Our Teaching Artists
Rebecca Schifilliti
Rebecca loves learning and hopes to instill the same excitement in others — no matter their age! In addition to teaching with Art Beyond the Ink, she works as a STEAM Resident at The GIANT Room, where she helps to build curriculum for music, art and technology workshops. She also teaches flute privately.
Best classroom moment: While teaching an online Zoom class, we were all muted while completing an activity. After a couple of minutes, I asked if anyone wanted to share. One child unmuted and said: “While you all were doing that, I was singing because I have a beautiful voice.” Then, he muted himself again and continued singing with his eyes closed and his hand on his heart.
Emmalie Tello
Emmalie believes that music is a valuable tool for self expression and personal development. It empowers students to think creatively and optimistically, and it also provides a platform to learn widely-applicable skills. She aims to help her students feel understood, heard, and confident through the power of their craft.
Best classroom moment: Once, in a kindergarten class I taught a few years back, one of the kids (Anthony) decided to play a prank on his best friend (Julius). The school equipped students with mini laptops to play musical games. Anthony scribbled something on a sticky note and slammed it into the laptop next to him. When Julius came in, he opened the laptop to find a note that said “Your mom farted” and let out a big “Oh, man!” while snapping his finger in defeat. Anthony couldn’t stop laughing - clearly, he got him good.
Devin Cohen
Devin is a firm believer in the power of music to heal, inspire, and connect the world in ways nothing else can. He believes music is medicine and he desires nothing more than to share his accumulated musical knowledge and passion with as many students as possible.
Best classroom moment: For Devin, the best teaching moments he has experienced are the ones that solidify the notion that the learning process is never truly over for students or teachers. One specific instance of this was when a student asked “Why do we need music?” While this question seems simple enough, it forced him to reflect on what he provides to the world as a musician while validating his belief that music holds value in this world.