Team
Better together: Hit-the-Beat-Team
„Unity through cultural diversity“ – also lives in our team profile. We’re all pulling together to make the best of the potential and talents of our participants. We are a flexible team of 13 trainers and several trainees in southern Africa and Germany. We would be glad to take up requests from other countries too.
Simone de Picciotto
Founder and artistic director
As music teacher, music/sound therapist and rhythm coach, Simone has a designing hand in every Hit the Beat event. Through her musical, creative and artistic leadership she both inspires and is a living expression of intercultural dialogue – also in her intercultural and inter-religious family life. Her focus lies in combining musical education, cultural diversity and non-verbal communication. This is why she founded Hit the Beat in 1999. She began with drumming workshops for students in Germany and later in Namibia. Since then, together with her team of professional artists, she has been continually building up the work with children, adolescents and young adults. She owns an extraordinary collection of over 162 instruments from different cultures and continents.
Hans-Peter Seeger
Hit the Beat board member
Hans-Peter has 30 years’ experience in setting up and being responsible for the successful running of youth education initiatives, one of them being Windhoek Waldorf School, where he was CEO for 10 years. His focus lies in school-based education, vocational training and project management in the area of art and culture – in an inter-cultural context.
Carmen Scarano
Advanced Senior Trainer - Dance teacher and choreographer
Carmen is an independent chorographer and dance teacher for social-, theatre-, school- and dance-projects. She teaches all-comers, both lay and profi, in classical ballet, modern jazz, contemporary and jazz dance, and loves working with young people and culturally diverse groups.
Caro Krebietke
Advanced Senior Trainer - Art teacher and independent artist
Caro stages international, participatory art projects for children, adolescents and adults. She has been successful in designing projects for complete beginners – and is happy to use local resources and low-cost materials.
Felix Spitta
Hip-Hop artist and film-maker
Felix regards himself as fortunate in being able to live his passion and express himself through music and film. As a professional in hip-hop and film-making for Hit the Beat he offers hip-hop workshops and makes brilliant films
Gela Gordon
Advanced Senior Trainer - Director, actor and psychotherapist
Gela is a director in film and theatre, and lectures at drama schools. In projects she uses methods she has devised herself: ConActation, constellationacting- creation. Her stage productions and choreographies are stunningly original.
Luigi Scarano
Personal development coach, actor and singer
Luigi coaches young people in the area of inter-cultural education and stage-skills, also in singing and poetry. In doing so he is also working on their self-confidence and strengthening their personality.
Katharina Wyss
Social designer
Katharina enjoys renewing the spaces people live in and thus renewing their lives. It’s all about powerful atmospheres and resonance: the “how” is the decisive factor. As a coach she gives developmental advice to teams and families. She supports Hit the Beat with graphics and publicity work.
Tapuwanashe „Tapz“ Munyayi
Advanced Senior Trainer - Musician, song-writer, activist
Tapz is studying African music and music theory in Namibia, and does drumming workshops for Hit the Beat. Originally from Zimbabwe, he works in support of young artists and community projects. He enjoys inter-cultural exchange and performing with his band.
Faizel Browny
Advanced Senior Trainer - Dancer
Faizel is from Namibia and has studied dance. With Hit the Beat he has been leading African dance workshops, both traditional and modern, for many years. His heart is in his work with young people and he loves giving them the chance to be on stage.
Sarah Situde
Choir leader
Sarah is a former student of Windhoek Waldorf School and has been a choir leader with Hit the Beat for five years. She sings, drums and has a whole African repertoire under her belt – always smiling and full of energy.
Claude Schmidt
Pianist, music producer, publisher, lecturer
Claude has been on the road in the music business for 25 years: those special moments when spirit and emotion combine to make something new continue to inspire him. In Hit the Beat he passes this fire on and, as accompanist and bandleader, creates the context for talents to shine.
Ian Jaleel Brendell
Senior Trainer - RnB artist and musician
Jaleel, from Windhoek in Namibia, has been making music since he was nine. He writes, plays and produces his own RnB music. As a coach for rap and hip-hop he really hits the beat.
Ruth Kahuure
Advanced Junior trainer and singer
Ruth is an asset to Hit the Beat as singer, choir leader and event manager. This proud Herero beauty and former student of Windhoek Waldorf School sings, drums and regularly enchants the public with her moving African solos.
Zephy Kameeta
Advanced Junior trainer and poetry slammer
As singer and poetry slammer, Zephy is an integral part of Hit the Beat. He is a former student of Windhoek Waldorf School and writes about Africa, about the disintegration and integration of cultures. His dramatic texts and authentic presence are very moving.
Antonia de Picciotto
Advanced Junior trainer and event manager
Antonia attended Windhoek Waldorf School for a number of years and now lives in Germany. She is a bridge-builder between continents – in her capacity as event manager and tour-guide with Hit the Beat. She was on the scene of Hit the Beat even before she could walk.
Olaf Spitta
ADVANCED JUNIOR TRAINER – FILM MAKER
Adriana Paula Kasinda
SENIOR TRAINER – DANCER & SINGING
Marscha Kaffer
SENIOR TRAINER – DANCER & SINGING
Toivo Paulus
SENIOR TRAINER – PERCUSSION & SINGING
Bret Kamwi
SENIOR TRAINER – POETRY & DRAMA
