Music: a passion, a life project

“Music is proof that every moment in life is unique, every instant is unique,” said Juan Felipe Ávila Dallos, a music teacher at the University of Cundinamarca, who believes that the training of a musician is comprehensive, encompassing social aspects, and as such a human discipline, it highlights the qualities of each student.

Ávila Dallos has been a professor at UCundinamarca since 2011. He was absent for two and a half years to study in Germany and only after obtaining his Master's degree did he return in 2014 to what he considers his home. "At the University there are friends, study partners and I already knew the Institution, it was the only option when I was going to return," he explained.

The guitarist, specializing in symphonic conducting at the National University, studied guitar at the University of Chile, earned a Master's degree in Germany, and another Master's degree in Musical Research at the University of La Rioja in Spain. He has taught at the National University of Colombia and the University of Cundinamarca, where he took up his position as a tenured professor on February 8th, pursuant to Appointment Resolution No. 006 of January 26, 2021.

The teacher is originally from Bogotá, his love for music was born when he was still in school and he decided on this discipline after entering a music school "my mother gave me the option of studying something and enthusiastically I asked her to let me enter a music academy, at that time I wanted to belong to a Metal band and I knew that was the way," recalled Juan Felipe.

His love for metal remains intact, but it was in that academy where, after some classes in bambucos and Colombian music, classical music finally touched his heart and moved his life. It was a piece by Johann Sebastian Bach, and at only 14 years old, it captivated him. "From that moment on, I never stopped playing classical guitar," said Ávila Dallos.

The U and its life project

After living in Germany, studying with one of his great musical idols, and making the decision to return or make a life there, Juan Felipe became a teacher at UCundinamarca; it was a life decision that enriches him more every day.

“The public university is diverse, you can do very interesting projects and life at the university became my life project, it's like my home,” said the teacher who considers teaching at the university level to be a very interesting project.

On the other hand, the guitarist believes that MEDIT is a great tool that will help improve education: “It is a path and should be embraced more; from music we have the advantage that it is very human, it is a universal and emotional language.”.

Now that Ávila Dallos is a full-time professor, he believes that life is calmer this way and that it gives him the opportunity to do more artistic creation, consider new projects, and transmit his knowledge to students.

Music lessons during the pandemic

“Music is hurting because it is incomplete, there is no audience and some important experiences have ended,” said the teacher, who acknowledges the efforts of UCundinamarca to make technology-assisted work a little easier.

Juan Felipe has been able to conduct his classes with apparent normality, but he says that it is difficult to measure some aspects such as the relaxation of the students when playing an instrument and "another aspect that the work supported by ICTs gives us is that the equipment that is normally used, is not adequate to listen to the performances, that is, a cell phone or computer microphone will never allow you to hear the instruments as if they were live.".

However, the teacher states that although the interfaces and tools do not allow one to fully appreciate the exquisite sound, they do allow events to be more massive and provide a window to the world to showcase student work through the platforms.

“Live broadcasts on social media and platforms allow us to reach a wider audience, making us more well-known and inspiring more people to want to see a live concert or fall in love with music, as I once did, and decide to follow this path,” Ávila concluded.

Some of the works of Maestro Ávila Dallos can be seen in: https://puntomusicaleditores.com

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