Eleanor Dubinsky 

 

" Art is important because art is about imagination, and about envisioning new possibilities. If we can imagine a better world, we can change our world for the better. If we can imagine other peoples' lives and feelings that are not our own, and step outside our own realities, we can grow our capacity to build bridges between different points of view. Art is also important because through making art, we realize and grow ourselves. The quirky, particular ideas that can come only from us can grow into beautiful creations that plant our feet in the world as someone who belongs, who exists. Expressing one's voice in the world through art is an act of power, and that power is contagious. Through making art we declare that our story has value, and therefore, that your story has value. We can also tell other peoples' stories, stories that would not otherwise be heard, and therefore broaden the depth of our social discourse. Art keeps us company. Through experiencing a resonant work of art, we feel less alone, we feel moved and more in touch with our essence. Art is also important because making art demands discipline, self knowledge, commitment and focus. We take vulnerable parts of ourselves and craft them into an entity that can be consumed and experienced by others. This process is challenging and demands courage. Through art we learn life skills, and each project leads us to the next."

 

Eleanor Dubinsky is a New York City based singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and dancer. She writes original songs in English, French and Spanish with rhythmic influences from Brazil, Latin America and West Africa. Eleanor's creative roots are in classical cello study, which she began at the age of three. During her adolescence, she expanded into singing jazz vocals, performing musical theater and studying contemporary dance and choreography. Eleanor graduated from Brown University in 1998 with a BA in Educational Studies, focusing on the relationship between art and social change. She also completed a semester program on the same subject with the School For International Training in Prague, Czech Republic. After completing the program and her degree in the United States, Eleanor moved to Prague to work in the office of former Czech president Vaclav Havel and to continue creative work in dance and music.  
Current work:
Eleanor performs her music regularly in New York City, nationally and internationally at venues including Joe's Pub, World Cafe Live Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Museum Of Art, The Kimmel Center For the Performing Arts and more. She also teaches music to preschool students, assists international musicians with USA concert bookings and performs at New York Presbyterian Hospital, playing music for and with children undergoing cancer treatment. In 2015 she partnered with the Central Park SummerStage concert series, co-organizing a series of after parties bringing headlining artists into direct interaction with their audiences.

Eleanor has released two CDs to date: Touch The Sky (2011) and Listen To The Music (2012), as well as singles she co-wrote with notable New York based jazz musicians. Her songs have been featured on MTV, Lifetime and Animal Planet, ads for American Express, radio stations throughout Mexico and various National Public Radio stations. Her song, “Wait For You,” won the Sennheiser recording contest at the 2012 ASCAP EXPO. Over the past five years, Eleanor has delved deeper into Cape Verdean and Portuguese music. Greatly inspired by songwriters Sara Tavares and Dino D'Santiago, she is studying Cape Verdean rhythms and collaborating with musicians from Brazil, Portugal, Angola and Cape Verde.  

Languages and looking ahead:
Eleanor speaks French, Spanish, Portuguese, and conversational Italian and Czech. In addition to writing and performing new music, she is interested in serving diverse students around the globe as an arts educator, and in contributing meaningfully to the conversation about the importance of imagination and creativity in schools. In June 2016, Eleanor completed a an ICAT (Institute For Community Action Training) intensive with Gibney Dance Center NYC. The mission of the training is to "help participants mobilize the arts as a vehicle for social change." She intends to use her workshop experience to further develop cultural activities in the Ritsona refugee camp in Greece, which she recently visited with a volunteer musical project, and to develop curricula for her current and future students.

 

-eleanordubinsky.com

 

Programs Visited:

LA POSADA DE BELEN in Alajuela, Costa Rica

MUSICAMOR – Songwriting Workshop – Donated 

March 2017