Shulamit Kleinerman / 206 550 2565 /

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Teaching

I offer workshops throughout the year in historical arts for school-aged children. (Read some responses from past classes!) In addition to my own week-long and Saturday-series workshops, held mostly at the Phinney Neighborhood Center, I also offer more condensed classroom visits for schools. Both these types of programs are available for homeschool groups.

New in 2008-09 and growing: early music ensemble classes for kids and teens!

I also teach private lessons in modern violin and early music for children and adults.

Historical Arts Workshops

See the calendar for this year’s offerings!

I started offering hands-on historical arts workshops for school-age children in 2005. The sensory richness of the crafts, skills, and performing arts of past eras – from dancing to cooking, fencing to calligraphy – seems to speak naturally to children.

Each class includes visits from special guests to introduce particular arts such as early dance, music, fencing, textiles, and puppetry. One of my central aims for the classes is to let children meet adults who devote their lives to the arts. I often schedule classes around particular local performances and bring some of the artists in as guests, so that kids and their families can attend the show with a sense of familiarity.

My teaching approach in these classes owes a lot to the wonderful five years I spent as an assistant preschool teacher. I found that even very young children are not only receptive to sophisticated artistic material, but eager to try their own hands at skills that, in earlier eras, children would indeed have begun to learn when still quite small. Children also seem hungry for stories and songs from past times – especially now that oral culture forms less and less of the modern heritage.

My time at the preschool also convinced me of the benefits of age-mixing. Many of my classes invite a wide age-range and allow the kids to engage with the activities according to their own inclinations, with a sense of individual purpose. I keep the classes small so that we can enjoy a relaxed, flexible, and rewarding time together.

 

For more information about my approach with these classes, see an interview from April 2006 which was printed in the Puget Sound folk music paper Victory Music Review.

The calendar includes information about this year’s offerings. Keep checking for new classes as I add them!

School Visits

Below are some sample programs that can be tailored to the curriculum and age for a particular classroom. If you don't see what you're looking for, I can often create a new program to fit your theme. I can usually offer supplementary classroom materials and reading lists. The cost is often half subsidized by the Early Music Guild of Seattle. Please contact me with questions or for information about fees.

Space and Time in Renaissance Arts (grades 6-9)

In the Renaissance, educated people believed that the physical world operated according to the “harmony of the spheres.“ Scientific concepts of order were expressed and celebrated in the artistic skills that a person of culture was expected to possess. I bring along a historical sword specialist from the Accademia della Spada to let students experience and analyze the mapping of space and the measuring of time through music, dance, and fencing.

Medieval Music and Legend (elementary grades)

Enter the Medieval imagination through sound. Students hear stories, poetry in Middle English, songs, and instrumental music on the vielle and other instruments. We’ll sing a round and try some expressions in Middle English. Note: This can also be offered with a focus on three cultures of medieval Spain, with music from the Muslim, Christian and Jewish traditions.

Renaissance Culture (elementary grades)

Learn how to comport yourself in courtly society (you’ll need to be able to dance a galliard!). Students will meet a renaissance musician, hear tunes and improvisations from the period on the violin, viola da gamba, and pipe and tabor, and heft an Elizabethan sword.

Fiddle and Dance in Early America (elementary grades)

How did Americans amuse themselves in the centuries before movies? Students will hear fiddle tunes and stories from Colonial and/or Revolutionary days, and learn a country dance – the same pastimes that survived through the days of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Pa and his violin.

Thank you for coming!  I thought your ‘Pumpkin Pants’ story was hilarious and I thought the fencing and rapiers were really cool!

My favorite was the dancing!  Left, right, left, right, jump!

Fifth graders, The Little School, Bellevue

Just seeing the children's faces when they walked in the room and saw your costumes was exciting. You did a terrific job on so many different levels. We are so lucky to have you as a resource.

PTA Parent, Cherry Crest Elementary, Bellevue

I taught the dance to my family. They loved it!

Fifth grader, Cherry Crest Elementary, Bellevue

Homeschool Groups

Both the workshops and the school programs are available for homeschool groups in Puget Sound, and can be tailored to particular interests and time frames.  Contact me and we can create a program to suit your interests!

Early Music Ensemble Classes

See the calendar for the current schedule!

(I've just added this space in 11/08; check back soon as I fill it in, or email me to learn more.)

Shula, I was so impressed with your work with the kids last week and completely enchanted by the musical results. It was as laid-back and magical an ensemble experience as I can imagine. This is an amazing opportunity and you create such a nice atmosphere for the kids.

Parent of a nine-year-old lute student

My daughter likes your class so much that she says it seems like a month between classes. I had to get out the calendar to show her that we really are going every week! She came home crying about the viol after trying it in your class. Not because she was sad, but because she loved it so darn much and wanted to play it more!

Parent of an eight-year-old piano student

I am so happy that my son will continue with your class. Hats off to you for keeping 3 teenage boys engaged with early music!!!!!

Parent of a teenaged cello student

Violin Lessons

I’ve been teaching violin since I was in high school myself.  In college I did some invaluable training through the Suzuki Association of the Americas, and ran my own small studio in the Bay Area.  These days, as my own musical explorations have taken me into less mainstream areas, my approach varies a lot more so that I can respond to the interests of the students, helping them discover what style and repertoire is most comfortable and exciting for them.

For detailed information, from philosophy to fees, visit my teaching profile on LearningMusician.com.

I just love the way you teach. You are an ideal teacher in so many ways -- patient, soft-spoken, humble, and very musical! I don't get nervous as I do with other teachers.

Adult student

Instead of asking my two sons to duplicate her own musical ideas, Shula has them experiment with sound, improvise, try different approaches and generally play with the harmonies and melodic lines. At the same time she is giving them a real sense of the historic period and how and why music developed in the particular way it did. Her knowledge shines through to the kids, making learning truly interesting.

Parent of teenagers

My daughter is liking violin and I love the way you place the responsibility/ownership of the learning on her.

Parent of a nine-year-old

Shula -- coming from Bellevue is worth it!

Parent of a seven-year-old

© 2006-2009 Shulamit Kleinerman. All Rights Reserved.