We are excited to introduce you to three new directors!
Bokyung Byun, Assistant Director of Elemental Guitar
Emily Call, Director of Chamber Music Institute
Erin Little, Director of Prelude Program
Bokyung Byun, Assistant Director of Elemental Guitar
Emily Call,
Director of Chamber Music Institute
Erin Little,
Director of Prelude Program
While all of these amazing educators have been part of the Elemental Music family for a while now, each teacher is stepping into a new role for the 2021–22 season. Learn a little bit more about our new directors below!
Elemental Music: How old were you when you started playing music?
Bo: I was 6 when I started playing music, and the guitar was my first instrument!
Emily: I started playing the violin in 4th grade, just like so many of our Elemental Music students!
Erin: I started playing cello in my 7th grade public school orchestra program. I was instantly hooked!
EM: For Bo, what do you love about guitar? For Emily, what do you love about chamber music? And Erin, what do you love about the orchestra?
Bo: I love the diverse nature of the guitar. Guitar works well with a wide range of musical genres. You can play Paganini on the guitar and also play rock music at the same time!
Emily: So many things...the range of repertoire is incredibly rich. I also love that chamber music really requires every musician to take ownership over their own part. No single person is in charge of how you’ll play the piece, so there is a lot of negotiation and listening happening which keeps things exciting. You have to make decisions and work together as a team to bring the music to life.
Erin: I love making music with other people! Being part of a group (orchestra) is SO special. String instruments possess a wide range of color, texture, and timbre and I love how it all sounds together.
EM: What do you like to do when you're not teaching?
Bo: I love trying out different food and restaurants.
Emily: I spend a lot of time reading menus and imagining all of the restaurants I’ll go to once Covid is more under control. Oh, and play music - of course!
Erin: I love to read, tango dance, and hang out with my dog, Enzo. I am a pour-over coffee aficionado, so I'm often checking out various coffee shops throughout LA.
EM: What are you most looking forward to about directing your programs?
Bo: I very much look forward to welcoming students to the program and help them take the first step on a musical journey!
Emily: I’m so excited to introduce the chamber music tradition to students who may have never had the opportunity to play in small ensembles like this before. It’s a totally different feeling than playing in a large group!
Erin: Learning a new instrument is an exciting journey that I always look forward to each year with my students. It's rewarding to see how much progress they make by the end of the year and the personal connection they develop with music and their fellow classmates.