Piscioneri
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FinalDraft/Issue1
[LIFESTYLE]
LeePiscioneri:MusicistheFoodofLoveandEducation
By
NICHOLASKIM
Travelingaroundtheworld,LeePiscionerihasspreadhisloveofmusic(courtesySeoul
InternationalSchoolwebsite)
WhenShakespearesDukeOrsinoexclaimed,Ifmusicbethefoodoflove,playon!heseemed
tobewritingathesisforthelifeandcareerofLeePiscioneri,amandefinedbysong.Ashehas
traveledaroundtheworld,hehasalwaysreturnedtomusic.
Initiallyshy,inhighschoolMr.Piscionerimethisschoolschoirdirector,JohnMaggs,who
heardhimsingandrecognizedhisskill.Mr.Maggswouldntaccepthisstudentsreluctanceand
forcedhimtosingregularly.
Hewasthefirstpersonwhoenabledmetogetthevoiceout,Mr.Pisconeriremembered.
Afterthat,therewasnothingelseIwantedtodobuttolearntoplayaninstrumentsoIcould
singwithit.
Moreconfident,Mr.Piscionerileftschoolwithadesiretotravelaroundtheworld,singing
whereverandhoweverhecould.InspiredbyMr.Maggs,hedecidedthatteachingcouldcombine
hislifelongpassionformovementandhisnewfoundinterestinmotivatingstudentsashehad
beenmotivated.
Iamacitizenoftheworld,hesaid.IwasopentogoinganywhereImadeagoodconnection.
In1989,guitarinhand,heboardedaplanetoIstanbulforhisfirstjob:teachingEnglishto
Turkishschoolchildren.Atfirst,herelieduponthetextbooksprovidedbytheschool,butashe
continued,hefeltthattheTurkishadministratorsonlyvaluedgrammarinstruction,whichbored
thestudentsandleftthemdisconnectedfromthematerial.
Toenlivenhisstudents,Mr.Piscioneribegantakinghisguitarintoclasses,combiningtwo
passionshehadpreviouslythoughtseparate.
Iwouldusesongswhenwewereworkingoncertainkindsoftenses,hesaid.Whenwewere
learningtheconditionaltense,IbroughtinphraseslikeifIhadahammer,Iwould,tohelp
teach.Thekidslovedit.Theyhadneverseenanythinglikeit.
Yearslater,whenhemetaformerstudentinParis,hewasamazedthatshehadrememberedthe
songs,eventhosehehadforgotten.Herealizedthatmusicdidnotjusthavethepowertogive
pleasurebutcouldalsoinspirestudentsandaidininstruction.Fromthenon,hecontinuedto
travelandteach,butusedhisguitarmuchmoreofteninhislectures.
HelatermovedtoManila,wherehetaughtforfiveyearsandmetfellowteacher,JeanCandol
Piscioneri,whoalsoplayedguitarandsharedhismusicalpassion.Thetwo,findingacommon
bond,marriedafewyearslater.Mrs.Piscionerinoticedherhusbandsmusicwasintegraltohis
teaching.
Hemakesconnectionstothehistorypartofmusic,Mrs.Piscionerisaid.Hesingsinhisclass
whencertainlyricsarerelatedtotheissuestheyaretackling.
ThecoupleleftthePhilippinesandmovedtoKorea,takingteachingpositionsatSISwhereboth
havetaughtforthepastfouryears.Asthegradesevensocialstudiesteacher,Mr.Piscionerihas
againbroughthismusicintotheclassroom,makingstudentsseetheconnectionbetweenmusic
andcommunication.
Mr.Piscioneri[taughtus]thesignificanceofmusicinsendingtheappropriatemessagein
projectslikepublicserviceannouncementsandpodcastsinadvocatingforourcauses,said
ClaireKim(10).
Additionally,Mr.PiscioneriintroducedhisSchoolofRockelectivetotheSIScurriculum,built
aroundthesuggestionoforganizationsliketheChildrensMusicWorkshopthatstudentsbenefit
frommusicinstructionandthearts.
Youneedthearts,butalotofschoolsarecuttingtheirartsprograms,hesaid.Theydontsee
theprofitmargin.Thefactis,theprofitmargincomesfrompeoplecreatingworldsthatother
peoplewanttolivein.
Mr.Piscionerihasenjoyedcreatingsuchworldsinhisownmusic,andhashelpedothersto
createtheirown.Withhisguitarclasses,hehasnotonlytaughtbutalsoraisedstudents
confidencejustashismentorhad25yearsago.
Iamthankfulforthefactthatheshowedushispassion,saidChloeChung(9).Iwas
originallyscared,buthisencouragementlaidthefoundationformeandalotofotherstudentsto
exploreourcuriosities.
Ineveryclassheteaches,Mr.Piscionerireflectshisintimateconnectiontomusic,andhow
greatlyithasinfluencedhislife.Indeed,musicseemstoruninhisblood.Hisfatherwasan
expertharmonicaplayerandtaughtMr.Piscioneritoplayattheageof10.
Mr.Piscionerifollowshisfathersexample.Heteacheshisdaughter,AnnaPiscioneri(2),the
guitar,andhopesshewillbecomfortablewiththeinstrumentinafewyears.Towardtheendof
oneinterview,Annatuggedonhislegtograbhisattention.Mr.Piscionerismiled.
Iwanttoplayinabandwithher,hesaid.Shesverytalented.
Anna,facescrunchingupinterror,stronglyprotested.
No,Imnot!
Inhisshyearlyyears,Mr.Piscionerifeltthesameway.Now,however,withhispassionfor
adventure,travelandsong,hehascontinuedtosing,inonewayoranother,connectingstudents
withtheirstudiesandensuringthatthey,too,willhavethestrengthtokeepsinging.
MoreinformationregardingtheChildrensMusicWorkshopcanbefoundatthisaddress:
http://www.childrensmusicworkshop.com/advocacy/factsandstatistics/