PictureIdea:AnofficialschoolphotoofMr.

Piscioneri
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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/