By Kristen Kirtley
Dr. Eduardo Moreira is the newest addition to the Fine Arts Department faculty. He teaches piano and accompanies the university choirs.
A native of Porto Alegre, Brazil, Moreira has a bachelor’s degree in piano performance from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, a master’s degree in piano performance from the University of Strasbourg of France and a doctorate degree in piano performance from the University of Oregon.
Q: What brought you to Alva?
A: It was the opportunity, the job that I was offered here. It’s what I always wanted to do professionally. I always wanted to teach piano at a university.
I really like that, here, not only do I teach but I play piano with my students, I’m also the choir accompanist, and I’m also accompanying other students individually.
Q: What are you looking to accomplish in the classroom this school year?
A: When I got here, the piano department was a little bit of a mess. We have several students who finished Piano Class Four.
By the end of Piano Class Four, they need to take a piano proficiency exam. Last year, there were several students who passed the class but failed the exam. So I have students that successfully completed the class but need to retake the exam.
One of the main goals now is to fix this problem and do better from here on. The other goal is that we’re trying to create a new piano performance program that we currently don’t have. The performance major doesn’t exist yet, so we’re working to do that.
Q: Who was your hero growing up?
A: It’s completely unrelated to music actually, because I think my music heroes started coming later. I was a really big fan of Michael Jordan. When I was little, Michael Jordan was in his prime time playing for the Chicago Bulls.
I’m a huge basketball fan, and I grew up watching Michael Jordan play.
Q: What is the scariest thing you have done?
A: It used to be scary going on stage to play piano, but nowadays I feel more comfortable. The more I do it, the more comfortable I get.
I once climbed a mountain in Oregon called Mount Hood. That was one of the scariest things I’ve done. I climbed this mountain by myself, and it’s a famous mountain.
People die on the mountain every year. I did it by myself, starting at 2 a.m., and I reached the top about 8 a.m., climbing through the night.
There’s a reason why we do that: to avoid the sun melting the snow and creating hazardous situations. But that was very scary by myself, and I was very proud when I finished the climb.
Q: What is your superpower?
A: As a teacher, I think it’s really passion for teaching. I really love teaching and watching students get better, watching the students become a better version of themselves.