We were lucky to catch up with Rogerio Peixoto recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Rogerio thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
From a very early age I had a passion for drawing and painting, so I wanted to become a visual artist. However, during my first guitar lesson (at age twelve), as soon as played a musical phrase, it was as if the sky had opened up and shown me exactly what I was supposed to do for the rest of my life. I was too young to pursue it, but I knew then: that was it.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Parallel to becoming a dedicated and formally trained guitarist, circumstances drove me to become an architect, and having an innate ability to explain things to different people I quickly became a TA (teacher’s assistant) in college, which led me to become a very young professor quickly after graduating. Those experiences made me realize I feel fulfilled when helping others learn, and since Music has always been the most important thing in my life, in teaching it I am known for being able to customize and optimize a student’s learning path towards their specific interests. For instant, I have students who are life-long musicians who didn’t conform within the requirements of formal training, so they lack a deeper understanding of what they actually do, and I have been helpful to make them fill those gaps using non-academic language. I take pride in being able to teach a person learn proper Classical Guitar, using a formal approach, while at the same time being able to teach completely different styles (i.e.: Pop, Classic Rock, Metal etc.) with the same level of depth, but using other resources and techniques. When someone finds an obstacle, I love coming up with creative ways to help them overcome it using their own learning style. No two lessons are the same, because no two people are the same. That makes teaching a creative endeavor and one that’s never dull.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I have had students who were challenging to teach but, in persevering, they had great outcomes and helped me evolve as a teacher: a blind teenager who didn’t speak English (I have lived in other countries and spoke his language); a senior lady who had two severe strokes and serious mobility impairments; and an autistic child whose parents weren’t sure if learning guitar would happen, but it did. I consider myself very lucky that they came to me, for I had to find ways to teach that I never used before, and that strengthened my skill, while making me very happy to see them play music.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
As a composer, ehen I create and record a piece of music, there is an intangible satisfaction in listening to that which did not exist before, and will stay in this world after I am no longer. It can be a painful labor process to get there, but it has a meaning that words cannot describe.
As a teacher, when I create a learning path and a student progresses, I get a reward of perennial character. I still remember that first guitar lesson I had at age twelve, and although my first Music teacher has since passed away, a part of his life stays with me forever, and I hope to do that for others. When that happens, My life is validated. What a priceless reward!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rogeriopeixoto.com
- Instagram: @ rogerio_guitarist
- Facebook: Guitarist Rogerio Peixoto
- Youtube: @rogerio_guitarist