Morganne and Artists By Any Other Name presented Debussy’s La boîte à joujoux (The Toybox) through music, dance, and narration in a concert for the Diller-Quaile community.

Artists By Any Other Name (cofounded by Morganne Aaberg and Harmonnia Junus in 2014) is a multidisciplinary collective that aims to create artistic experiences that drive the imagination forward while invigorating the spirit. ABAON performed Debussy’s La boîte à joujoux for the Diller-Quaile community and friends of the School. The production included piano quintet, dance, and narration. Morganne and Harmonnia inspired students by showing them first-hand how artists work with their friends, share art with their community, and follow their imaginations.

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Ian Bentley attended the Summer Vocology Institute at the University of Utah in Summer 2017

The Summer Vocology Institute (SVI) at the University of Utah is an intensive program led by world-renowned voice scientist Dr. Ingo Titze to learn “vocology” – the study and practice of voice health and habilitation. The program combined music, speech science, vocal pedagogy, health, and theater training and gave real world experience in applying these concepts to both performance and health settings. Having already completed the first block of the program, Principles of Voice Production, Ian then completed blocks 2 and 3 in 2017. In Block 2, Instrumentation for Voice Analysis and Voice Habilitation, he studied the scientific instrumentation used in voice clinics to assess vocal health. Block 3, Voice for Performers, focused on different kinesthetic techniques for the singing voice. After completing the program, Ian earned a “Certificate of Vocology” from the University of Utah.

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Miranda Sielaff studied with Manhattan School of Music Professor Karen Ritscher
Miranda took four individual viola lessons with Manhattan School of Music professor Karen Ritscher. As a former student of Ms. Ritscher during Miranda’s undergraduate years, Miranda felt poised to benefit from her unique teachings at this point in her career when she has 15 years of experience as a performer and teacher. Miranda wanted to continue to develop her own viola playing, and saw a great potential for the impact of these lessons on her own teaching. Ms. Ritscher is the kind of teacher Miranda aspires to be. She models the resilience needed to maintain a growth mindset throughout one’s career, and she supports each student’s individual path by encouraging, enlightening, and developing their awareness.

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Samantha Spiridellis attended the Kodaly Summer Institute 2017 – A Week in Hungary
During July 2017 in Kecskemét, Hungary, Samantha gathered with participants from around the world to celebrate, sing, and study global folk music at the Kodály Institute of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music. Through NYU, students joined the 30th International Kodály Seminar and Kodály Art Festival to study the method and philosophy of Zoltán Kodály in the homeland of its origin. Students participated in daily choir and solfège class, while selecting from various workshops to deepen the application of the Kodály method. Early childhood pedagogy, traditional music research, choral music, and conducting were a few of the electives offered.

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Eri Yamamoto studied West African Drumming at the Wula Drum Center in Brooklyn to bring fresh, new rhythmic ideas to her piano accompaniment of Diller-Quaile classes. Eri studied with Abdouleaye Toure, an expert in Guinean music, who taught her many traditional West African rhythms using various drums.

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