Lifetime Arts’ “Teaching Artist of the Month”  (February 2019) Lisa Spraragen, is a Brown University graduate with a M.A. in music performance from NYU. She is a classical/flamenco guitarist and dancer.  Her workshops "Latin Music and Dance," "Intro to Flamenco Dance" and "Rhythms & Rhymes of the Caribbean" were well-received in the Bronx and Brooklyn. Lisa’s multi-disciplinary approach is custom-tailored for each community setting. Her bilingual guitar course, “Voz de la guitarra,” was presented at NYPL’s Inwood Branch in 2013.

Lisa’s years of experience formulating and implementing recreational therapy programs at Rusk Institute, Jewish Home & Hospital, and The Jewish Guild for the Blind have taught her to listen to what “older adults” need and want to achieve. She also teaches private lessons for children, and in NYC’s Parks Dept. after-school programs, and Carnegie Hall’s Linkup! public school classroom initiative.

With guitarist/composer Josué Pérez, (Lisa y Josué guitar duo) was awarded a 2019 LMCC grant for their concert “18 originales.” Lisa y Josué perform community outreach concerts for audiences of all ages.

Music has the power to suspend time, which allows creativity to take over!  Many of my "students" bring a wealth of music and dance knowledge to class, but have not had previous opportunities to take arts courses until this stage in their lives. For others, it may not have been feasible or considered appropriate to sing or dance in public, so those talents remained on the back burner. My workshops offer a musical springboard for growth and expression.