Fedja Zahirovic

Fedja (he/him) studied classical piano and guitar in his youth. He spent 20 years performing professionally before earning his Bachelor’s degree in musicology and ethnomusicology from Portland State University. Lessons with Fedja focus on building fundamentals, music theory, and learning to read. He is patient, kind, and uses positive reinforcement to support his students on a path toward achieving their goals.

 

What age were you when you first started taking music lessons?

13 years old

Tell us about an early music lessons experience that helped shape you as a musician or teacher:
After messing around on a keyboard for several years I started taking piano music lessons and while I enjoyed it, it wasn’t until I played my first duet that I realized how much more I like collaborating rather than playing solo. I also learned that music is a shared experience, not just between performer and audience but between performers. As a teacher and as performer I always search for those special moments where connections are made between those performing and those listening.
What are your favorite bands or musicians?

Evanescence, Pink Floyd, Iron Maiden, Dire Straits just to name a few. Dire Straits shaped a lot of my guitar playing because of Mark Knopfler direct approach and heavy blues influences. Pink Floyd started my love affair with synths and opened the door to all the possibilities electronic music can add to a rock and roll band. Iron Maiden was my gateway into heavy and symphonic sound. Evanescence is where I landed because of my love for piano and Aimee Lee being incredible pianist that can seamlessly combine elements of rock and classical music.

Do you have a highlight of your music career so far that you would like to share?
In my rock music career I had the honor of performing with late Sky Saxon, founder and front man of 1960s rock band The Seeds. Saxon was trying to get the band back together for a comeback tour in early 2000s and their keyboardist couldn’t make it to the first leg of their gigs. The band reached out to my promoter at the time and I had less than a day to get myself familiar with their songs and figure out their hour and a half long set. The show was a bit of a wreck because of poor organization, but the experience was amazing because not many of us can say they got to share stage with a rock icon from 1960s.
 
During my classical guitar studies at Portland State I had an opportunity to play a piece written for guitar orchestra called The Walls, and at the time it was never publicly performed before. Sergio Assad, a revered modern classical composer wrote the piece as a commentary to the 2016 election. It was powerful and moving performance, reflective of our current time and it has since then been recorded and revised and now it includes a solo work by legendary cellist Yo-Yo Ma. I also had an opportunity that same year to ring in a new year singing with PSU choir along with Oregon Symphony and Pink Martini in their New Year’s eve performance.
Describe your ideal student.
Someone who dedicates their time to practicing, exploring music and asking questions. A student who likes setting personal goals. Individuals that are naturally curious about music and are not afraid of making mistakes and trying different things.
Describe what your students should expect in their first few music lessons.
The first lesson is evaluation of what they already know and trying to build on those skills. For guitar and bass students it is usually proper way of holding an instrument, posture, tuning, strumming and string names for absolute beginners. For piano students it is learning the keyboard, posture, proper hand position, rhythm and note values. For those with previous experience, I usually would have them play something, check on their knowledge of musical alphabet, sight reading skills and learning about what style of music they are most interested in. Based on that assessment, first few lessons would be geared toward setting and reaching small goals, outlining practice and building on their existing skills.
Why did you want to become a music teacher?
My connection with music is a complex one and playing instruments and learning all I can about music has helped me through very difficult times as a young adult. When Yugoslavia broke apart and the war in Bosnia was raging on in 1990s, music was my safe space. When I immigrated to US as a 17 year old boy who didn’t speak English language, music was a way for me to connect with new people and build lifelong friendships and relationships. My first music teacher told me “Learn to play an instrument and you will never be alone.” That statement stands true to this very day and I studied music with intention to teach because I never want to see another person feel lonely, lost or unable to express what they are feeling. Music, aside from having immense role on developing our minds and bodies, also helps us sort out our emotions, make sense of world around us or connects us to those like-minded. The bond between music teachers and students lasts long after the lessons are over and I believe that music teachers create world with better people in it.

 

Want to take lessons with Fedja? Follow this link to get started!