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Dwight-Englewood School
Music Lesson
Program
2009-2010
Dear Dwight-Englewood
Parents and Students…
We are pleased to offer the opportunity for students to be
able to study with our professional faculty in a familiar
and convenient environment.
Please read the information in this booklet carefully.
There are details about scheduling and payment as well as
biographical material about the faculty. We hope it will
answer most questions you may have about the program.
A contract form is enclosed with this mailing.
Clinton L. Carbon
Chairman, Department of Fine and Performing Arts
Welcome
to the Dwight-Englewood School
Music Lessons Program. We
are pleased to offer our students
a variety of lessons with highly
qualified professionals, on an
annual contractual basis. Because
we are situated in one of the
cultural capitals of the world, we
have access to exceptional teachers
who provide the best possible
learning experiences.
There are three different parts to our program, each designed to meet
specific students’ needs:
Available to Lower School students only, there is the Lower School
String Program which offers 24 half hour private lessons on either
violin or viola during the school day in addition to a Lower School
String Ensemble which meets after school hours.
Available to Middle School Students, there are two after school 10
week ensemble classes, one in West African Drumming, Singing
and Dancing (also open to Upper School students, faculty and
parents) and one which is a Middle School (only) Jazz Workshop.
Available to Dwight-Englewood students in all grades is the Private
Music Lessons Program which offers 45 minute private lessons on
each of the orchestral instruments, piano, voice, set drums (and
percussion), saxophone, harp, classical and electric guitar as well as
electric and upright bass. The curriculum for this program includes
27 private lessons, one master-class. (Hour long lessons may be
possible by special arrangement.)
These programs will be described in greater detail on the pages that
follow.
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Above and beyond learning to play and appreciate music, the study
of music offers many benefits to your child including cultural
awareness, self esteem and an opportunity to experience the direct
and beneficial results of self discipline. The skills associated with
music are long term goals which take time to master. Though
progress will be seen from week to week, it is only over time that
the overall musical development can begin to unfold. The most
successful students tend to be those whose parents are able to be
involved in the learning process, encouraging consistent practice at
home, being aware of what their child is working on musically and
keeping in touch with the teacher from time to time.
As this is a long term process, the program has been set up as a full
year curriculum. Students will benefit most from a full year of study
to be able to implement what that individual teacher has to offer.
Once teachers reserve lesson times for students they have to turn
away others, so please note that the contract for this program is a full
year commitment. Refunds will not be given for withdrawal from
the program or for missed lessons unless special arrangements
have been made and agreed to in advance due to extraordinary
circumstances.
Please read this brochure carefully to be sure you understand all of
the policies prior to enrolling in the program.
Teachers’ biographies can be found on the later pages of this
booklet.
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Lower School String Program
Annaliesa Place, Director of Strings
(201) 569-9500 x 3127
Lessons with Ensemble
Students in the Lower School may take half hour private lessons on
violin or viola during the school day and also participate in a string
ensemble that meets weekly for one period immediately after school.
Each student receives 24 private lessons and 24 ensemble sessions
during the school year. This is a Suzuki based program with an
added component of reading notes and rhythms.
Private lessons are taught during the day. Students leave their
classrooms to take the private lessons. The lesson times are rotated
from week to week for each student so that the time missed in
any one class will be kept to a minimum. For example, a student
having a lesson from 8:30 - 9:00 the first week will have a lesson from
9:00 - 9:30 the second week, 9:30 - 10:00 the third week, etc.
There are usually two ensembles that meet simultaneously from
3:00 - 3:45 on Wednesday afternoons. Placement in the ensemble
best suited to the student’s playing level will be determined by the
faculty in September. The Ensembles are part of the curriculum for
the Lower School String Program.
The fee for 24 half hour lessons and the ensemble is $1,114.
Fees are for the year and are payable at registration.
To enroll in the Lower School String Program submit a completed
and signed contract to John Littlefield with payment for the program
desired by September 8, 2009.
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Lower School String Program
Faculty Biographies
Annaliesa Place, violin, joined the D-E faculty in 2002.
She received her Bachelor’s Degree from The Peabody Conservatory
of the Johns Hopkins University and her Master’s Degree from The
Juilliard School. Her principal teachers have included Vasile Beluska,
David Updegraff, Victor Danchenko, and Robert Mann. Ms. Place
was featured in the Cleveland Orchestra’s first video conference with
Alan Gilbert and was hailed by the Cleveland Plain Dealer as ‘the
epitome of poise and intelligence.’ She has performed solo and chamber
concerts throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. Ms. Place
also teaches at EMS Summer String Festival and performs in various
ensembles including the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players, the
Thurnauer Chamber Music Society, and the conductor-less string
orchestra ECCO. She is a member of Classnotes, a non-profit
organization that performs concerts in public schools. In addition
to her classical music performances, Annaliesa has performed with
Christina Aguilera, Kanye West, Josh Radin, Panic at the Disco,
Herbie Hancock, and Arlo Guthrie.
Kimberly Syvertsen, violinist & conductor, has been
teaching in the Lower School String Program since the fall of 2008.
She came to the Dwight-Englewood School with considerable
experience teaching violin, directing ensembles and building
programs. Ms. Syvertsen is on the faculties of Montclair State
University as well as at the JCC Thurnauer School of Music. She
is the conductor of Overture Strings Youth Orchestras of Essex County
and the University Youth Orchestra at Montclair State University. She
is the Student Chapter Coordinator of the American String Teachers
Association (ASTA) – NJ Board as well as having been President of
the Montclair Chapter of ASTA. Ms. Syvertsen holds a Bachelor
of Music degree from the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins
University.
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Private Music Lessons Program
John Littlefield, Coordinator
(201) 569-9500 x3302
The Private Music Lessons Program offers 45 minute private lessons
on all of the orchestral instruments as well as harp, piano, voice,
saxophone, classical and electric guitar as well as upright, electric bass
and music theory. The course of study includes 27 private lessons,
one master-class and one formal concert during each school year.
Lessons are offered to match the needs and skill level of each student
from beginner through advanced. Middle and Upper School students are encouraged to inquire about performance opportunities in
the various instrumental and choral ensembles offered through the
Fine and Performing Arts Department academic curriculum.
The fee for the 27 lessons and 1 master-class is $1,484 which is due
with the contract at the time of enrollment. Financing arrangements
can be made by speaking with John Littlefield prior to submitting
the application. If the lessons end up being scheduled at the student’s home, there will be a surcharge of $15.00 per lesson to be
paid directly to the teacher to cover travel time and expenses. If
the scheduling of lessons, after the contract has been processed but
before the first lesson has been given, proves to be impossible, the fee
will be refunded in full to the parent. Once the lessons have been
scheduled and the student takes the first lesson the contract is in
effect for the full school year and the no refund policy takes effect.
(Schedules permitting, hour long lessons may be able to be arranged
at the parent’s request. The annual fee for hour long lessons would
be $1,960. Please contact the Music Lesson Co-ordinator to inquire
about the feasibility of this if you are interested.)
Getting started - Once a signed contract has been
received with payment, the coordinator will instruct the teacher
to contact the parent to arrange a mutually agreeable lesson time
for the student. Times immediately following dismissal are obviously very limited and also very desirable. Please have alternative
options to discuss when you speak with the teacher. Most private
lessons are taught at the school but they may be taught at the student’s home (for an additional fee) or at the teacher’s private studio
when necessary to facilitate scheduling. To assure the best chance
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of being scheduled into this program please submit contracts by
September 8, 2009.
Upper School students may take lessons during free periods within the school day if they can be coordinated with the teacher’s schedule and an available studio. Lessons are generally scheduled
after the school day if there is no compatible free period during the
school day.
Middle School students usually take lessons after school
hours as they have very few free periods during the class day. They
are permitted to take their music lesson during the school day on the
rare occasion that they are able to schedule a time during a study hall
or free period.
Lower School students take private lessons after the school day.
Lower School students must be escorted to and from their lessons
by a parent or by the private lesson teacher. Parents should arrange
to pick up their children at the conclusion of the lesson. This is a
good time for the parent to compare notes with the teachers regarding what has been assigned for the week and to be updated on the
progress of the student. Students not picked up after their lessons
in a timely fashion will be escorted by the teacher to the Explorers
After School Program to wait for their parent or guardian. Parents
will be billed for the time spent there. Lower School students may
not wait in the Middle/Upper School Library.
Master-classes will be scheduled by each private lesson teacher for
their studio or in conjunction with another teacher’s studio sometime between the winter break and the spring recitals. These masterclasses will be performance classes to give every student the opportunity to practice and discuss performance skills. Master-classes may
be held at the School, at the teacher’s studio or at a student’s home
(if offered by the parent) as best suits the needs of the students and
the teacher involved.
Recitals are scheduled at the end of the school year for students who
have demonstrated excellent preparation and technique throughout
the year of study. Recitals are presented in Hajjar Auditorium. Accompanists will be provided by the school when needed for single
line instrumentalists and vocalists.
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Absences and rescheduling lessons – When a parent knows that
a student will be absent for a lesson the teacher must be notified
directly. Under all but the most extraordinary circumstances, if the
teacher has not been notified of an absence prior to leaving his or
her home to teach that lesson, the lesson will be considered as having been given and the student will not receive a make-up lesson.
Please note: The Dwight-Englewood attendance office does not
notify private music teachers when their students are absent from
school. When properly notified, teachers will expect to make up
lessons due to illness. Parents should acquire cell phone numbers
and other means of reaching the teacher at the beginning of the year
when they schedule lesson times with the teacher. When students
have an occasional conflict with a lesson time and can notify the
teacher more than 24 hours in advance, the teacher will endeavor
to schedule that lesson at another time if possible. As the contract
simply calls for a total of 27 lessons to be taught during the year there
is some room for flexibility even if one week is missed. Please do not
expect teachers to make up lessons for absences due to play dates or
birthday parties. Once a teacher schedules a regular lesson time, that
teacher has excluded the possibility of taking another student at that
time. As all scheduling is done at the beginning of the school year,
teachers are not likely to be able to reschedule students in the middle
of the year. With the exception of mutually agreeable changes in
scheduling between the teacher and students, students are expected
to schedule all other activities (sports, tutoring, Senior Focus, etc.) so
that they will not interfere with the scheduled private music lesson
time. Failure to be able to reschedule lesson times as necessary to
accommodate a student taking on conflicting activities will not
constitute justification of a refund for missed lessons or for the
expectation that those lessons will be made up.
Teachers and parents are expected to resolve any issues that may
arise. Teachers or parents may contact the coordinator of the program (John Littlefield at (201) 569-9500 extension 3302 or by email: [email protected]) at any time if they have questions about the
application of this policy.
Occasionally parents request lessons with our Music Lesson Faculty
to be given while their child is studying the same instrument with
another teacher outside of our program. WE CAN NOT RECOMMEND THIS PRACTICE. Our experience has been that having
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two teachers often results in confusion for the student due to conflicting approaches, especially when the two teachers do not know
each other’s teaching styles and are not communicating with each
other.
Private Music Lesson Program
Faculty Biographies
Piano Faculty
Phyllis Billings, piano, has been teaching at DwightEnglewood since 2006. She received her bachelor’s degree in music from
North Carolina School of the Arts. Her teaching experience includes private piano and violin lessons, as well as general music classes for pre-school
through grade six. She has also directed string ensembles, hand bell choirs,
and children’s choirs. Her performance experience includes playing violin
for the North Jersey Symphony Orchestra and the Ridgewood Gilbert &
Sullivan Opera Company. Phyllis resides in Cresskill with her husband and
three daughters.
Allen Farnham, classical & jazz piano, has been
teaching at Dwight-Englewood since 2001. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Classical Piano and Jazz Studies from Oberlin Conservatory and
now freelances as a pianist, composer, arranger, producer and teacher. He
has recorded extensively as a sideman and leader, as well as having produced
over 50 recordings for the California based record label, Concord Records,
for such illustrious artists as Tito Puente, Monty Alexander, Charlie Byrd,
Scott Hamilton, Buddy DeFranco and Mongo Santamaria. Mr. Farnham’s
performance credits include work with vocalists including Susannah McCorkle, Mel Torme, Mark Murphy and Ernestine Anderson. His most recent album Allen Farnham Meets RIAS Big Band (Concord 4789) features
Mr. Farnham’s original compositions and arrangements for a 17 piece big
band performed by the renowned Berlin Radio RIAS Big Band.
Tomoko Ohno Farnum, CLASSICAL & JAZZ Piano,
joined D-E’s faculty in 2002. Born in Tokyo, Ms. Ohno graduated from
Rikkyo University with a degree in Law and Politics before entering the
Jazz Studies Program at William Paterson University in New Jersey. While
studying there, she received the Student Award of Outstanding Excellence,
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and was a member of the Dean’s List. Ms. Ohno has performed with Jerome Richardson, Wynton Marsalis, Benny Goodman, and Joe Henderson,
and has performed at Lincoln Center, Weill Recital Hall, The Blue Note,
Sweet Basil, and the Lennox Lounge in Harlem. She has appeared on live
radio broadcasts on WGBO and WNYC, and has worked as a side musician with the Harlem Spiritual Ensemble and the Spirit of Life Ensemble.
Ms. Ohno has released three albums under the Japan-based Tokuma label;
Powder Blue (1997), Affirmation (1999), and Natural Woman (2000). Her
major teachers were Harold Mabern and Rufus Reid.
Mary Hurlbut (see voice)
Karen Littlefield, piano, began teaching at Dwight-Englewood in 1998. Previously she has been on the faculties of the Manhattan
School of Music, NYU and the Spence School. She was the acting Piano
Department Head of Camp Encore/Coda from 1987 to 2006. She has performed as a soloist and as a member of The Herrick Ensemble in the Soviet
Union, Weill Recital Hall and Alice Tully Hall, among others. She studied
chamber music with Lillian Fuchs and Raphael Bronstein and conducting
with Claude Monteux. She was also opera accompanist for the NY Grand
Opera under Vincent La Selva in the 1970’s. Ms Littlefield holds her B.M.
and M.M. from the Manhattan School of Music and is featured with her
husband, flautist John Littlefield, on the CD French & Viennese Masterpieces
produced by Juston Records.
Sojung Park, piano, received her Master’s degree and Professional Studies Certificate in Piano Performance at the Manhattan School of
Music. She studied under Joseph Plon, Michael Rogers, and Zenon Fishbein. She was the 3rd prize winner of Villa d’Este piano competition in Italy
in 2001. Under the auspices of the ‘Arte Musica Festival’ in Italy, she was
invited to perform at ‘Villa d’Este’ and participated in the master classes
of Carla Giudici, Dennis Kahn, Bonnie Hampton, Norman Fisher, Robert Diaz as a soloist and an accompanist. She had a debut recital at Weill
Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall as a special presentation winner of Artist International. She also gave recitals and chamber concerts in Yamaha Hall,
Riverside Church, Mannes School of Music, etc. In addition to teaching
in Woodmere Music Studio, LI. for several years, currently, she is increasing her career as an accompanist at Mannes School of Music, Manhattan
School of Music, and Rutgers University.
Gloria Yoo, piano, has been teaching at the Dwight-Englewood School since 2008. She received her B.M. in both piano performance
and music education from Temple University and M.M in music education
from Teacher’s college, Columbia University. She currently is a candidate
for EdD, Doctorate of Education, from Columbia University. She’s been
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teaching in her private studio since 1998 and also taught PreK-12 as a choral director, general music teacher in NJ public schools since 2004. Her
performance experience includes competitions, and giving numerous solo
recitals, concerts mostly in the Philadelphia area and in Rome, Italy as a
soloist with orchestras as well as a member of chamber ensembles.
Harp Faculty
Ardis Cavin, harp, has been teaching at the Dwight-Englewood
School, which is one of the few schools in the area to offer harp lessons as
part of its private lesson program, since 2006. An experienced entertainment harpist, she teaches lever and pedal harps to students of all ages and
experience. Ms. Cavin will assist the student who might be interested in
“trying out” a harp and also has a number of small rental harps available.
For details please see her web page: Cavinharpstudio.com. In addition to
teaching at Dwight-Englewood, Ms. Cavin is currently on the faculty at
Bergen Community College where she teaches voice, piano and harp. She
has a Master of Music Degree from Indiana University and a BA from the
University of Iowa.
String Faculty
Violin/viola
Franco Gennarelli, violin & viola, has taught at
Dwight-Englewood since 1980. He also teaches violin at William Paterson
University. A violinist and pianist, he is the Concert-master of the New
York Grand Opera under Vincent La Selva as well as of the St. Cecelia Orchestra and Chorus under David Randolph. He has taught for seven summers at the Crane Youth Music program at S.U.N.Y. – Potsdam. His major
teachers were Dorothy Delay, Gideon Grau, Rostislov Dubinsky, members
of the Lennox and Juilliard Quartets and Harvey Shapiro. Mr. Gennarelli
has performed two complete Handel Messiahs and the solo violin part in
Beethoven’s Missa Solemis – all at Carnegie Hall. After a recent recital in
Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York Times critic, Tim Page, wrote: “The
one real standout of the evening was Franco Gennarelli who’s violin tone was
both warm and effusive.”
Annaliesa Place, violin, joined the D-E faculty in 2002.
She received her Bachelor’s Degree from The Peabody Conservatory of
the Johns Hopkins University and her Master’s Degree from The Juilliard
School. Her principal teachers have included Vasile Beluska, David Updegraff, Victor Danchenko, and Robert Mann. Ms. Place was featured in
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the Cleveland Orchestra’s first video conference with Alan Gilbert and was
hailed by the Cleveland Plain Dealer as ‘the epitome of poise and intelligence.’
She has performed solo and chamber concerts throughout the United
States, Europe, and Asia. Ms. Place also teaches at EMS Summer String
Festival and performs in various ensembles including the Jupiter Symphony
Chamber Players, the Thurnauer Chamber Music Society, and the conductor-less string orchestra ECCO. She is a member of Classnotes, a nonprofit organization that performs concerts in public schools. In addition to
her classical music performances, Annaliesa has performed with Christina
Aguilera, Kanye West, Josh Radin, Panic at the Disco, Herbie Hancock,
and Arlo Guthrie.
Eleanor Schiller, violin, began teaching at DwightEnglewood in 2002. She received her Master’s Degree in music education and violin performance from the Manhattan School of Music in 1964,
where she studied with Raphael Bronstein and Erica Morini. Ms. Schiller
taught strings in the Teaneck Public Schools from 1977 until she retired in
1998. She is now teaching privately and performing in several orchestras
and chamber ensembles. She is a founding member of the Schiller Quartet
and, being from a very musical family, Ms. Schiller often performs All in
the Family concerts with her husband Allen (violinist from the New York
Philharmonic) with daughters Jacqueline (piano) and Laura (flute). Soon
her three grandchildren will be joining them as well on 1/16, 1/8 and 1/4
size violins.
JUNAH CHUNG, VIOLA, will be in his debut year teaching at the
Dwight-Englewood School. He is an active performer in both the chamber
music and orchestral venues in addition to being a popular recitalist. He
is a member of Trio St. Germain and the New York Philomusica as well as
having played with the New York Philharmonic, American Ballet Theatre
and The Orchestra of St. Lukes. Mr. Chung studied with Lillian Fuchs
and William Lincer at the Juilliard School where he received his Masters
degree.
Cello
Tomas Ulrich, cello, began teaching cello at Dwight-Englewood during the 2007-2008 school year. He has received music degrees
from Boston University and the Manhattan School of Music. His principal instructors were Leslie Parnas, Fred Zlotkin, Ardyth Alton and Marion
Feldman. In additon to teaching privately for over twenty years, Mr. Ulrich
has been a member of the music faculties of such institutions as Friends
Academy, Packer Collegiate Institute, The Sylvan Academy of Music as
well as The Elizabeth Morrow School and Summer String Festival. Tomas
has written music for theater, film and instrumental performance and has
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concertized in Europe, Japan, South America, Canada and throughout the
United States. Mr. Ulrich can be heard on over 70 Cds in a wide variety of
musical styles and settings.
String Bass (Classical)
(see, also, Electric Bass & Guitar)
Woodwind Faculty
(Flute, Oboe, Clarinet & Saxophone)
CHARLES URBONT, CLASSICAL STRING BASS, will be in his
debut year teaching at the Dwight-Englewood School. He is a member
of the American Ballet Theater orchestra and an associate member of the
Metropolitan Opera orchestra. On Broadway, he played principal bass for
the Houston Grand Opera production of Porgy and Bess and for Fonteyn
and Nureyev at the Uris (now Gershwin) theater. He participated in the
Metropolitan Opera’s Grammy Award winning recording of Wagner’s complete Ring with Maestro James Levine. Mr. Urbont attended Franklin &
Marshall College and received a B.A. in music from C.W. Post College
with a major in voice. His teachers include Orin O’Brien and Julius Levine
(double bass), Josef Marx (chamber music) and Alexander Dashnaw (voice
and choral conducting). While still in college Mr. Urbont spent a year as
a string and orchestra teacher in the Syosset, N.Y. public school system and
was a faculty member at the Kinhaven Music School in Weston, Vermont.
Robert DeBellis, saxophone, clarinet & flute,
has been directing ensembles and teaching woodwinds at The Dwight Englewood School since the mid-80’s. He has been a freelance woodwind
performer in New York City for twenty five years. As a jazz artist, he has
recorded and performed internationally with artists such as Don Byron,
Muhal Richard Abrams, Mongo Santamaria, The New York Composers
Orchestra, Phillip Johnston, Kevin Norton, James Emery, Uri Caine and
Brad Jones. During the last several years he has devoted much of his time
to composing and playing in his own group, and has released one recording as a leader, Parallax, on Vintone Records. Mr. DeBellis’ fluency on all
saxophones, flutes, and clarinets keeps him active in the new music scene,
commercial recording, and on Broadway. Recently, Mr. DeBellis has been
involved in a varied array of high-profile projects. He has a mastery of
Classical, Jazz, Pop and Broadway playing styles having studied with many
leading performers of each of these genres on each of his instruments. Notable performances include: Symphony Space’s Stravinsky Marathon with
Don Byron and Marnie Nixon, Jay-Z’s return to the stage at Radio City,
Brooklyn Summer Salsa Series with Willie Colon and the inaugural day of
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the Bethel Woods Jazz Festival with James Emery. Rob has also performed
in many Broadway shows and is currently a regular member of the orchestra
of The Lion King and How The Grinch Stole Christmas. His woodwinds can
be heard on the new cartoon Class of 3000, featured on the Cartoon Network. He is a graduate of The University of Pennsylvania.
Debbie Keefe johns, saxophone, clarinet, flute
& music educator, attended the New England Conservatory of
Music in Boston, MA and received a BM in Jazz Performance. Debbie
performs in and around the NYC area and resides in Englewood, NJ. Her
performances have included such greats as: Cab Calloway, Jackie Byard,
Melba Liston Smith, George Russell, Junior Cook, Walter Booker, Jimmy
Cobb, Stanley Turrentine, The Mingus Big Band, The Diva Big Band, Robert Palmer and Bruce Springsteen. Debbie has performed at the Kennedy
Center, Washington, DC, Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival, Lincoln Center, Damrosch Park Jazz Festival, and Kansas City Jazz Festival to
name a few. She is currently on the teaching staff at The Dwight-Englewood School, The Elisabeth Morrow School and Tenafly Arts School in
New Jersey.
John Herrick Littlefield, flute, has been teaching at Dwight-Englewood since 1998 and has been conducting the orchestras at Dwight-Englewood since 2006. He has taught flute at the Spence
School in New York City since 1986 and conducted the orchestra there
from 1986 to 2007. Mr. Littlefield has performed on the flute to critical
acclaim as a chamber musician, orchestra member and soloist throughout
the United States: “...notable elegance...” The Washington Times, “...a fluent
flutist...” The Cleveland Plain Dealer & “…commendable musical perception
of all the works in the program.” The New York Times. His flute teachers
include Julius Baker, Frances Blaisdell, and Claude Monteux. Mr. Littlefield
has recorded French and Viennese Masterpieces for Flute & Piano including
works by Poulenc, Brahms, Fauré & Chaminade with his wife, Karen Littlefield, on Juston Records and 3 Quartets, Opus 145 for flute and string trio
by Beethoven’s student, Ferdinand Ries, which is distributed internationally
on the Naxos label. His articles have been published in Chamber Music
Magazine and Flute Talk. Mr. Littlefield plays a gold flute made by Sankyo.
Brass Faculty
Oliver Gras, trumpet, (also French horn & trombone) has taught at Dwight-Englewood since 2001. He completed his
B.M. at Oberlin College and Conservatory in 1991 and earned his M.M.
and PSC from Mannes College of Music in 1993. Mr. Gras is on the Brass
Faculty at Horace Mann School, Fieldston School and at Mannes. Mr.Gras
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has toured extensively in Japan, Southern France and other regions within
Europe. He frequently plays principal trumpet for Amor Artis Orchestra,
Verismo Opera, the Oratorio Society of Queens and the Berkshire Opera.
He has also performed with several orchestras: Westchester Symphony, New
York Gilbert & Sullivan Players, Bachworks, Greenwich Symphony and
Orchestra of New England.
Ivan Miller, trumpet, has played to critical acclaim in both
the classical and commercial genres. He has been a member of the New
Jersey Pops orchestra as well as having been a member of two professional
orchestras in Caracas, Venezuela. Mr. Miller is presently on the faculty of
William Paterson University. His own studies were with world class classical trumpet players including: William Vacchiano of the New York Philharmonic and Mel Broiles of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Mr. Miller
has degrees from the Manhattan School of Music and Syracuse University.
Thomas Olcott, trombone (also Euphonium)
has been on the Dwight-Englewood Private Music Lesson Program faculty
since 2007. He is a regular member of the American Ballet Theatre Orchestra and the Radio City Music Hall Orchestra as well as having been on call
as an extra with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. He has performed at
one time or another with almost every orchestra of note in the New York
City Metropolitan Area as well as with numerous Broadway shows. He
has presented many Young Persons’ Concerts and has given Master Classes
at Suffolk Community College. Mr. Olcott has degrees from the Julliard
School of Music and Yale University.
Percussion Faculty
Kevin Norton, percussion, began teaching at DwightEnglewood in 1998. His teaching experience includes University of Maryland, William Paterson University, The Thurnauer School of Music and the
Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. He has been a featured jazz and new
music performer at various jazz and new music festivals throughout the
United States and Europe. Live and recorded performances have won critical acclaim in Downbeat (“Rising Star” on Vibraphone 2005), Cadence,
Jazz Times and the Village Voice. Kevin Norton can be heard on over 80
CDs. Fifteen of those are under his own leadership and can be found on
CIMP, Music & Arts, FMR, Barking Hoop and Clean Feed labels. Awards
include: Composer in residence at the MacDowell Colony, June 2002 and
Commission Music USA (Meet the Composer), April 2005. Mr. Norton
received his B.S. from Hunter College and M.M. from Manhattan School
of Music.
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Guitar & Bass Faculty
(Electric and Classical)
Richard Peare, guitar, electric bass, began teaching
at Dwight-Englewood in 1996. He received his B.A. from the Mannes
College of Music. He is also an adjunct faculty member at Raritan Valley
Community College, College of Staten Island and the American Institute
of Guitar. Richard has been teaching privately for over twenty years at his
private studio located in the Snug Harbor Cultural Center on Staten Island.
He has performed at Cami Hall and other venues including various clubs
and restaurants, and CTV channel 24. Mr. Peare has performed in master
classes with Eliot Fisk, John Duarte, Oscar Guillia, Chuck Wayne and Turk
VanLake. His major teachers were Leonid Bolotine and Peter Prisco.
David Richards, electric bass, acoustic bass
and guitar, has been teaching at the Dwight-Englewood School since
2008. Mr. Richards has been teaching guitar and led jazz ensembles at the
Tenafly JCC as well as at the Torah Academy of Bergen County. In the
early 90’s he toured Sweden with the Ray Kennedy Quartet giving workshops and lessons at many community colleges. He has recorded with The
Indigo Girls, Richie Havens, Richard Shindell & Cliff Eberhardt. He has
also worked with Rosanne Cash, The Drifters, Jewel, Patty Larkin, Sarah
McLachlin, Natalie Merchant and Madeline Peyroux.
Voice
Mary Hurlbut, voice & piano, has taught voice and piano
at the Dwight-Englewood School since 1993. Her teaching engagements
have been at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy, Greenwich
House Music School, Bronx House Music School and The Vaughn College
of Aeronautics. She has had performances with Down Town Music Productions, Gravesend Players, American Landmark Festivals, Music Downtown,
American Festival of Microtonal Music, The New Music Consort, Cygnus
Ensemble, The NJ Percussion Ensemble and SoHo Baroque Opera. She has
been featured on Fortay, Frog Peak and Tarmac recordings and premiered
works by John Cage, Elodie Lauten, Jackson Maclow, Anne Tardos, Franz
Kamin, Harold Seletsky and Dan Levitan. Performance halls include Merkin, Symphony Space, LaMama La Galleria, The Knitting Factory, Roulette and Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall. Her voice studies were with Antonia
Lavanne, Angelica Lozada, Priscilla Woodley and Chiara Caffarelli and she
studied piano with Elka Kirkpatrick, Michel Ashmore and Bernice Sjogren.
MM, The Mannes College of Music, BM, William Paterson University and
AA Cottey College.
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Middle School Ensembles
(offered through the Music Lesson Program)
We are pleased to be able to offer two ensemble experiences for Middle
School Students. These are a new 10 week programs for the 2008 – 2009
school year that will meet once a week after the school day during November, December, January and February culminating in an in-school performance. The two ensembles will be: 1.) Traditional African Drumming,
Singing and Dancing (open also to 5th Grade students, Upper School
students, faculty and parents), and 2.) Middle School Jazz Workshop.
The tuition for each 10 week ensemble will be $250.00 per student. Students must sign up for the full term. No refunds will be given for students
choosing to withdraw and no make-up lessons/classes will be offered for
classes missed. These workshops will meet from 3:30 to 4:30 on Tuesdays
12/1, 12/8, 12/15, 1/5, 1/12, 1/26, 2/2, 2/9, 2/23 & 3/2.
Middle School Jazz Workshop
Kevin Norton - director
This ensemble is designed to help Middle School music students 1) find
an outlet for their instrumental skills and their personal creative impulses
and 2) strengthen the “foundation” of the Upper-School music program by
having a larger, more capable pool of students ready to fill that school’s ensembles. Jazz is perhaps the most important art form that the United States
has given to the world at large and its creative possibilities awaken the student to his or her original “voice” within a welcoming musical community.
Basic tools for growing into creative jazz improvisation include: Learning chord symbols (the chords and the appropriate scales to use with those
chords), learning basic structural forms to improvise on (12-bar blues form,
16-bar form, 32-bar song form), learning how to play together with other
musicians in ensemble and in musical conversation.
An in-school performance will be presented at the end of the 10-week
program.
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Traditional West African
Drumming, Singing & Dancing
Robert Levin - director
This Middle School ensemble will learn recreational, warrior and harvest
music and dance styles from Ghana. Students will use a large family of traditional Ghanaian drums, bells and rattles. All of the students drum (stick
drumming, hand drumming, stick & hand too), and sing and dance. This
music is taught in the traditional West African oral tradition, using call and
response, dialog drumming, with mnemonic drum syllables of the Ghanaian drum language. Students will learn to talk and listen with their hands in
vibrant polyrhythmic conversation. Dance movements are cued by drum
calls so the dancers learn the drum language. To fully understand the meaning and the feeling of the drumming, the drummers learn the dance. Songs
are sung in the languages of Ghana: Ewe, Ga, Fanti, Twi, Dagbani and English. This course develops strong rhythmic acuity in musicians and dancers.
There is no sheet music to read and no baton to follow.
Enrollment is initially limited to 16 students. The number may grow to
accommodate more dancers eventually.
An in-school performance will be presented at the end of the 10-week
program.
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315 East Palisade Avenue • Englewood, NJ 07631
(201) 569-9500 • www.d-e.org