About Us

Picture of Mar Sánchez

Mar Sánchez

Violín, Viola, Early Music Education, Musical Language

Picture of Eloy Lázaro

Eloy Lázaro

Music Practice Techniques, Piano, Early Music Education, Musical Language

We are teachers and musicians with over 10 years of teaching experience, highly motivated, and with an unwavering commitment to pedagogical innovation. This dedication has driven us to consolidate and refine all our knowledge about musical learning systems and methods into an educational project defined as IMPROVE Educación Musical.

Where to find us

We carry out our work in the Axarquía region, more specifically in the towns of Vélez-Málaga, Torre del Mar, and Rincón de la Victoria, where we collaborate with various educational centers.

Additionally, we have our own small musical oasis located in Benajarafe (Málaga), a peaceful place near the beach where we live, create all our musical ideas, and fully dedicate ourselves to pedagogy. Small but mighty, our studio is equipped with the ideal acoustics, instruments, technology, and materials to enhance the musical development of any musician. Pianos, keyboards, violins, percussion instruments, speakers, mixing equipment, recording systems, and other accessories give us endless possibilities

Specialists in

Early Music Education

Focused on babies and young children, it is the highest quality approach to learning music at this stage.

High Instrumental Performance

Learn to play a musical instrument in the most effective and enjoyable way.
A different approach, different results.

100% Musical Language

At our music school, we use the most modern musical language methodology:
99% practice – 1% theory.

Musical Study Techniques

Aprender a tocar mejor

Are you putting in effort but not progressing as you’d like? Whatever your instrument, discover how to achieve your goals.

Pedagogical-Musical Guidance

Orientación estudiar música

This is our free pedagogical guidance service for any student or family concerned about their musical education.

Why Choose Us

We firmly believe that things can always be done better. We continuously research to discover new ways to improve, and once we find them, we pass them on to our students without filters. All of our work is based on the following philosophy:

Constant Improvement

Our commitment to research allows us to stay updated on the latest pedagogical trends.

Added Value

We bring quality, redesigned feedback, embedded technology, and exceptional personalized attention.

Breaking Barriers

An education fit for the 21st century that promotes creativity, autonomy, and personal development.

 

Passion for What We Do

We are fully dedicated to music and teaching.

Balance

We foster a working environment that balances enjoyment with maximum performance.

Passion for What You Do

Empathy with the personal growth and achievements of our students is what drives us.

Our Evolution

Although we were trained under a traditional model of music education, we soon realized that there are completely updated methodologies that have yet to be implemented in the current education system, despite their clear benefits. Too often, the differences between the traditional and modern approaches are stark, with procedures from one being entirely at odds with the other. This is largely due to the usual resistance to change and the entrenched nature of the traditional model, which continues to perpetuate 19th-century pedagogical practices that are disconnected from today’s society—a society rich in stimuli and influences.

IMPROVE Model

  • Understanding music
  • Development of autonomy
  • The ear comes first
  • Creativity
  • Inclusive method: adapts to you
  • Fun and motivating
  • Flexible repertoire, based on the student’s interests
  • Singing and movement as foundational pillars
  • Sound before symbol
  • Holistic view of learning (4 skills): listening, improvisation, reading, and composition

Traditional Model

  • Playing without meaningful understanding
  • Dependence on the teacher
  • Technique comes first
  • Rigidity
  • Exclusive method: not personalized
  • Boring, unstimulating
  • Pre-established repertoire, based on the teacher’s interests
  • Singing and movement used minimally
  • Rushed introduction to reading
  • Focused mainly on reading, to the detriment of other skills

In our early stages, we sought answers to basic issues: Is reading introduced too early? Is technique taught without a clear context for the student? Is the repertoire adapted to the student, or is the student expected to adapt to the repertoire? Then we tackled more complex areas: Is the student’s creativity being nurtured? Are psychological aspects like enjoyment, motivation, and self-esteem being considered? Are efficient study habits being developed? These and many other questions have driven us to explore exciting fields like neuroscience and music psychology, which delve deeply into topics such as musical perception, emotional and artistic expression, the acquisition of musical language, types of motor response, and more.

IMPROVE Model

  • Understanding music
  • Development of autonomoy
  • The ear comes first
  • Creativity
  • Inclusive Method: adapts to you
  • Fun and motivating
  • Flexible repertoire, based on the student's interests
  • Singing and movement as foundational pillars
  • Sound before Symbol
  • Holistic view of learning (4 skills): listening, improvisation, reading and composition

Traditional Model

  • Playing without meaningful understanding
  • Dependece on the teacher
  • Technique comes first
  • Rigidity
  • Exclusive method: not personalised
  • Boring, unstimulating
  • Pre-established repertoire, based on the teacher's interests
  • Singing and movement used minimally
  • Rushed introduction to reading
  • Focused mainly on reading, to the detriment of other skills

"These are our principles:
if you don’t like them...
...we DON'T have others"

Treating music as a true auditory art means first perceiving and distinguishing sounds without symbolic mediation. Only afterward can a proper verbal association between sound and notation be established.

The ability to form generalizations depends on the ability to distinguish similarities and differences. Through this perceptual learning based on auditory discrimination, we can avoid the passive, theoretical learning model.

When learning, it is more effective to tackle difficulties one at a time, making the complex simple.

Content is arranged progressively. Each stage must be mastered before moving on to the next. Only by sequencing learning in this way can a true sense of fluency be achieved.

One learns to walk by walking, and to play by playing. To learn, you must do, experiment, and engage. This promotes truly meaningful learning, full of stronger associations and generalizations. Theory helps later by defining what has been learned.

Detailed work on specifics should always consider the broader musical context. Having a clear overall artistic vision enhances understanding of the individual parts.

Why not have it all?

Professionalism

At IMPROVE, how we treat others and how we act matter. Seriousness, integrity, and efficiency are our hallmarks.

High Performance

We always strive for the best results with all our students, developing each one’s full musical potential.

Experience

All the experience gained over the years is shared within the teaching team for proper evaluation and reflection. This cyclical process of collaboration improves the team’s performance and, therefore, enhances student learning.

Quality

At IMPROVE, we are committed to providing the highest quality education, starting from the earliest years and continuing throughout the musician’s entire artistic career.

Comprehensive Training

A musician needs to express their full potential through various musical skills: listening, improvising, reading, and composing. True musical literacy does not overlook any of these areas.

Focused on You

The student’s interests and personality guide the path forward. We bring our experience in service of this idea.