Portrait of a pianist and physical education teacher
Who are you?
I am a pianist as well as a physical education and health teacher. I am in my sixth year as a piano teacher at the Conservatoire de musique de la Montérégie and I have been a teacher in physical education and health since 2017. I have always had a passion for the arts, not only in music but also in dance since I have been performing and teaching traditional Mexican dance since I was 5 years old.
What is your musical background?
I started at the age of 8 at École Félix-Leclerc, an elementary music school. Luckily, there was a piano at my grandmother's home and I enjoyed touching the keys every time I visited her, so I really started showing interest at the age of 2 according to my grandma! At school, we had a daily lesson of 60 minutes on a main instrument, in my case the piano. So I played the piano from grades three to six on a regular basis. In the fifth and sixth year, we had to choose a second instrument, in my case, I chose the flute.
Cristina at age 15 in concert
Upon entering high school, I continued taking private lessons with a teacher affiliated to Vincent-d'Indy. This was integrated into my high school activities. I was also part of my high-school orchestra as a flautist. This is how I met Marie-Anne Rozankovic. I began piano lessons at Conservatoire de musique de la Montérégie in 2008. I continued at the Conservatoire until 2012, when I was awarded a merit scholarship. I took a 4-year hiatus from the Conservatoire to enter my bachelor studies at McGill in education. After I completed my degree, I was hired as a teacher at CMM in 2016 and I haven't stopped teaching piano since! Today, apart from teaching piano part-time, I continue to play for my own enjoyment, and I also share that passion with the people around me whenever I have the opportunity!
What lessons have you learned from your musical journey?
One of the things I enjoyed learning about music at a young age was discipline. Since I went to a music school where I played our main instrument every day, it was part of my routine as this was a class like Math or French classes. As I practiced on a regular basis, it allowed me to progress and learn quickly. It is therefore important to play on a regular basis!
Another thing that I have developed during my musical journey and worked over the years is to overcome my shyness. So, playing in public was a big challenge. During my childhood and teenage years I was a very shy person so playing in public took a lot of effort. As I grew up, I realized that people around me old just wanted to listen to music, so I didn’t have to be perfect! From then on, I seeked opportunities to play more often in public. By working on this personal challenge, I have had a big change in my life because now I look for opportunities to share this joy of performing in public.
I would also say that music brings people together. I am a physical education teacher, so I always see my students in the context of being physically active and seeing those who are talented for sport. However, I have students who also enjoy making music and seeing them in another context is very interesting and rewarding. This allows me to have more in common with my students. Also, music helps me connect with new people I meet in everyday life.
What advice would you give to young people studying music as an extra-curricular activity?
Share your talent and your passion with others! As a musician, playing music brings me joy, but it is also a mutual feeling for the listener. Sharing what I love with others is something that makes me happy and gives me a sense of accomplishment.
Cristina’s teacher photo of 2021-22
