Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tamara Matthew. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Tamara , appreciate you joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
The first job I had received an offer for out of college was to be a music teacher. I knew it was going to be a new kind of experience as I had never taught at a music school before and I was pretty young going into the role. I have worked in various settings since then from a law firm, to a hospital, to a tech/health start-up and yet teaching music is something I find myself returning to consistently or doing on the side, no matter what other fields I enter into. In fact, I often tell people that I am sure that even when I retire one day, I’ll probably be that old lady that came back to teach music because she loves it.
I think what I love about teaching music is that the benefits are multi-dimensional. This is not something that’s been realized overnight or in one particular moment but more so appreciated in hindsight. As a teacher with several years of experience, I have found myself growing in my ability to relate and adapt to each student I am teaching as well as justify my method of instruction with an increasing confidence that these years have afforded me. I have taught a variety of ages, from six year olds, at the beginning stages of their learning to adults, with a keen interest to pick up an instrument or return to the basics. This has kept me on my toes, in a good way. Teaching music, uniquely, has allowed me the privilege to train others in understanding and appreciating a language that is universal and beautiful. As my students have learned from my instruction over the years, I am in turn learning from each of them how to be a more encouraging, attentive, and quality teacher and human being and I don’t think that’s something I’ll be willing to let go of that easily!
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 background and context?
Hi! My name is Tamara Matthew. I am an Indian immigrant, living and working in America and I was raised in the Middle-East for about sixteen years of my life. I am married to the best man I know and we just celebrated our 5 year anniversary. I am a Christian and I am growing, day by day, in my understanding of what it means to love God and love people well. Also, stating that strawberries are my favorite fruit would be an understatement! That might have been more personal information than you bargained for so let me talk about the artistic/creative work side of things.
I started learning the piano classically at the age of 6 and grew up singing in the church, which I do to this day as a worship leader at the church I attend. After completing 8 practical grades of classical piano and 5 grades of theory with the Associated Boards of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM), a London-based program, I was able to leverage the training I gained to begin a job working as a music teacher right out of college. I have been teaching classical piano professionally on and off for about 9 years and I have been playing the piano and singing for over 20 years at this point. I started a small business a few years ago, named TJM Music, out of which I operate as a private piano teacher and this is a decision I have been proud to see come to fruition.
Teaching music is a profession that I enjoy and find fulfilling. Not only does it allow me to stay up to date on my musical terminology and theory knowledge but also allows me the privilege of passing on the information to those that I teach. The interactions with each student are what makes each class unique. Before I sign on a client/student, I have them sign a document that lays out my expectations of them and vice versa (i.e. what they can expect to gain out of the lessons and out of having me as their teacher). What I believe sets me apart is the value I place in the proverb of teaching my students how to fish vs giving them the fish. This boils down to instructing students to understand the basics of the language of music theory as well as hand technique, which will carry them in their musical journey much longer than allowing quick memorization of a piece of music they will inevitably end up forgetting how to play for lack of fundamental knowledge. Simultaneously, I speak with each student about their own goals and the reason they have taken up lessons. I want to know their ‘why’ behind their motive to take up an instrument that will require hours of practice and I think it’s important not only for me to hear this but for the students to articulate it and hear it for themselves. Over the course of our musical journey together, students may want to incorporate more of a particular type of technique-building exercise into the existing curriculum and/or want to work on outside classical or contemporary pieces and I tell them I am here for all of it! I want them to know I encourage their individual music-related goals while we work on our collective goals together. After all, we are a team and we work best when we are working together.
Over a period of time, I have seen the methods I incorporate into my teaching style culminate into creating more confident and skillful piano players; I love that feeling when a student looks at a piece and is able to articulate his/her understanding of its complexity, realizing he/she would not have been able to interpret this just a few months prior. Ultimately, I want to see my students become more empowered in their musicianship and this, I believe, is what makes me a better teacher at the end of the day.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
A literal part of my journey involves me leaving my home country in the Middle-East (Bahrain, specifically) to attend college in America and settling here as a first-generation immigrant a few years later. When I think back to the fact that I was dropped off to college by my parents at a young age, coming from about 8000 miles away, I have a deep sense of gratitude for how it all worked out. And when I talk to others about how before my husband and I got married we spent over a year in a very long-distance dating relationship because I had to move back to Bahrain, I am amazed at how we made it through. I have come across many people in my life that state that they could never be too far from their parents or survive in a long-distance relationship but they may not realize that when your choices are limited, you and the people that love you work on how to get through the inconveniences and struggle of each situation together.
Two factors come to my mind when thinking about how I got through living great distances apart from loved ones: one is learning first-hand from the example of strong parents who were ready to see all 3 of their daughters migrate to America, not with tears but with strong faith and confidence that God would guide and protect them; the other is my faith in and personal relationship with God. I have seen Him provide for and take care of my every need over the years and it has been His strength that has sustained me through difficult times. I would be remiss not to mention my now husband (then boyfriend) who gets some serious brownie points for his steadfast patience during our long-distance relationship and for helping me prioritize the long-term rewards of sticking through the hardship of distance when it would have been ‘easier’ or less work, and so much more foolish, to throw in the towel and walk away.
Something I have learned from the challenges I have already encountered is that the endurance of getting from one day to the next definitely builds a resilience that is possessed by those courageous enough to take on the challenge. It is ironic how the situations we would rather avoid are usually the ones that make us stronger. The illustrations above are just a few parts of a story that have culminated to form the person I am today and for each unique, difficult, scary, exciting chapter, I am grateful.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
Worship. This word is where the mission begins and ends for me. This might seem uncomfortable or cringey to read, especially if you and I don’t share the same faith, but for the little bit of curiosity you may have about this, I would encourage you to keep on reading.
For the longest time, music has been more to me than just an instrument. Yes, it has functioned as a form of expression but there is something more to it. I have always felt very alive when I use my skill of piano-playing and singing as a way to worship God, whether that be in leading and/or singing with a congregation at church, or from the privacy of my home. I think God designed and created music, among other things, to reflect parts of His character that words can’t fully express. Music is complex, emotive, beautiful, life-giving, inspiring, and uniting. These are just some of the words I think of when I think of music and these are, to me, but a glimpse of the entirety of who God is.
There is a verse in the Bible, from the book of Colossians that writes “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” This is the lens through which I try to view the things I do on a day-to-day basis. From composing very basic songs as a young girl to now teaching others how to understand the language of music and still composing originals, I have used the opportunities that the gift of music has afforded me to convey gratitude and praise to the One who gave me this gift. Teaching others has allowed me to share knowledge with my students in the hopes that they too can appreciate the beauty that music truly is. My hope is that the creativity I have been given never amounts to just my enjoyment of it; I want to use it to inspire others as I point to the God who created every good gift.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tamarajessicamatthew/
- Email: [email protected]
Image Credits
Shiela Sorenson