262 Bergen St. #4F
Brooklyn NY 11217
USA
718-625-2562
347-451-9917 cell
Email:
Website:
http://www.leannedarling.com
Travels to: Most of the USA
Biography:
Leanne Darling, violist, was a featured performer and clinician at the 2003 ASTA Alternative Strings Conference in Columbus Ohio. She is an experienced performer in classical, jazz, blues, and Arabic styles — for six years as assistant principal violist of the Florida West Coast Symphony, currently as part of the Near East Music Ensemble (Arabic Music) under the direction of Simon Shaheen, member of Storahtelling, a Jewish ritual theater company, and as soloist and composer of her own electric viola repertoire. Trained as a classical violist with degrees from the Eastman School of Music and the Cleveland Institute of Music, Ms. Darling has studied Arabic Music with virtuoso oudist Simon Shaheen, and Jazz and Improvisation from Julie Lyonn Liebermann and David Darling (no relation). Ms. Darling has been teaching beginning through college level strings privately and in the classroom for 12 years. Presently she is working with Roberta Guaspari teaching string classes in Harlem, and leading workshops in string improvisation for all ages throughout New York City.Improv-strings
String students experience music beyond the written note with this dynamic workshop. Using a vocal/body warmup and many improvisational games, including musical "telephone" and "Simon sez," Leanne Darling shows how easy it is to start creating your own music. From there she delves directly into ensemble playing, showing how we can use improvisation to listen and share in our own musical expression. Skills covered include cueing and non-verbal communication, use of dynamics, and exploration of different rhythms, textures and timbres. Suitable for all ages and levels, running time 1 to 2 hours.
Contemporary Bowed Strings
Starts where Improv-strings left off, with a introduction in creating your own melodies and rhythms through improvisation. Different musical styles — blues, jazz, rock, latin, arabic — are then explored through their basic structures, chords/scales and rhythms. Each style will be introduced step by step, with all participants learning basic rhythmic accompaniments, followed by plenty of opportunities to solo over the group by using their new improv skills to explore the scales and phrases of each style. Suitable for intermediate players, ages 8 and up, running time 1 to 2 hours.
Introduction to Arabic Music
Bowed strings are an intregal part of Classical Arabic Music, a rich musical tradition based in the Levant region, from Lebanon to northern Egypt. This expressive, lyrical music brings together unique scales, vibrant rhythmic patterns, and colorful ornamentation. This workshop can take two forms:
1) A lecture demonstration where Leanne Darling guides a string class through the fundamentals of this music: the tonal system, the scales, ornamentation, rhythms and forms. Students will learn scales, improvisation techniques, and some basic repertoire. Suitable for intermediate players, 12 and up, running time 90 minutes to 2 hours.
2) Leanne and her ensemble will perform various pieces from the classical Arabic repertoire, demonstrate the instruments, talk about the rhythms and the scales, as well as the stories behind the music. The workshop will include audience participation, and musical games. No instruments required, suitable for all ages. Running time 30–60 minutes. Designed for school assemblies.