Posted on Wed, Jun 02, 2010 @ 03:01 PM
We proudly welcome two new artist-teachers to the faculty of Hunterdon Academy of the Arts--Nicole Guberman (Voice) and Kaitlin Alusik (Flute).
Nicole Guberman, a professional Soprano, enjoys performing and teaching a variety of musical styles, with a special affinity for baroque, classical, and contemporary
repertoires. An accomplished artist, Nicole won Second Prize at the 2007 competition of the National Association of Teachers of Singing at SUNY Potsdam. She received her Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance from Ithaca College, where she graduated, magna cum laude, in 2009. While at Ithaca College, she also studied Meisner Technique at the Actor's Workshop, and was a member of the faculty, teaching a Vocal Pedagogy course. Moreover, Nicole attened master classes and workshops with Enza Ferrari and Brad Hougham at the Spoleto Arts Symposium in Spoleto, Italy (2008); with Mary Dibbern at the Rising Star Singers Institute in Rising Sun, IN (2007); and with Julian Rodescu at the Florence Voice Seminar in Florence, Italy (2006). Furthermore, Nicole has participated in the Aquarius Workshop of the Crittenden Opera Studio in NYC (2010); and in the Emerging Artist Program in Los Angeles (2008). Later this summer, she is scheduled to participate in the Neil Semer Summer Vocal Institute in Coesfeld, Germany.
A strong addition to our woodwind faculty, Kaitlin Alusik is a recent graduate of The 
College of New Jersey, where she received her Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education in 2009. Following her undergraduate studies, she entered the Master of Music program in flute performance at The Boston Conservatory, studying with flutist Linda Toote, a member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Previous teachers include David DiGiacobbe of the Lancaster and Harrisburg Symphonies, Renee Siebert of the New York Philharmonic and Keith Underwood of New York University. Kate has been teaching flute privately for the past several years. She is also employed at The Children's Corner of the Bridgewater United Methodist Church, where she serves as substitute teacher. As a flutist, she has performed in church services, pit orchestras and various chamber groups since high school, and enjoys sharing her love for music.
We're thrilled to have Nicole and Kate join our outstanding music faculty. They are available to teach, respectively, voice lessons and flute lessons.
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Posted on Sun, May 30, 2010 @ 08:57 AM
In Part 1 of this blog article, we reported about our Kindermusik Continuation and Graduation ceremonies on May 15, when parents, grandparents, and proud teachers had a chance to see and hear their charming 5 to 7-year-olds in music-and-movement activities. You also learned where 350 of our cookies ended up--in happy little tummies of our proud Kindermusik students and their families. For the remainder of the present blog article, we'll tell you where the other 650 or so of the delicious treats went.
Following a short lunch break that same day, our staff moved to Stanton Reformed Church in Stanton to host our yearly recitals for advanced lesson students. Since our music lesson program had grown substantially this past year, we offered three two-hour recitals, at 1 PM, 3 PM, and 5 PM. We were pleasantly surprised to learn that so many of our students in the lesson program decided to participate in what used to be the dreaded "scary recital." This year, fear gave way to excitement and anticipation as our young performers were eagerly demonstrating what they had learned.
Piano,
Guitar,
Voice,
Drum,
Violin,
Clarinet, Flute, Saxophone, and
Trumpet students, and even a Rock Band presented samples of their skills, pulling in audiences to pack the church for all three performances!
Even though the recitals were a bit long (almost 2 hours each), audiences showed genuine interest in the programs performed by our students, and we received lots of praise in numerous follow-up e-mails and personal conversations with the families in attendance. Clearly, our students made fantastic progress--evidence that we've taken Hunterdon Academy of the Arts to the next level of excellence. This was the result of great team work: students, parents and teachers worked hand in hand to reach some important goals.
Throughout the three recitals, there was a marked improvement in the students' level of playing this year. As mentioned in an earlier blog post, we had taken a number of steps to raise expectations and deliver a better educational value to our students and parents. Additionally, we encouraged students and teachers to follow the Trinity Guildhall graded exams curriculum--a subject we'll talk more about in a future blog post. When following HAA's system of motivational incentives, students are more motivated to practice between lessons and consequently make much more progress.
But education at HAA is not just about music or art per se, much as we rejoice at the great artistic achievements of our students and faculty! Rather, we are strong believers in a holistic educational philosophy that seeks to nurture students' overall cognitive, emotional, and physical development through the arts. Our students not only enjoy music-making, but through their studies and performance, they develop confidence, discipline, and mental focus.
As with our Kindermusik ceremonies in the morning, the highpoint of the recitals, at least for the students, was the awarding of the trophies. Trophies are a symbol of the hard work our students put into their musical development. When leaving the building, each student also picked up a goodie bag with cookies (oh, joy). Of the 1,000 cookies we had ordered for May 15 there were only very few left by the end of the day!
For the coming year, we have big plans. Subscribe to this blog to receive up to date information about upcoming new initiatives!
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Posted on Thu, May 13, 2010 @ 05:33 AM
We are delighted to welcome Jordan P. Smith, a distinguished young artist, to the
woodwind faculty of Hunterdon Academy of the Arts. Jordan is a New York based saxophonist and conductor. His teachers have included Dr. Paul Cohen, Dr. John Sampen and Kathleen Mitchell (saxophone), and Dr. William Silvester (conducting).
Later this month Jordan is graduating with a Master of Music degree in Saxophone Performance from Manhattan School of Music. He previously completed a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from The College of New Jersey, and as of this coming fall semester will be a candidate for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Classical Saxophone Performance at the Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University, where he is studying with Dr. Paul Cohen. Jordan is currently on faculty at the French Woods Festival for the Performing Arts, teaching theory, conducting the saxophone ensemble, and saxophone lessons.
Jordan has extensive performance experience. In the summer of 2007, Jordan traveled to Corfu, Greece where he gave several performances of solo and chamber works, and premiered Evolutions by Marilyn Shrude for the Corfu Festival Saxophone Ensemble. He was winner of the 2006-2007 TCNJ Concerto Competition and later performed Tomasi's Ballade for Saxophone and Orchestra with the TCNJ Orchestra. Jordan was also a selected soloist for the 2008 NYSMF recital series and a featured soloist with the NYSMF saxophone ensemble. Recently he has performed multiple times with The New World Symphony, the Manhattan School of Music Orchestra, the Brooklyn College Orchestra, and the French Woods Orchestra. Recent performance venues have included the Metropolitan Museum of Art, St. Peters Citigroup Center in NYC, Knight Concert Hall at the Adrienne Arsht Center, the Professional Children's School, Yale University, and the 2009 North American Saxophone Alliance Region 8 conference at West Virginia University. As an orchestral player he has performed works by Prokofiev, Copland, Bernstein, Gershwin, and more under such conductors as Michael Tilson Thomas, Robert Spano, and H. Robert Reynolds. Jordan has also been active as a chamber musician in New York City, having premiered works by composers such as Hayes Biggs, Remy Le Boeuf, Ayanna Witter-Johnson, and Matthew Hough. He recently premiered the Sonata for Tenor Saxophone and Piano by Steve Cohen written for Jordan himself, a saxophone quartet work entitled PollyPiano by Tamara Cashour, and a work for tenor saxophone entitled Reverie, Interrupted written for Jordan himself by composer/pianist James Adler. Jordan will soon be heard on Carrier Records for the premiere recording of Inhyun Kim's Saxophone Quartet.
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Posted on Tue, May 11, 2010 @ 08:45 AM
In
Part 1 of this two-part blog article, we presented an overview of the results of our Spring 2010 Survey, in which Hunterdon Academy of the Arts received very high marks from its students and their parents. Although the Survey rated HAA "far better than other music schools," it also revealed a couple of concerns. Among these, a few respondents wondered why this past year we have asked our students to keep track of their daily and weekly practice sessions, and some called for more clarification of the "ins and outs" of music practice.
In previous years, at least one parent a week would visit our office to talk about
the difficulties their child experiences with practicing. "My child wants to quit"; "my child hates guitar [piano, flute., etc]"; "I can't fight with him/her about practicing anymore"; "he is not progressing quickly enough" were just a few of the complaints we kept hearing. Some parents also asked us directly for guidance on how to help their child prosper in music lessons. After brain-storming with both faculty and parents, we concluded that for many students to have a more rewarding experience in their lessons, we as teachers needed to help them set realistic goals and develop a systematic practice routine to reach these goals. As an important part of this process, we asked students to keep a detailed account of their practice efforts in their "Practice Record Book," which we handed out for free to each lesson student at the beginning of the school year.
As professional musicians and music educators, we are passionate about making music. But truth be told, even for us there are times when we have to supplement our passion and enthusiasm for music with a healthy dose of discipline in order to progress. It is not unlike exercising or being on a healthy diet: we love the process especially when we see results, but it can be hard work to stick with it until we have reached that magical number on the scale. But how, exactly, to stay disciplined? Fitness experts agree that keeping a "food diary" (where you log in everything you eat) will dramatically increase your chances for success. Too much work? Maybe, but the "food diary" produces tangible results, and makes you account for that giant piece of chocolate cake you ate but somehow tried to forget about.
The "food diary" is quite similar in purpose to the "Practice Record Book" we introduced last year, which asks students to log in their practice days and times. The booklet helps students stay on track in pursuing their goals, by documenting step by step their efforts and accomplishments along the way. It teaches them that more often than not, frustration in a music lesson has nothing to do with the instrument itself but mostly with the effort they have put into learning it. For parents, understanding the results of their child's music lessons is also a financial issue: without some weekly practicing, their child will not be able to move forward in her next lesson. This means that you are paying for essentially the same lesson twice. Still think logging in practice times is a waste of time?
Over the past year, we've kept a close eye on student progress, and we're happy to say that using the "Practice Record Book" has yielded some amazing results! Have you ever seen the sparkle in a child's eye when she performs on stage, accomplishing, almost miraculously, something she never thought she could do? Well, we're confident that you'll see a lot of these sparkles at our year-end recitals this coming Saturday, May 15, at 1 PM, 3 PM, and 5 PM at Stanton Reformed Church (1 Stanton Mountain Road, Stanton, NJ 08885)
Come join us; admission if free!
Get directions to Stanton Reformed church HERE.
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Posted on Fri, May 07, 2010 @ 07:18 AM
2010-2011 will be a BIG year for us: it marks the 30th Anniversary of Hunterdon Academy of the Arts, formerly known as Cooper Music Studio, which over the past three decades has won numerous awards particularly for its Kindermusik classes. This wonderful age-appropriate music program for children newborn to age 7 will therefore take a prominent place in next year's celebrations.
In anticipation of 
upcoming Festivities, we are expanding our Kindermusik program, by adding new faculty and innovative curricula. We will keep you posted on the specific details in the months ahead.
Today we are excited to announce that we have appointed Neha Gohil to join our faculty of Kindermusik Educators. Neha holds a Master's Degree in Special Education from Kean University. Prior to her graduate work, she completed a Bachelor of Science Degree in Therapeutic Recreation at Temple University, where she graduated with honors.
Neha is a respected early-childhood specialist who is already known to many parents in this community through her outstanding work with children at the Flemington Jewish Community Center. A nurturing, patient, and knowledgeable educator with a love for music and children, she will be a strong addition to our Kindermusik faculty, and we are thrilled to welcome her to HAA!
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Posted on Sun, Mar 07, 2010 @ 07:00 AM
After two years, I still get a little nervous before each Kindermusik class I teach. Will the children have a good time? Will the parents think the activities are silly? Will I remember the melody to the goodbye song? But once the class is over, and parents linger to chat and children beg for a hand stamp on their tummy or say "thank you for class, Ms. Michele" I am reminded why I love this job.
Kindermusik class is where I hear giggles, see smiles and watch parents at their most playful. Imaginations flourish when Mom and child decide to swing each other with a hoop, or fly around the room like a butterfly. Vocabulary grows, manners are practiced, sharing is attempted (and sometimes succeeds) and all kinds of learning takes place. I am so impressed by these parents who have taken precious time from their busy lives to tickle until they can't stop laughing, or dance until they are out of breath. It makes my day when daddies step out of their comfort zones to share a cuddle, a bounce or a favorite story. And when I hear that the music from class is being listened to in the car or at home, I know that the Kindermusik magic has left the building and is continuing the learning and fun all week long.
What more could a teacher ask for?
Michele Collins, Kindermusik Educator at HAA
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Posted on Sun, Feb 28, 2010 @ 08:05 AM
Kindermusik--the leading program in early-childhood music education--has been
offered to families in New Jersey's Hunterdon County since 1981, when it was introduced to the local community by Donna Cooper. Teaching at first out of her home, Donna grew her Kindermusik studio from just a few students to one of the world's largest Kindermusik programs. As operations outgrew facilities time and again, her "Cooper Music Studio" was to move a total of four times until in 2007 it became part of Hunterdon Academy of the Arts at 4 Minneakoning Road in Flemington.
A visionary with a great passion for children's education, Donna was among the first educators in the U.S. to teach Kindermusik, a program that as it name suggests, originated in Germany, before spreading around the globe.
We were deeply touched when one day we noticed that we actually had children in our Kindermusik program whose parents themselves had once been Kindermusik students of Donna Cooper's! What's more, when in 2008 we appointed Kimberly Hill to conduct our long-standing Hunterdon Youth Choir, she revealed that she, too, began her musical training as a child in Donna's Kindermusik classes, and that conducting this choir had been a life-long dream of hers!
Although we are great believers in the scientifically documented benefits of Kindermusik training, there is no stronger testimony to the awesome power of Kindermusik than seeing it manifest across generations.
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Posted on Thu, Feb 25, 2010 @ 11:03 AM
Over the past two years, we have been listening carefully to our students and prospective students. Their input has been invaluable in our efforts to optimize the way Hunterdon Academy of the Arts operates. Many of our improvements in the
area of music lessons have focused on making it easier for students to enter the program, and stay in it. We thought it may be helpful to provide a brief summary of our responses to the most commonly voiced concerns about signing up for music lessons:
1. What if I find out only after signing up that I don't enjoy music lessons? As of February 2010, we have introduced a new lesson registration that is based on short-term commitment. You initially commit to a minimum of 5 weeks, after which you may either drop out or re-register automatically for the next month. But a word of caution: if you aren't a virtuoso after 5 weeks of lessons, do not automatically assume that lessons aren't for you. It takes time to become a master performer! You wouldn't expect to be a professional football, tennis, or baseball player after a month of training either, or would you?
2. What if my teacher and I don't "click"? Very occasionally, that happens, but it is no problem from our point of view. We try to get it right from the start by offering you a free trial lesson with the teacher we believe to be the best match for you. If things don't quite work out as anticipated, we will be happy to transfer you to another teacher as long as we have spots available; we have a large faculty with multiple instructors in almost every field.
3. What if the time I signed up for isn't going to work with my schedule long-term? As long as we have other slots available, we'll be happy to provide you with more a convenient lesson time.
4. Do I have to buy an instrument if I sign up for lessons? No. But in order to make progress between lessons, you need to have access to an instrument for practice purposes. For your convenience, we provide many instruments for rent, or you can purchase instruments at low cost from our local retail partner, CrossBorder Music. Our teachers will be happy to advise you on your best options.
5. As an adult, is it not too late for me to start lessons? No, it is never too late to start an instrument. We learn as long as we live, and that includes playing an instrument! Actually, adults are sometimes at an advantage in that they can be more focused, organized, and determined than some younger students!
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Posted on Sun, Jan 24, 2010 @ 07:42 AM
Hunterdon Academy of the Arts proudly announces its new Blog--"Music and Art for All." Visit us and join the conversation! We would like to hear your thoughts on music and arts instruction and related topics. Post your questions, share your ideas, and become a resource for each other!
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Posted on Fri, Jan 22, 2010 @ 05:17 PM
Fortunately, many parents still believe in the importance and far-reaching benefits of music education, particularly for young children. While music training often has to compete with so many other activities--such as karate, soccer, gymnastics, chess, etc.--to retain its place in a child's busy schedule, we keep seeing strong demand especially for music lessons.
However, when signing up your child for music lessons, the following issues should be considered carefully in order to achieve maximum results and benefits:
1. Lessons in a private home vs. a professional music studio: if you are planning to hire an in-home instructor, do you trust this person enough to leave your child with him or her, in your home or theirs? Can your child handle potential distractions likely to interfere with teaching in a private home setting (other people in the room, pets, surprise visitors, etc.)?
2. Age: the child's age is important for several reasons. On a basic level, the student's age can help parents and educators make a responsible decision whether or not private lessons are the appropriate mode of music instruction for a particular child. In our experience, 4- and 5-year olds often do better in group classes than in private lessons. Aside from the benefits of social interaction, young children learn much from each other. In fact, they may even absorb information more readily than in a one-on-one setting, which requires a much greater focus and attention to details--abilities that are not fully developed yet in many young children. If you choose to sign up for one-on-on instruction, discuss with your teacher the option of a 15- or 20-minute format, instead of the more customary 30-minute lesson.
3. Choice of instrument: other than the child's personal color, shape, and sound preferences, age is also the single most important factor in determining the proper choice of instrument for a very young beginner. Nobody will argue that the tuba is unsuitable for small children. However, even with some of the most popular instruments in early childhood music education, the case is often not as straightforward as it seems. Let us consider, for example, the violin. While some four-year-olds are ready to take up the 1/8- or 1/4-size violin, many other children of the same age range may not yet have acquired the fine motor skills necessary to progress well on this instrument.
4. The instrument: your child must have access to an instrument for weekly practice purposes. Without some weekly practice, however casual it may be at first, there will be very little progress, if any, from one lesson to the next. Inevitably, your child (as well as his/her teacher) will feel frustrated, and you will ask yourself whether taking music lessons was a wise decision in the first place. Don't deny your child a good educational experience by denying the need to provide an instrument!
5. Renting or owning? From an educational point of view, it doesn't matter much which route you choose. Many music stores offer decent and affordable rental programs with full insurance coverage of accidental damage. Whether you rent or own, make sure that the instrument is of good quality and in good working order. In most cases, this means that you should not buy the cheapest violin or guitar you can find anywhere. The "bargain" you've so proudly hunted down may actually make it very difficult, if not impossible, for your child to achieve good and satisfying results on the instrument, regardless of how much time is spent on daily or weekly practice.
At Hunterdon Academy of the Arts, our passion is teaching music and the arts. We're happy to help parents make the right choices in their childrens' education. For more information, click here
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