By Erica Cortes and Gabriela Gutierrez
The Music Association of California Community Colleges had ELAC pianist Daniel Lopez as a finalist for their November competitions.
Lopez started in East Los Angeles College six years ago and he began his journey with taking basic piano lessons.
Lopez has played with the association twice within those six years.
He was in San Francisco for both meetings but both meetings differed in various ways.
“One was for a master class where an expert listens to you play and gives you advice on how to play better,” Lopez said.
The master class
was where Lopez
was competing to
be chosen for the
second performance, which was known as the faculty recital.
Only one performer was chosen.It was after that rst performancethat Lopez was chosen and invited to perform once more in front of faculty members from all around California community colleges.
One of the requirements needed to perform in San Francisco was that performers needed to play a piece that they had been actively practicing and performing for at least two years.
The piece that he played was an Argentine song by Alberto Ginastera called “Danza de la Moza Donoza” which means dance of the beautiful maiden.
The number of semi nalists wasdependent upon how many colleges were participating, but only nine performers were to be chosen after the finals.
Two of those
finalists were to receive scholarships as part of being selected.
The piece that Lopez chose was a piece that he said he had been playing for a little over two years.
He said that he was more than prepared to play at the faculty recital but regardless, a lot of mental practice was still necessary.
“Performing is kind of a nervous task. You get very anxious up there, so you just need to keep yourself
calm and use a lot of breathing techniques,” Lopez said.
Part of the process that was necessary in order to get Lopez to the faculty recital was that his professor had to sign for him as well.
Lopez was also required to be an
active member of MACCC, which can only be attained after paying a membership fee.
Lopez has been with the ELAC music program since the start of his enrollment.
He took beginner lessons at ELAC and later applied for the
music program.
He spent two years with a private
instructor after he joined the music program.
He said that during that time he gained a support system with the faculty and fellow students at school.
“Our professors for sure support us. We are there to represent our school and the music staff, pretty much,” Lopez said.
Lopez is taking classes and waits on his transfers and sees what other projects are in store for his future.