At the heart of SAO is growing team of facilitators, many experienced in world, classical and contemporary genres with a proven track record of excellence in project development, innovative collaboration, cross-cultural sensitivity with a passion for musical exploration. Our facilitators can be seen as teaching artists, that is, artists in their own right who have an innate gift for sharing ideas and nurturing learning experiences in others. The acclaimed American musician/teacher Eric Booth defines a teaching artist as a “practicing professional artist with the complementary skills, curiosities and sensibilities of an educator, who can effectively engage a wide range of people in learning experiences in, through, and about the arts.” It is this dual capacity to create and to help others create that exemplifies an SAO facilitator.