Friday, December 20, 2024
Even though she began playing at the age of nine, flutist Maria Bustos’ (MM ’25) initial calling wasn’t music—it was industrial design.
It wasn’t until college, after working with a career counselor, that she made the decision to pursue music full-time. But even then, choosing the right path for herself within the field wouldn’t be easy.
When Bustos arrived at Longy, her vision for her future was narrow, based on assumptions of what a life in music should look like. “I really was not open to the idea of doing something that wasn’t being in an orchestra,” she admits.
Her outlook began to change as she settled into her studies and grew in confidence with the guidance of her teacher, Sooyun Kim.
Kim, a renowned fellow flutist and educator, became a key mentor and advisor to Bustos, inspiring her to think beyond traditional performance roles.
Maria Bustos
“She’s a very big inspiration for all of us. She’s an amazing player and teacher. She’s gigging all over the country and still able to keep up a high level of musicianship, which is so difficult,” Bustos shares.
In Kim, Bustos found the perfect example of a teaching artist—someone who could balance performance with education, bringing a wealth of knowledge and passion to both the stage and the classroom.
Through Kim’s classroom and one-on-one lessons, Bustos discovered her true calling. “My ultimate goal is now to be a teaching artist,” she says with clarity, “I want to become a college teacher.”
As an educator, she hopes to share some practical wisdom Longy teaches on how to manage a career in music. “I’ve taken classes about how to file your taxes and create your own gigs and opportunities, which have been really helpful.”
Bustos also wants to expose a new generation of students to historically important music they may not necessarily be familiar with. Some of this music includes traditional Venezuelan sounds—she is committed to sharing the rich cultural heritage of her home country, which secured her a spot at Longy, with her future students.
Bustos sought out a Longy education for the fresh start it promised—when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, she was in her third year of musical study in Venezuela and facing the mounting economic instability of the country.
“I didn’t know if I was going to graduate, so I started looking at some options,” Bustos explained. The prospect of studying abroad became a beacon of hope for her, and encouraged by her friends, she decided to apply to Longy, even as she was concerned about paying for her education.
A miracle came in the form of a Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation scholarship, which made it possible for Bustos to attend Longy and fulfill her musical ambitions. She was awarded it after a video submission of her playing classic Venezuelan music in her bedroom wowed the scholarship team.
Sooyun Kim
“Venezuela has a lot of beautiful music, and I really want to bring that to the United States,” she says. “I would like to bring the fun and beautiful aspects of my country to our music community here.”
Her time at Longy has also strengthened her belief that diverse musical traditions and cultural awareness deserve a place in every music teacher’s curriculum. “The music of other countries—not only European countries and the United States—should be talked about,” she adds.
Though Bustos credits much of her professional growth to the support she’s received at Longy, Kim emphasizes that Bustos’ success is ultimately a product of her dedication and vision.
“She has always been very clear-minded and determined on how she wants to pursue her studies. I only needed to point her in directions and put some light on the paths she wanted to explore,” says Kim.
Now on her clear and focused path to becoming a teaching artist, Bustos is poised to take what she’s learned at Longy and make her own impact on the future of music education, sharing the vibrant sounds of her musical passions and Venezuelan culture with her own students.