Laura Giosh Markov
After high school in Chicago, Laura got in her car and crossed the continent to Oregon, initiating her own Hero's journey. Her interests in foreign language, music, theatre, dance, education, and health intersected in various ways along the road: Learning French, Spanish, and Italian while poring over opera libretti, practicing arias while driving trucks for her day job, perfoming in plays and musicals, using ballet to heal her body, exploring everything from toning to acupuncture, teaching kids to sing and dance while learning Spanish and French, and composing poems and songs while pedaling her bike around the towns she lived in. Several cities, states, universities and jobs later, Laura (and her parents!) were thrilled that she finished a degree in Music Education. However, teaching music in a local school was anti-climactic so she crossed the Atlantic and landed in Paris- the ideal place to perfect her French and work on singing.
Living in Paris as a student without a work visa opened up new adventures- modeling, giving workshops, perfoming in ensembles around the country, and even a stint as an assistant for Elie Wiesel's Peace Conference when he won the Nobel Peace Prize. Laura had lead roles in the musical CATS Paris before living and working in Germany for several months. Later, she met her husband-to-be, a rock musician from Sofia, Bulgaria.
This time, she boarded a slow train east with a backpack and a heart full of hopes and dreams for a stable existence with a life partner. However, 1990 was the worst possible year for this newly liberated eastern block country. Life in a post-communist country was full of shortages, poverty and despair. There were also new possibilities and Laura supported her husband in starting the first rock radio station. The world of advertising opened up and she helped write copy for ads and jingles, did voice overs, and worked on kids songs with her husband.
Laura began teaching English at the French school, and later, taught French at the American school and high school. Soon she was teaching Music and Drama, and putting on yearly all-school musicals. Later, Laura became the first long-term counselor, co-creating a transition program for parents and students. Positive Discipline parent workshops became an important part of her role in the community.
Combining her counselor and musical backgrounds, Laura is a certified music therapist, using expressive art techniques to support children and adults with specific issues or for personal growth. She continues to compose school songs, kids songs, and songs about life.
Presently, Laura is the Principal at a private kindergarten in Sofia where she is responsible for the social-emotional part of the program, teacher training and parent consultant. Using music, movement, and drama is an essential part of her lessons with children.
You can find out more about her work at
www.lauramarkov.com
Living in Paris as a student without a work visa opened up new adventures- modeling, giving workshops, perfoming in ensembles around the country, and even a stint as an assistant for Elie Wiesel's Peace Conference when he won the Nobel Peace Prize. Laura had lead roles in the musical CATS Paris before living and working in Germany for several months. Later, she met her husband-to-be, a rock musician from Sofia, Bulgaria.
This time, she boarded a slow train east with a backpack and a heart full of hopes and dreams for a stable existence with a life partner. However, 1990 was the worst possible year for this newly liberated eastern block country. Life in a post-communist country was full of shortages, poverty and despair. There were also new possibilities and Laura supported her husband in starting the first rock radio station. The world of advertising opened up and she helped write copy for ads and jingles, did voice overs, and worked on kids songs with her husband.
Laura began teaching English at the French school, and later, taught French at the American school and high school. Soon she was teaching Music and Drama, and putting on yearly all-school musicals. Later, Laura became the first long-term counselor, co-creating a transition program for parents and students. Positive Discipline parent workshops became an important part of her role in the community.
Combining her counselor and musical backgrounds, Laura is a certified music therapist, using expressive art techniques to support children and adults with specific issues or for personal growth. She continues to compose school songs, kids songs, and songs about life.
Presently, Laura is the Principal at a private kindergarten in Sofia where she is responsible for the social-emotional part of the program, teacher training and parent consultant. Using music, movement, and drama is an essential part of her lessons with children.
You can find out more about her work at
www.lauramarkov.com
