Age: 38
Nationality:
Certified:
USA
ESL through TCNJ e-mail: aemelton@aol.com
Phone: 993 387 028
Skype: aellismelton
Website/Podcast: http://aemelton.com
 Bachelor of Music with Honors, Berklee College of Music, 1999
(Conducting, Film Scoring, Piano)
 Graduate Diploma, University of Southern California (USC) Film
Scoring Program, 2007
 ESL Teaching Certificate from The College of New Jersey, 2009
 Master of Education, The College of New Jersey, 2011
 Band, Choir & Strings Teacher, FDR (American School of Lima), 2012-
 Band & Choir Teacher, American School of Marrakech, Morocco 2010-2012
 Teacher of Musical Improvisation at IO West & Second City, ages 8 to 18, 2003-2009
 Assistant Band Director , Koiwa Middle School, Chiba, Japan, 2000-2002
 Guest lecturer & artist , American School In Japan, Tokyo, in 2008, 2009 & 2010 Taught instrumental performance, improvisation, composition, and singing in the elementary & high school
 Band & Choir Coordinator, SAAC Performing Arts Festival, Lima, Peru, March 2013
 Organized guest musician visits, including Patricia Ramirez-Gaston (Sept. 2012), well-known
Peruvian pianist, Kathleen McIntosh (Nov. 2012), harpsichordist who has performed the world over, Jiovanni de Pedro (Apr. 2013), Prof. of Piano at Millsaps College in Mississippi, USA
 Director, the Fantasticks, FDR (Amer. School of Lima), 2014
 Music Director of theater productions at FDR, including Little Shop of Horrors, James & The
Giant Peach, The Miracle Worker, 2012-2014
 Musical Director & Composer , Open House (feature film, musical starring Sally Kellerman)
 Producer, Symphonic Sherpa (music education podcast), at aemelton.com and iTunes
 Won Third Prize, Frank Ticheli International Band Competition with Game Time
 Rejoice, a piece for band, choir and strings, performed at the SAAC fine arts festival in Chile, 2014, in honor of Nelson Mandela
 Ten pieces for Concert Band (MS & HS levels), some published by Grand Mesa Publishers.
 Several arrangements for choir and band, commissioned by The American School In Japan and
Colegio Roosevelt
 Arrangements for the ASIJ Spring Musicals, 2008 & 2009

 I grew up in international schools (Riyadh and Tokyo).
 I speak Japanese and Spanish, plus basic French.
 I am a skilled user of professional music software including Finale , Digital Performer and Sibelius.
I grew up overseas in Riyadh and Tokyo while my parents were international school teachers.
I have many of the third culture kid characteristics: I love exploration, I have no problem with transitions, and I look at the world from an international perspective.
I graduated from Berklee College of Music in 1999 and immediately returned to Japan to teach in a Japanese middle school. I have since been a guest of my high school in Japan, ASIJ, three times. It was a joy to return to such a great school and work with the kids in the band, choir, composition class, and spring musical. I then moved to Los Angeles to teach, play piano in theaters, and compose. There I earned a master’s level certificate from the University of Southern California and teaching certification from TCNJ.
I then spent two wonderful years at the American School of Marrakech, where I built up bands and choirs along side the full IB program, and organized the first evening performances in the history of the school.
I am now in my second year of teaching band and choir at the American School of Lima, aka
FDR. I have launched two choirs, expanded the band and strings programs, worked in musical theater, and made use of our gorgeous new performing arts center.
I am able to teach band, orchestra, choir, and general music . In Japan, Morocco and
Peru I have been called upon to work in all of these areas, and have loved them all.
I am able to direct musical theater.
Working in Lima with greats in theater education, like
Randy Moss and Jess Dennis, taught me much. I am able to direct or musically direct theater productions.
Outside of the classroom I think I have a lot to offer . I hope to attract students of all ages to after school musical groups such as jazz bands, pop choirs, guitar classes, composition, and activities centered on the local culture.
My goal as a teacher in international education is to teach the curricular material, give students performance opportunites, and help them develop a global perspective. More specifically, I have successfully balanced the IB curriculum with performance preparation. International schools are wonderful and culturally diverse places. I want to share my excitement for the world of music with my students.
References:
Kerry Jacobson, Head of School
Colegio Roosevelt kjacobso@amersol.edu.pe
Russ Jones, former Head of School
Colegio Roosevelt
1senojr@gmail.com
Chris Akin, HS Principal
Colegio Roosevelt

cakin@amersol.edu.pe
Jean Brugniau, Head of School
American School of Marrakech jbrugniau@asm.ac.ma
Brent Huber, Music Teacher
American School In Japan altempo@mac.com