By Cara Young, Columnist
Sunday, April 9, from 12pm to 3pm students of Lone Star College- Kingwood had the opportunity to attend a master class in music.
In layman’s terms, a master class is when a professional artist in the area comes to campus to offer their experience and expertise on a subject to the students willing to attend. The artist teaching Sunday was Irina Kulikova, a Russian classic guitarist and experienced master class educator.
Kulikova advises student in Master Class with his personal set Apr. 9 Photo by Cara Young.
Under the wing of her mother and cellist, Vinera Kulikova, she developed a relationship with music early on. At twelve, she was travelling through Russia and abroad, for concerts and festivals. Two years later, she was included in the book, The Classical Guitar, its evolution, players and personalities since 1800 by Maurice Summerfield. She has given concerts in twenty-five countries, performed as a soloist and with several orchestras.
Over the years, she received over thirty awards, culminating in 2008 with first place at the prestigious competitions of Michele Pittaluga in Italy, Guitarra Alhambra in Spain, Forum Gitarre.
The class consisted of three students informally playing pieces of music and receiving feedback, tips, and strategies to improve their performances. Steve, the student who performed first, said he was hoping to get feedback on how to go about fixing a personal set that he was sure had technical problems.
Kulikova answering Master Class students questions Apr. 9. Photo by Cara Young.
One of the students not performing, but having received word of the event, Garret, said he looked up the artist’s work and understood the level of skill the teacher possessed and was wanting to gain similar classical guitar abilities and showing up seemed like a good step.
When asked Kulikova responded-
- What made you choose Kingwood?
“It fit the schedule, but I was glad I got to come to this particular campus. Everything is lovely here and the campus is beautiful.”
- Do you enjoy teaching? Why?
“Yes. I love to share my experience and knowledge from practicing, traveling, and facing situations I have. I want to help people establish a very good basis for the guitar. I see a problem, I want to solve the problems, people want to be useful and helpful and this is my way of doing that and it is my way of providing help to the future.”
- What made you choose the guitar?
“I didn’t chose it. To my mother, it was popular and I was just a child and I saw it like a toy, but when I started to see music as a profession, I saw I made people happy by playing. It was so natural even when I tried to stop I couldn’t. It gets inside of you like part of your soul and we are part of each other. I cook and sing just for myself so I can sound better in classes like this. But the guitar is my tool that I know best. Even with other guitars, not only Simon Marty, I feel an expression I love. Teacher inspiration was also important. I had a piano teacher I loved but when she moved away my new teacher began to make me see it as an obligation not as a pleasure, but I never felt that with the guitar.”
- How do you relax before a performance?
“When you are playing for yourself imagine that you are playing for a million people, but when you’re playing for one, either yourself or someone close to you, or if you look out and see someone in the audience smiling and excited, you say I will play for them.”
Kulikova adjusting students grip in Master Class Apr .9 Photo by Cara Young.
