From Innovatrombone we are pleased to present the latest work of our collaborator Javier Yera, currently professor of the trombone subject at the Conservatorio Superior de Música de Jaén and artist of the brand Stomvi.
In order to do so, we have been fortunate enough to be able to get to know first-hand the career of master Yera and his experience with the use of new technologies.
Innovatrombone: Hello Javier, tell us: how did the idea of embarking on projects focused on spreading the teaching of trombone through new technologies come about?
Javier Yera: The idea has arisen with the passing of the years in the dedication of teaching, with the change that is taking place in the society of knowledge, and that is demanding a change in the way of teaching, with new tools, new methods and new formulas to capture the attention of students. The type of teaching that we received more than 30 years ago no longer works, the students are not because of the work of the old school and we have to “renew or die”. Luckily or unfortunately, this world does not stop moving towards the unknown and we have no choice but to adapt to the new approaches to instrumental teaching.
The idea really arises when you realise that students live in a world totally different from the one we live in, a world surrounded by technology, very advanced didactic tools and electronic devices that make the teaching and learning process more pleasant. Therefore, I decided to dedicate my time and work on a totally new type of project, innovative, adapted to the times and useful for students.
Innovatrombone: How did you start using ICTs and what do you value most about the evolution you have achieved?
Javier Yera: Actually the Information and Communication Technologies have dragged us almost all over the world. Who doesn’t have a computer, mobile phone or tablet and has read an article on the internet or who hasn’t seen a YouTube video and shared it with other people? Therefore, I began to use ICTs from the moment they had a usefulness in my work. These technologies have opened up a world of great possibilities for acquiring knowledge and teaching with more tools and possibilities of success in the student body.
As for the evolution I have achieved, I think that today has helped me to be more prepared, better trained, more active, creative and innovative and much more done in my work. It will be because I like technology and I dedicate a lot of time to it, but the good thing is that this dedication is closely linked to my dedication to the trombone.
Innovatrombone: What kind of trombonist is your work focused on?
Javier Yera: My work is designed for the trombonist of the 21st century, who wants to devote himself/herself both to the orchestra and to teaching, for anyone who wants to learn and acquire more knowledge about the trombone and its teaching. Most of my projects are focused on students in the last cycles of the Professional and Higher Artistic Education, especially in the methodology that I use and apply daily in my trombone classes, although all these are applicable to other levels and other profiles of trombonists.
Innovatrombone: Do you think that the new technologies will put an end to the classic and traditional systems of musical teaching or in this case the trombone?
Javier Yera: We are 5 years away from the first quarter of the 21st century and the classical systems are really resistant to disappearing, but what is really happening is an adaptation or modernization of the classical system. Classes will continue to be the way they are and have always been, the only thing is that in the future they are going to change and surely they will be on line, that is to say, the students and the teaching staff are not going to be physically together in the class, except in the cases of great trombonists who welcome certain exceptional students as disciples.
Innovatrombone: You have recorded the studio nº1 of Arban´s, the suite nº2 of Bach, one of the studios of the 21 Studies of General Technique of Gerard Pichereau and the concert for high trombone of Albrechtsberger among others. Could you outline the idea of each of these videos?
Javier Yera: My idea and my purpose is to update all the methodology for teaching trombone to a current format and for the demand that is already being given and that will be used in the future. The students will be able to have at home a special class of Arban, Pichaureau or Lafosse with a score in pdf format, a video of the work, a theoretical formative and interactive document of the score, a class in video tutorial format to learn, study and play the work, and so on. In short, all the necessary elements for an online training.
Arban Characteristic Study No. 1: If you notice there is no internet version of these studies interpreted by trombonists, therefore it is a plus for me to do things that are not yet done and that are useful for any trombonist in their training. In this video, as in Courante of Bach or the studio of Pichaureau that I have recorded, the score is reproduced at the same time so that the student can see the execution, the coordination of the rod, the fingering, the breathing, the phrasing, etc., as if he were in class and the teacher touches the work to demonstrate some passage or difficulty that needs to be perfected, with the great advantage that he can see it as many times as necessary and pay attention to all these details.
In relation to the video of Albrechtsberger’s Concerto for High Trombone, I want to make the students see that it is possible to do a musical interpretation work with the minus one or play alone system which, although it has been in use for many years, constitutes one of the great tools that have appeared and evolved with the technologies. In this case, I wanted to replace the score by some explanatory texts of the work with history, aesthetics and information, as well as iconography of the time of the work to make listening to this concert more enjoyable.
Innovatrombone: To end the series of questions, you could tell us about your latest work entitled: Methodology of Musical Teaching.
Javier Yera: From my point of view, musical education in Spain had never before had a concrete methodological approach and teaching had always been very poor in content and the formulas for teaching were very particular. It is a question of writing down a methodological approach that has never existed before in conservatories, since each teacher had his own, and being able to be the reference or the line to follow in musical teachings.
This work is the consequence of many years of study and observation in the student body, as well as the result that I culminated in the competitive examinations to become a professor that I carried out last year and that I reflected in the Teaching Guide of my subject. There is nothing new in this diagram that is not known, but never before has it been presented in such a clear and pragmatic way in our teaching system. This methodology is a formula that I have conceived to become a great professional musician and performer, with an integral, current and complete training. In this video of 25 minutes I explain in detail this approach that I hope will be to your liking.
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Innovatrombone: Thank you very much Javier, it has been a pleasure to share your knowledge with us and our users, we wish you the best and good luck with your projects.
Javier Yera: Thank you as always to the Innovatrombone team and greetings to the entire trombonistic community, thank you very much and see you soon!
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