Education

While doing a Masterstudy in Art Education my research involved the Worldmusic Department within Codarts. I already work for more than 20 years within the Latin Department. I teach ensembles, main subject piano Brazilian, transcription, history Brazilian and education. I noticed the discrepancy between theory, transcription eg. and practice, ensemble playing eg. The theory that is behind all music is sometimes underestimated by the students and many times they start their studies without enough theoretical fundament or base. Therefore it will be shortly when they encounter problems trying to transcribe a piece or just get a deeper understanding of what one is playing. One of the outcomes of my research was the fact that many students have difficulty seeing the link between the theory-  and the practical lessons they receive. It is crucial that students understand why they need to know about progressions, scales, chords, and melodies and how they all function and are linked together. It definitely makes them better musicians. Without knowledge about the theory behind the music, one cannot compose nor arrange nor perform a piece the right way with the full understanding of the total context of the music. In order to alleviate some of these problems, together with Lilian Vieira, we have made a Brazilian Music Course. These lessons are constructed in a complete context connecting and involving many theoretical and practical issues. The course has already been executed at Artez, Zwolle and has proven to be a great success! The course will start with an overview of Brazilian music and how it appeared in the media of the time. A quote about the course: “Anna Elis and Lilian have shown a contagious form of passion, enormous knowledge of repertoire and pedagogical experience, to leave us with one of the most memorable project weeks we’ve experienced” – Tilmar Junius, Director Jazz Artez