MUSIC
Beginner – Middle School
Voices. Drums. Xylophones. Recorders. Ukuleles. The study of Music at Wellan is based on the Orff-Schulwerk approach, which encourages students to learn by doing what they do instinctively—play! Imitation, experimentation, and personal expression occur naturally and with joy. Older students progress to fundamental theory in note reading, rhythm, and harmony; explore different instruments; improvise; and create their own compositions. Wellan students are primed to appreciate music for a lifetime.
FACULTY & STAFF
Katie Ng, Music Specialist
Katie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Violin Performance and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She earned her Masters in Music in Violin Performance from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. In addition to teaching music at Wellan, she teaches Suzuki violin lessons. As an educator she is dedicated to enriching her students’ lives through the joy of music. Teaching students of all ages, she works with her students to incorporate music that motivates and stimulates their interests.
Katie is originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. When she is not teaching, she often performs with local bands and enjoys traveling and reading.
Nate Shaffer, Music Specialist
Nate Shaffer loves everything about music. While studying concert piano and composition at Brandeis University, he started playing in the ImprovCollective with Tom Hall—a group of musicians of all different levels, coming together to spontaneously create new music, seemingly without rules, boundaries with guidelines. It was a revelation: that we can actualize our musical potential in this very moment! After all, it’s a lot more convenient than writing it all down!
Over the years, he’s focused in on the discipline of this liberating practice. Working in this way forces us to entrain our awareness to the present moment, our relationships with others and our selves. He is thrilled to be creating a space for Voyagers’ burgeoning minds and spirits to grow through improvising music, unpacking music’s roles in society, and appreciating sounds in general.
In addition to offering creative private lessons, Nate works as a music director at ImprovBoston, and keeps a busy schedule of performing, recording, and writing.
Alicia Mathewson, Music Specialist
Alicia holds a Bachelor of Arts from Middlebury College in Vermont and Master degrees from both Smith and NYU's Tisch School of the Arts in music composition and musical theater writing. She has taught children of all ages in NYC, Cairo, Beirut, and Cape Cod. She has been teaching Music Together (early childhood music) for 8 years on Cape Cod while also running her own music and healing practice Sounding Still Wellness.
She is thrilled to be at Wellan and when she is not teaching, she is writing songs, performing as a singer/songwriter, or leading meditation/chanting for yoga retreats, classes and festivals.
