Artpeggios began a choir in a French Primary School in London

Lately, Artpeggios began a choir with two classes of grade 5 from one of the French Primary School in London.

After two sessions, the respective teachers of the classes, Mrs Kergoat and Mr Roch, gave a positive opinion of it. As they said, the singer has a really beautiful voice and she is very good with the children. Being part of a choir is very positive for the pupils as they can learn more about this art, and about music. Also, more than discovering a new world, they can learn discipline and how to work together, with they qualities and defects. Everybody in a choir is important and they have to improve their listening quality.

For Belen Barnaus, the singing teacher, everything is going well. Children are enthusiastic and they love singing. Actually, some of them are really good at it. Teaching to a group of children is really interesting and as she said, she has to adapt because they are many and she wants to establish a positive relationship with them.

For a child, be part of a choir can be really helpful because singing in a group is a way to get in touch with music, to have fun with other children and also it is not an exam, it’s just a great moment all together. It makes them aware of their body, they have to act a little bit and it is good for their memory, as they have to learn songs by heart.

This choir is just beginning and as it is going well, let’s hope that it will be better and better and maybe some of the children will be interesting in singing more.

 

Ashley aka Ashman DJ

I am Ashley aka Ashman DJ… I am a Dance Music Dj/Producer and Tutor of Dj’ing & Controllerism at artpeggios in London. 

My instrument: Turntables / CDJs / Native Instruments – Traktor S2 (Controller)

The class I teach is a weekly Dj class using the industry leading Traktor dj software and Traktor Kontrol S2 hardware by Native Instruments. More info about the class: http://www.artpeggios.com/programme-and-fees/music-tuition/dj-and-electronic-music

My website: http://www.ashmandj.com 

Vision of your relation with Artpeggios as a teacher:

I have been dj’ing for over 10 years now and my journey has taken me through music production, live performance, radio presenting/hosting and now teaching: which I really enjoy. I was introduced to artpeggios by a good friend of mine who is also a teacher here. I have taken part in events which Artpeggios has held such as their Student Concert and I am dedicated to working towards constantly improving the dj course for all students.

How do you see your teaching methods evolving and the way you pass on to your students your knowledge?

I believe my teaching methods will naturally evolve and develop over time as I gain more students and these new groups are both diverse in terms of their musical preferences and background. Also as my students become more knowledgeable and skilled in what they are doing they will require more deeper insight and instruction into all the finer points of mixing/dj’ing. The great thing about teaching a course like the DJ Class is that the subject matter is alot wider than people think and it has alot of historical and cultural context which comes with it also, so there is always something new to learn and discover… and of course coupled with the fact that the music scene is always changing as time moves on and new superstar dj’s and artists arise, this makes it a really exciting and informative programme to be involved in! Also, as new technology is made available it will definitely change the way dj’ing using controllers is taught.

What is your aim as a teacher?

My aim as a teacher is always to ensure that my lesson is productive and that my students come away from the class having learned new skills; gained some valuable knowledge about their specialist area of interest; experimented with and expanded their creative abilities; collaborated, communicated and worked well with each other and last but by no means least: had FUN!!! 🙂

Why Artpeggios?

Artpeggios is cool, colourful, vibrant, creative and full of energy. The students and teachers are all passionate about what they do and are able to reach their full creative potential through expert guidance & tuition,  hard work & practice, being imaginative and having fun! The school also has great resources and facilities… in fact some of the best I have seen anywhere in London.

Why in London? Other activities you may have?

I am a Londoner and I love London. There is always so much to see and do here and you can never get bored of the place. I see London as one of the main focal points for music in the UK (especially Dance and Electronic music) so I am lucky to live and teach here!

Other activities – I am a busy guy I guess… other music related activities I am involved in include: music production (either in the artpeggios studio or in my own at home), releasing and promoting my music, making new mixes/podcasts/cd’s and working on launching my own record label.

Do you perform in London or anywhere else?

I have been dj’ing in London (at various clubs, bars, private parties and on the radio) and other parts of the UK for many years now and the last couple of years I was privileged to be a resident dj at a well known London based gym called GYMBOX.

Your favorite artists:

my record collection is actually very eclectic and diverse… I have to say though that my favourite records are those from artists such as: Michael Jackson, Herbie Hancock, Grandmaster Flash, Run DMC, Miles Davis, George Benson, Luther Vandross, Omar, Soul2Soul… I guess being a child of the 80’s explains this! Some of my current favourite UK artists include the likes of recent Mercury Music Prize nominees & winners: James Blake, Disclosure, Dizzee Rascal, Jessie Ware and Katy B.

Agnès Dargent – Art teacher

Vision of your relation with Artpeggios as a teacher:

Thanks to my varied interest and training I teach observational drawing, various painting techniques and Photoshop. I like to reference my lessons to history of art too. We’ve got a lot to learn from the Masters!

What is your aim as a teacher?

I want my students to gain the confidence to be creative. I believe that anyone can draw or paint if they have an interest in it. I’ve got lots of exercise and ideas to get them there! 

Why Artpeggios?

Being French but having lived in London for nearly 10 years I enjoy teaching in both languages and give my students the opportunity to learn in their native language.

Your favorite artists:

I like artists who work with colours like Delacroix, Van Gogh, Rothko or Kapoor and I’m always impressed with Picasso, Manet or Daumier drawings.

 

 

Guido Spannocchi – Saxophone, Flute and Clarinet

Vision of your relation with Artpeggios as a teacher:

My visions or hopes with artpeggios is that we teachers are all contributing to a unique place of inspiration, joy and creation for the students and ourselves. Artpeggios is becoming an institution where I can tell my student for example that he could take a drum lesson or two to get a good rhythmical feeling and he can just walk over to the drum teacher and schedule a date and time. I am very curious about what we will develop within the months and years to come!

How do you see your teaching methods evolving and the way you pass on to your students your knowledge?

Every student is different therefore there is no recipe for teaching, working with different characters over a long time enables the student and the teacher to access difficulties from different perspectives. As a teacher I try many ways of passing on knowledge so the student can not only understand but also easily use new material. That enables the student and myself to stay fresh and see music in a different light which is essential for understanding and playing music. 

What is your aim as a teacher?

As a teacher I always aim to motivate students through the joy of playing music. This way we can encounter difficulties from a playful perspective and are more likely to grow then to be defeated. For me music is all about playing and creating beauty in a fulfilling way. I adapt to the students whilst still suggesting certain paths and guidelines to let them assemble their musical tools and use them freely in their own creations.

Why Artpeggios?

Artpeggios provides brilliant facilities (pianos/recording studio a.o.) which contribute greatly to quality teaching. Working with this institution is a real pleasure particularly because I can use all the resources and concentrate on what I’m good at which is teaching. I do not have to run from one students home to another, reschedule appointments or face difficult teaching situations at different places and can work with each student using great equipment.

Why in London? Other activities you may have?

London is so to say the music capital of Europe if not even the world, having lived and worked in many other cities such as Paris or Vienna and being on tour regularly I deeply enjoy the vibrant live music scene here. Being a huge international hub, London brings musicians from all over the world keen on creating new sound, sharing new ideas and ultimately launching new projects. The connections to the international market are omnipresent and the opportunities seem endless.

Do you perform in London, or anywhere else?

Having established within a certain Jazz circuit I regularly play all sorts of sessions throughout London, I also play with my own projects in London, around the UK and Europe especially during the festival season. Currently I work a lot as a session musician recording in different studios and playing with a lot different repertoires but am constantly pushing my own projects forward, have a look at my homepage if you want to get more detailed information.

Your favorite artists:

The list of my favourite artist is almost endless and I keep bumping into new things a long the way, some of my alltime favourites are Quincy Jones, evidently Miles Davis (particularly the recordings Agartha and Pangea) of course Charlie Parker, Kenny Garrett, David Sanborn and Art Pepper, but also John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, Alber Ayler and in a different genre definitely one of my heroes Prince, Leonard Cohen, Georg Kreisler, Ricky Lee Jones, elektro guzzi, Karlheinz Stockhausen. John Cage, Benjamin Britten (especially the war Requiem), Terry Riley…  The latest mindblowing concert I heard was the Sun Ra Arkestra at Café Oto incredibly diverse, vivid and contemporary or Prince which was so far away from the usual boring pop product you get and entirely filled with joy and live arrangements. Other Artist I deeply enjoy are Joseph Beuys, Paul Klee, Max Richter, Jan Fabre (also his dance pieces), P.G.Wodehouse and that’s about it for today but might change tomorrow….

Emilie Perraudeau – Drama teacher

Vision of your relation with Artpeggios as a teacher:

Working for Artpeggios is a real pleasure, It brings Drama Class in West London. And It’s great to do class in the Bahvan Theatre.

How do you see your teaching methods evolving and the way you pass on to your students your knowledge?

As director and performer, it was important to me to share my skills and experiences. It’s so great when I see the students create their on show. We work on different material as the mime, impro, novels , plays or also film scenes.  For me it’s important to find our own way to tell a story. I love share my passion about drama and art.

What is your aim as a teacher?

My main objective is for the students to have fun! And later on to enjoy the artistic creation and how we can express emotions through text and characters.  The important word in drama is “sharing”.

Why Artpeggios?

I have had chance to be asked to work for Artpeggios. I think it’s great for the french community to have this king of cultural center where everyone could do an artistic activity.

Why in London? Other activities you may have?

I came to work in London 5 years ago. I have created my own production company “The Art FabriC” and I am working as freelance stage director and drama teacher. I am also part of the French British Improvisation (FBI) as director and performer. I am also a writer (plays, short stories and comics books).

Do you perform in London, or anywhere else?

I do sometimes work in Paris or in France with the FBI but I am based in London.

Your favorite artists:

I have so many… Probably Miranda Hart for her british humor, and Jean Luc Lagarce for his plays.

 

Cassandra Mathews – Guitar teacher

I work part time for Artpeggios and enjoy my role within the school in teaching individual lessons in a variety of styles.  Before coming to Artpeggios I had mainly taught classical guitar, but working here has enabled me to explore other approaches to teaching guitar.  This has been through teaching my students to play songs that they are familiar with, such as those in the charts and teaching enjoyment of the instrument in this way.

My ultimate aim as a teacher is to promote enjoyment of making music and to develop innate musical capabilities in my students.  Artpeggios is a great place to teach because it offers me the chance to teach from a fixed location so that I am not forced to travel all over London, as well as the fact that their facilities are fantastic and very well organised.  Obviously, it helps to be in the great location of central London as there are so many opportunities to perform both for myself and my students.

As well as teaching, I am a fully functional performer and often perform in venues and churches around London either solo or with violinist Sean Riley.

My favourite artists are an eclectic mix that ranges from Marcin Dylla (classical guitarist), Deftones (alternative rock) to London Elektricity (drum and bass)…if it is of high quality musicianship, I’ll enjoy it!

 

Alessandro Riccardi – Drum teacher

Vision of your relation with Artpeggios as a teacher:

I see myself as a qualified drum teacher with a lot of students organizing masterclass, rhythm courses with a bass player and a guitar player and group lessons like clinics.

How do you see your teaching methods evolving and the way you pass on to your students your knowledge?

From when I started I changed the method a lot, every student is unique and I cannot follow an academic approach with everybody.

What is your aim as a teacher?

My aim as a teacher is to inspire the student as a role model and have a lot of fun with them while they grow up as a musicians.

Why Artpeggios?

Artpeggios is a great school brand new, shiny, clean, with a lot of class a lot of teacher and a lot of activity to do, plus is in a very nice area!

Why in London? Other activities you may have?

I came to London 2 years ago to follow my dream to become an established musician, I teach and play drums as much as I can, I try to keep myself busy playing and meeting other people.

Do you perform in London, or anywhere else?

I perform in London regularly in small and big venue, but also outside London in small theaters and pubs.

Your favorite artists:

They change from time to time really, I remember growing up listening to Metallica but also to Sting, Police, John Mayer, Frank Zappa, Eric Clapton and many others.

 

Cristina Rubio – Singer

Vision of your relation with Artpeggios as a teacher:

From the very first day I had a very good feeling about Artpeggios. The very professional staff and superb facilities they have allows us teachers to just focus on passing on the knowledge to our students, knowing that we can use the best resources available, like recording or using microphones/keyboards so that the student can get a real understanding of how to sing and use the sound equipment in a professional way from the beginning.

How do you see your teaching methods evolving and the way you pass on to your students your knowledge?

Working at Artpeggios is challenging in one way or another every day. I encounter new students regularly, of different ages, levels and styles, so I tailor every lesson for each individual to develop his own sound, recognise what aspects of their singing might need more focus and give them plenty of tools to work on it. It’s really fulfilling to see how everybody is improving so much already!

What is your aim as a teacher?

The most important thing for me is that the student understands his/her instrument: how to breathe properly, to take care of their voices and to develop a good intonation amongst others.

As singers, we don’t have any “buttons” to press or keys to play when we want to sing a note, so I focus on aural training as well as singing technique to help my students develop their ears as well as their voices.

Why Artpeggios?

Artpeggios has a really friendly and understanding environment, which is the first reason why every teacher is happy to work here! I also love the fact that all the students in the school are very musical, so it’s a pleasure to teach people that really want to learn.

Why in London? Other activities you may have?

London is just one of the most vibrant cities to work in! As a musician, you get inspired by so many artists, and the work opportunities expand to all Europe too when a project is succesful. I will definitely be here for the foreseable future as long as I can keep doing music full-time.

As well as teaching at Artpeggios, I lead Pop/Soul and advanced Jazz Singing workshops at The Institute, and adult-learning university in East Finchley. Random facts: I’m also training to run my first half-marathon next year!

Do you perform in London, or anywhere else?

I perform regularly in London and UK mainly, although I get to perform around Europe with some other projects too. Last year I toured Brazil with my band for two months and next Spring I will also be in New York for a few days, working on my debut album, which will come out in 2014.

Your favorite artists:

I love all kinds of music really! The singers that probably have most influenced me are Eva Cassidy, Erykah Badu, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin… Any soulful artist that really means what he/she sings, I can never get enough of those!

Jovana Backovic – Composer, Pianist, Singer

Jovana Backovic is a composer, pianist and singer with main interest in work, electroacoustic music and music improvisation mediated by technology. Her music history features two studio releases with electronic/folk duo ArHai with whom she regularly performs in Uk and Europe ( including Balkans ) as well as several scores for feature and documentary movies. ArHai has been generously supported with Arts Council Grants For the Arts.

Jovana’s current research lies within the field of electro-acoustic music and live improvisational performance – exploring and mapping the process of the creation and development of individual music identity through improvisation and the use of technology, which is the main subject of her PhD thesis.

Vision of your relation with Artpeggios as a teacher:

I see myself as musically open-minded individual, and I believe in combining different approaches to teaching – since every pupil is different,  it is important not only to balance the expectations and ability, but also to adjust to every student and help them to find their own way to musical expression.

How do you see your teaching methods evolving and the way you pass on to your student your knowledge?

Firstly,I try to approach every student as a new experience and a new challenge, but the aim is always the same: to deliver an engaging and exciting lesson which will inspire them to practice and work themselves. This involves constant learning of new music, new approaches, but the crucial factor is being excited and engaged with the particular music myself while teaching.  Secondly, it is important to follow and respect student’s taste in music as well as initiating him/her in music that they haven’t been exposed to, therefore hopefully opening new musical horizons.

What is your aim as a teacher?

To develop inherited musicality in each student and help them approach the musicianship as exciting and worth while in a long run.

Why Artpeggios?

Artpeggios is the institution that combines supportive environment with all the musical and latest technological tools to help an enthusiastic teacher to do his work with maximum efficiency.

Why in London? Other activities you may have?

If a person is an ambitious musician, London is the city to live in. Aside from teaching, I’m currently focusing on finishing PhD thesis in music composition and working on my own compositions that will be premiered in the 2014/2015 music season.

Do you perform in London or anywhere else?

In London mostly, then on the Balkans and Europe.

Your favorite artists:

 listen to artists/bands that belong to many different genres, so the list is long.

My favourite composers are mostly people writing scores for films, some of them are: Basil Poledouris, Michael Nyman, Myshael Danna.

Favourite atists/bands vary from different music eras and genres, some of them:  Tool ( metal ), Japan ( pop/electronica ) Dzihan & Kamien ( electronica/dub ) Meshell Ndegeocello ( funk/soul ), Peter Murphy ( alt-rock/glam rock, nu-jazz ) Trilok Gurtu ( world music/ethnic jazz ) and veterans like U2 and my favourite funk/soul/jazz artist Prince!

Alexandra Petropoulos – Journalist, Musician, Ethnomusicologist

How do you see your teaching methods evolving and the way you pass on to your students your knowledge?

I approach every student as an individual. What works for one doesn’t always help another learn. So my teaching methods are constantly evolving and developing to help my students make the most of their lessons. I’ve been known to include from games, theatrics and even Legos in my lessons, as Iong as it helps my students progress!

What is your aim as a teacher?

Music matters. And learning it leads to a greater appreciation of our world well beyond the realm of clefs and scales. Through teaching, I hope to help beginning and intermediate students hone that appreciation and build a solid foundation in flute technique, interpretation, repertoire, and theory.

Why Artpeggios?

Artpeggios is a top-quality school, with great facilities and amazing staff who are so encouraging to their students. I’ve never seen an unhappy student within those walls!

Why in London? Other activities you may have?

London is a wonderful city where you can hear any kind of music you like – even the more obscure instruments like Japanese shakuhachi (bamboo flute)!

Do you perform in London or anywhere else?

Occasionally perform with various groups in London and have participated on both recordings and film soundtracks.

Your favorite artists:

Emmanuel Pahud, Jean-Pierre Rampal and Ian Clarke.