Dr. Coelho is an international professional musician with over 15 years of performance and teaching experience in voice, piano, and music theory/ear training.

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• When did you first develop a passion for music and your favorite instrument?

  I have always been fascinated by music from a very early age.
  Back in my home country, I distinctively remember listening to music that is still part of my musical taste - classical (vocal and instrumental), Portuguese and Brazilian popular and fine arts music (Madredeus, Zeca Afonso, Antônio Jobim, Caetano Veloso, etc.), film music, rock, and jazz, just to name a few.
  
  Growing up in a place with limited opportunities during my childhood and adolescence, my formal music training started later in life, after I moved out of my hometown. During my undergraduate studies in Philosophy and foreign languages, I was finally able to embrace my musical passions alongside the study of humanities, pursuing voice and piano when I moved to Italy many years ago. Additionally, in the last 6 years in the US, I have added Gothic harp, psaltery, lyre-harp, and tongue steel drum to my musical practice, performance, and recordings.
  I believe that when one puts the work and has a true passion for it, it is never too late to start studying music!

• Is there a particular type of music or artist that you listen to on a loop without it driving you crazy?

  Not just as an active performer, but as a musicologist and music professor and teacher, I have embraced an eclectic musical taste. I am also lucky to have been exposed from an early age to a multitude of different types of music from all over the world.
  
  There are many types of music and artists that I am drawn to, but just to name a few:
  - Madredeus
  - Dead Can Dance
  - Baroque music
  - Giacomo Rossini (with his intricate coloratura!)
  - Medieval Iberian music (cantigas, Sephardi in Ladino, etc.)
  - Irish, Scottish, and Iberian old Folk music (particularly pre-18th century)
  - Symphonic and melodic metal (with the mixture of symphonic and metal instrumentation and sounds, and mixture of guttural singing and operatic singing)
  - Bossa Nova and Jazz (particularly the standards!)
  - I also love to explore music outside of Western culture - there are too many to list here!

• Explain to us the most difficult or riveting course you could personally give to a student of music.

  There are so many ways I could answer this question! There are students who come to me to prepare for auditions for community choirs, music programs, or professional ensembles.
  There are students who are already professional musicians and want to incorporate voice and/or keyboard to sing their own music or to perform live; or who want to improve their music theory skills to write for voice or piano.
  There are parents reaching out to me to prepare their children for a difficult music exam (such as the RCM exams); or to simply feed their children's love for music through piano, voice, or general musical education.
  
  That said, the difficulty of the goals established will always depend on the level of musical knowledge the student has, the overall objectives, and the work they put in to achieve those goals!

• What do you think is the most complicated instrument to master and why?

  All instruments have their own complexity - either in matters of tone, rhythm, coordination with other instruments or elements, etc.
  
  For example, studying voice implies taking care of your own vocal health (practicing daily, working on memorization of music and text, resting enough, eating and avoiding certain foods, exercising your voice properly and regularly, working out), dealing with the challenges of not having a key or string to press to get note X or Y, etc.
  Another example is playing the organ, where one has to coordinate right hand, left hand, and the pedals with the feet while maintaining a correct posture, and while taking into account all the different music elements when playing a piece.
  
  That said, harp, piano, organ, trumpet, psaltery, accordion, percussion… ALL instruments have their own complexities, in a different manner, and I do not wish to make a hierarchy, saying that one is easier or harder than the other. I know the difficulty of the instruments I play, and how different that looks from instrument to instrument. Even the most seemingly simple instrument can be extraordinarily hard to fully master in technique, speed, accuracy, tone clarity, etc., as well as in terms of style (technique matters, but so does style!)

• What are your keys to success?

  Persistence, discipline, hard work / work ethic, attention to detail, and reliability, while striving for life-work balance. It is also keeping in mind that there is always room for growth, and to not lose sight of being a human being.

• Name three musicians you dream of meeting in your favorite bar in the early hours of the morning. Explain why.

  1) I would love to meet Zeca Afonso (Portuguese protest musician and poet), although he is no longer with us. His music and poetry - that I now perform with Gothic harp - taught me so much on so many levels.
  
  2) I would also love to meet the one and only Sister Rosetta Tharpe - what a joy it would be, and wishing she was also still with us! She is the true mother of Rock ´n Roll, and versed in Gospel, Blues, etc., excellent singer, composer, arranger, and electric guitar player. An absolute icon!!
  
  3) And finally, I would love to have met Maria Callas, gifted with extraordinary intelligence and sensitivity, vocal versatility, and infinite class.
  
  A few honorable mentions: Jimmy Hendrix and mezzo-soprano Jessye Norman!

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to music or your days at music school.

  As a I started my formal music training quite late in life at the end of my Philosophy BA, there was a lot of disbelief from several colleagues and professors in Italy that I could make a valuable career out of music. Besides my classes at the conservatory, I spent 4-5 hours a day studying music theory, music history, and practicing voice and piano. I made the decision to never give up. Eventually, a few people believed in me and helped me greatly on those subjects.
  Today, I hold a Doctorate in Musical Arts, I am a music history faculty member, a professional performer, a recorded artist, and a music teacher in voice, piano, and music theory.
  While sometimes it is very important to listen to other insights and be open to constructive criticism, it is crucial to know how to filter feedback - other people's reality, choices, and path does not have to be your own

• What are the little touches that make you a SuperProf in music?

  Not only my musical experience as a musicology professor, music teacher, live performer, poetess, and recorded artist, but also my interdisciplinary education and my own life path. The latter gave me a particular insight into understanding that one size does not fit all, and that we are all in different stages of life. I cannot teach a student - whether a child, adolescent, or adult - the same way. No person is the same, and circumstances, life opportunities, and goals can vary greatly.
  
  My life experience and path in humanities and music education in 3 different countries (Portugal, Italy, and the US) taught me understanding, patience, and how to explain the same concepts from varying perspectives and at different paces, depending on the student and age group.
  Another thing that my path taught me is that you pass along your knowledge to whoever is receptive to receive it, but you should never claim to know fully what is outside of your domain. Learning never ends, and teaching is also an ongoing learning experience!