The pursuit of knowledge and
the joy of
performing with excellence
Mark Gutierrez
Instructor of piano
Mark is a piano teacher who believes that basic elements are the key to understanding, and that a mastery of these essentials is the foundation of doing anything well. His many interests — fine arts, science, theater and music — led him to the discovery of their interrelatedness; the importance of each field to the others. Mark came to see firsthand how proficiency with the aspect and language of one discipline’s approach to knowledge illuminates the attainment of another curriculum — almost a “grand unified field theory” of the liberal arts! Harmony does exist between these specialties, and all are worth pursuing and executing well.
“The time to learn is anytime,” says this thoughtful and intelligent man.
He believes in what he is doing as a piano teacher. Mark strives for a balance between “all fun” and a serious application to learning the piano. A far cry from the boring task-master for a teacher that many people conjure up when remembering childhood piano lessons, Mark is well-rounded, witty and fun.
In his piano classes, Mark advocates a group spirit, even a sense of being in a band creating music together, which creates an enjoyable atmosphere of camaraderie for his students. Learning becomes fun, and students retain more. This is what Mark strives for.
“When students are truly delighted at how fun it can be, that’s when they learn the most.”
Mark started playing the piano when he was seven years old, but didn’t discover how fun, and social, playing music could be until high school. His involvement with the theater led him to play in front of an audience, and he realized how much he loved the feeling of performing. After a lifetime of pursuing a broad-ranging liberal arts education, Mark’s pragmatic side almost landed him a career in epidemiology (the study of the incidence and possible control of disease), but he was not fulfilled by this.
When Mark began teaching piano, something clicked. After a few experiments with combining many of his interests into one career, his love of playing and teaching music prevailed. He currently owns and operates Music Magic / Allegro Arts Studio in Old Town. Mark has been sharing his music with UNM Continuing Education students since 2005.
“ My main goal is that my students gain or renew an interest in creating and playing music.”
Mark’s current classes may include:
| Music, Dance & Theatre |
| Beginning Piano |
| Beginning Piano 2 |
| Group Piano 3 |
| Piano Second Time Around |
Note: Titles above link to our online registration site, which does not post courses after they are held. Course lists are updated at the beginning of the semester. Depending on when you click a title on the list above, some items may have already passed. You may always refer to the course index or to the printed course catalog for course information.
Teach a class with us
Have you spent a lifetime of learning on a favorite subject? Is there something you can do that nobody else can do? You can teach a class with UNM Continuing Education!
Turn in a course proposal. (PDF file to download, instructions on the file.)
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Contact
For information call 277-6320 or email ddel@unm.edu
