"Fengoro" is the title of the last song I wrote some months ago. I had this feeling of restlessness, the sense of being uncomfortable, that I wanted to work with. Like when you look around and things look familiar but not exactly. Like when you repeat a super common word but after some repetitions it feels strange all of a sudden. Fengoro does not mean anything in any language I know, but there is a similarity with the greek word "fengari" which means "moon", something really familiar and strange at the same time. This song is going to be played by one of the two bands that are going to perform with me in my final exam. And I think it shares some similarities with the other songs I wrote during these last months and I also like it as a title.

Artist statement

Interaction with other musicians is very important for me and I think it is one thing that characterize me and my playing. Also, I am always trying to contribute to whatever project I am involving with and take artistic initiatives when needed, to help with the final product. My personal work and compositions are a mix of all my musical influences which may vary from classical to modern jazz and pop along with middle eastern and mediterranean elements which make it unique.

Ambitions

I would like to continue working on my personal projects and evolve in my sound and my compositions. I have changed a lot artistically these past five years and I expect and hope that I grow even more. In 5 years from now, I would like to have a stronger personal sound but at the same time, experiment with more things and expand my music fields. I would like to play original music as much as possible and be connected with the musicians of my town/country, making as many collaborations as I can, either in my projects or in others'.

Learned during the studies

I believe that coming to the Netherlands and meeting so many different people and listening to so many music being created around me was a great inspiration for me and changed me in many aspects. With all the COVID period included, sometimes it felt like a rollercoaster since I went through some very vulnerable times but also productive ones. I was forced to be better in many things or to attempt from scratch some others (like recording, composing, arranging) and that also confronted me with what I am good or not so good at, what I would like to continue improving and what I would maybe not like to do again. Something I also found important and useful for me because my teachers insisted on it, is to really focus on the sound I want to make and not only on the notes.

"Searching and creating the appropriate material for a late beginner adult student"

Since I start teaching in a more systematic and organized way, about two years ago, I found myself (as many I suppose) continuously wondering and wandering through various methods and constantly browsing through books and materials that can help each student. Late beginner students, for example, can be a real challenge sometimes and particularly within adults, because they can be more demanding and impatient about the outcome. Undoubtedly, the process became easier throughout the years, especially during the last months that I am teaching even more, but there are still so many times that I am carefully watching my steps as I go, trying to please every student while spending so much time on searching for books and songs, looking for creative ideas and ways to make each topic interesting or actually creating instant material, depending on the needs of each student. This process definitely demands time and patience but, at the same time, I am constantly thinking that I need to organize myself in such a way in order to be able to balance between what students want (within their field of their interests) and what I think it is best for them to learn, finding ways to combine those two. Especially for students that are beyond beginner’s level and they are entering an early intermediate level, I would like to find/create material or organize the existing one, based on some specific topics or “issues” that I think is important for them to learn, in order to save some precious time and energy in the whole “preparing” process and control even better the whole procedure.