[Main visual] Liudmyla Dyka
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Liudmyla Dyka

Piano teacher at Kyiv Music School of Arts #5, Ukraine

Teaching music during war

We sat down with Liudmyla Dyka to discuss her career so far and thoughts around music and education.

When I was a student of Glier Institute of Music, I decided to start gaining teaching experience. As a 4th year student, I started working in a music school for practical experience. My career started from working with children 5-6 years old, I had to get experience as it was not easy, but you gain knowledge with practice and I have been working here now for 47 years.

Even though I had to move to another area when I got married, I didn’t quit my workplace because of our amazing organization. My colleagues have become my family and they have helped me so much with sharing experience and knowledge. When you are a fresh graduate, you don’t know everything, so I am very grateful to the team, and I just couldn’t leave them behind. Our team is still considered one of the strongest in Kyiv.

Many of my students have decided to stay in music, and many have chosen music as part of their self-development to help them succeed in other fields.

Since the full-scale war started on 24-Feb 2022, many of our students have migrated.

First, we were simply in panic... how are we going to continue? We can’t lose our level! We can’t compromise!

I was lucky, most of the parents have considered to take their pianos with them as they have fled with their families. In the first 2-3 months, I must say, we had lesson’s every day, literally. I tried to schedule my day so that I can teach a little bit to every student. The next day we learned the next small section, and so on. So, during this tough time they learned their program. I must say how great the feedback was from the parents. They were grateful that their children have kept their good musical level, and moreover learning music kept them busy during the tough time of attacks and the overall hard environment of war. With pain I see the progress of our children. They have grown up earlier than they should have had.

We are trying to hold lessons online, but not everyone has access to an instrument. The online classes are in danger due to the bombings of Ukraine’s electrical infrastructure, when there is no electricity, we can’t teach... But we can’t lose our level! We can’t compromise! So, we try to find ways to reschedule, trying to catch up. Those who stayed in Kyiv, attend the classes with joy, unless the air alert sirens go off… then we must stop our lessons.

I have a student who has fled to Germany, she found a school where she can access a piano, she tries to get every opportunity to practice, sometimes the school is closed… sometimes the class is occupied...

Music Education is such a great tool for personal progress.

I’ve seen children who have had difficulties in general with their studies. And I’ve seen how these children were taking the challenge of learning music and later succeeded in other subjects. I truly believe music education contributes to personal development of every human being.

Music brings peace to people’s souls. When we are sad, when we miss something… We sit down at the piano or take another instrument and get strength; we strengthen our soul; we find a trigger to come up with a conclusion. This is important, especially when we live in such complicated times.

People on the front line of Ukrainian defence, really inspire me. We have seen opera singers, musicians, defending our country and losing their lives… Ukrainian song should resonate and be heard.

I believe music education should bring happiness and joy. But at the same time, I teach my students to make a dedicated effort. It’s not easy to achieve.

I am sometimes thinking that a woman teacher is somewhat a mother. She is always helping, she is always with you, she helps to overcome all the difficulties so that you feel better. She is the most caring, the most loving, but she is strict, and she is just. I admire men teachers, there are so many professionals. But who will hug you when something goes wrong or when you mess up…

How do I think about the musical future of Ukraine? It is a hard question.

Many don’t have access to music education. And while parents really understand the value of music, they often don’t have the possibility to let their children attend music lessons.

We really believe that we are not alone in the world, there are lots of people who understand us and help us. But at this very moment we are going through a very tough time. With all the valuable support from the world, we will overcome the difficulties. And I believe that soon Ukrainian children will come back to our music school. They are so incredibly talented, they deserve to show their talent to the world, and they deserve to be heard.

The singing Ukraine will sing.

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