We recently connected with Aline Giampietro Trifonov and have shared our conversation below.
Aline, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
Thank you so much for the invitation to share my story with your amazing audience! I’m humbled with this opportunity and I hope it will inspire others to pursue their goals and passions.
As an artist and teacher, I think it is very important to find different ways to keep our creativity fresh and alive. I am fortunate to have a full piano studio and one lesson can be very different from another. Every student is different and I always work on adapting my teaching to each student’s learning style. I have to remain very creative because one approach in solving an issue might not work as well for another student. I read a lot about topics in my music field, but also in other fields, especially learning skills and psychology.
I think collaborating is very important to remain creative as well because you learn a lot from others. I enjoy playing concerts with other musicians, accompanying instrumentalists and choirs. It’s fun to bounce ideas and discover how to make a piece of music more interesting and resonate with the audience.
Also, I have found that self-care and being in shape play a very important part in the creative process. In the last year, I have started my training in aerial arts due to my ballet background, and it has been an incredible experience! It has pushed me to think differently about performing arts, it has helped me think outside the box and get out of my comfort zone.
There is a great quote I love by Twyla Tharp, an American choreographer, which speaks directly to creativity: “Venturing out of your comfort zone may be dangerous, yet you do it anyway because our ability to grow is directly proportional to the ability to entertain the uncomfortable.”
I am a firm believer that when we are pushed beyond our comfort zone, we will be growing, learning and being able to think differently and being more resourceful. That’s what creativity is to me as a teaching artist and business owner, so I am constantly looking for ways to be out of my comfort zone.
As a teacher, I’m often looking for different ways to improve and be resourceful in my teaching so I can help my students achieve their goals. As an entrepreneur, I set a very high goal a year ago to grow my studio to fifty students and I am currently at sixty-four students, and I hope to expand in the future to a commercial building where I can offer music lessons and have an even greater impact in the community.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I’m a professional pianist, piano pedagogy expert. I’m the founder and executive director of Piano Performance Arts Academy, a premier piano academy for students of all ages and levels in Wesley Chapel. I specialize in teaching piano to pre-college students, but I also teach adults. I’m most proud of being able to help students discover their own gift of music.
My teaching is very concept-based, which allows students to learn concepts that can be applied to other pieces they want to play. This allows them to become stewards of their own learning and eventually become independent musicians. I also teach from a very tailored approach to the student, and one lesson is never the same. I’m always very interested in discovering my students’ “inner voice” while fostering musicianship, and the art of piano playing.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I think being in a performing arts field requires a lot of persistence, patience and daily dedication to your craft. When I was sixteen years old, I decided to move from Brazil, where I was born and raised, to the USA to pursue a dream of having a music career abroad. It took a lot of persuading my parents at that time to let me move to the States so young on my own, but I will be eternally very grateful for their support in helping me accomplish my goals and dreams.
This year, I celebrated twenty years I have been able to accomplish this dream, and look back at the several setbacks I faced and great victories I have achieved. I’m very grateful for all these experiences because they have shaped me into the person who I am today. If I had quit when facing adversity, I would have not accomplished what I have and my life would have looked completely different.
There is a quote by Napoleon Hill that says “Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success.” I think these are words to live by every day when you have big dreams and ambitions. I had many setbacks over the years, but most importantly they taught me to always persevere and believe in myself no matter the circumstances.
I also feel it is also important to trust the process and enjoy the journey. I would often get very upset at myself when facing a setback, but I also learned to give myself grace and be patient. This has shaped me into who I am today and the way I teach. I frequently tell my students it takes daily practice to learn a new skill or a piece of music. For some pieces, it may take weeks or even months to master it. However, it is important to be patient and to trust themselves, while enjoying the journey.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
I will be forever grateful to my parents who always supported me in my journey of moving from Brazil to the USA to pursue a music career. I know I would have not been able to achieve that earlier on in my life without their help. I was very young when I decided to move abroad and barely spoke English.
However, I was always very inspired by listening to my dad talk about his time living in New York and working in The World Trade Center in the 60s and 70s. In fact, both of my older sisters were born in New York, but they were also raised in Brazil after my parents decided to move back in the mid-70s. In fact, we often joke in our family that I’m the Brazilian who decided to move to the USA, and then eventually brought everyone back to live here again. So, I have been very fortunate to have my family close by. Having an amazing family and a tight circle of friends is extremely important because they are your support group.
I disagree with the saying “it’s lonely at the top.” We should definitely be wise about who we bring along the journey with us, but we only rise to the top when we are lifting others. My parents have instilled a lot of good values and wisdom on us and I’m grateful for this solid foundation in life.
“Associate only with positive, focused people who you can learn from and who will not drain your valuable energy with uninspiring attitudes. By developing relationships with those committed to constant improvement and the pursuit of the best that life has to offer, you will have plenty of company on your path to the top of whatever mountain you seek to climb.” – Robin Sharma
Thank you so much again for the opportunity to share my story with you today! I hope your dreams and goals will meet you on your path soon!
If you would like to get in touch with me to collaborate and/or for piano lessons, you can reach me at [email protected] and through my website and social media:
Contact Info:
- Website: www.PianoPerformanceArts.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aline_giampietro/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PianoPerformanceArtsAcademy/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AlineGiampietro
Image Credits
Georgi Pavlov Trifonov
