Mateo Calderón
About
I received my bachelor diploma in Guitar, Jazz and popular music from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogota - I graduated with honors and my thesis on Jazz as transcultural phenomena was laureate. I later received my Master's Degree from the Conservatory of Music and Theater Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy in Leipzig, the oldest music conservatory in Germany. I took part of the jazz and experimental music scene of Colombia's capital, where I was able to participate in multiple festivals and win some prices for my own projects and as a sideman. The latest phase of my carrier has been oriented towards songwriting, by using poetry that I've written over the course of all my adolescent and adult life. I've been teaching music to people of all ages since 3 years, and consolidated my pedagogical skills through the investigation of somatic and integral approaches to music learning.
I like to go directly to the playing, to the composing, to the creative endeavor - I believe in learning through playing and through direct experience. I like to give the students the opportunity to understand music in general through the guitar, and to understand the guitar through improvisation. I see improvisation as a field of exploration, through which students themselves are able to discover how they can approach their instrument in an interesting, motivating, creative and personal way. A long the way, I believe it is healthy to accompany the practical learning with theoretical understanding. I think this allows students to communicate better about their musical ideas with other artists, and it makes them more integral as musicians.
My teaching method is unique to each student, since each student has different interests and needs. As soon as I'm able to identify the goals of my student, I'm able to gather a group of exercises and texts that would serve this purpose.