With the arrival of a new school year, CDNIS is thrilled to welcome two new teachers to the Mu- sic Department, Mr Elguea and Mr Fleming. Their diverse backgrounds and musical expertise will be valuable additions to the musical community to enrich students’ learning experience.
Having taught in three continents, Mr Elguea boasts over 21 years of professional experience in music and exhibits an admirable teaching philosophy. Originally from Spain, he began his edu- cational journey at 17 in his hometown’s music school, teaching clarinet, band, and orchestra to students older than him. He obtained his music teaching degree in Spain before moving to Chicago, where he acquired his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music. He soon returned to Spain, working in a variety of different schools.
Seeking new opportunities, Mr Elguea relocated to China where he taught at the Western In- ternational School of Shanghai (WISS), gaining valuable experience in the PYP, MYP, and DP music programs. After nine years in Shanghai, he moved to Hong Kong, where he ini- tially taught PYP Music at Hong Kong Academy (HKA) before finding a new home at CDNIS three years later. After 21 years of teaching music around the world, Mr Elguea discovered that his passion for education stemmed from being able to mentor students in a culturally diverse environment.
Despite spending just a few weeks at CDNIS, Mr Elguea is enthusiastic about our school’s music ensembles and is eager to “contribute [his] best to support the growth of the programme.” He is also looking forward to assisting students in their musical development through the open music courses. Mr Elguea always comes from a place of support, believing that positive reinforcement and open communication is the key to seeing his students flourish.
Mr Fleming is our school’s new Transition Years music teacher. With over 17 years of mu- sical expertise, Mr Fleming has taught band, orchestra, and rock band across 4 continents. His passion for music began as a teenager in his high school’s music program, where a passionate band teacher inspired him to pursue a career in teaching music. After gra- duating high school, Mr Fleming obtained a bachelor’s degree in music education at the Berklee College of Music, later acquiring his master’s degree from Columbia University.
Mr Fleming is widely skilled in teaching music; with extensive international experien- ce, he has led countless orchestras and band classes globally to perform in festivals and competitions. He has taught ensembles in Egypt, Vietnam, Indonesia, the USA, and Spain.
The new school year marks Mr Fleming’s first time teaching in Hong Kong since relocating from Madrid, Spain. Despite initially feeling nervous, he has quickly become accustomed to our school.
Mr Fleming hopes to ensure “every student feels welcome and included in the music pro- gram at CDNIS”. He strongly believes that “music is for absolutely everyone”. His experience will undoubtedly foster a strong sense of belonging to the music program for Transition Years students, regardless of their musical abilities.