Hello Everyone, I just want to say I am honored that I am your music teacher and have the pleasure and joy of introducing kids into world of Music and sounds. I started my musical career at a very early age and it has been going on pretty much all of my life and it is only getting better and better.
I came from musical Russian family where grandfather was self-taught accordionist, mother is professional pianist and so as my aunt professional violinist. My Grandfather was able to make living in Soviet times being a chorus teacher at the public school using the accordion as background accompaniment. It sounded great! Rest of his free time he dedicated to Veterans WW2 bringing them together to sing and rejoice the victory and loss from the war. I was 5 and they were in their 70s 80s and 90s carrying a lot of medals on their chest.
Since there were no babysitters in 1980s-1990s I had to attend all rehearsals, and concerts witnessing how music was highly appreciated and need it at that time people still emotionally recovering from the war. It also motivated me to be more proactive with my creative energy and by age 7 I was invited to pilot tv show “Prodigy Kids” where I was able to share my talent for playing violin, piano, singing, dancing, sowing clothing, drawing, knitting and cooking. I do remember watching myself on black and white TV thinking “Can’t everyone do that?” Apparently not, but that took a long time for me to realize it.
Having musical genetics and being an Indigo Child helps a lot because once I touched the instrument, every teacher teacher including my family sparked in hope that I will also continue the music descendance because I am so “natural”.
I have had many teachers since I began attending music school 3-4 times a week from age 6-14 except summer time education was continuous and free learning music theory, history, choir, literature and more. I have witness so many music schools, colleges, their system, teachers, classes, school potentials, ups and downs. Remember, my education have had a Soviet influence so the teaching technique were harsh as the teachers themselves tried to validate and prove their best work through me. There were a moment where I was ready to throw violin into Moscow River from standing on top of the bridge because of the level of pressure to play better and faster. Somehow everyone forgot to emphasize that music can be also healing, calming and gentle. Instead it was never ending competition, chasing chasing the prize and approvals from others.
It really took me another second thought to stop myself and say that I can do something about it and I did!
Music Lessons start paying off once I immigrated from Russian to Alaska after 8 years of investment and struggle.
I was 15 and my first professional job was Anchorage Opera and Ballet playing violin during evenings 7-10 pm
while teaching my first student on piano during the weekends. It was a lot at once but I was also very happy to do it.
I have to admit my aunt has slight obsession living in 1800s classical literature music and movies of ballet and opera, Pushkin, Lermontov and Dostoevsky. She has done so many production playing in orchestras for Opera and Ballet that I was familiar with costumes, act, scene, theatre, voices and music itself. My favorite memory is when I saw 2 Act 2 Scene of Faust singing underworld surrounded by dancing and loving nymphs. “Wow never seen anything like it ” I thought to myself and said it out loud to producer who was also my role model at that time. I was only 10 I felt part of the production :-)
Current Photo of the Ballet Opera Theatre in Ulan-Ude Buryat Republic
Violin gave me an opportunity to play in orchestras and I did it since age 11 and by 17 Portland State University orchestra was touring through Europe and I was part of the tour. I felt extra ordinary being in Switzerland mountains calling back home and sharing my excitement of new possibilities.
I continued my Bachelors in San Francisco and Master’s at Longy Cambridge, Ma not knowing exactly what will happen but I knew I wanted to teach and create new system for it.
By 30 I realized I have done everything my family dreamed of, everything I wanted and seriously it’s start looking like I am going in circles burning myself out.
It was time to step out of the circle and create new possibilities and bigger circle.
I added a few more tools to my experiences: Reiki (practice of compassion and spirituality) Hypnosis (power of words and linguistics)
Now I feel like I complete set of skills, all the necessary pieces together. My experiences and knowledge will be passed to my students so they know they can create their own musical adventures. My knowledge about schools helped me to redesign system into a betterment of the human mind. Reiki helped to forgive past moments and create new ones with more connection, patience and care.
It feels like it’s been a long time for me to come to a full circle and a lot has happened in such short time. I had to grow up quickly due to struggle and inconsistency of living situations but overall I was able to jump over the hoops, fly if need be and stay calm and observe how world has been changing drastically around me. Over all with all the turbulence, surprised, victories and gratitude I can tell it’s been an adventure and I look forward creating and visualizing more of success stories and victories because music is a power tool to connect, create and bring yourself out!
Comments