Anya's Garden Natural Perfume Classes

Blog Updates for Anya's Garden Natural Perfumery Institute - now at Anya's Garden blog

2011-01-16T14:17:00.000-05:00

We're consolidating all of the blog announcements for Anya's Garden Natural Perfumery Institute at http://PerfumeClasses.com and the Natural Perfumers Guild http://naturalperfumers.com at Anya's Garden blog http://anyasgarden.blogspot.com

Please click on http://anyasgarden.blogspot.com Thank you

Anya's Garden Natural Perfumery Institute: Now offering chat group for offline students, free aromatics kit, plus much more

2010-12-21T21:51:00.000-05:00

Anya's Garden Natural Perfumery Institute is the only perfumery course that allows offline students the chance to take part in daily chats with other students and the Instructor! Anya has many years experience hosting lively perfumery chat groups and has extended this to her offline students. Nobody left out in the cold!

Earning a living as a perfume artist is the goal of every hobbyist, and it must start with well-made perfumes! This year has been a very rewarding one for me, and I have a higher income now than when I was working at a very well-paying corporate job. It may take years to build up your hobby into a real career, but it can be done. Several of the perfumers who were in the two Guild projects this year have reported to me that they have had great sales as a result. The economy is definitely improving, and you may wish to gift yourself with an investment in your future as a perfumer by studying with me.

I have spent years mentoring folks in this group, and more recently, adding the students who are enrolled at http://PerfumeClasses.com into my circle, checking their assignments, giving feedback, and encouraging them.

Be sure to check out the entire site to fully appreciate what is offered.

Offline enrollment is a great value, and, if the student wishes, can be upgraded to online status at any time.

Certification in Basic Natural Perfumery is rewarded upon completion of the course.

Now through Dec. 31st, the first Aromatics kit is included free-of-charge to online students. http://perfumeclasses.com/enroll/signup.php

Natural Perfumers Guild members receive 10% off their tuition fee - see our current Discount page after you log in on the Guild site. http://naturalperfumers.com/apply/member.php

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Anya's Garden Natural Perfumery Institute Director and Head Instructor posts list of articles

2010-09-30T15:38:00.000-05:00

Director and Head Instructor Anya McCoy, natural perfumer of Anya's Garden, just published a list of articles she has authored on the subjects of natural perfumery, perfumery and book reviews since 2004. They are available for download from http://perfumeclasses.com/faculty.htm

McCoy, A. - Natural Perfumery: A Fragrant Evolution (pub. Aromatic Sage.com)

McCoy, A. - Steve Earl - Position Paper: Defining Natural Perfumery (pub. self)

McCoy, A. - Robert Tisserand, Tony Burfield - IFRA/EU Boycott Primer (pub. self)

McCoy, A. - The Beauty of Botanicals Made Liquid: The Passion of Natural Perfumers (pub. Basenotes.net)

McCoy, A. - The Stages of Public Acceptance of Natural Perfumery (pub. Basenotes.net)

McCoy, A. - Book Review: What the Nose Knows (pub. Basenotes.net)

McCoy, A. - Book Review: The Essence of Perfume (pub. Basenotes.net)

McCoy, A. - Anya's Garden blog since 2006 - hundreds of short articles on perfumery

Anya's Garden Natural Perfumery Institute: Offering Natural Isolates course

2010-09-26T20:59:00.003-05:00

http://PerfumeClasses.com

Elise Pearlstine, PhD, is on board for the Natural Isolates course. The information that she and I are researching and the expanded outline we've developed for the course are incredibly educational. We have ancient books, modern books, a chemist as a consult, and lots of never-before-in-one-place information to share. The course will be offered in February 2011.

Perfume podcasts now available on http://perfumeclasses.com

2010-09-26T20:57:00.000-05:00

I just uploaded two podcasts to the
http://PerfumeClasses.com/ website for the enjoyment of the general
public. If you have any suggestions as to future public podcasts, let me
know. The students enjoy lengthy, informative podcasts as part of
their education at Anya's Garden Natural Perfumery Institute, and I
...decided to make some new public-side podcasts for everyone. http://perfumeclasses.com/podcasts.htm

How do you choose a perfumery instructor?

2010-05-25T11:14:00.000-05:00

I've rewritten some of the homepage for my online natural perfumery course at Anya's Garden Natural Perfumery Institute, and I've added some Q & A about how to choose an instructor. Not many potential students knew who I was, or my credentials before I began teaching online in 2007, but I had some independently-reviewed perfumes to my credit, and five years of helping aspiring perfumers for free in the Yahoo group I host. I also had about 15 years of experience with a perfume line - Anya's Tropical Essences - and both private label and custom perfume creation.

I'll soon be admitting students year-round, due to the high demand for a place in the class. After I cut off the registration in February, more than a dozen students wrote in the week following that, and, at first I was going to begin a new semester in October 2010, but after speaking with other veteran online instructors, am going to allow the open admittance policy.

Here are some of the benefits of my online perfumery course:

There are no prerequisites
Study with an award-winning perfumer who has seven years experience mentoring perfumers
Sign up at any time, start your studies immediately
Take up to one year to complete your studies, and stay enrolled for one additional year
Coursework based on the methods and techniques of French perfumery schools
Have 24-hour access to the online course
Study anywhere - even on vacation
Network with students from around the world
Have access to the website and chat group for one year after studies finish.
Ask questions in the forum of the instructor and receive answers within 24 hours
Six professionally-designed and edited Modules, plus a Bonus Module
Recorded lectures
Online fun perfumery quizzes, hundreds of books and articles and more......

Anya's Garden Natural Perfumery Institute Will Soon Have Year-Round Enrollment

2010-04-06T10:10:00.000-05:00

The image is that of an old Frapper map of the students. I think Frapper is going to be gone within the year, and I'll miss it. It hasn't updated for a while, and while it was, it was fun to see where all the students of the Anya's Garden Natural Perfumery Institute were located all over the world. We have had four from Australia since this map appeared, one from Singapore, Germany, Kuwait...the list is truly international. I'm going to find a new way to map the students, "watch this space" as they say ;-)

About the course and the website - you know, when you build something from the ground up, with your own knowledge, your own creative ideas, and your own hours of dedication and hard work, it means so much. It's your baby, nobody else can claim it, you made it. It's very rewarding, very rewarding.

When I was prodded into teaching back in 2007, I put the coursework together as quickly as I could, to meet the student's demands. So I created a Primer, and it allowed the students to see the outline of what was going to be taught, but I was working every month to build the course content on the website behind the scenes. So the students had to combine the Primer's information with the more detailed, instructive information on the website, and I'm happy to say it went very well.

Two lovely students helped me edit it a bit at that time, and I'm forever grateful to them. Thanks Denise and Nancy! Now I have a consulting editor on a monthly retainer, and the resultant product is fabulous! I have a book deal in the works for the textbook, and so we're going in and editing it some more. I'm just happy to have someone to edit my dangling participles, correct my wandering tenses, and generally whip it all into shape. The fact that she's a dedicated natural perfumer and a bona fide technical writer (worked for Microsoft and Boeing) is just a fabulous gift to me. And the students.

The new website, on a different platform than the previous three courses, it a breeze to work with. I had a professional IT webmaster for the old Moodle site, and even then, there were lots of problems. Moodle is a dinosaur! The new platform is fast, easily customizable, and I have a pretty, pretty website for the students this time around - and from now on.

Imagine my surprise when over a dozen prospective students tried to enroll after the course began! Looking to the future, I'm reworking the site a bit so that students will be able to sign up at any time, year-round, and jump right into their studies. This is a great decision, and I hope to have the website tweaked for this within a month.

That's it for now, the February 2010 course is in session, there are 12 students instead of the 10 I originally planned for, and everything is moving smoothly. I have a medical doctor, a chemical engineer, a science teacher, several aromatherapists, a Marine in Kuwait, a massage therapist, and several business owners in the class. They're a wonderful group, and I love interacting with them - on a frequent, almost daily basis - in the private chat group.

I know that the art of natural perfumery will keep growing with such dedicated and passionate students in the mix, because they're the next generation, and that's very exciting.

Anya's Garden Natural Perfumery Institute: Student Registration Starts December 1, 2009

2009-11-16T22:12:00.008-05:00

The next basic perfumery course offered by Anya's Garden Natural Perfumery Institute will commence in late February, 2010. The exact date will be announced soon.

The homepage for Perfume Classes.com has been updated and the latest information for the newly-revised curriculum can be found there. There are now three options for study:

Web-based:

1. An interactive, fast-paced course that is six-months long and
2. A self-paced option for those who wish to study on their own.

Distance learning non-web-based:

3. Textbook and kit supplied, no website access

Since the opening of the school in 2007, about one hundred students have enrolled, and dozens have received their certificate of completion. Since some students fell behind in their studies due to family, work or other issues, it was decided to open the self-paced option. Students can enroll at any time for that option, but the interactive course starts in February and requires a commitment to stay apace of the studies. If the student falls behind, they will be placed in the self-paced option.

Instructor Anya McCoy is an accomplished artisan natural perfumer with a history of helping people from all over the work learn about perfumery in the Yahoo group she has hosted since 2002, and her perfumes receive rave reviews from many perfume bloggers. Also available for individual consultation, she conducts her artisan perfumery from Miami Shores, Florida, where she maintains a garden of fragrant tropical plants, many used in her perfumes. Anya is the President of the Natural Perfumers Guild and in that role maintains a roster of the most respected names in perfumery, all dedicated to the use of natural aromatics.

All students will have full access to the numerous resources on the website as they move forward in their perfumery studies.

Registration is open to a limited number of students, and will begin December 1, 2009.

Updated Syllabus for Anya's Garden Online Basic Natural Perfumery Course - Fall 2008

2008-08-21T09:43:00.009-05:00

Anya’s Garden Online Basic Natural Perfumery Course

Syllabus, Goals and Objectives

revised January 21, 2009

This course is for those who desire comprehensive basic training in:

- Natural Perfumery - to become a Professional Perfumer

- Education in a natural art

- General interest in exploring a career in natural perfumery

The course is one year in length, and consists of twelve Modules.

Materials Provided for Study:

Physical:

- An aromatics kit of 25 absolutes and essential oils, labeled with botanical name, country of origin and amount. The bottles are 4ml in size, and four of the rare essences are diluted to 10%.

- A Natural Perfumery Primer that is the main handbook for the course. The Primer is 80 pages in length and is heavily supplemented by online materials, charts, forms and links. The online material includes over 100 pages of topics, discussions and expansions on themes, numerous record keeping charts and forms, and hundreds of links. Also the student will be able to download dozens of books and articles on perfumery consisting mostly of historic materials.

- Scent strips and pipettes.

Professional:

Online website with Modules, Links, Lectures and much more. You'll be enrolled in two private Yahoo groups - one for daily interaction and live chats, one for Q&A Sessions with Industry Professionals. Also - lots of support, hands-on experience, networking and worldwide friends.

Curriculum Goals and Objectives:

Goals

After completing the course of study, you will be able to:

- Discuss natural perfumery in all contexts, including mainstream perfumery and aromatherapy perfumery and the evolution of the art.

- Be proficient in maintaining a professional workspace for perfume creation.

·- Discuss, identify and work with a wide array of concretes, absolutes and essential oils.

- Develop a comprehensive Scent Memory™ and know how to build upon it.

- Create a library of your own written, detailed notes on organoleptic evaluation.

- Be proficient in aromatics terminology and techniques that will allow you to work in a perfumery company.

- Be adept at basic blending.

- Realize the need for peer review and critique of your blends and listen to suggestions on how to refine or revise the blends.

- Know and be able to discuss the safety and regulatory aspects of perfumery.

- Conceptualize and plan for further development as a natural perfumer.

Objectives

- To successfully complete the course, the student is expected to:
- Read and review the course materials in the Primer and the online website.
- Frequently consult the Primer and the corresponding online modules.
- Complete one discussion assignment per module, more if you desire.
- Take part in the online discussion forum.
- Swap your basic blends with other students for feedback.
- Submit a perfume and essay to the teacher for certificate that you completed course (small additional fee).
Optional: the student may add to the online knowledge base, e.g. the glossary, links, book list.

Curriculum

The online Modules, the Natural Perfumery Primer, the Yahoo group and the monthly online discussion chat with the teacher form the core of the course. They interrelate with each other, and the Primer is the key to entering them with a basic idea of the areas of study that they cover. There should always be an open-minded approach to how all of the information offered interrelates.

Every component of the study materials is crucial to your development as a natural perfumer. The discipline demands that you be an experimenter, a real scientist of the aromatic arts and that you use both sides of your brain at all times. You will be encouraged to engage in reverie when evaluating the aromatics while simultaneously applying mathematical and scientific rigor to your findings.

During the "live classes" held in the Yahoo group, you will be able to compare your observations with other students. You will be provided both evaluation sheets for recording your findings many charts and supplemental forms that aid in your studies.

Schedule of Modules

The nine Modules will be uploaded to the class website on the sixth of the month. The "live chats" with the teacher that will serve to answer any questions you have about the assignment will be held on the 14th of each month. Accommodations are made for those in vastly different time zones.

The Modules on Vertical accords will be expanded over two months, due to the intricacy of vertical accords and the necessity to master them.

The final Module of the course will consist of students working at their own pace as they interact with the teacher and other students, swapping their perfume blends and critiquing each others works. The students will receive verbal feedback on their perfumes from the teacher, as nuances of conversational exchange are best when finalizing the perfume evaluation.

It is strongly encouraged that each student stay on the calendar schedule of each module to best foster camaraderie and the learning process.

Grading Policy

There is no grading policy in this course other than pass/fail. Failure means you did not complete at least one assignment per module during the course. If the assignment is not handed in before the start of the next module, the student is expected to contact the teacher for assistance or an extension. Circumstances may prevent the student from completing the assignment on time, and consideration will be given to the student so that they may work at their pace.

Exceptions will be made for those who take longer than the allotted one-year time frame due to circumstances beyond their control. Contact the teacher for more information.

The Virtual Classroom

This virtual classroom is designed to be interactive, fun and a powerful learning experience. After logging in, you will be able to listen to lectures, view the modules, take part in the discussion study forum, upload pictures, download books, articles, evaluation forms, charts, other study forms, click on links, surf into Wikipedia, use the virtual library, and chat in real time.

During the course of the school year, new features may be added, as either the teacher becomes aware of them, or a student suggests them.

The Yahoo Class Group

Daily interactions can occur in the Yahoo class. Enrollment is mandatory, but participation is not. The teacher realizes that some students are shy, yet eager to learn - but they still must remain enrolled in the Yahoo group. This group is where the teacher will make announcements, where students can ask questions, conduct group buys, etc. The teacher will add the students to the Yahoo group before class commences.

The Study Schedule

It is recommended that you spend 5-8 hours per week on the study materials, which include the Primer, the study modules, the discussion group and outside readings from the reading list. If you pretend that you are enrolled in a real world school, with classroom meetings, it will help you focus and discipline yourself.

The discussion group will prove invaluable in many ways, including helping your bonding and networking with other students. You’ll be able to encourage each other, help answer questions and generally move the evolution of each of you along in the study of natural perfumery.

Course Completion

Upon completion of all of the assignments, the student will have completed the course satisfactorily with a Passing grade. If the student wishes to obtain a Certificate of Completion, that will require the submittal of a perfume within one month of the end of the school year for evaluation. A short essay should accompany the perfume, and the student will be assessed a fee of $50 for the evaluation and feedback on the perfume.

See you in class!

Pre-Registration for Fall 2008 Online Natural Perfumery Course

2008-07-12T17:43:00.007-05:00

From the latest issue of Anya's Garden Newsletter, July 2008:

Anya's Online Basic Natural Perfumery Course - Registration Beginning

Currently there are 40+ students enrolled in the Fall 2007 and Spring 2008 course.

Enroll now for the Fall 2008 session.

Whether you want to study perfumery for fun or with the goal of becoming a professional perfumer, you'll enjoy and establish a firm foundation in perfumery basics by taking this course.

Imagine - a full year of interactive, professional education from a teacher with thirty years experience working with natural essences!

Read on...

Your Tuition Helps Others!

$50 of every student's tuition is donated to a worldwide charity on Global Girlfriend. Donations so far have included providing goats to a Rwandan family, sending two girls to school in Afghanistan, and buying a cookstove for a refugee family in Darfur, providing vaccines for 10 animals in a shelter, Hurricane Katrina rebuilding assistance and much more.

The online interactive course has been a huge success for several reasons:

- 12 learning modules full of both traditional and innovative materials

- 16 recorded lectures that bring the modules alive, including a fun lecture on pronunciation of perfumery terms

- Dozens of downloadable venerable perfumery books, modern articles and related materials

- A Primer that outlines the materials covered so the beginning student gets a handle on the scope of topics

- Numerous charts and professional data recording forms

- Intensive work on developing a Scent Memory ™ , the key to becoming a perfumer

- A kit of 25 exquisite aromatic essences to use during the course.

- Monthly - sometimes bi-weekly - "live chats" with the teacher

- A private Yahoo group for classmate interaction and teacher involvement

- A different guest professional from the perfumery industry joins a live chat every two months in a Q&A session to give the students a glimpse into the different facets of the business and art.

Space is limited - click here to pre-register- six students are already enrolled.

Tuition is only $1400 for all the benefits listed above. You can choose to place a deposit now to hold your place in class, pay the full tuition or make payment arrangements. Tuition is non-refundable.

The students have given me feedback that they find the way I teach the course warm and supportive and they even like my East Coast accent in the lectures! In the next week, I'm going to post some snips from the lectures and a glimpse inside the learning environment that the students enjoy.

Note: several students were unable to keep up the course due to illness, business or personal matters - even a hard drive crash. They expressed appreciation when I wrote all the students announcing they can stay in the course for an extra year, reading all the archived chats and correspondence. It was quite a relief for them, and made me feel that the decision to conduct this class online in the manner selected was the right thing to do.

Student Testimonials:

"As a member of the inaugural online Natural Perfumery Class offered by Anya I have had the great pleasure of being part of a tremendous learning process in a growing field.

Anya is a gifted teacher who has obviously given much thought to the structure and method of teaching this class. She cares about the students and is receptive to their needs. She has also made an obvious effort to include everyone in the educational process.

We are all benefiting from her great store of knowledge and her ability to impart that in a thoughtful and meaningful manner. Anya takes you through the perfuming process thoroughly from learning the scents of the oils in the kit through how they blend together to, finally, making a perfume. By the time you get to the perfume making you have an excellent grounding in both theory and practice. I highly recommend the class!"

Elise Pearlstine, USA, PhD Ecologist, Certified Aromatherapist and Perfumer at Tambela

"The knowledge level of the class before the start goes from blistering beginner, (ME, good at herbs, and somewhat knowledgeable in aromatherapy, bloody lacking at perfume) to folks who have been doing some significant perfume blending, but who wanted to advance their practice. Those bonds I believe will serve me well, and have been my pleasure, hopefully to continue for years as we all advance from NEWBIE status.

I think I can say with some confidence, even after the class, I could go to Anya, and ask her advice on a perfume subject, she would give it willingly, that's just her to the core. I can honestly say, I have already gotten my monies worth out of the class, and we're just beginning month 5. The class is very forgiving of life getting in the way, if you get behind, there is wiggle room to catch up, which , for a single working mom is also nice. "

Lynn Weaver, USA, Registered Nurse, Natural Skin Care at Gentry Scents

"I had no idea what to expect when I signed up! I am passionate about natural perfumery and have lurked on Anya's Yahoo group for years. I knew it would be a great experience because of her participation on Yahoo, so I plunged in.

From the first day, I was impressed by Anya's logical progression teaching us "Scent Memory" as she calls it, and her teaching aids, like the recording forms, Key, and various charts are the bomb!

When I had a family emergency, Anya was compassionate and worked with my schedule. I have learned so much and feel so safe and secure with this class I can't put it into words. I found the best teacher in the World!

Heather Light, UK, newbie in perfumery

Register now - secure you place in the most dynamic, interactive one-year online class in perfumery! Click here to register.

Will Lapaz of Eden Botanicals - Guest Q&A Expert in Anya's Garden class

2008-06-30T10:11:00.005-05:00

On Saturday, June 28th, students in both the Fall 2007 and Spring 2008 online class were able to ask an expert in the field of natural aromatics numerous questions in a "live chat" session. From Australia to Denmark, through numerous time zones, the students were able to ask Will Lapaz, one of the most respected suppliers in the business questions on everything from the price of patchouli to the availability of organic products.

Will's company,Eden Botanicals, is based in Northern California, and Will was not sure at first if he could make the chat, since wildfires have been smoldering in his area for several days, and the smoke was forcing him to get out of the region. Coordinating with teacher Anya McCoy, he was ready to relocate to an internet cafe to conduct the chat, and everyone was very appreciative of his efforts to keep the appointment. There were so many questions, Will stayed online for three hours, helping the students gain deep insights into various subjects such as the differences between orris butter and orris CO2, how attars are (perhaps) now being stretched because of the sandalwood scarcity, fair trade issues and opportunites and much more.

The students were very appreciative of all the time and knowledge Will shared with them, as one wrote: "I can't thank you enough! This is a great opportunity to speak to a real-deal supplier. And, I have purchased from Will, so, I can speak from previous experience and say it was wonderful. Again, thank you BOTH so much and I am very into the group buys." A group buy did arise spontaneously during the chat and the students who participate will be able to obtain some great supplies at a good price - another benefit of being enrolled in the class.

Past Q&A experts in the course were Mandy Aftel, the perfumer of Aftelier, who chatted about perfume creation and David Mark Covill, Egyptologist and Nose of Renaissance Aroma, who spoke on ancient Egyptian perfumes.

The Three Stages of Public Acceptance of Natural Perfumery - Natural Perfumers Guild President Anya McCoy's latest article on Basenotes

2008-05-30T11:50:00.003-05:00

I had a lot of fun writing this article looking back on the past three years that natural perfumery has had a presence on the Internet. I hope you enjoy reading it and look forward, as I do, to the ongoing development and acceptance of our naturally-fragrant art.

Later today I'll post a great letter that Steve Earl wrote in response to Mr. Subrenat's caustic comments at the World Perfumery Congress in 2007. Such a big ruckus a one-year-old Natural Perfumers Guild caused for Mr. Subrenat - it's actually quite an honor that we were on his radar with only minor press and even less distribution of our perfumes as we struggle for a corner of the market. The world of perfumery is changing, and thus the concept for my article was born - enjoy!

Wake up! It's Study Time and Natural Perfumery is the Subject

2008-05-25T19:17:00.002-05:00

Monica and Gloria hit their alarm clocks to make them stop ringing at 5 a.m. in their respective homes in Taipei. Viv and Wendy struggled to find their coffee and limber up their typing fingers at 6 a.m in different towns in Australia. On a Sunday.

On the other side of the world, Lisbeth in Denmark logged on at midnight on Saturday. Everyone else was joining the monthly live chat in time zones spread out between Taiwan and Denmark.

Occasionally we switch the time around, and admittedly we're still trying to find the best times for the Spring 2008 class.

The Module 3 discussion was lively and a lot of fun. Questions came at me fast and fabulous, with the topics ranging from how to fill in #4 on the evaluation sheet to requests for clearer definitions on the order and significance of the aromatics family list versus the fragrance family list. I enjoyed every single moment of it, and the students posted their satisfaction and comprehension levels were high after the chat. All of the chat material is archived on everyone's hard drive, even if they weren't able to attend, so all a student has to do it check the messages at any time revisit the Q&A.

Some couldn't make it this time for work or log-on issues - one student was at a friend's house and on dialup and checked in just as we were signing off. I'm going to schedule a "shortie" live chat in the next week for those who missed the scheduled one. We communicate with each other on a daily basis in our private Yahoo group, so nobody feels left out. In total, there are almost 50 students, and many just lurk and soak it all in, much like the big Natural Perfumery Yahoo group. It's the nature of the artist, as I've found many are just shy and won't put their works or questions out there. Essentially, just like a real world classroom in a brick and mortar school ;-)

Today I held the live chat for the Fall 2007 students on a Sunday this time. They're in Module 7 and we were there help them work their past observations on the aromatics they're studying into workable vertical accords. Saskia in Belgium logged on despite a headache and a long day working - it was 9 PM her time. Lara in Spain was full of energy and brimming with lots of accords and observations to share. Our AU student was MIA, as were some others - the long holiday weekend definitely caused a bit of hookying! However, these students are well advanced in their studies, and know they will be able to catch up by reading the chat.

I originally held the chats on the class website, but found sometimes the javascript there booted people out - myself included. Yahoo has some problems, but so far nobody has been booted, so we using it exclusively now for chatting.

All the live chats are held about two weeks after the Module begins. When a Module launches, the students go to the class website to check the list of topics for that month's studies, find the checklist and assignments, listen to my recorded lecture and download any of the numerous forms I've provided for their record keeping.

I'm getting feedback that the lectures and live chats are the favorite parts of the learning experience. I have a (to me) funny Philadelphia accent, but feedback from the students is so very nice. They say they find my voice soft and soothing, and they like my sense of humor. As far as the chats to, it really helps to have "real time" feedback and the ability to interact with me and the other students as we work through questions about the assignment.

In the next week or so I'll upload bits of my lectures and snippets from the live chats here so y'all can get a glimpse of what is offered in the course.

What you won't get a glimpse of, just because it's so detailed and so full of educational materials is the enormous amount of information on the class website. The Primer is the core of the study, but it's just that - a Primer, a basic publication that is merely an outline and reference point for the entire body of work made available to the students. Every topic in the course is fleshed out by articles, downloadable forms, lectures, chats and detailed materials.

Perfumery study is long, involved and intense. There has to be dedication and passion - and my students, whether rising at 5 a.m. or staying up until Midnight, show they have it, and I am humbled and honored by their dedication.

Egyptologist David Mark to Guest in Natural Perfumery Class on Kyphi Incense

2008-04-21T11:33:00.004-05:00

David Mark of Renaissance Aromas (website TBA shortly) and an Associate Member of the Natural Perfumers Guild will be a Guest Expert in my online Natural Perfumery class. David's topic will be Kyphi incense, the ancient Egyptian blend whose mystique and legend persists to this day. There are many "recipes" for Kyphi and for the Module 1 History section of my class, I give the students the option of choosing an ancient perfume or scent formula to recreate so that they get a hint of what was fashionable then. Overwhelmingly, they choose Kyphi. David has conducted scholarly research into Kyphi and graciously offered his services to me. I'm very thankful for his generosity, as it will give my students access to a great repository of information.

Here's how I broke the good news of David's schedule being firmed up in our class:

Well, guess why David can't meet with us this Saturday? Because he's going to a fabulous Egyptologist convention in Seattle! How cool is that?! Our Kyphi expert is right in the thick of it and I'm sure will be brimming with incredible facts and recipes to share.

So I've booked him for Saturday, May 3, 6PM Eastern US, 5PM Central US (his time) and late night in the EU and early morning the next day on "the other side of the world"  for our far-flung student body. David says he's longwinded, and will stay on board as long as you want him. ;-)

I think he might prepare a written outline for y'all before the class, and I'll post it here if he does. Then the questions will all be open freeform style.

Sounds great!

Anya
-------------------------------------------------------

Here's a quick Kyphi recipe I googled:

Kyphi is a mixture composed 
         of sixteen ingredients; of honey and wine, raisins and galingale, (pine) resin and myrrh, aspalathos and seseli; moreover, of mastic and bitumen, bulrush and sorrel, together with the two kinds of juniper berries (of which one is called major and the other minor), cardamom and sweet flag. And these ingredients
are not mixed by chance, but according to instructions cited in holy books, that are read to the incense makers while they mix them. Plutarch

yet another recipe:

"[Take 273 g each of mastic, pine resin, sweet flag, aspalathos, camel grass, mint and cinnamon.] Place the items in a mortar and grind them. Two-fifths of this will {turn out to} be in the form of liquid to be discarded. There remain three-fifths in the form of ground powder. [Take 1.5 lb each of cyperus, juniper berries, pine kernels and peker (unidentified)] Reduce the ingredients to powder. Moisten all these dry ingredients with [2.5 lb] wine in a copper vessel. Half of this wine will be absorbed by the powder [the rest is to be discarded].

Leave overnight. Moisten the [3.3 lb] raisins with [2.5 lb] oasis wine. Mix everything in a vessel and leave for five days. Boil to reduce by one-fifth. Place [3.3 lb] honey and [1,213 g] frankincense in a cauldron and reduce volume by one-fifth. Add to the honey and frankincense the kyphi macerated in wine. Leave overnight. Grind the [1,155 g] myrrh and add to the kyphi".

(Lise Manniche, Sacred luxuries, p. 51. See also Lise Manniche, An ancient Egyptian herbal, pp. 57-58.)

I'm so very pleased to be able to offer a glimpse into an ancient fragrant incense recipe from an expert in the field. These classes are so exciting!

Pre-Registration Starting for March, 2008 class

2008-01-01T19:19:00.000-05:00

Update Jan 12: only three spaces left for the March 2008 Course. Please contact me here if you wish to enroll. When the class is full, I will take names for a waiting list. The next class will commence in October 2008.

The Spring Class for Basic Natural Perfumery will begin March 6, 2008, and pre-registration is beginning now. Class size will be limited to 20 new students. There are already eight registered with deposits, so I encourage you to place a deposit now to secure a place in the class. The Fall 2007 class filled up in one day after it was announced, so demand is high and placement is competitive.

More information and the registration and deposit form can be found on Anya's Garden Classes page. Click on the link there to read a recent testimonial by a Fall 2007 student. More available upon request.

New students will be asked to fill out a brief questionnaire so that your aromatic resources, experience and related factors may be taken into account before class starts. For instance, it wasn't until month three of the current class that I became aware of the fact that several students did not have a good, varied supply of aromatics, so we all had to move quickly to make sure they had enough to work on that, and future modules.

I advise prospective students to read the previous posts on this blog to become acquainted with the terms and conditions, syllabus and overall scope of the learning experience and what is expected of you. You may also visit the Class Page on my business website for more information and to place your non-refundable deposit. Please fill in the contact form on that site so that your information may be easily integrated into the class database.

This class is a serious, well-paced one-year adventure in learning the secrets of "Slow Study", an ever-unfolding, cumulative experience in how to evaluate, memorize, build, and integrate the complex natural aromatics of perfumery into a learning tool that will remain with you for life. The excitement of recognition of the progressive learning process is discussed in a separate Yahoo group that is meant to function as a daily chat among students. Participation in the Yahoo group is not mandatory, yet the students are apt to find they can get quick answers, make friends and just relax as they complete their studies from all corners of the world.

The Primer for the class has been edited for the March 2008 class and is supplemented by a constant stream of supportive materials on the website, unveiled in each Module. Charts, evaluation sheets, extra lessons and topics insure that the student will have a content-rich education. The students will also receive a kit of 25 aromatics, sourced so that they provide a balance of top, middle and base notes and that they are inspirational to the students as they learn to work with them using my dilution and organoleptic procedures.

So please read the rest of this blog, visit the class page and register before all of the spaces are taken for the March 2008 class.

Class Filled -- Taking Names for next Semester

2007-08-16T12:29:00.001-05:00

(above - a dream - one day a real world natural perfumery school)

Registration Closed for the Fall 2007 Course
Students quickly signed up on opening day for registration 8/15 - class is full!

I will take down the full payment option once the course is full, but I will continue to receive deposits, in case some students already registered can't take the course in the Fall.
Note: deposits are nonrefundable, but if a student can't take the Fall course, the deposit will be applied to the Spring course. Tuition is non-refundable for any reason once class has started.

Class size is limited to 20 students, so please visit http://anyasgarden.com/classes.htm
to register and place a deposit or pay in full. Payment plans available.

Be aware tuition for the Spring class will be higher. The Fall class is going to be the inaugural class, and we're aware there may be some technical glitches and online issues that need to be worked out, hence the reduced introductory tuition. Hiring technical support personnel for the fine-tuning of the online experience will be in place.

The learning experience is promised to be rich, rewarding and full of classwork that is important, exhilarating and comprehensive. I can't wait for class to start, and look forward to this as the first of many informative and fun-filled courses with passionate, dedicated students. The private notes and phone calls I have received confirm that my decision to begin teaching was the right one, and I have happily put aside other obligations to put my energies into this course.

Note: there have been some issues with both Paypal and my Credit Card company for some international students. Please write me directly if you need help with a problem, or contact your bank.

Another quick update. Those who have registered will be receiving a Word document later today or early tomorrow with a supplemental suggested reading list and recommended extra class materials that are not included in your perfumer's basic kit. Links to sites with best prices and unusual, helpful products that I have found over the years to be superb will be included.

I've included the lovely photo below of an online needlepoint class project. It reminded me of how dedication to a demanding art can result in something so beautiful. Just as in this needlepoint, we'll be putting together fragrant works of art, "stitch-by-stitch", er, "drop-by-drop" until we have a product - your product - worth of public view and appreciation.

Image from an online needlepoint class

Registration for the Fall Course of Classes Begins August 15, 2007

2007-08-13T16:48:00.000-05:00

Note: for those reading this from the mailing list of gmail, hotmail, or yahoo, the links may be removed by those servers. Just click on http://perfumeclasses.blogspot.com (this page you're viewing) to read the mail.

Fall Classes will start soon in the
Natural Perfumery Basic Course
Sign up starts August 15, 2007

Click here to register and place your deposit or pay in full - Class size is limited

Course cost is $800, (update Jan. 2008 - $1400) due two weeks before class starts Oct. 6, 2007. Use the contact form if you wish to make payment arrangements. Tuition is non-refundable for any reason once class has started.

Please read down through the two previous posts for complete information on the course.

ONLINE AND INTERACTIVE -- THE FIRST TIME A BASIC COURSE IN NATURAL PERFUMERY HAS BEEN OFFERED ON THE INTERNET.

+ Study and learn in a friendly, interactive forum. Make perfume for your business or personal pleasure.

+ Students will work with a Primer, authored by Anya McCoy, President of the Natural Perfumers Guild, and the Primer will be used in online lectures that include a Q&A session.

+ Study modules will coordinate with the Primer and lectures, greatly expanding the elements and scope of information covered in the course. There are six (updated Jan. 2008 - 12 class modules) basic class modules.

+ There will be a forum that will function as a "study group" where the students can work together. This is the first-ever type course in basic perfumery to be held on the internet, and Anya welcomes everyone with an interest in using natural aromatics to create a basic oil-based perfume (updated Jan. 2008 - alcohol-based perfume, since we have solved the problem of obtaining 190-proof alcohol for all but one of the currently-enrolled students.)

+ In addition to the monthly hour-long chat room with the teacher, the course will have industry guests in extra chats. A perfume chemist, an essential oil products manufacturer, a soapmaker who creates perfumes for soaping, a regulatory specialist in the EU/REACH and related laws and an perfume industry leader are scheduled to chat with the students.

The Syllabus for this course is: (update Jan. 2008 - see the revised syllabus on this page. With student feedback from the inaugural class, a new, improved syllabus was created.)

Some of the topics covered in the Primer are below. The Primer is supplemented by a vast amount of extra materials that are available only on the course website Perfume Classes.

Introduction – The Primer and the Class Modules

Natural Perfumery Through the Ages

Introduction to Modern Natural Perfumery

Definition of Perfume

Aromatherapy and Mainstream Perfume

Introduction to Natural Aromatics – the study kit

Sources of Aromatic – plants, soil, sea and animals

Fragrance Families

Aromatic Families

Styles of Perfumery – French, Indian, Middle Eastern

Basic Tools of the Perfumer

The Perfumer’s Workspace

Safety and Regulations

Storage and Handling of Essences

How to Smell

How to Evaluate Essences

Basic Blends

Making Modifications

Aging and Bottling

How to Evaluate Blends

Accessory Creations just for fun: Tincturing, Infusing and other creative ways to supplement your perfumer’s palette

Branding and Marketing

Note: each of these class topics will have a great deal of reading materials, tests, reviews and subcategories of study associated with them.

Holding Page for Class is Up

2007-08-10T17:00:00.001-05:00

OK, I have to admit my heart just melted when I found this template. So often, over the years, have I heard the lament of members of my Yahoo group - "I made a great blend but I didn't write the formula down!" I always get the idea across that the notebook has to be as important on the blending table as pipettes and bottles and well, the essences. "It's for your own protection, I say - you wouldn't go on the job as a photographer without a camera, now, would you?" ;-) Just click it on to view the site, with just a few words.

The focus of the classes will be learning to make perfume with only natural essences. Making perfume techniques from various cultures, with emphasis on the French, will be covered.

Now I have to figure out what template to use for the class, it'll be hard to top this!

Natural Perfumery Basic Class -- online, worldwide

2007-07-31T17:55:00.002-05:00

Note: this is a really long post, you may wish to cut and paste it into Word (four pages.)

The course outlined on this blog is grounded in educational focus and content, and was reviewed by University communication specialists. There will be 12 Modules and assignments given out to the students monthly. Some modules will stretch over other months, and two are short, due to their content. I thank all my friends on the internet for encouraging me to teach and I guarantee focus, tips, techniques and guidelines from a professional perfumer with 15+ years experience in the business. (edited for grammar Jan. 2008 ;-)

To sign up for updates for this course, please use this form:
If you desire to study perfume creation at your own pace, and be part of a community of students, this perfume course is for you.

Update for the Announced Basic Natural Perfumery Class

Student participation will depend on several factors, including content, time frame, cost, and intent to begin studies at this time.

Many of you are familiar with me and my experience in natural perfumery. If you are not, please visit the links to read more about me and my perfumery and educational background. Not found there is the fact I was an Adjunct Professor in the Masters Program of Urban Design at Florida Atlantic University, which although it demonstrates my teaching skills, is not directly relevant to perfumery. I have studied perfumery for 30 years, consulted with perfume industry professionals in my vocational development, and created and sold perfumes since 1992.

I have hosted the very dynamic Natural Perfumery Yahoo group since 2002, and have built up the membership there by nurturing those truly interested in natural perfumery. It is perhaps the greatest repository of natural perfumery information on the web. However, it is not "pulled together" for the serious student, so I created this course. There are now 1400 members in the NP group, and I'm a List Mom to them all. In this course, I will be the Teacher, a role that I take very seriously and am very happy to fill.

This course will only address natural aromatics. Basic perfumery techniques are very similar whether using naturals or synthetics, so if you desire to enroll and use synthetics in your blends, that is fine, your educational needs will be met, but please understand discussion of synthetics will not occur in the study forums, and I cannot answer questions on synthetics since I do not use them.

I have received many individual emails asking about details, and I will attempt to address them in this post. I have hired several online teaching experts to work with me in making this class the most comfortable, accessible and rewarding learning experience for you, and some of the organization and content was designed at their suggestion.

(Update Jan 1, 2008: Please note below this information was for the Fall 2007 class. These students received a greatly-discounted tuition due to the fact they were on the inaugural "maiden voyage" for the course, and realized that there were glitches to be worked out. This included the editing of the Primer, labeling of the aromatics (comprehensive labeling is in place for the Spring 2008 course) and some website kinks that have been worked out. The tuition for the March 2008 course is $1400.)

Start Date: October 6, 2007

Cost: $800 includes Primer, essence kit of 25 natural aromatics, online audio course, student forum that will be open for one year, accompanying online class modules with extra assignments, quizzes, and learning games. Sign ups will begin August 15th. A non-refundable $300 deposit to hold your place in the class is required. The next course's tuition will be higher, this introductory price is for the October course only. Tuition is non-refundable for any reason once class has started.

Class size will be limited to forty (40) students. Preferred class size will be 20 students.

Admission Requirements: Commitment to self and other students to form solid study and professional standards to move onward in the study of natural perfumery; computer speakers or headset; quiet, dedicated workspace to devote to aromatics; long distance phone carrier or Skype to talk with teacher; small amount of funds to purchase extra supplies as needed (suggested list at end of this update.)

Please understand the luxury of time and community you will be given with this course. No weekend course for $300 and then you’re adrift, all on your own, wonderful learning experience *or* $1000 week in Grasse, and then alone again – this course is constructed in such a manner to open up the world of a student community to you. Now you will be able to work with the modules and Primer and recorded classes at your own speed, have a forum to ask questions and form study groups with other students, no matter where in the world you live.

Second Change:

I originally planned to have “live” classes that would be recorded for later playback. The experts I’m working with, local University employees who are the techies for online classrooms, said this isn’t the best way to proceed for several reasons. Their University had backup generators, but still their online classes were a shambles after Hurricane Wilma. For those who don’t know, I live in Miami. After Wilma, I was without power for 15 days. Such a setback could really interrupt the flow of the initial six lectures, so they convinced me to record the lectures.

Additionally, the time zone spans of the potential students stretches from Singapore to Stuttgart. It would be impossible to get all of the students together on the same day, at the same time.

I was also told that many students would be shy at having their voices/questions recorded at the end of the lecture, as I originally planned, and that this might stifle their inquisitiveness and need to have lecture points explained further.

Now, you can listen to the lecture at your leisure during the assigned week, and as often as you wish thereafter. Even better, you can set up an appointment to talk with me, either by phone or Skype for a brief Q&A, probably 10-15 minutes. This can really draw out our shy students, and I always feel that much more is accomplished when talking rather than just typing an answer – nuances, quicker variations in topic, and perhaps a whole different topic, can be explored.

(Update Jan 1, 2008: there will be six pre-recorded lectures for the course. It was discovered in the Fall 2007 class that due to the different time zones and other obligations of the students, all the pre-recorded and live recorded meetings were unnecessary. Students attend a once-monthly chat that is live "typing" as in a chat room, and those who miss it can view the archive later.

Those who miss is can also call or skype me for a 15 minute consultation for any study questions they may need answered. There were many technical problems getting the lectures recorded and uploaded in the inaugural class. These have been solved (keeping fingers crossed!) and will be available. Students will be polled as to their opinions as to whether or not the lectures are necessary, since they can interact with me daily online or by phone if they miss the monthly chat.)

Summary of the Elements and Scope of the Class:

(Update Jan. 11, 2008 - here are the details of the lectures that were glitch-ridden. See above paragraph for more details.)

The class will be pre-recorded, so you do not have to be in front of your computer at a certain time. That is OK for a one-time course, or a course that does not involve students from many time zones around the globe, so we’ll be able to accommodate everyone with this arrangement.
The recorded class will probably be in a mp3 format, streaming, so it will work with dial up connections. You can listen to it at your leisure, any time of day or night.
No telephone fees for the students with the pre-recorded class. I didn’t realize going into this class that many overseas calls to the USA were going to be quite expensive for the students. Many countries don’t have the deep-discount long-distance plans we have.
Now the students will have the opportunity to call me or Skype me (which is free) for a 10-minute consultation for each of the weeks the class is in session. This also allows a much more dynamic one-on-one with me, and you’ll get specialized advice. The teaching experts also told me that many students might not realize they even had a question until days after the course, so this serves the students much better.

The course will commence Saturday, October 6, 2007, a Saturday. At this time the first lecture will be uploaded to a password-protected website. Subsequent lectures and modules will be available October 13, 20, 27, November 3, with the final lecture and module uploaded November 10^th.

(Update Jan 11, 2008 - soon after writing the above paragraph, I expanded the course to twelve module classes.)

But that’s only the beginning!

1. Audio Class Lecture for Six weeks with teacher telephone conferencing

2. Primer*

3. Twelve content-rich Online Class Study Modules

4. Study Forum for student study groups

5. Kit containing 25 natural aromatics and scent strips in a protective wooden box

6. Blending sessions

7. Quizzes

8. Games

The course will be “live” for six weeks, and the students are enrolled in the class study modules and study forum for six months. This is to try to mimic the “real world” perfume school where the students would be able to interact with the other students as the put their classroom learning in to action.

Much of the basic work will take this long. You will work at your own pace, but dedication to repetitive analysis of the aromatics, creating accords and evaluation of the skills set will realistically take the full year. This will be evident as the Primer is read, the Modules and tests begun, and the realization that the class is laying the foundation for a discipline of study that takes years to perfect.

The year will allow the student to begin to sharpen and polish their knowledge base and refine their skills. You will be able to network with the other students, and build friendships that will last a lifetime. Your effort and dedication will dictate what you get out of the class, and as a teacher, I feel that this format will allow you to feel connected. The students are coming from every part of the world, and there will be no isolation or solitary study—unless the student desires that, of course.

*Note: I am writing the Primer to be as comprehensive as a Primer can be, based on one I wrote years ago for the USGS on Alternative Futures Planning for the Natural Resources. If, after student feedback, I feel it needs revision or expanding, the students will receive a revised copy, at no extra cost except shipping, when it is completed.

(Update Jan. 11, 2008 - the Primer was reedited, revised and the update will be mailed out, or sent via attachment, as per the individual student's wishes.)

This blog will be the quickest way to find out new information as we move forward towards October 6^th.

Thank you for your interest, and good luck and kind encouragement as you move forward in your quest to become a natural perfumer.