turn, students and teachers of each other.
For this part familiar rhythms are used as well as drumming rudiments. Whenever possible coordination will be developed through the simultaneous use of hands and feet.
2- Theory: Introduction to the reading and writing of music.
Once again an emphasis is placed on the goal: playing music together. This develops the sense of abstraction necessary to grasp the concept of time. It also promotes internalization, for example of a "personal clock" as a tool to perform music. The rhythmic aspect of notes and rests are studied, as well as the signs needed, such as time signature, repeat signs and others. The mathematical side of music will be noticed.
3- Musical Games
In the sense that they will create lasting enjoyment, a playful familiarity with rhythm and music, and the development of positive social skills, games are extremely important means of education.
Interaction is emphasized, as well as role playing (performer, section leader, band conductor). This will lead to creating different perspectives about music and social behaviors.
Because familiarity with music is actively sought (for itself and as an introduction to art in general), the manufacturing of small devices used as personal percussion instruments should also be part of the workshop. In order to do so, small objects will be needed. Among them small glass jars, cardboard tubes, rice and/or different beans, and discarded keys and key rings.
The workshop develops many aspects that will positively affect the future life of the participants, whether they choose to pursue music or not.
Concentration, internalization of and familiarization with abstraction, building of social interaction skills, mental and physical coordination and control, and art appreciation all converge to improve positive thinking and self confidence.