2016 marks a milestone for music and Spanish teacher, Sofia Lopez-Ibor. In 1996 Sofia left her home country of Spain to join The San Francisco School (SFS) as a teacher. This September, the school hosted a 20th Anniversary Celebration in her honor. Many of us know Sofia as the quiet and intense teacher who calmly orchestrates the songs and musical pieces of the school concerts. At her anniversary celebration, we learned so much more.
One of twelve children, Sofia was born in Madrid, where she says that it was always “busy, messy, and loud.” Sofia’s father was a counselor to the royal family at a time when they were exiled to Portugal following a government takeover by Francisco Franco’s regime. Her father and others decided to build a progressive school in hopes of educating Franco’s appointed successor, Juan Carlos, in ways no longer allowed under the dictatorship. Sofia attended this school and thrived in the environment of music, poetry and art. She learned Orff Schulwerk, folk music, and dance, and later studied flute, recorder, and Baroque music in Madrid and London.
Sofia flourished in the busy life of study, writing, and performance. Her excellence in teaching children was recognized by her teacher Elisa Roche, who encouraged Sofia to pursue teaching as her main focus. She was sent to the Orff Institute in Austria where she developed her talent in music pedagogy and where she met Doug Goodkin, a teacher at SFS, who invited her to come to the school.
Sofia decided to make the move. She credits her colleagues Doug Goodkin and James Harding, and the children she teaches each day, as her inspiration and support. “They are everything to me; these colleagues are just gold. What keeps me here? This mass of musical kids that challenge me every day and that I adore. I didn’t need to be up on a stage; I just needed to be down on a rug with the kids. I found my place; you all made this my place.”
Sofia continues to travel the world, instructing children and adults in music. She has written several books, was awarded the Medallion of Honor at the Orff Schulwerk Forum in Salzburg in recognition of her teacher training, and was named Queen of Development in Dzodze in the Volta Region in Ghana. We are so fortunate that Sofia has chosen to make SFS her place.
One of twelve children, Sofia was born in Madrid, where she says that it was always “busy, messy, and loud.” Sofia’s father was a counselor to the royal family at a time when they were exiled to Portugal following a government takeover by Francisco Franco’s regime. Her father and others decided to build a progressive school in hopes of educating Franco’s appointed successor, Juan Carlos, in ways no longer allowed under the dictatorship. Sofia attended this school and thrived in the environment of music, poetry and art. She learned Orff Schulwerk, folk music, and dance, and later studied flute, recorder, and Baroque music in Madrid and London.
Sofia flourished in the busy life of study, writing, and performance. Her excellence in teaching children was recognized by her teacher Elisa Roche, who encouraged Sofia to pursue teaching as her main focus. She was sent to the Orff Institute in Austria where she developed her talent in music pedagogy and where she met Doug Goodkin, a teacher at SFS, who invited her to come to the school.
Sofia decided to make the move. She credits her colleagues Doug Goodkin and James Harding, and the children she teaches each day, as her inspiration and support. “They are everything to me; these colleagues are just gold. What keeps me here? This mass of musical kids that challenge me every day and that I adore. I didn’t need to be up on a stage; I just needed to be down on a rug with the kids. I found my place; you all made this my place.”
Sofia continues to travel the world, instructing children and adults in music. She has written several books, was awarded the Medallion of Honor at the Orff Schulwerk Forum in Salzburg in recognition of her teacher training, and was named Queen of Development in Dzodze in the Volta Region in Ghana. We are so fortunate that Sofia has chosen to make SFS her place.