How Ann Rachlin brought the love of great music to thousands of young children in homes and schools all over the world

Not exactly an auto-biography, this talk focuses on Ann’s work as a foremost music educator. As wife of the distinguished symphony orchestra conductor, and pianist Ezra Rachlin, Ann toured the world and attending rehearsals wherever they went, she had a unique opportunity to learn the music in depth and watch as it was created and performed by some of the world’s greatest musicians. In this way she was able to introduce her famous Fun with Music® method to children wherever she went.

From palaces to council estates, children of 22 different nationalities, all backgrounds and creeds attended Ann’s Fun with Music® sessions in St John’s Wood in London.

King Charles and Princess Diana, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, Dame Judi Dench, Peter O’Toole and Edward Fox were just a few of the celebrities who sent their children to Ann. Music knows no barriers and children from all walks of life and backgrounds sat round her table, hypnotised by Ann’s beautiful speaking voice and her special technique of talking with the music. For forty years she had 250 pupils attending her weekly sessions and – as they grew up, they in turn sent their own children to her. Today many of them still stay in touch and write to her from all over the world.

Handel’s Water Music on the Thames, Beethoven’s Pastoral in the Country, Ann reveals the story behind her success in this colourful talk with photographs, video and music.

In this talk, Ann tells how she first started with three pupils and how for decades she had 250 every week and a waiting list of three and a half years.

Duration

45 minutes