Late last year, world-renowned mandolinist and ArtistWorks classical mandolin instructor, Professor Caterina Lichtenberg, was interviewed by music journalist Markus Brandstetter in an in-depth profile cataloging Caterina’s lifelong relationship with the mandolin. Originally published on the popular independent German music blog, Hyperlocrian.com, the detailed interview was highlighted earlier this week on the homepage of mandolincafe.com, the online mecca for all things mandolin.

“I come from Magdeburg and there was mandolin training at the music school and also a large plucked string orchestra.” Lichtenberg explained when asked why she gravitated toward the mandolin as a child. “I thought that was great, also because the mandolin was an instrument that not everyone played. That's how I discovered the mandolin for myself.”

She goes on to express how her upbringing and the wide array of musical preferences within her family inspired her as a musician, and still influence her approach to the mandolin to this day.

“As a mandolin student, I actually played classical music exclusively. But at home, my brother at some point was oriented more towards jazz. Through him, I listened to a lot about jazz and soul. Later, it also went in the direction of pop music,” Lichtenberg explained. “[My brother’s] room was on the top floor. My parents on the first floor listened mostly to baroque music. And my grandparents, who lived on the bottom floor, were opera lovers. There were three different levels, not only in terms of floors, but also musical levels.”

From there, Lichtenberg goes on to illustrate her approaches as a musical educator, and what inspires her to teach through ArtistWorks’ unique Video Exchange Learning platform.

“Personally, what I love about Artistworks is that I can relate to beginners again,” Lichtenberg explains. “In my bubble at the university, I mainly have very advanced players who were already playing great before, only to become even better. But I also find it exciting to work with people who are beginners. I have to reflect didactically in a completely different way, and I enjoy that. The joy of students who can play their first song is infectious. That's different when you only work professionally and it's always about always being better. Sometimes you lose that joy for the little things. I think it's nice to have this mixture between the different levels.”

Check out the full interview with Caterina here to learn more!