Teaching Artist
“Genuinely enthusiastic, technically proficient, and capable across genres, Anaís has an impressive foundation of schooling and experience and a clear dedication to ever developing pedagogically and artistically much to the benefit of her students.” - Rich, Whole Tone Music Academy Student
“[Anais’] fun and encouraging way of teaching accompanied by [an] outgoing and positive persona...made every lesson a joy!” - Matthew, Whole Tone Music Academy Student
Longer reviews can be found on the Whole Tone Music Academy’s Yelp page.
Approach
My approach to teaching centers around each student’s goals and intentions for their study. For my composition students, I help them ask themselves questions that will lead them to create the works that they envision. For my piano students, I provide a theoretical approach that allows students to understand anything from pop music, orchestral scores, and jazz. For voice student, I focus on connectedness to the body and its capacity for sound. That said, my strong suits are giving feedback on performance practices, mind-body awareness, composition cohesiveness, and helping develop ease of playing.
Experience
I have been teaching bilingual (Spanish and English) songwriting, improvisation, composition, theory, group piano and group voice since 2016. My workshops and lessons have taken place at Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Hyde Square Task Force, Boston Public Schools, Belmont Day School, Wholetone Music Academy, Escuela Bilingüe Internacional, Urban College of Boston and Boston University. In 2017 I taught improvisatory sound composition at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee and since then have led group voice and composition workshops internationally. Currently, I teach composition, piano, and voice via zoom– use the contact form to inquire.
UCB Student Carmen and Anaís Azul performing a collaborative piece for Carmen’s final.
Urban college of boston
May, June, and October 2019
At the Urban College I partnered with Kendall Driscoll of the class “Music to Empower” to help continuing education students perform, compose, and collaborate more confidently for their May final concert. Additionally, I went back in June to teach a songwriting workshop where we wrote a group song about healing. Finally, I was a panelist for UCB’s first ever hispanic heritage month celebration where I led group singing in Spanish.
Boston Conservatory
December 2018
I workshopped and collaborated with Boston Conservatory Theater students from the Musical Theater and Contemporary Theater Departments to create the a capella choral music for the main stage play “Metamorphoses” directed by Theresa Lang. I led warm-ups, composed ensemble pieces and led sectionals to co-create music with a trio of students who’s songs functioned as transitions and narration.
Group vocal rehearsal with ensemble. Photo by Theresa Lang.
Sectional rehearsal with vocal trio. Photo by Theresa Lang.
Voices21c at Dragon De Jade
August 2018
This past August 2018 I went on tour with my choir Voices21c to Cuernavaca Mexico at a cultural center El Dragón de Jade where I was a tour coordinator and bilingual (Spanish and English) workshop facilitator for kids ages 6-13 and adults in their 20's and beyond. The kids’ workshop I led captured their rhythmic, lyrical, or melodic ideas to write a song celebrating El Dragón de Jade. I also led a vulnerability exercise with the adults to prepare us to sing Elliot Z. Levine’s setting of “There is No Fear in Love” and lean into the meaning of the words.
Play On Music Festival
May 2018
I was invited to perform with my band Cathartic Conundrum at the Play On Music Festival organized by Yui Kitamura and Ruth Debrot. We led a songwriting and improvisation workshop for middle school students and we were the guest performers of the daylong festival. Below is a video of our interactive performance.
Banner photo by Sofía Perez