Natalia Duarte
Modern & Historical Violist, Pedagogue
Pedagogical projects
Music Moment/ Tónlistarstund
Next events:
Wednesdays September 18th, October 16th, November 20th
@ the Nordic House's Children's Library. (Sæmundargata 11, 102 Reykjavík)
- 10:30 am for ages 0-3
- 16:00 for ages 3-6.
“A Music Moment” is a 30 minute activity aimed for children ages 0 to 6. Inspired by Edwin Gordon’s Music Learning Theory, this project is conceived as a series of participatory concerts for children and their parents. The event takes place without words, so it is open to audiences of any linguistic background. During the activity I use gestural cues and sing with neutral syllables so the center of attention is on making music together.
The methodology of this project is inspired by Edwin Gordon’s Music Learning Theory, a pedagogic approach that guides children into developing audiation, which is the comprehension of music and the basic foundation of musicianship. This is obtained in early stages through listening, movement and singing. One particularity of this method is the lack of use of language: neutral syllables are used when singing, similar to baby babble. In this way spoken language is taken out of the equation and the full attention of the child goes into the musical sounds and how they relate to each other, favoring comprehension of musical meaning and syntax. I compose the pieces of each event to meet the needs of variety and complexity that best fits the children’s learning process.
The events are tailored for two separate groups: One for ages 0-3 and another for ages 3-6.
In 2024 I have been awarded funding from Children’s Fund of Iceland to develop these pedagogic concerts in Reykjavik in collaboration with The Nordic House.
As a teacher
I have experience teaching violin, viola, orchestra, ear training and introduction to music for students of all ages and levels, both as private students and in music schools. I have also led masterclasses and workshops in Costa Rica, Spain and Italy.
I obtained a master's degree in instrumental pedagogy in the Conservatory of Padua in 2022, and wrote a thesis on the use of improvisation as a didactic tool for string ensembles. I have also completed a course on Gordon's Music Learning Theory (MLT) for children from ages 0-6 at AIGAM (Italy). In the last year I have been developing an interactive concert format for children of 0-5 years old and their parents.