Behind every music student at Choate is a caring music teacher. Ensembles on campus would not function if students weren’t able to learn their parts. Because of this, Choate music teachers play a vital role in the Arts Department.
Ms. Artemis Simerson, a violin teacher from North Brantford who has taught at Choate for eight years, still remembers the day when she was given her first violin — after much begging. The day was momentous for the eight-year-old: “On that February 22, when I picked up the violin, I knew it was what I was going to be doing for the rest of my life. I was lucky.”
Ms. Simerson currently teaches 20 Choate students, all of whom are at different levels. “I teach everybody,” she said, “Most people have played before, and a very few start from scratch, but I really love the variety.” Lucky for Choate, Ms. Simerson really loves it here: “Everyone at this school is interesting. Everybody has something to say, has a point of view, or has something to share. It’s wonderful. I love it.”
At home, Ms. Simerson teaches private lessons and plays in several orchestras, including the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra New England, and the Wall Street Chamber Players. In the orchestras, Ms. Simerson is the assistant concertmaster — a huge honor. She is a self-described “freelance musician, teacher, and orchestral and chamber musician.”
Ms. Robin Sellati, another treasured teacher in our community, has coached voice at Choate for 27 years, and has taught for 32 in total. Outside of Choate, she performs with the Cantabile Vocal Quartet and owns a voice studio. For her, teaching and playing music is a full-time job. In her spare time, though, Ms. Sellati volunteers at a hospice, where she enjoys singing with the patients. She loves that she can take her instrument anywhere.
Like Ms. Simmons’s, Ms. Sellati’s students range from mixed-beginner to advanced in terms of talent and level. Commonly, Ms. Sellati’s students perform in Chamber Chorus, the Winter Vocal Festival, and a cappella groups.
Ms. Susan Cheng, a piano teacher at Choate, began playing at the age of four. In her opinion, the piano is a very versatile instrument. “It has the power of being the ‘orchestra’ by itself, being equal to other instruments in a chamber-music setting, or standing alone as a solo instrument,” she noted. “The possibilities in the sounds and colors that can be created by this instrument are endless.”
Ms. Cheng has taught piano for 18 years, including ten at Choate. In addition to teaching, Ms. Cheng often accompanies students during instrument and Arts Concentration recitals. She also plays for the Wallingford Symphony Orchestra, and with other musicians too.
Ms. Cheng loves watching Choate students grow as they move through the arts curriculum. She described the Arts community as an encouraging environment, saying, “There are a lot of dedicated supporters and lovers of music, which makes being a part of the Choate music community a nurturing experience.” Her students commonly play in chamber music groups, sing in choirs, perform in orchestra, jazz, and symphonic bands, and even take part in music theater productions throughout the year.
The unrivaled dedication, passion, and knowledge of teachers like Ms. Simerson, Ms. Sellati, and Ms. Cheng give Choate students the chance to rise to their greatest potential. When we clap for the students, we clap also for their teachers.
