Educator, musician, composer and author, Carmen Maria Mettig Rocha has a degree in Pedagogy from UCSal – Catholic University of Salvador, and a degree in Music, Piano and Music Theory Specialization from UFBA – Federal University of Bahia, in Brazil. She was a teacher at the School of Music at UFBA, teaching the disciplines Musical Initiation I and II, and Didactics / Teaching Practice until 1991, where she developed important projects related to musical initiation and children’s choral singing.
In 1992 he created his school in Salvador, the Institute of Musical Education – IEM, which became a reference of human education through music for children, youth and adults of Bahia.
He had in his musical education renowned professors: Pierre Klose, piano; H. J. Koellreutter and Ernst Widmer, composition; Trudy Zollinger, harmony; Johann Höemberg, analysis and practical harmony, among others.
Professor Edgar Willems came to Salvador three times during his lifetime to teach courses, and today the Bahian capital is the main centre for dissemination of the Willems® Method in Brazil. Porfa. Carmen received the Children’s Musical Preparation Certificate from Willems himself and, years later, the Professional Teaching Diploma from pianist Jacques Chapuis, then President of the Willems® International Association. Thus directly trained by them, Professor Carmen Mettig Rocha uses their teachings in the musical education of children and adults at IEM. For her, the direct guidance offered by the great Master Willems is the main milestone of her professional life.
She also developed an important work at the Faculdade de Educação da Bahia, teaching the discipline of Music in Education in the classes of Educational Orientation, School Management, and School Supervision. She is constantly invited to teach courses on Willems® Music Education in several states in Brazil and in recent years has also been developing courses on digital platforms on musical initiation.
With the Choir of the Institute of Musical Education – IEM, she has performed major concerts in churches, gongresses, audiovisual productions and musicals in large theatres, as well as participating in special concerts under the baton of renowned conductors, such as: Henrinque Morelembaum (Castro Alves Theatre – BA); Ricardo Castro (Concha Acústica de Salvador – BA); Teruo Yochida (Castro Alves Theatre – BA); Cícero Alves Filho, with the Work “Voices of the Holocaust” (Castro Alves Theatre – BA and Cecilia Meireles Hall in Rio de Janeiro); Russel Shelley (at the Culture Theatre in São Paulo), among others.
She was guest conductor of the 2nd Gran Finale (São Paulo), event created by the educator and conductor Lilia Valente where she conducted a workshop for music educators and prepared children for the traditional closing concert. With this maestrina, she also coordinated the Grand Finale Nordeste, held at the Teatro Castro Alves, in Salvador.
Author of several books on musical education, children’s choir, piano, solfeggio, and pedagogical songs for the Music Initiation courses, she is the representative of the Willems® Method in Brazil and also one of the vice-presidents of the Internationale Willems® Federation. She has participated in four Willems® International Congresses, three in Lyon and one in Lisbon.
With a personal request and guidance from Professor Willems, Prof. Carmen was one of the founding members of the Bahia Music Education Teachers Association (APEMBA), which for two decades held annual Music Education meetings and Choir Meetings for educators from all over Brazil, an initiative that brought many benefits to the country’s music movement.
Currently he is part of the Advisory Board of the Neojibá Project – State Nuclei of Youth and Children’s Orchestras of Bahia, created and coordinated by the internationally recognised conductor and pianist Ricardo Castro.
Website: http://musicaiem.com.br/
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