Learning with, not from, world-class artists

At LAAP, participants and artist faculty work on material together, providing a direct experience of the type of focus, attitude, commitment to mastery, and specific practice methods of someone with many more years of experience.

Art in the context of life

True art is not only the end-product. It is the entire life that enabled the artist to reach that point. An artist’s personality, life style, inspirations, values, how they practice, how they handle business, even their diet, all contribute to their artistic expression. LAAP students do not listen to their teachers lecture for an hour. They live with their teachers for days, from the moment they wake up to the moment they go to sleep. The resulting learning is far more comprehensive than anything available in an institutional setting.

Preserving stylistic freedom

University and conservatory curriculums are primarily style-specific, with narrowly focused programs for classical, rock/pop, and even sub-genres like bebop, big band, or contemporary jazz. We believe that the individuality of our students is paramount. Studying specific styles or sub-genres can be useful, but we take great care to avoid projecting our personal stylistic preferences onto our participants.

Daily connection with nature

Serious artists need lifelong sources of inspiration and study. Nature provides both. LAAP is based in the Catskills of New York, amidst some of the most beautiful nature in the Northeastern United States. By understanding the fundamentals of nature — opening ourselves to the foundations of listening, light, movement, balance — we become more aware of how these same principles manifest in our art.

Emphasizing mastery, not cramming

Conventional education systems emphasize superficial cramming of information. At LAAP we focus on fundamentals that we believe hold the greatest depth and power, training with extreme focus each day to achieve true mastery.