Learning German through music? - Music - Under The Wire ...

The Christine Fréchard Gallery in Squirrel Hill -- and its lively French namesake -- recently posted signs advertising "learn Spanish through dance" and "learn German through music." Proprietor of Europ'ART in Lawrenceville until 2002 , Fréchard recently opened the pristine Forbes Avenue gallery displaying abstract work, and attempts to combine art with music and linguistics, offering language lessons with a unique artistic component. 

To that end, she has Guinean dancer/drummer Kadiatou Conté teaching French through African rhythms; French hornist David Lintz instructing in German via Teutonic composers; and Venezuelan José Layo Puentes playing (a Latin American mini-guitar with four nylon strings) while imparting Spanish. "The artists who give the classes are great musicians," Fréchard says.

Another African musician, Yamoussa Camara (who played with pop star Mory Kanté) started a Tuesday class for African drumming. She's also hosting small-scale performances in the gallery; at 8 p.m. Sat., Nov. 7 , Camara presents Pittsburgh-based world-fusion group Soma Mestizo . For info on the gallery and classes, contact Fréchard at 724-766-0104 or christinefrechardgallery@gmail.com .

Corey Layman , bassist for Pittsburgh indie-rockers Karl Hendricks Trio , has embarked on writing a song per week for a year, and posting the results on a music blog called Project 52 . The project, at www.developermusic.com/blog , was inspired by his newfound ability to do multi-tracking and electronic music using iPhone apps like DopplerPad

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