Bill Rossi Bio

Bill graduated from Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA, with a major in piano and composition in 1971, and taught on the faculty there before playing and teaching full time in Boston, Cincinnati, and Miami.

The diverse benefits of learning through the arts have always been of special interest to him, as has been the fact that we all have, as Howard Gardner coined it, multiple intelligences which will, if not engaged and promoted, create challenges for the individual. In fact, Bill knew from his experience that while students who are able to learn in the more linear fashion can achieve success in traditional schools, those who are less linear and favor other ways of learning are often put at risk – and that no matter what their learning style, all students learn best when allowed to learn creatively and flexibly through relationship.

In 1985 Bill relocated to Seattle and created The Rhythm Section Workshop, a studio for music instruction in which he offered private and ensemble instruction, mainly to adults. He also taught ensemble workshops at area high schools. While some of his music students came with the intention of playing professionally, most came for the balance and richness it brought to their lives. Most continued studying with him for many years.
Over time Bill developed a specific, progressive teaching approach that offers a solid artistic direction while promoting creativity and accommodating the student’s individual learning style. This approach, plus an original curriculum, is the basis of the Merge System for Creative Education.

The studio developed into a successful, creative enterprise with an excellent reputation. In 1994 Bill created Youth Advancement through Music & Art (YATMA), a non-profit organization, to provide scholarships to at-risk and underserved young people. The Seattle program was developed by creating relationships with various local organizations, including Seattle Children’s Home, the Langston Hughes Cultural Arts Center, Southwest Youth & Family Services, Harborview Medical Center and the Seattle Art Museum.

Once the Seattle Community Model was established, Bill relocated to Albany, NY on a 4-year contract with Parsons Child & Family Center, to integrate the YATMA program into that agency. At the end of that contract, YATMA received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and successfully replicated the program at Albany’s St. Anne Institute. YATMA’s name was then changed to EMTAH (Educational Mentoring through the Arts & Humanities).

In 2005 Bill began writing and documenting the program, and created the Merge System for Creative Education. Bill continues to serve as EMTAH’s executive director, now located in Chester County, PA, as he also serves as Creative Director at Merge Education, Inc.