Mauro

I received my 10 Years Diploma Masters and Bachelor’s degree in Music and Violin from the State Conservatory of Music, Italy. I’ve recently completed my Advanced PG Diploma In. Education from Queen’s University, Belfast, UK, and I currently finished working on a Department of Education Course in Music Technology part of MA in Music Education at the University Of London- Institute Of Education. I followed also the 'regular' studies earning on 1977 my Secondary Diploma and on 1982 my 5 Years Diploma in Economics (both honours). My knowledge in the economic field gives me the possibility to deal, in easy way, with financial, accounting, found rising and budgeting issues, but also with organizational and administration ones.

Teaching and making music are the activities about which I have been most passionate throughout my life.
, I believe that students must be trusted in their capacities to be independent and creative, so enhancing their confidence in playing, singing as in composing and listening in a meta-linguistic and interdisciplinary way to intend the arts and, in general, all the disciplines. Also my leading experience as concertmaster and soloist in orchestra gave me the possibility to apprehend, practicing, different styles and genders. My huge violinist repertoire gives me the possibility to show students the way how to perform interpreting different musical forms and periods, in a Bandura's modelling/imitation process. This knowledge of soloist and orchestral repertoire gives me also the possibility to calibrate plan lessons in the way that students can learn in gradual and measured manner, acquiring methodology in the study. At first with accurate direct instructions and 'right' division of tasks (our brain works and learns in a complex modus operandi the composite kinaesthetic movements) to arrive to problem solving tasks and peer tutoring, so the students are challenged by the music, instrumental, choral or whatsoever but, in the meantime, they acquire confidence and technique. Also my experience as leading artistic and cultural manager, gave me the possibility to learn how deliver cultural and artistic events (at first for the 'new' generations) in the organizational/administrative side, where programing and planning, also in the slightest particular, are fundamental to deliver and nurture cultural and artistic grow. Dealing with projecting, production, promotion but also fund raising, sponsoring and public relation gave me the possibility of a completing understanding of world of music industry. My studies in music technology completed my formation as teacher and musician giving me the possibility to understand how correctly approach the 'technological planet' and the way how to use technology in music as intelligent compendium to enhance students' participation and creativity. I have been working also as music voluntary educator for several years, leading in team laboratory of music, cinema and creativity for unfortunate children and younger, in youth prisons, re-educational institutes or special homes and refugee camps. This 'loads' of work gives me the experience how to lead classroom or orchestra with challenging behaviour students or special needs ones. I completed my studies at the Queen's University earning, this year, the Advanced PG Diploma in Inclusive Education.

Tutoring Experience

The possibility to study in a Conservatory of Music, one of oldest in the World (S.Pietro a Majella saw, on the XVII and XVIII centuries, 'students' as Domenico and Alessandro Scarlatti, Gian Battista Pergolesi, Giovanni Paesiello, Domenico Cimarosa, Baldassarre Galuppi and most of forerunner of Neapolitan School) gave me the chance to study different area subjects, from strings and performing to analysis of score and composition, from theory of music to history of western music, from orchestra/ensemble music to world music and improvisation, from chorus/voice to piano. Since then, I have been working for several years in cross cultural settings (as musician or as teacher), in Europe, Asia and Africa, utilizing different frameworks and curricula (Australian, American, Italian, Russian, IGCSE, IB, MA in music and BA in music) and Instrumental methods and syllabus (Trinity, ABRSM but also Suzuki and Kodaly), collaborating with different Institutions (Conservatory, University, Academy, International and Bilingual Schools, Community and Boarding School).
In the last years, I had been working with different range of students. At the University I dealt with student aged 18-24 but at the Conservatory and Ecole de Musique R.Korsakov, I had taught students from K stage to G12. One of my students won the International Competition of Nebeul, one of most important in Africa, giving a right balance of technical achievement and musicality in interpretation and performing. My responsibilities were to deliver classroom and individual lessons and, at the University, also ensemble lessons and orchestra lessons. Same work I made in Bangkok, at the Department of Music of Sarasas Ektra School, with Australian Curricula. We also founded a chamber orchestra where the advanced pupils could play in ensemble. Most of pupils had challenging behaviour and I had two autistic (one savant) students, but with music, they made one of the greatest outcomes. Thanks their dedication, but also direct instruction, peer tutoring, division of tasks strategies and enhancing their participation and solidarity throughout a worm, democratic and creative environment, they managed to play The Four Seasons of Vivaldi, correctly interpreting also the solo parts. It is difficult to understand the role of technique for a pupil, but for all arts it is a need as the grammar for the language. Important is to no traumatize pupils and play the same game that the Blue Fairy did with the medicine in Pinocchio of Collodi. Simplifying tasks, in this way, is fundamental: the complex movement of body, in a linear conception, can help to reduce the difficulty of methodological approach giving, at first, immediate results and so, confidence in the students. In Singapore I worked with students with different ages, from three years old children to G12, achieving, also in this occasion, good didactic results. In my last job, I worked at the Kodaikanal International School, an old American missionary school in India with IB and American Curricula as Director of Orchestra and strings/ music teacher. I taught MYP and IB students general music, violin, viola, piano and theory of music and I conducted the orchestra. The students, after few months, correctly enhanced their confidence and commitments.

Tutoring Approach

When teaching, I give priority to practical music making, improvising and focused listening, as well developing pupils' thinking and communication skills. I have high expectations for students' responsibilities such as effort, progress, achievements and behaviours and I strongly encourage them to believe in their ability to succeed.
As musician and educator I tried and try always to experiment new pathways of communication using music as medium. Most of my works as voluntary educator were with people with severe disabilities and I have experienced two methods, the Doman and the Delagato methods, offering also therapeutic help to reacquire sensory motor functions. Always I communicated with not verbal language trying to develop new connecting practice based on kinaesthetic body simple movements or sound's 'signs', enhancing students' hearing skills. I believe that sensory motor functions are, in didactic field, a fundamental aspect for the interaction and communication. Every child is a special needs one and so, there are different levels of development stages that have to be object of our analysis and attention to deliver the right exercises to progress toward reliable targets and goals. In this way, observation and continuous assessment can be helpful to clarify strategies of intervention.
I think that the attitude and comportment of teacher is central in the process of imitation/modelling, as Piaget and Vigotsky underlined in their researches. But also the ethical behaviour is fundamental to build up citizen in a Dewey's way to think and act in the world. Similarly the environment, as Montessori teaches us, is important: we have to focus our attention on the child and her/his needs interests and freedom.
I believe that Glasser, with his Theory of Choices, is right, also if, as educator, we have to decode the different conditions (cultural and family background, social stratus, experience and attitudes etc.) that are essential for any intervention.
Similarly my experience as cultural and artistic manager gave me a great familiarity how to deals with the organization of events, concerts, festivals but also school extra activities. I had to draw not just the program of manifestation, but deal with balance, marketing, promotion, stage, catering, fundraising etc. I have more than 20 years’ experience as cultural and artistic manager at Centro Culturale Giovanile - the Youth Cultural Centre in Naples, the biggest film library of South of Italy. l wrote some publications about history of cinema (Luchino Visconti, Bernardo Bertolucci, Anna Magnani, etc.) and l had worked as critic. l also organized cinema , music and theatre festivals as well as lecture of film language. By the way, The Youth Cultural Centre was, at first, a "d'essay hall" where we organized festival in collaboration with the Naples City Council, the County Campania and the Ministry of Culture. Most of activities (music, cinema, media, visual arts, theatre) were in collaboration with primary, secondary and university students, to enhance students' participation and learning.
I've gained also managerial experience with Sig.Bloom-Intonarumori s.r.l., where I am still a shareholder. It's an organization making public events, music, cinema, dance performing art. In collaboration with the City Council of Naples and the County Council Campania, we still organize 'Summer in Naples' and other important event in the field of world music, jazz, classic, pop and rock. Names like, Gilberto Gil and Milton Nacimiento, Noa, Youssou N'Dour, Emir Kusturica, Eliades Ochoa, Billy Bragg, Coleman and the jazz big band, Wayne Shorter, Ludovico Einaudi and Sissoko, Cheb Kaled, Madredeus, The Musician of Nilo, Sabri Brothers and many other great musicians were our guests.

I have got more the 25 years’ experience as musician violin player, as soloist, concertmaster or violin tutti collaborating with different classical orchestras and concert's organizations: Orchestra A.Scarlatti R.A.I. Naples-Solisti Partenopei-Orchestra da Camera di Napoli-Solisti Aquilani- Orchestra Filarmonica d'Italia-Orchestra P.R.I.S.M.A.- Bangkok S.Orchestra-Orchestre de la Universite' de Sousse etc.. I use to play my repertoire to students to improve their listening and imitation skills.