Ana makes classical piano education accessible for everyone
Classicalpiano classes onlyfor the elite? Notifitwere up to Ana Marco Pérez, a passionategraduate-to-befrom the master's course Classical Music.Ana wants to make classicalmusicándpiano education accessibleforeveryone. Breakingdown barriersandembracinginclusivity, Ana pavesthe way fora new era of appreciation,ensuringthatclassicalmusicand piano education becomesanenrichingexperienceaccessibletoall.
Ana lovescomposingforfun, and transmits thisjoyto her students. “That’ssomething I broughttomy teaching approach as well: it’sfocused on bothcreatingandinterpreting.” Instead of giving the student a lot of exercises, Ana encouragescollaborationtofindsolutions. Sheexplains, "Ratherthan overwhelming the student with excercises, we createsomethingtogetherthataddresses the problem. We transpose patterns or craft stories aroundthem. In the end, notonly is the problemsolved, but the studentsalsobecomehighlyengaged. It’s really cool to see the faces of my students light up when you tell them: we’re going to compose something together."
No longer a high class ‘thing’
For Ana, everything she does as a piano teacher stems from her personality. “Giving concerts is a great way to share music, But I find the most direct way to share it is by teaching it, ” Ana explains. Providing context to the pieces she teaches is crucial to her approach. She explains, "During my research, one of my main goals was to make music, especially music education, more accessible and reachable for everyone." She notes that classical music is sometimes perceived as an elite domain. " When you talk about pop or jazz, it doesn’t happen as much. But as soon as you mention classical music, people feel like that’s a level they’ll never reach." Ana uses her research and final project to challenge this notion.
Whateveryouneed, thismaster'scourse willequipyou with the necessary tools. Andifsomethingisn'tcovered,they'll assist you in finding the resources elsewhere.
As part of her finals research, Ana explores a new way to make classicalmusicconcerts more engagingfor the audience. Ana envisionscreatinganimmersive museum-like experiencewherescreens, visuals, andexplanatorytexts complement the concert hall. Thisinnovative approach aimsto offer the audienceinsightinto her own artistic visionandwhat the piece means to her. "Instead of the usualhistoricaltalks or composer discussionsduring a classical concert, I willconnect the musical piece I performtomyown stories and the emotionstheyevoke in me. This way, I hope tochallenge the audiencetoconnect with ideasbeyond the musicitself, sparkingtheircuriosityandanticipation," Ana explains with enthusiasm
Teaching piano to a younger generation
Ana started giving piano lessons when she was sixteen. “The students I encountered have nothing in common with the students I’m teaching now. I teach eight-year olds who are used to looking at a tablet, there’s just something a little different about attention and motivation nowadays. I see it as my mission to incorporate that information into my teaching.” Ana also makes good use of the opportunities of the digital age herself. She has a blog and a YouTube-channel. “I can reach way more people this way. That’s the positive part, I guess.”
Throughout her journey, ArtEZ has provided Ana with the necessary support. “When I said I wantedto continue composing, theysaid: Do youneed a composition teacher? Ifyoucan’tfindone here, we’llfindonesomewhereelse. It’s super helpful.” Ana encouragesinterestedstudentsto keep an open mind, emphasizingthatstudying piano doesn't limit themtobecomingpianists. Shebelieves the master's course offers countlesspossibilities. Sheadds, "Whateveryouneed, thismaster'scourse willequipyou with the necessary tools. Andifsomethingisn'tcovered,they'll assist you in finding the resources elsewhere."
