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To get started, tell us a bit about yourself. Thank you for this question, I think knowing the vantage point from which a person speaks helps the listener better understand where the other person is coming from and how intersectionality plays a part in their life. I am Chicano and was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. I grew up financially poor, or socio-economically disadvantaged as some people like to call it; but my family has always been wealthy in love and support. I am a proud first-generation college graduate. And I am gay. These are some of the main parts of my identity that come together to form me. What has been your musical journey so far? My musical journey began in the fifth grade at Valley View Elementary School. Mr. Gaona was our band director and he gave all of us in beginning band the option to choose the instrument we wanted to learn. Having never really heard it before then, I chose the flute. Little by little, I grew to love the flute and at the end of seventh grade, Mr. Gaona pulled me aside. He noticed my enthusiasm and fast progress so he suggested that I take private lessons. He recommended Rosie’s House: A Music Academy for Children which provides free music lessons to under-resourced youth. The first thing I told my then new teacher, Judy Conrad, was: “I want to be the Principal Flutist of the New York Philharmonic.” She believed in me and replied, “Let’s get to work.” I finished the program at Rosie’s House upon high school graduation and went on to earn both my BM and MM from Arizona State University. After about two years of working a day job, teaching, and taking auditions, I decided to go back to school for a bit longer and I was accepted to the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) where I am in the final year of my Artist Diploma. My dreams, which I now call plans, have expanded which we’ll get into next. What caused your plans to expand? Well, up until recently, I still held that dream of playing the flute in a major orchestra and that was the thing that motivated me to practice: to win a job. But during this time of both the covid pandemic and the country’s racial reckoning I started to experience cognitive dissonance. I’ve trained all my life, like an Olympian, and made countless sacrifices along the way to win an audition so that I could just play in an orchestra—the one thing that brought me so much joy to do… But, the orchestra as an institution has historically been limiting, problematic, and racist, among other things. So I asked myself: “Do I really want to be a part of an institution that perpetuates the status quo of systemic racism and white supremacy?” My answer is a big NO. So what will you do instead? I’ve decided to dedicate myself to catalyzing the changes we need to see in our orchestras, and in the industry as a whole. I think one of the main flaws in the orchestra mindset is how we think about the purpose of this music and the role of the organizations that present it. It should be art for social justice and community building rather than art for mere entertainment. Art institutions, especially the legacy ones, should not have a separate community engagement department; instead, the entire organization itself should operate as a community organization that puts the community at its core! Understanding who they are and who they stand for is the first step institutions can take that will lead them to create solutions and resolutions for the inherent racial and exclusionary issues that pervade the field. Currently, the orchestra is a microcosm of the society it lives in (US), reflecting the imbalance of power between BIPOC and white people. But, I think the orchestra can use the tools it has to fix the lack of diversity within itself as well as to then serve as an example for the country to follow. And how are you doing this social justice work and musical activism? I do it through partnerships. As a board member of Quinteto Latino, I help the San Francisco Bay Area wind quintet deliver on its mission of performing of music by Latinx composers and advocacy for Latinx musicians (quintetolatino.org) I contribute to planning the programming for the Sphinx Organization’s National Alliance for Audition Support as a member of The Artist Council (sphinxmusic.org) I am a consultant for Voices Unheard, a growing concert series and initiative to empower underrepresented artists and transform classical music standards and curriculums (voicesunheardproject.org) as well as an ambassador for the Samuel Vargas International Music Foundation which provides life-changing opportunities through music education internationally (samuelvargasfoundation.org) And I work with the National Orchestral Institute + Festival as the Sphinx Orchestral Futurist Fellow to help build their DEIA (diversity, equity, inclusion, and access) efforts. I take these issues to the stage every time I perform with my programming as well as into my practice as a teaching artist. I do hope to plant my own arts organization soon… What are your hopes for the future? Remember, how I always wanted to play in an orchestra? I don’t want to be in an orchestra made up of artists, I want to be part of an orchestra made up of civic artist leaders who refer to their community work as a responsibility. And I hope, very soon, that this will be the case for the entire industry. ______________________ About the Author Chicano flutist Chaz Salazar employs “classical” music as a catalyst for social justice as an orchestral musician, teaching artist and musical activist.  He works to ensure that students who are part of marginalized communities, specifically BIPOC and those of socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds, have equitable exposure and access to music and music education. In his hometown of Phoenix, Arizona, he has served as the flute instructor for Harmony Project Phoenix, an El Sistema-inspired program. Salazar received his early formal musical training from a similar program called Rosie’s House: A Music Academy for Children which provides free music lessons to under-resourced youth. As a performer, Salazar was a founding member of the in-home chamber music series, An Evening of Music, where he made appearances on over 30 concerts. Along with performances at churches, community centers and retirement homes, Salazar has also performed with the Phoenix Symphony as a substitute musician. Currently, he is attending CCM in the Artist Diploma program under the mentorship of Demarre McGill (Principal Flutist, Seattle Symphony). There, Salazar is part of the CCM@Mercy partnership which affords him the opportunity to perform in area hospitals for patients, families, physicians and staff. He is also the flute instructor for CCM Preparatory and Community Engagement. More recently, Salazar was awarded the National Orchestral Institute Sphinx Futurist Fellowship; it is a unique artistic and performance fellowship available for Black and Latinx musicians that combines administration, orchestral performance, festival curation and community engagement. As the fellow, Salazar will work with the Director of the NOI+F on the planning, recruitment and execution of the festival over a 13-month period to advance his career as an orchestral musician and provide a creative platform for shaping the orchestra of the future. In his advocacy and social justice efforts, Salazar serves on the board for Quinteto Latino and he is a consultant for concert:nova and Voices Unheard. He is also an ambassador for the Samuel Vargas International Music Foundation. A first-generation college graduate, he earned both his BM and MM degrees in Flute Performance from Arizona State University, the latter degree as a Reach for the Stars Fellow. In addition to Demarre McGill, Salazar’s other influential teachers include Judy Conrad, Brian Gordon, Elizabeth Buck and Marco Granados.

“You favorite piece is the one currently on your stand. That is your job! Period.” When writing an article about how to practice it is inevitably going to result in a rather subjective train of thought. So I want to start off by saying that what you are about to read is my personal philosophy based on my own experiences and advices given to me by teachers I have had whom I respect immensely as flautists, musicians and most of all remarkable human beings. My focus here is on études, but whatever written here can be transferred to any piece of classical music if you want. I do believe 100 % that what I am about to say is the truth. But what is the truth? Certainly, the truth is a multifaceted thing with more sides to it, and I welcome you to disagree with anything I say*. The worst thing that can happen is that both you and I have used our brains and given more than one or two constructive thoughts to what it means to practice. If you are a young person who is studying with a wonderful teacher who contradicts me, please follow your teacher’s instructions and not mine. Many roads lead to Rome… Anyways, now that that has been said, let’s begin: The opening quote is what one of the flute professors I’ve had the enormous privilege of learning from insisted on when students of his complained they didn’t particularly like or enjoy the music in front of them. It has since become somewhat of a mantra for me to LOVE the music I’m playing, regardless of what it is, when it was written and who wrote it. When I today hear claims like for example “I don’t like baroque music” I find it a bit peculiar and even a little immature. Especially from flute players, considering that our repertoire isn’t the biggest compared to what e.g. singers, violinists and pianists have to choose from, and that we thus should cherish whatever music we have available and look for the good things in it. As a professional musician you’re not always at liberty to choose what’s on your repertoire list. Be that if you’re in an orchestra, freelancing or even doing solo work, you’re most likely going to have to play what you’re asked to. For most of us the classical music business is not super lucrative financially and personally I’ve yet to experience the freedom to be picky. If you’re a music major (as the English speakers call it), I’m sure you have some pieces that you really love on your music stand right now and that you’re planning on working on them for quite some time (What a privilege by the way!!). The weekly études your teacher or professor is making you do in addition to those pieces is great practice when it comes to conquering new things often. It’s so healthy to ALWAYS change up your diet!! So take them seriously, and try to get through as many of them as you can while you have the chance to do so under the guidance of a good teacher! Hence my first advice when working on anything is having the right ATTITUDE: how can you succeed at making magic unless you’re willing to be interested and adventurous, and without having the “drive” to learn something new about yourself? In my humble opinion, if you’ve already made up your mind about everything in life and music, it is going to be a lot more challenging, if not impossible, to have consistent motivation to practice and improve your abilities. I bet you too can agree that if you’re able to really love your études they’ll seem like less of a chore to do too? Make it a win-win situation: Improve your flute skills and stay happy and positive while doing so! Yay! One thing is mindset and attitude, but another thing is to be clever about it! As a silly example: say you’re going to visit a country you’ve never been to before… Would you simply just get on a plane and take it from there as you arrive at the airport? Or would you maybe look into a few things first: E.g. what language(s) they speak there? What clothes you need to bring? How will you find your hotel? Are there any cultural things you need to know about etc.? I do think that it’s a good idea to treat the process of learning a new piece of music the same way: Please know right away that your subconsciousness is a wonderful, wonderful friend. And that you can take advantage of it if you know how to dispose of your time. So be clever, find out as much as possible in advance, MAKE A PLAN and stick to it! Ask yourself the following: How long am I going to spend on this étude? Adjust your expectations to when you’ll have the finished result to the answer to this question. If you’re planning to spend 6 days on the étude, then don’t beat yourself up for not being able to play through it without mistakes after the first or second or even third day. Schedule when to have the result, use the entire period efficiently and target your hard work on what exactly needs just that: hard work. Does this étude have a form? Most études are not written in free form but they have a shape, like most musical pieces do, often an ABA-form. This means that there’s very likely an opening section, a middle part and finally a last part which is identical or almost identical to the opening section. If you’re clever you realize then how to portion out your time (You probably shouldn’t have to spend an equal amount of time working on two identical passages). What can I learn from this étude? An étude is a piece of music and should be treated as such. But an étude is also an exercise which targets one or more specific challenges for the instrument which it is written for, be it triplets, octaves, legato, staccato, sostenuto, breathing and… you name it! Be aware of what part of the gym you’re in, if you’re doing cardio or weightlifting or something else. Reconnaissance where the most difficult passages are and be sure to spend more time working on these than on what comes easy for you (Time is money! Don’t waste any). What is the right tempo for me? If the étude has metronome markings, look away from them right this moment. Learn the Italian musical terms and focus on that: did you for example know that Allegro means Happy, not Fast? (Do you know the actual meaning of the word Staccato? I can tell you right now that Short is the not the correct answer, so go use Google Translate and find out!) The right tempo for you is YOUR TEMPO and what exactly that is will manifest at the end of your process. I always find it much more impressive hearing someone play all the notes with a nice even sound at a moderate tempo, still having capacity to phrase and follow the written dynamics and articulations, than a clumsy “this is how fast I can ALMOST play it” version. A bodybuilder didn’t become good at benching 150 kg by starting at 150 kg: they needed to lift a lot of 40 kg, 50 kg, 60 kg etc. etc. first in order to get to the seriously heavy weights, right? Velocity is like a muscle that needs to be built the same way! To quote a children’s book character us Scandinavians hold very dearly, the one and only Pippi Longstocking: “I have never tried that before, so I think I should definitely be able to do that”. If you’re able to adopt that way of thinking you’re already on a good way to conquer the task at hand! But practice slowly and patiently and allow your good friend, the subconsciousness, enough time to get some work in too; don’t bang your head at the wall with the technical things but rather trust in that it will be better tomorrow if you gave it a fair and honest go today (I PROMISE!!). Then move on to the next task. Personally, I’m someone who easily get bored in the practice room. Maybe you recognize the feeling of working hard on something specific and at a certain point your mind just swifts to other places? First of all, you are not alone about this. Second, this is when you take a break. Taking BREAKS is one of the most crucial parts of practicing and something we should offer a lot of awareness. Taking a break can mean going to lunch. It can also mean putting your flute down, opening a window for 3 minutes and check if you already follow @eirikflute on Instagram, answer an e-mail, meditate or something else that will clear your mind. You do not only take breaks to avoid injuries, but also to avoid getting bored. Remember that! – it goes right back to the point of having the right mindset and attitude, doesn’t it? Spend no more than 60 minutes à day on your étude, and unless your teacher says otherwise: don’t dwell on it and move on to the next challenge! If it is a particularly difficult étude, find it again in 12 months and give it another go. Chances are it’s suddenly a lot more manageable! Why? – Because you improved!! *Unless you’re my student. Then you better listen to me! Or else I will kick your butt! ;-) ______________________________ About the Author Eirik Hoel Sandvik comes from Tromsø, Norway. Eirik is a student of Torkil Bye, Benoît Fromanger, Vidar Austvik, Aldo Baerten, Peter Verhoyen (piccolo) and Lars Asbjørnsen (Norway, Germany and Belgium). His CV includes performances with many professional orchestras and ensembles both inside and outside of Norway and he performs regularly as a soloist. As a teacher Eirik has worked many years as a flute instructor for children, taught flute and music theory on summer courses in Norway and given masterclasses at L’École Normale de Musique de Paris in France.

Dear reader, You may not realize it, but fate brought you here today, but before we get too far into things let me introduce myself. My name is Jon Olejnik, I’ve toured the world playing saxophones, flute, clarinets, and many world folk instruments (36 to be exact) in just about every capacity that you can imagine: Professional Big Bands, Wedding Bands, Corporate Bands, Rock and Roll Bands, as well as my own groups. I’m a D’Addario Woodwinds sponsored musician and clinician and have developed my share of students over the years. On paper (and social media) my experience looks impressive, and to an extent it is, but it does not paint the full picture of how me and my career came to be. Social Media pulls a love/hate relationship from many. You see those bright pictures full of smiling faces in exotic locations, new cars, fancy entrepreneurs looking to sell you their secrets. There are all kinds of mixed messages out there in the jungles of Facebook and Instagram, but there is one underlying reason social media exists and that is to connect with others that exist outside of your “pod” that share similar interests. I’ve seen many “Social Media Gurus” shouting from the rooftop to “Unfollow those accounts that make you jealous!!”, but my message is the opposite; these accounts can help you. Let me bring you into my personal journey to shed some light on how utilizing social media as a tool has helped grow my career. Like most students studying music, I had my foot in the practice room religiously; putting the time in with the instrument so I could win that audition when I got done with school. Unfortunately that day never came- I actually had to take a mental health withdrawal in my final year of schooling (something that was necessary at the time and has not held me back in any major way. After all, to win an audition, no one is asking for your degree, only a demonstration of your skill). Now, don’t get my message wrong, practice is very important and school can provide you with easy connections. In fact my first “big gig” came months after withdrawing from school- The My Fair Lady North American Broadway Tour. It was a glorious 9 months of high pay, high performance expectation, and traveling through just about every state as well as Canada. However when I returned from the tour I reached another rough patch, “How can I get another job like that,” I wondered. It was too perfect the first time. I ended up taking a job at Toys R Us, first unloading trucks in the middle of the night, then working my way up to eventually become an Assistant Store Manager within 2 years. Was I practicing during this time? The answer is…well, not really. However, what I was doing was reaching out to those musicians that I idolized in order to figure out a path to my own success and using social media as a way of forming my future career. Cirque Du Soleil had always been my dream gig- that’s the end goal. Luckily, Cirque Du Soleil sells the soundtracks to their shows and it’s easy to look up who the musicians are that they hire, so I started reaching out through social media for advice on what instruments to learn, what music to listen to, and what to practice. After receiving good responses from most that I reached out to I gained further inspiration to audition. Since that time Cirque Du Soleil has asked me directly to audition for four of their shows (no takers yet, but I am still assured by these musicians that being asked directly to audition is a very good sign: I remain hopeful). Fast forward a few years and I exited Toys R Us to become a full time musician. Experience is invaluable in the music industry and putting yourself out there is 99% of the puzzle. Social media allows you a means to get your name out and connect with those in a position that you want to be in. Now, knowing my back-story clues you into knowing that not everything on social media is “real”. I still very much struggle with my own mental health, but sometimes that creates a good push to utilize social media in the “healthy way”. Like everything, moderation is important. Give yourself some guidelines for success: Post 3 times per week (This is a healthy average that allows “breathing room”) Engage with your followers and those who follow you (This seems like common sense, but sometimes we get caught up in creating our own content to appreciate the content of others) Find those people who create great content and reach out to them (Behind those beautiful, staged pictures are real people with real stories and advice. Sending a private message takes very little time or effort. After all the worst that can happen is they don’t respond, that’s how you know they’re not here to help you) One of my goals as a musician was to gain an endorsement from a company that I love (many others have this goal, so if that’s you, you’re not alone). It’s all too easy to make posts featuring your favorite brands- also, these companies LOVE free advertising. Most companies spill lots of money into marketing because good marketing turns into good, life-long customers. Turn a focus of your posts into highlighting brands and in a year or two you may be looking at an endorsement (just don’t forget to engage with the brand of social media as well). In my story, it took a year to reach a point where I earned an endorsement, and the final piece was reaching out to the company to ask if it was possible to buy reeds direct through them. EXPERIENCE is something that makes for good social media content. Everyone has low-paying gigs, especially at the start of their career. Turn those low paying gigs into social media posts- will it be hard? Yes. Does it lead you to feeling like a phony? In some cases yes. But realize that EVERYONE starts at the bottom and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. Are you giving lessons for $10? Awesome! Shout it from the rooftops and gain your student base as you expand on social media. Eventually you’ll be giving lessons for $50+ AND you’ll be a successful teacher while your at it. So, let’s pull some points together as a final thought: Engage with everyone on social media (comments, messages, the whole mess of it) Post on a regular schedule (Don’t overdo it and burn yourself out) Get that experience (When starting out “YES” is your friend, but don’t let yourself be taken advantage of) MAKE GOALS ___________________ The author JON OLEJNIK D'Addario Woodwinds performing artist Jon Olejnik is one of the United States most in-demand instrumentalists and touring musicians. Most recently Jon has been on tour with The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra, performing 220 dates over 48 weeks of touring, playing Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet, and Flute Past tours/acts include Bernadette Peters, Jazz drumset legend Jimmy Cobb, featured soloist with Princess Cruise Lines, Harlem River Noise, and the Broadway North American Tour of "My Fair Lady" As a multi-instrumentalist Jon plays, performs, and records on over 36 different woodwind instruments ranging from modern-day winds (saxophone, flute, clarinet, etc), to world folk instruments (Indian Bansuri, Bulgarian Kaval, Albanian Duduk, etc), all the way to Early Music winds (shawms, recorders, etc) Jon's playing has been lauded as having an abundance of creativity, being called "a musician's musician". Discography: "When You Feel It Within", Steve Sholz (2012) [Sideman: Tenor Saxophone] "Not All Who Wander Are Lost: a musical memoir", John Díaz-Cortés (2013) [Sideman: Clarinet] "Irresponsible Days", Harlem River Noise (2018) [Sideman: Tenor Saxophone] "Now Hear This!", Jon Olejnik & Aaron Krings (2020) [Leader: Tenor Saxophone/Clarinet]

MASTERCLASSES THE MASTERCLASS METHOD Masterclasses allow students to showcase their hard work in a highly individualized manner. In this motivating and encouraging setting, students are able to work on a myriad of areas not limited to tone development, technique, vibrato, intonation tools, practice techniques, performance practice, and stage presence among others. Students are left with a new outlook and thought-provoking perspective on their given repertoire and overall musical endeavors. Andreas' is focused on Courage, Compassion, and Connection. teaching philosophy SETTING Masterclasses can be held in-person or virtually. SCHEDULE Masterclasses can be held as half-day and full-day events, depending on the number of students and schedule of events. FORMAT Masterclasses can be held as both individual and group setting workshops. FOCUS Students can choose to focus on repertoire not limited to solo repertoire, orchestral excerpts, and etudes. By doing so, masterclasses are able to cover a wide range of flute topics not limited to articulation, sound projection, tone quality, vibrato, interpretive tools, and performance practice among others. WHAT ARE SCHOOLS SAYING? Thank you again for sharing your time and energy with us. Your playing--and choice of music--was most impressive and inspiring! I enjoyed watching you quickly diagnose challenges, and lead the students toward level-appropriate solutions in the limited amount of time available. And I loved your analogies and sense of humor. Student reactions showed engagement, and I am looking forward to the "debrief" next week. Thanks again for sharing the passion! — Sherri Jacobson, Whitworth University WOULD YOUR COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY LIKE TO BOOK ANDREAS FOR A MASTERCLASS? USE THE LINK BELOW CONTACT

EVENTS Due to COVID-19, all live events have been postponed. Please stay tuned for upcoming virtual events!

BIO Brazilian flutist Guilherme Andreas received First Place in the 2020 International Music Competition "Paris and London" Grand Prize Virtuoso and 2019 Concert Artists International Virtuoso Competition’s professional division. Andreas began his musical career in Brazil, where he studied at the University of Brasília and then completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Flute Performance at the Brazilian Conservatory of Music, under the guidance of French Professor Odette Ernest Dias. Andreas pursued post-graduate studies in Chamber Music at the same institution being mentored by British cellist David Chew, and studied in parallel with Cláudia Ribeiro do Nascimento (OSESP) and Michel Bellavance (Conservatoire de Genève). As a soloist of the Brazilian Marines Wind Symphony, Andreas performed in major concert halls throughout Brazil and MERCOSUL. As a chamber musician, his presentations with Trio Gaubert, took place in theaters and museums throughout Rio de Janeiro. Andreas received numerous prizes at competitions in Brazil including Young Soloists of the Eleazar de Carvalho Festival and the Sargent Borges Medal, granted to the leader of the Sergeant Musicians Course of the Brazilian Marine Corps. He also received a full scholarship to pursue his Masters studies in flute in the USA, awarded in Brazil by the Young Musicians in the Museum Competition in partnership with James Madison University in Virginia. During his Master’s studies, Andreas won the JMU Concert Competition, culminating in a performance of the Reinecke concerto with the JMU Orchestra. He also won first prize in the Masterclass Competition of the Flute Society of Washington, DC. In 2016, Andreas began studying with Emily Skala (Baltimore Symphony) at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, where he received his Graduate Performance Diploma and the Peabody Career Award in 2018. Andreas has appeared in recitals and presentations throughout the US, including the Global Brazil Conference at Duke University, Symposium on Brazil at Johns Hopkins University, and recent concerts in Nashville, Washington, New York City, Rochester, Boston, Seattle, among other cities. After being invited to perform as Principal Flute with the New England Symphonic Ensemble at Carnegie Hall (2016-2019), Andreas gave a solo performance in 2019 together with fellow CAI Virtuoso Competition winners. Andreas was recently named Principal Flute of Symphony Number One in Baltimore for the 2018/2019 season and is also a Teaching Artist with Education Through Music in NYC. He was also recently appointed as a Trevor James Alto Flutes Artist, selected to be a member of the 2019 Global Leaders Program, and awarded the SphinxConnect 2019 and 2020 Fellowship and SOPA 2020. AWARDS AND HONORS // 2020 International Music Competition 'Paris and London' Grand Prize Virtuoso, 1st Prize, London–UK and Paris–FR ​ // 2020 Bank of America Fellowship/Sphinx Orchestral Partners Auditions/Sphinx Connect Fellowship, Detroit, MI ​ // 2019 Le Concours de Flûte de Paris–Finalist, Paris, FR ​ // 2019 Concert Artists International™ Virtuoso Competition IV- Professional Artist Category, 1st Prize, Carnegie Hall, NYC ​ // 2019 SphinxConnect Fellowship, Detroit, MI ​ // 2018 National Alliance for Audition Support (NAAS) Wind & Brass Audition Intensive, New World Center, Miami ​ // since 2018 Trevor James Flutes Award and TJ Flutes Artist awarded with TJ Copper Body Alto Flute ​ // 2016 - 2018 PY Degree Scholarship, Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University ​ // 2016 - 2017 Peabody Career Center Award // 2015 James Madison University Concerto Competition 1st Prize ​ // 2015 Mid-Atlantic Flute Fair Masterclass Competition 1st Prize ​ // 2014 Emmanuel Pahud Masterclass, OSESP Masterclass Competition, 1st Prize, São Paulo ​ // 2012 Young Soloists Competition, Eleazar de Carvalho Music Festival, 1st Prize, Ceará ​ // 2012 Eduardo Tagliatti Chamber Music Competition, Best Interpretation, Prokofiev Flute Sonata Op 94 Minas Gerais // 2009 Sgt. Francisco Borges Medal, Brazilian Marine School of Music, 1st Prize, Rio de Janeiro MASTERCLASSES/ RESIDENCIES // Andrews University, University in Berrien Springs, Michigan - Recital and Masterclass // Whitworth University, Spokane, Washington - Recital and Masterclass ​ // Centralia College, Centralia, Washington - Recital and Masterclass // Baltimore School for the Arts, Baltimore, Maryland - Masterclass // State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil- Recital and Masterclass // Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Recital and Masterclass // University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil - Recital and Masterclass ​ ​ ​ KEYNOTE SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS // Duke University - Lecture Recital at the 2015 Conference on Brazil (Duke's Brazil Initiative) // University of Virginia (UVA) - Lecture Recital about Tom Jobim's life and music //Johns Hopkins University (Department of Modern Languages and Literatures) - Lecture Recital about Afro-Brazilian Composers. // University of Maryland School of Medicine - Panel on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.