Haven’t you thought about the question of what teachers should be like in order for students to be interested in the subject? The answer immediately comes to mind: to love your work and inspire it. Tetyana Kiselyova is a pop vocal teacher at the Sviatoslav Richter Music School, a vocalist of the MATE band, and a finalist in one of the vocal shows. And she definitely knows how to ignite and inspire!

«I was never forced to play music. Since childhood, I sing wherever I can. In the morning I climbed a tall nut and sang, getting great pleasure from it. I have a musical taste from my dad – he is a music lover. Constantly listening to the «firm», he had a lot of vinyl: Sting, Freddie Mercury, «Deep Purple», «Led Zeppelin», «The Beatles» з Since childhood, I knew by heart almost all the lyrics of Tina Turner, Michael Jackson. Even now, when my father comes to visit me, he sometimes says: «Tanya, I found a song in your repertoire»

«Olena Ivanivna Botsyun taught music at the school where I studied. In high school, she formed a quartet called The Soul, where I was a soloist. We sang a capella (ed.: Choral singing without musical instruments). We went to various festivals, competitions and won prizes. That’s when I started to develop and realized that the way of life is defined – it will be connected with music»

«I am not a strict teacher, but fair and demanding. I believe that you can learn something only when there is trust, when everything that the teacher requires is done, and try hard. Then there will be a result, it will be clear why you go to study, why it is for you. I adore students who work hard. It’s a shame to waste time if a child comes just to have fun»

«There are also fun moments in the lessons. I have a student – a talented and hardworking child. She sometimes gives sweets in a very interesting way: she imagines herself a magician. Gets them out of her ear with the words: «This is for you». (Laughs)

«In our music school, the director is extremely progressive – she gives way to our creative ideas and initiatives, she fully supports the band. Even at the reporting concerts before the quarantine in the Philharmonic, she allowed us to develop our potential in the field in which we could realize ourselves. And so far everything continues»

«Our band is called «MATE»- a combination of the first letters of my and my man’s names. Later it turned out that this abbreviation is translated from English as «friend comrade». We were formed about a year and a half ago and were originally a duo. They didn’t know if there would be friends with weapons (smiles). The main selection criterion was not only professionalism but also humanity. Tried – it worked. Since then we are a team»

«A casting manager wrote to me on Instagram and offered to take part in the show. At that time, she didn’t even know what kind of show it was, and she was quite skeptical about such television projects. But I consulted with the guys from the band, and we decided to record two songs – for me it was an option to show our team. Then the organizers said that the show had a different format, and I had to take part myself. If I had known about it right away, I might not have tried. I didn’t even think that I would be selected to participate in the TV show «Everyone Sings»… First I was told about participating in the casting, and then they called to announce a specific date. I decided to ask how the casting will take place, and in response I heard that this TV shoot and I was selected from a thousand applicants. It was just a silent scene. I ask my husband: «Max, what to do?» He says we have to go, and I’m worried about the edge»

«I am not confident in myself, in my abilities. Probably, it was necessary to take part in such a TV project to understand that I am still worth something. The emotions were incredible! Especially when you are applauded by the stars you have seen on television. Already in the chair of the finalist she heard many kind words addressed to her. I was encouraged to record my songs… After the show we met Olena Hrebenyuk (editor’s note: Ukrainian opera singer). She said a very important thing: «I took part in many competitions and did not win any. The main thing is not to win the competition, but what will happen after it: how you realize yourself, show your creativity, how you will work on yourself. That’s the main thing». I liked these words»

«Students perceived my participation in the show differently, but definitely started to look at me with different eyes. They began to learn better, which is extremely inspiring. The children saw that if you work hard, the result will be. My own life after the show has not changed in principle, but people became more interested in our band, and the popularity is growing»

«Music changes, tastes change – everything changes, but the principle and methods remain: the child needs to be taught comprehensively. I try to keep up with the times and use modern techniques that I borrowed from leading American teachers, such as Seth Riggs, Brad Manning, Cheryl Porter. We communicate with students not only in class or at school, but also outside them. In social networks, we discuss the repertoire and exchange ideas, tasks that can be performed at home. We also do mostly phonograms, with a microphone, on stage, so that they can feel what it’s like to be real artists. Children need practice, not just classroom activities. To have new Richters and Kosenkas in Zhytomyr, we need to help: organize festivals, collaborations and concerts»

«I love Zhytomyr. Here I met love – my husband, met my best friends. Zhytomyr is a city that lives its life, a city-mystery. Of course, we want Zhytomyr to become more European. I want faster development, especially cultural»