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Can anyone tell me what it is like to learn off Paco Pena in person?
And has anyone any info about his students and how well they are doing?
He has a degree course in Holland, (which i wish i could have done), and i am so curious as to how he teaches and how well his students are doing once graduated.
Posts: 1770
Joined: Jul. 11 2003
From: The Netherlands
RE: Paco Pena as a teacher (in reply to musicalgrant)
Hi Grant.
I Live in Holland, so I keep a little track of them, and know a few.
I have never studied With Paco Pena, but heared, he is very kind, but very precice. He expects from you, you do it like you been told. Ans seems very strickt about that. Some students got in a little quarrel with him about that.
The Losada Brothers are The most known worldwide who studied in Rotterdam.
With others it is going in all directions with them. Most of them teach and perform a little, one have a flamenco magazin with his wife. A few have their own cd.
But a lot of them I nearly never hear about, One I know in person, And play with sometimes, Quitted to make a living in the music, and got a "normal" job. He is as much time as possible in Spain to hunt for Duende with the local Gipsy's
So, over all, the degree is no guarantee for a job, you need to have flair to sell yourself too, and guitar players, as far as I know them, are mostly quiet people, not the carsalesmen tYpe!
Posts: 3532
Joined: Oct. 20 2003
From: Phoenix, AZ
RE: Paco Pena as a teacher (in reply to musicalgrant)
Here is what I was told by Jann and Phillip, two students that I met a couple years ago. There are two teachers, one of whom is pretty good and the other is a converted classical guy who only got the job because he is friends with Paco. They do the bulk of the teaching. Paco, who is very busy with his concertizing, drops by occasionally (once a month? once every two months?) and gives them a lesson. something like a master class, I think. Jann said that Paco liked him because he played very aggressively.
It's not the same as being apprenticed to Paco and playing for him every day, but for the money could you possibly get a better deal? Round it out by going to Gerardo Nunez and Manolo Sanlucar's classes every year and finding some dancers and singers and... you're on your way, I would think.
An interesting point is that they were only allowed to play with their thumbs for a long period of time, a couple months I think. There is a special kind of stroke that is deep, comes from the forearm, and involves sliding to the left. Phillip said he was skeptical at first, but that on reviewing videos, all the great players have the stroke.
RE: Paco Pena as a teacher (in reply to musicalgrant)
quote:
Can anyone tell me what it is like to learn off Paco Pena in person?
I spent 2 weeks with PP in Cordoba. He's a terrific player but don't be misslead by that quiet voice, he's very demanding, has incredible playing stamina and expects you to keep up. Teaching was by repetative playing of passages he demonstrated, very slow until it's under your fingers when you don't have to think or rely on memory, then you move on to the next bit. Very intense and after 2 weeks, I came home exhausted. Having said that, great experience and I've always wanted to go back, just hasn't happened yet.
RE: Paco Pena as a teacher (in reply to Jim Opfer)
hi jim, what course did you do in cordoba?i am interested in finding a summer course....wvwn if Paco Pena isnt teaching maybe the course continues..was it a once off course?id be grateful for any info, thanks, dylan
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