HCP 22: Paulo Gomes on the journey and philosophy of a choral conductor
Dr. Paulo Gomes shares with us his incredible story from beginning music lessons in Brazil and his first job as a choral conductor at 19 years old to his Master in Boston to now being in Houston. His different jobs and what each of them taught him, and his views of a choral conducting career that’s lead with passion and joy.
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In this episode, you will learn:
- Dr. Paulo’s childhood and how he came to music and conducting
- How the community helped him to study music through an anonymous scholarship
- The challenges he faced that could take him away from music
- The family money struggles and how he took every possible opportunity to help and keep his music education
- His first conducting gig and conducting job at 19 years old
- His bachelor degree in conducting in Brazil
- His travel to Italy with his choir and detour to New York and Boston where he ended up studying his master degree
- The challenges of moving away from his home and country
- How music has changed his life and his philosophy about it
- “I believe in music. I believe that you can touch many lives with this magical thing that I think it’s a gift from God.”
- His journey to find a master and later tribute to the anonymous donors in his doctorate
- “You don’t have to be the most important person. You don’t have to be the star.”
- “When you sing, when you are in an ensemble then you are in group work. Everybody is part of that. Every single person in there has a responsibility to make the complete whole.”
- His challenges teaching high school choir and how it taught him much more about the human side of conducting
- His philosophy for rehearsals: happiness and joy instead of fear and anger
- How being diagnosed with cancer right at the end of his doctorate at the University of Houston helped him have a new view of life and priorities
- “You always do what you think it’s right. Even though people are not really understanding what you are doing, but you always do the right thing. There will be always one person looking and that person may one day be the person who opens a dor for you.” Paulo’s first conductor at university
- Why the first rehearsal with a new group is like a first date
Share it with me
- Do you have a similar story like Dr. Paulo? I would love to know!
Links mentioned in the show:
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Produced by Carlos Cordero.
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Hugs,
C.
