ABS Teaching Team

Marie Clapot spearheads the Art Beyond Sight Lab for Learning programs, where she develops and teaches curriculum for K-12. She also has extensive experience in museum education and accessibility. She completed research and development projects as a graduate assistant at the Adaptive Technology Center, Bloomington, IN. While working as Access Coordinator at the Indiana University Art Museum, she completed an accessibility assessment and implemented an accessibility program for people with vision loss. She has also worked in the Access Coordination office of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY. Ms. Clapot holds a Master in Art Education from Indiana University, and an MA in Heritage Development, from Université de Bretagne Occidentale (UBO), Quimper (France) and MA in Heritage Development form UBO (Brest).

 

Ricky Perry is a guitarist, songwriter, and arranger who was born in Caracas, Venezuela and raised in Huntsville, AL.  From 2003-2011, he lived in Nashville, TN, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Music with an emphasis in guitar performance, composition, and arranging from Belmont University. Ricky has performed, written, and recorded music since the age of seventeen, playing throughout Alabama and Tennessee with the jazz-fusion band, Del, during his college career.  After graduating, Ricky continued to perform, arrange, and record with various Nashville artists, including Daniel Ellsworth & the Great Lakes, on the album Civilized Man released in 2011. Ricky is currently a second-year graduate student at NYU’s Music Therapy program and performs his own music with the Brooklyn-based band Go-getter (www.facebook.com/gogettermusic).

Shawna Vernisie, MA, MT-BC is a masters-level board-certified music therapist who has been working with Art Beyond Sight since 2010.  Shawna received her Bachelor of Music degree in Music Therapy from Marywood University (Scranton, PA), and her Master of Art degree in Music Therapy from New York University.  Currently, Shawna is working within the vision classrooms at several public schools throughout Queens with Art Beyond Sight.  She is also a music therapist at St. Mary's Hospital for Children (Bayside, NY), and at Special Kids Intervention Program (Howard Beach, NY).  Shawna uses a client-centered, humanistic approach to her teaching and therapy, allowing the children to find their strengths through music.  Shawna is again, as always, thrilled to be collaborating and working with the wonderful staff and children of Art Beyond Sight!

Aaron Shragge is currently completing his thesis for his masters in Music Therapy at NYU. Aaron previously graduated with honors from the Jazz and Contemporary Music Program at New School University. He has taught trumpet, improvisation and practiced music therapy with a large variety of populations such as children with learning disabilities, HIV positive adults, seniors and musicians of many levels. Aaron has been greatly inspired from the practice and study of the ancient musical traditions of North India and Japan. He has studied improvisation with Kenny Werner, trumpet with Laurie Frink, shakuhachi with Grand Master’s Ronnie Nyogetsu Seldin, Yodo Kurahashi II and North Indian vocals with Ustad Mashkoor Ali Khan. Aaron performs regularly throughout the NY area as well as internationally and has appeared at such venues as Symphony Space, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, BAM and The Blue Note with such artists as Daniel Carter, Ben Monder, Jon Gibson, The Sam Roberts Band, Akim Funk Buddha and Billy Martin. www.aaronshragge.com

Peter Galub, MT-BC, MA recently completed his Master's at New York Universtiy’s Music Therapy Program.  He completed his clinical internship at the Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy, under the supervision of Dr. Alan Turry, DA, NRMT, MT-BC, LCAT.  He has worked, primarily in the the Nordoff-Robbins model of music improvisation with populations that included children with autism, developmental delays, and adults with dementia and Traumatic Brain Injury.  Peter is also an accomplished singer/songwriter/guitarist and recently completed his second CD of original material.  His songs and playing have been featured in films and television.