DeVeor Rainey is the founder and Executive Director of Speaking in Rhythms, has a B. A. from The City College of New York and an M.A. in Music Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. In 2001 she established the percussion ensemble as a comprehensive music after-school program at CPE 2, where she has taught music for eight years. She chose to base her music program on percussion instruments because she believes that their variety and versatility, and the relative ease with which they can be learned, provide a wonderful way for students to explore in a group such musical concepts as rhythm, melody and harmony. In the percussion ensemble, children study music theory, percussion rudiments technique, and the music of other cultures; then using their acquired knowledge, they collaborate on composing or arranging the music they rehearse and play in performance. Although Speaking in Rhythms was incorporated in 2006 and is now independent of CPE 2, the organization recruits most of its members from the school, and CPE 2 has generously allowed the organization to continue to use its percussion instruments and rehearse in its building at 19 East 103rd Street.
Copyright 2010, SpeakinginRhythms Inc.
Founder/CEO
