Teaching artist statement
I believe that music is an essential part of being human. Through nurturing, patient instruction, I strive to help my students gain the skills and confidence to express themselves and their humanity through their instrument. Music has provided me with ways to access and explore different aspects of my own personality and to form a sense of self. My favorite part of teaching is when I see a student able to play independently from me. That is when I feel truly successful as a teacher.
Teaching Bio
Donny Albro began studying percussion in the fifth grade after playing timpani in his general music class. After studying with Ed Sorrentino and Hans Morrison at SSC, he attended the Eastman School of Music where he graduated with a BM in Percussion Performance. Upon graduation, Donny was hired as Director of Percussion Studies at the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra where he taught for ten years. During his time at BYSO, he and his students toured internationally and were featured at the Percussive Arts Society Convention at Boston Conservatory. In 2006, Donny obtained his Masters in Percussion Performance and a K-12 teaching certificate from UMASS Amherst. Donny taught in the Foxboro Public Schools for 17 years, where he taught K-12 general music, band orchestra, chorus, and jazz band. He started with SSC in 2023.
Performance Bio
Donny Albro has played with orchestras across the Northeast, including the Rochester Philharmonic, Boston Philharmonic, and the Atlantic Symphony. He is also an avid chamber musician specializing in percussion ensemble and has played with the world-renowned percussion ensemble NEXUS. Donny has been fortunate to play the world premiere of two percussion duets, one by Robert Stern, and one by Pulitzer Prize winner Lew Spratlan. His playing can be heard on the recording Eastman Wind Ensemble at 50 on Warner Bros. Records, and Kenny Werner’s No Beginning No End released on Half Note Records. Donny started with SSC in 2023.