Community Event: Teaching Music - as part of musicians' creative practice

We would like to discuss music teaching as an interesting, enriching and inspiring part of a musicians' creative practice. Many musicians have to teach music as part of their overall portfolio, as it is a way to make an income with music. For many it is a necessary thing, and they would rather spend the teaching time on making their own music if they had the means. How can teaching be a productive and exciting part of a musician's creative practice?

We would like to discuss with passionate music teachers about their experiences of sharing musical skills and creativity with others. How have they started out and learned teaching? What are their best practices? What do they enjoy and what do they struggle with? What do they recommend to artists who are interested in teaching on how to get started? How much teaching is a good balance with one's own practice? What are different models – working with kids, with adults, with groups, with individuals .. and what are differences in approaches?

In the networking part of the evening, musicians can meet people offering training on music teaching or opportunities to teach, and take a first step to get started.

The evening is meant for both musicians who already teach as an exchange of experiences, and also musicians who are interested in teaching and consider starting to teach as part of their portfolio.

We look forward to a conversation with:

Drob Dynamic is a rapper, rap coach, social worker and the founder of the BERLIN HIPHOP AKADEMIE. He was born in Berlin Kreuzberg and he will share his experiences with us about his work in the hiphop culture. His main focus is working with young people / newcomers.

Sara Neidorf (she/they, b. 1990, Philadelphia) is a Berlin-based drummer and film curator. She drums in the genre-expansive, heavy bands Mellowdeath, Aptera, Graien, Mad Kate | The Tide and in the dual-continent duo Sarattma. As a session musician, she's recorded and toured internationally with such artists as The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Tau, and Sometimes With Others, and has also drummed for theater and dance productions at the Volksbühne, Berliner Ensemble, Sophiensaele, Radialsystem, and at festivals such as Berlin Atonal, Tanztage, 3hd, and Grauzone. As an instructor, Neidorf has focussed their teaching efforts on women, queer, and non-binary students and has formerly taught at organizations as varied as BIMM University Berlin and Girls Rock Philly. When not drumming, she co-directs the feminist horror festival, Final Girls Berlin Film Fest.

Ophelie Kauffmann is a DJ, music producer, and project manager at Open Music Lab. With experience in events, artist management, and many different parts of the music industry, she's interested in ways to support upcoming artists outside the mainstream, in the hope to build a more equitable music scene.

Robert York is a Berlin based, British born guitarist, composer and educator holding a BA from LCoM and a MMUS from HfM Weimar. He has 15 years of teaching experience at nearly all levels, covering not only guitar but improvisation, composition, ensemble studies and theory. He also maintains an active performing career as a sideman and leader in various projects.

Lisa Baeyens has never been able to decide between making music and teaching music. She finally tried to combine the two and completed a degree in "Music and Dance Pedagogy / Rhythmics" at the UdK Berlin and a master's degree in "Improvisation" with flute at the HfMT Leipzig. She currently plays in various bands and ensembles with Albertine Sarges, among others, and teaches flute, parent-child groups, drumming and music and dance for children at the Spandau Music School. She also heads the "Inclusion and Music Therapy" department there. She works as a lecturer at various further education academies such as the Landesmusikakademie and the Universität der Künste to teach people how to teach.

DJ before and after the conversation:
Sid Talukdar: is a Berlin-based DJ who has residencies with Cashmere and Mutant Radio and has contributed guest mixes on NTS Radio. Much like his extensive collection of vinyl, his selection is widespread and focuses on unearthing rare gems from the Global South.

At the networking table, after the conversation, you can meet: Annegret Rehse of musicpaed (a course on music teaching for musicians), Jeremy Woodruff of Berlin School of Sound who has also contributed to the curation of the conversation, Matthias Jung of Landesmusikakademie Berlin, Marcus Wish Musikschule Tomatenklang, Tony of Open Music School and Ben of Open Music Lab and possibly more. 

Get your free ticket here.