Anh-Thu G. Phan

New York City, NY, USA • (+1) 917 932 7905 • agp2132@tc.columbia.edu

EDUCATION
Teachers College, Columbia University New York City, USA 1/2019 – present
  • Doctor of Education in Music & Music Education
Teachers College, Columbia University New York City, USA 9/2015 – 5/2018
  • Master of Education in Music & Music Education
Orff Certificate: Level 1 New York City, USA 10/2015 – 2/2016
Teachers College, Columbia University New York City, USA 9/2013 – 5/2015
  • Master of Arts in Music & Music Education
National University of Singapore, Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music Singapore 7/2003 – 6/2007
  • Bachelor of Music (Honors) in Piano Performance
  • Program in collaboration with Peabody Conservatory of Music, Johns Hopkins University
 
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Teachers College, Columbia University
  Program Coordinator New York City, USA 2/2020 – present
  • Music Explorers Program
  • The program provides music instructions for children age 5 – 7 years old in keyboards and violins or ukuleles, to learn solo and ensemble repertoire with their parents/caregivers.
  • Marketing, logistical planning, website designing, and curriculum organizing.
 
  Research Assistant New York City, USA 9/2023 – present
  • A&HM 5022: Children's Musical Development.

  Teaching Assistant New York City, USA 1/2023 – present
  • A&HM 5021: Instrument Experiences with Children.

  Course Assistant New York City, USA 9/2019 – 12/2022
  • A&HM 5022: Children's Musical Development; A&HM 5021: Instrument Experiences with Children.

  Program Manager New York City, USA 8/2018
  • Artists of Tomorrow Jr. Summer chamber Music Workshop
  • Engaging young musicians (ages 6-13) in performing and understanding musical skills in duos, trios, or quartets.
  • Customizing repertoire according to individual skill levels and interests.
 
  Piano Instructor New York City, USA 1/2014 – present
  • A&HM 4350
  • Teaching graduate non-music-major students.
  • Conveying musical concepts by means of the students’ major backgrounds.
  • Crafting musical performances using interdisciplinary approaches.
 
  Pianist New York City, USA 9/2015 – present
  • Engaging young audience (aged 3-10) in actively listening and responding to live performance through multiple modalities
  • Designing and performing interactive children's themed concerts.
 
  Music Teacher  New York City, USA 9/2014 – 12/2016
  • Musical Communities at Teachers College: Music Explorers Program 
  • Taught group classes for student aged 5 – 7 years old.
  • Arranged compositions for beginners to play as ensembles (piano, ukulele, violin, and percussion).
 
  Music Teacher New York City, USA 1/2014 – 5/2014
  • The Rita Gold Early Childhood Center, Columbia University
  • Taught music to three age groups: Infants, Toddlers, Preschoolers
  • Emphasized on listening to, embodying, responding, and making music with folk songs and storytelling.
 
Teachers College Community School PS517
  Music Teacher New York City, USA 9/2020 – present
  • Classroom teacher for Grades 2, 5, 6, and 7
  • Lead Teacher for Digital Music Team.
  • Responsible for curriculum design and implementation.

Self-Employed
  Private Piano Teacher Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 3/2012 – 8/2013
  • Teaching young beginners, 18 students aged 4 – 6 years old, intermediate and advanced students, 14 students aged 7 – 13 years old.
  • Developing and implementing a piano curriculum using Gardner’s multiple-intelligences theory and Lister-Sink’s piano playing techniques.
  • Studying the Vietnamese educational market and comparing other music schools’ curricula.
 
Khuyến Nhạc Philharmonic School of Music & Arts
  Head of Piano Department Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 6/2008 – 3/2012
  • Teaching young beginners, 42 students aged 4 – 6 years old.
  • Designing the piano department’s assessment standards.
  • Conducting workshops on piano techniques and lesson planning for piano teachers.
 
Self-Employed
  Private Piano Teacher Singapore 8/2007 – 1/2008
  • Teaching for ABRSM examinations (grades 1-7).
  • Achieved a successful exam pass rate of 100%.
 
VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
Yes We Can Music, LLC
  President & CEO New York City, USA 8/2018 – present
  • Vision statement: envisioning a future where our emphasis on researching and teaching Vietnamese music and language plays a pivotal role in celebrating and preserving cultural diversity within the American context. Our organization aspires to lead in cultural studies and education, creating accessible tools that inspire appreciation and cross-cultural understanding. Our vision is of a world where cultural diversity thrives, greatly enriching American society, with Vietnamese communities at the forefront of this shared narrative, contributing to the broader tapestry of cultural understanding and unity.
  • Mission statement:To be a leading force in advancing Vietnamese music and language education, fostering connections that transcend borders and enhancing cultural diversity in the United States.
 
Mekong NYC (non-profit social organization)
  Artist-in-Residence / Music Teacher New York City, USA 3/2017 – present
  • Teaching Đàn Tranh Ensembles for children and adults.
  • Designing curricula with graphic representations of sounds and instruments string layouts to enhance accessibility for beginners.
 
  Artist-in-Residence New York City, USA 1/2014 – present
  • Developing activities to cultivate Southeast Asian identities in young children through music, visualization, and traditional games.
  • Designing props and conducting game stations at community events.
  • Performing Vietnamese traditional instruments with MTViet group to promote Vietnam culture throughout New York City.
 
Independent Book Publishers
  Cultural and Linguistic Consultant New York City, USA 12/2022 – 5/2023
  Linguistic Consultant and Voice-over Artist New York City, USA 7/2021
  • Nuanced Interpretation
  • 5 Volumes of Learning Vietnamese for Children
 
New-York Historical Society Museum & Library
  Linguistic Consultant and Voice-over Artist New York City, USA 10/2017 – 4/2018
  • Exhibition "The Vietnam War: 1945 – 1975"
  • Specialized in cultural consulting, emphasizing Vietnamese traditions, culstoms, and artifacts.

  Vietnamese Teacher New York City, USA 2/2018
  • Introducing Vietnamese linguistic tones and Vietnamese sound systems.
  • Designing games to teach Vietnamese pronunciation for children.
 
A Free Bird (non-profit arts education organization)
  Piano Teacher New York City, USA 1/2015 – 9/2016
  • Taught young people (aged 4-18) affected by cancer so that they can fight their cancer through the therapeutic benefits of the arts.
  • Conducted research on immunotherapy (fighting diseases by boosting natural immune systems) and cancer remission.
 
Wharton Music Center / Community Charter School in Paterson
  Teacher Assistant New Jersey, USA 9/2015 – 12/2015
  • Paterson Music Project is an El Sistema-inspired program which provides 6 hours of learning music per week for underserved children.
  • Facilitated classroom musical activities for 6 classes of students aged 7 – 11 years old.
 
Children Art Fiesta at Seiryo Kindergarten & Preschool
  Visiting Artist Chiba, Japan 8/2016
  • Design and build a sculpture playground for 500 children with an emphasis on promoting visual, auditory, and kinesthetic development.
  • Conduct workshops on making musical instruments from found objects.
 
The New York Philharmonic
  Activity Facilitator New York City, USA 8/2013 – 2019
  • Co-conduct pre- & post-concert activities to enhance musical concepts presented during the concerts for children:
  • — New York Philharmonic's Very Young People's Concert: Allegro and Adagio (4/2016), Forte and Piano (2/2016), Treble and Bass (11/2015), Building Blocks (3/2015), Make-Believe (2/2015), Games and Toys (11/2014), Percussion Family (4/2014), Brass Family (1/2014) Strings Family (12/2013).
  • — New York Philharmonic's Young People's Concert: New York Transformed! (1/2015).
 
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Graduate, Teachers College, Columbia University New York City, USA 8/2016 – present
Fellow, Temple University, the Center for Vietnamese Philosophy, Culture & Society Philadelphia, USA 8/2016 – present
  • Nguyễn, T. M. L., Phan, G. A. T., & Ngô, T. N. (2021, December). Case Study: Transcribe and Define Xẩm Music with Spectrogram. Paper presented at The Hybrid International Conference on Safeguarding and Promotion of the Arts of Hát Xẩm in Contemporary Society, Ninh Bình, Vietnam.
  • Phan, G. A. T. & Ngô, T. N. (2018, Nov). Towards An Educational Music Processor for Folk and Popular Musics. Presented at the 5th NAFOSTED International Conference on Information and Computer Science, co-organized by Ton Duc Thang University (TDTU) and Vietnam National Foundation for Science and Technology Development (NAFOSTED), and technically sponsored by IEEE, Tôn Đức Thắng University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
  • Phan, G. A. T. & Ngô, T. N. (2018, May). Teaching Vietnamese music through linguistic and folklore contexts. Presented at the Breaking Boundaries: Community Music Research Symposium, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York City, NY.
  • Ngô, T. N. & Phan, G. A. T. (2017). A Contribution to Teaching Vietnamese Music: Key Pitches in Context and Pitch Contour Graph. Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 3(5), 573-585. Hanoi: Vietnam.
  • Phan, G. A. T. & Ngô, T. N. (2017, November). A multi-disciplinary empirical approach to Vietnamese folk music studies. Presented at the 12th Annual Global Temple Conference, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.
  • Phan, G. A. T. & Ngô, T. N. (2017, October). A graphic presentation and preservation of Vietnamese story telling music. Presented at the 128th Annual American Folklore Society: Community, Resistance, Reclamation, and Re-Creation, Minneapolis, MN.
  • Phan, G. A. T. & Ngô, T. N. (2017, October). Capturing the Music: A case study of lý con sáo three regional "Songs of the Starling.” Presented at the 46th Annual Mid-Atlantic Region Association for Asian Studies Conference: Mobility, Technology and the Environment, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA.
  • Phan, G. A. T. & Ngô, T. N. (2017, April). Initial thoughts on analyzing sonic objects to aid multicultural education. Presented at the 2017 Asian American Education Conference, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York City, NY.
  • Phan, G. A. T. & Ngô, T. N. (2016, December). An initial analysis on the interactions of Vietnamese linguistic tones & Vietnamese folk music. Presented at the 5th International Conference on Vietnamese Studies: Sustainable Development in the Context of Global Change, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam.
  • Phan, G. A. T. & Ngô, T. N. (2016, November). An initial analysis on the interactions of Vietnamese music and its linguistic tones. Presented at the Eleventh Annual Global Temple Conference, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.
  • Ngô, T. N. & Phan, G. A. T. (2016, August). A contribution to teaching Vietnamese music: Key notes in context and pitch contour map. Presented at the 2016 International Conference on Education and Social Integration, Tôn Đức Thắng University, Hồ Chí Minh City, Vietnam.
  • xx Phan, G. A. T. & Nguyễn, Thị Mỹ Liêm (2019, November). Initial approach to the analysis of the Southern music of Đờn ca tài tử ‘Amateur Orchestra’ using a music processor, abstract submitted to the 64th Annual Conference of the Society for Ethnomusicology at Indiana University at Bloomington, November 7-10, 2019.
  • xx Phan, G. A. T. & Nguyễn, Thị Mỹ Liêm (2019, Apr). Common features of South-East Asian music seen through an educational music processor, in refereed roundtable session: Perspectives on Education in South East Asia. In CIES 63rd Annual Conference on Education for Sustainability, organized by Comparative International Education Society, San Francisco, April 14-18, 2019.
  • Phan, G. A. T. & Ngô, T. N. (2019, Mar).
    "Branding in the era of globalization: depth and breadth — A case for basic research: The folk music processor", Plenary Session III: National Branding: from the Culture, the People and Education, Brand Vietnam, Vietnam Global Leaders Forum VGLF 2019, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Association of Vietnamese Scientists and Experts, at Carrousel du Louvre, Paris, France, March 30-31, 2019.
     
  • Phan, G. A. T. & Ngô, T. N. (2018, Nov). Towards An Educational Music Processor for Folk and Popular Musics, Proceedings of the 5th NAFOSTED International Conference on Information and Computer Science, Science & Technics Publishing House, pp. 330-333, IEEE Catalog No. CFP18C61-ART, ISBN 978-1-5386-7983-8/18/$31.00. The Conference was co-organized by Tôn Đức Thắng University, Vietnam National Foundation for Science and Technology Development (NAFOSTED), IEEE and IEEE Vietnam.
  • Phan, G. A. T. & Ngô, T. N. (2018, May). Teaching Vietnamese music through linguistic and folklore contexts. Presented at Breaking Boundaries: Community Music Research Symposium, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York City, NY.
  • Ngô, T. N. & Phan, G. A. T. (2017). A Contribution to Teaching Vietnamese Music: Key Pitches in Context and Pitch Contour Graph, Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 3(5): 573-585. Hanoi: Vietnam. A copy can also be found here.
  • Phan, G. A. T. & Ngô, T. N. (2017, November). Capturing the Music: The Digitization and Preservation of Vietnamese Traditional Folk Music, in Panel 4: A multi-disciplinary empirical approach to Vietnamese folk music studies. Presented at the 12th Annual Global Temple Conference, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.
  • Phan, G. A. T. & Ngô, T. N. (2017, October). A graphic presentation and preservation of Vietnamese story telling music. Presented at the 128th Annual American Folklore Society: Community, Resistance, Reclamation, and Re-Creation, Minneapolis, MN.
  • Phan, G. A. T. & Ngô, T. N. (2017, October). Capturing the Music: A case study of lý con sáo three regional "Songs of the Starling.” Presented at the 46th Annual Mid-Atlantic Region Association for Asian Studies Conference: Mobility, Technology and the Environment, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA.
  • Phan, G. A. T. & Ngô, T. N. (2017, April). Initial thoughts on analyzing sonic objects to aid multicultural education. Presented at the 2017 Asian American Education Conference, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York City, NY.
  • Phan, G. A. T. & Ngô, T. N. (2016, December). An initial analysis on the interactions of Vietnamese linguistic tones & Vietnamese folk music, Proceedings from the 5th International Conference on Vietnamese Studies: Sustainable Development in the Context of Global Change, Hanoi: Vietnam.
  • Phan, G. A. T. & Ngô, T. N. (2016, November). An initial analysis on the interactions of Vietnamese music and its linguistic tones. Presented at the Eleventh Annual Global Temple Conference, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.
  • Ngô, T. N. & Phan, G. A. T. (2016, August). A contribution to teaching Vietnamese music: Key notes in context and pitch contour map. Presented at the 2016 International Conference on Education and Social Integration, Tôn Đức Thắng University, Hồ Chí Minh City, Vietnam.
 
HONORS / SCHOLARSHIP
  • Evalyn Edwards Milman Music Fellowship2020 – present
  • Innovation Award People’s Award https://www.tc.columbia.edu/articles/2021/january/innovating-against-isolation/2021
  • Teachers College’s Florence K. Geffen Scholarship 2019
  • Teachers College’s K. & E. R. Knapp Endowment 2019
  • Teachers College’s International Scholarship 2019
  • Teachers College’s Provost’s Grant for Professional Development 2017,2019
  • American Folklore Society’s Gerald L. Davis Fund Travel Grant 2017
  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs Vietnam’s Cultural Seed Grant 2017
  • Teachers College’s Provost’s Grant for Professional Development 2016
  • Research Fellow at Temple University, Center for Vietnamese, Culture & Society 2016
  • Artist-in-Residence at Mekong NYC 2016
  • Hadassah Sahr scholarship for pianists in music education 2015
  • Teachers College 125th Anniversary Scholarship 2014 – 2015
  • Keppel Music Scholarship: Full Scholarship to Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, National University of Singapore 2003 – 2007
  • Theory Student of the Year, Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, National University of Singapore 2004
  • Full Scholarship to Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music, Vietnam  1992 – 2003
  • Consolation Prize – First Young Talent Piano Competition 1996
  • Young Talent Award – Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture and Information 1994
  • First Prize for Piano Solo – Vietnam’s National Music Festival 1994
  • First Prize - Junior Piano Festival, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 1992
 
PIANO PERFORMANCE EXPERIENCE
Producing Music Videos with multiple camera angles: one-person production
Recitals:
  • Interactive Children's Concert (for Preschool-Age Students), Teachers College, Columbia University 5/2015
  • Interactive Children's Concert (for Elementary-Age Students), Teachers College, Columbia University 5/2015
  • Senior Recital, Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, National University of Singapore 4/2007
  • Piano Recital, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 3/2007
  • Junior Recital, Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, National University of Singapore 3/2006
 
Solo Performances:
  • Primarily Piano: A Solo Piano Showcase, Victoria Concert Hall, Singapore
    — Carl Vine: Five Bagatelles (1994) 		10/2005
  • Primarily Piano: A Solo Piano Showcase, Victoria Concert Hall, Singapore
    — Franz Joseph Haydn: Sonata in E flat Major, Hob. XV I:49 		11/2004
  • Thursday Noon Recital, University Cultural Centre, National University of Singapore
    — Frédéric Chopin: Nocturne No. 14 in F sharp Minor, Op. 48 		4/2004
  • Primarily Piano: Inaugural Concert, University Cultural Centre, National University of Singapore
    — Béla Bartók: Fourteen Bagatelles, Op. 6 		11/2003
 
Ensemble Performances:
  • Five-Theme Chant & Lý Con Sáo three regional "Songs of the Starling," Mekong 5th Anniversary, Judson Memorial Church, NYC 3/2016
  • Camille Saint-Saëns: The Carnival of the Animals, for 2 Pianos and Chamber Ensemble, Singapore / Hanoi 9/2011 – 10/2011
  • Camille Saint-Saëns: Septet in E-flat major, Op. 65, for trumpet, piano, string quartet, and double bass, Singapore / Hanoi 9/2011 – 10/2011
  • Edward Gregson: The Sword and The Crown, Singapore 3/2007
  • Maurice Ravel: Rapsodie Espagnole for 2 Pianos, Singapore 12/2006
  • Halsey Stevens: Sonata for Trumpet and Piano, Singapore 9/2005
  • Domenico Dragonetti: Double Bass Concerto in G Major, D. 290, Singapore 3/2005
 
Festivals & Broadcasts:
  • Tunghai University Music Festival, Taiwan 7/2005
  • Vietnam’s National Music Festival 10/1994
  • Nationwide Piano Performance Series, Vietnam 8/1993
  • Television Broadcasts on Vietnam’s National Channels 1992 – 1996
  • Junior Piano Festival, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 3/1992
 
OTHER INSTRUMENT PERFORMANCE EXPERIENCE
Multi-media and multi-instruments
  • Soulful Vietnam Tourism Roadshow, Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, Washington D.C., USA 9/2018
  • Vietnam: Of Mythical Tales and Songs, Charles B. Wang Center, SUNY Stony Brook, New York, USA
    — a multi-media performance of Vietnamese folk music, mythical tales and poetry
    — with Ngô Thanh Nhàn 		2/2018
  • 9th Annual Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration: One World, Many Cultures,
    SUNY Stony Brook Charles B. Wang Theater 		5/2017
 
Drum Set
  • Musical Serenades, Milbank Chapel, New York City, USA
    — Sam Stept, Lew Brown, & Charles Tobias: Comes Love 		5/2014
 
Vietnamese Monochord Đàn bầu
  • NYC Councilman Daniel Dromm's Lunar New Year Celebration, St. James Church, Elmhurst, NY 2/2019
  • NYC Councilman Daniel Dromm's Lunar New Year Celebration, St. James Church, Elmhurst, NY 2/2018
  • Mekong Lunar New Year 2017 Celebration, with Mekong Arts & Music Ensemble (MẮM), St. James Recreation Center, Bronx 2/2017
  • 37th Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Festival, Chinatown at Mott & Canal, NY 5/2016
  • Mekong 4th Anniversary. Assembly Hall of Judson Memorial Church, Thompson Street, NY 3/2016
  • NYC Councilman Daniel Dromm's Lunar New Year Celebration, St. James Church, Elmhurst, NY 2/2016
  • Mekong Lunar New Year 2016 Celebration, Gymnasium of St. Nicholas of Tolentine Church, Bronx 2/2016
  • Mekong Youth Community Event, Fordham Bedford Garden, 2751 Grand Concourse, Bronx 8/2015
  • 6th Annual Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration, Suffolk County Asian American Advisory Board 5/2014
  • New York City's Multicultural Festival − Celebrate Diversity, Celebrate You, 5th Anniversary, NY African Chorus Ensemble Inc. 5/2014
 
Vietnamese Moon-shaped Lute Đàn nguyệt
  • 38th Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Festival, Chinatown at Mott & Canal, New York 5/2017
  • 7th Annual Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration, Suffolk County Asian American Advisory Board, NY 5/2015
  • Cambodian New Year Celebration, Mekong NYC, New York 4/2015