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Ed Klorman, Artist-in-Residence Ed Klorman, a BHS graduate in the class of 2000, is currently a music student of viola performance at the Juilliard School in New York City. In May of 2002, Ed returned to the Brighton schools as an artist-in-residence, sharing his passion for music with the students in every building. His visit to the district was coordinated by Cheryl Guth and Claire Haines, each of whom taught Ed during his years as a Brighton student. This grant was funded by a special gift from Robert Gianniny.
Over the course of his three week visit, Ed did it all!
Click here for a complete listing of Ed's in-residence activities.
After introducing Ed to dozens of classes, Claire Haines wrote: It has been a pleasure to watch Ed instill the joy of listening to J. S. Bach and Paul Hindemith to our first and second graders. He is a natural teacher. His well thought out lesson plan captured the interest of every child. The children were very proud of their newly acquired ability to count and feel mixed meter. When Ed played the Hindemith so very fast, the children were truly inspired. I enjoyed seeing a former student bring his gifted playing back to Brighton to benefit over two hundred six and seven year olds.
The timing was perfect -- the eve of the performance by a number of BHS string ensembles -- and the audience was very attentive. They asked excellent questions about Ed's experience as a music school student, as well as questions about the music itself. Cheryl Guth reports:
I think that this experience has been a very positive one for all the students that Ed was involved with and for Ed as well. It must make a big impact for the students to see and hear someone who graduated from this district -- and not very long ago. They probably relate better to him because he is so close to their age. It is a special treat to have Ed work through the music program here, then come back to share what he's learned with our students. Cheryl was right in thinking that Ed enjoyed the experience almost as much as Brighton's students did. Click here to read Ed's own report on his residency, published in the Juilliard Journal. It was a privilege for BEF to enable this piece of work, and we owe a special thanks to Robert Gianniny for his decision to fund it.
story and photos by Jim Kane
June 10, 2002  Brighton Education Fund 
c/o Brighton Schools, 2035 Monroe Avenue, Rochester, New York 14618(585) 461-0434 |
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Ed began violin lessons at age five, studying with Linda Orgar (who now teaches at French Road Elementary School). He summarily quit when Mrs. Orgar wouldn't let him tune the instrument himself! But neither Ed nor Linda gave up, and he started lessons again at age seven. As a teenager Ed switched to viola, and early in high school he began to think of his music studies in a more serious way; at that point, his progress accelerated dramatically. Studying with Melissa Micciche and Elizabeth Seka, both violists with the RPO, and four years with the Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra helped ready him for Juilliard. Just two years after his high school graduation, Ed already boasts a very impressive resume. It's easy to see why Cheryl Guth and Claire Haines were anxious to have him back in their classrooms!
Pictured here with second-graders at Council Rock, Ed was excited to discover that he enjoyed the teaching as much as his students did! Ed developed a lesson plan based on an approach employed at the Lincoln Center Institute in New York City. This approach avoids merely talking about great works or art, but instead aims to develop creative and participatory activities to allow students to experience the works more deeply. Ed led an exercise in counting the beats in two very different kinds of music, which he then demonstrated through his playing.
At BHS, Ed performed a mini-recital for the students in the String Orchestra. The program included both solo pieces, pieces on which Ed was accompanied by Linda Shapiro at the piano, and duets with BHS senior Abby Holub on the violin. 
The High School students were very impressed with Ed's musicianship and found his comments about the music enlightening. One student summed up the reaction when he wrote "Ed's recital has been a real inspiration to me and I think many others."