About 60 students from the Escola Profissional Metropolitana (EPM) have seen, this academic year that has now come to an end, their effort, growth and talent recognised with awards and honourable mentions received in national and international competitions. But what impact do these awards have on the artistic development of a young music student?
A joy for the students, but a sign of the pedagogical work done at Metropolitana, says Marco Fernandes , Coordinating Professor at Metropolitana and Artistic Director of Metropolitana’s Percussions since 2010.
“We have a motto, which is “when one wins, all win”. Therefore, when we hear the name of a student who has won something, we are celebrating not only his victory, but the victory of the project, that is, the victory of those who win, of those who have already won and of those who will win,” says the professor.
As a teacher, Marco Fernandes knows that “keeping this level high is something very important”, even because “it is like a celebration of the work that is done in the Metropolitana schools, with their artistic and pedagogical project”.
Also a teacher of many prize-winning students, Tatiana Leonor, an EPM teacher, makes it clear that “regardless of the awards obtained”, what makes her “most proud” is “to see a student giving his best”.
“A student in the process of preparing for a competition goes through various stages but above all, I aim for him to surpass himself. It can prove very difficult, however, and after dozens of students to whom I have extended the invitation of this type of challenge, they all meet the goal. And that is very stimulating for a teacher,” she emphasises.
Another teacher from the EPM, Marina Camponês, recognises that “achieving distinction in a competition is always a moment of confirmation that you are building a good path, with solidity and seriousness”.
“When I suggest to students to enter competitions, it is always with a pedagogical purpose, because they are always moments of overcoming, something that will make them grow, both in their preparation and in the tests,” he justifies.
Marina Camponês does not dissociate the artistic component from the personal. ” The overcoming is artistic and personal, and as a rule I don’t dissociate these parameters. They are both fundamental in the construction of an artistic entity. As artists, a moment on stage (and normally in competitions with added pressure) is always a moment of growth and consolidation of your work”, she points out.
The teacher underlines that the EPM course is a “demanding course, both in theoretical and practical components and with a very intense workload. These two factors, combined with an excellent teaching staff, give students a very clear idea of what it means to build an artistic career, how hard they have to work and that learning and growth are constant and for the rest of their lives”.
Therefore, Marina Camponês has no doubts that EPM is “an excellent preparation vehicle for students to enter ANSO, which also stands out for its excellence and demand, and from which have emerged great musicians and teachers of national and international prominence”.
See here the names of all EPM students who won awards or honourable mentions during the academic year that is now ending.