Washington, DC, also known as Chocolate City, is a vibrant city known for its deep musical history. Being the hometown of well known musicians like Marvin Gaye and Duke Ellington, there is no doubt that DC has been and continues to be one of many diverse music hubs in the United States. Despite this legacy, most music schools in the area focus primarily on Western music and fail to address the deep influence of African and international genres onto our current musical milieu. Quartertonez Music, a music school located in Northwest DC, has worked to change this over the years, resulting in a team of music educators passing their diverse musical backgrounds onto their students.
Quartertonez Music founders, Fuad Foty and Fairouz Foty, established this school with teachers in mind and as a priority. Both teachers themselves, they strived to create an environment that allowed teachers to feel fulfilled as opposed to burnt out and tired, as most educators traditionally are.
Teaching at Quartertonez provides teachers with valuable experience and skills in cutting-edge music education techniques, and integrates them into the DC musical community to support their own musical and professional pursuits. Quartertonez teachers use a variety of innovative teaching tools and methodologies to excite their students about music. A core component of this teaching approach is integrating community partners into the learning experience. In 2018, Quartertonez provided community donated scholarships for students who live in Washington, DC’s underserved wards. The dynamic of all these children interacting and performing together contributed to a culmination of creativity, musical exploration, and history telling. Additionally, the 2019 Flying Note’s Children’s Choir Performance, Canta Conmigo: A Musical Journey Through Latin American Music, included a variety of community artists and activists who performed alongside Quartertonez students.
When teachers are able to witness that their efforts are not solely limited to the mastery of technique but also developing core character values of kindness, empathy, and community building, the reward is far greater. Teachers have expressed how fulfilling it is to see their students not only grow musically but as individuals who see themselves as a part of a larger community in which they must serve to create an equal and fair space for all.
Education is about exploring one’s own creativity and collaborating with others to experience different perspectives of musical innovation and social action. Many of Quartertonez students are a part of the Arabic Music Institute which offers private and group classes in a variety of Arabic instruments including oud, qanun, buzuq, Arabic violin, as well as ney. Given that Arabic music teaching is particularly limited in the DMV area, it gives teachers an important opportunity to expand their repertoire and horizons in learning more about a genre of music that is oftentimes marginalized or ignored. The hope is that entering into the world of Arabic music will serve as a means to revise some of the many problematic and stereotypical attitudes towards the Arab world in our modern day society.
Quartertonez Music values the teaching of history as a core component of music education. Music is an expression of resistance and defiance to inequality, discrimination, and oppression, and Quartertonez Music exists within this space to use music as a way to discover one’s unique role towards true social change. Students in Quartertonez’s programs have learned about Latin American music, various African genres, Go-Go, the musical rhythm native to Washington, DC, among others. This provides teachers with a rather unique opportunity to engage in a musical exchange in which each educator serves as the expert of whichever genre of music they are most familiar with and mentor others on that music and history. This results in a far more enriching educational experience for both teachers and students. Teachers also become students of music and continue to expand their knowledge of diverse musical genres.
Although we value our teachers as educators, we too want to provide a space for them to blossom as musicians as well. Quartertonez Music prides itself in allowing instructors to use performance showcases as well as community events, of which students perform, to also feature teachers as an integral part of the DC musical community.
Quartertonez Music offers in person and virtual lessons in a variety of instruments including oud, piano, violin, guitar, drums, percussion, Arabic percussion, among many other classical and Arabic instruments.. Quartertonez Music also offers voice classes in both classical and Arabic style, as well as a vocal choir. There are both group and individual class options available depending on the learning style of the student.
Quartertonez Music welcomes interested teachers who want to become a part of our community. Prospective teachers are encouraged to reach out via our website with any questions that you may have. You are welcome to attend showcase performances as well as schedule a visit to the school to experience the environment firsthand. Quarteronez Music believes that educators should be fulfilled in their pursuit as teachers as well as musicians. You do not need to feel overworked and left feeling like you have no more time to nurture your musical craft. Quartertonez Music founders understand that and are excited to welcome new members to their team.
