Today we’d like to introduce you to Clara Ivanoff.
Hi Clara, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I moved to Orlando 12 years ago from Venezuela, as I was getting ready to attend college in the US and earn my music degree. During the beginnings of my music studies I realized that teaching was a job that I could do in the meantime to earn some extra money. Lo and Behold, I haven’t stop teaching since I began 10 years ago. Nowadays I am a local piano and guitar teacher that travels around the college park neighborhoods to teach all kinds of people including kids and adults.
Currently, I don’t really know how many more months I have left in the US because of my immigration situation, so I started promoting my new Online Guitar lessons service. It has worked before for many of my students, and I hope people would like to learn about it.
I am also a member of the Church st. John Lutheran Church in winter Park where I am an assistant conductor, and occasionally, play music for the service as well.
Living in Orlando has been a great experience for me, and discovering how many wonderful people live behind every door I’ve entered has provided me a sense of community and belonging.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It hasn’t always been an easy road.. At times I was struggling to pay for my college tuition, so I had to pick other jobs and apply for more scholarships when my music income wasn’t making ends meet. Teaching music can be a difficult job because of the seasonality and demand, but as of late, It has gotten much better!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I see myself as a music teacher, but also as an artist and a performer. Although as of late I haven’t had too many opportunities to promote my performing career. Occasionally, I compose music for the piano or the guitar.
What sets me apart is that I am good at rock music as well and I can shred my electric guitar 🙂
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I love Flannery O’connor’s The violent bare it away, and some of the works by Kazuo Ishiguro. Recently I read the Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac, and I ended up liking it a lot (I also love that I live almost next to his house here in CP). Im also making my way through Crime and Punishment; i’m almost at the end.
Pricing:
- 1 hour $60
- 30 min $30
- Online 1 hour $45
Contact Info:
- Website: https://clearguitarlessons.com
- Instagram: @claraivanoff
