Master accordionist with 18 years of experience gives accordion lessons! During my education, I played accordion all over Europe, solo, chamber, and orchestral pieces.

Find out more about Marija

• When did you first develop a passion for music and your favorite instrument?

  Even in kindergarten, I showed interest in music. For that reason, my mom enrolled me in a music kindergarten when I was 5 years old, and I attended it for two years. After that, I had to choose an instrument to play when I enrolled in elementary music school. Since my grandmother played the accordion in her childhood and it remained her great love, I decided to take up the accordion. After just one year, I developed a great love for the accordion and knew it would be my lifelong calling. I haven't regretted it even after 18 years of playing the accordion, and I am very proud of the persistence and love I have directed towards the accordion all these years!

• Is there a particular type of music or artist that you listen to on a loop without it driving you crazy?

  When it comes to my musical taste, I generally like and listen to everything, but mostly classical and film music. I could highlight Johann Sebastian Bach as a composer whose works particularly fascinate me and whose music I can listen to all day without ever getting bored. Besides that, I love film music, and I would single out Morricone as one of the greatest composers of this genre. Regardless, I believe that a musician should be familiar with all musical genres to be complete.

• Explain to us the most difficult or riveting course you could personally give to a student of music.

  As someone who has completed elementary and high music school, followed by undergraduate and master studies in accordion (currently pursuing a doctorate), I have experience with all levels of playing the accordion, which will greatly benefit my students. I have completed internships in a music school and worked with children aged 7 to 18, so I have experience teaching students who have never had contact with the accordion. Additionally, my lessons can be quite complex, and I can teach students who have been playing the accordion for years, as I have experience with that too (I have been an assistant at the university for 3 years, conducting exercises for students). This would involve covering much more repertoire and compositions, writing transcriptions of piano arrangements, refining technique, and preparing for public concerts!

• What do you think is the most complicated instrument to master and why?

  The question of which is the most difficult instrument to play often arises, and the answers vary. I honestly believe that all instruments are complex, each in its own way. For this reason, I wouldn't characterize any instrument as the hardest. The accordion is a demanding instrument, primarily because it weighs around 15 kilograms, and one needs to learn how to control that. Additionally, it has a fairly complicated mechanism and structure, which can be quite difficult for children to master at first. However, once the instrument is well understood and the basics are well established, the accordionist can much more easily continue playing their instrument.

• What are your keys to success?

  The key to success in my profession is the same as in most other professions: WORK-ORDER-DISCIPLINE. This definition can be understood as a recipe for success. Working hard, organizing time and work methods well, and persisting in it-these are the things that have led me to success in the accordion world. Besides that, I must emphasize that for a musician, the most important thing is to love what they do and to enjoy it; without that, there is no success.

• Name three musicians you dream of meeting in your favourite bar in the early hours of the morning. Explain why.

  I admire and respect many musicians. If I have to choose, I would love to meet violinist Nemanja Radulović, who is, in my opinion, the most inspiring figure on the world music scene. Despite a difficult childhood and financial problems, he built an international career and, above all, retained his modesty and wonderful energy. Besides him, I would like to meet András Schiff, as I consider him the best interpreter of Bach's music. Finally, I would like to meet pop singer Lady Gaga, because she is an exceptional musician in addition to being a singer.

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to music or your days at music school.

  One of the most interesting situations related to my education happened while I was still in the cradle. At barely 3 months old, my father was rocking me and singing a lullaby when he said to my mother: "She will be my accordionist." This surprised my mother because no one in our family was involved in music, and she thought he was joking. My parents separated when I was 8 months old, and I never had contact with my father. Several years later, it turned out that my father was right, and the accordion became my life's calling. I only learned about this situation at the beginning of college when my mother decided to tell me about it.

• What are the little touches that make you a Superprof in music?

  Every teacher has their individual methods for teaching their students. I believe these methods are developed from a synthesis of our learning and experiences as students. What I think is special about my teaching is that I connect musical components with other sciences. Very often, I show students exercises used by athletes to help them build stamina for playing the accordion. Additionally, I have the ability to quickly create a psychological profile of the student I am teaching, and I always rely on that when creating lesson plans.