Olaf Boelsen

ES Music and Band

This is my first year teaching at ICS. I will be teaching elementary music for kindergarten and early childhood classes as well as 5th grade band with Ms. Betty Chang.

I was born near Cologne, Germany and lived 12 years in Amsterdam, Netherlands before I moved to Addis Ababa, where I am living now for almost 6 years. I studied music at the Conservatory of Amsterdam, major instrument saxophone, and got my bachelor degree for music and music education.

I have taught general music, band, ear training, arranging and early music education as well as the instruments saxophone, flute, clarinet and piano at music schools in the Netherlands and Ethiopia. I also taught at Sandford International School, Addis Ababa and I am still teaching at the German Embassy School, Addis Ababa.

Beside my profession as a music teacher, I am a saxophonist in different formations playing Jazz, Ethiopian music and other world music. I am experienced in different music styles like Jazz, African music, Latin, Pop and classical music which I use for my band classes.

Since 1999, I am leading music projects between Europe and Ethiopia. In these projects Ethiopian and European musicians are fusing their music styles and giving concerts, workshops and making recordings. The previous one was an Ethio - Flamenco project with musicians and dancers from Spain, Holland and Ethiopia supported by the Embassy of Spain in Addis Ababa.

I am married to an Ethiopian and we have two small kids: my daughter Ella is 3½ years and my son Benno is 1 year old.