URI_Research_Magazine_Momentum_Fall_2015_Melissa-McCarthy

Trust that You are the Music written by Joseph Korzeb ‘16

She insists that students should never take away from whom they are. Danis has led All-State and Festival Orchestras along the entire East Coast and reaps applause for taking intellectual and musical risks in her ensembles by introducing a wide range of innovative works, including the world-premiere of Rage of the Heart by Enrico Garzilli and the Rhode Island premiere of Blind Allegory by Nico Muhly. In addition, Danis’ students have developed a cross- cultural understanding of music. She has taught master classes and conducted concerts in Belize, and separately

Teaching music, says University of Rhode Island (URI) Director of Orchestral Activities Ann Danis, is all about trust. “The first topic I discuss with students who walk into my studio is them,” she explains. “I tell them that what they are reading in front of them is not music. It is notation. They are the music.” Danis, who brings more than 20 years of experience teaching music at both the high school and collegiate level, says she seeks out a unique instruction for every student. This tailored approach results in her students achieving great success.

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