Teachers
The Skokie School Arts Team
Susan Antman teaches movement and drama to fifth and sixth grade students at The Skokie School. Mrs. Antman shares in Miss Becker's affinity for the close conection between movement and music. She joined Miss Becker in enrolling in Taiko drumming lessons in the fall of 2004 and studied Taiko for almost a year. Mrs. Antman is a certified NIA instructor. She enjoys spending time with her family, dancing, and knitting.
Amy Becker teaches fifth and sixth grade general music at The Skokie School. She also directs the Skokie Chorus and co-directs the Skokie/Washburne Chorus. She has long had a passion for rhythm and drumming. She has been a student of African drumming since 1994 and began her studies of Japanese Taiko drumming in the winter of 2004. In addition to her commitments at The Skokie School, Miss Becker is a professional member of the Chicago Symphony Chorus. In the summer of 2005 she completed her Masters in Music Education at Northwestern University.
Kirsty Collins teaches fifth and sixth grade drama at The Skokie School. She received her BA from Colorado College and a MA from DePaul University. A writer and student in her spare time, Kirstys co-adaptation of Madeleine LEngles A Wrinkle in Time has been performed at Northwestern University, University of New Mexico at Santa Fe, and First Stage Milwaukee. She enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and attending theatre and films.
Lea Basile Lazarus received her MFA from the School of the Art Institute after graduating Suma Cum Laude from The College of New Jersey with a BA in Art Education. Lea has spent the last 10 years teaching art to children K- 8th grade, with a focus on fifth and sixth grade students at The Skokie School for the last 6 years. She has also had a decorative arts business, which has included hand building and glazing ceramics, doing decorative wall painting, and creating personalized objects. Lea participated in a Teacher Fulbright to Japan in October of 2003.
Mr. Smiley is a prominent fixture in the music classroom at The Skokie School. He inspires students to keep a positive attitude in their work. He has been known to make surprise guest appearances at student performances. He has been a member of the music team since 1998 and says he plans to be around for a long time to come!
Artists in Residence at Skokie School
Muntu Dance Theater of Chicago instructors Vaughn Blaylock and YaYa were Artists in Residence during our 2004 and 2006 studies of Africa. YaYa is also a drumming instructor at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago.
Go to Muntu's Website
Heidi Durning is a professional classical Japanese dancer who also happens to be related to a student in The Skokie School (lucky us!). She helped inspire fifth grade students in 2005 during our study of Japan.
Hide Yoshihashi is the founder of the Chicago-based Kumidaiko: Tsukasa Daiko. He is both a performer and instructor of Taiko drumming. He was extremely instrumental in helping students learn about Japanese drumming in 2005.
Tatsu Aoki is a member of Tsukasa Daiko and also helped teach students about Taiko drumming during our study of Japan in 2005. During our performances he accompanied fifth grade music students on the Shamisen while they sang Japanese folksongs.
