American from Icheri Sheher

A few months ago, an Azerbaijani song was performed - Getmə, gəl was performed in the most famous US Concert Hall, the Carnegie Hall. The song by Sayid Rustamov sounded in the language of the original, performed by a young American Elizabeth Connors.

Even earlier, the young singer was awarded the first prize in the prestigious American Contest American Protégé for the performance of this song.

We managed to talk with a man who trained a young American woman. This is our countrywoman Farida Nelson, who kindly agreed to tell Turan her story.

Question: Tell us about yourself, where did you study and lived, when and why did you move to the US?

Answer: I was born and grew up in Baku - in a city that will remain forever in my heart. Here, "I learned to live and love, " everything was for the first time here. My parents taught me to love beauty and see the beautiful things around. The first opera "Aida" I listened to at the age of five at the Opera and Ballet Theater. My parents are not musicians, but the music has always sounded in our house.

I began to study music when I did not go to school. I did not like to sit behind the instrument and play! Only thanks to my mom's perseverance, I graduated from the Musical 11th Anniversary of F. Dzerzhinsky (now named after Shahriyar).

I am very grateful to my teacher, Leila Tagieva, who put her soul into my education and formation as a musician. After graduating from the Musical Academy named after U. Hajibayli, piano class in 2006, I received my master's degree in 2011.

I am very grateful to the rector of BMA, Farhad Badalbeyli and the pro-rector of BMA and my teacher Yegana Akhundova.

For the last 18 years I have been gaining professional musical experience as a teacher, concert performer, studio musician, soloist, composer and arranger.

In 2002, as an exchange student in the United States, she won the 2nd place at the piano competition of the Schubert Club in St. Paul, Minnesota

I twice participated in the national final of the qualifying round of the Eurovision Song Contest in 2008 as part of the rock group Unformal, and in 2010 - as part of the pop group Milk and Kisses.

In the same 2010 year, as part of this group, I participated in the final of the contest "New Wave" in the city of Jurmala (Latvia).

I moved to the US with my husband and son because of family circumstances after I won the Green Card Lottery.

Question: Now you are teaching the children. Was it your choice or the outcome of the circumstances?

Answer: I started teaching as a student of the conservatory. Initially, it was an opportunity to earn some money, but, having become involved, I began to do it primarily for research. Remembering my childhood and unwillingness to study music, I asked myself: "Why do children do not want to go to music school? What repels the child from playing music? What needs to be changed so that the children love the process of studying?"

In the search for answers to these questions, I thought about how to present the theory of music to the child through games. This topic is relevant for me so far, and I constantly update the teaching methodology, trying to organize the education of children, taking into account their individual educational needs, and not the goals and tasks of pedagogy.

My process of education is based on the joy and happiness of the child from the work he has done, the result of which is to increase the child's faith in his abilities. I teach music because it inspires and makes children happy. I have two children and it is encouraging to see how, along with joy, music classes help to sharpen their feelings, to develop consistency and understanding of the musical work.

I see this on the example of my eldest son, who is now 5 years old, I do not know any another occupation that would so actively force his mind to work.

The scientifically proven fact that music studies improve neural connections and also contribute to improving learning outcomes in other areas.

Judge for yourself, to perform a work a person must simultaneously read a musical text, decode it, sending impulses to the muscles, observing the rhythm and tempo, to withstand the style of the work, do not forget to breathe while doing it!

Perhaps the most inspiring thing for me is to see how children's consciousness transforms with time, how they become better, more self-confident, begin to feel deeper around the world and express their feelings.

Question: At one of the competitions your student performed an Azerbaijani song and received an award. Why did you choose this work?

Answer: My homeland is Azerbaijan. I grew up in Baku, my dad and all his relatives are from İçəri Şəhər, our ancestral home on Böyük Qala Street next to Tut Agaci, where the mugham always sounded at noon, the neighboring house-museum of the great "Tar Chalan", Mansur. A bit further, to the sea, lived Vagif Mustafazadeh.

This music is in my blood. I want the whole world to learn about the great musical heritage of Azerbaijan. And my civic position is to promote the unique musical culture of my homeland. Hence the choice of songs for my students.

My student, Elizabeth Connors, 12 years old, did not just receive an award, but she took the first prize at the international contest of vocalists American Protege. For this contest we have prepared three songs in different styles and in different languages. But just the song in the Azerbaijani language (Elizabeth learned the original text, spent many hours on it and surprisingly felt the content.)

"Getmə, gəl", written by Said Rustamov, was able to impress the hearts of the jury. And as a prize-winner, Elizabeth was honored to perform at Carnegie Hall. This event became significant for me, since Azerbaijani music is not often performed in Carnegie Hall, especially in the Azerbaijani language; and this song was performed in this Hall for the first time.

Question: Is there a native of Azerbaijan in your city? You participated in the event on the 100 anniversary of ADR. What did you feel, how is such a holiday seen from afar?

Answer: I live in the East of San Francisco Bay Area in 30 minutes from the city of San Francisco, and I do not know if there are Azerbaijanis in my city. However, after seeing the announcement on the FB about the event on Novruz Bayram, I took part in it and got acquainted with the members of the Azerbaijan Cultural Society of Northern California. The same organization invited me to address at the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the ADR.

The event consisted of a forum at which scientists and researchers from all over America came together. There were interesting presentations, lectured on the history of Azerbaijan. That day I performed jazz compositions of Vagif Mustafazade and Tofig Kuliev's songs.

I remember these compositions from childhood, they touch my heart very much, resemble the noise of the Caspian Sea, the cry of seagulls ...

Question: You play different instruments and in different musical genres. What is closest to you and why?

Answer: I play many instruments because I am always in search. Over the past 20 years, I've gone through a relatively long creative path from rock music to jazz, which is so attractive in recent years.

My musical preferences change with my mood and state of mind. If I feel nostalgia for home and family, I always listen to Azerbaijani music.

If you want to recharge energy and gain strength - I prefer rock or jazz-rock in the style of Herbie Hancock or Funk. I like to create, create, create something new, to experiment. Still, being in the group "Unformal", I wrote music, trying to use the elements of mugham in rock music.

Then there was a purely female band "W / O men". Then the pop project "Milk & Kisses" with Dilyara Kyazimova. Different music, different genres ...

Now I'm doing my solo project. There are many ideas related to work, with the creation of new music, with the search for oneself in the modern world. But there are still my sons who love and wait for me. Their future is my one more project, the most important and significant in life.

Q: What is your biggest dream?

Answer: That every child has the opportunity to get a good education.

Question: How hard is it to find spiritual comfort in a foreign country? What is necessary for this?

Answer: I do not know the answer to this question, because America was not a stranger to me. I graduated from high school here, then went to college. My first husband was an American.

Moving to the United States, I knew that the workplace was ready in a music school. It was much more difficult for me to adapt to life in Turkey, where I lived for three years.

I think the main thing for spiritual comfort in any country is the knowledge of the language and the availability of work from which you get pleasure. And the rest things, such as life, the car, the apartment, and everything depends on the level of economic development of the country.

Question: What would you say to young people who are planning to move abroad for permanent residence?

Answer: I advise those young people who plan to move to permanent residence abroad, to think carefully and be ready for any difficulties. Only strong individuals achieve their desires; and each person has own personal experience. -0-