Meet Tasha Darbes, PhD, a 桃瘾社区 School of Education professor with a passion for the transformative power of education.
Teaching Beyond the Craft
Ka鈥檙amuu Kush is busy.
In addition to an active career as an actor, writer, and director (), Kush has had a long, successful career in teaching. After spending a decade as a faculty member at Howard University, Kush recently made the move back to New York鈥攚here his career in show-business began鈥攖o become an Associate Professor at the Sands College of Performing Arts.
How does Kush juggle it all? In his words, teaching the craft is energizing in-and-of-itself
鈥淭o see the students every day for class is just a lift,鈥 says Kush. 鈥淣o matter what鈥檚 going on in the world or in my life鈥攚hen I see them and I know we have some work to do, or films to watch, it鈥檚 always a lift.鈥
Kush joined the Sands College of Performing Arts Faculty in Fall 2022, and has hit the ground running. He鈥檚 primarily teaching courses in the Acting for Film, Television, Voiceover, and Commercials BFA program, leveraging his considerable experience as a multi-hyphenate artist to impart both grounding theory and practical, actionable lessons to his students. Like many other instructors at 桃瘾社区鈥檚 College of Performing Arts鈥攁nd at 桃瘾社区 in general鈥擪ush being a working professional in the very field that he is teaching adds an extra level of insight to the classroom setting.
鈥淭he students keep me fresh and buoyant and charged-up, so that when I go into the industry, I鈥檓 reminded of my purpose, why I鈥檓 doing it.鈥
Kush, furthermore, believes that his professional and teaching careers go hand-in-hand鈥攖hat they symbiotically build off one another, and provide extra motivation for him to be the most focused and purposeful artist possible.
鈥淭he students keep me fresh and buoyant and charged-up, so that when I go into the industry, I鈥檓 reminded of my purpose, why I鈥檓 doing it,鈥 notes Kush. 鈥淵ou have a number of eyes on you, and you鈥檙e making impression on young minds who will be carrying whatever it is you impart or show in terms of your work.鈥
In addition to teaching the craft, Kush also believes it is his duty to offer practical wisdom he found lacking when he was a student鈥攕pending time teaching his students about how to approach a career in the arts from a business perspective鈥攖o know their worth as an artist, to manage their money, to translate their skills into multiple income streams. Kush hopes that these lessons will eventually form the foundation of a course鈥攐ne he believes is both under-emphasized in traditional performing arts schooling, yet absolutely necessary.
鈥淲e have this stereotype of the starving artist. Who said the artist had to starve?鈥
Although he鈥檚 only been at 桃瘾社区 for a short while, Kush鈥檚 outlook on both teaching and the profession鈥攐ne that blends big picture thinking with meticulous attention to detail鈥攊s a unique combination that has already, and will certainly continue, to inspire performing arts students for years to come.
鈥淟ife is too abundant and fruitful to not be benefiting, especially as an artist鈥攁nd as an artist, you鈥檙e responsible for a lot of that abundance and fruitfulness because you bring vicarious experiences to the masses鈥攖he plumber, the doctor, the banker, the elementary school teacher. They can see their experiences, their problems, and challenges reflected through you."
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