Meritxell Pasalamar Forcadell

Welche*r Musiker*in hat dich am meisten beeinflusst?
Silvia Careddu, flute player. My perspective on my flute career changed as a result of getting to know her and taking lessons from her. 
As a musician, you constantly want to push yourself to new heights, which sometimes brings a lot of frustration in your life, so as a result you occasionally forget why you chose this career path. I think we sometimes loose sight of the love, passion, sensitivity, and happiness that music brings into our lives. Silvia, one of today's top flute players, taught me how to balance these feelings and emotions with my own needs. She is the best illustration, in my opinion, of having a healthy relationship with your instrument and having your mental health present while developing your career.

Was kannst du mir auf deinem Instrument besser beibringen als alle anderen Lehrer*innen?
For me, one of the most important things when I teach is to have fun in the lesson and feel comfortable while playing. Creating an environment where we feel happy and have fun during the lesson will bring, certainly, good results; and when we grow up, will help us feel mentally healthy and fulfilled.

Wie hast du dein Instrument spielen gelernt?
As a child my father frequently took me  to see the band from my hometown perform live. I knew I wanted to play the flute since I was very small. One day, after one of those concerts, I went straight to the first flute and asked her to play the flute with me. At the time, I was just three years old, and already knew what I wanted to be in my life! Since then, I had to wait two more years until I had the age to start playing the flute. It was a long wait, but finally, the moment came: since I had my first lesson, I brought the flute with me everywhere. I practiced in the car, in my friends house, in the hotels… my parents said that I was extremely constant! I guess they weren’t expecting it.

Wie gehst du vor, wenn du selber einen Song schreibst oder ein Stück komponierst?
I had to produce a lot of material for band, chamber groups and orchestra at times during my pedagogy studies. 
As you can guess, it was quite challenging for me at first, but as soon as I realized that I needed to be inspired in order to create, I discovered the solution: go somewhere that inspires you, and then allow yourself to create. It was crucial for me to not feel judged by anyone, including myself.

Auf welchem Equipment spielst du heute?
Nowadays, I am playing with a Japanese flute: the Muramatsu DS, as it is the preferred instrument for flute soloists and flutists of world-renowned orchestras. My teacher Vicens Prats (flute soloist of the Paris Orchestre) says that it’s the best flute he has ever worked with, and normally all his students play with this model. It is such a special flute because of the color on its sound. 

Welche persönliche Eigenschaft hat dir beim Üben am meisten geholfen?
Since the moment I began actively pursuing a career in the flute, I have struggled with my self-worth and comparison to others, as well as having moments of frustration. It took me a while to realize that you shouldn't compare yourself to anyone because everyone follows their own road, employs their own tactics, and finds their own niche.
So, in my case, one of the things that helped me the most is to believe in myself and not compare myself to others, as well as working on self-esteem, and being conscious of keeping your mental health in order. 

Was hat dein Instrument, was andere nicht haben?
Our instrument has the perfect sound to describe the most beautiful moments in the history of music. 
Look at the melody of: Prélude à l’après midi d’un faune, by Debussy. 

Worauf achtest du dich besonders beim Unterrichten?
As I already mentioned in the interview, one of the things that is most essential to me is to feel comfortable both during the session and when performing. 
Teaching the flute if the learner is not motivated and enjoying themselves while playing, in my opinion, is pointless. 
With this way of teaching, you may help the student experience music in a new manner and prevent any more traumas related to the instrument, such as: panicking when playing, tension in the body, not feeling safe when you perform. 
Treating the body and the mind as components of the instrument and the act of playing is another thing that, in my opinion, is very important. Playing an instrument while ignoring these aspects during practice is nonsense. 
During my Bachelor years, together with my flute teacher and movement teacher, I developed a “method” or a “teaching line” that treats the body, mind, and flute as one entity while playing in order to carry out this concept.

Wie baust du deine Musikstunden auf?
I build up the lesson depending on the needs and interests of my pupils. 
For example, if student 1 is motivated and plays a lot at home, normally we will develop the lesson starting from the point of what he/she has studied at home, and we combine it with his/her needs and interests. 
In another case, if student 2 doesn’t have time, doesn’t have the motivation (yet) to practice, or simply it’s not their main interest to play and practice at home and they just want to have some time surrounded by music and having fun, the lesson will have a different structure: The final point to achieve in the lesson is to play a song. So, during the lesson, we work on the aspects that afterwards will need to be clear in order to play the final piece/song. Doing the lesson this way, we keep increasing the students level, but he/she doesn’t need to deal with the frustration of being supposed to practice at home if he/she doesn’t have the motivation (yet), and so the student has a good time with the music. 
Anyways, there is always a proposal of work to do at home: for example, memorizing the piece/song we have worked on the lesson, bringing some piece/melody that he/she likes to the next lesson and would like to play… 

Wie gehst du bei Kindern vor?
Depending on the children, but I have to say that in my experience, I don’t have to change the way I am and the way I want to relate with them. With the way of teaching that I have, and having in consideration that I completely adapt to the needs and interests of them, normally I don’t have any problem in order to keep the environment of the lesson safe and healthy. As the children see that the lesson is build up for them, they have their interests covered, and the music and exercices and games we do are motivating for them, they keep the interest and have fun in the lesson. 

Was war bis anhin dein tollstes Erlebnis als Musikerin?
My greatest experience as a musician was the final concert of Bachelor studies in Barcelona. 
I organized an orchestra to play Mozart’s Concerto for flute in G Major, and all of my friends in the university played in the orchestra.
I always say that it was the greatest experience ever, as I had the opportunity to share the stage with everyone I loved and cared about. Feeling this safe and loved while playing in a concert hall was truly the best experience of my whole life, and of course, the result was amazing. 

Welches war die grösste Bühne, auf der du gespielt hast?
Barcelona’s Auditori and Barcelona’s Palau de la Música. Both amazing experiences! 

Mit welcher*welchem Musiker*in würdest du gerne einmal spielen?
I would love to play with a lot of musicians, but if I had to choose one I would rather play with Camille Thomas, cello player. 
I know it’s a cellist and not a flutist, but her sensitivity when playing astounds me. 
Hereby I attach a video of her playing Dvorák:
https://youtu.be/sKjNYE99U5g

Welche eine Platte würdest du auf die einsame Insel mitnehmen?
I would definitely take with me the record “New Life’’ by Antonio Sanchez. It is such a sincere music, and it reminds me of my friends and family. 

Auf welcher Bühne würdest du am liebsten spielen oder spielst du am liebsten?
My dream is to play in the Elbphilarmonie Hamburg, in Hamburg, Germany. 

Was ist neben der Musik noch wichtig in deinem Leben?
Art, nature, fashion, family, friends and animals.