Levanta Institute

Tuesdays 4-5 p.m.
January 23-March 12
Chorus Room, Music Building, Albuquerque Academy
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$350

To unlock the mysteries of the classical guitar, students will not only be introduced to the techniques and traditions of this foundational and beautiful art form, but they will create deeply expressive and beautiful music. A special emphasis will be placed on learning to play music from around the world as well as the creation of the student’s own music. Students will need a nylon string acoustic guitar, but it is not necessary to have prior experience in music learning to participate in this class.

Instructor Mickey Jones

Registration limited to 15. Registration has closed.

Wednesdays 4-5 p.m.
January 24-March 13
Chorus Room, Music Building, Albuquerque Academy
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$350

If you love music and have always wanted to make your own music, then this class is for you! Through a unique and exciting set of projects, students will learn how to understand musical sound making, musical organization, and the emotional effect of music. By the end of the course, students will have created multiple songs of their own, and they will be amazed at what they’ve accomplished. It is not necessary to have prior experience in music learning to participate in this class.

Instructor Mickey Jones

Registration limited to 15. Registration has closed.

Thursdays 4-5 p.m.
January 25-March 14
Chorus Room, Music Building, Albuquerque Academy
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$350

Now that students have begun their musical journey on the guitar, this class is an opportunity to grow to the next level. Many exciting techniques for the guitar will be explored like arpeggios, scales, and chords and there will continue to be an emphasis on the creation of the student’s own music. Students will need a nylon string acoustic guitar and students should have completed either the Beginning Classical Guitar class or have 3 months of experience in group or private guitar study as a prerequisite for this class. The class will culminate in a sharing of student compositions and a performance. Come and join us for this fun and creative experience!

Instructor Mickey Jones

Registration limited to 15. Registration has closed.

Tuesdays, 6-7:30 p.m.
January 25-March 14
Orchestra Room, Music Building, Albuquerque Academy
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$375

Have you always wanted to try your hand at playing the violin, viola, cello, or double bass? Experience the creative engine that is the string orchestra! Learn how to bring the bow to a string to make a variety of magical and beautiful sounds in a group of orchestra beginners in this encouraging and low-stress environment. Students will learn to decode some music notation and write some of their own songs. Students can rent an instrument or borrow a school instrument during this class. It is not necessary to have any musical experience to take this class, and students who took Beginning Strings in the fall and want to continue their learning are welcome, too!

Instructor Muni Kulasinghe

Registration limited to 15. Registration has closed.

Tuesdays, 6-7:15 p.m.
January 23-March 12
Chorus Room, Music Building, Albuquerque Academy
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$375

Guitar is the most popular instrument in the world. It is ubiquitous in the world of music from every continent, and everyday people flock to the instrument to figure out its magical properties. But too often for adult learners, the process is frustrating and dispiriting, and the music that adults are asked to learn is either too hard or too boring. In this unique course for adult beginners, from the first meeting to the last, students will make rich and beautiful music with confidence and sophistication. Come and join us in learning how to play this amazing, poetic instrument. Students will need a nylon string acoustic guitar, but it is not necessary to have prior experience in music learning to participate in this class.

Instructor Mickey Jones

Registration limited to 15. Registration has closed.

Thursdays, 6-7:15 p.m.
January 25-March 14
Chorus Room, Music Building, Albuquerque Academy
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$375

Now that you’ve begun your musical journey on the guitar, you are ready to take your guitar playing to the next level. In this class, students will continue to explore fingerstyle acoustic guitar playing through a study of songs, chords, moveable patterns, scales, and a greater understanding of the sonic possibilities on this bewitching instrument. Students will also consider important musical devices to lend expression and emotional effect to their playing. Come and join us in learning how to make music in this fun, supportive, and enthusiastic class.

Prerequisite: Students should either have taken the Beginning Fingerstyle Guitar class or have at least 3 months of guitar learning to be comfortable in this class. Please contact us at [email protected] for questions regarding the prerequisite for this class.

Instructor Mickey Jones

Registration limited to 15. Registration has closed.

Thursdays, 5:45-7:45 p.m.
January 25-February 22
Visual Arts Building, Albuquerque Academy
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$400 (includes materials fee)

Discover the world of drawing in this engaging 5-week course. We will explore fundamental drawing techniques, from line and shading to gesture and figure drawing. Students will have the opportunity to unleash their creativity and develop their unique artistic style. Whether you’re a beginner or have some drawing experience, this class will nurture your artistic skills and passion for the visual arts.

Instructor Chad Waples

Registration limited to 12. Registration has closed.

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6-7:15 p.m.
January 23-February 15
Visual Arts Building, Albuquerque Academy
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$400 (includes materials fee)

In this fun and brand-new class, students will be introduced to the history, techniques, and aesthetic properties of clay as a medium for artistic expression, both in functional objects as well as sculptural ones. The course will be based on clay techniques and creative idea development.

All students will be introduced to throwing on the wheel, will make functional objects, and will learn about glazes and firing processes. Students new to clay will be given the fundamental tools to bring some of their 3D ceramic objects and visions to life. Students with some prior experience with the medium will be challenged to increase their technical proficiency as well as refine and expand their skills.

Instructor Peter Glidden

Registration limited to 12. Registration has closed.

Wednesdays, 6-7:15 p.m.
January 24-March 13
Albuquerque Academy
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$375

In this course, students will delve deeply into the seminal 1960s work, The Twilight Zone. Every week, students will watch an episode of the television series, developing critical tools to analyze film and television. We will consider each episode through historical, cultural, political, and artistic lenses. This class is for any adult with an interest in learning more about early television or anyone with a desire to revisit this classic. Don’t miss the fun and low-pressure class!

Instructor Isaac Lipkowitz

Registration limited to 17. Registration has closed.

Wednesdays, 6-7:15 p.m.
January 24-March 13
Albuquerque Academy
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$375

Science fiction is a genre of literature that becomes more and more relevant as we enter, in our everyday lives, the realms that it is concerned with; killer robots, intelligent machines, space travel, and myriad other imaginings that are part of the current state of our planet.

In this course, students will read and discuss seminal short stories of sci-fi and will also consider the ways in which speculative fiction has been a medium happily embraced by outsiders — providing a way to imagine new futures and possibilities. From classic space opera to fully imagined cultures, some of the authors who will be our guides in this adventure include Issac Asimov, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Octavia Butler, among others. Join us at the Levanta Institute to explore these new and intriguing worlds!

Instructor Stu Lipkowitz

Registration limited to 17. Registration has closed.

March 3, 2-3 p.m.
Music Building, Albuquerque Academy
Instructor: Gabby Dietrich
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Join us for a modern-day take on a good old-fashioned sing-along! Songleader Dr. Gabrielle Dietrich will be joined by friends and special guests to help folks lift their voices and their spirits with familiar tunes and a few new favorites. Experienced singers, car singers, shower singers, and brand new singers are all welcome!

Musical Connections: Clarice and Sergio Assad in Concert

April 19, 2024, 7 p.m.
Simms Center for the Performing Arts
Buy your tickets now!

The multi-talented Clarice Assad will join her world-renowned father, Sergio Assad, for a remarkable performance that promises to be a unique experience. The evening will be a harmonious blend of their artistic voices, creating an atmosphere filled with beautiful music that transcends generations and celebrates the power of familial musical connections.

In the world of music, few artists can boast a breadth of creativity as vast and impactful as Brazilian-American composer and performer Clarice Assad. Her journey through the realms of classical, world music, pop, and jazz has earned her acclaim and recognition on a global scale. A Grammy Award–nominated composer, celebrated pianist, inventive vocalist, and educator, Assad’s artistic voice transcends boundaries and defies categorization.

Dr. Gabrielle Dietrich is the founder and conductor of El Faro Youth Chorus, an outreach ensemble of Albuquerque’s Coro Lux and the first-ever trauma-informed chorus.

Gabby holds an undergraduate degree in music education from the University of the Pacific, an M.M. and D.M.A. in choral conducting from CU-Boulder, and a general diploma in methodology from the Kodály Institute in Kecskemét, Hungary. She has been working with underserved youth since 2000 and derives tremendous joy and satisfaction from applying both her professional training and lived experience as a survivor of childhood trauma to the mission of helping young singers find their voice. She lives in Albuquerque with her wonderful husband, two big and silly dogs, and an evil genius cat. Gabby has held teaching positions at Penn State and Loyola University in Maryland and is currently the executive director of NAMI New Mexico.

Founded in October 2021, El Faro Youth Chorus offers a fun, safe, and welcoming space for singers aged 7-18 to learn, grow, and make music. The group includes singers from public, private, charter, parochial, and home schools and was recently the subject of an Emmy Award-winning news story, “Heart of New Mexico: Trauma-informed chorus director helps youth with music.”

Peter Glidden has been teaching ceramics for close to two decades. Whether it’s exploring hand-built sculptures or learning how to throw functional pieces on the wheel, he believes there is something truly magical and healing about creating with clay. Peter most recently taught varying levels of ceramics and studio arts for eight years at Albuquerque Academy. He is continuing his own art practice and creative journey at his home studio in Algodones, NM. Peter is thrilled to have the opportunity to share his passion and creative experiences with art and clay through Levanta Institute courses!

Mickey Jones is founder and director of Albuquerque Academy’s Levanta Institute for Music and Creativity. Having taught, performed, and conducted at important festivals and institutions around the world, Mickey brings an extensive career to the classroom where, for 20 years, he’s worked to innovate music education, incubate new ideas, and stretch the limits of what’s possible outside traditional models. His varied and eclectic approach to making music extends to the creation of music, and his compositions comprise a repertoire rich in color and form. His commissioned works include Trance of Fire and A Tree Telling of Orpheus for guitar ensemble; his solo works for guitar include Old Growth Forest, Mary’s Peak, and Black-Crowned Night Heron. Mickey holds a M.Mus. and B.Mus. in music performance from the University of New Mexico.

Isaac Lipkowitz grew up in Albuquerque. A graduate of Albuquerque Academy, he first encountered The Twilight Zone in an Academy English class, where he watched “Eye of the Beholder” and fell in love with Rod Serling’s storytelling genius.

He attended Kenyon College for his Bachelor of Arts in film and followed up the experience with a Masters in Education at Earlham College, where he specialized in Educational Media and Game Design. Isaac has served as an educator in a variety of settings, including Think Summer at Albuquerque Academy, Pinon Tutoring Company, and UNM’s Film and Digital Arts Department.

Isaac has a deep love for storytelling of all forms and is an avid board game enthusiast. He occasionally does stop-motion sand animation and recently had a novella he wrote adapted into a radio play by Fusion Theater company. Isaac spends his days reading and cooking for his family.

Stuart Lipkowitz was a teacher for 27 years at Albuquerque Academy. His degree from the City College of New York was in ethnomusicology, where he studied under the renowned folklorist, Henrietta Yurchenco. His graduate work focused on 20th-century American poetry; he studied with W.D. Snodgrass. He has been reading and studying science fiction forever.

Chad Waples (he/him/his) is a dedicated artist and educator with a profound passion for art, particularly drawing, which ignited his artistic journey. His instructional path has led him to specialize in observational drawing, a discipline he holds dear to his heart. Chad studied at the Herron School of Art and Design in Indianapolis in 2011 and earned his Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree at the University of New Mexico in 2015.

Chad has nurtured budding talents in the realms of drawing and painting, both at Albuquerque Academy and the University of New Mexico. His pedagogical focus extends to a spectrum of drawing techniques, with a keen emphasis on key areas like sighting and figure drawing. His skillful command of various drawing mediums, including graphite, charcoal, and oil paint, has enabled him to instill a deep appreciation for the art of drawing in his students.

His commitment to fostering artistic growth and his own expertise as an artist make him a respected figure in the community of Albuquerque, where his knowledge and guidance continue to inspire and nurture the next generation of artists.