We recently had the chance to connect with Doris Gameiro and have shared our conversation below.
Doris, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What is a normal day like for you right now?
During the week, I’ll start the day with some freshly brewed Nicaraguan coffee which I’ll add protein powder to help wake me up and give me some necessary nutrients. Next, I’ll enjoy a couple hours of peaceful artistic work, be it crafting, painting, beadwork or playing the piano. Of course there’s always some housework to take care of, however most days I also get to enjoy one of the biggest passions I share with my husband: Cooking! With his current work schedule, I take care of most of our cooking/baking so I can be sure he’s getting yummy healthy food to take to work and of course for us to share daily. Throughout the day I always take a few breaks with my sweet silver Labrador Chico, either playing in the backyard, cuddling on the couch or going for a walk around the neighborhood.
My teaching day begins till about mid afternoon until 7:30, 8:00pm depending on the schedule.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m a first generation American and my family is from Nicaragua a beautiful Central American country. I am married to a wonderful Portuguese man named David who also loves to work with his hands and create things, having a particular love for woodworking, always sourcing his material locally. David has been one of my biggest cheerleaders throughout life and with all my projects. I’m so thankful for him supporting me and always being by my side even when I’m not sure of how things will work out.
I enjoy working with most art forms, from beadwork and jewelry making to knit and crochet, and even painting and coloring. This year I’ve also started learning to work with air dry clay, so I’ve been super excited to see what new pieces I’ll come up with next year.
Of course, I also teach piano from ages 5+, beginners through advanced in all musical styles from jazz to classical and everything in between. While I have lots of fun working with crafts, nothing compares to the love I have for playing and teaching piano.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who taught you the most about work?
On that topic, I have to bring up my parents who came to this country from Nicaragua, Oscar and Rosa Torres. They are the ones who have inspired me the most throughout my life. When they first arrived to the United States, they started off with nothing and lived with one of my dad’s aunts in Houston. They even had to take English lessons just so they could get random jobs which allowed them to take care of the growing family while still studying to become medical doctors. During that time, my older sister and myself kept them busy. My younger sister came along later after we moved to Wichita Falls, Texas. Later on after she was born my mom’s parents came to help them take care of us girls as we grew up.
With their prior medical degrees, they worked hard and continued to study in order to get accepted into the Wichita Falls hospital’s residency program. With perseverance, family support, and hard work, they went on to be not only an inspirational couple, but also the best doctors I have ever known. They not only opened their own clinic, but they also did lots of volunteer work with the hospitals in our local community and their home country of Nicaragua. They have always valued hard work and education, and are great examples that you must put in time and effort to succeed.
As one could expect, they wanted me to follow in their footsteps and become a doctor just like my sisters did, but I chose to carve my own path and follow my true calling in life, being a pianist. I believe everyone needs a touch of music in their life to become a well-rounded human. Now more than ever, everyone in the world could use the healing power of music and art in conjunction with a little less screen time…
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Oh yes, back in college. When I was in school, 21 years ago, performance anxiety was not a widely researched field. Studies at the time were slim, and there were no classes to help students work through those issues. In my teen years, I developed a serious case of performance anxiety due to a constant pressure to play perfectly and not fail. However, through my persistent work ethic, support of my professors and family, and patience of my now loving husband, I was able to overcome it and complete my Bachelor of Arts, continuing on to receive my Masters of Music Education with full scholarship and stipend.
I mastered various breathing techniques and at one point had start on medication to help me perform. My family was super supportive and helped build my confidence by attending concerts and keeping me inspired.
These days I’ve learned that my anxiety to perform can really be transformed if I just talk to myself like I’m excited instead of scared. Also constantly doing performances has helped me control my anxiety better. Keeping up with my YouTube page, planning and posting new videos helps keep me on track with everything I’ve learned.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
I think one of the biggest lies in the classical music realm is that each performance must be perfect. By perfection I mean no mistakes and your music must be memorized.
I’ve been to so many sold out concerts of incredibly talented, world-renowned musicians that have made plenty of mistakes or used their music and no one cared. People still paid good money to go see them and had a wonderful time. What matters most is connecting to your audience and how your audience enjoys your performance, not necessarily if you made mistakes or if you dared to have your sheet music with you.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. Are you tap dancing to work? Have you been that level of excited at any point in your career? If so, please tell us about those days.
Oh, certainly I’ve been on my toes going to “work”! My absolute favorite time was when I got to perform our famous one piano six hands concert with two of my piano colleagues in Portugal. Those concerts were so memorable and impactful for me as a pianist and teacher. People were so excited to hear us play, the energy of the room was electrifying. All the concerts were sold out. The coolest part now is to share the concerts on my YouTube page with friends and seeing their reactions firsthand, especially my students. I love inspiring them and showcasing what can be done with hard work and perseverance just like my parents taught me!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thecraftypianoteacher.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecraftypianoteacher
- Linkedin: Doris Gameiro
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecraftypianoteacher
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/dorisgameiro
Image Credits
Doris Gameiro and David Gameiro
