Unnur Jónsdóttir – interview

Unnur Jónsdóttir is a master's student in the Department of Art Education at the Icelandic Academy of Sciences.

"As a child, the music school was a bit of my second home. My older brothers were both students there when I was born, and my mother was the school secretary and still is. So it was never a question of whether I would study music, but rather which instrument I would choose. Somehow I ended up being both a member of the Seltjarnarness School Brass Band, playing the clarinet for more than 10 years, and my main instrument from the age of 9 was the cello," says Unnur, whose childhood largely took place within the walls of the music school.

"Somehow, it never occurred to me that music would be my companion, even though I had no clear idea of ​​what that would look like. After elementary school, I studied at the Reykjavík College of Music (now MÍT) along with studying at Hamrahlíð High School and the wonderful choir work that takes place there. Music was always all-pervading."

During my high school years, I ended up collaborating with musicians from all walks of life, which led to music becoming my main occupation early on, and it has remained so ever since, in various and very diverse forms.”

Photographer: Maximilian König

Unnur has worked at the Seltjarnarnes School of Music since 2019, mainly in private cello and clarinet lessons, but also in group lessons for preschool students and in music theory subjects.

"Along with teaching, I have been fortunate enough to play with a variety of musicians, both on stage here at home and abroad, as well as in studio recordings. It is valuable to be able to approach your art form from different angles, and invaluable to be able to pursue music at the same time as a teacher, performer, and student."

After teaching for several years, Unni began to desire more knowledge related to teaching.

"I simply wanted to better understand what lies behind good teaching, how and why teachers reach different students, and how creative learning can be fostered with care and ambition."

"I have always been very interested in communication, creativity and how we learn. In art education, these areas of interest meet so beautifully. The study in the art education department is somehow such a great mix of creative students and teachers with different backgrounds, we all share the same open and creative mindset which is a great foundation for development and knowledge," says Unnur.  

Photographer: Maximilian König

"It's simply great to work with a large group of people whose only declared common denominator is art, artistic creation and art education. We are different from each other, but that means we can learn a lot from each other. We get many opportunities to explore our own experiences of learning, but also to examine what kind of teachers we want to be for our students. I want to say that artists never stop being students, and that applies equally to those who communicate art through teaching as well as at concerts, exhibitions or with any kind of artistic act or product. Art education is just a study within a study, we are students and teachers at the same time, and it is an incredibly liberating experience," says Unnur, whose studies have already been useful to her in her music teaching.

"I have had the opportunity to reflect on both my own learning and teaching, and have thus been able to develop my methods and gain increased confidence in my own voice as a teacher. I now feel that I make decisions with greater certainty and with a clearer vision. After completing my studies, I would like to continue to build a bridge between music and teaching that is alive, creative and nourishing – both for my students and no less for myself. I hope that I can contribute to making teaching not only about communication but also about collaboration, creativity and the joy of playing music."