• Musicianship and Leadership Program
  
  
• Musicianship and Leadership Program - Europe
  
  
• Musicianship Program
  
  
• Graduate Program
  
  
• Staff

Music for People offers a variety of programs providing advanced training in music improvisation and workshop facilitation skills. Each of our programs emphasizes a unique aspect of musical development, with individualized attention to each student's needs throughout the year. Our programs are woven together within the framework of our yearly calendar of workshops open to the public, with weekend classes in October/November, early February, early May and late June, as well as week-long events in the summer.

Musicianship and Leadership Program (MLP)

The MLP is a four-year program that places equal emphasis on musicianship development in improvisation and workshop facilitation in small and large groups. The first years of the program teach comfort and confidence in improvisational music in solo and group settings, within an increasing variety of musical styles from around the world and throughout history. All styles are welcomed. People from the classical music tradition have found this program especially useful in making the connection between deep personal feeling and its expression in music. Yet since the form of music making we teach is exclusively improvisational, no prior formal musical training is necessary to begin the program. Some of our most successful candidates do not read and write music fluently, while others have extensive formal schooling.

Throughout the training, candidates are exposed to up to date techniques for sound recording, to better capture their musical development and create keepsake CDs and tapes of solo and ensemble playing. Many of the large group workshop sessions are recorded and available for home study, and each weekend includes a recorded "open mike" session of improvised solos and ensembles.

After the candidates establish a base of improvisational techniques and competencies on voice, drums, piano, and any instrument of their choosing, they begin classes designed to shape their own unique style of leading workshops. These classes include observing the leading styles of more experienced teachers and peers, and observing the process of giving coaching and feedback in a way that builds confidence and self-worth. The Music for People philosophy is fundamentally humanistic, that all people are inherently musical; candidates within the program are trained in how to emphasize strengths in the people they coach, and give truthful, accurate feedback in supportive language.

The first two levels of the MLP and Musicianship Program (MP-below) are identical. These levels build improvisational techniques across a broad spectrum of musical styles. Candidates are paired throughout these levels with a more experienced peer mentor, with whom they exchange recordings between workshops for feedback on their progress.

In the third year of the training, MLP candidates take on the responsibility of Mentoring entering candidates throughout the year. They also become featured leaders of small breakout groups during each weekend class, where they are observed by more experienced teachers and staff. As the Mentors receive sensitive and caring feedback about their own development as facilitators, they become better equipped to give similar feedback to the candidates under their tutelage. Mentors also teach breakout classes during the week-long summer workshops.

In the fourth year of the program, the class emphasis turns to practical ways of using Music for People group leading techniques in the world. Candidates conduct their own workshops in settings of their choosing, and bring selected video samples of their teaching for peer and staff feedback. They compare publicity materials, and trade information on successful marketing approaches to bring their gifts to the world in ways that can sustain their love of music.

When the program requirements have been met at each level, candidates become Certified Music for People teachers, and are eligible for work referrals. Graduates are hired back at every workshop to lead large groups and offer small elective classes in their areas of specialty.

Due to the intensive and personal nature of the feedback given at each level of the program, MLP/MP candidates are required to attend all four weekend workshops in the series each year.

Musicianship Program (MP)

The Musicianship Program was designed for people who wished to focus exclusively on musical skill development in improvisation, without regard to becoming a workshop facilitator. The first two levels of the MLP and MP are identical. These levels build improvisational techniques across a broad spectrum of musical styles. Candidates are paired throughout these levels with a more experienced peer mentor, with whom they exchange recordings between workshops for feedback on their progress.

As candidates move on to the later years of the program, an increasing proportion of their workshop time is spent in small group settings, intensively focusing on solo and ensemble improvisation, with immediate staff feedback. Candidates have time in the organization's portable digital recording studio, and have available instruction in recording techniques. Some candidates use the process to further their compositional goals, and mine the process of improvisation for gems to use in finished pieces. Other candidates maintain a more pure emphasis on in-the-moment improvisation. Both goals are equally respected. In the time between workshops, candidates are urged to video their process, and bring selected samples for peer and staff feedback. While it is not a program requirement, many candidates have used the Musicianship Program structure to guide the production of their own recordings.

Graduate Program

Once candidates have completed the MLP, they have much to offer the Music for People community, and each other. Graduates attend MfP workshops at a reduced fee. At each workshop and MfP graduate leads refresher classes in styles of improvisation, techniques of group facilitation, working with voice, percussion, and other instrument groups, aspects of leading groups of different ages, etc. Graduates are sometimes invited to lead parts of the weekend workshops, or offer elective classes open to the whole community.

Staff

Each year, a committee of seasoned teachers and musicians oversee all aspects of curriculum, production, and scheduling of the program. The current members of the MLP Committee are:

David Darling is Artistic Director and co-founder of Music for People. David is the primary source of inspiration for this work. An internationally acclaimed recording and concert artist, David is the main teacher for the workshops, and shares his knowledge and experience in large and small groups throughout each weekend. Recently David has worked with Peter Kater, Patrick Leonard, Coleman Barks, the Bunon tribe of Taiwan, Hearts of Space, Wind Over The Earth, The Relaxation Company and numerous musicians in his home studio. He recently created Blue Adagio Music where he produces CDs for other artists. David continues to travel the world extensively teaching, playing and encouraging self expression through music. His 2001 CD Release "Cello Blue" was nominated for a Grammy in the "Best New Age Album" category.

Julie Weber is the current Chairperson of the Musicianship and Leadership Program for Music for People. Her deep love of and curiosity about sound continues to lead her into various paths in a life centered on music and the arts. She is a seasoned public school music educator and children's choral director of 32 years and also spent 7 years teaching vintage Moog Electronic Music Studio at the graduate level. For a number of years she was involved in the Avant-Garde Music Scene composing electronic music, creating multimedia performance pieces and unique concert experiences, and composing for modern theater and dance. Julie is a pianist, composer, electronic musician and innovative educator. She is currently involved in composing, performing, recording, giving private sessions and facilitating workshops. These workshops in community building, personal growth, going deeper into one's musicianship, and expressing one's musical self through improvisation, integrate the philosophies of Music for People with her own. She believes that providing a supportive environment for these process-centered creative experiences bring us to the center of our beings where we can experience immense joy and where we can do some of our best learning as human travelers. Her newest passion is learning to play the cello.

Mary Knysh is a professional musician, multi instrumentalist, recording artist, innovative workshop facilitator and educator. She is a Certified MLP Graduate and has served on the MLP staff for over ten years both in the US and in Switzerland. Mary is a certified Orff Schulwerk clinician and has presented at Orff conferences throughout the United States, Europe and Australia. She is an artist on the Pennsylvania Council of the Arts roster, Young Audiences of New Jersey, New York BOCES. Mary travels throughout the United States and Europe offering performances, workshops, corporate events and artist in residencies. Mary is the author of a new book, "BoomDoPA" that serves as a guidebook for facilitating ethnic influenced music improvisations activities with groups of any age and experience. Over the past twenty years Mary has worked with a wide range of communities including corporate, health care, and educational. Mary can be reached at mkemusic@verizon.net and her website is www.rhythmicconnections.com.

Jim Oshinsky, Ph.D., was the first honorary graduate of Music for People's training program, based on his work shaping the Leadership aspects of the program and documenting the history of Music for People in his writings. Jim met David through his work with Susan Osborn and Paul Winter in the 1980's, hosting improvisation and healing retreats. Over the years, Jim has helped compile and author much of the curriculum materials for the MLP, including Return to Child, Music for People's guide to improvisation and group leading. He continues to serve the program as consultant, and teaches classes in guitar, voice, and the dynamics of group leading. He is a psychologist, poet, songwriter and guitarist.

Eric Miller, Ph.D is a psychotherapist, consultant, published author, certified biofeedback therapist and board-certified music therapist. Eric is actively involved with Music for People and has served as Executive Director since 1997. Eric is credited with development of the MfP Europe program, the community service initiative, on-site digital recording and CD operations, and much behind the scenes effort. He is also president of Expressive Therapy Concepts, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing the healing power of the arts to our communities. Eric also directs the Biofeedback Network, and serves as adjunct faculty in Music Therapy at various Universities and Institutes. In his spare time, Eric chairs the Pennsylvania Badminton Association. He has reached the finals in the PA State Badminton Championships, has been nationally ranked in the United States, and coaches the Bryn Mawr College varsity Badminton team. He may be reached at Eric@Musicforpeople.org.

Lynn Miller is the coordinator for the Music for People Musicianship Program, the Graduate Program, and is on staff for the MLP International Program in Switzerland. She facilitates the vocal track for the Art of Improvisation. Lynn is a music therapist who specializes in therapeutic voice work. Musically she has a background in jazz, folk and world music. Lynn is a vocalist, guitarist, dancer and visual artist with a passion for improvisation. Lynn is the co-founder of Expressive Therapy Concepts, a non-profit organization with the mission of bringing the healing power of the arts to the community and is a past adjunct faculty member in Music Therapy at Immaculata University. Home and abroad, she builds community through community arts programs such as: singing workshops, coordinates community-built murals and arts parks, facilitates Giant Puppet builds and parades and creates rituals for communities through the arts.

"Never play a thing the same way twice."
-- Louis Armstrong