Rising Stars: Meet Anita Goldberg

Today we’d like to introduce you to Anita Goldberg.

Hi Anita, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born and raised in Mexico City, where I attended the Mexico City Music Conservatory, from which I have a pianist and music education degree. I love children, and I love music so I started teaching piano to young children, 4, 5, or 6 years old, and getting very frustrated. Teaching private piano to young kids is so boring! Kids need to move, have fun with music, dance, sing, play percussion instruments,

I learned about different music methods for children, got more education in Spain and an Orff Masters from Memphis University, and started my own music program for children 2 – 8 years old, called Music Masters. I emigrated from Mexico to San Antonio in 1983 with my husband and my then 2-year-old daughter, I barely knew to speak English, but luckily the language of music is universal, so I started to teach my daughter’s friends and neighbor kids in my living room.

That was more than 35 years ago. Today, Music Masters is a music and piano program specially designed for children 2 – 8 years old. Upon graduation from the Music Masters program, the students progress to private instruction of the instrument of their choice, also provided at the studio. Our studio is located in San Antonio, but the Music masters program is also offered in different private schools, and community centers.

I think I have the best job in the world, having the very best families in San Antonio come to my classes and sharing my love of music with the children, I have been teaching for such a long time, I am teaching now the children of my first students! They are my grand-students!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
When I moved to San Antonio, one of my biggest challenges was the language. I barely spoke English, Also it was really difficult to change cultures and adjust to the American way of life. Money was a very big challenge. We were a young couple with a two-year-old daughter and no job security, but we were young and persevere and completely succeded.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I created a music program, specially designed to teach music to young children 2 – 8 years old. I call it an Integrated Piano Class because children will learn how to read music and play piano, but we integrate that with singing, percussion instruments, and movement to classical music. The classes are fun, active, and creative. Through the years children acquire a very solid foundation in music theory and piano playing, but more importantly, they learn to love music.

I am Ms. Anita. I have been Ms. Anita for a long time! This year I have several students of my students, the second generation! And I love being Ms. Anita. Teaching music to children is my happy place. I love each and every one of my students, and I love sharing my love of music with them. It is hard to explain it, I just feel completely blessed.

I am really proud of my program. It works! My studio is growing, and what I want to do next is go to the next step and sell my program nationally.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My big inspiration was my first piano teacher in Mexico City. I don’t remember her name, we called her “La Maestra Guera” The blond teacher. I started piano classes when I was about 7 years old and I adored her.

Now I know she was not a “good” piano teacher, she didn’t teach me to read music, and my technique was terrible, but she made me LOVE music. With her kindness and her own passion for music she helped me find that place inside of me where I understood emotions and feelings that cannot be expressed with words. Listening to music or playing with her was fun and exciting. It was like going to a special place where there was only beauty and harmony.

Once I started my professional career at the Conservatory, I had to start from scratch learning rhythm, notes, and music theory, which was annoying and tiresome. But I don’t think I would be a music teacher today if not for her and her influence on me.

I believe love, fun and a special relationship to music is the most important value we can give children when teaching them, and that was my main motivation when I started teaching music to young children.

But I also believe that a solid music foundation and a true understanding of music notation as well as teaching the best technique to young children will lead them to be confident and successful in all their music aspirations. And so, this is the inspiration behind the Music Masters curriculum. Combining a solid music foundation with fun and creative activities that makes music come alive and children enjoy it.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: saMusicMasters.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samusicmasters